gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
H3PO4/Al2O3 catalysts: characterization and catalytic evaluation of oleic acid conversion to biofuels and biolubricant (2006)

Al 2 O 3 and H 3 PO 4 /Al 2 O 3 catalysts were investigated in the conversion of oleic acid to biofuels and biolubricant at 1 atm and at 623 K. The catalytic tests were performed in a fixed bed and continuous flow reactor, using an oleic acid-catalyst ratio of 4 and N 2 as the carrier gas. The reaction products were analyzed by gas chromatography and acidity measurements. N 2 adsorption-desorption, X ray diffraction, 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance and FT-IR spectroscopy were also employed to evaluate the textural, structural and acidic properties of the catalysts. The results showed that phosphoric acid impregnation improved the alumina decarboxylation activities, generating hydrocarbons in the range of gasoline, diesel oil and lubricant oil. The best catalytic performance was achieved with the highest surface area alumina impregnated with H 3 PO 4 , which was the solid that allied high total acidity with a large quantity of mesopores.
Vaccine therapy for cancerfact or fiction? (1999)

In the 1890s, William B. Coley started to treat cancer patients with inoculations of bacterial extracts (Coley's toxins) to activate general systemic immunity, some of which might be directed against the tumour.1,,2 Subsequent efforts to enhance our understanding of the molecular basis of immune recognition and immune regulation of cancer cells have led to the identification of potential new targets on tumour cells, and the potential to create potent, specific cancer vaccines. In this review, we discuss the principles of tumour immunity, the tumour antigens that can be recognized by the immune system, the different types of vaccines that have been evaluated, and the potential clinical applications of these approaches.

Unlike most vaccines for infectious agents, the goal of cancer vaccination is therapeutic and this can be achieved by activating immune responses against tumour antigens. The immune response can be crudely divided into either antibody responses or T-cell responses. Antibodies recognize and bind to conformational determinants on cell surface proteins, and can kill the cell by either antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity or complement-mediated cell lysis. Conversely, T cells recognize small proteins presented on the cell surface on major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens, and T-cell activation requires a co-stimulatory signal which is usually present on the cell surface of antigen-presenting cells. However, attempts to exploit the immune system as a therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment have to overcome the host's inability to develop effective endogenous immunity against cancer. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, including generation of tumour variants lacking certain tumour antigens,3–,5 loss of MHC expression,6–,9 downregulation of the antigen processing mechanism10 and also expression of inhibitory molecules which may promote escape from immune surveillance including TGF β 11 and Fas ligand.12 A further significant contributor to escape … 

Dr T.R.J. Evans, CRC Department of Medical Oncology, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD. e-mail: trjelv{at}udcf.gla.ac.uk
Effect of dietary nucleotide supplementation on diarrhoeal disease in infants (1994)

The effects of a nucleotide-supplemented formula on diarrhoeal disease was studied in 141 infants (group 1) who belonged to the low socioeconomic stratum; 148 controls (group 2) received the same formula but unsupplemented. Group 1 experienced less episodes of diarrhoea (109 versus 140), including less first episodes (74 versus 102; chi-square = 8.19, p < 0.004; odds ratio 2.01) and for a lesser number of days (807 versus 996 days); 45.0% and 31.1% of infants in groups 1 and 2, respectively, never developed episodes of diarrhoea. There were no differences in the clinical characteristics of the episodes or in the enteropathogens isolated from symptomatic or asymptomatic infants. The mechanisms through which nucleotides decrease the incidence of diarrhoeal disease in infants remain unclear.
Facile Synthesis of Stable Subnanosized Silver Clusters in Microemulsions (2007)

Island clusters: By using kinetic control, stable Agn clusters (n≤10) are synthesized in microemulsions. Nanoislands composed of the subnanosized clusters can be deposited onto a substrate (see picture). The clusters are characterized by a variety of methods, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), mass spectrometry, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry.
Inhibitory Effect of MD-Fraction on Tumor Metastasis: Involvement of NK Cell Activation and Suppression of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule (ICAM)-1 Expression in Lung Vascular Endothelial Cells (2008)

