gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Increased Axonal Regeneration Through a Biodegradable Amnionic Tube Nerve Conduit: Effect of Local Delivery and Incorporation of Nerve Growth Factor/Hyaluronic Acid Media (2000)

The authors emphasize the possible pharmacological enhancement of axonal regeneration using a specific growth factor/ extracellular media incorporated in a biodegradable nonneural nerve conduit material. They investigated the early effects on nerve regeneration of continuous local delivery of nerve growth factor (NGF) and the local incorporation of hyaluronic acid (HA) inside a newly manufactured nerve conduit material from fresh human amnionic membrane. Human amnionic membrane contains important biochemical factors that play a major neurotrophic role in the nerve regeneration process. The process of manufacturing a nerve conduit from fresh human amnionic membrane is described. This nerve conduit system was used in rabbits to bridge a 25-mm nerve gap over 3 months. NGF was released locally, over 28 days, at the distal end of the tube via a system of slow release, and HA was incorporated inside the lumen of the tube at the time of surgery. NGF/HA treatment promoted axonal regeneration across the amnionic tube nerve conduit (8,962 +/- 383 myelinated axons) 45% better than the nontreated amnionic tube group (6,180 +/- 353 myelinated axons). The authors demonstrate that NGF/HA media enhances additional axonal regeneration in the amnionic tube nerve conduit. This result is secondary to the effect of the amnion promoting biochemical factors, in combination with the NGF/HA effect on facilitating early events in the nerve regeneration process.
Lack of positional requirements for autonomously replicating sequence elements on artificial yeast chromosomes. (1989)

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, origins of replication (autonomously replicating sequences; ARSs), centromeres, and telomeres have been isolated and characterized. The identification of these structures allows the construction of artificial chromosomes in which the architecture of eukaryotic chromosomes may be studied. A common feature of most, and possibly all, natural yeast chromosomes is that they have an ARS within 2 kilobases of their physical ends. To study the effects of such telomeric ARSs on chromosome maintenance, we introduced artificial chromosomes of approximately 15 and 60 kilobases into yeast cells and analyzed the requirements for telomeric ARSs and the effects of ARS-free chromosomal arms on the stability of these molecules. We find that terminal blocks of telomeric repeats are sufficient to be recognized as telomeres. Moreover, artificial chromosomes containing telomere-associated Y' sequences and telomeric ARSs were no more stable during both mitosis and meiosis than artificial chromosomes lacking terminal ARSs, indicating that yeast-specific blocks of telomeric sequences are the only cis-acting requirement for a functional telomere during both mitotic growth and meiosis. The results also show that there is no requirement for an origin of replication on each arm of the artificial chromosomes, indicating that a replication fork may efficiently move through a functional centromere region.
Protective Effects of Topical Antioxidants in Humans (2000)

Human studies have convincingly demonstrated pronounced photoprotective effects of 'natural' and synthetic antioxidants when applied topically before UVR exposure. Particularly with respect to UVB-induced skin damage such as erythema formation, the photoprotective effects of antioxidants are significant when applied in distinct mixtures in appropriate vehicles. Topical application of such combinations may result in a sustained antioxidant capacity of the skin, possibly due to antioxidant synergisms. And, since UVA-induced skin alterations are believed to be largely determined by oxidative processes [26], topical administration of antioxidants might be particularly promising [27, 28]. In fact, topical application of antioxidants or antioxidant mixtures resulted in a remarkable increase in the minimal dose to induce immediate pigment darkening after UVA exposure [18, 23] and diminished the severity of UVA-induced photodermatoses [22] in humans. In conclusion, regular application of skin care products containing antioxidants may be of the utmost benefit in efficiently preparing our skin against exogenous oxidative stressors occurring during daily life. Furthermore, sunscreening agents may also benefit from combination with antioxidants resulting in increased safety and efficacy of such photoprotective products [11, 29].
Inflammatory Responses to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection and the Development of Immunomodulatory Pharmacotherapeutics (2012)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; Family Paramyxoviridae, Genus Pneumovirus) is a major respiratory pathogen of infants and children and an emerging pathogen of the elderly. Current management of RSV disease includes monoclonal antibody prophylaxis for infants identified as high risk and supportive care for those with active infection; there is no vaccine, although several are under study. In this manuscript, we review published findings from human autopsy studies, as well as experiments that focus on human clinical samples and mouse models of acute pneumovirus infection that elucidate basic principles of disease pathogenesis. Consideration of these data suggests that the inflammatory responses to RSV and related pneumoviral pathogens can be strong, persistent, and beyond the control of conventional antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies, and can have profound negative consequences to the host. From this perspective, we consider the case for specific immunomodulatory strategies that may have the potential to alleviate some of the more serious sequelae of this disease.
Faster Secure Cloud Computations with a Trusted Proxy (2017)

