gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Cell-Free DNA Analysis for Trisomy Risk Assessment in First-Trimester Twin Pregnancies (2013)

cfDNA testing in twins is feasible but the reporting rate of results is lower than in singletons due to a lower fetal fraction.
<title>Development of an implantable skin port sensor for use as an in-vivo optical glucose sensing platform</title> (2001)

Factors that have limited the acceptance of optical spectroscopy methods for non-invasive blood glucose sensing include signal variations due in part to changes in the skin tissue optics between patients, the lack of a repeatable pathlength inherent in using diffusely reflected photon approaches, temperature variations on the skin, and the pressure with which a probe is applied to the skin surface. Unfortunately, most previous approaches to non-invasive glucose sensing have failed to address these important issues. In this work, we developed a novel skin port sensor (SPS) which eliminates the effect of skin optics by using a stable, infection-free, dermal implant to provide a skinless window into the body. Our implant is designed to provide a fixed optical pathlength as well as features to minimize temperature and pressure variations. Preliminary experiments in a pig model demonstrate both a stable biological seal at the transcutaneous interface as well as ingrowth of vascular containing granulation tissue within the sensing chamber. Furthermore, optical spectra acquired from the port demonstrate changes in glucose signatures related to concentration changes induced in the blood. Our novel SPS may provide the necessary platform for successful implementation of an optical approach to in vivo glucose sensing.
Rapid Identification of Substrates for Novel Proteases Using a Combinatorial Peptide Library (2000)

Fluorogenic substrates for assaying novel proteolytic enzymes could be rapidly identified using an easy, solid-phase combinatorial assay technology. The methodology was validated with leader peptidase of Escherichia coli using a subset of an intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptide library. The technique was extended toward the discovery of substrates for a new aspartic protease of pharmaceutical relevance (human napsin A). We demonstrated for the first time known to us that potent fluorogenic substrates can be discovered using extracts of cells expressing recombinant enzyme to screen the peptide library. The straightforward and rapid optimization of protease substrates greatly facilitates the drug discovery process by speeding up the development of high throughput screening assays and thus helps more effective exploitation of the enormous body of information and chemical structures emerging from genomics and combinatorial chemistry technologies.
A Novel Immunohistochemical Assay for the Detection of Ebola Virus in Skin: Implications for Diagnosis, Spread, and Surveillance of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (1999)

Laboratory diagnosis of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is currently performed by virus isolation and serology and can be done only in a few high-containment laboratories worldwide. In 1995, during the EHF outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the possibility of using immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing of formalin-fixed postmortem skin specimens was investigated as an alternative diagnostic method for EHF. Fourteen of 19 cases of suspected EHF met the surveillance definition for EHF and were positive by IHC. IHC, serologic, and virus isolation results were concordant for all EHF and non-EHF cases. IHC and electron microscopic examination showed that endothelial cells, mononuclear phagocytes, and hepatocytes are main targets of infection, and IHC showed an association of cellular damage with viral infection. The finding of abundant viral antigens and particles in the skin of EHF patients suggests an epidemiologic role for contact transmission. IHC testing of formalin-fixed skin specimens is a safe, sensitive, and specific method for laboratory diagnosis of EHF and should be useful for EHF surveillance and prevention.
Inhibition of acetate accumulation leads to enhanced production of (R,R)-2,3-butanediol from glycerol inEscherichia coli (2012)

This work describes the production of (R,R)-2,3-butanediol in Escherichia coli using glycerol by metabolic engineering approaches. The introduction of a synthetic pathway converting pyruvate to (R,R)-2,3-butanediol into wild-type E. coli strain BW25113 led to the production of (R,R)-2,3-butanediol at a titer of 3.54 g/l and a yield of 0.131 g product/g glycerol (26.7 % of theoretical maximum) with acetate (around 3.00 g/l) as the dominant by-product. We therefore evaluated the impacts of deleting the genes ackA or/and poxB that are responsible for the major by-product, acetate. This increased production of (R,R)-2,3-butanediol to 9.54 g/l with a yield of 0.333 g product/g glycerol (68.0 % of theoretical maximum) in shake flask studies. The utilization of low-priced crude glycerol to produce value-added chemicals is of great significance to the economic viability of the biodiesel industry.
A CD38/CD203a/CD73 ectoenzymatic pathway independent of CD39 drives a novel adenosinergic loop in human T lymphocytes (2013)

