gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Policy design for democracy (1998)

How can democracy be improved in an age when people are profoundly disenchanted with government? Part of the answer lies in the design of public policy that unmistakably works to advance citizenship by listening to, educating, and involving ordinary people. Schneider and Ingram evaluate the current approaches to policy theory and recommend a series of reforms that will improve policy designs and help restore citizen confidence in government. Policy Design for Democracy is one of the first books to examine systematically the broader implications of the substantive aspects of public policy.
Cancer therapy with Newcastle disease virus: rationale for new immunotherapeutic combinations (2015)

Cancer immunotherapy with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) dates back to 1960s, when intratumoral treatment of a cervical cancer patient was noted to result in an abscopal effect with distant tumor regression. Since then, multiple preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the inherent ability of NDV to increase immunogenicity of tumor cells. Recently, these properties were explored in animal models within the context of novel immunotherapies such as antibodies targeting immune checkpoints, with demonstration of induction of systemic antitumor immunity and regression of tumors not directly affected by the virus. These studies highlight the immunotherapeutic potential of NDV and provide a strong rationale for exploration of NDV and perhaps other oncolytic viruses in combination with immunomodulatory antibodies in the clinic.
Immune Mechanisms In Graves' Disease (1985)

GRAVES' DISEASE is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of stimulatory anti-TSH receptor antibodies which are thought to act via the TSH receptor to increase iodide uptake and cyclic AMP (cAMP), in turn, resulting in T3 and T4 production and secretion (1–7). There have been many clinical articles published summarizing the clinical and laboratory manifestations of Graves' disease (1–7) and excellent reviews of “Autoimmune Thyroid Disease” by Weetman and McGregor (2) and of “Endocrine Ophthalmopathy” by Jacobson and Gorman (8) have been published recently. The purpose of the present review is to discuss in detail the known and suspected immunologic mechanisms which are important in mediating or aggravating Graves' disease and its associated clinical findings. This review will emphasize that our present understanding of normal immune mechanisms of antibody formation, in addition to our comprehension of the perturbations leading to Graves' disease, is inadequate.
Engraftment, Differentiation, and Functional Benefits of Autologous Cardiosphere-Derived Cells in Porcine Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (2009)

Intracoronary delivery of CDCs in a preclinical model of postinfarct left ventricular dysfunction results in formation of new cardiac tissue, reduces relative infarct size, attenuates adverse remodeling, and improves hemodynamics. The evidence of efficacy without obvious safety concerns at 8 weeks of follow-up motivates human studies in patients after myocardial infarction and in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.
The endothelium of advanced arteriosclerotic plaques in humans. (1991)

The functional morphology of the endothelial cells (ECs) covering advanced but uncomplicated sclerotic plaques in humans was studied in carotid endarterectomy specimens and in coronary arteries from hearts explanted because of advanced ischemic heart disease. The endothelial layer was nearly always intact, and the endothelial patterns reflected the anticipated local flow patterns along the narrowed arteries, with the majority of flow irregularities downstream from the stenosis. Large (giant) ECs (defined as ECs with a surface area of greater than or equal to 800 microns 2) were frequently found on the plaque surface, probably indicating accelerated EC senescence attributable to sustained nondenuding injury in the region of disturbed flow. Ultrastructurally, activation of ECs with hyperplasia of organelles was frequent. In addition, as a sign of immunological activation, about 5% of ECs express class II antigens (HLA-DR and rarely focal HLA-DQ), as demonstrated by double immunofluorescence with von Willebrand factor to identify the ECs. EC activation may be responsible for adherence to the intact luminal surface by activated platelets and monocytes, which were always present (in contrast with nonsclerotic artery segments). Furthermore, an increase in myo-endothelial contacts to subendothelial modified smooth muscle cells was a regular feature of the sclerotic lesions; this feature represents an unknown process of EC and smooth muscle cell interaction in the sclerotic lesion and may be a compensatory process for EC control of smooth muscle cell proliferation. In advanced plaques the ECs are altered without denudation but with changed properties, which may contribute to plaque growth and which are consistent with the postulated EC dysfunction in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerotic lesions.
Cell Toxicity Induced by Inhibition of Acyl Coenzyme A:Cholesterol Acyltransferase and Accumulation of Unesterified Cholesterol (1995)

