gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Haemolysis during Sample Preparation Alters microRNA Content of Plasma (2011)

The presence of cell-free microRNAs (miRNAs) has been detected in a range of body fluids. The miRNA content of plasma/serum in particular has been proposed as a potential source of novel biomarkers for a number of diseases. Nevertheless, the quantification of miRNAs from plasma or serum is made difficult due to inefficient isolation and lack of consensus regarding the optimal reference miRNA. The effect of haemolysis on the quantification and normalisation of miRNAs in plasma has not been investigated in great detail. We found that levels of miR-16, a commonly used reference gene, showed little variation when measured in plasma samples from healthy volunteers or patients with malignant mesothelioma or coronary artery disease. Including samples with evidence of haemolysis led to variation in miR-16 levels and consequently decreased its ability to serve as a reference. The levels of miR-16 and miR-451, both present in significant levels in red blood cells, were proportional to the degree of haemolysis. Measurements of the level of these miRNAs in whole blood, plasma, red blood cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed that the miRNA content of red blood cells represents the major source of variation in miR-16 and miR-451 levels measured in plasma. Adding lysed red blood cells to non-haemolysed plasma allowed a cut-off level of free haemoglobin to be determined, below which miR-16 and miR-451 levels displayed little variation between individuals. In conclusion, increases in plasma miR-16 and miR-451 are caused by haemolysis. In the absence of haemolysis the levels of both miR-16 and miR-451 are sufficiently constant to serve as normalisers.
Phosphatidylcholine and Sodium Deoxycholate in the Treatment of Localized Fat (2008)

BACKGROUND Recent articles have introduced the novel concept of chemical lipolysis through local injections. Phosphatidylcholine is the active drug in the commercial preparation used for this purpose, but some studies have suggested that sodium deoxycholate, an excipient of the preparation, could be the real active substance. AIM We decided to investigate whether phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate have any clinical efficacy in chemical lipolysis and their respective roles. We also studied the safety and side effects of the treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-seven consecutive female patients were studied for the treatment of localized fat in gynoid lipodystrophy. Each patient received injections of a phosphatidylcholine/sodium deoxycholate preparation on one side and sodium deoxycholate on the contralateral side, each single patient being herself the control. Four treatments were carried out every 8 weeks in a double-blind, randomized fashion. Metric circumferential evaluations and photographic and ultrasonographic measurements throughout the study allowed for final judgment. A statistical evaluation concluded our study. RESULTS An overall reduction of local fat was obtained in 91.9% of the patients without statistically significant differences between the treated sides. Reduction values on the phosphatidylcholine/sodium deoxycholate–treated sides are in the order of 6.46% metrically and 36.87% ultrasonographically, whereas on the deoxycholate-treated sides they are in the order of 6.77% metrically and 36.06% ultrasonographically. Both treatments, at the dose used in the study, proved safe in the short term. The most common side effects were local and few, but were more pronounced on the deoxycholate-treated sides. No laboratory test was carried out. CONCLUSION Both treatments have shown moderate and equivalent efficacy in treating localized fat, with sodium deoxycholate having a slower postoperative resolution, suggesting that sodium deoxycholate could be sufficient by itself to determine fat cell destruction and that phosphatidylcholine could be useful for obtaining a later emulsification of the fat.
Co-localization of neuroendocrine hormones in the human fetal pancreas (1999)

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Co-localization of the four major pancreatic hormones, and also of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), secretin and neurotensin, has been studied in the endocrine pancreas of human fetuses at 16, 18 and 22 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Double and triple immunofluorescence stainings have been used. RESULTS: All three fetal pancreata contained cells that showed insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), IAPP, secretin and PYY immunoreactivity. Neurotensin cells were found in the youngest fetus and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) in the two older fetuses. Co-localization of two hormones occurred in most of the endocrine cell types in the three fetuses examined, but three hormones occurred in only a few cells and especially in the youngest fetus. Somatostatin cells were the only cell type which was largely monohormonal. Our findings showed that there are two different co-localization patterns: insulin was co-localized mainly with IAPP and glucagon, while secretin and PYY occurred together with glucagon and PP. CONCLUSIONS: These data are the first to describe secretin and neurotensin in the fetal pancreas. Two different co-localization patterns could be distinguished: insulin, IAPP and glucagon, and glucagon, secretin, PP and PYY.
Le plan de reprise d'activité et les sauvegardes en entreprise (2012)