The tumor microenvironment is characterized by of high levels of extracellular nucleotides that are metabolized through the dynamic and sequential action of cell surface enzymes (ectoenzymes). These ectoenzymes operate according to their spatial arrangement, as part of (1) continuous (molecules on the same cell) or (2) discontinuous (molecules on different cells) pathways, the latter being facilitated by restricted cellular microenvironment. The outcome of this catabolic activity is an increase in the local concentration of adenosine, a nucleoside involved in the control of inflammation and immune responses. The aim of the work presented here was to demonstrate that a previously unexplored enzymatic pathway may be an alternate route to produce extracellular adenosine. Our data show that this new axis is driven by the nucleotide-metabolizing ectoenzymes CD38 (an NAD<sup>+</sup> nucleosidase), the ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1, also known as CD203a or PC-1) and the 5' ectonucleotidase (5'-NT) CD73, while bypassing the canonical catabolic pathway mediated by the nucleoside tri- and diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) CD39. To determine the relative contributions of these cell surface enzymes to the production of adenosine, we exploited a human T-cell model allowing for the modular expression of the individual components of this alternative pathway upon activation and transfection. The biochemical analysis of the products of these ectoenzymes by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fully substantiated our working hypothesis. This newly characterized pathway may facilitate the emergence of an adaptive immune response in selected cellular contexts. Considering the role for extracellular adenosine in the regulation of inflammation and immunogenicity, this pathway could constitute a novel strategy of tumor evasion, implying that these enzymes may represent ideal targets for antibody-mediated therapy.
ADPG formation by the ADP‐specific cleavage of sucrose‐reassessment of sucrose synthase (1991)

The standardized enzyme coupling method for assaying sucrose synthase activities in the direction of sucrose cleavage was reexamined using enzyme preparations from cultured cells of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and spinach leaves (Spinacea oleracea). Both ATP and Tris, commonly utilized in assay systems to measure sucrose synthase, were found to inhibit non-competitively the ADPG-synthesizing activities of the enzyme. Upon substituting ATP by either GTP or UTP, and Tris by HEPES, we found that the sucrose synthase is capable of producing ADPG effectively, recognizing ADP as the principal substrate (Km = 5.3 microM (sycamore) and 16.8 microM (spinach]. The Vmax value for the synthesis of ADPG clearly surpasses the Vmax observed for the synthesis of UDPG by the enzyme. It was found that UDP is not inhibitory on the synthesis of ADPG by SS, which behaves allosterically with respect to the concentration level of sucrose.
Homogeneous Fluorescent Immunoassay (1981)

A fluorescent immunoassay based on the correlation of fluctuations in particle number measures the amount of tagged species bound to micrometer-sized beads and is insensitive to background fluorescence. Without separation steps, a competitive assay can resolve I nanogram of gentamicin per milliliter from a total sample volume of only 10 microliters.
Cardiovascular Effects of Periodic Occlusions of the Upper Airways in Dogs (1992)

Hypoxemia and decreased intrathoracic pressure have been postulated as contributing causes of cardiovascular morbidity in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Because of the difficulty of manipulating experimental conditions in humans, we developed an anesthetized closed-chest dog model, simulating the periodic airway occlusions of OSAS by periodic occlusions of the endotracheal tube (PUO). Using a periodicity of 60 s occluded, followed by 60 s ventilation for five to seven cycles, we measured heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), arterial pressure (Pa); left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic and end-systolic transmural pressure; dp/dt of LV pressure; left anterior descending (LAD) coronary blood flow (CBF), and regional myocardial contractility and intramyocardial pH. Four experimental conditions were studied: room air (RA) breathing (PO2 = 40); 100% O2 breathing (O2), and RA and O2 breathing with critical LAD stenosis (CS). Under all conditions PUO produced decreases in CO (10 to 30%) and proportional decreases in Pa. HR decreased, and in all but RA conditions stroke volume was unchanged. During the obstructed phase, indices of LV preload decreased. Indices of LV afterload also decreased except for LAD-perfused myocardium under RACS conditions. This latter was shown to be associated with regional ischemia (decreased regional pH and shortening). Regional ischemia was also demonstrated in two of nine dogs even under O2CS conditions. Among our major conclusions: (1) decreased Pa during PUO is due to decreased CO; (2) LV afterload does not increase during PUO; (3) with limited coronary flow reserve (CS), PUO can lead to myocardial ischemia. This is mostly but not solely due to hypoxia.
The role of complement in the acquired immune response (2000)

