gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Ghrelin attenuates the development of acute pancreatitis in rat. (2003)

(1) Administration of ghrelin attenuates pancreatic damage in caerulein-induced pancreatitis; (2) Protective effect of ghrelin administration seems Background: Ghrelin, a circulating growth hormone-releasing peptide isolated from human and rat stomach, stimulates growth hormone secretion, food intake and exhibits gastroprotective properties. Ghrelin is predominantly produced by a population of endocrine cells in the gastric mucosa, but its presence in bowel, pancreas, pituitary and hypothalamus has been reported. In human fetal pancreas, ghrelin is expressed in a prominent endocrine cell population. In adult pancreatic islets the population of these cell is reduced. The aim of present study was to investigate the influence of ghrelin administration on the development of acute pancreatitis. Methods: Acute pancreatitis was induced in rat by caerulein injection. Ghrelin was administrated twice (30 min prior to the first caerulein or saline injection and 3 h later) at the doses: 2, 10 or 20 nmol/kg. Immediately after cessation of caerulein or saline injections the following parameters were measured: pancreatic blood flow, plasma lipase activity, plasma interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) concentration, pancreatic DNA synthesis, and morphological signs of pancreatitis. Results: Administration of ghrelin without induction of pancreatitis did not affect significantly any parameter tested. Caerulein led to the development of acute edematous pancreatitis. Treatment with ghrelin at the dose 2 nmol/kg, during induction of pancreatitis, was without effect on pancreatic histology or biochemical and functional parameters. Treatment with ghrelin at the dose 10 and 20 nmol/kg attenuated the development of pancreatitis and the effects of both doses were similar. Administration of ghrelin (10 or 20 nmol/kg) reduced inflammatory infiltration of pancreatic tissue and vacuolization of acinar cells. Also, plasma lipase activity and plasma IL-1beta conc; concentration were reduced, and caerulein-induced fall in pancreatic DNA synthesis was reversed. Administration of ghrelin at the dose 10 and 20 nmol/kg was without effect on caerulein-induced pancreatic edema and pancreatitis-related fall in pancreatic blood flow. Conclusions: (1) Administration of ghrelin attenuates pancreatic damage in caerulein-induced pancreatitis; (2) Protective effect of ghrelin administration seems to be related the inhibition in inflammatory process and the reduction in liberation of pro-inflammatory IL-1beta.
CD150 regulates JNK1/2 activation in normal and Hodgkin's lymphoma B cells (2010)

The CD150 receptor is expressed on thymocytes, activated and memory T cells, B cells, platelets, natural killer T cells, and mature dendritic cells, and is also detected on tumor cells of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with an activated B cell phenotype. Here, we report that the level of CD150 expression is elevated during B cell differentiation toward plasma cells. In primary tonsillar B cells and HL cell lines, CD150 signaling regulates the phosphorylation of three types of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs): extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38 MAPK, and Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2). CD150 induced ERK1/2 activation in primary tonsillar B cells and in two HL cell lines. CD150 mediated activation of JNK1/2 p54 and JNK2-gamma kinase isoforms in all CD150(+) B cell lines we tested. CD150 associated with the serine/threonine kinase hematopoetic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) regardless of CD150 tyrosine phosphorylation or binding of the SH2D1A adaptor protein to CD150, and HPK1 overexpression enhanced CD150-mediated JNK1/2 phosphorylation. CD150 ligation inhibited cell proliferation of all studied HL cell lines and induced apoptosis in L1236 HL cells that did not depend on JNK activity. As signaling through CD150 modulates MAPK activity in HL tumor cells, CD150 may contribute to regulation of tumor cell maintenance in low-rate proliferating HLs.
A different form of long-lasting potentiation revealed in tissue plasminogen activator mutant mice (1996)

