gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Interstitial and Plasma Adenosine Stimulate Nitric Oxide and Prostacyclin Formation in Human Skeletal Muscle (2010)

One major unresolved issue in muscle blood flow regulation is that of the role of circulating versus interstitial vasodilatory compounds. The present study determined adenosine-induced formation of NO and prostacyclin in the human muscle interstitium versus in femoral venous plasma to elucidate the interaction and importance of these vasodilators in the 2 compartments. To this end, we performed experiments on humans using microdialysis technique in skeletal muscle tissue, as well as the femoral vein, combined with experiments on cultures of microvascular endothelial versus skeletal muscle cells. In young healthy humans, microdialysate was collected at rest, during arterial infusion of adenosine, and during interstitial infusion of adenosine through microdialysis probes inserted into musculus vastus lateralis. Muscle interstitial NO and prostacyclin increased with arterial and interstitial infusion of adenosine. The addition of adenosine to skeletal muscle cells increased NO formation (fluorochrome 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7-difluorescein fluorescence), whereas prostacyclin levels remained unchanged. The addition of adenosine to microvascular endothelial cells induced an increase in NO and prostacyclin levels. These findings provide novel insight into the role of adenosine in skeletal muscle blood flow regulation and vascular function by revealing that both interstitial and plasma adenosine have a stimulatory effect on NO and prostacyclin formation. In addition, both skeletal muscle and microvascular endothelial cells are potential mediators of adenosine-induced formation of NO in vivo, whereas only endothelial cells appear to play a role in adenosine-induced formation of prostacyclin.
Monoclonal antibody G 250 recognizes a determinant present in renal‐cell carcinoma and absent from normal kidney (1986)

This report describes a monoclonal antibody designated G 250, subclass IgGl, that recognizes an antigen preferentially expressed on cell membranes of renal-cell carcinoma cells (RCC) and not expressed in normal proximal tubular epithelium. G 250 antibody reacted with 46 of 47 primary RCC, with 7 of 8 RCC metastases and with a few other malignant tumors. The staining pattern of G 250 differs from that of other RCC-related antibodies described. Preliminary experiments show that this antibody can be used to visualize RCC xenografts in nude mice by immunoscintigraphy.
Iodine in autoimmune thyroiditis. (1990)

The aim of this chapter was to present a theory or concept of autoimmune disease that, in a sense, deemphasized the importance of immunoregulatory defects but rather concentrated on defects and/or changes in a target organ that might stimulate immune responses. Defects in immune regulation were not discussed because there is little evidence that generalized defects in immunoregulation occur in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (38). There is some evidence of decreased numbers of thyroid-antigen-specific T-suppressor cells in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease; however, this has been detected only after the appearance of frank disease (38). Thus a reduction of T-suppressor cells specific for the thyroid microsomal antigen at a time when the immune system is responding vigorously to that antigen is to be expected and cannot a priori be assumed to be the reason for the immune response. One other reason for questioning the role of defective antigen-specific T-suppressor cells as an initiating event is that individual patients with autoimmune thyroid disease produce antibodies to a variety of unrelated thyroid antigens (Tg, microsomal antigen, which is now known to be thyroid peroxidase, TSH receptor, and others) (39). One would have to assume that the majority of thyroid patients spontaneously lose several unrelated clones of specific suppressor T cells. An alternative scenario of events in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease is as follows: An environmental agent, whether it be iodide, alone, or in combination with high TSH, or a virus causes damage to the thyroid gland. The iodide-induced damage, perhaps mediated by hydroxyl radicals (40), is more severe and/or prolonged if the gland has a defect in iodide organification or perhaps, as seen in some susceptible chicken strains, partially autonomous thyroid function. As a result of the damage, leukocytes migrate into the gland. Once leukocytes arrive, a number of interesting phenomena occur. First, monocytes may secrete IL-1, which is directly cytotoxic for endocrine cells (41) and provides an accessory signal to T-helper cells. Second, T and B cells migrate into the damaged gland and into the follicles, where at least two of the important thyroid antigens are located, thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase. These two proteins are highly immunogenic: the thyroglobulin due to its increased iodine content and the thyroid peroxidase because it is a membrane-bound antigen sequestered in thyroid follicles. Third, the T cells, once activated, provide help to B cells and secrete gamma interferon, which induces the expression of class II MHC antigens on the thyroid epithelial cells (42).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Occidiofungin, a Unique Antifungal Glycopeptide Produced by a Strain of Burkholderia contaminans (2009)