Studies over the past three decades have clearly established a central role for complement in the promotion of a humoral immune response. The primary function of complement, in this regard, is to opsonize antigen or immune complexes for uptake by complement receptor type 2 (CR2, CD21) expressed on B cells, follicular dendritic cells (FDC) and some T cells. A variety of mechanisms appear to be involved in complement-mediated promotion of the humoral response. These include: enhancement of antigen (Ag) uptake and processing by both Ag-specific and non-specific B cells for presentation to specific T cells; the activation of a CD21/CD19 complex-mediated signalling pathway in B cells, which provides a stimulus synergistic to that induced by antigen interaction with the B-cell receptor (BCR); and promotion of the interaction between B cells and FDC, where C3d-bearing immune complexes participate in intercellular bridging. Finally, current studies suggest that CR2 may also play a role in the determination of B-cell tolerance towards self-antigens and thereby hold the key to the previously observed correlation between deficiencies of the early complement components and autoimmune disease.
Gel chromatography applied to quantitation of components of IgG preparations. (1979)

Investigations were undertaken to standardize gel chromatography for quality control of IgG preparations. Great importance was attached to convenience of procedure. With application of the optimal type ofgel, Ultrogel AcA 34, the influence on quality of separation of various experimental parameters such as pH and ionic strength of the eluant, volume and concentration of the sample, flow rate and direction, and temperature were tested. Various methods of evaluation were applied. According to the demands, quantitation of components may be performed by collection of fractions and determination of peak volumes and protein concentrations, by determination of peak areas on absorbance recordings, or automatically by use of an integrator or a computer. The results obtained by gel chromatography are discussed and compared with the results of analytical ultracentrifugation.
CKI1, a Histidine Kinase Homolog Implicated in Cytokinin Signal Transduction (1996)

Although cytokinin plays a central role in plant development, little is known about cytokinin signal transduction. Five Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that exhibit typical cytokinin responses, including rapid cell division and shoot formation in tissue culture in the absence of exogenous cytokinin, were isolated by activation transferred DNA tagging. A gene, CKI1, which was tagged in four of the five mutants and induced typical cytokinin responses after introduction and overexpression in plants, was cloned. CKI1 encodes a protein similar to the two-component regulators. These results suggest that CKI1 is involved in cytokinin signal transduction, possibly as a cytokinin receptor.
Analysis of two cDNA clones encoding the B lymphocyte antigen CD20 (B1, Bp35), a type III integral membrane protein. (1988)

Two cDNA clones encoding the pan-B cell CD20 antigen were isolated from a COS cell expression library. The two clones bear identical coding sequences and differ only in the length of the 3' untranslated region. The predicted CD20 sequence is 297 residues long and contains three hydrophobic domains, one of which is long enough to span the membrane twice. COS cells transfected with either CD20 clone express an immunoreactive protein of 33 kD.
N-(TRIMETHYLSILYLMETHYL)AMINOMETHYL ETHERS AS AZOMETHINE YLIDE SYNTHONS. A NEW AND CONVENIENT ACCESS TO PYRROLIDINE DERIVATIVES (1984)

Abstract The title compounds, readily prepared from (trimethylsilylmethyl)amines, formaldehyde and an alcohol, react with electron deficient alkenes in the presence of iodosilane or silyl triflate in combination with cesium fluoride to give the corresponding pyrrolidine derivatives stereospecifically in excellent yield.
Dynamic Cell Seeding of Polymer Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Engineering (1998)

