gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Use of mannose ligands in IVF screens to mimic zona pellucida-induced acrosome reactions and predict fertilization success (1997)

A predictive test for determining whether motile populations of human spermatozoa will fertilize eggs in vitro has been an elusive goal of clinical research. We have developed an assay for the ability of motile human spermatozoa to bind fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled mannosylated bovine serum albumin (Man-FITC-BSA) as a test for the presence of sperm surface receptors (lectins) for mannose ligands. Mannosylated ligands are present on the human zona pellucida and are involved in the species-specific binding of human spermatozoa to the zona pellucida. We now demonstrate in prospective blinded analysis that the fractional increase in acrosome loss following a mannose ligand challenge is highly correlated with the rate of fertilization in vitro. Using an incremental increase of acrosome exocytosis of >0.1 as a threshold to predict which specimens will yield normal fertilization, the assay has a sensitivity of 97.8%, a specificity of 83.3%, a positive predictive value of 95.7% and a negative predictive value of 90.7%. These data indicate that testing for a mannose-induced acrosome reaction may be useful in assessment of sperm function prior to in-vitro fertilization in order to assign males to conventional insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection protocols.
A Situational Analysis of Pregnancy Related Challenges in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. (2015)

This research article present pregnancy related challenges within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. Identify ways of managing or minimizing these challenges to ensure a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery, and also to ascertain the prevalence of maternal mortality due to pregnancy related challenges in the Metropolis. The design employed for the study was descriptive with target population being pregnant women in the Metropolis. It was found out that, maternal deaths due to pregnancy complications had obstructed labour ranked high (80%) on the list of complications while deaths due to nutritional anemia, unsafe abortion, hemorrhage and sepsis were of average rate. It was also observed that eclampsia and pulmonary oedema, which were high, ran across all the three hospitals studied. It was recommended that, health persons be given frequent refresher programmes to familiarize themselves with new trends on the field. Key words: maternal death due to pregnancy complications, Pregnancy related challenges, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis,
Progranulin (acrogranin/PC cell‐derived growth factor/granulin‐epithelin precursor) is expressed in the placenta, epidermis, microvasculature, and brain during murine development (2003)

The growth factor progranulin (acrogranin/PC-derived growth factor/granulin-epithelin precursor) promotes onset of blastocyst cavitation and is required for neonatal hypothalamic sexual differentiation. Little is known, however, of the range of developmental processes in which it is involved. We used in situ hybridization to investigate progranulin expression in murine embryos. Progranulin mRNA is expressed in maternal and embryonic components during early establishment of pregnancy. Abundant expression is observed in the early decidualizing uterine stroma and glands. In the embryo, the trophoblast giant cells at the interface of placental exchange sites (both choriovitelline and chorioallantoic placenta) show strong expression. The gastrulating epiblast and mesenchyme (intraembryonic and extraembryonic mesenchyme) all revealed activity. The allantois and yolk sac mesenchyme (site of early hemopoiesis) were positive, as were later phases of active vessel formation (pia mater of brain, epicardium of the heart). In the urogenital system, it was expressed in Sertoli cells and in kidney tubules. It was highly expressed in proliferating epidermal cells. During epidermal appendage formation, the early epithelial bud was positive, but the forming duct and differentiating adjacent mesenchyme was negative. It is widely distributed during central nervous system development and the peripheral nervous system (dorsal root ganglia and sympathetic ganglia). Based on the pattern of progranulin gene expression, we propose proliferative and developmental roles for progranulin in establishing pregnancy, during gastrulation, and during embryonic development of the epidermis, nervous system, blood vessel, formation, and spermatogenesis.
Both the 7-methyl and the 2'-O-methyl groups in the cap of mRNA strongly influence its ability to act as primer for influenza virus RNA transcription. (1980)

