gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of lignocellulose as feedstock for biological production of super absorbent polymers (2010)

Super absorbent polymers (SAP) can absorb liquid many times its own weight and is used in diapers and incontinence pads. The most common type of SAP is cross-linked polyacrylic acid. The production of acrylic acid uses crude oil as starting material. This means that the final price of acrylic acid is affected by the price of crude oil which is expected to rise. This has led to an increasing interest in developing a sustainable bioproduction process that uses renewable lignocellulosic raw material for the making of acrylic acid. Lignocellulose is the material that plants and trees consist of and it contains big amounts of sugar. Sugar molecules in lignocellulose can serve as substrate for microorganisms that can transform them into 3-hydroxipropionic acid, which in turn can be converted to acrylic acid. In order to use the sugar molecules from lignocellulose, some type of pretreatment is required. However, the pretreatments that are available today are not efficient enough to be applied on a large scale and some also cause the formation of microbial inhibitors. The microbial conversion of sugar to 3-hydroxipropionic acid do not show sufficient efficacy so far, but the process is under development and improvements are regularly made. Furthermore would it be advantageous if polymerization of acrylic acid could be made directly in the fermentation broth without any energy consuming separation stepsAttempts to polymerize acrylic acid in fermentations broths from yeast have been performed. The SAP properties; absorption capacity, absorption capacity under pressure and gel strength were evaluated by methods commonly used in the hygiene industry. These characteristics are important if the SAP is to be used in diapers and incontinence pads. To examine what compounds in the fermentations broth that affected the polymerization process and SAP properties, an experimental design was made. With help of the design quantitative and statistical methods were used to determine which compound had an impact. Four groups of compounds were selected for examination; sugars, alcohols, acids and aromatic compounds. The results of the experiments conducted showed that it is possible to polymerize SAP in fermentation broth from yeast using acid pretreated spruce as sugar source. The characterization showed that the absorption capacity was unchanged while the gel strength deteriorated significantly. It was also noted that SAP polymerized in fermentations broths had strong colors in contrast to conventional SAP, which is white. Qualitative and statistical analysis showed that the aromatic compounds affected the polymerization and SAP properties negative.
Novel technology for the provision of power to implantable physiological devices (2007)

We report the development of a novel technology that enables the wireless transmission of sufficient amounts of power to implantable physiological devices. The system involves a primary unit generating the magnetic field and a secondary pickup unit deriving power from the magnetic field and a power conditioner. The inductively coupled system was able to supply a minimum of 20 mW at all locations and pickup orientations across a rat cage, although much higher power of up to 10 W could be achieved. We hypothesized that it would be possible to use this technology to record a high-fidelity ECG signal in a conscious rat. A device was constructed in which power was utilized to recharge a battery contained within a telemetry device recording ECG signal sampled at 2,000 Hz in conscious rats (200-350 g) living in their home cage. Attributes of the ECG signal (QT, QRS, and PR interval) could be obtained with a high degree of accuracy (<1 ms). ECG and heart rate changes in response to treatment with the beta blocker propranolol and the proarrhythmic alkaloid aconitine were measured. Transmitters were implanted for up to 4 mo, and the characteristic circadian variation in heart rate was recorded. Such technology allows potentially lifetime monitoring without the need for implant refurbishment. The ability to provide suitable power levels to implanted devices without concern to the orientation of the device and without causing heating provides the basis for the development of new devices to record or influence physiological signals in animals or humans over significantly longer time periods than can currently be accommodated.
Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by triethylboron–oxygen mixtures (1962)

Abstract The effect of oxygen on the rate of polymerization of methyl methacrylate catalyzed by triethylboron has been investigated at temperatures in the range 0–52°C. In the absence of oxygen polymerization does not occur, but formation of polymer begins immediately on admission of oxygen. Polymerization is characterized by a decrease in rate with increasing conversion which is most pronounced when the concentrations of oxygen and triethylboron are greatly different. The initial rate of polymerization is proportional to the square root of the oxygen concentration and inversely proportional to the degree of polymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate) formed, confirming the radical nature of the polymerization. The apparent activation energy for the polymerization was unusually low, only 4 kcal./mole. A mechanism in which initiating radicals are produced by a sequence of reactions involving autoxidation of the boron alkyl to peroxide followed by induced decomposition of the peroxide by excess boron alkyl is suggested.
Compaction of ion-implanted fused silica (1974)