Cell seeding of three-dimensional polymer scaffolds is the first step of the cultivation of engineered tissues in bioreactors. Seeding requirements of large scaffolds to make implants for potential clinical use include: (a) high yield, to maximize the utilization of donor cells, (b) high kinetic rate, to minimize the time in suspension for anchorage-dependent and shear-sensitive cells, and (c) high and spatially uniform distribution of attached cells, for rapid and uniform tissue regeneration. Highly porous, fibrous polyglycolic acid scaffolds, 5-10 mm in diameter and 2-5 mm thick, were seeded with bovine articular chondrocytes in well-mixed spinner flasks. Essentially, all cells attached throughout the scaffold volume within 1 day. Mixing promoted the formation of 20-32-micron diameter cell aggregates that enhanced the kinetics of cell attachment without compromising the uniformity of cell distribution. The kinetics and possible mechanisms of cell seeding were related to the formation of cell aggregates by a simple mathematical model that can be used to optimize seeding conditions for cartilage tissue engineering.
Bacteriology of War Wounds at the Time of Injury (2006)

Bacterial contamination of war wounds occurs either at the time of injury or during the course of therapy. Characterization of the bacteria recovered at the time of initial trauma could influence the selection of empiric antimicrobial agents used to prevent infection. In the spring of 2004, U.S. military casualties who presented to the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, with acute traumatic injuries resulting in open wounds underwent aerobic culture of their wounds to identify the bacteria colonizing the wounds. Forty-nine casualties with 61 separate wounds were evaluated. Wounds were located predominantly in the upper and lower extremities and were primarily from improvised explosive devices or mortars. Thirty wounds (49%) had bacteria recovered on culture, with 40 bacteria identified. Eighteen casualties (20 wounds) had undergone field medical therapy (irrigation and/or antimicrobial treatment); six of these had nine bacterial isolates on culture. Of the 41 wounds from 31 patients who had received no previous therapy, 24 grew 31 bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria (93%), mostly skin-commensal bacteria, were the predominant organisms identified. Only three Gram-negative bacteria were detected, none of which were characterized as broadly resistant to antimicrobial agents. The only resistant bacteria recovered were two isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our assessment of war wound bacterioly soon after injury reveals a predominance of Gram-positive organisms of low virulence and pathogenicity. The presence of MRSA in wounds likely reflects the increasing incidence of community-acquired MRSA bacteria. These data suggest that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics with efficacy against more resistant, Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp., is unnecessary in early wound management.
Plasma Antidiuretic Hormone Levels in Cardiac Surgical Patients during Morphine and Halothane Anesthesia (1978)

The effects of halothane and morphine anesthesia on plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels and urinary flow were determined in 18 patients undergoing elective open-heart operations. Patients were divided into three groups of six each: Group I, halothane, 0.5 per cent; Group II, morphine, 1 mg/ kg;
Pharmacological ascorbate and ionizing radiation (IR) increase labile iron in pancreatic cancer (2013)

Labile iron, i.e. iron that is weakly bound and is relatively unrestricted in its redox activity, has been implicated in both the pathogenesis as well as treatment of cancer. Two cancer treatments where labile iron may contribute to their mechanism of action are pharmacological ascorbate and ionizing radiation (IR). Pharmacological ascorbate has been shown to have tumor-specific toxic effects due to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. By catalyzing the oxidation of ascorbate, labile iron can enhance the rate of formation of hydrogen peroxide; labile iron can also react with hydrogen peroxide. Here we have investigated the magnitude of the labile iron pool in tumor and normal tissue. We also examined the ability of pharmacological ascorbate and IR to change the size of the labile iron pool. Although a significant amount of labile iron was seen in tumors (MIA PaCa-2 cells in athymic nude mice), higher levels were seen in murine tissues that were not susceptible to pharmacological ascorbate. Pharmacological ascorbate and irradiation were shown to increase the labile iron in tumor homogenates from this murine model of pancreatic cancer. As both IR and pharmacological ascorbate may rely on labile iron for their effects on tumor tissues, our data suggest that pharmacological ascorbate could be used as a radio-sensitizing agent for some radio-resistant tumors.
Inhibitory effects of stress on postprandial gastric myoelectrical activity and vagal tone in healthy subjects (2004)