The anti-metastatic activity of MD-Fraction extracted from the maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) was examined in an experimental murine model of lung metastasis. Intraperitoneal administration of MD-Fraction 2 d before tumor implantation significantly inhibited lung metastasis of colon-26 carcinoma and B16/BL6 melanoma cells. In this model, MD-Fraction enhanced IL-12 production from antigen presenting cells (APCs). MD-Fraction treatment activated NK cells and increased cytotoxicity against YAC-1 and colon-26 carcinoma cells. Furthermore, the depletion of NK cells with anti-asialo GM1 abolished the inhibitory effect of MD-Fraction on lung metastasis of colon-26 cells. Ex vivo, B16/BL6 cell adhesion to LPS-activated murine lung vascular endothelial cells was inhibited by MD-Fraction and anti-intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 antibody. These results suggest that MD-Fraction inhibits tumor metastasis by activating NK cells and APCs, and by suppressing of ICAM-1 leading to the inhibition of tumor cell adhesion to vascular endothelial cells.
Animal Peptides Targeting Voltage-Activated Sodium Channels (2008)

Throughout millions of years of evolution, nature has supplied various organisms with a massive arsenal of venoms to defend themselves against predators or to hunt prey. These venoms are rich cocktails of diverse bioactive compounds with divergent functions, extremely effective in immobilizing or killing the recipient. In fact, venom peptides from various animals have been shown to specifically act on ion channels and other cellular receptors, and impair their normal functioning. Because of their key role in the initiation and propagation of electrical signals in excitable tissue, it is not very surprising that several isoforms of voltage-activated sodium channels are specifically targeted by many of these venom peptides. Therefore, these peptide toxins provide tremendous opportunities to design drugs with a higher efficacy and fewer undesirable side effects. This review puts venom peptides from spiders, scorpions and cone snails that target voltage-activated sodium channels in the spotlight, and addresses their potential therapeutical applications.
Time domain Gauss-Newton seismic waveform inversion in elastic media (2006)

We present a seismic waveform inversion methodology based on the Gauss—Newton method from pre-stack seismic data. The inversion employs a staggered-grid finite difference solution of the 2-D elastic wave equation in the time domain, allowing accurate simulation of all possible waves in elastic media. The partial derivatives for the Gauss—Newton method are obtained from the differential equation of the wave equation in terms of model parameters. The resulting wave equation and virtual sources from the reciprocity principle allow us to apply the Gauss—Newton method to seismic waveform inversion. The partial derivative wavefields are explicitly computed by convolution of forward wavefields propagated from each source with reciprocal wavefields from each receiver. The Gauss—Newton method for seismic waveform inversion was proposed in the 1980s but has rarely been studied. Extensive computational and memory requirements have been principal difficulties which are addressed in this work. We used different sizes of grids for the inversion, temporal windowing, approximation of virtual sources, and parallelizing computations. With numerical experiments, we show that the Gauss—Newton method has significantly higher resolving power and convergence rate over the gradient method, and demonstrate potential applications to real seismic data.
Three-day dendritic cells for vaccine development: Antigen uptake, processing and presentation (2010)

This new procedure allows 3d mDC to replace 7d mDC for use in DC-based vaccines that utilize long peptides, proteins or ivtRNA as sources of specific antigen.
Prevalence of human papillomavirus infections among heterosexual men and women with multiple sexual partners (1992)

A prospective study of 65 men and 111 women with multiple heterosexual partners was designed to assess the prevalence and potential risk factors of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. In addition, the HPV reservoir in genital, rectal, and oral mucosa was examined. The specimens for the detection of HPV DNA were taken from different sites such as the urethra and coronal sulcus (men), cervix and labia minora (women), anus, rectum, tongue, and buccal mucosa (both men and women). Women underwent speculum examination and colposcopic evaluation of the anogenital region, and a smear for routine cytological classification was also taken. In men, the anogenital region was examined clinically and colposcopically. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of HPV types 6/11, 16, 18, and 33. A high prevalence of HPV infection at one or more sites was detected, in 32% of the male and in 23% of the female participants. Seventeen percent of the male distal urethral specimens were positive for HPV DNA. From the female cervical specimens 14% were found positive. Ten proctal specimens (five men and five women) were positive for HPV DNA without any discernible lesion. The persons from whom these samples were taken denied anal insertive intercourse. No oral manifestation of HPV infection was detected. In both men and women a difference between HPV DNA-positive and -negative persons was not found in relation to known risk factors associated HPV infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparison between effects of interleukin-1 alpha administration and sublethal endotoxemia in primates (1991)