Bacterial strain Burkholderia contaminans MS14 was isolated from soil that suppressed brown patch disease of lawn grass. An antifungal compound was purified from the liquid culture of this bacterium. In this study, complete covalent structures of two purified closely related antifungal compounds were determined by the experiments of TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, 13C HSQC 2D NMR, and ESI-MS and GC. The analysis of monoisotopic masses of the purified preparation indicated the presence of two related compounds with masses determined to be 1199.543 and 1215.518 Da; the difference corresponds to the mass of an oxygen atom. GC analysis identified a xylose sugar attached to the antifungal compound. NMR experiments revealed that the compound is cyclic and composed of eight amino acids, two of which are beta-hydroxy derivatives of Tyr and Asn, and one being a novel amino acid. The novel amino acid serves as the scaffold for the attachment of the xylose and a short acyl chain. The spectrum and concentration of antifungal activity were determined using a microtiter plate assay. The antifungal compound demonstrated potent antifungal activities against a broad panel of fungal plant and animal pathogens, as well as two Pythium spp. Microscopic observations showed that the antifungal compound disrupts normal membrane morphology. The cells fill with large inclusion bodies and the membrane becomes irregularly shaped and swollen following the exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of the antifungal compound. Our data support the identification of a novel fungicide and the compound has been named occidiofungin, meaning fungal killer.
Achieving H.264-like compression efficiency with distributed video coding (2007)

Recently, a new class of distributed source coding (DSC) based video coders has been proposed to enable low-complexity encoding. However, to date, these low-complexity DSC-based video encoders have been unable to compress as efficiently as motion-compensated predictive coding based video codecs, such as H.264/AVC, due to insufficiently accurate modeling of video data. In this work, we examine achieving H.264-like high compression efficiency with a DSC-based approach without the encoding complexity constraint. The success of H.264/AVC highlights the importance of accurately modeling the highly non-stationary video data through fine-granularity motion estimation. This motivates us to deviate from the popular approach of approaching the Wyner-Ziv bound with sophisticated capacity-achieving channel codes that require long block lengths and high decoding complexity, and instead focus on accurately modeling video data. Such a DSC-based, compression-centric encoder is an important first step towards building a robust DSC-based video coding framework.
Modelling the endothelial blood-CNS barriers: a method for the production of robust in vitromodels of the rat blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier (2013)

Our techniques allow the provision of high yields of robust sister cultures of endothelial cells that accurately model the blood-CNS barriers in vitro. These models are ideally suited for use in studying the biology of the blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier in vitro and for pre-clinical drug discovery.
Vascular Permeability Factor/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Induces Lymphangiogenesis as well as Angiogenesis (2002)

Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF, VEGF-A) is a multifunctional cytokine with important roles in pathological angiogenesis. Using an adenoviral vector engineered to express murine VEGF-A(164), we previously investigated the steps and mechanisms by which this cytokine induced the formation of new blood vessels in adult immunodeficient mice and demonstrated that the newly formed blood vessels closely resembled those found in VEGF-A-expressing tumors. We now report that, in addition to inducing angiogenesis, VEGF-A(164) also induces a strong lymphangiogenic response. This finding was unanticipated because lymphangiogenesis has been thought to be mediated by other members of the VPF/VEGF family, namely, VEGF-C and VEGF-D. The new "giant" lymphatics generated by VEGF-A(164) were structurally and functionally abnormal: greatly enlarged with incompetent valves, sluggish flow, and delayed lymph clearance. They closely resembled the large lymphatics found in lymphangiomas/lymphatic malformations, perhaps implicating VEGF-A in the pathogenesis of these lesions. Whereas the angiogenic response was maintained only as long as VEGF-A was expressed, giant lymphatics, once formed, became VEGF-A independent and persisted indefinitely, long after VEGF-A expression ceased. These findings raise the possibility that similar, abnormal lymphatics develop in other pathologies in which VEGF-A is overexpressed, e.g., malignant tumors and chronic inflammation.
Prostate stem cell antigen variation rs2294008 associated with the risk of bladder cancer. (2015)