The aim was to investigate gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and vagal activity in response to stress. The study was performed in 10 healthy subjects in three sessions (control, relaxation and stress). The control session was composed of 30-min recordings before and 30-min recordings after a test meal. The protocol of two other sessions was similar except that the fasting recording was extended to 60 min and the subjects were continuously watching a horror movie (stress) or guided meditation tape (relaxation) after the 30-min baseline. GMA was recorded using electrogastrography and heart rate variability (HRV) was derived from the electrocardiogram. Meal resulted in a postprandial increase in the dominant frequency (2.91 cpm vs 3.17 cpm, P < 0.007), dominant power (30.0 dB vs 32.5 dB, P < 0.05), and percentage of normal slow waves (79.8%vs 87.4%, P = 0.09). Similar responses were found in the relaxation session. Stress inhibited all these normal postprandial response and reduced the regularity of gastric slow waves (82.0%vs 66.0%, P < 0.01). In addition, spectral analysis of the HRV demonstrated an inhibition of postprandial vagal activity and an increase of postprandial sympathetic activity with stress. Stress has an inhibitory effect on postprandial GMA and this may involve both vagal and sympathetic pathway.
A slotted post-wall waveguide array with interdigital structure for 45/spl deg/ linear and dual polarization (2005)

This work proposes a dual-polarized planar antenna; two post-wall slotted waveguide arrays with orthogonal 45/spl deg/ linearly-polarized waves interdigitally share the aperture on a single layer substrate. Uniform excitation of the two-dimensional slot array is confirmed by experiment in the 25 GHz band. The isolation between two slot arrays is also investigated in terms of the relative displacement along the radiation waveguide axis in the interdigital structure. The isolation is 33.0 dB when the relative shift of slot position between the two arrays is -0.5/spl lambda//sub g/, while it is only 12.8 dB when there is no shift. The cross-polarization level in the far field is -25.2 dB for a -0.5/spl lambda//sub g/ shift, which is almost equal to that of the isolated single polarization array. It is degraded down to -9.6 dB when there is no shift.
Cdc42 and PAK-mediated Signaling Leads to Jun Kinase and p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Activation (1995)

The PAK family of protein kinases has been suggested as a potential target of the Cdc42 and Rac GTPases based on studies in vitro. We show that PAK-3 is activated by Cdc42 in vivo. Both, activated (GTPase-defective) Cdc42 and a constitutively active PAK-3 mutant stimulated the activity of Jun kinase 1 (JNK1) in transfected cells. Activated Cdc42 also stimulated the activity of the related p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase but was a less effective activator of ERK2. The effect of Cdc42 on JNK activity was similar to that of the potent inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1). The observation that a dominant-negative Cdc42 mutant inhibited IL-1 activation of JNK1 indicates a role for Cdc42 in IL-1 signaling. These results suggest that Cdc42 and PAK may mediate the effects of cytokines on transcriptional regulation.
Liposomal nanomedicines (2007)

Liposomal nanoparticles (LNs) encapsulating therapeutic agents, or liposomal nanomedicines, represent an advanced class of drug delivery systems, with several formulations presently on the market and many more in clinical trials. Over the past 20 years, a variety of techniques have been developed for encapsulating both conventional drugs (such as anticancer drugs and antibiotics) and the new genetic drugs (plasmid DNA containing therapeutic genes, antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA) within LNs. If the LNs possess certain properties, they tend to accumulate at sites of disease, such as tumours, where the endothelial layer is 'leaky' and allows extravasation of particles with small diameters. These properties include a diameter centred on 100 nm, a high drug-to-lipid ratio, excellent retention of the encapsulated drug, and a long (> 6 h) circulation lifetime. These properties permit the LNs to protect their contents during circulation, prevent contact with healthy tissues, and accumulate at sites of disease. The authors discuss recent advances in this field involving conventional anticancer drugs, as well as applications involving gene delivery, stimulation of the immune system and silencing of unwanted gene expression. Liposomal nanomedicines have the potential to offer new treatments in such areas as cancer therapy, vaccine development and cholesterol management.