gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular and metabolic effects of 48-h glucagon-like peptide-1 infusion in compensated chronic patients with heart failure (2010)

The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and its analogs are currently emerging as antidiabetic medications. GLP-1 improves left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in dogs with heart failure (HF) and in patients with acute myocardial infarction. We studied metabolic and cardiovascular effects of 48-h GLP-1 infusions in patients with congestive HF. In a randomized, double-blind crossover design, 20 patients without diabetes and with HF with ischemic heart disease, EF of 30 +/- 2%, New York Heart Association II and III (n = 14 and 6) received 48-h GLP-1 (0.7 pmol.kg(-1).min(-1)) and placebo infusion. At 0 and 48 h, LVEF, diastolic function, tissue Doppler regional myocardial function, exercise testing, noninvasive cardiac output, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. Blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolic parameters were recorded. Fifteen patients completed the protocol. GLP-1 increased insulin (90 +/- 17 pmol/l vs. 69 +/- 12 pmol/l; P = 0.025) and lowered glucose levels (5.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l vs. 5.6 +/- 0.1 mmol/l; P < 0.01). Heart rate (67 +/- 2 beats/min vs. 65 +/- 2 beats/min; P = 0.016) and diastolic blood pressure (71 +/- 2 mmHg vs. 68 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.008) increased during GLP-1 treatment. Cardiac index (1.5 +/- 0.1 l.min(-1).m(-2) vs. 1.7 +/- 0.2 l.min(-1).m(-2); P = 0.54) and LVEF (30 +/- 2% vs. 30 +/- 2%; P = 0.93), tissue Doppler indexes, body weight, and BNP remained unchanged. Hypoglycemic events related to GLP-1 treatment were observed in eight patients. GLP-1 infusion increased circulating insulin levels and reduced plasma glucose concentration but had no major cardiovascular effects in patients without diabetes but with compensated HF. The impact of minor increases in heart rate and diastolic blood pressure during GLP-1 infusion requires further studies. Hypoglycemia was frequent and calls for caution in patients without diabetes but with HF.
Kqml: A language and protocol for knowledge and information exchange (1994)

Abstract. This paper describes the design of and experimentation with the Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language (KQML), a new language and protocol for exchanging information and knowledge. This work is part a larger effort, the ARPA Knowledge Sharing Effort which is aimed at developing techniques and methodology for building large-scale knowledge bases which are sharable and reusable. KQML is both a message format and a message-handling protocol to support run-time knowledge sharing among agents. KQML can be used as a language for an application program to interact with an intelligent system or for two or more intelligent systems to share knowledge in support of cooperative problem solving. KQML focuses on an extensible set of performatives, which defines the permissible operations that agents may attempt on each other’s knowledge and goal stores. The performatives comprise a substrate on which to develop higher-level models of inter-agent interaction such as contract nets and negotiation. In addition, KQML provides a basic architecture for knowledge sharing through a special class of agent called communication facilitators which coordinate the interactions of other agents The ideas which underlie the evolving design of KQML are currently being explored through experimental prototype systems which are being used to support several testbeds in such areas as concurrent engineering, intelligent design and intelligent planning and scheduling.
Macrophage Reverse Cholesterol Transport in Mice Expressing ApoA-I Milano (2009)

Within the limits of the in vivo assay, WT apoA-I and apoA-I(M) are equally efficient at promoting macrophage RCT, suggesting that if apoA-I(M) is more atheroprotective than WT apoA-I it is not attributable to an enhancement of macrophage RCT.
Antitumor Activity of Rapamycin in a Transgenic Mouse Model of ErbB2-Dependent Human Breast Cancer (2005)