Cloud computing infrastructures offer many advantages to users, including large storage and high computation power. However, offloading workloads to hosting environments raises trust and privacy concerns. Algorithms that address these concerns require multiple network transactions and have low performance.
A MODIFIED BOX-COUNTING METHOD (1994)

Fractal geometry has been widely used to characterize irregular structures. Our interest in applying this concept in biomedical research leads us to the conclusion that there are no standard methods. In order to objectively set parameters involved in the estimation of fractal dimension, a significantly more accurate and efficient box-counting method based on a new algorithm was developed. Measurements of mathematical objects with known fractal dimension was performed using the traditional method and the proposed modification. The latter always yields results with less than 1% difference from the theoretical value, which represents a significant improvement.
Model-based OPC for first-generation 193-nm lithography (2001)

The first 193 nm lithography processes using model-based OPC will soon be in production for 0.13 micrometer technology semiconductor manufacturing. However, the relative immaturity of 193 nm resist, etch and reticle processes places considerable strain upon the OPC software to compensate increased non-linearity, proximity bias, corner rounding and line-end pullback. We have evaluated three leading model-based OPC software packages with 193 nm lithography on random logic poly gate designs for the 0.13 micrometer generation. Our analysis has been performed for three different OPC reticle write processes, two leading 193 nm resists and multiple illumination conditions. The results indicate that the maturity of the model-OPC software tools for 193 nm lithography is generally good, although specific improvements are recommended.
4-N-Hydroxy-L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid. A strong inhibitor of glutamine synthetase (1988)

Analogues of glutamic acid were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity toward glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2; GS). The title compound, 4-N-hydroxy-L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid (NH-DABA), showed a potent inhibitory activity against GS from both sheep brain and soybean. The inhibition is competitive with respect to glutamic acid and the Ki values of sheep brain GS and soybean GS for NH-DABA are 0.007 mmol and 0.021 mmol, respectively. The activity of inhibition is comparable to those of L-methionine sulfoximine and 2-amino-4-(hydroxymethyl-phosphinyl)butyric acid (phosphinothricin).
Partial-match retrieval using hashing and descriptors (1983)

This paper studies a partial-match retrieval scheme based on hash functions and descriptors. The emphasis is placed on showing how the use of a descriptor file can improve the performance of the scheme. Records in the file are given addresses according to hash functions for each field in the record. Furthermore, each page of the file has associated with it a descriptor, which is a fixed-length bit string, determined by the records actually present in the page. Before a page is accessed to see if it contains records in the answer to a query, the descriptor for the page is checked. This check may show that no relevant records are on the page and, hence, that the page does not have to be accessed. The method is shown to have a very substantial performance advantage over pure hashing schemes, when some fields in the records have large key spaces. A mathematical model of the scheme, plus an algorithm for optimizing performance, is given.
Membrane Fusion by Peptide Analogues of Influenza Virus Haemagglutinin (1988)