The ability of eukaryotic mRNAs to serve as primers for influenza virus RNA transcription depends on the presence of a 5'-terminal methylated can structure, the absence of which eliminates essentially all priming activity [Plotch, S. J., Bouloy, M. & Krug, R. M. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76, 1618-1622]. The present study was undertaken to determine the extent to which each of the methyl groups in the cap influences the priming activity of a mRNA. To assess the importance of the 2'-O-methyl group on the penultimate base of the cap, we used several plant viral RNAs containing the monomethylated cap 0 structure, m7GpppG. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA 4 stimulated influenza virus RNA transcription only about 10-15% as effectively as did globin mRNA, which has a cap with a 2'-O-methyl group. When the cap of BMV RNA 4 was enzymatically 2'-O-methylated, its priming activity was increased 14-fold. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with other plant virus RNAs. To assess the importance of the terminal 7-methyl group, BMV RNA 4 containing the cap structure GpppGm was prepared by a series of chemical and enzymatic steps. These molecules were found to be only about 15% as active in priming as BMV RNA 4 molecules containing the fully methylated cap, m7GpppGm, indicating that the terminal 7-methyl group also strongly enhances priming activity. These results indicate that the cap 1 structure (m7GpppXm) found in all mammalian cellular mRNAs is more stringently required for priming influenza virus RNA transcription than for translation in cell-free systems.
Vaccinating Birds May Help to Curtail Virus's Spread (2004)

As avian influenza continues to ravage Asian poultry, countries are experimenting with a novel control strategy.
Characterization of cerebrosides from the thermally dimorphic mycopathogen Histoplasma capsulatum: expression of 2-hydroxy fatty N-acyl (E)- 3-unsaturation correlates with the yeast-mycelium phase transition (2001)

Cerebroside (monohexosylceramide) components were identified in neutral lipids extracted from both the yeast and mycelial forms of the thermally dimorphic mycopathogen Histoplasma capsulatum. The components were purified from both forms and their structures elucidated by 1- and 2-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and low energy tandem collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/CID-MS). Both components were characterized as beta-glucopyranosylceramides (GlcCers) containing (4E,8E)-9-methyl-4,8-sphingadienine as the long-chain base, attached to 18-carbon 2-hydroxy fatty N-acyl components. However, while the fatty acid of the yeast form GlcCer was virtually all N-2'-hydroxyoctadecanoate, the mycelium form GlcCer was characterized by almost exclusive expression of N-2'-hydroxy-(E)-delta(3)-octadecenoate. These results suggest that the yeast-mycelium transition is accompanied by up-regulation of an as yet uncharacterized ceramide or cerebroside 2-hydroxy fatty N-acyl (E)-delta(3)-desaturase activity. They also constitute further evidence for the existence of two distinct pathways for ceramide biosynthesis in fungi, since glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides (GIPCs), the other major class of fungal glycosphingolipids, are found with ceramides consisting of 4-hydroxysphinganine (phytosphingosine) and longer chain 2-hydroxy fatty acids. In addition to identification of the major glucocerebroside components, minor components (< 5%) detectable by molecular weight differences in the ESI-MS profiles were also characterized by tandem ESI-MS/CID-MS analysis. These minor components were identified as variants differing in fatty acyl chain length, or the absence of the sphingoid 9-methyl group or (E)-delta(8)-unsaturation, and are hypothesized to be either biosynthetic intermediates or the result of imperfect chemical transformation by the enzymes responsible for these features. Possible implications of these findings with respect to chemotaxonomy, compartmentalization of fungal glycosphingolipid biosynthetic pathways, and regulation of morphological transitions in H.capsulatum and other dimorphic fungi are discussed.
The Relationship Between Periodontal Diseases and Diabetes: An Overview (2001)

