gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Formulation-assisted biodegradable polymer matrices. (1989)

A method is proposed to control degradation rates of biodegradable polyester matrices for DDS and medical implantable materials. The degradation rates of poly(lactic acid), poly β-hydroxybutyrate and β-hydroxybutyrate-valerate copolymer matrices, which have poor degradability, could be accelerated by incorporating basic compounds, such as cinnarizine and clonidine, as a hydrolysis accelerator. The rates could be controlled by changing the loading amount and the basicity of the basic compounds.
Integrated Synthesis of Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Isobutene, and Glycerol Ethers from Algae (2014)

In this paper, we design an integrated process for the production of diesel substitutes, biodiesel and glycerol ethers, from algae with internal production of the intermediates ethanol and isobutene. The starch from the algae is converted into glucose. Part of it is fermented to ethanol so that we produce the alcohol needed to transesterify the algae oil while the rest is fermented to isobutene, which is needed in the production of glycerol ethers to enhance biofuels production capacity. We use CHEMCAD coupled with MATLAB for the rigorous simulation of the integrated biorefinery and evaluate the algae composition for such integrated facility. This is followed by energy integration using SYNHEAT and a detailed economic analysis. The integrated facility has promising production cost for liquid fuels, 0.46 $/gal, and an investment costs of $205M, almost half the production cost and only and investment $40M above the plant that buys the isobutene from the market.
Evaluation of a new efficient procedure for single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping: tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (2004)

Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) is a new efficient method for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. To determine the optimal conditions for ARMS-PCR we attempted to genotype ten SNPs. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 168 unrelated healthy Japanese volunteers. Two problems inhibited uniform efficiency of the amplification of three bands. The first problem was the lower amplification efficiency of the shorter and allele-specific products compared with the largest product. This phenomenon was overcome by increasing the relative concentration of the inner primers. The second problem was non-specific amplification of the shorter products. To reduce the amplification of these non-specific bands, adjusting any one of the following PCR conditions was effective: i) reducing the ratio of the inner primer concentration relative to that of the outer primers; ii) increasing the annealing temperature for the initial 5-10 cycles; iii) hot start PCR. With these procedures all ten of the SNPs were successfully genotyped. Our present data may be useful in the further application of tetra-primer ARMS-PCR to SNP genotyping.
Reducing C-Terminal-Truncated Alpha-Synuclein by Immunotherapy Attenuates Neurodegeneration and Propagation in Parkinson's Disease-Like Models (2014)

Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are common neurodegenerative disorders of the aging population, characterized by progressive and abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn). Recent studies have shown that C-terminus (CT) truncation and propagation of α-syn play a role in the pathogenesis of PD/DLB. Therefore, we explored the effect of passive immunization against the CT of α-syn in the mThy1-α-syn transgenic (tg) mouse model, which resembles the striato-nigral and motor deficits of PD. Mice were immunized with the new monoclonal antibodies 1H7, 5C1, or 5D12, all directed against the CT of α-syn. CT α-syn antibodies attenuated synaptic and axonal pathology, reduced the accumulation of CT-truncated α-syn (CT-α-syn) in axons, rescued the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase fibers in striatum, and improved motor and memory deficits. Among them, 1H7 and 5C1 were most effective at decreasing levels of CT-α-syn and higher-molecular-weight aggregates. Furthermore, in vitro studies showed that preincubation of recombinant α-syn with 1H7 and 5C1 prevented CT cleavage of α-syn. In a cell-based system, CT antibodies reduced cell-to-cell propagation of full-length α-syn, but not of the CT-α-syn that lacked the 118-126 aa recognition site needed for antibody binding. Furthermore, the results obtained after lentiviral expression of α-syn suggest that antibodies might be blocking the extracellular truncation of α-syn by calpain-1. Together, these results demonstrate that antibodies against the CT of α-syn reduce levels of CT-truncated fragments of the protein and its propagation, thus ameliorating PD-like pathology and improving behavioral and motor functions in a mouse model of this disease.
Directing Silicon–Graphene Self-Assembly as a Core/Shell Anode for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries (2012)

There is great interest in utilization of silicon-containing nanostructures as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries but usually limited by manufacturing cost, their intrinsic low electric conductivity, and large volume changes during cycling. Here we present a facile process to fabricate graphene-wrapped silicon nanowires (GNS@Si NWs) directed by electrostatic self-assembly. The highly conductive and mechanical flexible graphene could partially accommodate the large volume change associated with the conversion reaction and also contributed to the enhanced electronic conductivity. The as-prepared GNS@Si NWs delivered a reversible capacity of 1648 mAh·g(-1) with an initial Coulombic efficiency as high as 80%. Moreover, capacity remained 1335 mAh·g(-1) after 80 cycles at a current of 200 mA·g(-1), showing significantly improved electrochemical performance in terms of rate capability and cycling performance.
Enhancement of collagen-induced arthritis in female mice by estrogen receptor blockage (2001)