Considerable evidence supports the involvement of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) in the maintenance of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. A number of recently developed ACAT inhibitors may have potential use as pharmacological agents to reduce the development of atherosclerosis. Recently, however, reports arose describing cytotoxic effects following administration of a specific ACAT inhibitor to experimental animals. In order to address the specific intracellular mechanisms involved with the cytotoxic effect, we examined the consequences of ACAT inhibition in cholesterol-enriched mouse peritoneal macrophages. Mouse peritoneal macrophages were cholesterol-enriched by incubation with acetylated low density lipoprotein and free cholesterol:phospholipid dispersions prior to the addition of an ACAT inhibitor, either Sandoz 58-035 or Pfizer CP-113,818. The adenine pool of the macrophages was radiolabeled prior to addition of the ACAT inhibitors, in order to monitor the release of radiolabeled adenine, a technique shown to be a sensitive method to monitor drug-induced toxicity. The ACAT inhibitors were added for up to 48 h and at concentrations up to 2 micrograms/ml. These conditions resulted in an approximately 2-fold increase in adenine release. The increase in cell toxicity paralleled an increase in the cellular free cholesterol content. Reducing the cellular free cholesterol content, by the addition of extracellular acceptors, decreased the cytotoxic effects of the ACAT inhibitors. Addition of an intracellular cholesterol transport inhibitor, either progesterone or U18666A, together with CP-113,818 blocked the toxic effect of CP-113,818. These results suggest that ACAT inhibition of cholesterol-enriched macrophages increases cell toxicity due to the buildup of cellular free cholesterol. Removal of free cholesterol by the addition of extracellular cholesterol acceptors or by blocking intracellular sterol transport relieves the ACAT inhibitor-induced toxicity.
ChemInform Abstract: An Efficient Synthesis of 3,4‐Dioxocyclobutenecarboxylate Derivatives. (1991)

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.
Optimization of Glycosylation Reactions in a Microreactor (2007)

Abstract Glycosylations are notoriously difficult reactions that require extensive optimization regarding the type of anomeric leaving group, solvent, reaction temperature, and reaction time. Described is the use of a silicon‐based microreactor to screen reaction conditions and to scale‐up synthetic procedures. For the first time, glycosyl phosphates were employed in a microreactor. The optimized reaction conditions were successfully transferred to a batch process.
Highly Conductive PEO-like Polymer Electrolytes (1997)

Polymer electrolyte membranes comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride)−hexafluoropropene (PVdF−HFP) copolymer plasticized with a solution of LiSO3CF3, LiN(SO2CF3)2, or LiPF6 in oligomeric poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ethers (PEGDME, Mw = 250, 400, and 500) were prepared by hot-melt-rolling or solvent-casting techniques. Since the electrolytes containing PEGDME400 and PEGDME500 are “dry” with essentially no volatile components up to 150 °C, we have dubbed them PEO-like. Their thermal stability, mechanical strength, conductivity, electrochemical stability window, and Li/electrolyte interface stability were characterized. Plasticizing PVdF−HFP with the PEGDME/LiX solutions disordered the polymer structure leading to polymer electrolytes having lower crystallinity than the polymer host itself. The mechanical strength of the electrolyte membranes varied depending on the PVdF content. Tensile strength (stress) as high as 420 psi at an elongation-at-break value (strain) of 75% was observed. The conductivities of the electrolytes correlated with the molecular weights of PEGDME as well as the concentration of the Li salt, and most of the electrolytes prepared showed room-temperature conductivities of greater than 10-4 S/cm. The high room-temperature conductivity of these electrolytes compared to PEO-based electrolytes is attributed to the high mobility of the ionic charge carriers. The Li/electrolyte interface stability under open-circuit conditions was found to be good as assessed from the small change in the interfacial impedance for the measured case of the PVdF−PEGDME500−LiN(SO2CF3)2 electrolyte. This electrolyte also showed oxidation stability up to 4.5V versus Li+/Li on Al, Ni, and stainless steel (SS) and reduction stability down to 0.0V versus Li+/Li on both Ni and SS. The applicability of these electrolytes in batteries was demonstrated by the fabrication and testing of Li/oxygen and Li/LiMn2O4 cells.
Study of fatigue resistance of chemical and radiation crosslinked medical grade ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (1999)

The aim of this work is to understand the role of chemical and radiation induced crosslinking on the fatigue crack propagation resistance of medical grade ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). In recent years, the need to improve the tribological performance of UHMWPE used in total joint replacements has resulted in the widespread utilization of crosslinking as a method to improve wear resistance. Although crosslinking has been shown to drastically improve the wear resistance of the polymer, the potential trade-off in fatigue properties has yet to be addressed. Fatigue crack propagation resistance is a concern in tibial inserts where large cyclic stresses are sufficient to drive the growth of subsurface cracks that potentially contribute to delamination wear mechanisms. For clinical relevance, the combined effects of sterilization and aging are examined in two commercially available crosslinked resins. Nonsterile and unaged resins serve as a control. To evaluate the effect of crosslinking, a comparison is made to uncrosslinked resins. Scanning electron microscopy is used to provide an understanding of fatigue fracture mechanisms in the crosslinked polymers. The results of this study show that the current level of crosslinking used in orthopedic resins for enhanced wear resistance is not beneficial for fatigue crack propagation resistance. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 46, 573–581, 1999.
The home needs an operating system (and an app store) (2010)