Interleukin (IL)-1 is an early mediator of host response to inflammation, although its contribution to individual components of the acute phase reaction is still unclear. To evaluate how the hemodynamic, metabolic, and hormonal responses to sublethal endotoxemia compare with IL-1 administration, baboons received intravenously either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 0.1, 10, or 100 micrograms/kg IL-1 alpha. LPS induced an early tachycardia and a fall in mean arterial pressure, as well as lacticacidemia and hypoaminoacidemia. Similar hemodynamic and metabolic changes were seen with 10 or 100 micrograms/kg of IL-1 alpha. An increase in adrenocorticotropic hormone and fall in serum iron were induced by IL-1 alpha but not by LPS. Plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was not measurable after IL-1 alpha administration, whereas LPS induced a monophasic TNF-alpha response. IL-6 levels were significantly greater after LPS than IL-1 alpha administration. Histopathological lesions, similar in LPS- and 100 micrograms/kg IL-1 alpha-treated groups, were present only in the adrenal cortex. We conclude that many, but not all, of the effects of sublethal endotoxemia can be replicated by IL-1 alpha administration, and these responses are dose dependent.
Mammalian hepatocyte differentiation requires the transcription factor HNF-4α (2000)

HNF-4α is a transcription factor of the nuclear hormone receptor family that is expressed in the hepatic diverticulum at the onset of liver development. Mouse embryos lacking HNF-4α fail to complete gastrulation due to dysfunction of the visceral endoderm. This early embryonic lethality has so far prevented any analyses of the contribution of HNF-4α toward liver development and hepatocyte differentiation. However, we have shown that complementation of HNF-4 α −/− embryos with a tetraploid embryo-derived wild-type visceral endoderm rescues this early developmental arrest and allows HNF-4 α −/− embryos to proceed normally through midgestation stages of development. Examination of these rescued embryos revealed that HNF-4 α was dispensable for specification and early development of the liver. However, HNF-4α −/− fetal livers failed to express a large array of genes whose expression in differentiated hepatocytes is essential for a functional hepatic parenchyma, including genes encoding several apolipoproteins, metabolic proteins, and serum factors. In addition, we have demonstrated that HNF-4α is essential for expression of the transcription factors HNF-1α and PXR within the fetal liver. We therefore conclude that HNF-4 α is both essential for hepatocyte differentiation during mammalian liver development and also crucial for metabolic regulation and liver function.
Japan Earthquake—When the Big One Hit [Associate Editor's View] (2011)

Japan is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It lies across four slabs of rock, known as tectonic plates, that cause earthquakes when they rub against each other. Experts believe that Tokyo, which sits on a major fault line, has been overdue for a strong earthquake for decades. The problem, according to Prof. Keiji Doi from Tokyo University's Earthquake Research Institute, is there's no way of knowing when it will happen.
Evaluation of monoclonal antibody-based capture enzyme immunoassays for detection of specific antibodies to measles virus (1991)