The establishment of hippocampal long-term (LTP) requires protein and mRNA synthesis, suggesting that neuronal activity resulting in LTP initiates a cascade of gene expression. The expression of the gene for the extracellular serine protease tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is induced during LTP. Here we analyze long-lasting LTP (L-LTP,>4 hr)in CA1 hippocampal slices of mice homozygous for disrupted t-PA genes. Although mutant mice appear to exhibit long-term potentiation, we provide evidence that these mice are devoid of conventional homosynaptic L-LTP at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pyramidal cell synapse. Most remarkably, t-PA-deficient mice exhibit a different form of long-lasting potentiation that is characterized by an NMDA receptor-dependent modification of GABA transmission in the CA1 region.
Lipoxin A4: Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Angiogenic Impact on Endothelial Cells (2009)

Lipoxins (LX) are a class of eicosanoid that possesses a wide spectrum of antiinflammatory and proresolution bioactions. Here we have investigated the impact of the endogenously produced eicosanoid LXA(4) on endothelial cell inflammatory, proliferative, and antigenic responses. Using HUVECs we demonstrate that LXA(4) inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated inflammatory responses including IL-6, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-8 secretion, as well as endothelial ICAM-1 expression. Interestingly, LXA(4) up-regulated IL-10 production from HUVECs. Consistent with these antiinflammatory and proresolution responses to LXA(4), we demonstrate that LXA(4) inhibited leukotriene D(4) and VEGF-stimulated proliferation and angiogenesis as determined by tube formation of HUVECs. We have explored the underlying molecular mechanisms and demonstrate that LXA(4) pretreatment is associated with the decrease of VEGF-stimulated VEGF receptor 2 (KDR/FLK-1) phosphorylation and downstream signaling events including activation of phospholipase C-gamma, ERK1/2, and Akt.
CHC++: Coherent Hierarchical Culling Revisited (2008)

Abstract We present a new algorithm for efficient occlusion culling using hardware occlusion queries. The algorithm significantly improves on previous techniques by making better use of temporal and spatial coherence of visibility. This is achieved by using adaptive visibility prediction and query batching. As a result of the new optimizations the number of issued occlusion queries and the number of rendering state changes are significantly reduced. We also propose a simple method for determining tighter bounding volumes for occlusion queries and a method which further reduces the pipeline stalls. The proposed method provides up to an order of magnitude speedup over the previous state of the art. The new technique is simple to implement, does not rely on hardware calibration and integrates well with modern game engines.
Development of Gene Therapy for Thalassemia (2012)

Retroviral vector-mediated gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells provides a potentially curative therapy for severe b-thalassemia. Lentiviral vectors based on human immunodeficiency virus have been developed for this purpose and have been shown to be effective in curing thalassemia in mouse models. One participant in an ongoing clinical trial has achieved transfusion independence after gene transfer into bone marrow stem cells owing, in part, to a genetically modified, dominant clone. Ongoing efforts are focused on improving the efficiency of lentiviral vector-mediated gene transfer into stem cells so that the curative potential of gene transfer can be consistently achieved.
A Simple and General Method for Transferring Genes into Plants (1985)

Transformed petunia, tobacco, and tomato plants have been produced by means of a novel leaf disk transformation-regeneration method. Surface-sterilized leaf disks were inoculated with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain containing a modified tumor-inducing plasmid (in which the phytohormone biosynthetic genes from transferred DNA had been deleted and replaced with a chimeric gene for kanamycin resistance) and cultured for 2 days. The leaf disks were then transferred to selective medium containing kanamycin. Shoot regeneration occurred within 2 to 4 weeks, and transformants were confirmed by their ability to form roots in medium containing kanamycin. This method for producing transformed plants combines gene transfer, plant regeneration, and effective selection for transformants into a single process and should be applicable to plant species that can be infected by Agrobacterium and regenerated from leaf explants.
The fine art of IC design (1999)

Designers of 100-million-transistor chips face daunting challenges, most especially in dealing with switching currents, optimization, asynchronization, reuse, and design skills. Certain subjects-interconnections, for example-will prove to cut across all five topics. All the same, the issues offer a useful view on what designers will face in handling these complexities. These five topics are discussed in the paper.
Resistance exercise as a countermeasure to disuse-induced bone loss (2004)

