gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Laparolithic Cholecystectomy: Laboratory Data and First Clinical Case (1993)

A method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is described. After control of the cystic duct and artery, gallstones are emulsified with a laparoscopic lithotriptor and the debris aspirated from the gallbladder. The free wall of the gallbladder is excised and the remaining gallbladder mucosa ablated with holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser. This technique eliminates the need for dissection of the gallbladder from the liver, thereby reducing the possibility of hemorrhage from the gallbladder fossa. At the same time stones and bile are aspirated so that the excised portion of gallbladder can be easily removed through an access port without spillage of contaminated bilious debris into the abdominal cavity or puncture wound that could cause infection. Acute and chronic animal studies confirm the feasibility of this technique. A clinical case is described.
Real time feature point tracking with automatic model selection (2011)

We present an efficient and accurate algorithm for face tracking using a set of Active Appearance Models (AAMs). We observe that a single AAM, trained at a particular model resolution and a particular range of displacements, has a “sweet spot” - a range of displacements for which it is most accurate. A common approach to increasing the range of convergence is to use a multi-resolution model, or a sequence of AAMs trained on smaller and smaller displacements. However, during tracking it is inefficient to run the whole sequence at every frame. If there has been little movement since the previous frame, it is sufficient to only run one step of a single higher resolution AAM. In this paper we show that we can use a non-linear regressor to estimate the magnitude of the displacement from the optimal position in the current frame, and use this to select a model which has been tuned to work well at that displacement. This is significantly more efficient than running a complete sequence of models at every frame. We describe the method in detail and demonstrate its performance on several datasets.
Growth hormone and periarticular new bone formation--a causal relationship? A preliminary communication (1983)

A general population of 928 men and women aged 30, 40, 50, and 60 years underwent a lower back examination as part of a general health survey. A 12 month follow-up questionnaire was completed by 99% of them. At the end of the follow-up year, the life time prevalence rates for low back pain (LBP) were 68-70% for men and rose with increasing age from 62% to 81% among women. The one year incidence of first attacks of LBP was 11% among the 30-year-olds and decreased in the older age-groups. Recurrences of LBP in the follow-up year were more frequent among those who had more recently and frequently experienced LBP before. Among those who had experienced LBP on some occasion, 23-31% had such symptoms daily or at least once a week. Heavy lifting, twisting and trauma were the most commonly stated causes of LBP, which 52-60% of the participants claimed to be work-related. A gradual onset and exacerbation of the LBP were of some prognostic value in the follow-up year, while the alleged cause of previous LBP was not.
A multipurpose microfluidic device designed to mimic microenvironment gradients and develop targeted cancer therapeutics (2008)

The heterogeneity of cellular microenvironments in tumors severely limits the efficacy of most cancer therapies. We have designed a microfluidic device that mimics the microenvironment gradients present in tumors that will enable the development of more effective cancer therapies. Tumor cell masses were formed within micron-scale chambers exposed to medium perfusion on one side to create linear nutrient gradients. The optical accessibility of the PDMS and glass device enables quantitative transmitted and fluorescence microscopy of all regions of the cell masses. Time-lapse microscopy was used to measure the growth rate and show that the device can be used for long-term efficacy studies. Fluorescence microscopy was used to demonstrate that the cell mass contained viable, apoptotic, and acidic regions similar to in vivo tumors. The diffusion coefficient of doxorubicin was accurately measured, and the accumulation of therapeutic bacteria was quantified. The device is simple to construct, and it can easily be reproduced to create an array of in vitro tumors. Because microenvironment gradients and penetration play critical roles controlling drug efficacy, we believe that this microfluidic device will be vital for understanding the behavior of common cancer drugs in solid tumors and designing novel intratumorally targeted therapeutics.
Human heart failure: cAMP stimulation of SR Ca<sup>2+</sup>-ATPase activity and phosphorylation level of phospholamban (1999)

Failing human myocardium has been associated with decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. There remains controversy as to whether the regulation of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity is altered in heart failure or whether decreased SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity is due to changes in SR Ca(2+)-ATPase or phospholamban expression. We therefore investigated whether alterations in cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban may be responsible for the reduced SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity in human heart failure. Protein levels of phospholamban and SR Ca(2+)-ATPase, detected by Western blot, were unchanged in failing compared with nonfailing human myocardium. There was decreased responsiveness to the direct activation of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase activity by either cAMP (0.01-100 micromol/l) or protein kinase A (1-30 microgram) in failing myocardium. Using the backphosphorylation technique, we observed a decrease of the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation level of phospholamban by 20 +/- 2%. It is concluded that the impaired SR function in human end-stage heart failure may be due, in part, to a reduced cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban.
Monolithically integrated photodetectors for optical signal monitoring in silicon waveguides (2006)