The ErbB2 (Neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is frequently overexpressed in human breast cancers, and this phenotype correlates with a poor clinical prognosis. We examined the effects of the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, rapamycin, on mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice bearing an activated ErbB2 (NeuYD) transgene in the absence or presence of a second transgene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Treatment of NeuYD or NeuYD x VEGF mice with rapamycin dramatically inhibited tumor growth accompanied by a marked decrease in tumor vascularization. Two key events that may underlie the antitumor activity of rapamycin were decreased expression of ErbB3 and inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1-dependent responses to hypoxic stress. Rapamycin exposure caused only a modest inhibition of the proliferation of tumor-derived cell lines in standard monolayer cultures, but dramatically inhibited the growth of the same cells in three-dimensional cultures, due in part to the induction of apoptotic cell death. These studies underscore the therapeutic potential of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors in ErbB2-positive breast cancers and indicate that, relative to monolayer cultures, three-dimensional cell cultures are more predictive in vitro models for studies of the antitumor mechanisms of rapamycin and related compounds.
The posterior sacral foramina: an anatomical study (1999)

The vascular and nervous structures and their relations with the spinal nerve roots were examined in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th posterior sacral foramina in relation to percutaneous needle insertion for neuromodulation. A foraminal branch provided by the lateral sacral artery to each foramen entered the inferior lateral quadrant of each foramen, adjacent to the nerve root medially. Facing the posterior sacral aperture and around the sacral nerves, there was no venous plexus. A venous plexus was sometimes present near the median line, and always around the proximal part of the spinal ganglion. The sacral nerve roots, especially the 3rd, had a long extradural course in the foramen, presenting a potential risk of nerve lesions during procedures involving needle insertion.
A New in vitro Model to Study the Relationship of Gap Size and Secondary Caries (2007)

The findings of this study suggest that the size of the gap between tooth and restoration affects the development of secondary caries along the cavity wall.
Integrated Amplification Microarrays for Infectious Disease Diagnostics (2012)

This overview describes microarray-based tests that combine solution-phase amplification chemistry and microarray hybridization within a single microfluidic chamber. The integrated biochemical approach improves microarray workflow for diagnostic applications by reducing the number of steps and minimizing the potential for sample or amplicon cross-contamination. Examples described herein illustrate a basic, integrated approach for DNA and RNA genomes, and a simple consumable architecture for incorporating wash steps while retaining an entirely closed system. It is anticipated that integrated microarray biochemistry will provide an opportunity to significantly reduce the complexity and cost of microarray consumables, equipment, and workflow, which in turn will enable a broader spectrum of users to exploit the intrinsic multiplexing power of microarrays for infectious disease diagnostics.
Design of a computer-assisted programme supporting the selection and clinical management of patients referred for liver transplantation. (1994)

The paper describes the knowledge-base of the expert system OLT 1, developed to support medical decision-making in patients referred for liver transplantation. The paper goes through the real clinical problems, and describes both structural (organization of the domain knowledge) and functional aspects (reasoning algorithm and strategies for clinical decision). According to the programme, patients referred to Liver Transplant Centres may be enrolled and ranked in the waiting list, included in a stand-by list for treatment and re-evaluation, or discharged. All decisions are made on the basis of well-assessed and objective criteria.
SEQHUNT: A Program to Screen Aligned Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences (2003)

We have been collecting nucleotide and amino acid sequences of proteins of immunological interest, and aligning them in order to understand the structure and function relations of these proteins (1). To aid in organizing and analyzing this collection, a computer program, called SEQHUNT, was written.
Impulsive noise elimination using polynomial iteratively reweighted least squares (2002)

A new nonlinear filtering technique is introduced for the elimination of impulsive noise modelled with a symmetric /spl alpha/-stable (S/spl alpha/S) distribution. The new algorithm, called polynomial iteratively reweighted least squares (PIRLS), employs a Volterra filter the coefficients of which are estimated by minimizing the l/sub p/-norm of the estimation error. The filter, hence constructed, is used to estimate the clean data from the corrupted data. Simulation results obtained for audio data corrupted by synthetic S/spl alpha/S noise indicate that PIRLS is very successful in removing impulsive noise.
A Single Point Mutation in CTP Synthetase of Confers Resistance to Cyclopentenyl Cytosine (1996)