During spaceflight, skeletal unloading results in loss of bone mineral density (BMD). This occurs primarily in the spine and lower body regions. This loss of skeletal mass could prove hazardous to astronauts on flights of long duration. In this study, intense resistance exercise was used to test whether a training regimen would prevent the loss of BMD that accompanies disuse. Nine subjects (5 men, 4 women) participated in a supine maximal resistance exercise training program during 17 wk of horizontal bed rest. These subjects were compared with 18 control subjects (13 men, 5 women) who followed the same bed rest protocol without exercise. Determination of treatment effect was based on measures of BMD, bone metabolism markers, and calcium balance obtained before, during, and after bed rest. Exercisers and controls had significantly (P < 0.05) different means, represented by the respective following percent changes: lumbar spine BMD, +3% vs. -1%; total hip BMD, +1% vs. -3%; calcaneus BMD, +1% vs. -9%; pelvis BMD, -0.5% vs. -3%; total body BMD, 0% vs. -1%; bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, +64% vs. 0%; alkaline phosphatase, +31% vs. +5%; osteocalcin, +43% vs. +10%; 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, +12% vs. -15%; parathyroid hormone intact molecule, +18% vs. -25%; and serum and ionized calcium, -1% vs. +1%. The difference in net calcium balance was also significant (+21 mg/day vs. -199 mg/day, exercise vs. control). The gastrocnemius and soleus muscle volumes decreased significantly in the exercise group, but the loss was significantly less than observed in the control group. The results indicate that resistance exercise had a positive treatment effect and thus might be useful as a countermeasure to prevent the deleterious skeletal changes associated with long-duration spaceflight.
Naturally occurring oestrogens in foods—A review (1985)

This review is concerned with the presence of naturally occurring oestrogens in food plants and processed foods. Particular emphasis is placed on isoflavones and coumestans, both of which are true plant oestrogens, and the resorcylic acid lactones, more correctly classified as fungal oestrogens. The metabolism and mode of action of these compounds is discussed and their biological potencies, determined in both in vivo and in vitro studies, described. Current methods of analysis are indicated and the levels of these oestrogens in food plants, processed foods and foodstuffs are presented. Botanical, environmental or technological factors affecting the possible intake of plant and fungal oestrogens are mentioned and the hazard associated with such intake is compared with that originating from other dietary or medicinal hormonally active substances. Indications are given of the wide range of common food plants which have been reported to possess oestrogenic (uterotropic) activity, although it is emphasized that in general further work is necessary to substantiate these claims and to confirm the identities of the biologically active principles which have in some cases been proposed. In the concluding section suggestions are made for additional research considered important or necessary in this interesting area.
Liposome‐encapsulated curcumin (2005)

Liposomal curcumin down-regulated the NF-kappaB machinery, suppressed growth, and induced apoptosis of human pancreatic cells in vitro. Antitumor and antiangiogenesis effects were observed in vivo. The experiments in the current study provide a biologic rationale for treatment of patients suffering from pancreatic carcinoma with this nontoxic phytochemical encapsulated in liposomes for systemic delivery.
Cell Transformation by Fibroblast Growth Factors Can Be Suppressed by Truncated Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors (1994)

Ligand-induced dimerization and transphosphorylation are thought to be important events by which receptor tyrosine kinases generate cellular signals. We have investigated the ability of signalling-defective, truncated fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors (FGFR-1 and FGFR-2) to block the FGF response in cells that express both types of endogenous FGF receptors. When these dominant negative receptors are expressed in NIH 3T3 cells transformed by the secreted FGF-4, the transformed properties of the cells can be reverted to various degrees, with better reversion phenotype correlating with higher levels of truncated receptor expression. Furthermore, truncated FGFR-2 is significantly more efficient at producing reversion than FGFR-1, indicating that FGF-4 preferentially utilizes the FGFR-2 signalling pathway. NIH 3T3 clones expressing these truncated receptors are more resistant to FGF-induced mitogenesis and also exhibit reduced tyrosine phosphorylation upon treatment with FGF. The block in FGF-signalling, however, can be overcome by the addition of excess growth factor. The truncated receptors have binding affinities that are four- to eightfold lower than those of wild-type receptors, as measured by Scatchard analysis. We also observed a partial specificity in the responses of truncated-receptor-expressing clones to FGF-2 or FGF-4. Our results suggest that the block to signal transduction produced by kinase-negative FGF receptors is achieved through a combination of dominant negative effects and competition for growth factor binding with functional receptors.
A new index to find regions showing an unexpected variability or conservation in sequence alignments. (1997)

