gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Contralateral corticothalamic projections from MI whisker cortex: Potential route for modulating hemispheric interactions (2008)

Rat whisking behavior is characterized by high amounts of bilateral coordination in which whisker movements on both sides of the face are linked. To elucidate the neural substrate that might mediate this bilateral coordination, neuronal tracers were used to characterize the bilateral distribution of corticothalamic projections from primary motor (MI) cortex. Some rats received tracers in the MI whisker region, whereas others received tracers in the MI forepaw region. The MI whisker region projects bilaterally to the anteromedial (AM), ventromedial (VM), and ventrolateral (VL) nuclei, and to parts of the intralaminar nuclei. By contrast, the MI forepaw region sends virtually no projections to the contralateral thalamus. Consistent with these findings, bilateral injections of different tracers into the MI whisker region of each hemisphere produced tracer overlap on both sides of the thalamus. Furthermore, MI whisker projections to the contralateral thalamus terminate in close proximity to the thalamocortical neurons that project to the MI whisker region of that contralateral hemisphere. The terminal endings of the contralateral corticothalamic projections contain small synaptic varicosities and other features that resemble the modulator pathways described for other corticothalamic projection systems. In addition, tracer injections into AM, VM, and VL revealed dense clusters of labeled neurons in layer VI of the medial agranular (Agm) zone, which corresponds to the MI whisker region. These results suggest that projections from the MI whisker region to the contralateral thalamus may modulate the callosal interactions that are presumed to play a role in coordinating bilateral whisking behavior.
Secret key agreement by public discussion from common information (1993)

The problem of generating a shared secret key S by two parties knowing dependent random variables X and Y, respectively, but not sharing a secret key initially, is considered. An enemy who knows the random variable Z, jointly distributed with X and Y according to some probability distribution P/sub XYZ/, can also receive all messages exchanged by the two parties over a public channel. The goal of a protocol is that the enemy obtains at most a negligible amount of information about S. Upper bounds on H(S) as a function of P/sub XYZ/ are presented. Lower bounds on the rate H(S)/N (as N to infinity ) are derived for the case in which X=(X/sub 1/, . . ., X/sub N/), Y=(Y/sub 1/, . . ., Y/sub N/) and Z=(Z/sub 1/, . . ., Z/sub N/) result from N independent executions of a random experiment generating X/sub i/, Y/sub i/ and Z/sub i/ for i=1, . . ., N. It is shown that such a secret key agreement is possible for a scenario in which all three parties receive the output of a binary symmetric source over independent binary symmetric channels, even when the enemy's channel is superior to the other two channels.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
High-efficiency drive due to power factor control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (1995)

A drive system of a permanent magnet motor without a magnetic position detector is described. Generally, the position data of a magnet is obtained from the terminal voltage of the motor. In the newly developed method, the inverter DC-link current waveform provides the control signal for driving a permanent magnet motor without a detector. Since the power factor of the motor is controlled around 1.0, the motor runs at a higher efficiency than one controlled by the conventional method. Therefore, this control method saves energy. Current pulsation induced by sudden load fluctuations has been studied and its stabilization has been achieved. This paper provides the principle and operation of the new control method, simulated characteristics, and experimental results.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
The Ophthalmoscope: Helmholtz’s Augenspiegel (2009)

The origins of Helmholtz's invention of the ophthalmoscope are found in the ancient observation that the back of the eye appeared black. In 1703, Jean Méry reported that the luminosity of the cat's eye could be seen when the animal was held under water, and Mariotte observed that a dog's eye was luminous but erroneously thought this was because its choroid was white. Prévost made a breakthrough when he deduced it was incident light and not light coming out of the eye. Purkinje and von Brucke used lenses to attempt to see the fundus and almost succeeded. However, it was Helmholtz who created the first useable ophthalmoscope, whose development and clinical application are traced in this paper. One of the greatest physical scientists in many spheres of learning, his biography is briefly sketched.
Comparison of the phenotypes of Streptococcus zooepidemicus isolated from tonsils of healthy horses and specimens obtained from foals and donkeys with pneumonia (2000)

