gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Research Note: Utilization of Inedible Eggshells and Technical Egg White Using Extrusion Technology (1990)

An extruded eggshell product (ESP) was formulated into a laying ration of a commercial flock of 6,500 hens to provide 75% of the total calcium from 59 wk to 70 wk of age. A control treatment (22,500 laying hens) with calcium supplied by limestone was also utilized during the same time period. The formulation for ESP including 70% eggshells, 8% technical albumen (shell wringings), 5% corn, 17% soybean meal, and .15% propionic acid was blended and extruded using an extruder. Extrusion temperatures reached in excess of 121.1 C (250 F), which produced a Salmonella-free product The ESP contained 13.1% protein and 24.0% calcium. Rate of lay, feed conversion, and mortality were not adversely affected by the ESP. Also, shell thickness and breaking strength were not significantly affected by the ESP diet Extrusion technology may provide an avenue for better utilization of egg shells as well as other wastes from egg processing plants.
Integrating Microseismic Mapping and Complex Fracture Modeling to Characterize Fracture Complexity (2011)

Abstract Microseismic mapping (MSM) has shown that the occurrence of complex fracture growth is much more common than initially anticipated and is becoming more prevalent with the increased development of unconventional reservoirs (shale-gas). The nature and degree of fracture complexity must be clearly understood to select the best stimulation design and completion strategy. Although MSM has provided significant insights into hydraulic fracture complexity, in many cases the interpretation of fracture growth has been limited due to the absence of evaluative and predictive hydraulic fracture models. Recent developments in the area of complex hydraulic fracture propagation models now provide a means to better characterize fracture complexity. This paper illustrates the application of two complex fracture modeling techniques in conjunction with microseismic mapping to characterize fracture complexity and evaluate completion performance. The first complex fracture modeling technique is a simple, yet powerful, semi-analytical model that allows very efficient estimates of fracture complexity and distance between orthogonal fractures. The second technique is a gridded numerical model that allows complex geologic descriptions and more rigorous evaluation of complex fracture propagation. With recent advances in complex fracture modeling, we can now evaluate how fracture complexity is impacted by changes in fracture treatment design in each geologic environment. However, quantifying the impact of changes in fracture design using complex fracture models alone is difficult due to the inherent uncertainties in both the Earth Model and "real" fracture growth. The integration of MS mapping and complex fracture modeling enhances the interpretation of the MS measurements, while also calibrating the complex fracture model. Examples are presented that show that the degree of fracture complexity can vary significantly depending on geologic conditions.
High efficiency intergeneric conjugal transfer of plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli to methyl DNA-restricting streptomycetes (2006)

Many streptomycetes, including S. coelicolor A3(2), possess a potent methyl-specific restriction which can present an effective barrier to the introduction of heterologous DNA. We have compared the efficiency of intergeneric conjugal transfer of different types of plasmids to S. coelicolor and S. lividans 66 using two E. coli donors: the standard, methylation proficient strain S17-1, and the methylation deficient donor, ET12567(pUB307). We demonstrate that the methylation deficient donor can yield > 10(4)-fold more S. coelicolor exconjugants than the standard donor. In the case of pSET152 derivatives, which integrate into the host chromosome by site-specific recombination, up to 10% of streptomycete spores in the conjugation mixture inherit the plasmid. The conjugation procedure is efficient enough to obtain exconjugants with 'suicide' delivery plasmids and therefore provides a simple route for conducting gene disruptions in methyl DNA-restricting streptomycetes, and possibly other bacteria.
Correlates of Carotid Plaque Presence and Composition as Measured by MRI (2009)

Traditional atherosclerosis risk factors are related to increased wall volume and wall thickness 2 decades later, but they do not discriminate characteristics of plaque composition (core and cap) independent of wall size.
Electrochemistry Using Self-Assembled DNA Monolayers on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (2006)