Diabetes mellitus, caused by the malfunction of insulin‐dependent glucose and lipid metabolism, presents with the classical triad of symptoms: polydypsia, polyuria, and polyphagia which are often accompanied by chronic fatigue and loss of weight. Complications of diabetes mellitus include retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease. Periodontal diseases are infections affecting the periodontium and resulting in the loss of tooth support. The association between diabetes mellitus and periodontitis has long been discussed with conflicting conclusions. Both of these diseases have a relatively high incidence in the general population (diabetes 1% to 6% and periodontitis 14%) as well as a number of common pathways in their pathogenesis (both diseases are polygenic disorders with some degree of immunoregulatory dysfunction). On the one hand, numerous reports indicate a higher incidence of periodontitis in diabetics compared to healthy controls, while other reports fail to show such a relationship. Clarification of this dilemma is occurring as the diagnostic criteria for periodontitis and diabetes mellitus improve, controlled studies with increased sample sizes are carried out, and the studies take into account major confounding variables that impact on the pathogenesis of both diseases. Current studies tend to support a higher incidence and severity of periodontitis in patients with diabetes mellitus. This overview looks at the bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and diabetes. An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III data set confirms the previously reported significantly higher prevalence of periodontitis in diabetics than in non‐diabetics (17.3% versus 9%). The analysis of the data also shows that the prevalence of diabetes in patients with periodontitis is double that seen in the non‐periodontitis patients (12.5% versus 6.3%) and that this difference is also statistically significant. The pathogenesis of the 2 diseases is reviewed with an emphasis on common genetic and immune mechanisms. On the basis of the overview, 2 hypotheses for testing the relationship between periodontitis and diabetes are discussed. The first proposes a direct causal or modifying relationship in which the hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of diabetes result in metabolic alterations that may then exacerbate bacteria‐induced inflammatory periodontitis. The second hypothesis proposes that a fortuitous combination of genes (gene sets) could result in a host who, under the influence of a variety of environmental stressors, could develop either periodontitis or diabetes or both. Ann Periodontol 2001;6:91‐98.
Helmet-Mounted Displays for Use in Air Force Training and Simulation (2005)

Abstract : This report provides a review and analysis of the published literature on head-mounted displays (HMDs). In particular, we discuss several key perceptual issues that are relevant to the use of HMDs. The issues discussed are: (1) brightness and contrast; (2) accommodationvergence synergy; (3) field of view; (4) binocular input; and (5) head movements. This review of the literature is intended to anticipate and solve perceptual issues associated with two particular HMD applications: (1) simulation of off-bore sight (OBS) targeting and (2) full fieldof- view out-the-window (OTW) simulation for deployable flight training. Additionally, several technology issues important to the continued development of HMDs are discussed. This report concludes with a set of recommendations for the design and use of HMDs for OBS and OTW flight training applications.
Watermarking, tamper-proofing, and obfuscation - tools for software protection (2002)

We identify three types of attack on the intellectual property contained in software and three corresponding technical defenses. A defense against reverse engineering is obfuscation, a process that renders software unintelligible but still functional. A defense against software piracy is watermarking, a process that makes it possible to determine the origin of software. A defense against tampering is tamper-proofing, so that unauthorized modifications to software (for example, to remove a watermark) will result in nonfunctional code. We briefly survey the available technology for each type of defense.
Type A botulinum neurotoxin proteolytic activity: development of competitive inhibitors and implications for substrate specificity at the S1′ binding subsite (1998)

Type A botulinum neurotoxin (botox A) is a zinc metalloprotease that cleaves only one peptide bond in the synaptosomal protein, SNAP-25. Single-residue changes in a 17-residue substrate peptide were used to develop the first specific, competitive inhibitors of its proteolytic activity. Substrate analog peptides with P4, P3, P2' or P3' cysteine were readily hydrolyzed by the toxin, but those with P1 or P2 cysteine were not cleaved and were inhibitors. Peptides with either D- or L-cysteine as the N-terminus, followed by the last six residues of the substrate, were the most effective inhibitors, each with a Ki value of 2 microM. Elimination of the cysteine sulfhydryl group yielded much less effective inhibitors, suggesting that inhibition was primarily due to binding of the active-site zinc by the sulfhydryl group. Botox A displayed an unusual requirement for arginine as the P1' inhibitor residue, demonstrating that the S1' binding subsite of botox A is dissimilar to those of most other zinc metalloproteases. This characteristic is an important element in shaping the substrate specificity of botox A.
Carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell‐cell adhesion molecule C‐CAM is greatly increased in serum and urine of rats with liver diseases (1998)