We have studied the interactions of synthetic peptides corresponding to the sequence of the amino terminus of the HA2 subunit of influenza virus haemagglutinin with artificial lipid membranes. The peptides could fuse cholesterol-free liposomes at neutral as well as acid pH; however, liposomes containing cholesterol could only be fused below pH 6. The fusion process caused leakage of aqueous liposomal contents. Peptides with amino acid substitutions had fusion properties similar to whole haemagglutinin molecules with the corresponding sequence changes. Non-fusogenic peptides still interacted with the membrane but did not cause leakage of liposomal contents. A correlation between the alpha-helical content of peptide and its fusogenicity was noted, but this was not absolute. The results reported here support suggestions for a role of the amino terminus of HA2 in virus-endosome fusion.
The Role of Platelets in Antimicrobial Host Defense (1997)

Abstract Platelets exhibit archetypal structures and functions enabling their roles as multifunctional host defense cells. Beyond roles in hemostasis and wound repair, platelets sense and respond to pathogens through mechanisms including pattern recognition, early trafficking to sites of infection, direct antimicrobial functions, and potentiation of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Insufficient platelet quantity and dysfunctions in platelet quality increase the risk of infections or worsen severity. Moreover, certain pathogens may subvert the host defense functions of platelets, exploiting them in pathogenesis. Here, the immunobiology of platelets in antimicrobial host defense is reviewed from each of these perspectives.
Current status of biomarkers in head and neck cancer (2008)

As our understanding of HNSCC increases so has biomarker development. HPV16 integration is a significant marker of favorable prognosis and response to therapy for HNSCC. EGFR-amplification and overexpression is a poor-prognostic indicator. For premalignant lesions, LOH of 3p&9p21 loci confers an elevated risk of malignant transformation. As molecular targets are identified, these will be candidates for biomarkers for detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Validation of these biomarkers requires demonstration of independence of significance beyond known biomarkers.
Phosphonoacetic Acid-Resistant Mutants of Herpes Simplex Virus: Effect of Phosphonoacetic Acid on Virus Replication and In Vitro Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Isolated Nuclei (1977)

Phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) inhibits the replication of herpes simplex virus in BSC-1 cells and the in vitro synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in isolated nuclei. Phosphonopropionic acid at a concentration of 100 mug/ml had no effect on herpes simplex virus replication. PAA-resistant mutants were obtained at a rate of 1 in 10(4) plaque-forming units after 5-bromodeoxyuridine mutagenization of the virus. These mutants replicate in BSC-1 cells in the presence of 100 mug of PAA per ml and induce a PAA-resistant DNA polymerase that synthesizes DNA in vitro in the presence of PAA.
A Three Dimensional Image Cache for Virtual Reality (1996)

Abstract Despite recent advances in rendering hardware, large and complex virtual environments cannot be displayed with a sufficiently highframe rate, because of limitations in the available rendering performance. This paper presents a new approach of software accelerated rendering which draws from the concepts of impostors, hierarchical scene subdivision and levels of detail. So far software optimization in real‐time rendering has merely considered individual objects. This work is actually optimizing the rendering of the whole virtual environment by implementing a three dimensional image cache. It speeds up rendering for large portions of the scene by exploiting the coherence inherent in any smooth frame sequence. The implementation of the three dimensional image cache is discussed and the savings in rendering load achievable on a suitable hardware platform are presented.
Human hematopoietic precursors in long-term culture: single CD34+ cells that lack detectable T cell, B cell, and myeloid cell antigens produce multiple colony-forming cells when cultured with marrow stromal cells. (1990)

CD34+ human marrow cells not expressing T cell-, B cell-, and myeloid cell-associated antigens (TBM-) were cloned by two-color cell sorting into culture wells containing irradiated marrow stromal cells. After 4 wk of culture, 3.7 +/- 2.1% of these cells generated colony-forming cells (CFC), with each of these cells generating 6.3 +/- 5.3 CFC. This was not due to the 0.5 +/- 0.5% CFC present in the purified CD34+ TBM- cells, as less than 1% of CFC persist in these cultures. This is the first demonstration that single immature precursor cells in human long-term cultures generate multiple CFC progeny. The immature nature of these clonable CD34+ TBM- precursors suggests their candidate status as human hematopoietic stem cells.
Muscle protein synthesis: regulation of a translational inhibitor (1984)