Les systemes et les donnees ne cessent d'evoluer avec le temps. Les moyens et les methodes de sauvegarde doivent correspondre a ce besoin de protection. Tout le monde fait des sauvegardes, que ce soit sur disque ou sur bande. A l'ere du numerique, la criticite des donnees impose une rigueur constante pour contrer la perte d'information.
L'outil Netbackup permet d'administrer les differentes polices de sauvegarde, afin de pouvoir repondre a des strategies specifiques. Il permet de securiser et rendre disponible les informations sauvegardees. La robotique de sauvegarde permet de gerer les donnees et leur retention sur des cartouches magnetiques pour les besoins d'ejection et d'externalisation.
Des phases de test du plan de reprise d'activite ont lieu deux fois par an dans une societe de secours informatique (Sungard). Ces tests nous permettent de derouler et valider les methodes de sauvegarde et restauration dans un autre environnement.
L'objectif d'un test PRA est de reconstruire l'infrastructure avec toutes les interdependances applicatives, afin de garantir une reprise d'activite et limiter la perte financiere qu'engendrerait un incident majeur sur le systeme d'information (incendie, zone Seveso…).
Radiolabelled peptides for oncological diagnosis (2012)

Radiolabelled receptor-binding peptides targeting receptors (over)expressed on tumour cells are widely under investigation for tumour diagnosis and therapy. The concept of using radiolabelled receptor-binding peptides to target receptor-expressing tissues in vivo has stimulated a large body of research in nuclear medicine. The (111)In-labelled somatostatin analogue octreotide (OctreoScan) is the most successful radiopeptide for tumour imaging, and was the first to be approved for diagnostic use. Based on the success of these studies, other receptor-targeting peptides such as cholecystokinin/gastrin analogues, glucagon-like peptide-1, bombesin (BN), chemokine receptor CXCR4 targeting peptides, and RGD peptides are currently under development or undergoing clinical trials. In this review, we discuss some of these peptides and their analogues, with regard to their potential for radionuclide imaging of tumours.
Evolutionary and Functional Relationships of Colonization Factor Antigen I and Other Class 5 Adhesive Fimbriae of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (2004)

Colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) is the archetype of eight genetically related fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) designated class 5 fimbriae. Assembled by the alternate chaperone pathway, these organelles comprise a rigid stalk of polymerized major subunits and an apparently tip-localized minor adhesive subunit. We examined the evolutionary relationships of class 5-specific structural proteins and correlated these with functional properties. We sequenced the gene clusters encoding coli surface antigen 4 (CS4), CS14, CS17, CS19, and putative colonization factor antigen O71 (PCFO71) and analyzed the deduced proteins and the published homologs of CFA/I, CS1, and CS2. Multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis of the proteins encoded by each operon define three subclasses, 5a (CFA/I, CS4, and CS14), 5b (CS1, CS17, CS19, and PCFO71), and 5c (CS2). These share distant evolutionary relatedness to fimbrial systems of three other genera. Subclass divisions generally correlate with distinguishing in vitro adherence phenotypes of strains bearing the ETEC fimbriae. Phylogenetic comparisons of the individual structural proteins demonstrated greater intrasubclass conservation among the minor subunits than the major subunits. To correlate this with functional attributes, we made antibodies against CFA/I and CS17 whole fimbriae and maltose-binding protein fusions with the amino-terminal half of the corresponding minor subunits. Anti-minor subunit Fab preparations showed hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) of ETEC expressing homologous and intrasubclass heterologous colonization factors while anti-fimbrial Fab fractions showed HAI activity limited to colonization factor-homologous ETEC. These results were corroborated with similar results from the Caco-2 cell adherence assay. Our findings suggest that the minor subunits of class 5 fimbriae may be superior to whole fimbriae in inducing antiadhesive immunity.
A framework for context-driven RDF data replication on mobile devices (2010)

With the continuously growing amount of structured data available on the Semantic Web there is an increasing desire to replicate such data to mobile devices. This enables services and applications to operate independently of the network connection quality. Traditional replication strategies cannot be properly applied to mobile systems because they do not adopt to changing user information needs, and do not consider the technical, environmental, and infrastructural restrictions of mobile devices. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider contextual information, gathered from physical and logical sensors, in the replication process, and replicate only data that are actually needed by the user. In this paper we present a framework that uses Semantic Web technologies to build comprehensive descriptions of the user's information needs based on contextual information, and employs these descriptions to selectively replicate data from external sources. In consequence, the amounts of replicated data are reduced, while a maximum share of relevant data are continuously available to be used by applications, even in situations with limited or no network connectivity.
Algorithm 799: revolve (2000)

In its basic form, the reverse mode of computational differentiation yields the gradient of a scalar-valued function at a cost that is a small multiple of the computational work needed to evaluate the function itself. However, the corresponding memory requirement is proportional to the run-time of the evaluation program. Therefore, the practical applicability of the reverse mode in its original formulation is limited despite the availability of ever larger memory systems. This observation leads to the development of checkpointing schedules to reduce the storage requirements. This article presents the function revolve, which generates checkpointing schedules that are provably optimal with regard to a primary and a secondary criterion. This routine is intended to be used as an explicit “controller” for running a time-dependent applications program.
The development of primordial and definitive amniotic cavities in early rhesus monkey and human embryos (1975)