C-CAM (rat cell CAM/human CD66a) is ubiquitous and multifunctional. It is involved in intercellular adhesion, signal transduction and cell growth inhibition. Structurally, it is related to the carcinoembryonic antigen. In the present study serum, bile and urine of rats with liver diseases were analyzed for the presence of cell CAM. After bile duct ligation and during galactosamine (GalN) hepatitis we found that large amounts of liver membrane-bound C-CAM are secreted or shed into blood. The serum level of another liver membrane-bound protein, LI-cadherin, is not increased. It was shown that C-CAM is also present in bile fluid, and for the first time that C-CAM is present in the urine of rats with liver diseases. A particularly high concentration was measured in the urine of rats suffering from GalN hepatitis.
Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov., a new species found in clinical specimens, and reassignment of Erwinia dissolvens and Erwinia nimipressuralis to the genus Enterobacter as Enterobacter dissolvens comb. nov. and Enterobacter nimipressuralis comb. nov (1986)

Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov. is a new species that was formerly referred to as Enteric Group 17 and that consists of 71 strains, 70 of which were isolated from humans. Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov. strains gave positive reactions in tests for methyl red, citrate utilization (Simmons and Christensen's), urea hydrolysis, L-ornithine decarboxylase, growth in KCN, acid and gas production from D-glucose, and acid production from L-arabinose, cellobiose, glycerol (negative in 1 to 2 days, positive in 3 to 7 days), lactose, D-mannitol, alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, salicin, D-sorbitol, sucrose, trehalose, and D-xylose. They gave negative reactions in the Voges-Proskauer test and in tests for indole, H2S production, phenylalanine, L-lysine decarboxylase, motility, gelatin, utilization of malonate, lipase, DNase, tyrosine clearing, acid production from adonitol, D-arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, i(myo)-inositol, melibiose, and L-rhamnose. They gave variable reactions in tests for L-arginine dihydrolase (25% positive after 2 days) and acid production from raffinose (69% positive after 2 days). Thirty-four Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov. strains were tested for DNA relatedness by the hydroxyapatite method with 32PO4-labeled DNA from the designated type strain (1497-78, ATCC 35953). The strains were 69 to 100% related in 60 degrees C reactions and 63 to 100% related in 75 degrees C reactions. Divergence within related sequences was 0 to 2.5%. Relatedness of Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov. to 84 strains of members of the Enterobacteriaceae was 5 to 63%, with closest relatedness to strains of Enterobacter cloacae, Erwinia dissolvens, Enterobacter taylorae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Erwinia nimipressuralis, and Enterobacter gergoviae. All strains tested were susceptible to gentamicin and sulfdiazine, and most were susceptible to chloramphenicol, colistin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, carbenicillin and streptomycin. All strains were resistant to ampicillan, cephalothin, and penicillin, and most were resistant or moderately resistant to tetracycline. Enterobacter asburiae sp. nov strains were isolated from a variety of human sources, most prevalent of which were urine (16 strains), respiratory sources (15 strains), stools (12 strains), wounds (11 strains), and blood (7 strains). The clinical significance of Enterobacter aburiae is not known. As a result of this and previous studies, proposals are made to transfer Erwinia dissolvens and Erwinia nimipressuralis to the genus Enterobacter as Enterobacter dissolvens comb. nov. and Enterobacter nimipressuralis comb. nov., respectively.
Mass transfer from dispersed bubbles to electrolyte solution in packed beds (1988)

Abstract The measurement of gas‐liquid interfacial areas and mass transfer coefficients in concurrent upward bubbly flow ( u G from 0.02 to 0.16 m/s, u L from 0.0051 to 0.056 m/s) over a packed bed consisting of 1.2 mm glassy carbon particles is described. Specific surface areas were measured by chemical absorption of O 2 into Na 2 SO 3 solutions; volumetric mass transfer coefficients were measured by physical desorption of O 2 into N 2 bubbles. Surface areas were obtained in the range of 4 × 10 3 to 2 × 10 5 m −1 , much higher than have been previously reported. High areas are related to the use of electrolytes and small packing particles. Bubble size was found to depend primarily on liquid velocity. Volumetric mass transfer coefficients k L a G are also high (0.1 &lt; k L a G &lt; 2.3 s −1 ), primarily as a result of high gas‐liquid interfacial areas. Mass transfer coefficients k L are small, however. For the smaller bubble dispersions, mass transport is controlled by diffusion rather than by convection.
Energy‐Transfer Processes between Phosphorescent Guest and Fluorescent Host Molecules in Phosphorescent OLEDs (2007)

