gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Processing of intracardiac electrograms in atrial fibrillation (2006)

This paper presents a method for the automated processing of atrial fibrillation (AF) electrograms for the diagnosis of the electropathological substrate of AF and to monitor the effects of ablation procedures and anti-arrhythmic drug treatment on the characteristics of AF. Template matching is a well-known signal processing technique that has been proven useful in various other applications like processing of medical images and fingerprint verification. One of the advantages of this technique is that, because the involved calculations are not very complex, it can easily be applied in real time by using digital hardware. All it requires is the acquisition of fibrillation electrograms, analog-to-digital conversion, and a template matching algorithm downloaded in state-of-the-art digital signal processors. This will provide an objective characterization of fibrillation electrograms that in case of recording of multiple electrograms will produce real-time movies of the propagation of fibrillation waves through the atria. This will allow real-time identification of areas with preferential intra-atrial conduction block, rotor activity, or a focal spread of activation. The further development of algorithms for automatic analysis of fibrillation electrograms, therefore, is not only of scientific interest but may also allow individual evaluation of the atrial substrate, thus providing a basis for selecting the most appropriate treatment of AF
Establishment of an antitoxoplasma state by stable expression of mouse indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (1993)

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a tryptophan-degrading enzyme, is inducible by various interferons (IFNs). IDO-mediated tryptophan degradation, but not the formation of IDO-catalyzed tryptophan metabolites, has been suggested as a mechanism for the antiparasitic action of IFN-gamma. To determine whether the IFN-gamma-induced IDO alone is sufficient for establishing the antiparasitic state, we constructed a mouse IDO expression plasmid containing a heavy metal-responsive metallothionein promoter and obtained a stable transformant (C6) by transfection of this plasmid into mouse rectal cancer (CMT-93) cells. In the presence of 100 microM ZnSO4, C6 cells yielded a high level of IDO; and after a 2-day culture period, the enzyme induction resulted in complete depletion of tryptophan from the culture medium. Under these conditions, the growth of Toxoplasma gondii in C6 cells infected with the organisms on day 3 after enzyme induction was completely blocked. In the absence of ZnSO4, however, IDO induction was negligible in C6 cells, and T. gondii continued to grow. Furthermore, in a transformant (CC10) carrying an antisense mouse IDO plasmid or in parental CMT-93 cells, IDO was not induced at all even in the presence of 100 microM ZnSO4, and T. gondii continued to grow in these cells as well. These results taken together indicate that complete depletion of tryptophan from the culture by IDO alone is sufficient to establish the antitoxoplasma state in mouse cells.
Home-made Granular Formulations for Applying Chemicals to Irrigated Rice (1977)

Abstract Conventional methods of pesticide application are costly and often impractical in developing countries. This paper describes the use of MCPA, 2,4-D and lindane in home-made granular formulations in irrigated rice in Liberia using dry sand and urea or ammonium sulphate as the carrier.
Application of Superhydrophobic Edge Effects in Solving the Liquid Outflow Phenomena (2007)

In this paper, we discuss various edge effects on the outflow behaviors of water around the edge to solve the troublesome problem that frequently brings about great inconvenience in daily lives. A simple method of pressing a drop over the edges of a conical frustum was adopted here to explore the stability of a suspended drop around the edges. On the basis of experiments and theoretical analyses, the critical pressure P(c) and the pressing work DeltaE(w) were used for characterizing the stability of water around an edge, which were found to be closely related to the geometric morphologies, the microstructures of sides, and the material characteristics. The stability of suspended drops around the edge may be enhanced by increasing the rise angle omega, the actual rise angle phi, and the size of edge circles and by using low surface energy materials. Thus, a facile and effective strategy has been successfully developed. We believe that these findings will help to design novel tubes and bottles without a liquid outflow problem.
Multinational study of pneumococcal serotypes causing acute otitis media in children (2002)

