gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of phenylalanine and its <i>trans</i>‐cinnamic, benzoic and hippuric acid metabolites in biological fluids in a single GC‐MS analysis (2007)

We describe a sensitive, simple and convenient stable isotope dilution assay developed to study endogenous metabolism of administered stable isotope-labeled phenylalanine (Phe) in phenylketonuric (PKU) mice treated experimentally with phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). Mouse urine and plasma containing endogenous and administered labeled Phe together with internal standard Phe bearing a different pattern of labeling are converted by in situ diazotization to 2-chloro-3-phenylpropionic acid (CPP). A single solvent extraction is then used to isolate the isotopomers of CPP along with the trans-cinnamic acid (TCA) produced from Phe by PAL, as well as the TCA metabolites benzoic and hippuric acids. This procedure eliminates the need for a separate ion-exchange isolation step for Phe on a second sample aliquot and separate GC-MS analysis. Extracted CPP and the Phe metabolites are then measured by conversion to the pentafluorobenzyl esters and a single analysis by electron capture negative ion GC-MS. The estimated lower limit of quantitation is 0.1 microM.
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor knockout mice are impaired in learning, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis (2011)

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a key incretin hormone, released from intestine after a meal, producing a glucose-dependent insulin secretion. The GIP receptor (GIPR) is expressed on pyramidal neurons in the cortex and hippocampus, and GIP is synthesized in a subset of neurons in the brain. However, the role of the GIPR in neuronal signaling is not clear. In this study, we used a mouse strain with GIPR gene deletion (GIPR KO) to elucidate the role of the GIPR in neuronal communication and brain function. Compared with C57BL/6 control mice, GIPR KO mice displayed higher locomotor activity in an open-field task. Impairment of recognition and spatial learning and memory of GIPR KO mice were found in the object recognition task and a spatial water maze task, respectively. In an object location task, no impairment was found. GIPR KO mice also showed impaired synaptic plasticity in paired-pulse facilitation and a block of long-term potentiation in area CA1 of the hippocampus. Moreover, a large decrease in the number of neuronal progenitor cells was found in the dentate gyrus of transgenic mice, although the numbers of young neurons was not changed. Together the results suggest that GIP receptors play an important role in cognition, neurotransmission, and cell proliferation.
Process development of 6-in EUV mask with TaBN absorber (2002)

6-inch EUV masks consisting of Mo/Si multilayers and patterned CrX buffer and TaBN absorber layers have recently been developed and evaluated. Mo/Si multilayers with a relatively high EUV reflectivity of 66 percent and an excellent uniformity were obtained on the polished ULE substrates by an ion beam sputtering method. The multilayers showed high durability to the acid abased cleaning and baking at 150 degrees C used in the conventional mask-making process. The Cr based film was optimized as a repair buffer to obtain a high reflectivity of 52 percent at 257 nm and low stress within 100 MPa. TaBN absorbers with a low reflectivity were obtained by optimizing the film compositions, which resulted in a high image contrast to the multilayer for DUV inspection. An EUV contrast level of 99 percent was achieved for a thinner, 100-nm thick absorber stack. Using the optimized mask process, EUV mask with patterns of 180-nm width were successfully obtained, without a significant drop in EUV reflectivity.
Novel Thermo-Responsive Formation of a Hydrogel by Stereo-Complexation between PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA Block Copolymers (2001)

Gel formation was discovered in an aqueous mixture of enantiomeric triblock copolymers, PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA. This system is characteristic in that an interesting sol–gel transition was induced by the stereo-complexation of the PLLA and PDLA segments of the block copolymers around 37°C. The process of gel formation was clearly monitored by the rheological change, and the responsibility of the stereo-complex formation for the gelation was confirmed by wide-angle X-ray scattering. The mechanism of this gel formation is discussed in relation to its potential applications.
Dominant-negative inhibition of prion replication in transgenic mice (2002)