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Electronic Structure and Energy Transfer in Guest–Host Systems Luminescence Properties of Phosphorescent and Fluorescent Materials Energy Transfer of Blue Phosphorescent Molecules in Guest–Host Systems Energy Transfer Between Ir(ppy)3 and Alq3: Enhancement of Phosphorescence from Alq3 Energy Transfer Between Ir(ppy)3 and BAlq: Observation of Thermal Equilibrium of Triplet Excited States Conclusion
A Retrovirus Vector which Transduces a Functional Estrogen Receptor Gene at High Efficiency (1989)

A high titer retroviral vector containing the cDNA of human estrogen receptor (hER) was generated and used to transfer the hER gene into the rat 208F cell line. Southern blot analysis showed the integration of the provirus to be at a unique site and that the provirus was intact in the genome of recipient cells. The expression of the integrated hER gene in the infected rat cells was detected by Northern blot analysis and by a functional assay in which the hER gene product stimulated the production of a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene under the control of an estrogen-responsive element. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using a retroviral vector system to introduce a functional ER gene into cultured cells lacking this receptor.
Volatile Compounds of Therapeutic Importance Produced by Leuconostoc paramesenteroides, a Native Laboratory Isolate (2007)

Probiotics are a community of nutraceuticals. Their potential in functional foods serves to promote health or to prevent diseases. Ramping up of flavor profile is an ongoing trend in modern dairy, so designer products are at the forefront towards desired health, wellness and sensorial enjoyment of everyday life. In the present work, volatile compounds of a potentially beneficial culture, Leuconostoc paramesenteroides, isolated from cheddar cheese were studied for 21 days. Culture grown in MRS broth was taken out periodically and was extracted in dichloromethane in order to study the formation of volatile compounds over time. The results showed the presence of a large number of short chain fatty acids, namely pentadecanoic acid (12.21 mg %), known to have anti-arthritic property; nonadecanoic acid (13.99 mg %), which has anti-inflammatory action; benzoic acid, used as antiseptic (1.26 mg %), which showed a maximum yield after 16 h of incubation at 37 ºC in MRS broth; nonacosane, having antibacterial activity (50.62 mg %); hexacosane, known for hair pigmentation (34.4 mg %); and nonacosanol, known to reduce cholesterol (8.62 mg %), which was found to be maximum after 7 days of incubation. All these compounds are known to be therapeutically important.
Effect of pulmonary surfactant protein A and neutral lipid on accretion and organization of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in surface films. (1996)

The effects of surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) on lipid adsorption to the air-water interface and accumulation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in the surface region were investigated at 37 degrees C. Dispersions used were bovine pulmonary lipid extract surfactant with or without neutral lipid (NL). Lipid adsorption was examined with the Wilhelmy plate technique and DPPC accumulation by monitoring surface radioactivity from [14C]DPPC with a scintillation probe. SP-A enhanced the rate of lipid adsorption, while both SP-A and NL increased the extent of DPPC accumulation. At the specific radioactivity used [14C]DPPC monolayers were undetectable: the surface radioactivity arose from surface-associated DPPC beneath the monolayer. At the highest concentration studied (0.3 mg lipid/ml), NL greatly enhanced DPPC accumulation and SP-A attenuated this effect. Langmuir-Blodgett (L-B) films were prepared from [14C]DPPC-labeled dispersions (0.3 mg lipid/ml) at equilibrium surface tension. Autoradiographs of L-B films from lipid extract surfactant exhibited a diffuse misty appearance, while NL promoted formation of heterogeneous DPPC aggregates. Addition of SP-A to lipid extracts without NL generated DPPC aggregates; more uniform larger aggregates appeared in the presence of SP-A and NL. Radiation measurements confirmed that the L-B films were composed of more than monolayers. SP-A did not increase DPPC levels in films deposited from lipid extracts unless NL was present. These results indicate that neutral lipid cooperates with surfactant-associated protein A to organize dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in the surface films and enhance formation of a DPPC-rich reservoir below the air-water interface.