A Chlamydia trachomatis strain (L2/CPEC) resistant to the cytotoxic effects of cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC) was isolated by a stepwise selection procedure. This strain showed an approximate 350-fold increase in resistance to CPEC. Sequencing of the gene encoding CTP synthetase from this resistant strain revealed a single point mutation, resulting in a change of amino acid 149 from Asp to Glu. This appeared to be the only mutation in L2/CPEC, because no changes in CTP transport, CTP synthetase expression, or incorporation of CPEC into DNA or RNA could be detected. The mutation in the chlamydial CTP synthetase resulted in a loss of CTP feedback inhibition. This was demonstrated both in vivo using Escherichia coli cells carrying the cloned gene, and an in vitro assay using partially purified preparations of CTP synthetase. As a result of the loss of feedback inhibition, E. coli cells carrying the CPECR CTP synthetase showed a 22-fold increase in their CTP pools. However, examination of the CTP pools of L2/CPEC revealed no change in CTP levels when compared with wild type C. trachomatis.
The new Penguin dictionary of computing (2001)

From the Publisher:
An A-Z of computing terms and concepts, The New Penguin Dictionary of Computing is the definitive book of its kind. Covering everything from A20 gate to zero-wait-state memory, and from floppy disk to Word for Windows, it will be an essential tool not only to programmers and engineers, but to anyone who owns or has access to a computer and wishes to improve her skills.
Author Biography: Dick Pountain is currently a columnist for PC Pro magazine, and was a consulting editor on Byte magazine for 14 years, conttributing over 150 feature articles.
A loop of coagulation factor VIIa influencing macromolecular substrate specificity (2006)

Coagulation factor VIIa (FVIIa) belongs to a family of proteases being part of the stepwise, self-amplifying blood coagulation cascade. To investigate the impact of the mutation Met(298{156})Lys in FVIIa, we replaced the Gly(283{140})-Met(298{156}) loop with the corresponding loop of factor Xa. The resulting variant exhibited increased intrinsic activity, concurrent with maturation of the active site, a less accessible N-terminus, and, interestingly, an altered macromolecular substrate specificity reflected in an increased ability to cleave factor IX (FIX) and a decreased rate of FX activation compared to that of wild-type FVIIa. In complex with tissue factor, activation of FIX, but not of FX, returned to normal. Deconvolution of the loop graft in order to identify important side chain substitutions resulted in the mutant Val(158{21})Asp/Leu(287{144})Thr/Ala(294{152})Ser/Glu(296{154}) Ile/Met(298{156})Lys-FVIIa with almost the same activity and specificity profile. We conclude that a lysine residue in position 298{156} of FVIIa requires a hydrophilic environment to be fully accommodated. This position appears critical for substrate specificity among the proteases of the blood coagulation cascade due to its prominent position in the macromolecular exosite and possibly via its interaction with the corresponding position in the substrate (i.e. FIX or FX).
A new class of cleavable fluorescent nucleotides: synthesis and optimization as reversible terminators for DNA sequencing by synthesis † (2008)

Fluorescent 2'-deoxynucleotides containing a protecting group at the 3'-O-position are reversible terminators enabling array-based DNA sequencing by synthesis (SBS) approaches. Herein, we describe the synthesis of a new family of 3'-OH unprotected cleavable fluorescent 2'-deoxynucleotides and their evaluation as reversible terminators for high-throughput DNA SBS strategies. In this first version, all four modified nucleotides bearing a cleavable disulfide Alexa Fluor(R) 594 dye were assayed for their ability to act as a reversible stop for the incorporation of the next labeled base. Their use in SBS leaded to a signal-no signal output after successive addition of each labeled nucleotide during the sequencing process (binary read-out). Solid-phase immobilized synthetic DNA target sequences were used to optimize the method that has been applied to DNA polymerized colonies or clusters obtained by in situ solid-phase amplification of fragments of genomic DNA templates.
Oxidative stress contributes to silica nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity in human embryonic kidney cells (2009)

