gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Role of the Modular Domains of SR Proteins in Subnuclear Localization and Alternative Splicing Specificity (1997)

SR proteins are required for constitutive pre-mRNA splicing and also regulate alternative splice site selection in a concentration-dependent manner. They have a modular structure that consists of one or two RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs) and a COOH-terminal arginine/serine-rich domain (RS domain). We have analyzed the role of the individual domains of these closely related proteins in cellular distribution, subnuclear localization, and regulation of alternative splicing in vivo. We observed striking differences in the localization signals present in several human SR proteins. In contrast to earlier studies of RS domains in the Drosophila suppressor-of-white-apricot (SWAP) and Transformer (Tra) alternative splicing factors, we found that the RS domain of SF2/ASF is neither necessary nor sufficient for targeting to the nuclear speckles. Although this RS domain is a nuclear localization signal, subnuclear targeting to the speckles requires at least two of the three constituent domains of SF2/ASF, which contain additive and redundant signals. In contrast, in two SR proteins that have a single RRM (SC35 and SRp20), the RS domain is both necessary and sufficient as a targeting signal to the speckles. We also show that RRM2 of SF2/ASF plays an important role in alternative splicing specificity: deletion of this domain results in a protein that, although active in alternative splicing, has altered specificity in 5' splice site selection. These results demonstrate the modularity of SR proteins and the importance of individual domains for their cellular localization and alternative splicing function in vivo.
The Cell Phone (2020)

Few modern innovations have spread quite so quickly as the cell phone. This technology has transformed communication throughout the world. Mobile telecommunications have had a dramatic effect in many regions, but perhaps nowhere more than for low-income populations in countries such as Jamaica, where in the last few years many people have moved from no phone to cell phone. This book reveals the central role of communication in helping low-income households cope with poverty. The book traces the impact of the cell phone from personal issues of loneliness and depression to the global concerns of the modern economy and the transnational family. As the technology of social networking, the cell phone has become central to establishing and maintaining relationships in areas from religion to love. The Cell Phone presents the first detailed ethnography of the impact of this new technology through the exploration of the cell phone's role in everyday lives.
Increased Circulating Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Th17 Lymphocytes in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (2009)

Our results indicate that there is an increased differentiation of Th17 lymphocytes and an enhanced synthesis of Th17 cytokines in AITD, mainly in HT. These phenomena may have an important role in the pathogenesis of thyroid autoimmunity.
Quality of Postoperative Pain Using an Intraoperatively Placed Epidural Catheter after Major Lumbar Spinal Surgery (2004)

Continuous epidural infusion of 0.1% ropivacaine results in lower pain scores and opioid consumption and higher patient satisfaction when compared with placebo. Application of ropivacaine using an epidural catheter seems to be a highly effective treatment for postoperative pain after major lumbar spinal surgery.
Genome-based Definition of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease-associated Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli Pathovar (2015)

B2 AIEC thus represent a closely related cluster of IBD-associated E. coli strains that are distinct from normal commensal isolates, and which should be considered separately from the phenotypically similar but genetically distinct non-B2 AIEC strains when considering their association with intestinal pathogenesis.
Variants of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator That Display Extraordinary Resistance to Inhibition by the Serpin Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1 (1997)

Fibrinolysis is regulated in part by the interaction of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). Previous investigations suggest that three specific arginine residues, Arg-298, Arg-299, and Arg-304 of t-PA, play a critical role in this important regulatory interaction. Our earlier studies have demonstrated that conversion of any of these three residues to a glutamic acid residue reduced the rate of inhibition of t-PA by PAI-1 by factors varying from 58-64. In addition, we have reported that the second order rate constant for inhibition by PAI-1 of the variant t-PA/K296E,R298E,R299E is reduced by a factor of approximately 2800 compared with that of wild type t-PA. In this study, we have significantly extended our earlier observations by identifying t-PA variants that are substantially more resistant to inhibition by PAI-1 than any previously reported variants of t-PA or urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Single-chain t-PA/R275E,R298E, R299E,R304E, for example, is inhibited by PAI-1 approximately 120, 000 times less rapidly than single-chain, wild type t-PA. We also report the first direct comparison of the effects of charge reversal mutations of Arg-298, Arg-299, and/or Arg-304 on the properties of the single- and two-chain forms of t-PA. While these mutations confer extraordinary resistance to inhibition by PAI-1 to both forms of the enzyme, our observations reveal that the single-chain enzyme is affected to a greater extent than the two-chain enzyme. Two-chain, wild type t-PA is inhibited by PAI-1 approximately 1.4 times more rapidly than single-chain t-PA. The corresponding ratio increases to 7.6 or 6.7, respectively, for variants of t-PA containing the R298E, R299E or R298E,R299E,R304E mutations.
Specific Lymphoproliferation, Gamma Interferon Production, and Serum Immunoglobulin G Directed against a Purified 32 kDa Mycobacterial Protein Antigen (P32) in Patients with Active Tuberculosis (1988)