This analysis of several geographically diverse datasets indicates that a limited number of serotypes, largely represented in PCV-7, accounted for the majority of episodes of pneumococcal AOM in children between 6 and 59 months of age. Certain serotypes appeared to be relatively more significant in children <6 months or >59 months of age.
Identification of a nonsense mutation at the 5' end of the TSC2 gene in a family with a presumptive diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis complex. (1996)

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominantly inherited disease with a high mutation rate. It is clinically a very variable disorder and hamartomas can occur in many different organs. TSC shows genetic heterogeneity; one gene, TSC1, is on chromosome 9q34, and the second gene, TSC2, on chromosome 16p13.3. Clinical criteria for diagnosis have been established, but diagnosis of patients with minimal expression of the disease can be very difficult. In children the phenotype is often incomplete or not fully assessable. Hence mildly affected subjects, at risk for severely affected offspring, may remain undiagnosed. The detection of (small) mutations in the tuberous sclerosis gene located on chromosome 16 (TSC2) has recently become possible and may be helpful in the diagnosis of ambiguous cases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a point mutation in the TSC2 gene in a familial case of tuberous sclerosis. A nonsense mutation was detected in a family in which the father had only minor signs hinting at tuberous sclerosis. The son had multiple cardiac tumours and white patches, but full clinical investigation was impossible in this child. This case illustrates that mutation analysis can contribute to a diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis in families with an incomplete phenotype.
Tumor-associated mutations of rat mitochondrial transfer RNA genes (1983)

Mitochondrial DNA is a sensitive target of chemical carcinogens (Backer and Weinstein (1980) Science 209, 297-299), suggesting that mutations of the mitochondrial genome occur in tumor cells. We examined this point by comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences in four rat tumors with those of normal rat liver. Some novel mutations found in the tRNA genes of tumor mitochondria were as follows: nucleotides deletions in the aminoacyl-acceptor stem of the tRNATyr gene or in the anticodon stem of the tRNATrp gene and insertions in the "YpsiC" loop of the tRNACys gene. These structures are extraordinary compared with those of the tRNA genes of other mammals, indicating that these mutations are each associated with a corresponding tumor.
Narrow spectral linewidth operation (<160 kHz) in widely tunable distributed feedback laser array (2010)

The spectral linewidth has been reduced in a widely tunable distributed feedback laser array with a long cavity structure. A narrow linewidth of less than 160 kHz is achieved over a 40 nm tuning range with a fibre output power of 20 mW.
Kinetic modeling of free fatty acid production in Escherichia coli based on continuous cultivation of a plasmid free strain (2011)

Abstract The microbial production of free fatty acids (FFAs) and reduced derivatives is an attractive process for the renewable production of diesel fuels. Toward this goal, a plasmid‐free strain of Escherichia coli was engineered to produce FFAs by integrating three copies of a thioesterase gene from Umbellularia californica (BTE) under the control of an inducible promoter onto the chromosome. In batch culture, the resulting strain produced identical titers to a previously reported strain that expressed the thioesterase from a plasmid. The growth rate, glucose consumption rate, and FFA production rate of this strain were studied in continuous cultivation under carbon limitation. The highest yield of FFA on glucose was observed at a dilution rate of 0.05 h −1 with the highest specific productivity observed at a dilution rate of 0.2 h −1 . The observed yields under the lowest dilution rate were 15% higher than that observed in batch cultures. An increase in both productivity and yield (∼40%) was observed when the composition of the nutrients was altered to shift the culture toward non‐carbon limitation. A deterministic model of the production strain has been proposed and indicates that maintenance requirements for this strain are significantly higher than wild‐type E. coli . Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1518–1527. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia: Clinical Features, Complications, and Management (2000)

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia has a wide clinical spectrum that practicing physicians need to recognize early to reach the correct diagnosis. When therapy is indicated, oral chlorambucil is the standard primary treatment, but cladribine or fludarabine can be used when a rapid cytoreduction is desirable. Prospective randomized trials are required to elucidate the impact of nucleoside analogs on patients' survival. A nucleoside analog is the treatment of choice for patients who have been previously treated with an alkylating agent.
Polymorphism at the C-reactive protein locus influences gene expression and predisposes to systemic lupus erythematosus (2003)