In order to elucidate the nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity and its mechanism, the effects of 20 and 50 nm silica nanoparticles on cultured human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells were investigated. Cell viability, mitochondrial function, cell morphology, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed under control and silica exposed conditions. Exposure to 20 or 50 nm SiO(2) nanoparticles at dosage levels between 20 and 100 microg/ml decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Median lethal dose (LD(50)) of 24h exposure was 80.2+/-6.4 and 140.3+/-8.6 microg/ml for 20 and 50 nm SiO(2) nanoparticles, respectively. Morphological examination revealed cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation after SiO(2) nanoparticle exposure. Increase in intracellular ROS level and reduction in GSH content were also observed in SiO(2) nanoparticle-exposed HEK293 cells. Increase in the amount of TBARS suggested an elevated level of lipid peroxidation. Flow cytometric analysis showed that SiO(2) nanoparticles can cause G2/M phase arrest and apoptotic sub-G1 population increase in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, exposure to SiO(2) nanoparticles resulted in a dose-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured HEK293 cells that was associated with increased oxidative stress.
Size-dependent B lymphocyte subpopulations: relationship of cell volume to surface phenotype, cell cycle, proliferative response, and requirements for antibody production to TNP-Ficoll and TNP-BA. (1984)

Murine splenic B lymphocytes were separated into size-dependent subpopulations by using counterflow centrifugation. Spleen cells were rigorously depleted of T lymphocytes to yield a population of cells that were greater than 90% surface immunoglobulin (Ig)-positive and that had a mean cell volume of 136.6 +/- 3.3 microns. From this population, five fractions of cells were obtained with mean cell volumes that ranged from 115.8 +/- 3.7 microns in fraction 1 to 168.0 +/- 6 microns in fraction 5. The cells in these five subpopulations were characterized by analysis on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter after staining with acridine orange to evaluate RNA and DNA content, and with fluorescein-conjugated anti-mu, anti-delta, and anti-Ia antibodies to evaluate their surface membrane phenotypes. DNA analysis revealed that virtually all of the cells in fractions 1 to 4 had 2 N DNA. Between 7 and 21% of fraction 5 cells were either in S-phase or contained 4 N DNA. In contrast, RNA content increased through the fractions, suggesting a transition from G0 to G1 in the subpopulations with increasing B cell size. As another measure of cell activation seen with increasing cell size, we observed a progressive increase in the expression of surface Ia and a decrease in the expression of surface IgD. In the absence of in vitro stimulation, the larger cells showed significantly higher levels of thymidine incorporation. When polyclonal B cell activators such as LPS or anti-Ig antibody were added, peak proliferative responses were similar in all of the fractions, but the time necessary to achieve a maximal response was shorter for the larger-sized cell subpopulations than it was for the smaller-sized cell subpopulations. Unprimed, size-dependent B lymphocyte subpopulations exhibited spontaneous or "background" antibody formation that occurred primarily in the subpopulations containing the largest cells. T cell factors present in EL4 supernatant enhanced the efficiency of in vitro differentiation of these same subpopulations. When cultured in the absence of T cell help, the thymus-independent type 1 (TI-1) antigen TNP-Brucella abortus (TNP-BA) or the thymus-independent type 2 (TI-2) antigen TNP-Ficoll induced the largest anti-TNP plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in the fractions containing intermediate-sized cells, suggesting that in vitro, antigen-specific responses came primarily from B cells that have been influenced in vivo to leave their small resting state. The subpopulations containing the smallest size B cells required the presence of both a TI antigen and EL4 supernatant for efficient differentiation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
In Search of the In Vivo Identity of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (2008)

In spite of the advances in the knowledge of adult stem cells (ASCs) during the past few years, their natural activities in vivo are still poorly understood. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), one of the most promising types of ASCs for cell-based therapies, are defined mainly by functional assays using cultured cells. Defining MSCs in vitro adds complexity to their study because the artificial conditions may introduce experimental artifacts. Inserting these results in the context of the organism is difficult because the exact location and functions of MSCs in vivo remain elusive; the identification of the MSC niche is necessary to validate results obtained in vitro and to further the knowledge of the physiological functions of this ASC. Here we show an analysis of the evidence suggesting a perivascular location for MSCs, correlating these cells with pericytes, and present a model in which the perivascular zone is the MSC niche in vivo, where local cues coordinate the transition to progenitor and mature cell phenotypes. This model proposes that MSCs stabilize blood vessels and contribute to tissue and immune system homeostasis under physiological conditions and assume a more active role in the repair of focal tissue injury. The establishment of the perivascular compartment as the MSC niche provides a basis for the rational design of additional in vivo therapeutic approaches. This view connects the MSC to the immune and vascular systems, emphasizing its role as a physiological integrator and its importance in tissue repair/regeneration.
Extending Predictive Capabilities to Network Models (1998)