Present-day sequences are the result of long and complex pathways of evolution. Many of the features encoded in them are the result of a series of evolutionary processes, including selection, genetic drift, etc. Following this, protein families have a great amount of unexplored information that can be useful for many purposes beyond simple evolutionary studies. An index is presented here which permits the localization of regions showing an unexpected degree of variability or conservation. This index uses the information contained in sequence alignments and compares the observed over expected level of variability using tables for the relative likelihood of amino acid change.
Temporal modulation sensitivity and pulse-detection thresholds for chromatic and luminance perturbations (1987)

We studied temporal processing of chromatic and luminance perturbations of a 600-nm field, measuring both modulation sensitivity (sinusoidal frequencies from 0.25 to 40 Hz) and pulse-detection thresholds (pulse durations from 5 to 2560 msec) for mean luminances of 0.9 to 900 Td and field sizes of 0.5 degrees to 8 degrees. Chromatic stimuli were produced by antiphase modulation of lights matched by heterochromatic flicker photometry. Both mean luminance and field size affected sensitivity, and the magnitude of field-size effects increased with mean luminance. We derived both luminance and chromatic impulse response functions for each set of experimental conditions, using the modulation-sensitivity data. At high mean luminances and large field sizes the chromatic impulse response functions are complex, suggesting contributions from both chromatic and luminance mechanisms. Pulse-detection data were fitted by a peak detector model based on these impulse response functions.
Immune Therapy and β-Cell Death in Type 1 Diabetes (2013)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. The killing of β-cells is not currently measurable; β-cell functional studies routinely used are affected by environmental factors such as glucose and cannot distinguish death from dysfunction. Moreover, it is not known whether immune therapies affect killing. We developed an assay to identify β-cell death by measuring relative levels of unmethylated INS DNA in serum and used it to measure β-cell death in a clinical trial of teplizumab. We studied 43 patients with recent-onset T1D, 13 nondiabetic subjects, and 37 patients with T1D treated with FcR nonbinding anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (teplizumab) or placebo. Patients with recent-onset T1D had higher rates of β-cell death versus nondiabetic control subjects, but patients with long-standing T1D had lower levels. When patients with recent-onset T1D were treated with teplizumab, β-cell function was preserved (P < 0.05) and the rates of β-cell were reduced significantly (P < 0.05). We conclude that there are higher rates of β-cell death in patients with recent-onset T1D compared with nondiabetic subjects. Improvement in C-peptide responses with immune intervention is associated with decreased β-cell death.
Enrichment, Isolation and Some Properties of Methane-utilizing Bacteria (1970)

Summary: More than 100 Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, methane-utilizing bacteria were isolated. All used only methane and methanol of the substrates tested for growth. The organisms were classified into five groups on the basis of morphology, fine structure, and type of resting stage formed (exospores and different types of cysts) and into subgroups on other properties. Methods of enrichment, isolation and culture are described.
Ranking and semi-supervised classification on large scale graphs using map-reduce (2009)

Label Propagation, a standard algorithm for semi-supervised classification, suffers from scalability issues involving memory and computation when used with large-scale graphs from real-world datasets. In this paper we approach Label Propagation as solution to a system of linear equations which can be implemented as a scalable parallel algorithm using the map-reduce framework. In addition to semi-supervised classification, this approach to Label Propagation allows us to adapt the algorithm to make it usable for ranking on graphs and derive the theoretical connection between Label Propagation and PageRank. We provide empirical evidence to that effect using two natural language tasks -- lexical relat-edness and polarity induction. The version of the Label Propagation algorithm presented here scales linearly in the size of the data with a constant main memory requirement, in contrast to the quadratic cost of both in traditional approaches.
Emerging lymphatic imaging technologies for mouse and man (2014)