Relative deficiency of pentraxin proteins is implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. The C-reactive protein (CRP) response is defective in patients with acute flares of disease, and mice with targeted deletions of the serum amyloid P component gene (Sap) develop a lupus-like illness. In humans, the genes for CRP (CRP) and SAP (APCS) map to 1q23.2 within an interval linked with SLE. We have investigated the candidate genes CRP and APCS in two cohorts totalling 586 UK simplex SLE families. The inheritance of an intronic dinucleotide repeat and seven single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CRP and APCS genes was examined by application of family-based tests of association and linkage. Basal levels of CRP were influenced independently by two polymorphisms at the CRP locus, CRP 2 and CRP 4. Furthermore, the latter polymorphism was linked/associated with SLE and antinuclear autoantibody production. Thus, the polymorphism associated with reduced basal CRP was also associated with the development of SLE. These data support the hypothesis that defective disposal of potentially immunogenic material is a contributory factor in lupus pathogenesis. The identification of polymorphisms that determine basal CRP levels has implications in ischaemic heart disease, where CRP level is an important predictor of risk.
Increased renal catabolism of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in murine X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets. (1988)

The hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mouse, a murine homologue of human X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, is characterized by renal defects in brush border membrane phosphate transport and vitamin D3 metabolism. The present study was undertaken to examine whether elevated renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase activity in Hyp mice is associated with increased degradation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] by side chain oxidation. Metabolites of 1,25(OH)2D3 were separated by HPLC on Zorbax SIL and identified by comparison with standards authenticated by mass spectrometry. Production of 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3, 24-oxo-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 24-oxo-1,23,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3 was twofold greater in mitochondria from mutant Hyp/Y mice than from normal +/Y littermates. Enzyme activities, estimated by the sum of the three products synthesized per milligram mitochondrial protein under initial rate conditions, were used to estimate kinetic parameters. The apparent Vmax was significantly greater for mitochondria from Hyp/Y mice than from +/Y mice (0.607 +/- 0.064 vs. 0.290 +/- 0.011 pmol/mg per protein per min, mean +/- SEM, P less than 0.001), whereas the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) was similar in both genotypes (23 +/- 2 vs. 17 +/- 5 nM). The Km for 1,25(OH)2D3 was approximately 10-fold lower than that for 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], indicating that 1,25(OH)2D3 is perhaps the preferred substrate under physiological conditions. In both genotypes, apparent Vmax for 25(OH)D3 was fourfold greater than that for 1,25(OH)2D3, suggesting that side chain oxidation of 25(OH)D3 may operate at pharmacological concentrations of substrate. The present results demonstrate that Hyp mice exhibit increased renal catabolism of 1,25(OH)2D3 and suggest that elevated degradation of vitamin D3 hormone may contribute significantly to the clinical phenotype in this disorder.
Antitumor Agents. 183. Syntheses, Conformational Analyses, and Antitubulin Activity of Allothiocolchicinoids (1998)

7-O-Substituted analogues of allothiocochicine were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on tubulin polymerization in vitro. Ketone 6, a key compound in this study, was derived from thiocolchicone 5 by ring contraction. The structure of 6 was determined from spectral data. Optically active alcohols 7a and 7b were obtained by reduction of ketone 6 followed by chemical resolution including a separation of the camphanate diastereomers 8a and 8b and basic hydrolysis. The aR,7R configuration of 8b was verified by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Almost all compounds had strong inhibitory effects on the tubulin polymerization reaction, with IC50 values from 1.7 to 9.0 μM. The camphanates, cyclohexanates, and, most notably, the 7S-benzoate ester (10a), were inactive with IC50 values >40 μM. Compounds 6 and 7a also showed potent antitumor activity with GI50 values at nM concentration range for most cell lines in NCI's in vitro screening. Generally, the 7S enantiomers of colchicinoids with a troplone C-ring showed greater activity than the 7R enantiomers. In the current allothiocolchicinoid (with a benzenoid C-ring) study, only small differences occurred between the two active enantiomers of each pair. The acyl esters with a 7S configuration were slightly more active than the 7R isomers. However, the aroyl ester with a 7S configuration was less active than the 7R isomer. NMR, optical rotation, and molecular modeling studies revealed two conformers in a solvent-dependent equilibrium for both 7S and 7R isomers. In polar solvents, the molecular chirality in esters with a 7-O-aroyl substituent was reversed from aS to aR or from aR to aS at an intensified rate.
The design of a multicast-based distributed file system (1999)