An SzP-specific immunoblot is a useful, sensitive measure of diversity among strains of S. zooepidemicus. Single strains with SzP phenotypes similar to those found in tonsils of healthy horses cause pneumonia. Because of the diversity of SzP phenotype and genotype among isolates from animals with pneumonia, SzP phenotype is not an important determinant of invasiveness or epizootic capabilities.
A Selective Electrochemical Approach to Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors (2004)

Commercial fabrication of field-effect transistors (FETs) using carbon nanotubes has been hindered as all current production procedures yield a mixture of metallic and semiconducting tubes. Herein, we present a generic approach utilizing electrochemistry for selective covalent modification of metallic nanotubes, resulting in exclusive electrical transport through the unmodified semiconducting tubes. Toward this goal, the semiconducting tubes are rendered nonconductive by application of an appropriate gate voltage prior to the electrochemical modification. The FETs fabricated in this manner display good hole mobilities and a ratio approaching 106 between the current in the ON and OFF state.
Study of an ultrahigh-numerical-aperture fiber continuum generation source for optical coherence tomography (2002)

The axial resolution of optical coherence tomography images is primarily dependent on the bandwidth of the illumination source. Continuum generation is one way to generate the single-mode, high-bandwidth light needed for point illumination. We present an inexpensive and easy-to-implement augmentation to a Ti:sapphire laser that widens the bandwidth from 20 to over 200 nm with commerically available ultrahigh-numerical-aperture fiber. This technique can provide a readily available broad-bandwidth source for researchers and a practical enhancement to a fiber-optic optical coherence tomography system.
Long-Lasting, Antinociceptive Effects of pH-Sensitive Niosomes Loaded with Ibuprofen in Acute and Chronic Models of Pain (2019)

Ibuprofen is one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) widely used to treat pain conditions. NSAIDs encounter several obstacles to passing across biological membranes. To overcome these constraints, we decided to study the effects of a new pH-sensitive formulation of niosomes containing Polysorbate 20 derivatized by Glycine and loaded with ibuprofen (NioIbu) in several animal models of pain in mice. We performed two tests commonly used to study acute antinociceptive activity, namely the writhing test and the capsaicin test. Our results demonstrated that NioIbu, administered 2 h before testing, reduced nociception, whereas the free form of ibuprofen was ineffective. In a model of inflammatory pain, hyperalgesia induced by zymosan, NioIbu induced a long-lasting reduction in hyperalgesia in treated mice. In a model of neuropathic pain induced by sciatic nerve chronic constriction, NioIbu reduced both neuropathy-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia. The results obtained in our experiments suggest that pH-sensitive niosomes containing Polysorbate 20 derivatized by Glycine is an effective model for NSAIDs delivery, providing durable antinociceptive effects and reducing the incidence of side effects.
Endothelial Cells Are Main Producers of Interleukin 8 through Toll-Like Receptor 2 and 4 Signaling during Bacterial Infection in Leukopenic Cancer Patients (2003)