The lymphatic circulatory system has diverse functions in lipid absorption, fluid homeostasis, and immune surveillance and responds dynamically when presented with infection, inflammation, altered hemodynamics, and cancer. Visualization of these dynamic processes in human disease and animal models of disease is key to understanding the contributory role of the lymphatic circulatory system in disease and to devising effective therapeutic strategies. Longitudinal, non-destructive, and repeated imaging is necessary to expand our understanding of disease progression and regression in basic science and clinical investigations. Herein we summarize recent advances in in vivo lymphatic imaging employing magnetic resonance, computed tomography, lymphoscintigraphy, and emerging optical techniques with respect to their contributory roles in both basic science and clinical research investigations.
MicroRNA miR-302 Inhibits the Tumorigenecity of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells by Coordinate Suppression of the CDK2 and CDK4/6 Cell Cycle Pathways (2010)

miR-302 is the major microRNA found in human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, but its function has been unclear. In mice, there is evidence that miR-302 may silence p21Cip1 (CDKN1A) to promote cell proliferation, whereas studies in human reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells suggested that elevated miR-302 expression inhibited cell cycle transit. Here, we clarify this difference, reporting that in human cells, miR-302 simultaneously suppressed both the cyclin E-CDK2 and cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathways to block>70% of the G1-S cell cycle transition. Concurrent silencing of BMI-1, a cancer stem cell marker targeted by miR-302, further promoted tumor suppressor functions of p16Ink4a and p14/p19Arf directed against CDK4/6-mediated cell proliferation. Among all G1 phase checkpoint regulators, human p21Cip1 was found not to be a valid target of miR-302. Overall, our findings indicate that miR-302 inhibits human pluripotent stem cell tumorigenicity by enhancing multiple G1 phase arrest pathways rather than by silencing p21Cip1.
Comparative study of corneal strip extensometry and inflation tests (2005)

Strip extensometry tests are usually considered less reliable than trephinate inflation tests in studying corneal biomechanics. In spite of the evident simplicity of strip extensometry tests, several earlier studies preferred inflation tests in determining the constitutive relationship of the cornea and its other material properties, such as Young's modulus and the hysteresis behaviour. In this research, the deficiencies of the strip tests are discussed and a mathematical procedure presented to take account of these deficiencies when obtaining the corneal material properties. The study also involves testing 10 pairs of porcine corneas using both strip extensometry and trephinate inflation techniques and the results are subjected to mathematical back analysis in order to determine the stress-strain behaviour. The behaviour obtained from the strip extensometry tests and using the new mathematical analysis procedure is shown to match closely the inflation test results.
Effects of long‐term clarithromycin treatment on lavage‐fluid markers of inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis (2008)

Macrolides can be clinically effective in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, little is known about how these drugs affect pathophysiological features of CRS in vivo. In the present study, patients with CRS were subjected to long-term treatment with clarithromycin. Nasal lavages with and without histamine (40 and 400 microg ml(-1)) were carried out prior to and late into the treatment period. Histamine was included as a tool to produce plasma exudation, a process known to move free cellular products from the mucosal tissue into the airway lumen thereby enriching nasal surface liquids with such products. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), alpha(2)-macroglobulin and fucose were monitored as indices of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, neutrophil and eosinophil granulocyte activities, plasma exudation and mucinous secretion, respectively. Clarithromycin reduced the lavage fluid levels of IL-8 at the low-dose histamine observation (P<0.001). There was a trend towards reduced MPO by the treatment, whereas ECP was significantly reduced at the low-dose histamine observation (P<0.05). alpha(2)-Macroglobulin was reduced by clarithromycin (saline lavages) (P = 0.05), whereas fucose was unaffected. The exudative responsiveness to high-dose histamine was significantly reduced by the treatment (P<0.05). Furthermore, significantly lower levels of fucose were observed at the low-dose histamine observation (P<0.01). We conclude that long-term clarithromycin treatment likely exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in CRS.