gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
A sensitive multi-detector neutron counter used to monitor 'cold fusion' experiments in an underground laboratory; negative results and positive artifacts (1990)

A description is given of the neutron counter system used in a search for neutrons at high-sensitivity, the negative results obtained, and the identification of some potentially misleading artifacts of neutron detection. More than 30 different test cell configurations were tested to cover the full range of the pertinent experimental variables. The design and characteristics of the neutron counter are discussed. The significant features of this neutron search technique are: (1) three independent neutron detectors of relatively high efficiency were used to simultaneously monitor the test cells; (2) the detectors were calibrated using a /sup 252/Cf neutron source in place of the test cells; and (3) the experiments were performed in an underground laboratory to reduce the neutron background induced by cosmic rays. The overall efficiency of the counter for /sup 252/Cf neutrons was 9.2 to 15%, depending on the experimental arrangement. No evidence was observed for significant neutron emission from any of the more than 30 test cell configurations that were monitored for a total of 339 h in the underground laboratory.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
Comparison of mRNA gene expression by RT-PCR and DNA microarray (2004)

Few studies have compared the quantification of mRNA by DNA microarray to the results obtained by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). In this study, mRNA was collected from the healing femoral fracture callus of adult and juvenile rats at various times after fracture. Ten samples were measured by both methods for 26 genes. For RT-PCR, mRNA was reverse transcribed, amplified, electrophoresed, blotted, and probed with 32P-labeled internal oligonucleotides, which were quantified. For DNA microarray, the mRNA was processed to biotin-labeled cRNA, hybridized to 10 Affymetrix Rat U34A microarrays, and quantified. Correlation coefficients (r) for each gene for the agreement between RT-PCR and microarray ranged from -0.48 to +0.93. This variation made the interpretation gene-specific. Genes with moderate expression levels gave the highest r values. Increased numbers of absent calls by the microarray software and increased separation between the location of the PCR primers and the microarray probes both led to reduced agreement. Microarray analysis suggested a floor effect in expression levels measured by RT-PCR for two genes. In conclusion, moderate mRNA expression levels with overlap in the location of PCR primers and microarray probes can yield good agreement between these two methods.
Importance of stromal determinants in the generation of dendritic and natural killer cells in the human spleen (2005)

Summary The interaction between stroma and blood cells in the human spleen has received little attention, despite their well-defined roles during blood cell development in bone marrow. We have reported previously that human spleen-derived fibroblasts display a differentiated myofibroblast phenotype and constitutively express a biologically active form of membrane interleukin (IL)-15 that can drive co-cultured CD34(+) blood cells to differentiate into activated natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we show that, in addition to NK cells, CD34/fibroblast co-cultures also yield myeloid CD1a(+)CD38(+)CD68(+)CD86(+) HLA-DR(+)CD14(-)CD80(-) dendritic cells (DCs) after 3-4 weeks in culture. We found that DC development depended on endogenously secreted stromal macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and CD40/CD40L interaction rather than on fibroblast- and CD34-derived membrane IL-15. CD1a(+) cells were necessary for co-produced NK cells to acquire lytic functions by a mechanism involving cell-to-cell contact and DC-derived IL-12. This study highlights the importance of spleen myofibroblasts in the in vitro generation of two distinct cell types (DC and NK cells) from the innate immune system and suggests that the human spleen is involved in the generation of NK cells from circulating progenitors.
Efficacy of p53 adenovirus-mediated gene therapy against human breast cancer xenografts. (1997)

In response to DNA damage, p53 protein accumulates in the cell nucleus causing cells to undergo DNA repair or apoptosis, programmed cell death. Reintroduction of wild-type p53 into tumors with null or mutant p53 offers a novel strategy for controlling tumor growth, by inducing apoptotic death in neoplastic cells. The efficacy of a replication-deficient p53 adenovirus construct was tested against three human breast cancer cell lines expressing mutant p53, MDA-MB-231, -468, and -435. 231 and 468 cells were both highly transduced at a multiplicity of infection of 10. By contrast, 435 cells were rarely transduced. p53 adenovirus-mediated gene therapy was highly effective against 231 and 468 tumor xenografts in nude mice. At a total dose of 2.2 x 10(9) cellular infectious units (CIU), inhibition of 231 tumor growth was 86% (P < or = .01). Thirty-seven percent of that growth inhibition was due to p53, while 49% was adenovirus-specific. Inhibition of 468 tumor growth was 74% (P < or = .001). Forty-five percent of that inhibition was p53-specific, while 28% was adenovirus-specific. The ED50 values for 231 tumors and 468 tumor growth inhibition were 3 x 10(8) CIU and 2 x 10(8) CIU, respectively. Injection of p53 Ad into 231 or 468 tumors induced apoptosis. By contrast, growth inhibition in 435 tumors treated with p53 adenovirus was not significant, probably due to low adenovirus transduction. 231 and 435 cells both expressed high levels of alpha v, beta 1, beta 3, and beta 5 integrin subunits, ruling out lack of the appropriate integrins as the reason for the low infection rate in 435 cells. Our results demonstrate the ability of wild-type p53 to curtail cancerous cell growth in vivo in tumors expressing mutant p53. The ability of beta-gal Ad to infect tumor cells in vitro was generally predictive of in vivo p53 Ad efficacy.
New preparative regimens with diaziquone or cytarabine in combination with busulfan and cyclophosphamide. (1993)