Twenty-one patients treated for active tuberculosis were examined for immune reactivity to purified protein derivative (PPD) and to a purified 32-kDa protein antigen (P32) from Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG. Lymphoproliferation of peripheral blood leucocytes to PPD and P32 was positive in 95% and 71% of the patients respectively. A positive IFN-gamma response was detected in 62% against PPD and in 48% against P32. Low blastogenesis and IFN-gamma production were observed, especially in patients with poor general health and advanced tuberculous lesions. Twelve out of twelve (100%) of the tuberculin-positive healthy volunteers responded to PPD and P32 with mean lymphoproliferation and IFN-gamma values that were higher than in the patient group. Twelve tuberculin-negative control subjects were completely unreactive to PPD and P32 antigen. On the other hand, IgG antibodies in the serum were detected in 95% of the patients against PPD, in 77% of the patients against P32 but in none of the tuberculin-positive or negative healthy volunteers. The highest IgG levels against PPD were found in those patients with the lowest in vitro lymphoproliferation and IFN-gamma production (r = -0.54; P less than 0.05). Nonspecific interferon production following induction with Newcastle disease virus, Corynebacterium parvum, or phytohaemagglutinin was comparable in the control and patient groups. Finally, low IFN-alpha titres were detected in the serum of about 50% of the patients.
Fatty Acid Hydroperoxide Lyase: A Plant Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Involved in Wound Healing and Pest Resistance (2001)

Plants continuously have to defend themselves against life-threatening events such as drought, mechanical damage, temperature stress, and potential pathogens. Nowadays, more and more similarities between the defense mechanism of plants and that of animals are being discovered. In both cases, the lipoxygenase pathway plays an important role. In plants, products of this pathway are involved in wound healing, pest resistance, and signaling, or they have antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The first step in the lipoxygenase pathway is the reaction of linoleic or linolenic acids with molecular oxygen, catalyzed by the enzyme lipoxygenase. The hydroperoxy fatty acids thus formed are highly reactive and dangerous for the plant and therefore further metabolized by other enzymes such as allene oxide synthase, hydroperoxide lyase, peroxygenase, or divinyl ether synthase. Recently, these enzymes have been characterized as a special class of cytochrome P450 enzymes. Hydroperoxide lyases cleave the lipoxygenase products, resulting in the formation of omega-oxo acids and volatile C6- and C9-aldehydes and -alcohols. These compounds are major contributors to the characteristic "fresh green" odor of fruit and vegetables. They are widely used as food flavors, for example, to restore the freshness of food after sterilization processes. The low abundance of these compounds in nature and the high demand make it necessary to synthesize them on a large scale. Lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide lyase are suitable biocatalysts for the production of "natural" food flavors. In contrast to lipoxygenase, which has been extensively studied, little is yet known about hydroperoxide lyase. Hydroperoxide lyases from different organisms have been isolated, and a few genes have been published lately. However, the structure and reaction mechanism of this enzyme are still unclear. The identification of this enzyme as a cytochrome P450 sheds new light on its structure and possible reaction mechanism, whereas recombinant expression brings a biocatalytic application into sight.
Control of Substrate Specificity by Active-Site Residues in Nitrobenzene Dioxygenase (2006)