Several studies reported Prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) rs2294008 was susceptibly associated with bladder cancer (BC) risk. However, the results were not entirely consistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between rs2294008 and BC risk. Comprehensive meta-analysis was preformed to provide a more precise assessment of the association between rs2294008 and BC risk. Twenty five studies involving 14,244 BC patients and 53,963 controls were included in our meta-analysis. The crude odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. Pooled results indicated that the PSCA variant rs2294008-T was significantly connected with an increased risk of BC (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.12-1.18, P(z) < 0.0001). Moreover, stratified analyses showed that rs2294008 significantly increased BC risk in European (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.15, P(z) < 0.0001), North American (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.12-1.24, P(z) < 0.0001), and Asian (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.13-1.22, P(z) < 0.0001). In conclusion, our meta-analysis demonstrated that the PSCA rs2294008 is a risk factor for BC in European, Asian and North American. Further large case-control studies are needed to assess the relationship in other populations. Biologically functional studies are needed to verify the molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of BC.
Influence of Drinking Green Tea on Breast Cancer Malignancy among Japanese Patients (1998)

Inhibitory effects of green tea on carcinogenesis have been investigated in numerous laboratory studies using (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or crude green tea extract, and there is also some epidemiologic evidence. Further, EGCG has been reported to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, lung metastasis in an animal model, and urokinase activity. In this study, we first examined the association between consumption of green tea prior to clinical cancer onset and various clinical parameters assessed at surgery among 472 patients with stage I, II, and III breast cancer. We found that increased consumption of green tea was closely associated with decreased numbers of axillary lymph node metastases among premenopausal patients with stage I and II breast cancer and with increased expression of progesterone receptor (PgR) and estrogen receptor (ER) among postmenopausal ones. Since these are potential prognostic factors, we then investigated the prognosis of breast cancer with special reference to consumption of green tea, in a follow-up study of these patients. We found that increased consumption of green tea was correlated with decreased recurrence of stage I and II breast cancer (P < 0.05 for crude disease-free survival); the recurrence rate was 16.7 or 24.3% among those consuming > or = 5 cups or < or = 4 cups per day, respectively, in a seven-year follow-up of stage I and II breast cancer, and the relative risk of recurrence was 0.564 (95% confidence interval, 0.350-0.911) after adjustment for other lifestyle factors. However, no improvement in prognosis was observed in stage III breast cancer. Our results indicate that increased consumption of green tea prior to clinical cancer onset is significantly associated with improved prognosis of stage I and II breast cancer, and this association may be related to a modifying effect of green tea on the clinical characteristics of the cancer.
Mini‐review: Specificity and expression of CIITA, the master regulator of MHC class II genes (2004)

The class II transactivator (CIITA) has been referred to as the "master control factor" for the expression of MHC class II (MHCII) genes. As our knowledge on the specificity and function of CIITA grows, it is becoming increasingly evident that this sobriquet is entirely justified. First, despite extensive investigations, the major target genes of CIITA remain those implicated in the presentation of antigenic peptides by MHCII molecules. Although other putative target genes have been reported, the contribution of CIITA to their expression remains indirect, controversial or comparatively minor relative to its decisive role as a regulator of MHCII and related genes. Second, the most important parameter dictating MHCII expression is by far the expression pattern of the gene encoding CIITA (MHC2TA). The vast majority of signals that activate or repress MHCII expression under physiological and pathological situations converge on one or more of the three alternative promoters that drive transcription of the MHC2TA gene. In short, with respect to its specificity and its exquisitely controlled pattern of expression, CIITA is by a long stretch the single most important transcription factor for the regulation of genes required for MHCII-restricted antigen-presentation.
Standing Wave Enhancement of Red Absorbance and Photocurrent in Dye-Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Photoelectrodes Coupled to Photonic Crystals (2003)