Cancer patients who are leukopenic due to chemotherapy are susceptible to bacterial infections. Normally, clinical conditions during bacterial infections are caused by pathogen-associated molecular patterns, which are components that bind to Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 (TLR-2) and TLR-4 on leukocytes, resulting in the production of inflammatory cytokines. The mechanism of this inflammatory response in cancer patients with diminished numbers of leukocytes is not completely clear. The levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha measured in the circulation of leukopenic cancer patients are lower than those measured in that of nonleukopenic patients during bacterial infections, whereas plasma interleukin 8 (IL-8) levels show distinct identical increases during bacterial infections in both leukopenic and nonleukopenic patients. Normally, these cytokines are mainly secreted by leukocytes. In cancer patients with bacterial infections and a diminished number of leukocytes, other sources of IL-8 production, such as endothelial cells, might be expected. Endothelial cells instead of leukocytes become the most important producers of IL-8 during bacterial infections in patients with chemotherapy-induced leukopenia through TLR-2 and TLR-4 signaling. Whole blood samples from six cancer patients were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and then IL-8 concentrations in supernatants were measured. Further, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with sera from leukopenic cancer patients with or without bacterial infections, and then IL-8 concentrations in supernatants were measured (n = 6). In addition, the same HUVEC experiment was performed with the addition of neutralizing antibodies against TLR-2 and TLR-4. During leukopenia (<10(9) cells/liter), LPS stimulation of whole blood did not result in an increase in IL-8 levels. However, when endothelial cells were incubated with sera from leukopenic cancer patients during bacterial infections, a three- to eightfold increase in IL-8 production was found, compared to the IL-8 production found after incubation with sera from patients without signs of infections. This increase did not reflect a higher level of IL-8 already present in the sera. Further, we demonstrated that IL-8 production induced in endothelial cells by sera from patients with documented gram-negative infections could be reduced significantly by up to 40% when the cells were incubated with neutralizing antibodies against TLR-4 (P = 0.028). The addition of TLR-2 antibodies slightly enhanced the reduction of IL-8 production. These results suggest that during bacterial infections in cancer patients with markedly diminished numbers of leukocytes, endothelial cells become important producers of IL-8 through TLR-4 signaling and, to a lesser extent, TLR-2 signaling.
β2‐Adrenoceptors and non‐β‐adrenoceptors mediate effects of BRL37344 and clenbuterol on glucose uptake in soleus muscle: studies using knockout mice (2009)

Ten nM BRL37344 and 100 nM clenbuterol have opposite effects on glucose uptake but both effects are mediated by the beta(2)-adrenoceptor - apparently an example of agonist-directed signalling. Ten pM BRL37344, 10 pM clenbuterol and 100 nM clenbuterol in the presence of ICI118551 stimulate glucose uptake via beta-adrenoceptor-independent mechanisms, demonstrating unknown properties for the agonists.
Mutations in exon 3 of the β-catenin gene are rare in melanoma cell lines (2002)

Mutations in exon 3 of the CTNNB1 gene encoding beta-catenin have been reported in colorectal cancer cell lines and tumours. Although one study reported mutations or deletions affecting beta-catenin in 20% of melanoma cell lines, subsequent reports detected a much lower frequency of aberrations in uncultured melanomas. To determine whether this difference in mutation frequency reflected an in vitro culturing artefact, exon 3 of CTNNB1 was screened in a panel of 62 melanoma cell lines. In addition, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect intragenic deletions affecting exon 3. One out of 62 (1.6%) cell lines was found to carry a mutation, indicating that aberration of the Wnt-1/wingless pathway through activation of beta-catenin is a rare event, even in melanoma cell lines.
Association between clinical disease activity and Epstein–Barr virus reactivation in MS (2000)

The results demonstrate an association between EBV reactivation and disease activity in MS patients over time, and suggest that EBV might play an indirect role in MS as an activator of the underlying disease process.
Reconstructing the Discontinuous and Conformational β1/β3‐Loop Binding Site on hFSH/hCG by Using Highly Constrained Multicyclic Peptides (2014)

Making peptide-based molecules that mimic functional interaction sites on proteins remains a challenge in biomedical sciences. Here, we present a robust technology for the covalent assembly of highly constrained and discontinuous binding site mimics, the potential of which is exemplified for structurally complex binding sites on the "Cys-knot" proteins hFSH and hCG. Peptidic structures were assembled by Ar(CH2 Br)2-promoted peptide cyclizations, combined with oxime ligation and disulfide formation. The technology allows unprotected side chain groups and is applicable to peptides of different lengths and nature. A tetracyclic FSH mimic was constructed, showing >600-fold improved binding compared to linear or monocyclic controls. Binding of a tricyclic hCG mimic to anti-hCG mAb 8G5 was identical to hCG itself (IC50 =260 vs. 470 pM), whereas this mimic displayed an IC50 value of 149 nM for mAb 3468, an hCG-neutralizing antibody with undetectable binding to either linear or monocyclic controls.
ChemInform Abstract: Supported Metal Clusters: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalysis (1995)