Nitrobenzene 1,2-dioxygenase from Comamonas sp. strain JS765 catalyzes the initial reaction in nitrobenzene degradation, forming catechol and nitrite. The enzyme also oxidizes the aromatic rings of mono- and dinitrotoluenes at the nitro-substituted carbon, but the basis for this specificity is not understood. In this study, site-directed mutagenesis was used to modify the active site of nitrobenzene dioxygenase, and the contribution of specific residues in controlling substrate specificity and enzyme performance was evaluated. The activities of six mutant enzymes indicated that the residues at positions 258, 293, and 350 in the alpha subunit are important for determining regiospecificity with nitroarene substrates and enantiospecificity with naphthalene. The results provide an explanation for the characteristic specificity with nitroarene substrates. Based on the structure of nitrobenzene dioxygenase, substitution of valine for the asparagine at position 258 should eliminate a hydrogen bond between the substrate nitro group and the amino group of asparagine. Up to 99% of the mononitrotoluene oxidation products formed by the N258V mutant were nitrobenzyl alcohols rather than catechols, supporting the importance of this hydrogen bond in positioning substrates in the active site for ring oxidation. Similar results were obtained with an I350F mutant, where the formation of the hydrogen bond appeared to be prevented by steric interference. The specificity of enzymes with substitutions at position 293 varied depending on the residue present. Compared to the wild type, the F293Q mutant was 2.5 times faster at oxidizing 2,6-dinitrotoluene while retaining a similar Km for the substrate based on product formation rates and whole-cell kinetics.
Multitarget-multisensor management for decentralized sensor networks (2006)

In this paper, we consider the problem of sensor resource management in decentralized tracking systems. Due to the availability of cheap sensors, it is possible to use a large number of sensors and a few fusion centers (FCs) to monitor a large surveillance region. Even though a large number of sensors are available, due to frequency, power and other physical limitations, only a few of them can be active at any one time. The problem is then to select sensor subsets that should be used by each FC at each sampling time in order to optimize the tracking performance subject to their operational constraints. In a recent paper, we proposed an algorithm to handle the above issues for joint detection and tracking, without using simplistic clustering techniques that are standard in the literature. However, in that paper, a hierarchical architecture with feedback at every sampling time was considered, and the sensor management was performed only at a central fusion center (CFC). However, in general, it is not possible to communicate with the CFC at every sampling time, and in many cases there may not even be a CFC. Sometimes, communication between CFC and local fusion centers might fail as well. Therefore performing sensor management only at the CFC is not viable in most networks. In this paper, we consider an architecture in which there is no CFC, each FC communicates only with the neighboring FCs, and communications are restricted. In this case, each FC has to decide which sensors are to be used by itself at each measurement time step. We propose an efficient algorithm to handle the above problem in real time. Simulation results illustrating the performance of the proposed algorithm are also presented.
Inactivation of a Human Kinetochore by Specific Targeting of Chromatin Modifiers (2008)

We have used a human artificial chromosome (HAC) to manipulate the epigenetic state of chromatin within an active kinetochore. The HAC has a dimeric alpha-satellite repeat containing one natural monomer with a CENP-B binding site, and one completely artificial synthetic monomer with the CENP-B box replaced by a tetracycline operator (tetO). This HAC exhibits normal kinetochore protein composition and mitotic stability. Targeting of several tet-repressor (tetR) fusions into the centromere had no effect on kinetochore function. However, altering the chromatin state to a more open configuration with the tTA transcriptional activator or to a more closed state with the tTS transcription silencer caused missegregation and loss of the HAC. tTS binding caused the loss of CENP-A, CENP-B, CENP-C, and H3K4me2 from the centromere accompanied by an accumulation of histone H3K9me3. Our results reveal that a dynamic balance between centromeric chromatin and heterochromatin is essential for vertebrate kinetochore activity.
What really matters most. Care for uninsured, reimbursement payments and staffing rank high on hospital CEOs lists of key healthcare issues, says the ACHE. (2006)

When the ACHE asked what pressing problems they were facing, hospital CEOs had a common refrain: money. Staffing shortages and care for the uninsured were also top concerns. Funding for Medicare and Medicaid is especially worrisome, given the current budget problems in Washington. "There's no way to know what's going to happen in 2006," says hospital President Joe Hodges, left.
High power near diffraction limited external cavity single-angled facet tapered lasers, tunable from 1.505 to 1.565 μm and 0.795 to 0.855 μm with high spectral purity (2002)

Summary form only given. We have demonstrated the operation of a high power near diffraction limited external cavity QW laser by implementing a single-angled facet curved input preamplifier with wide tuning and high spectral purity at both 1.55 and 0.83 /spl mu/m wavelengths.
Mechanics considerations for microporous titanium as an orthopedic implant material (2004)