The light harvesting efficiency of dye-sensitized photoelectrodes was enhanced by coupling a TiO(2) photonic crystal layer to a conventional film of TiO(2) nanoparticles. In addition to acting as a dielectric mirror, the inverse opal photonic crystal caused a significant change in dye absorbance which depended on the position of the stop band. Absorbance was suppressed at wavelengths shorter than the stop band maximum and was enhanced at longer wavelengths. This effect arises from the slow group velocity of light in the vicinity of the stop band, and the consequent localization of light intensity in the voids (to the blue) or in the dye-sensitized TiO(2) (to the red) portions of the photonic crystal. By coupling a photonic crystal to a film of TiO(2) nanoparticles, the short circuit photocurrent efficiency across the visible spectrum (400-750 nm) could be increased by about 26%, relative to an ordinary dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) photoelectrode.
Active illumination based 3D surface reconstruction and registration for image-guided medialization laryngoplasty (2007)

The medialization laryngoplasty is a surgical procedure to improve the voice function of the patient with vocal fold paresis and paralysis. An image guided system for the medialization laryngoplasty will help the surgeons to accurately place the implant and thus reduce the failure rates of the surgery. One of the fundamental challenges in image guided system is to accurately register the preoperative radiological data to the intraoperative anatomical structure of the patient. In this paper, we present a combined surface and fiducial based registration method to register the preoperative 3D CT data to the intraoperative surface of larynx. To accurately model the exposed surface area, a structured light based stereo vision technique is used for the surface reconstruction. We combined the gray code pattern and multi-line shifting to generate the intraoperative surface of the larynx. To register the point clouds from the intraoperative stage to the preoperative 3D CT data, a shape priori based ICP method is proposed to quickly register the two surfaces. The proposed approach is capable of tracking the fiducial markers and reconstructing the surface of larynx with no damage to the anatomical structure. We used off-the-shelf digital cameras, LCD projector and rapid 3D prototyper to develop our experimental system. The final RMS error in the registration is less than 1mm.
Optical Fiber Supertrunking--A Performance Report on a Real-World System (1986)

This is a review of a Specific application for video interconnection on single-mode optical fiber Over a 13.9 mi path, covering system design, aerial and underground plant construction, terminal equipment selection, and operating results. Both digital and analog circuits are used in the system, and the economics and performance of the two approaches are compared. The digital equipment in installed transports four video Channels on a single-mode fiber using both 1300 nm and 1550 nm lasers, and the analog system is tested transperting both 8 and 12 channels per fiber. To explore the potential of the system, tests are run on a fiber path 27.8 mi (44.7 km) in length. Using actual costs, an updated economic comparison between fiber optic systems and FM video coaxial systems is made. The conclusion is drawn that analog fiber video transmission systems have been developed to the point where they offer economics and performance generally superior to, and reliability substantially better than, FM video coaxial systems. Both analog and digital fiber systems are shown to be capable of excellent quality video transmission through a path loss of over 25 dB.
Switch from antagonist to agonist of the androgen receptor blocker bicalutamide is associated with prostate tumour progression in a new model system (1999)