Summary We reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) sandstone models that give a realistic description of the complex pore space observed in actual sandstones. The reconstructed pore space is transformed into a pore network that is used as input to a two-phase network model. The model simulates primary drainage and water injection on the basis of a physical scenario for wettability changes at the pore level. We derive general relationships among pore structure, wettability, and capillary pressure for the different pore level displacement mechanisms that may occur in the network model. We present predicted transport properties for three different reconstructed sandstones of increasing complexity: Fontainebleau, a water-wet Bentheimer, and a mixed-wet reservoir rock. Predicted transport properties are in good agreement with available experimental data. For the reservoir rock, both the experiments and the simulated results show that continuous oil films allow low oil saturations to be reached during forced water injection. However, the oil relative permeability is very low.
SOME WAYS IN WHICH A PARAFFIN OIL IMPEDES APHID TRANSMISSION OF POTATO VIRUS Y (1963)

In laboratory tests with a light white paraffin oil, transmission of potato virus Y by viruliferous adults of Myzus persicae (Sulz.) was impeded by (a) allowing aphids to probe on a leaf coated with oil, (b) manually touching the end of the labium to an oil-coated leaf, or (c) inserting the bare stylets directly into the oil. The first two of these but not the third also impeded for some minutes the uptake and transmission of virus Y by nonviruliferous aphids. Oil sprayed on plants kept in the laboratory continued to cause these effects for some weeks. If infected plants, used as virus sources for aphids, were coated with oil, transmission from them was impeded. It is still not clear why oil impedes transmission. But the results give good reasons to believe that oil can be used in the field to prevent spread of certain aphid-borne viruses.
High Prevalence of Low Bone Turnover and Occurrence of Osteomalacia after Kidney Transplantation (2000)

Kidney transplantation corrects most of the metabolic abnormalities that cause renal osteodystrophy. However, many transplanted patients develop osteoporosis and other bone lesions that are related, at least in part, to their immunosuppressive regimen. The precise histologic patterns of bone disease after transplantation are not well defined. In a study designed to investigate this issue, 57 adult posttransplant patients agreed to undergo bone biopsies and blood drawings. There were 32 men and 25 women, mean age 45 +/- 2 yr, who had received a kidney transplantation 5.6 +/- 0.8 yr before biopsy. History of bone pain, fractures, and avascular necrosis was found in 22, 12, and 7 patients, respectively. Serum creatinine was 1.68 +/- 0.1 mg/dl, 21% of patients were hypercalcemic, 63.2% had elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) (>65 pg/ml), and 91.2% had normal calcitriol levels. Cancellous bone volume/tissue volume was below normal compared to age- and gender-matched control subjects in 56.1% of patients. Bone turnover (activation frequency) was low in 45.6%, normal in 28.1%, and elevated in 26.3% of patients. Bone formation rate/bone surface was low in 59.7%, normal in 35%, and elevated in 5. 3% of the patients. Erosion surface/bone surface was high in 21.1% of patients. Mineralization was prolonged in 87.5% of patients, including 9 patients with osteomalacia and 12 patients with focal osteomalacia. Cumulative and maintenance doses of prednisone and time elapsed since transplantation correlated negatively with bone volume and bone turnover (r = -0.32 to -0.59, P < 0.05 to 0.01), whereas cumulative doses of cyclosporine or azathioprine, age, gender, or serum PTH levels did not. Regression analysis identified prednisone as the main factor responsible for low bone volume and bone turnover (r = 0.54 and r = 0.43, P < 0.01). No factors were found to predict delayed mineralization. The present study shows that low bone volume, low bone turnover, and generalized or focal osteomalacia are frequent histologic features in transplanted patients. The effects of age, gender, PTH, and cyclosporine on bone volume and bone turnover are apparently overridden by the prominent effects of glucocorticoids. The prevalence of mineralization defect in the presence of normal serum levels of calcidiol and calcitriol suggests vitamin D resistance and deserves further study.