Ion-bombardment-induced compaction of fused silica is measured using a cantilever plate technique for H, He, O, Ne, and A ions with a variety of ion energies. A phenomenological theory is developed which is based on the superposition of two independent compaction mechanisms, one proportional to the density of energy deposited into atomic collisions and the other dependent on the density of energy deposited into electronic excitations. All the present experimental data can be fit to within experimental error with the model using only three adjustable parameters and ion-energy partitioning calculations. Further substantiation of the present energy partitioning calculations and model are provided by showing the proportionality between the density of energy deposited into atomic collisions and other workers' published results for ion-bombardment-induced index-of-refraction changes in quartz and fused silica. It is concluded that the atomic-collision-induced-compaction and index-of-refraction changes are ion independent. Finally, a dose-rate dependence of the ionization-induced compaction is noted for the first time.
Diagnostic value of fecal tumor M2‐pyruvate kinase for CRC screening: A systematic review and meta‐analysis (2012)

The measurement of fecal tumor M2-pyruvate kinase (PKM2), overexpressed in tumor cells, has been proposed as a novel tool for detecting colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the sensitivity and specificity of this test varied among studies. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of fecal PKM2 for CRC and to evaluate its utility in the CRC screening. It was compared to guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) or immunological fecal occult blood test (iFOBT). Through comprehensive literature search, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. Summary estimates for sensitivity and specificity were calculated by using the bivariate random effect model. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve was also undertaken. The overall sensitivity and specificity of fecal PKM2 for detecting CRC were 79% (95% CI = 75-83%) and 81% (95% CI = 73-87%), respectively. The summary positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 74% (95% CI = 56-87%) and 86% (95% CI = 79-91%), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 16 (95% CI = 10-26). In head-to-head comparison, the diagnostic odds ratio of PKM2 and gFOBT for CRC were 10.167 (95% CI = 5.992-17.250) and 6.557 (95% CI = 3.467-12.403), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio of PKM2 and iFOBT for CRC were 9.542 (95% CI = 5.893-15.452) and 67.248 (95% CI = 16.194-279.26), respectively. The fecal PKM2 test was a diagnostic tool with moderate sensitivity and specificity for detecting CRC. Its diagnostic efficiency was similar to that of gFOBT. Because of its relatively low specificity and positive predict value, fecal PKM2 was not recommended used alone as a screening tool for CRC.
Self-assembled vertical GaN nanorods grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (2003)

Dislocation-free vertical GaN pillars in nanoscale were grown on Si (111) surface through self-assembly by molecular-beam epitaxy. No extra catalytic or nanostructural assistance has been employed. These nanorods have a lateral dimension from ≲10 nm to ∼800 nm and a height of ≲50 nm to ≳3 μm protruding above the film, depending on the growth parameters. The top view of the nanorods has a hexagonal shape from scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the nanorods are hexagonal, single crystal GaN along the c-axis. An extra peak at 363 nm originated from nanorods was observed in photoluminescence spectra at 66 K, which is ascribed to the surface states according to the results of surface passivation. Micro-Raman spectroscopy on a single nanorod reveals E1 and E2 modes at 559.0 and 567.4 cm−1, respectively. Large strain was observed in both the transmission electron micrograph and the Raman shift. A possible growth mechanism is discussed.
Electrostriction of the copolymer of vinylidene-fluoride and trifluoroethylene (1995)

In the presence of an electrical field, the mechanical behavior of thin films of copolymer of vinylydene-fluoride and trifluoroethylene varies with the annealing temperature. If the film is annealed below the melting point of the copolymer, we observe, before any poling, an electrostriction effect mixed with a piezoelectric one. If the film is annealed above the melting point we observe only an electrostriction effect before the poling and a piezoelectric one after. The high value of the electrostriction coefficient obtained before poling could be used for actuators application.
ATM networking and video-coding techniques for QOS control in B-ISDN (1993)

Integration of video services are addressed. The view that various types of end-to-end quality of service (QOS) for video communications, ranging from videophone to high-definition television (HDTV), should be supported to utilize broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) services and video data is expressed. End-to-end QOS is recognized as a function of terminal capability and network performance. The key feature of B-ISDN is that both terminal capability and network performance are selectable and controllable. In order to capture the basic characteristics of end-to-end QOS, it is necessary to conduct experiments using a prototype system. A prototype system comprising an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch and video codecs is presented. The ATM switch is based on distributed-memory-switch architecture and it will provide for nonblocking cell-switching capability with a very low cell-transfer delay. Developed codecs conform to H.261 with an additional function of controlling average coding bit rate. The coding bit rate is chosen as a parameter of terminal capability and the cell-loss ratio is chosen as a parameter of network performance. From experiments using a prototype system, a relationship between coding bit rate and cell-loss ratio is obtained.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
Blood oxygen level measurement with a chest-based Pulse Oximetry prototype system (2010)

This paper presents a prototyped novel chest-based Pulse Oximetry system, and reports on test results from comparative trials with a commercially available finger-based Pulse Oximetry system using several human subjects. The system was iteratively optimized through adjustment of optical component alignment (angular position, component distance, photosensitive area etc.) and through fine-tuning of LED intensity and receiver sensitivity. This work is significant and timely as it provides compelling evidence that SpO 2 measurements from the chest offer a genuine commercial solution for bedside and ambulatory vital-signs monitoring.
Constitutive Activation of the Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor (1998)