These findings show that estrogen-induced suppression of CIA is mediated via the nuclear ERs and is operating at physiologic, possibly even subphysiologic, levels of estrogens.
Cross Bridging Proteins in Nature and their Utilization in Bio- and Nanotechnology (2004)

Cross-linking and cross-bridging are highly versatile methods of creating composite protein structures with desired mechanical properties such as deformation endurance, elasticity, extensibility, and stability under intensive and repetitive sheering forces. Cross-linking and cross-bridging are distinguished by the bonds that hold the structural components together. Cross-linking implies a covalent association, whereas cross-bridging depends on biological recognition, in which hydrogen bonding, ionic, and hydrophobic interactions predominate. Cross-bridged structures are found in all living systems. Cytoskeletal interaction, cell invasion by pathogens, fertilization, and cellulosomal degradation of cellulose are all examples of biological processes in which cross-bridging proteins play a key role. This article will review the different types of biological cross-bridging proteins that are known and discuss their emerging nano- and biotechnological applications.
Fractional nonablative 1540 nm laser resurfacing for thermal burn scars: A randomized controlled trial (2009)

Nonablative 1540 nm fractional laser improves burn scar texture, which raises a new potential for future burn scar treatment.
Coactivator and Promoter-Selective Properties of RNA Polymerase I TAFs (1995)

Human ribosomal RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase I requires the activator UBF and the promoter selectivity factor SL1, which consists of the TATA binding protein (TBP) and three associated subunits, TAFI110, TAFI63, and TAFI48. Here it is shown that both TAFI110 and TAFI63 contact the promoter, whereas TAFI48 serves as a target for interaction with UBF and is required to form a transcriptionally active SL1 complex responsive to UBF in vitro. TAFI48 also alters the ability of TBP to interact with TATA box elements, and the resulting complex fails to support transcription by RNA polymerase II. Thus, TAFI48 may function both as a target to mediate UBF activation and as a class-specific promoter selectivity factor.
Optical properties of specific complexes between complementary oligoribonucleotides (1970)

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTOptical properties of specific complexes between complementary oligoribonucleotidesRobert B. Gennis and Charles R. CantorCite this: Biochemistry 1970, 9, 24, 4714–4723Publication Date (Print):November 1, 1970Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 November 1970https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/bi00826a014https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00826a014research-articleACS PublicationsRequest reuse permissionsArticle Views40Altmetric-Citations14LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail Other access optionsGet e-Alertsclose Get e-Alerts
ANG4043, a Novel Brain-Penetrant Peptide–mAb Conjugate, Is Efficacious against HER2-Positive Intracranial Tumors in Mice (2014)

Anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been shown to reduce tumor size and increase survival in patients with breast cancer, but they are ineffective against brain metastases due to poor brain penetration. In previous studies, we identified a peptide, known as Angiopep-2 (An2), which crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) efficiently via receptor-mediated transcytosis, and, when conjugated, endows small molecules and peptides with this property. Extending this strategy to higher molecular weight biologics, we now demonstrate that a conjugate between An2 and an anti-HER2 mAb results in a new chemical entity, ANG4043, which retains in vitro binding affinity for the HER2 receptor and antiproliferative potency against HER2-positive BT-474 breast ductal carcinoma cells. Unlike the native mAb, ANG4043 binds LRP1 clusters and is taken up by LRP1-expressing cells. Measuring brain exposure after intracarotid delivery, we demonstrate that the new An2-mAb conjugate penetrates the BBB with a rate of brain entry (Kin) of 1.6 × 10(-3) mL/g/s. Finally, in mice with intracranially implanted BT-474 xenografts, systemically administered ANG4043 increases survival. Overall, this study demonstrates that the incorporation of An2 to the anti-HER2 mAb confers properties of increased uptake in brain endothelial cells as well as BBB permeability. These characteristics of ANG4043 result in higher exposure levels in BT-474 brain tumors and prolonged survival following systemic treatment. Moreover, the data further validate the An2-drug conjugation strategy as a way to create brain-penetrant biologics for neuro-oncology and other CNS indications.
Growth and Characterization of Zinc Oxynitride Thin Films by Reactive Gas-Timing RF Magnetron Sputtering (2008)