JetFile is a distributed file system designed to support shared file access in a heterogenous environment such as the Internet. It uses multicast communication and optimistic strategies for synchronization and distribution. JetFile relies on peer-to-peer communication over multicast channels. Most of the traditional file server responsibilities have been decentralized. In particular, the more heavyweight operations such as serving file data and attributes are, in our system, the responsibility of the clients. Some functions such as serializing file updates are still centralized in JetFile. Since serialization is a relatively lightweight operation in our system, serialization is expected to have only minor impact on scalability. We have implemented parts of the JetFile design and have measured its performance over a local-area network and an emulated wide-area network. Our measurements indicate that, using a standard benchmark, JetFile performance is comparable to that of local-disk based file systems. This means it is considerably faster than commonly used distributed file systems such as NFS and AFS.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): Alzheimer's Disease in the Eye? (2011)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a late-onset, neurodegenerative retinal disease that shares several clinical and pathological features with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including stress stimuli such as oxidative stress and inflammation. In both diseases, the detrimental intra- and extracellular deposits have many similarities. Aging, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, obesity, arteriosclerosis, and smoking are risk factors to develop AMD and AD. Cellular aging processes have similar organelle and signaling association in the retina and brain tissues. However, it seems that these diseases have a different genetic background. In this review, differences and similarities of AMD and AD are thoroughly discussed.
The expression of teneurin-4 in the avian embryo: potential roles in patterning of the limb and nervous system (2010)

Teneurins are type II transmembrane proteins that play important roles in pattern formation in Drosophila, axon fasciculation and organogenesis in Caenorhabidits elegans, and neuronal pathfinding in the visual system of the mouse. There is evidence that a peptide derived from a proteolytic event near the C-terminus of teneurins leads to formation of an active neuropeptide, while processing at and near the transmembrane domain leads to shedding of the extracellular domain into the extracellular matrix and the generation of an intracellular fragment that is transported to the nucleus. In vertebrates there are four teneurins. Here, we have studied the expression of teneurin-4 in the chicken embryo. An antiserum against part of the intracellular domain of teneurin-4 recognizes several low molecular weight bands on immunoblots of embryonic chicken brain homogenates, indicating that teneurin-4 is likely to be processed at one or more predicted proteolytic cleavage sites. Antisera against the EGF-like repeats of the extracellular domain label some mesenchyme in the early embryo, and near basement membranes this labeling partially overlaps with anti-laminin (gamma 1 chain) immunostaining. At embryonic day 7, anti-teneurin-4 labels bundles of axons in the nasal, but not temporal retina. Later in development, retinal expression switches so that teneurin-4 is found in the temporal, but not nasal, ganglion cell layer. Teneurin-4 immunolocalization was also compared with other teneurins in the developing limb, where each teneurin is expressed in distinctive regions. These patterns of expression suggest roles for teneurin-4 in patterning and neuronal pathfinding in the avian embryo.
Increased p53-dependent apoptosis by the insulin-like growth factor binding protein IGFBP-3 in human colonic adenoma-derived cells. (2000)

We investigated the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in normal human colonic epithelium and whether IGFBP-3 is involved in the induction of apoptosis in colonic epithelial cells. A gradient of IGFBP-3 protein expression was observed within the normal colonic crypt, and increased IGFBP-3 expression was coincident with the region of increased differentiation and apoptosis. Treatment of human colonic tumor cell lines with IGFBP-3 alone was shown to have no effect on growth. However, an increase in p53-dependent apoptosis was observed in the presence of 100 ng/ml IGFBP-3 24 h after the induction of DNA damage by gamma-irradiation. These results suggest that IGFBP-3 enhances the p53-dependent apoptotic response of colorectal cells to DNA damage.
Identification of an inducible catabolic system for sialic acids (nan) in Escherichia coli (1985)