Monoclonal antibodies to the hemagglutinin protein, fusion protein, phosphoprotein, matrix protein, and nucleoprotein of measles virus were evaluated as detector antibodies in capture enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for the detection of specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antibodies to measles virus. A pool of monoclonal antibodies to hemagglutinin protein and nucleoprotein proved optimal and was further evaluated. Specific IgM was detected in 97% of adolescents with clinical measles, 97% of infants 3 weeks postvaccination, and less than 1% of normal serum specimens. Specific IgA antibodies were found in 97% of adolescents with clinical measles, 97% of infants 3 weeks postvaccination, and less than 1% of normal serum specimens. Specific IgA antibodies were found in 97% of clinical measles cases and vaccinees, in 26% of healthy persons, and in 36% of infants 8 months postvaccination; consequently, IgA antibodies were not a useful indicator of recent measles infection. A significant increase in IgG antibodies between paired specimens was detected in 92% of clinical cases and all vaccinees. Only 59% of infant specimens had persistent IgG antibodies as detected by capture EIA at 8 months postvaccination, whereas all specimens had antibodies as detected by hemagglutination inhibition and plaque neutralization. An alternative indirect EIA, in which antigen was directly absorbed to the solid phase, was more sensitive than the capture design, detecting IgG antibodies in all infants postvaccination. When standardized with a microneutralization assay for the detection of persistent antibodies, the indirect IgG EIA gave predictive values for positive and negative tests exceeding 90%. Our capture IgM and indirect IgG EIAs provide a practical combination of serologic tests for the determination of acute measles virus infection and past exposure to measles virus or vaccine, respectively.
Parametric resonance of a spherical bubble (1991)

We modify a recent theory of Longuet-Higgins (1989 a, b ) to study the resonant interaction between an isotropic mode and one or two distort ional modes of an oscillating bubble in water when the isotropic mode is forced by ambient sound. Gravity and buoyant rise are ignored. The energy exchange between modes is strong enough so that both (or all three) can attain comparable amplitudes after a long time. We show that for two-mode interactions the mode-coupling equations are similar to those studied in other physical contexts such as nonlinear optics, coupled oscillators and standing waves in a basin. Instability around fixed points is examined for various bubble radii, phase mismatch, and detuning of the external forcing. Numerical evidences of chaotic bubble oscillations and sound radiation are discussed. It is found that in a certain parameter domain, Hopf bifurcations are possible, and chaos is reached via a period-doubling sequence. However, when there are three interacting modes, each of the two distortion modes interacts with the breathing mode directly and the route to chaos is via a quasi-periodic 2-torus. Possible relevance of this theory to the observed erratic drifting of a bubble is discussed.
Lymphotoxin is expressed as a heteromeric complex with a distinct 33-kDa glycoprotein on the surface of an activated human T cell hybridoma. (1992)

We characterized the membrane-associated form of lymphotoxin (surface LT) on the activated II-23.D7 T cell hybridoma. Antibodies to rLT precipitated both surface LT and a distinct 33-kDa glycoprotein (p33). Because p33 and surface LT were antigenically unrelated, their coprecipitation suggested a physical association of p33 and surface LT on the membrane. Pulse-chase analysis indicated that LT and p33 associate with each other early in the LT biosynthetic pathway, precluding the possibility that LT is secreted and bound to p33 or a surface receptor. Furthermore, no p33 was associated with the secreted form of LT. Isoelectric focusing of surface LT and p33 under nondenaturing and denaturing conditions confirmed that surface LT and p33 existed as a complex. Treatment of cells with a high concentration of salt or with acid indicated that surface LT is a peripheral membrane protein. Although secreted LT is a homologous trimer, protein cross-linking studies revealed that surface LT existed as a monomer associated with a dimer of p33. Together the results demonstrate a novel mechanism for stable membrane expression of LT by activated T cells.
Formation of the transcription initiation complex on mammalian rDNA. (1986)

Steps for the formation of transcription initiation complex on the human rRNA gene (rDNA) in vitro were analyzed with partially purified transcription factors and RNA polymerase I. The reaction requires at least two factors besides RNA polymerase I for maximal efficiency. Preincubation and short-pulse analyses of the accurate transcripts revealed the following steps. First, the species-dependent factor, designated TFID, bound to the rDNA template, forming a preinitiation complex (PIC-1) which was resistant to a moderate concentration (0.015 to 0.02%) of Sarkosyl. Other factors, designated TFIA and RNA polymerase I, were then added to convert it to the final preinitiation complex PIC-3. This complex incorporated the first two nucleoside triphosphates of the starting site to complete the initiation complex (IC), which was resistant to a high concentration (0.2%) of Sarkosyl. Binding of TFID was rate limiting in the overall initiation reaction in vitro. Together with the kinetics of incorporation, the results are interpreted to mean that TFID, one bound, remains complexed with rDNA together with TFIA as the PIC-2 for many rounds of transcription by RNA polymerase I. Thus, the formation of PIC-2 may be a prerequisite for the stable opening of rDNA for transcription in vivo.
Molecular Cloning of a Novel Ubiquitin-specific Protease, UBP41, with Isopeptidase Activity in Chick Skeletal Muscle (1997)