Duplex DNA functionalized with pyrene has been utilized to fabricate DNA-modified electrodes on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Films have been characterized using AFM and radioactive labeling as well as electrochemically. The data obtained are consistent with a close-packed structure in the film with helices oriented in a nearly upright orientation, as seen earlier with the fabrication of thiol-tethered duplexes on gold. Also as on gold, we observe the reduction of DNA-bound intercalators in a DNA-mediated reaction. The reduction of the intercalator is attenuated in the presence of the single-base mismatches, CA and GT, independent of the sequence composition of the oligonucleotide. This sensitivity to single-base mismatches is enhanced when methylene blue reduction is coupled in an electrocatalytic cycle with ferricyanide. The extended potential range afforded by the HOPG surface has allowed us also to investigate the electrochemistry of previously inaccessible metallointercalators, Ru(bpy)2dppz2+ and Os(phen)2dppz2+, at the DNA-modified HOPG surface. These results support the application of DNA-modified HOPG as a convenient and reproducible surface for electrochemical DNA sensors using DNA-mediated charge transport.
Dihydroartemisinin inhibits growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo (2009)

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin, has recently shown antitumor activity in various cancer cells. Its effect on pancreatic cancer is, however, unknown and the mechanism is unclear. The study aims to investigate its antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms in human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and AsPC-1 cells in vitro and subcutaneous BxPC-3 xenograft tumors in mice. The MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability, and flow cytometry and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to detect apoptosis, for cultured cells. Pancreatic tumors were established by subcutaneous injection of BxPC-3 cells in nude BALB/c mice, and DHA was administered intraperitoneally to the mice. The size of tumors was monitored and they were harvested after the mice had been killed. Tumor sections were immunostained with an anti-Ki-67 Ab to assess the proliferation index, or stained with TUNEL to evaluate in-situ cell apoptosis. The gene expression in cells and tumors was evaluated by western blot analysis. In the cultured cells, DHA inhibited cell viability, downregulated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1, and upregulated p21(WAF1/CIP1); and induced apoptosis by reducing the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and increasing the activation of caspase-9, in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, in mice bearing BxPC-3 xenograft tumors, administration of DHA inhibited tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner, and modulated tumoral gene expression consistent with the in-vitro observations. This study indicates that DHA may be a potent and promising agent to combat pancreatic cancer.
Carbon monoxide is a major contributor to the regulation of vascular tone in aortas expressing high levels of haeme oxygenase‐1 (1998)

The contribution of haeme oxygenase-derived carbon monoxide (CO) to the regulation of vascular tone in thoracic aorta was investigated following induction of the inducible isoform of haeme oxygenase (HO-1). Isometric smooth muscle contractions were recorded in isolated rat aortic ring preparations. Rings were incubated in the presence of the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP, 500 microM) for 1 h, then repetitively washed and maintained for a further 4 h prior to producing a concentration-response curve to phenylephrine (PE, 1-3000 nM). Treatment with SNAP resulted in increased mRNA and protein expression of aortic HO-1 and was associated with a significant suppression of the contractile response to PE (P<0.05 vs control). Immunohistochemical staining procedures revealed marked HO-1 expression in the endothelial layer and, to a lesser extent, in smooth muscle cells. Induction of HO-1 in SNAP-treated rings was associated with a higher 14CO release compared to control, as measured by scintillation counting after incubation of aortas with [2-14C]-L-glycine, the precursor of haeme. Guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) content was also greatly enhanced in aortas expressing high levels of HO-1. Incubation of aortic rings with the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (100 microM), significantly (P<0.05) increased the contractile response to PE in controls but failed to restore PE-mediated contractility in SNAP-treated rings. In contrast, the selective inhibitor of haeme oxygenase, tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP-IX, 10 microM), restored the pressor response to PE in SNAP-treated rings whilst markedly reducing CO and cyclic GMP production. We conclude that up-regulation of the HO-1/CO pathway significantly contributes to the suppression of aortic contractility to PE. This effect appears to be mediated by the elevation of cyclic GMP levels and can be reversed by inhibition of the haeme oxygenase pathway.
A full scale comparative study of methods for generation of functional Dendritic cells for use as cancer vaccines (2007)