Nitrogen-doped zinc oxide (N:ZnO) films on glass substrates have been prepared by the reactive gas-timing rf magnetron sputtering of ZnO targets in a mixture of argon and nitrogen gases. Using this gas-timing technique, N:ZnO films were produced without any substrate heating. The nitrogen partial pressure during the sputtering process was periodically controlled by an on-off sequence. The structural and optical properties of the fabricated films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The nitrogen composition of the N:ZnO films was quantified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In this study, we focused on investigating the effects of the nitrogen flow rate and the rf power on the structural properties, the nitrogen doping efficiency, and the optical band gap of N:ZnO films. A slight shift in the optical band gap to a higher energy was found when the nitrogen flow rate was increased or when the rf power was decreased. This coincides with an improvement in the crystallinity of the films. Gas-timing rf magnetron sputtering deposition is a simple method of fine-tuning material properties by slight modifications to the existing sputtering technique.
On the process of cellular division in Escherichia coli: isolation and characterization of penicillin-binding proteins 1a, 1b, and 3. (1980)

Multiple mutants of Escherichia coli defective in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) were constructed, and into these strains Co1E1 plasmids carrying the genes for PBP-1a, -1b, or -3 were introduced. From these plasmid-carrying strains, PBP-1a and -1b were purified by ampicillin-Sepharose affinity chromatography and PBP-3 by cephalexin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Improved purification was achieved by differential elution with NH2OH. Purified PBP-1b synthesized murein when added to the membrane fraction of a PBP-1b-defective mutant, which by itself failed to support murein synthesis in vitro. The PBP-1b preparation was able to synthesize murein from the lipid intermediate extracted with chloroform/methanol but was unable to utilize UDP-linked precursors for murein synthesis. Murein synthesis was inhibited by vancomysin, ristocetin, moenomycin, and enduracidin, but not by beta-lactam antibiotics. The synthesized murein was shown to contain crosslinked muropeptides. Their crosslinking was abolished by action of beta-lactam antibiotics. The PBP-1a and -3 preparations showed substantially no activity for murein synthesis in the same reaction system. None of the three PBPs showed D-alanine carboxypeptidase activity with UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide as substrate or endopeptidase activity with bis(disaccharide-peptide) as substrate.
Pretty fly for a white guy: audio repatriation to Arnhem Land (2009)

Return to Arnhem Land broadcast on ABC Radio National's Radio Eye in 2007 is a significant and culturally important radio documentary. It charts the return of ancient song cycles, recorded in 1948 by ABC broadcaster and sound recordist Colin Simpson and technician Ray Giles, to the Oenpelli community in West Arnhem Land in 2006. It tells, through the eyes and voice of historian, broadcaster and narrator Martin Thomas, how these recordings came to be as he returns them to the community; and what the community makes of them as cultural records: artefacts of cultural heritage. The documentary is stirring and evocative, a hybrid of historical account and personal narrative with shifts in time and place effectively woven together to create a seamless non-linear radio feature. No heavy handed historicism in sight, nor is there any modernist simplification of "truth" or "fidelity"( Sterne 2003). As audience we become witness to an audio event where the past and present seem to collide: ancient songs recorded on wire tape in 1948 are played back to the original descendants and we're privy to this mediated exchange. The return of the sacred/secret songs is declared an act of "cultural repatriation" and is described by the narrator/author as a step towards the Australian "post colonial project" (Thomas 2006).
Semiautomated Border Tracking of Cine Echocardiographic Ventnrcular Images (1987)

Two-dimensional ultrasound sector scans of the left ventricle (LV) are commonly used to diagnose cardiac mechanical function. Present quantification procedures of wall motion by this technique entail inaccuracies, mainly due to relatively poor image quality and the absence of a definition of the relative position of the probe and the heart. The poor quality dictates subjective determination of the myocardial edges, while the absence of a position vector increases the errors in the calculations of wall displacement, LV blood volume, and ejection fraction. An improved procedure is proposed here for automatic myocardial border tracking (AMBT) of the endocardial and epicardial edges in a sequence of video images. The procedure includes nonlinear filtering of whole images, debiasing of gray levels, and location-dependent contrast stretching. The AMBT algorithm is based upon tracking movement of a small number of predefined set of points, which are manually defined on the two myocardial borders. Information from one image is used, by utilizing predetermined statistical criteria to iteratively search and detect the border points on the next one. Border contours are reconstructed by Spline interpolation of the border points. The AMBT procedure is tested by comparing processed sequences of cine echocardiographic scan images to manual tracings by an objective observer and to results from previously published data.
Ethical and regulatory aspects of embryonic stem cell research (2002)