Our discovery of dominant-negative inhibition of prion formation in cultured cells provided an explanation for the resistance of some sheep to scrapie and humans to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. To determine whether dominant-negative inhibition occurs in vivo, we produced transgenic (Tg) mice expressing prion protein (PrP) with either the Q167R or Q218K mutation alone or in combination with wild-type (wt) PrP. Tg(MoPrP,Q167R)Prnp(0/0) mice expressing mutant PrP at levels equal to non-Tg mice remained healthy for >550 days, indicating that inoculation with prions did not cause disease. Immunoblots of brain homogenates and histologic analysis did not reveal abnormalities. Tg(MoPrP,Q167R)Prnp(+/+) mice expressing both mutant and wt PrP did not exhibit neurologic dysfunction, but their brains revealed low levels of the PrP pathogenic isoform (PrP(Sc)), and sections showed numerous vacuoles and severe astrocytic gliosis at 300 days after inoculation. Both Tg(MoPrP,Q218K)Prnp(0/0) and Tg(MoPrP,Q218K)Prnp(+/+) mice expressing high levels of the transgene product remained healthy for >300 days after inoculation. Neither PrP(Sc) nor neuropathologic changes were found. Our studies demonstrate that although dominant-negative inhibition of wt PrP(Sc) formation occurs, expression of the dominant-negative PrP at the same level as wt PrP does not prevent prion formation completely. However, expression of dominant-negative PrP alone had no deleterious effects on the mice and did not support prion propagation.
A Mutant of Arabidopsis Lacking a Chloroplastic Isoamylase Accumulates Both Starch and Phytoglycogen (1998)

Samuel C. Zeeman, Takayuki Umemoto, Wei-Ling Lue, Pui Au-Yeung, Cathie Martin, Alison M. Smith, Jychian Chen, A Mutant of Arabidopsis Lacking a Chloroplastic Isoamylase Accumulates Both Starch and Phytoglycogen, The Plant Cell, Vol. 10, No. 10 (Oct., 1998), pp. 1699-1711
Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Density and Alzheimer’s Disease (1997)

We have evaluated the vesamicol analogue meta-[125I]iodobenzyltrozamicol {(+)-[125I]MIBT} as a probe to assess cholinergic terminal integrity in the human temporal cortex. Saturation binding analysis, using 5-aminobenzovesamicol (ABV) to define nonspecific binding, revealed a high-affinity binding site with a Kd value of 4.3 +/- 1.2 nM in the temporal cortex of the young control subjects. Similar affinity values were observed for (+)-[125I]MIBT binding in aged control subjects (Kd = 3.4 +/- 0.5 nM) and AD patients (Kd = 3.0 +/- 0.8 nM). In contrast, Bmax values for young subjects, aged controls and AD patients were 31.2 +/- 6.3, 17.0 +/- 2.0 and 9.4 +/- 1.6 pmol/g, respectively, clearly reflecting significant reductions in (+)-[125I]MIBT binding site density with aging and age-related neuropathology. Moreover, the decrease in (+)-[125I]MIBT binding was correlated with choline acetyltransferase activities (r = 0.72) in the AD temporal cortex. These results suggest that when selective ligands are used, the vesicular acetylcholine transporter can be a useful marker protein for assessing the loss of cholinergic projections in AD and related disorders.
M-Channels (2003)

Efforts in basic neuroscience and studies of rare hereditary neurological diseases are partly motivated by the hope that such work can lead to better understanding of and treatments for the common neurological disorders. An example is the progress that has resulted from identification of the genes that cause benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNCs). Benign familial neonatal convulsions is a rare idiopathic, generalized epilepsy syndrome. In 1998, geneticists discovered that BFNC is caused by mutations in a novel potassium channel subunit, KCNQ2. Further work quickly revealed the sequences of 3 related brain channel genes KCNQ3, KCNQ4, and KCNQ5. Mutations in 2 of these genes were shown to cause BFNC (KCNQ3) and hereditary deafness (KCNQ4). Physiologists soon discovered that the KCNQ genes encoded subunits of the M-channel, a widely expressed potassium channel that mediates effects of modulatory neurotransmitters and controls repetitive neuronal discharges. Finally, pharmacologists discovered that the biological activities of 3 classes of compounds in development as treatments for Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, and stroke were mediated in part by effects on brain KCNQ channels. Cloned human KCNQ channels can now be used for high-throughput screening of additional drug candidates. Ongoing studies in humans and animal models will refine our understanding of KCNQ channel function and may reveal additional targets for therapeutic manipulation.
The potential approaches to achieve channel reciprocity in FDD system with frequency correction algorithms (2010)