Our results indicate that mature Fast DC are functional antigen presenting cells (APCs) capable of inducing primary T-cell responses, and suggest that these cells may be valuable for generation of anti-tumor vaccines.
Genotypic identification and characterization of species and strains within the genus Candida by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (1992)

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to better characterize the genotypic relatedness among medically important Candida species. By using short oligomer primers (10-mers) with arbitrarily chosen sequences in the polymerase chain reaction, distinctive and reproducible sets of polymerase chain reaction products were observed for isolates of C. albicans, C. lusitaniae, C. tropicalis, and Torulopsis (Candida) glabrata. The RAPD analysis differentiated a physiologically homogeneous panel of C. parapsilosis into three distinct groups and showed genetic diversity within C. haemulonii. Intraspecies DNA-length polymorphisms were seen for RAPD profiles derived from different isolates of each species. Analysis of RAPDs from a panel of C. albicans, which included 16 laboratory derivatives of two reference strains, showed that the profiles of unrelated strains differed and that the derivatives of each reference strain were identifiable. Minor differences in the RAPD profiles, suggestive of mutations that had occurred during the long-term maintenance of the strains, were detected. Because of its ease and reliability, RAPD analysis should be useful in providing genotypic characters for taxonomic descriptions, for confirming the identities of stock isolates, for typing Candida species in epidemiologic investigations, and for use in the rapid identification of pathogenic fungi.
MetroSense Project: People-Centric Sensing at Scale (2006)

Looking forward 10-20 years we envision Internet scale sensing where the majority of the traffic on the network is sensor data and the majority of applications used every day by the general populace integrates sensing and actuation in some form. Sensing will be people-centric. On the other hand, nearly all published sensor network research over the last five years has focused on isolated, small scale testbeds designed for specialized applications (e.g., environmental sensing, industrial sensing, etc.) of interest to engineers and scientists. We believe the gap between the state of the art and our future vision can be bridged through the development of a new wireless sensor edge for the Internet. To this end, in the MetroSense Project we are developing a general purpose sensing infrastructure capable of realizing a wealth of sensing applications with mass appeal for producers and consumers of sensed data. In this paper we motivate the need for a new architecture to support people-centric sensing at Internet scale, outline our MetroSense architecture [1], and highlight our progress to date in designing and deploying prototype implementations of the MetroSense architecture via the deployment of our campus area sensor network.
Effect of Prohexidione-Ca and Mepiquat Chloride on Stolon Production and Yield of Florida Grown Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassaDuch) (2005)

Abstract Removal of stolons from strawberry plants in Florida's annual winter production system incurs significant costs to growers. Mepiquat chloride (Ponnax®) and prohexidione-calcium (Apogee®) were evaluated for the ability to reduce stolon production of strawberries grown under annual production techniques. Two rates of mepiquat chloride (170.6 and 273.5 g ai/ha) and two rates of prohexidione-calcium (113.8 and 227.6 g ai/ha) were applied three times at two week intervals beginning 4 weeks after establishment. Significant control of stolon production was achieved with both rates of prohexidione-calcium compared to mepiquat chloride and untreated controls. However, significant reductions in yields were associated with prohexidione-calcium. Application of mepiquat chloride at 273.5 g ai/ha increased fruit yield during the month of January above all other treatments.
Dataless training of generative models for the inverse design of metasurfaces. (2019)

