gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Contribution of transplanted bone marrow cells to Purkinje neurons in human adult brains (2003)

We show here that cells within human adult bone marrow can contribute to cells in the adult human brain. Cerebellar tissues from female patients with hematologic malignancies, who had received chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant, were analyzed. Brain samples were obtained at autopsy from female patients who received male (sex-mismatched) or female (sex-matched, control) bone marrow transplants. Cerebella were evaluated in 10-microm-thick, formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections that encompassed up to approximately 50% of a human Purkinje nucleus. A total of 5,860 Purkinje cells from sex-mismatched females and 3,202 Purkinje cells from sex-matched females were screened for Y chromosomes by epifluorescence. Confocal laser scanning microscopy allowed definitive identification of the sex chromosomes within the morphologically distinct Purkinje cells. In the brains of females who received male bone marrow, four Purkinje neurons were found that contained an X and a Y chromosome and two other Purkinje neurons contained more than a diploid number of sex chromosomes. No Y chromosomes were detected in the brains of sex-matched controls. The total frequency of male bone marrow contribution to female Purkinje cells approximated 0.1%. This study demonstrates that although during human development Purkinje neurons are no longer generated after birth, cells within the bone marrow can contribute to these CNS neurons even in adulthood. The underlying mechanism may be caused either by generation de novo of Purkinje neurons from bone marrow-derived cells or by fusion of marrow-derived cells with existing recipient Purkinje neurons.
Myocardial T1 Mapping: Techniques and Potential Applications (2014)

Myocardial fibrosis is a common endpoint in a variety of cardiac diseases and a major independent predictor of adverse cardiac outcomes. Short of histopathologic analysis, which is limited by sampling bias, most diagnostic modalities are limited in their depiction of myocardial fibrosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has the advantage of providing detailed soft-tissue characterization, and a variety of novel quantification methods have further improved its usefulness. Contrast material-enhanced cardiac MR imaging depends on differences in signal intensity between regions of scarring and adjacent normal myocardium. Diffuse myocardial fibrosis lacks these differences in signal intensity. Measurement of myocardial T1 times (T1 mapping) with gadolinium-enhanced inversion recovery-prepared sequences may depict diffuse myocardial fibrosis and has good correlation with ex vivo fibrosis content. T1 mapping calculates myocardial T1 relaxation times with image-based signal intensities and may be performed with standard cardiac MR imagers and radiologic workstations. Myocardium with diffuse fibrosis has greater retention of contrast material, resulting in T1 times that are shorter than those in normal myocardium. Early studies have suggested that diffuse myocardial fibrosis may be distinguished from normal myocardium with T1 mapping. Large multicenter studies are needed to define the role of T1 mapping in developing prognoses and therapeutic assessments. However, given its strengths as a noninvasive method for direct quantification of myocardial fibrosis, T1 mapping may eventually play an important role in the management of cardiac disease.
Ecological momentary assessment in a behavioral drinking moderation training program. (1998)

We assessed predictors of self-reported excessive drinking (> 5 drinks) in a sample of heavy drinkers. Participants were randomly assigned to moderation training or a waiting-list control condition. They were trained in ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involving self-monitoring of drinking and other variables on a small hand-held computer, the electronic diary (ED). During the 8-week study, participants were compliant in their use of the ED for both random prompts and the entry of data related to specific drinking episodes. Generalized estimating equations were used to fit models involving predictors related to past history of drinking, aspects of the training program, drinking restraint, and episode-specific mood. The models indicated robust predictors of decreased and increased drinking. Our results suggest that EMA is a useful methodology for assessing drinking and related behaviors.
The p11 Subunit of the Annexin II Tetramer Plays a Key Role in the Stimulation of t-PA-Dependent Plasminogen Activation (1998)