This article investigates mechanics issues related to potential use of a recently developed porous titanium (Ti) material for load-bearing implants. This material may have advantages over solid Ti of enhancing the bone-implant interface strength by promoting bone and soft tissue ingrowth and of reducing the bone-implant modulus mismatch, which can lead to stress shielding. Experimental data from ultrasound experiments and uniaxial compression testing on microporous Ti are presented. Analytic models to predict its elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio are discussed, including "structural" approaches (Gibson and Ashby's cellular solids) and a "composite material" approach (Mori-Tanaka). Finally, two-dimensional finite element models based on optical micrographs of the material are presented. Simulations were performed for different conditions and levels of approximation. Results demonstrate that simple analytic models provide good estimates of the elastic properties of the porous Ti and that the moduli can be significantly reduced to decrease the mismatch between solid Ti and bone. The finite element simulations show that bone ingrowth will dramatically reduce stress concentrations around the pores.
Design and Optimization of Molecular Nanovalves Based on Redox-Switchable Bistable Rotaxanes (2007)

Redox-controllable molecular nanovalves based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been fabricated, using two bistable [2]rotaxanes with different spacer lengths between their recognition sites as the gatekeepers. Three different linkers with varying chain lengths have been employed to attach the bistable [2]rotaxane molecules covalently to the silica substrate. These nanovalves can be classified as having IN or OUT locations, based on the positions of the tethered bistable [2]rotaxanes with respect to the entrances to the nanopores. The nanovalves are more efficient when the bistable [2]rotaxane-based gatekeepers are anchored deep within (IN) the pores than when they are attached closer to (OUT) the pores' orifices. The silica nanopores can be closed and opened by moving the mechanically interlocked ring component of the bistable [2]rotaxane closer to and away from the pores' orifices, respectively, a process which allows luminescent probe molecules, such as coumarins, tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium, and rhodamine B, to be loaded into or released from the mesoporous silica substrate on demand. The lengths of the linkers between the surface and the rotaxane molecules also play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of the nanovalves. The shorter the linkers, the less leaky are the nanovalves. However, the distance between the recognition units on the rod section of the rotaxane molecules does not have any significant influence on the nanovalves' leakiness. The controlled release of the probe molecules was investigated by measuring their luminescence intensities in response to ascorbic acid, which induces the ring's movement away from the pores' orifices, and consequently opens the nanovalves.
On-line analytical processing on large databases managed by computational grids (2004)

Management of large data repositories integrated into the grid poses new challenges for grid research. There already exist several successful data grid projects addressing processing files storing large volumes of scientific data and projects developing services for accessing remote relational and XML databases. However, so far, no effort was devoted to on-line analytical processing (OLAP), an essential support for modern decision support systems. We present our approach to the design and implementation of a grid-enabled OLAP server, which is one functional building block of the GridMiner system, a novel infrastructure for knowledge discovery in grid databases. We present the global architecture model of our solution, describe how the OLAP components are integrated into the GridMiner system, and present the software architecture of our first prototype. The OLAP components were implemented in Java on top of the software toolkit Globus 3.
Acoustic sensors in the helmet detect voice and physiology (2003)

The Army Research Laboratory has developed body-contacting acoustic sensors that detect diverse physiological sounds such as heartbeats and breaths, high quality speech, and activity. These sensors use an acoustic impedance-matching gel contained in a soft, compliant pad to enhance the body borne sounds, yet significantly repel airborne noises due to an acoustic impedance mismatch. The signals from such a sensor can be used as a microphone with embedded physiology, or a dedicated digital signal processor can process packetized data to separate physiological parameters from voice, and log parameter trends for performance surveillance. Acoustic sensors were placed inside soldier helmets to monitor voice, physiology, activity, and situational awareness clues such as bullet shockwaves from sniper activity and explosions. The sensors were also incorporated into firefighter breathing masks, neck and wrist straps, and other protective equipment. Heart rate, breath rate, blood pressure, voice and activity can be derived from these sensors (reports at www.arl.army.mil/acoustics). Having numerous sensors at various locations provides a means for array processing to reduce motion artifacts, calculate pulse transit time for passive blood pressure measurement, and the origin of blunt/penetrating traumas such as ballistic wounding. These types of sensors give us the ability to monitor soldiers and civilian emergency first-responders in demanding environments, and provide vital signs information to assess their health status and how that person is interacting with the environment and mission at hand. The Objective Force Warrior, Scorpion, Land Warrior, Warrior Medic, and other military and civilian programs can potentially benefit from these sensors.