Metasurfaces are subwavelength-structured artificial media that can shape and
localize electromagnetic waves in unique ways. The inverse design of
metasurfaces is a non-convex optimization problem in a high dimensional space,
making global optimization a huge challenge. We present a new type of global
optimization algorithm, based on the training of a generative neural network
without a training set, which can produce high-performance metasurfaces.
Instead of directly optimizing devices one at a time, we reframe the
optimization as the training of a generator that iteratively enhances the
probability of generating high-performance devices. The loss function used for
backpropagation is defined as a function of generated patterns and their
efficiency gradients, which are calculated by the adjoint variable method using
the forward and adjoint electromagnetic simulations. We observe that
distributions of devices generated by the network continuously shift towards
high-performance design space regions over the course of optimization. Upon
training completion, the best-generated devices have efficiencies comparable to
or exceeding the best devices designed using standard topology optimization. We
envision that our proposed global optimization algorithm generally applies to
other gradient-based optimization problems in optics, mechanics and
electronics.
Spinal Cord Injury without Radiological Abnormality in an 8 Months Old Female Child: A Case Report. (2016)

In present times with wide spread use of MRI, the definition of SCIWORA is slowly turning towards spinal cord injury without neuroimaging abnormality [4]. Traumatic spinal cord infarction is a special type of SCIWORA which presents with normal radiology with delayed neurological deterioration [1]. Corticosteroid usage has been useful in cases of SCIWORA as proved by NASCISII Trial.
A Model for Describing the Thermodynamics of Multivalent Host−Guest Interactions at Interfaces (2004)

A model has been described for interpreting the binding of multivalent molecules to interface-immobilized monovalent receptors through multiple, independent interactions. It is based on the concept of effective concentration, C(eff), which has been developed before for multivalent binding in solution and which incorporates effects of lengths and flexibilities of linkers between interacting sites. The model assumes: (i). the interactions are independent, (ii). the maximum number of interactions, p(max), is known, (iii). C(eff) is estimated from (simple) molecular models. Simulations of the thermodynamics and kinetics of multivalent host-guest binding to interfaces have been discussed, and competition with a monovalent competitor in solution has been incorporated as well. The model was successfully used to describe the binding of a divalent guest to self-assembled monolayers of a cyclodextrin host. The adsorption data of more complex guest-functionalized dendrimers, for which p(max) was not known beforehand, was interpreted as well. Finally, it has been shown that the model can aid to deconvolute contributions of multivalency and cooperativity to stability enhancements observed for the adsorption of multivalent molecules to interfaces.
On-Line Coupling of Gel Permeation Chromatography with MALDI Mass Spectrometry (1996)

Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was combined directly with aerosol matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for the analysis of synthetic polymers. In the aerosol MALDI/GPC-MS experiment, effluent from the GPC column was combined with matrix solution and sprayed directly into a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). Ions were formed by irradiation of the aerosol particles with pulsed 355 nm radiation from a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser. The ions were mass separated in a two-stage reflectron TOF-MS, and averaged mass spectra were stored every 11 s throughout the GPC-MS experiment. On-line GPC/MALDI-MS was performed with the commercially available polymers poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 1000) and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG 1000).
A micromodel investigation of two‐phase matrix‐fracture transfer mechanisms (2006)

Micromodels employing a two‐dimensional representation of pore space were used to observe directly (via microscope) water imbibition into a matrix and matrix‐fracture interactions between wetting and nonwetting fluids. Within a single field of view, some pores are responsible for the uptake of water, whereas immediately adjacent pores expel nonwetting phase into the fracture. When water flow through fractures is relatively slow and fluid transfer from the fracture is relatively rapid, imbibition is microscopically cocurrent and micromodel observations teach that uptake of the wetting phase by the matrix correlates directly with the volume of water injected. This mode of transfer is coined a filling fracture. On the other hand, when fractures fill with water quickly relative to the rate of matrix‐fracture transfer, the mass of water imbibed scales with the square root of time. Here imbibition is found to be countercurrent at the pore level. In the countercurrent mode, significant channeling of the nonwetting phase through the continuous wetting phase is observed that reduces the efficiency of water infiltration. Overall, it is found that the rate of water uptake from a fracture into an unsaturated matrix and the pore‐level pattern of water infiltration depend critically on the rate of water infiltration through fractures.
Site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids 33-44 of the common alpha-subunit reveals different structural requirements for heterodimer expression among the glycoprotein hormones and suggests that cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate production and growth promotion are potentially dissociable functions of human thyrotropin. (1996)