Advanced prostate cancer is treated by androgen ablation and/or androgen receptor (AR) antagonists. In order to investigate the mechanisms relevant to the development of therapy-resistant tumours, we established a new tumour model which closely resembles the situation in patients who receive androgen ablation therapy. Androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells were kept in androgen-depleted medium for 87 passages. The new LNCaP cell subline established in this manner, LNCaP-abl, displayed a hypersensitive biphasic proliferative response to androgen until passage 75. Maximal proliferation of LNCaP-abl cells was achieved at 0.001 nM of the synthetic androgen methyltrienolone (R1881), whereas 0.01 nM of this compound induced the same effect in parental cells. At later passages (> 75), androgen exerted an inhibitory effect on growth of LNCaP-abl cells. The non-steroidal anti-androgen bicalutamide stimulated proliferation of LNCaP-abl cells. AR protein expression in LNCaP-abl cells increased approximately fourfold. The basal AR transcriptional activity was 30-fold higher in LNCaP-abl than in LNCaP cells. R1881 stimulated reporter gene activity in LNCaP-abl cells even at 0.01 nM, whereas 0.1 nM of R1881 was needed for induction of the same level of reporter gene activity in LNCaP cells. Bicalutamide that acts as a pure antagonist in parental LNCaP cells showed agonistic effects on AR transactivation activity in LNCaP-abl cells and was not able to block the effects of androgen in these cells. The non-steroidal AR blocker hydroxyflutamide exerted stimulatory effects on AR activity in both LNCaP and LNCaP-abl cells; however, the induction of reporter gene activity by hydroxyflutamide was 2.4- to 4-fold higher in the LNCaP-abl subline. The changes in AR activity were associated neither with a new alteration in AR cDNA sequence nor with amplification of the AR gene. Growth of LNCaP-abl xenografts in nude mice was stimulated by bicalutamide and repressed by testosterone. In conclusion, our results show for the first time that the nonsteroidal anti-androgen bicalutamide acquires agonistic properties during long-term androgen ablation. These findings may have repercussions on the natural course of prostate cancer with androgen deprivation and on strategies of therapeutic intervention.
<b>CHANGES IN THE Ca-INDUCED Ca RELEASE MECHANISM IN THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM OF THE MUSCLE FROM A PATIENT WITH MALIGNANT </b><b>HYPERTHERMIA </b> (1983)

Changes in skeletal muscle of a patient with malignant hyperthermia (MH) were examined in skinned fibers. In the patient's muscle, the Ca-induced Ca release mechanism showed a significantly higher sensitivity to Ca than that in normal muscles and the maximum rate of Ca release at a sufficiently high concentration of Ca was also significantly higher. Halothane accelerated Ca-induced Ca release to a similar extent both in the patient's and normal muscles. No difference was observed in the properties of Ca uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and of the contractile protein system between the patient's and normal muscles. The changes observed in the Ca-induced Ca release mechanism were considered to be sufficient to explain the disease.
Substituted trans-Stilbenes, Including Analogues of the Natural Product Resveratrol, Inhibit the Human Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha-Induced Activation of Transcription Factor Nuclear Factor KappaB (2006)

The transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), which regulates expression of numerous antiinflammatory genes as well as genes that promote development of the prosurvival, antiapoptotic state is up-regulated in many cancer cells. The natural product resveratrol, a polyphenolic trans-stilbene, has numerous biological activities and is a known inhibitor of activation of NF-kappaB, which may account for some of its biological activities. Resveratrol exhibits activity against a wide variety of cancer cells and has demonstrated activity as a cancer chemopreventive against all stages, i.e., initiation, promotion, and progression. The biological activities of resveratrol are often ascribed to its antioxidant activity. Both antioxidant activity and biological activities of analogues of resveratrol depend upon the number and location of the hydroxy groups. In the present study, phenolic analogues of resveratrol and a series of substituted trans-stilbenes without hydroxy groups were compared with resveratrol for their abilities to inhibit the human tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced (TNF-alpha) activation of NF-kappaB, using the Panomics NF-kappaB stable reporter cell line 293/NF-kappaB-luc. A series of 75 compounds was screened to identify substituted trans-stilbenes that were more active than resveratrol. Dose-response studies of the most active compounds were carried out to obtain IC50 values. Numerous compounds were identified that were more active than resveratrol, including compounds that were devoid of hydroxy groups and were 100-fold more potent than resveratrol. The substituted trans-stilbenes that were potent inhibitors of the activation of NFkappaB generally did not exhibit antioxidant activity. The results from screening were confirmed using BV-2 microglial cells where resveratrol and analogues were shown to inhibit LPS-induced COX-2 expression.