Annexin II tetramer (AIIt) is an important endothelial cell surface protein receptor for plasminogen and t-PA. AIIt, a heterotetramer, is composed of two p36 subunits (called annexin II) and two p11 subunits. In this report, we have compared the ability of the isolated p36 and p11 subunits to stimulate t-PA-dependent [Glu]plasminogen activation. The fluid-phase recombinant p11 subunit stimulated the rate of t-PA-dependent activation of [Glu]plasminogen about 46-fold compared to an approximate stimulation of 2-fold by the recombinant p36 subunit and 77-fold by recombinant AIIt. The stimulation of t-PA-dependent activation of [Glu]plasminogen by the p11 subunit was Ca2+-independent and inhibited by epsilon-aminocaproic acid. [Glu]Plasminogen bound to a p11 subunit affinity column and could be eluted with epsilon-aminocaproic acid. Both AIIt and the p11 subunit protected t-PA and plasmin from inactivation by PAI-1 and alpha2-antiplasmin, respectively. A peptide to the C terminus of the p11 subunit (85-Y-F-V-V-H-M-K-Q-K-G-K-K-96) inhibited the p11-dependent stimulation of t-PA-dependent plasminogen activation. In addition, a deletion mutant of the p11 subunit, missing the last two C-terminal lysine residues, retained only about 15% of the activity of the wild-type p11 subunit. Similarly, a mutant AIIt composed of the wild-type p36 subunit and the p11 subunit deletion mutant possessed about 12% of the wild-type activity. These results, therefore, suggest that the C-terminal lysine residues of the p11 subunit bind plasminogen and participate in the stimulation of t-PA-dependent activation of plasminogen by AIIt.
Blending structured graphics and layout (1994)

Conventional windowing environments provide separate classes of objects for user interface components, or “widgets,” and graphical objects. Widgets negotiate layout and can be resized as rectangles, while graphics may be shared, transformed, transparent, and overlaid. This presents a major obstacle to applications like user interface builders and compound document editors where the manipulated objects need to behave both like graphics and widgets.
Caffeine prevents apoptosis and cell cycle effects induced by camptothecin or topotecan in HL-60 cells. (1993)

Caffeine (3,7-dihydro-1,3,7,-trimethyl-1H-purine-6,6-dione; CAF) is known to potentiate the cytotoxic effects of DNA damaging agents such as ionizing radiation and alkylating agents. In contrast, however, the cytotoxic and cytostatic activity of aromatic, DNA-intercalating, DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors such as Adriamycin, ellipticine, or mitoxantrone are diminished in the presence of CAF. To resolve whether the protective effect of CAF is associated with a particular mechanism of drug interaction (e.g., intercalation into DNA, inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II), or the aromatic nature of the drug structure, per se, we have presently studied the effects of CAF on the cytostatic and cytotoxic action of camptothecin (CAM) and its less toxic but more water soluble derivative topotecan (TPT) on HL-60 human myelogenous leukemia cells: both drugs have aromatic structures but are nonintercalating inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase I. By using spectroscopy and titration microcalorimetry, we have also studied the direct interaction between CAF and TPT in solution. Low (20 nM) concentrations of CAM or TPT perturbed progression of HL-60 cells through S-phase, whereas higher concentrations (0.15 microM) of these drugs induced apoptosis; both effects were easily demonstrable after 4 h of treatment. When added simultaneously with CAM or TPT, CAF prevented both effects. The protective effect of CAF was concentration dependent and evident within the concentration range of 1-5 mM; nearly total protection was seen at a CAF concentration of 5 mM. The bathochromic and hypochromic shift in the absorption spectrum of the water soluble compound TPT upon addition of CAF indicated that CAF and TPT interact (stack) in a fashion similar to that previously observed for CAF and DNA intercalators. Microcalorimetric measurements of TPT titration with CAF indicate an exothermic reaction between these compounds (the enthalpy change was delta H degree = -4.2 kcal/mol), which is consistent with a stacking model of CAF-TPT interaction. Thus, the ability of CAF to protect HL-60 cells against the cell kinetic effects of CAM or TPT, as in the case of DNA intercalating topoisomerase II inhibitors, is most likely due to formation of complexes between CAF and these aromatic molecules, which result in reducing the effective concentration of the free form of these drugs available to the cells.
DRD2 A1 allele and P300 abnormalities in obesity (1994)