Ethical and regulatory issues concerning embryonic stem (ES) cell research are reviewed here a year after the controversy became a public and political issue in the US. The background of various issues are examined and the current regulations in various countries are reviewed. In the US, the debate is linked with abortion, as well as the status of a fetus as a human being, and is politically driven. Obtaining stem cells from embryonic tissues involves destruction of the embryo, to which objections are raised. Religious beliefs are examined and no serious impediments to ES cell research could be identified. Regulations vary from one country to another and it is unlikely that there will ever be any universally uniform ethical and regulatory standards for ES cell research. Currently, the most liberal and favourable environments for ES cell research are in the UK, Singapore, Sweden, India, Israel and China. Unless the US liberalises ES cell research, it may lose its lead in ES cell research and investments in this area may drift to countries with better environments for research. Suggestions are offered in this review to improve the ethical environment for ES cell research.
Surface brightens up Si quantum dots: direct bandgap-like size-tunable emission (2013)

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) constitute a perfect material for ink-jet printable large area displays, photovoltaics, light-emitting diode, bio-imaging luminescent markers and many other applications. For this purpose, efficient light emission/absorption and spectral tunability are necessary conditions. These are currently fulfilled by the direct bandgap materials. Si-QDs could offer the solution to major hurdles posed by these materials, namely, toxicity (e.g., Cd-, Pb- or As-based QDs), scarcity (e.g., QD with In, Se, Te) and/or instability. Here we show that by combining quantum confinement with dedicated surface engineering, the biggest drawback of Si—the indirect bandgap nature—can be overcome, and a ‘direct bandgap’ variety of Si-QDs is created. We demonstrate this transformation on chemically synthesized Si-QDs using state-of-the-art optical spectroscopy and theoretical modelling. The carbon surface termination gives rise to drastic modification in electron and hole wavefunctions and radiative transitions between the lowest excited states of electron and hole attain ‘direct bandgap-like’ (phonon-less) character. This results in efficient fast emission, tunable within the visible spectral range by QD size. These findings are fully justified within a tight-binding theoretical model. When the C surface termination is replaced by oxygen, the emission is converted into the well-known red luminescence, with microsecond decay and limited spectral tunability. In that way, the ‘direct bandgap’ Si-QDs convert into the ‘traditional’ indirect bandgap form, thoroughly investigated in the past. Surface engineering could provide silicon quantum dots with efficient and fast photoluminescence in the visible region. This is the finding of Kateřina Dohnalová and colleagues from the University of Amsterdam and Wageningen University in The Netherlands, who studied the optical properties of alkyl-capped silicon quantum dots. They believe that carbon surface termination can modify the energy band structure within the quantum dot to allow ‘direct-bandgap-like’ blue photoluminescence. The light emission can be tuned across the visible spectrum by changing the size of the quantum dot and has a radiative rate 100,000 times stronger than that of bulk silicon. In the future, such quantum dots could prove useful for making light-emitting diodes and displays, as a luminescent label for bio-imaging experiments, and for a wide range of other applications.
Photon Migration in Raman Spectroscopy (2004)

Monte Carlo simulation has been applied to study time-resolved Raman and Tyndall photon migration in opaque samples under isotropic and forward scattering conditions. For isotropic scattering, Raman and Tyndall intensities are predicted to decay according to t((1-n)) and t(-n), respectively, where the value of n depends on the ratio of the optical collection aperture to the mean scattering length. The simulation correctly reproduced the analytical results of n = 3/2 and n = 5/2 for a point source in infinite and semi-infinite media, respectively. In addition the model can be used to relate the time at which a Raman photon exits the sample to the mean depth at which it was generated. This could provide a useful tool for depth profiling the chemical composition of turbid systems, and hence be a useful addition to the established array of photon-migration techniques. The model was applied to analyze experimentally observed Raman and Tyndall decay profiles from powdered trans-stilbene. The transport mean free path (l(t)) was calculated to be approximately 400 microm, which was significantly larger than the particle sizes present in the sample (approximately 10-100 microm). This implies that the particles were highly forward scattering, as would be expected for this size range. When highly anisotropic scattering was introduced into the model a much more reasonable scattering length (l(s) approximately 40 microm) was obtained. Finally, a simple analytical model was developed that gives the correct relationship between the Raman and Tyndall decay exponents for isotropic scattering. To the best of our knowledge this work represents the first detailed study of Raman photon migration under time-resolved conditions.