The development of monolithic silicon photonic systems has been the subject of intense research over the last decade. In addition to passive waveguiding structures suitable for DWDM applications, integration of electrical and optical functionality has yielded devices with the ability to dynamically attenuate, switch and modulate optical signals. However, for silicon to dominate as the substrate of choice for the fabrication of photonic circuits, the development of a full range of monolithically integrated functionality is required including detectors capable of signal monitoring at a wavelength around 1550nm. Photodetectors integrated with silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides are here demonstrated. Significant response at infrared wavelengths is shown to be mediated via deliberately introduced deep band-gap levels. This paper describes in detail the device fabrication and the performance of the waveguide photodetectors with regard to photoresponse, bandwidth, polarization sensitivity and thermal stability. Currently typical devices tap between 10-20% of an optical signal from an SOI waveguide and generate a photocurrent of several micro-amps. The most efficient device extracted 19% of the optical signal while exhibiting a responsivity of 3mA/W. We also describe results from the operation of an integrated photonic circuit consisting of a variable optical attenuator (VOA) and a photodetector. The detector monitors the optical signal as it is modulated using the VOA, however there exists a small, systematic offset in response as compared to measurements made with an external detector.
Natural IgG Autoantibodies Are Abundant and Ubiquitous in Human Sera, and Their Number Is Influenced By Age, Gender, and Disease (2013)

The presence of self-reactive IgG autoantibodies in human sera is largely thought to represent a breakdown in central tolerance and is typically regarded as a harbinger of autoimmune pathology. In the present study, immune-response profiling of human serum from 166 individuals via human protein microarrays demonstrates that IgG autoantibodies are abundant in all human serum, usually numbering in the thousands. These IgG autoantibodies bind to human antigens from organs and tissues all over the body and their serum diversity is strongly influenced by age, gender, and the presence of specific diseases. We also found that serum IgG autoantibody profiles are unique to an individual and remarkably stable over time. Similar profiles exist in rat and swine, suggesting conservation of this immunological feature among mammals. The number, diversity, and apparent evolutionary conservation of autoantibody profiles suggest that IgG autoantibodies have some important, as yet unrecognized, physiological function. We propose that IgG autoantibodies have evolved as an adaptive mechanism for debris-clearance, a function consistent with their apparent utility as diagnostic indicators of disease as already established for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Aspects of Alkaline Cell Leakage (1978)

An experimental study has been made of the effect of several variables on the creepage rate of alkaline electrolytes along negatively polarized metallic surfaces.The variables studied were (i) nature of the cation, (ii) electrolyte concentration, (iii) external relative humidity, (iv) moisture transmission through seal, (v) seal compression, and (vi) electrolyte addiequal weight percent KOH, NaOH, and LiOH solu-* Electrochemical Society Active _Member.
Optimal treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (2013)

Laryngopharyngeal reflux is defined as the reflux of gastric content into larynx and pharynx. A large number of data suggest the growing prevalence of laryngopharyngeal symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, laryngopharyngeal reflux is a multifactorial syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease is not the only cause involved in its pathogenesis. Current critical issues in diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux are many nonspecific laryngeal symptoms and signs, and poor sensitivity and specificity of all currently available diagnostic tests. Although it is a pragmatic clinical strategy to start with empiric trials of proton pump inhibitors, many patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux have persistent symptoms despite maximal acid suppression therapy. Overall, there are scant conflicting results to assess the effect of reflux treatments (including dietary and lifestyle modification, medical treatment, antireflux surgery) on laryngopharyngeal reflux. The present review is aimed at critically discussing the current treatment options in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux, and provides a perspective on the development of new therapies.
Characteristics of laser-induced gratings in Pr^3+- and Eu^3+-doped silicate glasses (1990)

Four-wave mixing techniques are used to produce laser-induced gratings in Pr3+-doped silicate glasses for the first time to our knowledge. The characteristics of the laser-induced grating are investigated and compared with those found in Eu3+-doped silicate glasses. An attempt to form a laser-induced grating in an Er3+-doped silicate glass was made. Under excitation conditions similar to those in previous experiments, no laser-induced grating could be produced. Differences between the samples are discussed in terms of high-energy phonons, which are emitted when the rare-earth ion relaxes nonradiatively. Temperature dependences of the laser-induced grating signal intensity are investigated in Eu3+-doped silicate glasses, and the results are compared with theoretical predictions.
Nondegenerate Parametric Self-Oscillation via Multiwave Mixing in Coherent Atomic Media (1999)

We demonstrate an efficient nonlinear process in which Stokes and anti-Stokes components are generated spontaneously in a multilevel medium coherently prepared by resonant, counterpropagating fields. A medium of this kind combines large nonlinear gain and efficient intrinsic feedback, thereby allowing for very weak optical fields to induce nonlinear processes. Mirrorless self-oscillation induced by microwatts of light power (nanojoules of pulse energy) is observed.
Insect-vision inspired collision warning vision processor for automobiles (2008)