We argue that heterogeneity is hindering technological innovation in the home---homes differ in terms of their devices and how those devices are connected and used. To abstract these differences, we propose to develop a home-wide operating system. A HomeOS can simplify application development and let users easily add functionality by installing new devices or applications. The development of such an OS is an inherently inter-disciplinary exercise. Not only must the abstractions meet the usual goals of being efficient and easy to program, but the underlying primitives must also match how users want to manage and secure their home. We describe the preliminary design of HomeOS and our experience with developing applications for it.
Primary transcatheter umbrella closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect. (1994)

Transcatheter umbrella closure of a perimembranous ventricular septal defect is technically feasible and can be therapeutically successful, although the procedure is moderately difficult to perform and the mean procedure time is > 120 minutes. It is an alternative to surgery in some cases, but the overall results would not support its routine use even with the introduction of larger devices of the current design.
Interaction of laser radiation with plaque and vessel wall (1984)

Effective laser angioplasty treatment requires melting or disintegration of plaque with no or minimal damage to the underlying vessel. To understand laser interaction with plaque deposits and vessel wall and optimize the treatment parameters, optical and thermal properties of plaque deposits and vessel wall are determined. Surface and subsurface temperature distributions are measured. Ablation front temperatures are determined and the effect of conducting medium and overall response of tissue is studied.
Male Mice Lacking NLRX1 Are Partially Protected From High-Fat Diet–Induced Hyperglycemia (2018)

Nod-like receptor (NLR)X1 is an NLR family protein that localizes to the mitochondrial matrix and modulates reactive oxygen species production, possibly by directly interacting with the electron transport chain. Recent work demonstrated that cells lacking NLRX1 have higher oxygen consumption but lower levels of adenosine triphosphate, suggesting that NLRX1 might prevent uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. We therefore hypothesized that NLRX1 might regulate whole-body energy metabolism through its effect on mitochondria. Male NLRX1 whole-body knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6N controls were fed a low-fat or a high-fat (HF) diet for 16 weeks from weaning. Contrary to this hypothesis, there were no differences in body weight, adiposity, energy intake, or energy expenditure between HF-fed KO and WT mice, but instead HF KO mice were partially protected from the development of diet-induced hyperglycemia. Additionally, HF KO mice did not present with hyperinsulinemia during the glucose tolerance test, as did HF WT mice. There were no genotype differences in insulin tolerance, which led us to consider a pancreatic phenotype. Histology revealed that KO mice were protected from HF-induced pancreatic lipid accumulation, suggesting a potential role for NLRX1 in pancreatic dysfunction during the development diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hence, NLRX1 depletion partially protects against postabsorptive hyperglycemia in obesity that may be linked to the prevention of pancreatic lipid accumulation. Although the actual mechanisms restoring glucose and insulin dynamics remain unknown, NLRX1 emerges as a potentially interesting target to inhibit for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
An evaluation of some fluorescent dyes for water tracing (1977)

Eight fluorescent dyes (amino G acid, photine CU, fluorescein, lissamine FF, pyranine, rhodamine B, rhodamine WT, and sulpho rhodamine B) were compared in laboratory and field experiments to assess their utility in quantitative tracing work. The properties considered included sensitivity and minimum detectability, the effect of water chemistry on dye fluorescence, photochemical and biological decay rates, adsorption losses on equipment and sediments, toxicity to man and aquatic organisms, and cost. The orange fluorescent dyes are more useful than the blue and green because of the lower background fluorescence at the orange wave band, which permits higher sensitivities to be obtained. Pyranine fluorescence is strongly affected by pH over the range encountered in natural waters, which precludes its simple use in quantitative work. Amino G acid, photine CU, pyranine, and fluorescein all have high photochemical decay rates. Pyranine, lissamine FF, and amino G acid are the dyes most resistant to adsorption, but rhodamine WT, fluorescein, and sulpho rhodamine B also have moderately high resistance. Rhodamine B is readily adorbed by most materials. Rhodamine WT (orange), lissamine FF (green), and amino G acid (blue) are the three tracer dyes recommended; they may be used simultaneously to trace three injection sites with the filter combinations suggested.
Bundling features for large scale partial-duplicate web image search (2009)