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.
Computational and Experimental Advances in Drug Repositioning for Accelerated Therapeutic Stratification (2015)

Drug repositioning is an important component of therapeutic stratification in the precision medicine paradigm. Molecular profiling and more sophisticated analysis of longitudinal clinical data are refining definitions of human diseases, creating needs and opportunities to re-target or reposition approved drugs for alternative indications. Drug repositioning studies have demonstrated success in complex diseases requiring improved therapeutic interventions as well as orphan diseases without any known treatments. An increasing collection of available computational and experimental methods that leverage molecular and clinical data enable diverse drug repositioning strategies. Integration of translational bioinformatics resources, statistical methods, chemoinformatics tools and experimental techniques (including medicinal chemistry techniques) can enable the rapid application of drug repositioning on an increasingly broad scale. Efficient tools are now available for systematic drug-repositioning methods using large repositories of compounds with biological activities. Medicinal chemists along with other translational researchers can play a key role in various aspects of drug repositioning. In this review article, we briefly summarize the history of drug repositioning, explain concepts behind drug repositioning methods, discuss recent computational and experimental advances and highlight available open access resources for effective drug repositioning investigations. We also discuss recent approaches in utilizing electronic health record for outcome assessment of drug repositioning and future avenues of drug repositioning in the light of targeting disease comorbidities, underserved patient communities, individualized medicine and socioeconomic impact.
Impaired Insulin Secretion in Human Diabetes Mellitus: The Effect of Naloxone-Induced Opiate Receptor Blockade (1982)

Human diabetes mellitus is characterized by impaired insulin response to intravenous glucose. In search of possible factors which impair insulin release, we have investigated the effect of naloxone, a specific opiate receptor blocker, on insulin responses to glucose in subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes, as well as in normal subjects. Naloxone was given as a priming dose of 0.4 mg followed by a constant infusion of either 0.4 mg (N = 7), 2 mg (N = 7), or 4 mg (N = 8) for 90 min. Acute insulin response to glucose (mean change 3-10 min insulin), second phase insulin secretion (change 10-60 min), as well as glucose disappearance rates (%/min) were significantly increased in the diabetics receiving the two higher doses of naloxone (2 and 4 mg, respectively). None of these effects were seen in diabetics receiving saline or in normal subjects receiving naloxone. These results seem to suggest that sensitivity to endogenous opiates may play some part in non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Proton spin diffusion as a tool for characterizing polymer blends (1990)

Abstract Proton spin diffusion studies for characterizing minimum domain dimensions have been carried out on three blends: a 40/60 blend of nylon 6,6 with the aromatic rigid rod polymer poly(benzo[ a,d ]dithiazol‐2,6‐diyl‐1,4‐phenylene ) , PBZT, a 47/53 blend of an amorphous nylon with PBZT, and a 50/50 blend of a polyetherimide (PEI) and a polybenzimidazole (PBI). Polarization gradients necessary for these experiments were generated using both chemical shift differences (via multiple pulse techniques) and linewidth differences. Polarization readout techniques included proton lineshape deconvolution, multiple pulse proton lineshapes and 13 C CPMAS spectra utilizing short CP times. The two nylon/PBZT blends are expected to phase separate from thermodynamic arguments; however, kinetic considerations, more than thermodynamics, determine domain size. In the 40/60 blend, the minimum domain dimensions of each of the nylon and the PBZT phases were about 4 nm with some scattered larger crystals of nylon. In the 47/53 blend, mixing in some regions indicated domain dimensions similar to the 40/60 blend. In contrast to the 40/60 blend, however, the 47/53 blend was still far from internal spin polarization equilibrium after spin diffusion times of 140 ms. The implication is that the sample‐average composition is not found over dimensions like 40 nm; the problem is that the possible morphological explanations are manifold. By investigating the proton rotating frame relaxation, T 1 p , the possibility that some of the PBZT domains are isolated from the nylon, in a spin diffusion sense, was eliminated. It is more likely that about half of the nylon protons are isolated by spin diffusion from the PBZT protons on a 140 ms timescale. The PEI/PBI blend is a compatible blend of two aromatic polymers where mixing on a molecular scale is expected. We were interested in a measurement of the lower limit of domain size using proton spin diffusion. This lower limit turned out to be about 2.5 nm based on low temperature T 1 p measurements as opposed to room temperature multiple pulse methods. The latter measurements monitored the disappearance of a polarization gradient between the PEI methyl protons and all the remaining protons. The superiority of the T 1 p measurements over the multiple pulse method for establishing the smaller minimum domain dimension is not a general result and reasons are discussed. Finally, some general remarks about characterizing polymer blends by solid state NMR, particularly blends which have undergone spinodal phase separation, are included.
Signaling through fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b plays a key role in the development of the exocrine pancreas (1999)