Channel reciprocity is an inherit feature of time division duplex (TDD) system, which is widely used to get uplink (UL)/downlink (DL) channel knowledge from DL/UL channel measurements without additional feedback. While in frequency division duplex (FDD) system, the transmitter usually obtains the DL
Direct Targeting of Light Signals to a Promoter Element-Bound Transcription Factor (2000)

Light signals perceived by the phytochrome family of sensory photoreceptors are transduced to photoresponsive genes by an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor PIF3 binds specifically to a G-box DNA-sequence motif present in various light-regulated gene promoters, and that phytochrome B binds reversibly to G-box-bound PIF3 specifically upon light-triggered conversion of the photoreceptor to its biologically active conformer. We suggest that the phytochromes may function as integral light-switchable components of transcriptional regulator complexes, permitting continuous and immediate sensing of changes in this environmental signal directly at target gene promoters.
A small interfering RNA screen for modulators of tumor cell motility identifies MAP4K4 as a promigratory kinase (2006)

Cell motility is a complex biological process, involved in development, inflammation, homeostasis, and pathological processes such as the invasion and metastatic spread of cancer. Here, we describe a genomic screen designed to identify inhibitors of cell migration. A library of 10,996 small interfering RNAs (targeting 5,234 human genes) was screened for their ability to block the migration of a highly motile ovarian carcinoma cell line, SKOV-3, by using a 384-well wound-healing assay coupled with automated microscopy and wound quantification. Two or more small interfering RNAs against four genes, CDK7, DYRK1B, MAP4K4 (NIK/HGK) (MAP4K4, mitogen-activated protein 4 kinase 4), and SCCA-1 (SerpinB3), potently blocked the migration of SKOV-3 cells, concordant with reduced transcript levels. Further studies of the promigratory role of MAP4K4 showed that the knockdown of this transcript inhibited the migration of multiple carcinoma cell lines, indicating a broad role in cell motility and potently suppressed the invasion of SKOV-3 cells in vitro. The effect of MAP4K4 on cellular migration was found to be mediated through c-Jun N-terminal kinase, independent of AP1 activation and downstream transcription. Accordingly, small molecule inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase suppressed SKOV-3 cell migration, underscoring the potential therapeutic utility of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibition in cancer progression.
Sampling rifamycin conformational variety by cruising through crystal forms: implications for polymorph screening and for biological models (2008)

In this work, we report on a non-solvate and on a new solvate forms of rifamycin S, demonstrating that another stable conformation of the active molecule exists and it may be isolated by planning the crystallization conditions. In fact, in these structures rifamycin S has a previously uncharacterised, bent conformation: implications of these findings on the models used to explain rifamycin activity are discussed. Polymorphism has also been reported for the rifamycin-based antibiotic rifaximin, but without single-crystal X-ray diffraction characterization. Here the structure of a tetrahydrate form of rifaximin is discussed; confirming the flexibility of the drug, the two independent molecules in the unit cell are an example of conformational isomorphism.
Dual-Beacon mobile-node discovery in sparse wireless sensor networks (2011)

In sparse wireless sensor networks data collection is typically accomplished through specialized mobile nodes. One of the main challenges to be faced in this kind of networks is the energy-efficient and timely discovery of mobile nodes. In this paper we propose a simple yet effective discovery protocol based on two different Beacon messages emitted by the mobile node (i.e., Long-Range Beacons and Short-Range Beacons). Our simulation results show that, although very simple, the proposed scheme can provide a significant energy reduction with respect to the commonly used scheme based on a single Beacon, especially if the discovery phase is long.
CO2-H2O Mixtures in the Geological Sequestration of CO2. II. Partitioning in Chloride Brines at 12-100oC and up to 600 bar (2004)