Insulin and branched-chain amino acids are known to stimulate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. Extracts prepared from rat diaphragms after incubation in balanced salt solution and glucose alone yielded heat- and acid-stable, TCA-precipitable, nondialyzable factor(s) that inhibit protein synthesis when added to rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Polyribosomal profiles of inhibited lysates were consistent with a defect in peptide-chain initiation. Addition of insulin and amino acids to the diaphragm incubation media partially removed the inhibition seen with the muscle extract and was accompanied by an increase in polysomes and decreased subunits. Similarly, extracts prepared from rat hindlimb muscle 48 h after induction of diabetes were much more inhibitory in rabbit reticulocyte lysates than extracts from control rats. Polyribosomal profiles were consistent with defective peptide-chain initiation. Trypsin treatment before assay abolished the inhibitory activity of muscle extracts from diabetic rats. Because translation-inhibiting peptide(s) appear to be under metabolic and/or hormonal control, their possible role in muscle protein homeostasis warrants further study.
Numerical analysis of the optimal length and profile of a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating for dispersion compensation (1995)

We propose a theoretical investigation of the length and coupling profile of a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating for maximum dispersion compensation in a repeaterless optical communication system. The system consists of 100 km of standard optical fiber in which a 1550-nm signal, directly modulated at 2.5 Gbits/s, is launched. We discuss the results obtained with 6-, 4.33-, and 1-cm-long linearly chirped fiber Bragg gratings having Gaussian and uniform coupling profiles. We numerically show that a 4.33-cm-long chirped fiber Bragg grating having a uniform coupling profile is capable of compensating efficiently for the dispersion of our optical communication system.
High‐Resolution Soft Lithography: Enabling Materials for Nanotechnologies (2004)

Making a good impression: Photocurable, liquid perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) are ideal materials for high-resolution (<100 nm) pattern transfer and imprint lithographic processes (see pictures). PFPEs possess attributes of both elastomers and rigid materials, exhibit a remarkably low surface energy, mold extremely small features with high fidelity, resist swelling by organic solvents, and endure repetitive molding procedures.
Direct observation of the reduction of carbon dioxide by rhenium bipyridine catalysts (2013)

In order to further efforts in synthesis and catalysis, the mechanisms of catalysts must be completely understood. The Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl molecular catalysts are some of the most robust and well-characterized CO2 reduction catalysts known to date. Stopped-flow infrared spectroscopy is reported as a technique for studying the kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions of catalytically-relevant [Re(bpy-R)(CO)3]− anions (R = tBu or H) with CO2/H+. [Re(bpy-tBu)(CO)3]− reacts approximately ten times faster with CO2 than does [Re(bpy)(CO)3]−. These reactions occur via a direct two-electron oxidative addition of CO2 to the metal center and result in the formation of an intermediate CO2 reduction product, Re(bpy-R)(CO)3(CO2H). This is the first in situ identification of this key intermediate. Evidence for this Re–CO2H species includes isotopic labeling studies, stopped-flow experiments of the kinetics of its formation in the presence of proton sources, comparison with genuine Re(bpy)(CO)3(CO2H), and DFT calculations.
H3‐rules: identification of CDR‐H3 structures in antibodies (1999)

For the third complementarity determining region of the antibody heavy chain (CDR-H3), we propose the 'H3-rules', which should identify the tertiary structure from the amino acid sequence of the CDR-H3 segment. A total of 100 CDR-H3 segments from well-determined crystal structures were analyzed. Distinctive relationships between the structures and the sequences were revealed from 55 segments, and the rules were examined for the other 45 segments and were verified. In some antibodies, basic residues at specific positions were revealed to be notable signals, with their ability to form salt bridges and to assume conformations inconsistent with the rules.
Clostridium difficile Toxins May Augment Bacterial Penetration of Intestinal Epithelium (1999)