The development of the pancreas depends on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs 1-4) have been identified as mediators of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in different organs. We show here that FGFR-2 IIIb and its ligands FGF-1, FGF-7, and FGF-10 are expressed throughout pancreatic development. We also show that in mesenchyme-free cultures of embryonic pancreatic epithelium FGF-1, FGF-7, and FGF-10 stimulate the growth, morphogenesis, and cytodifferentiation of the exocrine cells of the pancreas. The role of FGFs signaling through FGFR-2 IIIb was further investigated by inhibiting FGFR-2 IIIb signaling in organocultures of pancreatic explants (epithelium + mesenchyme) by using either antisense FGFR-2 IIIb oligonucleotides or a soluble recombinant FGFR-2 IIIb protein. Abrogation of FGFR-2 IIIb signaling resulted in a considerable reduction in the size of the explants and in a 2-fold reduction of the development of the exocrine cells. These results demonstrate that FGFs signaling through FGFR-2 IIIb play an important role in the development of the exocrine pancreas.
Detection and mapping of amplified DNA sequences in breast cancer by comparative genomic hybridization. (1994)

Comparative genomic hybridization was applied to 5 breast cancer cell lines and 33 primary tumors to discover and map regions of the genome with increased DNA-sequence copy-number. Two-thirds of primary tumors and almost all cell lines showed increased DNA-sequence copy-number affecting a total of 26 chromosomal subregions. Most of these loci were distinct from those of currently known amplified genes in breast cancer, with sequences originating from 17q22-q24 and 20q13 showing the highest frequency of amplification. The results indicate that these chromosomal regions may contain previously unknown genes whose increased expression contributes to breast cancer progression. Chromosomal regions with increased copy-number often spanned tens of Mb, suggesting involvement of more than one gene in each region.
Equilibrium swelling and kinetics of pH-responsive hydrogels: models, experiments, and simulations (2002)

The widespread application of ionic hydrogels in a number of applications like control of microfluidic flow, development of muscle-like actuators, filtration/separation and drug delivery makes it important to properly understand these materials. Understanding hydrogel properties is also important from the standpoint of their similarity to many biological tissues. Typically, gel size is sensitive to outer solution pH and salt concentration. In this paper, we develop models to predict the swelling/deswelling of hydrogels in buffered pH solutions. An equilibrium model has been developed to predict the degree of swelling of the hydrogel at a given pH and salt concentration in the solution. A kinetic model has been developed to predict the rate of swelling of the hydrogel when the solution pH is changed. Experiments are performed to characterize the mechanical properties of the hydrogel in different pH solutions. The degree of swelling as well as the rate of swelling of the hydrogel are also studied through experiments. The simulations are compared with experimental results and the models are found to predict the swelling/deswelling processes accurately.
Experimental Modal Analysis on a Rotating Fan Using Tracking-CSLDV (2010)

FIGURE 3. Type series of Cnemaspis monachorum (left to right ZRC 2.6775–76, LSUHC 9118, ZRC 2.6774 [holotype]).