Amino acid residues 33-44 of the common alpha-subunit of the glycoprotein hormones have been implicated in heterodimerization as well as high affinity receptor binding of human (h) CG. In the present study, we compared the role of specific amino acids within this region for glycoprotein hormone heterodimer formation, using a transient transfection system to coexpress different mutant alpha-subunit constructs with the beta-subunit of either hTSH, hCG, or hFSH. Our results identified a crucial role for alpha Pro38 in the heterodimer expression of hTSH as well as hFSH, similiar to what had been described for hCG. In contrast, alpha Ala38, which had been critical for hCG, was not essential for hTSH heterodimer expression and less important for hFSH, whereas alpha Phe33 and alpha Arg35 appeared uniquely important for hFSH. Furthermore, we assessed the role of these residues for bioactivity and receptor binding of hTSH. Mutation of the surface-exposed residues alpha Arg42-Ser43-Lys44, which form part of a unique alpha-helical structure, to Ala42-Ala43-Ala44, decreased TSH receptor binding using porcine thyroid membranes as well as rat FRTL-5 cells. Residues alpha Phe33 and alpha Arg35, in contrast, were not important for high affinity binding of hTSH. In the signal transduction of hTSH, alpha Ala36 was necessary for efficient growth induction in FRTL-5 cells but not for cAMP production in either FRTL-5 cells or Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the human TSH receptor (JP09). Similarly, residues alpha Arg42-Ser43-Lys44 were more important for hTSH-mediated induction of cell growth than cAMP production. Mutating alpha Arg35 to Ala reduced cAMP induction but not receptor binding of hTSH. In summary, using site-directed mutagenesis, we identified a domain, residues 33-44 of the common alpha-subunit, important in heterodimer expression, receptor binding, and activation of hTSH. The comparison of the relative roles of specific amino acids within this region in hTSH with hCG and hFSH highlights previously unrecognized differences in the structural requirements for heterodimer expression among the members of the glycoprotein hormone family. Moreover, our findings revealed a novel role for residues alpha 33-44 in triggering different postreceptor events, suggesting that cAMP production and growth promotion may, at least in part, be dissociable functions of hTSH.
Metabolic engineering of medium-chain fatty acid biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana plant leaf lipids (2015)

Various research groups are investigating the production of oil in non-seed biomass such as leaves. Recently, high levels of oil accumulation have been achieved in plant biomass using a combination of biotechnological approaches which also resulted in significant changes to the fatty acid composition of the leaf oil. In this study, we were interested to determine whether medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) could be accumulated in leaf oil. MCFA are an ideal feedstock for biodiesel and a range of oleochemical products including lubricants, coatings, and detergents. In this study, we explore the synthesis, accumulation, and glycerolipid head-group distribution of MCFA in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana after transient transgenic expression of C12:0-, C14:0-, and C16:0-ACP thioesterase genes. We demonstrate that the production of these MCFA in leaf is increased by the co-expression of the WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor, with the lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) from Cocos nucifera being required for the assembly of tri-MCFA TAG species. We also demonstrate that the newly-produced MCFA are incorporated into the triacylglycerol of leaves in which WRI1 + diacylglycerol acyltransferase1 (DGAT1) genes are co-expressed for increased oil accumulation.
Inhibition of tumor promoting signals by activation of SSTR2 and opioid receptors in human breast cancer cells (2013)

Taken together, findings indicate a new role for SSTR2/ORs in modulation of signaling pathways involved in cancer progression and provide novel therapeutic approaches in breast cancer treatment.