The ligand-activated aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) dimerizes with the AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT) to form a functional complex that transactivates expression of the cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 gene and other genes in the dioxin-inducible [Ah] gene battery. Previous work from this laboratory has shown that the activity of the CYP1A1 enzyme negatively regulates this process. To study the relationship between CYP1A1 activity and Ah receptor activation we used CYP1A1-deficient mouse hepatoma c37 cells and CYP1A1- and AHR-deficient African green monkey kidney CV-1 cells. Using gel mobility shift and luciferase reporter gene expression assays, we found that c37 cells that had not been exposed to exogenous Ah receptor ligands already contained transcriptionally active AHR-ARNT complexes, a finding that we also observed in wild-type Hepa-1 cells treated with Ellipticine, a CYP1A1 inhibitor. In CV-1 cells, transient expression of AHR and ARNT leads to high levels of AHR-ARNT-dependent luciferase gene expression even in the absence of an agonist. Using a green fluorescent protein-tagged AHR, we showed that elevated reporter gene expression correlates with constitutive nuclear localization of the AHR. Transcriptional activation of the luciferase reporter gene observed in CV-1 cells is significantly decreased by (i) expression of a functional CYP1A1 enzyme, (ii) competition with chimeric or truncated AHR proteins containing the AHR ligand-binding domain, and (iii) treatment with the AHR antagonist alpha-naphthoflavone. These results suggest that a CYP1A1 substrate, which accumulates in cells lacking CYP1A1 enzymatic activity, is an AHR ligand responsible for endogenous activation of the Ah receptor.
Structural investigation of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate oligosaccharides from human skin fibroblast decorin (2003)

Hybrid chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) glycosaminoglycan chains, derived from decorin secreted by human skin fibroblasts, were shown to interact with FGF-2, as did oligosaccharides derived therefrom by chondroitin B lyase digestion. In a first attempt to identify the biologically active sequence, a novel protocol for structural analysis of enzyme-resistant oligosaccharides larger than standard trisulfated hexasaccharides was developed. The method bases on capillary electrophoresis (CE) for separating oversulfated species in offline combination with nanoelectrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (nanoESI-QTOF-MS/MS) in the negative ion mode. Under optimized CE and ESI-MS conditions, up to 12-mer oligosaccharides with different degrees of sulfation were identified. A novel tandem MS protocol (CID-VE) was applied to elucidate the structure of a previously undescribed pentasulfated CS/DS hexasaccharide, Delta-4,5-IdoAGalNAc[GlcAGalNAc]2(5S). In this molecular species, detected as a triply charged ion at m/z 511.38, three sulfates are found in the IdoAGalNAcGlcA moiety offering two structural variants: one containing sulfated IdoA together with a disulfated GalNAc moiety and in the other one both uronic acids, that is, GlcA and IdoA and the amino sugar each carry a sulfate ester group.
Whole optical wavefields reconstruction by Digital Holography (2001)

In this paper, we have investigated on the potentialities of digital holography for whole reconstruction of wavefields. We show that this technique can be efficiently used for obtaining quantitative information from the intensity and the phase distributions of the reconstructed field at different locations along the propagation direction. The basic concept and procedure of wavefield reconstruction for digital in-line holography is discussed. Numerical reconstructions of the wavefield from digitally recorded in-line hologram patterns and from simulated test patterns are presented. The potential of the method for analysing aberrated wave front has been exploited by applying the reconstruction procedure to astigmatic hologram patterns.
Hypothesis: β-Adrenergic Receptor Blockers and Weight Gain (2001)

One of the arguments put forward against the primary use of beta-blockers has been concern about adverse metabolic effects, such as unfavorable effects on lipids or insulin sensitivity. Another less-appreciated potential drawback is their propensity to cause weight gain in some patients. In 8 evaluable prospective randomized controlled trials that lasted >/=6 months, body weight was higher in the beta-blocker than in the control group at the end of the study. The median difference in body weight was 1.2 kg (range -0.4 to 3.5 kg). A regression analysis suggested that beta-blockers were associated with an initial weight gain during the first few months. Thereafter, no further weight gain compared with controls was apparent. There was no relationship between demographic characteristics and changes in body weight. Based on these observations, the first-line use of beta-blockers in obese hypertensive patients should be reviewed. Obesity management in overweight hypertensive patients may be more difficult in the face of beta-blocker treatment.
Rodent models of rheumatoid arthritis. (2005)