Obesity is a heterogeneous and prevalent disorder having both inheritable and environmental components. The role of the dopamine system in P300 has been implicated. We genotyped 193 neuropsychiatrically ill patients with and without comorbid drug and alcohol/abuse/dependence and obesity for the prevalence of the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene. We found a significant linear trend ({chi}{sup 2} = 40.4, df=1, p<0.00001) where the percent prevalence of the A1 increased with increasing polysubstance abuse. Where the A1 allele was found in 44% of 40 obese subjects, the A1 allele prevalence was found in as much as 91% of 11 obese subjects with comorbid polysubstance abuse. 53 obese subjects having a mean body weight (BMI) of 34.6{+-}8.2 were mapped for brain electrical activity and compared with 15 controls with a BMI of 22.3{+-}3.0 (P<.001). The P3 amplitude was significantly different (two tailed; t=3.24, df=16.2, P = 0.005), whereas P3 latency was not significant. Preliminarily, we found a significant decreased P3 amplitude correlated with parental polysubstance abuse (p=0.4) with prolongation of P3 latency correlated with the three risk factors of parental substance abuse, chemical dependency and carbohydrate bingeing (P<0.02). Finally, in a small sample, the A1 allele was present in 25% ofmore » probands having 0 risk compared to 66% in those obese subjects with any risk. This work represents the first electrophysiological data to implicate P3 abnormalities in a subset of obesity and further confirms an association of the DRD2 gene and a electrophysiological marker previously indicated to have predictive value in vulnerability to addictive behaviors.« less
Gene transfer with subsequent removal of the selection gene from the host genome. (1991)

A general method of gene transfer that does not leave behind a selectable marker in the host genome is described. A luciferase gene was introduced into the tobacco genome by using the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hpt) as a linked selectable marker. Flanked by recombination sites from the bacteriophage P1 Cre/lox recombination system, the hpt gene was subsequently excised from the plant genome by the Cre recombinase. The Cre-catalyzed excision event in the plant genome was precise and conservative--i.e., without loss or alteration of nucleotides in the recombinant site. After removal of the Cre-encoding locus by genetic segregation, plants were obtained that had incorporated only the desired transgene. Gene transfer without the incorporation of antibiotic-resistance markers in the host genome should ease public concerns over the field release of transgenic organisms expressing such traits. Moreover, it would obviate the need for different selectable markers in subsequent rounds of gene transfer into the same host.
Autophagosome formation from membrane compartments enriched in phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and dynamically connected to the endoplasmic reticulum (2008)

Autophagy is the engulfment of cytosol and organelles by double-membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes. Autophagosome formation is known to require phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) and occurs near the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but the exact mechanisms are unknown. We show that double FYVE domain-containing protein 1, a PI(3)P-binding protein with unusual localization on ER and Golgi membranes, translocates in response to amino acid starvation to a punctate compartment partially colocalized with autophagosomal proteins. Translocation is dependent on Vps34 and beclin function. Other PI(3)P-binding probes targeted to the ER show the same starvation-induced translocation that is dependent on PI(3)P formation and recognition. Live imaging experiments show that this punctate compartment forms near Vps34-containing vesicles, is in dynamic equilibrium with the ER, and provides a membrane platform for accumulation of autophagosomal proteins, expansion of autophagosomal membranes, and emergence of fully formed autophagosomes. This PI(3)P-enriched compartment may be involved in autophagosome biogenesis. Its dynamic relationship with the ER is consistent with the idea that the ER may provide important components for autophagosome formation.
MALDI‐TOF MS characterization of proanthocyanidins from cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon) that inhibit tumor cell growth and matrix metalloproteinase expression in vitro (2005)

Abstract Proanthocyanidin‐rich extracts were prepared by fractionation of the fruit of the North American cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ). In vitro growth inhibition assays in eight tumor cell lines showed that selected fractions inhibited the growth of H460 lung tumors, HT‐29 colon and K562 leukemia cells at GI 50 values ranging from 20 to 80 µg ml −1 . Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) of one of these fractions found it to be composed of polyflavan‐3‐ols, which are primarily tetramers through heptamers of epicatechin containing one or two A‐type linkages. Whole cranberry extract and the proanthocyanidin fractions were screened for effect on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases in DU 145 prostate carcinoma cells. The expression of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 was inhibited in response to whole cranberry extract and to a lesser degree by the proanthocyanidin fractions. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
DNA strand breakage, activation of poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase, and cellular energy depletion are involved in the cytotoxicity of macrophages and smooth muscle cells exposed to peroxynitrite. (1996)