Vision is expected to play important roles for car safety enhancement. Imaging systems can be used to enlarging the vision field of the driver. For instance capturing and displaying views of hidden areas around the car which the driver can analyze for safer decision-making. Vision systems go a step further. They can autonomously analyze the visual information, identify dangerous situations and prompt the delivery of warning signals. For instance in case of road lane departure, if an overtaking car is in the blind spot, if an object is approaching within collision course, etc. Processing capabilities are also needed for applications viewing the car interior such as "intelligent airbag systems" that base deployment decisions on passenger features. On-line processing of visual information for car safety involves multiple sensors and views, huge amount of data per view and large frame rates. The associated computational load may be prohibitive for conventional processing architectures. Dedicated systems with embedded local processing capabilities may be needed to confront the challenges. This paper describes a dedicated sensory-processing architecture for collision warning which is inspired by insect vision. Particularly, the paper relies on the exploitation of the knowledge about the behavior of Locusta Migra- toria to develop dedicated chips and systems which are integrated into model cars as well as into a commercial car (Volvo XC90) and tested to deliver collision warnings in real traffic scenarios.
A gene transfer strategy for making bone marrow cells resistant to trimetrexate (1996)

Trimetrexate (TMTX) is an anticancer drug with potential advantages over the more commonly used antifolate, methotrexate (MTX); however, its use has been limited by severe myelosuppression. Retroviral vectors containing mutant dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) genes have been used to protect bone marrow cells from MTX, suggesting a similar approach could be used for TMTX. We first screened six variants of human DHFR to determine which allowed maximal TMTX resistance in fibroblasts. A variant enzyme containing a Leu-to-Tyr mutation in the 22nd codon (L22Y) was best, allowing a 100-fold increase in resistance over controls. Murine hematopoietic progenitor cells transduced with an L22Y-containing retroviral vector also showed high-level TMTX resistance in vitro. Mice reconstituted with L22Y-transduced bone marrow cells were challenged with a 5-day course of TMTX to determine whether hematopoiesis could be protected in vivo. Transfer of the L22Y vector resulted in consistent protection from TMTX-induced neutropenia and reticulocytopenia at levels that correlated with the proviral copy number in circulating leukocytes. We conclude that the L22Y vector is highly effective in protecting hematopoiesis from TMTX toxicity and may provide a means for increasing the therapeutic utility of TMTX in certain cancers.
ARTICULAR CARTILAGE GENE EXPRESSION IN EXPERIMENTAL OSTEOARTHRITIS (2005)

Introduction and Aims: Assessment of the metabolic state of articular cartilage (AC) is important in understanding the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in gene expression of the major AC extracellular matrix (ECM) components, in addition to a number of molecules involved in OA, including the novel glycoprotein lubricin, following lateral meniscectomy in a sheep model of OA. Method: AC tissue from both medial (MTP) and lateral (LTP) tibial plateaux were collected from six non-operated control (NOC) and six lateral meniscectomised (MEN) pure-bred Merino sheep six months post-surgery for semi-quantitative RT-PCR to assess patterns of mRNA expression (relative to GAPDH). Histological evaluation using a modified Mankin score was undertaken in the same sheep to grade the AC and immunohistochemical localisation of gene products was performed. Results: Cartilage degeneration was evident both macroscopically and histologically in the LTP following MEN, with less marked changes appearing in the MTP. The mean total tissue RNA increased greater than five-fold in the LTP following MEN (p Conclusion: Strong up-regulation in gene expression of the major cartilage ECM components was found, reflecting an anabolic response and attempted tissue repair. Significant changes were also observed for other ECM macromolecules thought to be involved in degenerative joint disease, contributing to alterations in the gene expression profile associated with OA.
Repair of alkali-labile sites within the mitochondrial DNA of RINr 38 cells after exposure to the nitrosourea streptozotocin. (1991)

Studies were initiated to investigate whether mechanisms exist within mitochondria to repair damage incurred by mitochondrial DNA after exposure to alkylating toxins. A clonal isolate from a rat insulinoma cell line was utilized to measure the formation and repair of alkali-labile sites within the mitochondrial genome after exposure to the alkylating antibiotic streptozotocin. Alkali-labile sites were formed in mitochondrial DNA in a dose-dependent fashion. Eight hours after exposure to the toxin, 55% of the lesions were removed. The level of repair increased to 70% after 24 h. In comparison, only 46% of N7-methylguanines were removed across the entire cellular genome. These studies demonstrate that streptozotocin causes appreciable mitochondrial DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner and provide the first evidence that a repair mechanism for alkali-labile sites is present within the mitochondrion.
IFN-Lambda (IFN-λ) Is Expressed in a Tissue-Dependent Fashion and Primarily Acts on Epithelial Cells In Vivo (2008)