Escherichia coli K-12 and K-12 hybrid strains constructed to express a polysialic acid capsule, the K1 antigen, were able to efficiently use sialic acid as a sole carbon source. This ability was dependent on induction of at least two activities: a sialic acid-specific transport activity, and an aldolase activity specific for cleaving sialic acids. Induction over basal levels required sialic acid as the apparent inducer, and induction of both activities was repressed by glucose. Induction also required the intracellular accumulation of sialic acid, which could be either added exogenously to the medium or accumulated intracellularly through biosynthesis. Exogenous sialic acid appeared to be transported by an active mechanism that did not involve covalent modification of the sugar. Mutations affecting either the transport or degradation of sialic acid prevented its use as a carbon source and have been designated nanT and nanA, respectively. These mutations were located by transduction near min 69 on the E. coli K-12 genetic map, between argG and glnF. In addition to being unable to use sialic acid as a carbon source, aldolase-negative mutants were growth-inhibited by this sugar. Therefore, the intracellularly accumulated sialic acid was toxic in aldolase-deficient E. coli strains. The dual role of aldolase in dissimilating and detoxifying sialic acids is consistent with the apparent multiple controls on expression of this enzyme.
Understanding breast cancer risk - where do we stand in 2005? (2005)

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women and represents the second leading cause of cancer death among women (after lung cancer). The etiology of breast cancer is still poorly understood with known breast cancer risk factors explaining only a small proportion of cases. Risk factors that modulate the development of breast cancer discussed in this review include: age, geographic location (country of origin) and socioeconomic status, reproductive events, exogenous hormones, lifestyle risk factors (alcohol, diet, obesity and physical activity), familial history of breast cancer, mammographic density, history of benign breast disease, ionizing radiation, bone density, height, IGF- 1 and prolactin levels, chemopreventive agents. Additionally, we summarized breast cancer risk associated with the following genetic factors: breast cancer susceptibility high-penetrance genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, PTEN, ATM, NBS1 or LKB1) and low-penetrance genes such as cytochrome P450 genes (CYP1A1, CYP2D6, CYP19), glutathione S-transferase family (GSTM1, GSTP1), alcohol and one-carbon metabolism genes (ADH1C and MTHFR), DNA repair genes (XRCC1, XRCC3, ERCC4/XPF) and genes encoding cell signaling molecules (PR, ER, TNFalpha or HSP70). All these factors contribute to a better understanding of breast cancer risk. Nonetheless, in order to evaluate more accurately the overall risk of breast tumorigenesis, novel genetic and phenotypic traits need to be identified.
The Lutheran/Basal Cell Adhesion Molecule Promotes Tumor Cell Migration by Modulating Integrin-mediated Cell Attachment to Laminin-511 Protein (2013)

Cell-matrix interactions are critical for tumor cell migration. Lutheran (Lu), also known as basal cell adhesion molecule (B-CAM), competes with integrins for binding to laminin α5, a subunit of LM-511, a major component of basement membranes. Here we show that the preferential binding of Lu/B-CAM to laminin α5 promotes tumor cell migration. The attachment of Lu/B-CAM transfectants to LM-511 was slightly weaker than that of control cells, and this was because Lu/B-CAM disturbed integrin binding to laminin α5. Lu/B-CAM induced a spindle cell shape with pseudopods and promoted cell migration on LM-511. In addition, blocking with an anti-Lu/B-CAM antibody led to a flat cell shape and inhibited migration on LM-511, similar to the effects of an activating integrin β1 antibody. We conclude that tumor cell migration on LM-511 requires that Lu/B-CAM competitively modulates cell attachment through integrins. We suggest that this competitive interaction is involved in a balance between static and migratory cell behaviors.