Re-examination of early rhesus monkey and human embryos in the collection of the Carnegie Institution of Washington suggests that the mechanism of amniogenesis in both is basically similar to that of the hedgehog and vespertilionid bats. A primordial amniotic cavity develops by cavitation within the embryonic mass of 10-day rhesus monkey, and 7-day human, blastocysts. This primordial cavity has no relationship initially with the overlying trophoblast, contrary to earlier reports. Subsequently, there is a thinning and peripheral spreading of the epiblastic roof of the primordial cavity, resulting in partial opening of the roof and formation of a slightly cupped embryonic disc. The resulting space is not homologous with the primordial amniotic cavity; instead, it is a transitory tropho-epiblastic cavity. The definitive amniotic epithelium forms by the upfolding and mitotic proliferation of the margins of the epiblastic disc; this process is completed in 11-day rhesus, and 9-day human, blastocysts. Amniogenesis by cavitation is associated with the persistence of polar trophoblast following implantation, and it is suggested that this cavitation process may be essential for providing a free epithelial surface for the morphogenetic movement of epiblastic cells during subsequent formation of the primitive streak.
Complexation Phenomena in pH-Responsive Copolymer Networks with Pendent Saccharides (2002)

Sugar-containing copolymer networks of poly(methacrylic acid-co-methacryloxyethyl glucoside) were prepared by free-radical photopolymerization. Incorporation of the MAA in the polymer networks rendered the networks complex forming, in response to the environmental pH change. Using ATR−FTIR spectroscopy, the polymer complexes were investigated in their hydrated state. It was observed that in acidic media hydrogen bonds formed due to the protonation of the carboxylic acid groups of the PMAA while in basic or neutral conditions electrostatic repulsion occurred between the ionized carboxylic acid groups. This complexation affected the macroscopic swelling properties. The effect of copolymer compositions on the network structure was investigated. Both hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interactions increased with MAA content in the networks.
Surface functional group dependence on apatite formation on self-assembled monolayers in a simulated body fluid (1997)

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols having CH3, PO4H2, COOH, CONH2, OH, and NH2 terminal groups formed on a gold surface via sulfur attachment were soaked in a simulated body fluid (SBF), whose ion concentrations were nearly equal to those of human blood plasma, at 37 degrees C for up to 40 days. The effect of their terminal functional groups on apatite formation was assessed using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopic (XPS) measurement and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The Ca and P atoms were detected, of which element intensities increased with time, on SAMs except for the alkanethiol having the methyl terminal group. The Ca/P atomic ratios of the apatites formed on the SAMs ranged from around 1.0 to around 1.3. The most potent inducer for apatite formation, judged from the growth rate (micrometers per day) calculated from the weight change during QCM measurement, was the SAM of the alkanethiol with the PO4H2 group, followed by that of the alkanethiol with the COOH group. The SAMs of the alkanethiols with the CONH2, OH, and NH2 groups possessed much weaker inducing powers than the former two SAMs. Little weight change was observed for the methyl-group-terminated alkanethiol SAM. The growth rates increased with time, irrespective of the terminal group species among apatite formation-inducing groups. During the experimental observation period, the following relationship held. The growth rate decreased in the order PO4H2 > COOH >> CONH2 approximately equal to OH > NH2 >> CH3 approximately equal to 0. Some negatively charged groups strongly induced apatite formation but the positively charged group did not, it can be said that the apatite formation initiated via calcium ion-absorption upon complexation with a negative surface-charged group may be dominant in biomaterial calcification where ionic species directly contact the biomaterial surface in body fluids.
SLM-based optical crossbars based on the matrix-matrix principle (1993)

Describes the principles and practice of photonic switches using free space optics with channel selection by shuttering light beams using spatial light modulators. Optical fan-out is achieved using Fourier plan array generators based on binary phase only computer generated optical elements. The spatial light modulator technology considered uses arrays of ferroelectric liquid crystal pixel modulators embedded in silicon VLSI control circuitry. Under favourable circumstances, i.e. with an adequate power margin and numerical aperture margin across the switch, these appear capable of very high switch bandwidths (hundreds of Gbits/sec), and scalability to large numbers of users (hundreds). It also appears possible to make well integrated compact devices. The construction of a prototype 16*16 switch aimed at 660 Mbit/sec per channel in the LINK 'Optically Connected Parallel Machines' project is described, including its extension to a 64*64 crossbar. The practical difficulties that must be solved if the theoretical performance levels are to be approached are reviewed.
Evaluation on the Diagnostic Utility of Serum Tryptase Level in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (2009)