Interferons (IFN) exert antiviral, immunomodulatory and cytostatic activities. IFN-alpha/beta (type I IFN) and IFN-lambda (type III IFN) bind distinct receptors, but regulate similar sets of genes and exhibit strikingly similar biological activities. We analyzed to what extent the IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda systems overlap in vivo in terms of expression and response. We observed a certain degree of tissue specificity in the production of IFN-lambda. In the brain, IFN-alpha/beta was readily produced after infection with various RNA viruses, whereas expression of IFN-lambda was low in this organ. In the liver, virus infection induced the expression of both IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda genes. Plasmid electrotransfer-mediated in vivo expression of individual IFN genes allowed the tissue and cell specificities of the responses to systemic IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda to be compared. The response to IFN-lambda correlated with expression of the alpha subunit of the IFN-lambda receptor (IL-28R alpha). The IFN-lambda response was prominent in the stomach, intestine and lungs, but very low in the central nervous system and spleen. At the cellular level, the response to IFN-lambda in kidney and brain was restricted to epithelial cells. In contrast, the response to IFN-alpha/beta was observed in various cell types in these organs, and was most prominent in endothelial cells. Thus, the IFN-lambda system probably evolved to specifically protect epithelia. IFN-lambda might contribute to the prevention of viral invasion through skin and mucosal surfaces.
Chemistry of Injection Water and its Impact on Oil Recovery in Carbonate and Clastic Formations (2009)

Abstract Waterflooding has been used for many decades as a way of recovering more oil. Historically, the salinity of the injection water has not been regarded as a key variable in determining the amount of oil recovered. Crude oil/water/rock chemical interactions can lead to large variations in the microscopic displacement efficiency of waterflood. There is increasing evidence, as reported in the literature, that injecting low salinity brines has a significant impact on the amount of oil displaced, but the exact mechanism by which this occurs is an unsettled issue. The main objective of this paper is to determine the effects, advantages, and practicalities of using low salinity waterflood to displace more oil in both carbonates and clastic formations. Another objective is to understand the main mechanisms in low salinity waterflood, and to determine the effects of salinity level on oil recovery. An extensive literature review is assembled about fluid/rock interactions, wettability alteration, clay hydration, and multi-component ion exchange (MIE), and waterflood experiments using coreflood setup. Seawater injection in carbonate formations has important effect on oil recovery, especially in fractures. The recovery mechanism is completely different in carbonate than in sandstone formations, due to different rock mineralogy, brine concentration and chemistry. Salt content in connate water also plays a role in increasing oil recovery, especially when decreasing the brine salinity. The effect of high, medium, and low salinity brines on lowering the oil-water interfacial tension and/or alter the wettability characteristics of the reservoir rock is discussed. The effects of various salinity brines on reservoir rocks during waterflooding are necessary to recover more oil and that at the end will increase oil recovery.
Broadband microwave devices based on artificial transmission lines (2011)

Miniature microwave devices based on artificial transmission line sections can be implemented on printed circuit boards in the standard surface-mount technology or as multilayer integrated circuits in the low temperature co-fired ceramics technology. Using artificial transmission lines with positive and negative dispersion properties in combination allows designing broadband microwave devices, e.g. phase shifters, directional couplers, and power dividers. Design of broadband digital and analogue phase shifters using artificial transmission line sections is reported. Broadband directional couplers and a reconfigurable power divider are presented as well.
Canine detection odor signatures for mine-related explosives (1998)

Dogs are capable of detecting and discriminating a number of compounds constituting a complex odor. However, they use only a few of these to recognize a substance. The focus of this research is to determine the compounds dogs learn to use in recognizing explosives used in land mines. This is accomplished by training dogs under behavioral laboratory conditions to respond differentially on separate levers to (1) blank air, (2) a target odor such as an explosive, and (3) all other odors (non-target odors). Vapor samples are generated by a serial dilution vapor generator whose operation and output is characterized by GC/MS. Once dogs learn this three-lever discrimination, testing sessions are conducted containing a number of probe trials in which vapor from constituent compounds is presented. Which lever the dogs respond to on these probe trials indicates whether they can smell the compound at all (blank lever) or whether it smells like the target odor (e.g., the explosive) or like something else. This method was conducted using TNT and C-4. The data show the dogs' reactions to each of the constituent compounds tested for each explosive. Analysis of these data reveal the canine detection odor signature for these explosives.
Physics Nobel Prize in 2012: Dr. David Wineland (2012)

David Wineland received the Prize for ground-breaking experimental methods that enabled the measurement and the manipulation of individual quantum systems, especially systems with trapped ions.Dr. David Wineland improved a trapped ion system and opened a new quantum world that will eventually lead to quantum computation.