The study of rheumatoid arthritis is greatly facilitated by animal models that enable investigation of a complex system involving inflammation, immunological tolerance, and autoimmunity. Although the models cover several species and pathogenetic mechanisms and can be classified as induced or spontaneous, all converge on arthritis. However, because each model features a different mechanism driving disease expression, the merits of each should be evaluated carefully in making the appropriate choice for the scientific question to be addressed. In addition, because the incidence and kinetics of disease vary by model, careful thought should be given to protocol design to minimize animal use.
An α 2C -Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphism Alters the Norepinephrine-Lowering Effects and Therapeutic Response of the β-Blocker Bucindolol in Chronic Heart Failure (2009)

In the beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial AR polymorphism substudy, the norepinephrine lowering and clinical therapeutic responses to bucindolol were strongly influenced by alpha(2C) receptor genotype.
In situ behavior of human Langerhans cells in skin organ culture. (1995)

Human ELC showed significant phenotypic changes within the epidermis and acquired migratory capacity during the skin organ culture. ELC in skin organ culture appear to undergo a phenotypic maturation within the epidermis. ELC in situ rapidly respond to GM-CSF and TNF-alpha by increasing the expression of CD1a and ICAM-1 molecules, respectively. These results suggest the modulation of phenotypic characteristics of ELC and their migration in response to the changes of epidermal microenvironment and cytokines and implicate the potential use of skin organ culture model to elucidate the role of human ELC in the immunopathology of skin diseases.
Vasopressin V2 receptor antagonists (2002)

Hyponatremia, whether due to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) or disorders of water retention such as congestive heart failure and cirrhosis, is a very common problem encountered in the care of medical patients. To date, available treatment modalities for disorders of excess arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion or action have been limited and suboptimal. The recent discovery and development of nonpeptide AVP V(2) receptor antagonists represents a promising new treatment option to directly antagonize the effects of elevated plasma AVP concentrations at the level of the renal collecting ducts. By decreasing the water permeability of renal collecting tubules, excretion of retained water is promoted, thereby normalizing or improving hypo-osmolar hyponatremia. In this review, SIADH and other water retaining disorders are briefly discussed, after which the published preclinical and clinical studies of several nonpeptide AVP V(2) receptor antagonists are summarized. The likely therapeutic indications and potential complications of these compounds are also described.
MPA Programs in Australia (2005)

Australian universities have established specific Masters programs for public servants over the past twenty years. However, until recently, despite being established, they have not thrived by comparison with MBA and other masters courses in business. It was not easy to attract students and good staff. MPA programs have generally not captured the public sector community's attention in the same way as is the case in a number of US schools of public administration or management. This situation changed in 2003 with the creation of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). This is a consortium of five governments - the Commonwealth government, the New Zealand government, and the three largest state governments - and nine universities set up to provide an Executive Masters in Public Administration. The ANZSOG cohort is composed of future leaders in the opinion of their governments. All students are fully funded by their governments and at a level that is more costly per student than other training. Funding of this scale reflects a major change for governments in Australia. The establishment of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government represents a major change in education of public managers in Australia. There are lessons for other countries in its establishment.
Tumor Response to Radiotherapy Regulated by Endothelial Cell Apoptosis (2003)

About 50% of cancer patients receive radiation therapy. Here we investigated the hypothesis that tumor response to radiation is determined not only by tumor cell phenotype but also by microvascular sensitivity. MCA/129 fibrosarcomas and B16F1 melanomas grown in apoptosis-resistant acid sphingomyelinase (asmase)-deficient or Bax-deficient mice displayed markedly reduced baseline microvascular endothelial apoptosis and grew 200 to 400% faster than tumors on wild-type microvasculature. Thus, endothelial apoptosis is a homeostatic factor regulating angiogenesis-dependent tumor growth. Moreover, these tumors exhibited reduced endothelial apoptosis upon irradiation and, unlike tumors in wild-type mice, they were resistant to single-dose radiation up to 20 grays (Gy). These studies indicate that microvascular damage regulates tumor cell response to radiation at the clinically relevant dose range.
Exosomes as drug carriers for cancer therapy and challenges regarding exosome uptake (2020)

With the development of biomedicine, exosomes are rapidly developing as a new therapy for tumors. As biological carriers, exosomes possess biological activity and can transport their contents between cells. The contents are natural or artificially loaded with biomolecules or chemical drugs. Exosomes deliver biomolecules or chemical drugs into the pathological sites of recipient, which can effectively inhibit the progression of tumors. However, the treatments of tumors through the delivery of exosomes are not sufficiently accurate or efficient, and various challenges need to be overcome. Exosomes from different cell sources possess different characteristics, as well as different specificity for various cells. In the future, for the promotion and application of exosomes, it is of great significance to understand how to select appropriate exosomes loaded with biomolecules or chemical drugs for different tumors types, and how to deliver exosomes to recipient cells accurately and efficiently. This review introduces the application and challenges of exosomes as delivery carriers in tumors.