Purpose: Background: Mast cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Increased mast cell infiltration and activation in distal gut segments are associated with symptom onset and severity of IBS. Mast cells have been implicated in the elevated response of visceral afferent nerves to mucosal stimulus in IBS patients. Measurement of mast cell markers can have important implication in clinical diagnosis of IBS. However this effort was hindered due to lack of sensitive assays. Methods: Here we report the development and validation of a highly sensitive two-side ELISA assay to measure tryptase level in human serum samples (detection limit 0.019ng/ml). The assay is precise, robust, and reproducible. Serum tryptase concentration in healthy controls and IBS patients was measured using this assay. Results: The average serum tryptase level in healthy controls was 9.6+2.1 ng/ml (n=174). IBS-D and IBS-A patients showed higher serum tryptase concentration (12.71ng/ml for IBS-D (n=209) and 11.94ng/ml for IBS-A (n=57)) than the healthy control subjects; while the average tryptase level is 9.34 ng/ml for IBS-C (n=118). There is a statistical significance between the IBS-C and IBS-D groups (p<0.01). Conclusion: This is the first biomarker developed so far that differentiates IBS-D from IBS-C patients. Combining serum tryptase level with other IBS biomarkers, we may be able to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of IBS. Disclosure: The authors are current employees of prometheuslabs. This research was supported by an industry grant from Prometheuslabs.
Folate Improves Endothelial Function in Coronary Artery Disease (2001)

Homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Folic acid lowers homocysteine and may improve endothelial function in CAD, although the mechanism is unclear. We investigated the effect of folic acid on endothelial function, homocysteine, and oxidative stress in patients with CAD. We also examined the acute effect of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the principal circulating folate, on endothelial function in vivo and on intracellular superoxide in cultured endothelial cells. A randomized crossover study of folic acid (5 mg daily) for 6 weeks was undertaken in 52 patients with CAD. Ten further patients were given intra-arterial 5-MTHF. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Folic acid increased plasma folate (P<0.001), lowered homocysteine by 19% (P<0.001), and improved FMD (P<0.001). FMD improvement did not correlate with homocysteine reduction. Malondialdehyde and total plasma antioxidant capacity, markers of oxidative stress, were unchanged. 5-MTHF acutely improved FMD (P<0.001) without altering homocysteine (P=0.47). In vitro, 5-MTHF abolished homocysteine-induced intracellular superoxide increase (P<0.001); this effect was also observed with folic acid and tetrahydrobiopterin. Our data support the beneficial effect of folic acid on endothelial function in CAD but suggest that the mechanism is independent of homocysteine. Reduction of intracellular endothelial superoxide may have contributed to the effect.
Chemical Countermeasures for the Control of Bacterial Biofilms: Effective Compounds and Promising Targets (2006)

The pathogenic nature of many infectious bacteria is enhanced by their ability to form surface-associated, protected communities known as "biofilms." Due to various factors, bacteria in biofilm communities display significantly greater resistance to traditional antimicrobial therapies than their planktonic brethren. This resistance complicates many common bacterial infections, resulting in recurrent ear infections, bacterial endocarditis, chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis, infectious kidney stones, and surface infection of implanted medical devices. Owing to the serious nature of many biofilm-mediated infections and the near-complete dearth of effective strategies for treating them, efforts are underway to further understand the nature of bacterial infections involving biofilms and to discover and develop effective therapies to combat them. Particularly, several classes of chemical compounds have shown promise in combating biofilms when used in conjunction with traditional antimicrobials. The vast majority of these compounds exert their anti-biofilm properties through disruption of "quorum sensing," a common means of intercellular communication in bacterial communities that allows coordinated expression of virulence factors and facilitates formation of the oft-complex architecture of mature bacterial biofilms. Other new chemical entities are effective against biofilms without necessarily affecting quorum sensing. This review summarizes salient research in the development of effective chemical countermeasures for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections involving biofilms.
Novel Therapies for Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma (2012)

Aggressive B-cell lymphoma (BCL) comprises a heterogeneous group of malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Burkitt lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). DLBCL, with its 3 subtypes, is the most common type of lymphoma. Advances in chemoimmunotherapy have substantially improved disease control. However, depending on the subtype, patients with DLBCL still exhibit substantially different survival rates. In MCL, a mature B-cell lymphoma, the addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapy regimens has increased response rates, but not survival. Burkitt lymphoma, the most aggressive BCL, is characterized by a high proliferative index and requires more intensive chemotherapy regimens than DLBCL. Hence, there is a need for more effective therapies for all three diseases. Increased understanding of the molecular features of aggressive BCL has led to the development of a range of novel therapies, many of which target the tumor in a tailored manner and are summarized in this paper.
Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. A Plastic Photosynthetic Adaptation to Arid Environments (2001)

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an important elaboration of photosynthetic carbon fixation that allows chloroplast-containing cells to fix CO2initially at night using phospho enol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in the cytosol. This leads to the formation of C4 organic acids (usually malate),