The free radicals nitric oxide and superoxide anion react to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a highly toxic oxidant species. In vivo formation of ONOO- has been demonstrated in shock and inflammation. Herein we provide evidence that cytotoxicity in cells exposed to ONOO- is mediated by DNA strand breakage and the subsequent activation of the DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP ribose) synthetase (PARS). Exposure to ONOO- (100 microM to 1 mM) inhibited mitochondrial respiration in cultured J774 macrophages and in rat aortic smooth muscle cells. The loss of cellular respiration was rapid, peaking 1-3 h after ONOO- exposure, and reversible, with recovery after a period of 6-24 h. The inhibition of mitochondrial respiration was paralleled by a dose-dependent increase in DNA strand breakage, reaching its maximum at 20-30 min after exposure to ONOO-. We observed a dose-dependent increase in the activity of PARS in cells exposed to ONOO-. Inhibitors of PARS such as 3-aminobenzamide (1 mM) prevented the inhibition of cellular respiration in cells exposed to ONOO-. Activation of PARS by ONOO--mediated DNA strand breakage resulted in a significant decrease in intracellular energy stores, as reflected by a decline of intracellular NAD+ and ATP content. 3-Aminobenzamide prevented the loss of NAD+ and ATP in cells exposed to ONOO-. In contrast, impairment of cellular respiration by the addition of the nitric oxide donors S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine or diethyltriamine nitric oxide complex, was not associated with the development of DNA strand breaks, in concentrations up to 1 mM, and was largely refractory to PARS inhibition. Our results suggest that DNA damage and activation of PARS, an energy-consuming futile repair cycle, play a central role in ONOO--mediated cellular injury.
Activation by Cdc42 and Pip2 of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (Wasp) Stimulates Actin Nucleation by Arp2/3 Complex (2000)

We purified native WASp (Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein) from bovine thymus and studied its ability to stimulate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex. WASp alone is inactive in the presence or absence of 0.5 microM GTP-Cdc42. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP(2)) micelles allowed WASp to activate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex, and this was further enhanced twofold by GTP-Cdc42. Filaments nucleated by Arp2/3 complex and WASp in the presence of PIP(2) and Cdc42 concentrated around lipid micelles and vesicles, providing that Cdc42 was GTP-bound and prenylated. Thus, the high concentration of WASp in neutrophils (9 microM) is dependent on interactions with both acidic lipids and GTP-Cdc42 to activate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex. The results also suggest that membrane binding increases the local concentrations of Cdc42 and WASp, favoring their interaction.
Double Jeopardy (2002)

In plants, the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based signal transduction processes is elusive. Despite the fact that ROS can induce MAPK activation, no direct genetic evidence has linked ROS-induced MAPK activation with the hypersensitive response, a form of programmed cell death. In tobacco, the major ROS-induced MAPK is salicylate-induced protein kinase (SIPK). We found through gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches that both overexpression and RNA interference-based suppression of SIPK render the plant sensitive to ROS stress. Transgenic lines overexpressing a nonphosphorylatable version of SIPK were not ROS sensitive. Analysis of the MAPK activation profiles in ROS-stressed transgenic and wild-type plants revealed a striking interplay between SIPK and another MAPK (wound-induced protein kinase [WIPK]) in the different kinotypes. During continuous ozone exposure, abnormally prolonged activation of SIPK was seen in the SIPK-overexpression genotype, without WIPK activation, whereas strong and stable activation of WIPK was observed in the SIPK-suppressed lines. Thus, one role of activated SIPK in tobacco cells upon ROS stimulation appears to be control of the inactivation of WIPK.
Key role of the p110δ isoform of PI3K in B-cell antigen and IL-4 receptor signaling: comparative analysis of genetic and pharmacologic interference with p110δ function in B cells (2005)