In state-of-the-art image retrieval systems, an image is represented by a bag of visual words obtained by quantizing high-dimensional local image descriptors, and scalable schemes inspired by text retrieval are then applied for large scale image indexing and retrieval. Bag-of-words representations, however: 1) reduce the discriminative power of image features due to feature quantization; and 2) ignore geometric relationships among visual words. Exploiting such geometric constraints, by estimating a 2D affine transformation between a query image and each candidate image, has been shown to greatly improve retrieval precision but at high computational cost. In this paper we present a novel scheme where image features are bundled into local groups. Each group of bundled features becomes much more discriminative than a single feature, and within each group simple and robust geometric constraints can be efficiently enforced. Experiments in Web image search, with a database of more than one million images, show that our scheme achieves a 49% improvement in average precision over the baseline bag-of-words approach. Retrieval performance is comparable to existing full geometric verification approaches while being much less computationally expensive. When combined with full geometric verification we achieve a 77% precision improvement over the baseline bag-of-words approach, and a 24% improvement over full geometric verification alone.
Bimetallic Schiff-base aluminum complexes based on pentaerythrityl tetramine and their stereoselective polymerization of racemic lactide (2014)

A series of Schiff base aluminum(III) complexes with bimetallic active centers are synthesized. Their catalytic properties in the solution polymerization of racemic lactide (rac-LA) are examined. The modifications in the auxiliary ligand exhibited a dramatic influence on the catalytic performance. Among these complexes, 3a has the highest stereoselectivity (Pm = 0.91) owing to the bulky tert-butyl groups on the salicylaldehyde. Kinetic studies indicate that the polymerizations are both first-ordered with respect to the monomer and catalyst. Other factors that influence the polymerization such as the polymerization time and the temperature, as well as the monomer concentration, are discussed in detail.
RNA polymerase chain reaction detects different levels of four alternatively spliced WT1 transcripts in Wilms' tumors. (1992)

A Wilms' tumor susceptibility gene (WT1) localized to 11p13 was recently isolated and shown to be altered in some sporadic Wilms' tumors. This gene encodes a DNA-binding protein with four zinc fingers (ZFs) in the carboxy-terminal region and a glutamine/proline (Gln/Pro)-rich domain near the 5' end. Two alternative splice sites were described, splice I in the Gln/Pro-rich domain (51 bp) and splice II between ZFs 3 and 4 (9 bp). Using RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we show that Wilms' tumors contain all four possible transcripts, which are also identified in normal adult and embryonic kidney cells. The transcripts containing the 9-bp ZF insert were always predominant in tumors and normal cells. The presence of all four WT1 transcripts in tumors and expressing tissues suggests that each encoded protein isoform has an important role for the function of the WT1 gene.
Dried Plasma (2019)

Dried plasma provides an alternative for early plasma transfusion in the resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock in environments where fresh frozen plasma is not immediately available. It is produced by freeze-drying or spray-drying liquid or thawed plasma. It is shelf-stable for prolonged periods, can be stored at room temperature, and is easy to transport, reconstitute, and administer. It was widely used in WWII but fell out of favor due to the risk of infectious disease transmission. The German and French experiences with lyophilized plasma are the most extensive and show a good track record of efficacy and safety. Recent studies show many beneficial effects of dried plasma in the treatment of shock in large animal models. Currently, no FDA-licensed product is available in the USA, but several are under development.
Real-time measurement of ultrashort laser pulses using principal component generalized projections (1998)

Frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) is a technique to measure ultrashort laser pulses that optically constructs a spectrogram of a laser pulse. A two-dimensional (2-D) phase retrieval algorithm is used to extract the intensity and phase of a pulse from its spectrogram. We have improved a recently presented principal component generalized projections algorithm (PCGPA) making it easier to implement and fast enough to allow real-time inversion of FROG spectrograms. A femtosecond oscilloscope, based on second-harmonic generation (SHG) FROG, that displays the intensity and phase of ultrashort laser pulses in real time utilizing the improved PCGP phase retrieval algorithm is presented.
Islet cell transplantation for the treatment of type 1 diabetes: recent advances and future challenges (2014)

Islet transplantation is a well-established therapeutic treatment for a subset of patients with complicated type I diabetes mellitus. Prior to the Edmonton Protocol, only 9% of the 267 islet transplant recipients since 1999 were insulin independent for >1 year. In 2000, the Edmonton group reported the achievement of insulin independence in seven consecutive patients, which in a collaborative team effort propagated expansion of clinical islet transplantation centers worldwide in an effort to ameliorate the consequences of this disease. To date, clinical islet transplantation has established improved success with insulin independence rates up to 5 years post-transplant with minimal complications. In spite of marked clinical success, donor availability and selection, engraftment, and side effects of immunosuppression remain as existing obstacles to be addressed to further improve this therapy. Clinical trials to improve engraftment, the availability of insulin-producing cell sources, as well as alternative transplant sites are currently under investigation to expand treatment. With ongoing experimental and clinical studies, islet transplantation continues to be an exciting and attractive therapy to treat type I diabetes mellitus with the prospect of shifting from a treatment for some to a cure for all.