Correlations presented by Spycher et al. (2003) to compute the mutual solubilities of CO2 and H2O are extended to include the effect of chloride salts in the aqueous phase. This is accomplished by including, in the original formulation, activity coefficients for aqueous CO2 derived from several literature sources, primarily for NaCl solutions. Best results are obtained when combining the solubility correlations of Spycher et al. (2003) with the activity coefficient formulation of Rumpf et al. (1994) and Duan and Sun (2003), which can be extended to chloride solutions other than NaCl. This approach allows computing mutual solubilities in a noniterative manner with an accuracy typically within experimental uncertainty for solutions up to 6 molal NaCl and 4 molal CaCl2.
Improvement of Structural Stability of LiMn[sub 2]O[sub 4] Cathode Material on 55°C Cycling by Sol-Gel Coating of LiCoO[sub 2] (1999)

A significant improvement in high temperature performance of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode material has been achieved by sol-gel coating its particle surface with LiCoO 2 . Although the LiCoO 2 coating completely disappeared by reacting with LiMn 2 O 4 at 800C, a newly formed spinel phase, Li 1+x Mn 2-x Co x O 4 , having a higher Co concentration at the particle surface, provided excellent structural stability on cycling at 55C. Although the initial capacity at 55C was reduced to 109 from 113 mAh/g by the coating, the stability on cycling was noticeably improved. The coated LiMn 2 O 4 retains approximately 91% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.2 C rate at 55C while the uncoated LiMn 2 O 4 suffered nearly 50% loss of the initial capacity in the same condition. These results indicate that higher concentration of Co ions at the surface is effective in protecting the active material from Mn 3+ dissolution into electrolytes, resulting in the performance improvement.
Regulation of an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell line by the interleukin‐6 family of cytokines (1994)

We report pleiotropic actions of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines on a rat cerebral cortical oligodendrocyte cell line, Central Glia-4 (CG-4). This is a bipotential oligodendrocyte type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cell line that can be manipulated in vitro to become either a type-2 astrocyte or to follow a linear sequence of events into becoming a mature oligodendrocyte. Using Northern and Western analyses in conjunction with immunocytochemistry we have demonstrated that ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) cause a transient increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in oligodendrocyte type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells. At maximal cytokine concentrations, the largest increase in GFAP protein levels were observed for CNTF and LIF; albeit, IL-6 did increase GFAP but the order of magnitude was 6-7 times less. Moreover, in trophic factor deprived medium, CNTF and LIF protected immature (O4+/MBP-) and mature (MBP+) oligodendrocytes from the apoptotic mode of cell death, while IL-6 had no effect in enhancing oligodendrocyte cell survival. Analysis of the cytokine-induced early response genes (ERGs) revealed a strong degree of overlap for CNTF and LIF. The effect of IL-6 was different in the degree to which the ERGs were up-regulated and in their temporal patterns of expression. These findings suggest that ERGs may be important, at least in part, for determining the extent of functional overlap observed within this cytokine family. Our findings clearly demonstrate differential regulation of oligodendrocyte survival and differentiation by the IL-6 family of cytokines.
&lt;title&gt;Measurement of microlithography aerial image quality&lt;/title&gt; (1996)

The aerial image formed by a microlithography lens places fundamental limits on the size and density of patterns that are manufactured by that lens. In the past, the lithographer was unable to directly measure the dose distribution in this aerial image. Highly absorbing photoresists have continuous tone relief response to dose variations and this relief is a record of the dose distribution in an image. It is shown how high resolution measurement of that relief by an atomic force microprobe gives the lithographer a sampling of the spatial distribution of dose within the image.
Randomized Phase III Study of High-Dose Fluorouracil Given As a Weekly 24-Hour Infusion With or Without Leucovorin Versus Bolus Fluorouracil Plus Leucovorin in Advanced Colorectal Cancer: European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Gastrointestinal Group Study 40952 (2003)