Mouse gene-targeting studies have documented a central role of the p110delta isoform of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in B-cell development and function. A defect in B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling is key to this B-cell phenotype. Here we further characterize this signaling defect and report that a p110delta-selective small molecule inhibitor mirrors the effect of genetic inactivation of p110delta in BCR signaling. p110delta activity is indispensable for BCR-induced DNA synthesis and phosphorylation of Akt/protein kinase B (PKB), forkhead transcription factor/forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a), and p70 S6 kinase (p70 S6K), with modest effects on the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha/beta (GSK3alpha/beta) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk). The PI3K-dependent component of intracellular calcium mobilization also completely relies on p110delta catalytic activity. Resting B cells with inactive p110delta fail to enter the cell cycle, correlating with an incapacity to up-regulate the expression of cyclins D2, A, and E, and to phosphorylate the retinoblastoma protein (Rb). p110delta is also critical for interleukin 4 (IL-4)-induced phosphorylation of Akt/PKB and FOXO3a, and protection from apoptosis. Taken together, these data show that defects observed in p110delta mutant mice are not merely a consequence of altered B-cell differentiation, and emphasize the potential utility of p110delta as a drug target in autoimmune diseases in which B cells play a crucial role.
The Use of Humor and Role-playing in Reinforcing Key Concepts (2003)

Author affiliation: School of Nursing, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo. Corresponding author: Carolyn J. Lee, MSN, RN, Medical College of Ohio, School of Nursing, Collier Building, 3015 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614-5803 ([email protected]).
ChemInform Abstract: A DNA‐Lipid Complex Soluble in Organic Solvents. (1992)

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.
Analysis and Measurement of Productivity at the Workplace (1993)

Abstract The Australian Industrial Relations Commission is now committed to the development of productivity bargaining as an integral part of the formal industrial relations system. Its ‘Enterprise Bargaining Principle’ makes future wage increases contingent upon measures designed to effect ‘real gains’ in productivity. Yet there is no agreed approach to measuring productivity gains at the workplace, let alone the contribution of employees to productivity gains, for the purpose of determining the size and distribution of wage increases. This paper analyses the rationale of productivity bargaining, and presents two possible approaches to productivity measurement in this context. The first is the conventional approach based upon the neoclassical production function, and the second is an alternative approach based upon performance indicators. The conclusion of the paper is that a ‘balanced scorecard’ of performance indicators can be used to provide not only a superior approach to measurement but also a more effective strategy for workplace bargaining and productivity improvement.
Sequence diversity and haplotype structure in the human ABCB1 (MDR1, multidrug resistance transporter) gene (2003)

This study represents a comprehensive analysis of ABCB1 nucleotide diversity and haplotype structure in different populations and illustrates the importance of haplotype considerations in characterizing the functional consequences of ABCB1 polymorphisms.
Preparation, properties, and plasma retention of human hemoglobin derivatives: comparison of uncrosslinked carboxymethylated hemoglobin with crosslinked tetrameric hemoglobin. (1991)

Human hemoglobin A has been crosslinked by diisothiocyanatobenzenesulfonate to give a limited number of products in a yield of approximately 70%. The predominant product was crosslinked between subunits within a tetramer and had a Mr of 64,000; no higher Mr species were formed. This product had one crosslink per tetramer located between the NH2 termini of its alpha chains, as established by HPLC analysis, amino acid analysis, Edman degradation, and mass spectrometry. This crosslinked derivative had a slightly increased oxygen affinity [P50 = 9 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133 Pa); P50 for unmodified hemoglobin = 11 mmHg], and the retention time of this derivative in the circulation of rats was 2.9 and 3.3 hr at two hemoglobin concentrations (7 g/dl and 14 g/dl, respectively). The half-life of an uncrosslinked carboxymethylated derivative, which has a low oxygen affinity (P50 = 28 mmHg), was 0.6 and 0.7 hr under the same conditions. Therefore, prolongation of the plasma-retention time of infused hemoglobin is dependent on the crosslinking of the tetramer but independent of the oxygen affinity of the derivative.