A cDNA encoding a new ubiquitin-specific protease, UBP41, in chick skeletal muscle was cloned using an Escherichia coli-based in vivo screening method. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cDNA containing an open reading frame of 1,071 base pairs revealed that the protease consists of 357 residues with a calculated molecular mass of 40,847 Da, and is related to members of the UBP family containing highly conserved Cys and His domains. Chick UBP41 was expressed in E. coli and purified from the cells to apparent homogeneity, using 125I-labeled ubiquitin-alphaNH-MHISPPEPESEEEEEHYC as a substrate. The purified enzyme behaved as an approximately 43-kDa protein under both denaturing and nondenaturing conditions, suggesting that it consists of a single polypeptide chain. Like other deubiquitinating enzymes, it was sensitive to inhibition by ubiquitin-aldehyde and sulfhydryl blocking agents, such as N-ethylmaleimide. The UBP41 protease cleaved at the C terminus of the ubiquitin moiety in natural and engineered fusions irrespective of their sizes; thus, it is active against ubiquitin-beta-galactosidase as well as ubiquitin C-terminal extension protein of 80 amino acids. UBP41 also released free ubiquitin from poly-His-tagged di-ubiquitin. Moreover, it converted poly-ubiquitinated lysozyme conjugates to mono-ubiquitinated forms of about 24 kDa, although the latter molecules were not further degraded to free ubiquitin and lysozyme. These results suggest that UBP41 may play an important role in the recycling of ubiquitin by hydrolysis of branched poly-ubiquitin chains generated by the action of 26 S proteasome on poly-ubiquitinated protein substrates, as well as in the production of free ubiquitin from linear poly-ubiquitin chains and of certain ribosomal proteins from ubiquitin fusion proteins.
ChemInform Abstract: Emerging Therapeutic Advances for the Development of Second Generation Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors (1997)

Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
The promise of circulating tumor cell analysis in cancer management (2014)

Enumeration and molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells isolated from peripheral blood of patients with cancer can aid selection of targeted therapy for patients, monitoring of response to therapies and optimization of drug development, while also providing valuable information about intratumoral heterogeneity.
The distribution of DNA translocation times in solid-state nanopores (2010)

This paper systematically investigates the effects of solution viscosity, applied voltage and DNA chain length on the distribution of DNA translocation times through 8 ± 2 nm diameter silicon nitride nanopores. Linear dsDNA translocation events were selected based on the magnitude of current blockage and accumulated into scatter plots of current blockage and event duration (translocation time). The translocation time distribution was fitted to the solution of a Smoluchowski-type equation for 1D biased diffusion to a sink. The DNA drifting speed under bias and diffusion constant were extracted from the fits as functions of solution viscosity, applied voltage and DNA chain length. Combined with the Einstein-Smoluchowski relation, this model allowed evaluation of the viscous drag force on DNA molecules. This model also allowed estimation of the uncertainty in determining the DNA chain length due to the influence of friction on the spread of translocation times in a nanopore measurement. The data analysis suggests that the simple 1D biased diffusion model fits the experimental data well for a wide range of conditions. Some deviations from predicted behavior were observed and show where additional phenomena are likely to contribute to the distribution of DNA translocation times.
Broiler Performance with DSS40 Yucca Saponin in Combination with Monensin (1982)

DSS40 yucca saponin was fed at 63 ppm (approximately .9 ppm active steroid saponin) in combination with monensin at 99 ppm or 121 ppm in an experiment using 1224 commercial straight-run broilers. Yucca saponin added to broiler diets did not significantly increase body weights; however, it improved (P≤.05) feed efficiency of broilers when fed with 121 ppm of monensin. Results showed no significant differences in mortality, shank pigmentation, or litter moisture.