Neither FU24h + LV nor FU24h prolong survival, relative to bolus FU + LV. Leucovorin increases PFS if added to FU24h, but increases toxicity.
High Activity Suppression of Myeloid Progenitor Proliferation by Chimeric Mutants of Interleukin 8 and Platelet Factor 4 (1995)

The proliferation of human myeloid progenitor cells is negatively regulated in the presence of certain members of the chemokine family of molecules. This includes interleukin 8 (IL-8) and platelet factor 4 (PF4), which in combination are able to synergize, resulting in cell suppression at very low concentrations of these molecules. A series of PF4 and IL-8 mutant proteins were analyzed in an in vitro colony formation assay for myeloid progenitor cells to assess domains of these proteins that are required for activity. Mutation of either of the two DLQ motifs within PF4 resulted in an inactive protein. Perturbations within the IL-8 dimer interface region also resulted in mutants that were incapable of suppressing colony formation. A class of chimeric mutants consisting of domains of either PF4 and IL-8, Gro-alpha and PF4, or Gro-beta and PF4 were observed to inhibit myeloid cell proliferation at concentrations which were between 500- and 5000-fold lower than either the IL-8 or PF4 wild-type proteins alone. These chimeric mutants possessed activities that were comparable to or better than the activity observed when IL-8 and PF4 were added together in vitro. One of these highly active chimeric proteins was observed to be 1000-fold more active than either IL-8 or PF4 alone in suppressing not only the proliferation but also the cell cycling of myeloid progenitor cells following intravenous injection of the mutant into mice. Examination of additional IL-8-based mutants in the colony formation assay, which centered on the perturbation of the amino-terminal "ELR" motif, resulted in the observation that the highly active IL-8 mutant required both aspartic acid at amino acid residue 4 and either glutamine or asparagine at residue 6. Single mutations at either of these positions resulted in mutants with myelosuppressive activity equivalent to wild-type IL-8. Mutants such as IL-8M1 and IL-8M10 were observed to be significantly reduced in their ability to activate isolated human neutrophils, suggesting that separate mechanisms may exist by which myeloid progenitor cells and neutrophils are affected by chemokines.
The Skin as a Neurotrophic Organ (2007)

The ability of the skin to serve as a protective shield against environmental challenges and as a sensitive detector and responder to thermal, chemical, and mechanical stimuli speaks to its exquisite design. A central feature of this design is the diverse array of neuronal afferents that convey and respond to sensory stimuli that the skin encounters. Cutaneous neuron development, form, and function are highly dependent on communication with the skin through its production of multiple growth factor proteins that modulate afferent development, maturation, and function. Production by the skin of neurotrophin growth factors and members of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family are particularly important for support of specific subsets of sensory neurons with unique phenotypic and functional properties. Although these proteins have central roles in afferent development and function, challenges remain in identifying specific molecular mechanisms of growth factor communication and understanding how activation of signaling pathways direct neuron differentiation and function under normal and pathological conditions.
Adaptive critic based neural networks for control-constrained agile missile control (1999)

We investigate the use of an 'adaptive critic' based controller to steer an agile missile with a constraint on the angle of attack from various initial Mach numbers to a given final Mach number in minimum time while completely reversing its flightpath angle. We use neural networks with a two-network structure called 'adaptive critic' to carry out the optimization process. This structure obtains an optimal controller through solving Hamiltonian equations. This approach needs no external training; each network along with the optimality equations generates the output for the other network. When the outputs are mutually consistent, the controller output is optimal. Though the networks are trained off-line, the resulting control is a feedback control.
Automatic red-eye detection and removal (2005)

Red-eye is a very common problem in flash photography which can ruin a good photo by introducing color aberration into the subject's eyes. Previous methods to deal with this problem include special speedlight apparatus or flash mode that can reduce the red-eye effect, as well as post-capture red-eye correction software. The paper presents a new approach to detecting and correcting red-eye defects automatically by combining flash and non-flash digital images. It is suitable to be incorporated into compact digital cameras that support continuous shooting. Such a camera would eliminate red-eye immediately after image capture. Unlike existing approaches, our method is simple, fast and can recover the true color of the eyes.