Clostridium difficile toxins A or B may facilitate bacterial adherence and penetration of the intestinal epithelial barrier.
Protein Degradation in Escherichia coli (1971)

Abstract Based on leucine exchange measurements of cells labeled with [14C]leucine, we had previously reported (J. Biol. Chem., 245, 2889 (1970)) that only a limited class of of Escherichia coli B is subject to a first order process of rapid degradation. The rate of degradation (half-life of 60 min or faster) and the total amount of undergoing degradation (2 to 7%) was the same during growth and during various kinds of starvation. We extend this finding and report here that the release of this degrading protein is unaltered not only during growth and starvation but also during growth in an enriched medium (step-up), in a poor medium (step-down), and during the diauxic phase of induced β-galactosidase synthesis. The extent of this observed degradation (less than 10%) is lower than reported by other workers (20 to 35%). This discrepancy is not a consequence of experimental manipulation or cellular damage but reflects differences in bacterial strains. Although strains ML and K-12 under conditions of growth release radioactivity similar in amount and half-life to the rapid degradation process observed in strain B, during several conditions of starvation, degradation of an additional class of cellular can be measured by leucine exchange in these two strains but not in B. The starvation-induced degradation occurs at a rate of 2.5 to 6% per hour, and the amount of the cellular that degrades as a result of starvation amounts to 20 to 40% of the total bacterial protein. Simultaneous with this starvation-induced degradation is the excretion of nucleic acid degradation products into the medium amounting to 40 to 60% of the ordinarily stable nucleic acid of growing cells. Starvation-induced nucleic acid degradation occurs in all strains equally. With the findings of these strain differences, much of the conflict in the literature can be explained satisfactorily. We conclude that a continuous process of degradation occurs in bacterial cells at all times, and an additional process of degradation concomitant with nucleic acid degradation is initiated following starvation of nutrients. Some of the properties of the degradation processes under starvation conditions are as follows. While almost all of the degradation products released in the presence of carrier leucine are acid soluble, a large portion of nucleic acid degradation products released from the cells are precipitable by cold trichloroacetic acid. Both and nucleic acid degradation occur under starvation of either glucose, nitrogen, or phosphate. Inhibition of synthesis by chloramphenicol at 100 µg per ml inhibits the starvation-induced degradation, but does not affect the degradation of the rapidly degrading protein.
Adhesion enhancement by a dielectric barrier discharge of PDMS used for flexible and stretchable electronics (2007)

Currently, there is a strong tendency to replace rigid electronic assemblies by mech. flexible and stretchable equiv. This emerging technol. can be applied for biomedical electronics, such as implantable devices and electronics on skin. In the first step of the prodn. process of stretchable electronics, electronic interconnections and components are encapsulated into a thin layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Afterwards, the electronic structures are completely embedded by placing another PDMS layer on top. It is very important that the metals inside the electronic circuit do not leak out in order to obtain a highly biocompatible system. Therefore, an excellent adhesion between the 2 PDMS layers is of great importance. However, PDMS has a very low surface energy, resulting in poor adhesion properties. Therefore, in this paper, PDMS films are plasma treated with a dielec. barrier discharge (DBD) operating in air at medium pressure (5.0 kPa). Contact angle and XPS measurements reveal that plasma treatment increases the hydrophilicity of the PDMS films due to the incorporation of silanol groups at the expense of Me groups. T-peol tests show that plasma treatment rapidly imparts adhesion enhancement, but only when both PDMS layers are plasma treated. Results also reveal that it is very important to bond the plasma-treated PDMS films immediately after treatment. In this case, an excellent adhesion is maintained several days after treatment. The ageing behavior of the plasma-treated PDMS films is also studied in detail: contact angle measurements show that the contact angle increases during storage in air and angle-resolved XPS reveals that this hydrophobic recovery is due to the migration of low molar mass PDMS species to the surface.