Preparative regimens used prior to bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in patients with malignancies must mediate engraftment and eradicate malignant cells without producing significant extramedullary toxicities. The first agents to be tested in BMT preparative regimens, total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide (Cy), were ineffective as single agents, but resulted in long-term disease-free survival in some leukemic patients when combined. However, Cy/TBI regimens are associated with significant acute and chronic toxicities as well as technical constraints involving the administration of radiation. Accordingly, a nonradiation-based regimen consisting of Cy and busulfan (Bu) was developed. Regimens using either a 4-day course (BuCy4) or a 2-day course (BuCy2) of Cy have been shown to have significant antileukemic effects. In general, however, BuCy regimens do not appear to result in greater antileukemic activity or lower treatment-related toxicity than Cy/TBI regimens. New preparative regimens are currently being developed to lower the incidence of disease recurrence after BMT. One such regimen consists of BuCy plus etoposide. At our institution, we are currently testing the efficacy and toxicity of regimens in which cytarabine or diaziquone are administered in combination with Bu and Cy. It is hoped that these new preparative regimens will enhance the antileukemic effects of BMT without significantly increasing treatment-related toxicity.
The development and testing of a human machine interface for a mobile medical exoskeleton (2011)

Current advancements in exoskeleton robotics allow those with mobility disorders to walk again. The user conveys his or her desired motion to the exoskeleton using a Human Machine Interface (HMI). This allows the users to stand up, walk, and sit down independently. Existing HMIs require unnatural motions that inhibit the gait. The HMI developed here uses natural gestures while ensuring the safety of the user. This method utilizes a unique sensor suite and a finite state automaton to allow a spinal cord injury patient to easily use an exoskeleton for mobility.
The role of sperm oxidative stress in male infertility and the significance of oral antioxidant therapy (2011)

Oxidative stress in the male germ line is thought to affect male fertility and impact upon normal embryonic development. Accordingly, fertility specialists are actively exploring the diagnosis of such stress in spermatozoa and evaluating the possible use of antioxidants to ameliorate this condition. In this review, evidence for the presence of oxidative stress in human spermatozoa, the origins of this phenomenon, its clinical significance in the aetiology of male infertility and recent advances in methods for its diagnosis and treatment are re-examined. Moreover, an extensive review of the results presented in published clinical studies has been conducted to evaluate the overall impact of oral antioxidants on measures of sperm oxidative stress and DNA damage. Administration of antioxidants to infertile men has been assessed in numerous clinical studies with at least 20 reports highlighting its effect on measures of oxidative stress in human spermatozoa. A qualitative but detailed review of the results revealed that 19 of the 20 studies conclusively showed a significant reduction relating to some measure of oxidative stress in these cells. Strong evidence also supports improved motility, particularly in asthenospermic patients. However, of these studies, only 10 reported pregnancy-related outcomes, with 6 reporting positive associations. Adequately powered, placebo-controlled comprehensive clinical trials are now required to establish a clear role for antioxidants in the prevention of oxidative stress in the male germ line, such that the clinical utility of this form of therapy becomes established once and for all.
Real time simulation of multizone elastokinematic models (2003)

We introduce precomputed multizone elastokinematic models for interactive simulation of multibody kinematic systems which include elastostatic deformations. This enables an efficient form of domain decomposition, suitable for interactive simulation of stiff flexible structures for real time applications such as interactive assembly. One advantage of multizone models is that each zone can have small strains, and hence be modeled with linear elasticity, while the entire multizone/multibody system admits large nonlinear relative strains. This permits fast capacitance matrix algorithms and precomputed Green's functions to be used for efficient real time simulation. Examples are given for a human finger modeled as a kinematic chain with a compliant elastic covering.
The protein encoded by the Shewanella colwellianamelA gene is a p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (1994)

The identity of the product of the melA gene from Shewanella colwelliana with the enzyme p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic dioxygenase is shown. Cloning of the melA gene endowed Escherichia coli with the capacity to synthesize melanin-like pigments from L-tyrosine. E. coli contained transaminases that transforms L-tyrosine into p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. This keto acid was detected in the cultures. On the other hand, E. coli containing melA was able to go further in the catabolic pathway, releasing a great amount of homogentisic acid. This acid can spontaneously polymerize giving the pigment. Furthermore, p-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase activity was detected in this system. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed a high homology with the p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase enzyme from different organisms.
Implementation of gradient-corrected exchange-correlation potentials in Car-Parrinello total-energy calculations (1994)

The application of gradient-corrected exchange-correlation functionals in total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set is discussed. The usual form of the exchange-correlation potential includes gradients whose calculation requires the use of a high-quality representation of the density which is computationally expensive in both memory and time. These problems may be overcome by defining an exchange-correlation potential for the discrete set of grid points consistent with the discretized form of the exchange-correlation energy that is used in Car-Parrinello-type total-energy calculations. This potential can be calculated exactly on the minimum fast-Fourier-transform grid and gives improved convergence and stability as well as computational efficiency.
Preliminary design of a whole-arm manipulation system (WAMS) (2003)

An approach to manipulation that uses all the available manipulation surfaces of the robot to act on and sense the environment is outlined. The kinematic, mechanism, actuation, and control implications of such a design are discussed and initial experimentation with a prototype mechanism are described. A three-degree-of-freedom underwater manipulator using a number of the resulting design concepts is described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp41 Antibodies That Mask Membrane Proximal Region Epitopes: Antibody Binding Kinetics, Induction, and Potential for Regulation in Acute Infection (2007)

Two human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (2F5 and 4E10) against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope g41 cluster II membrane proximal external region (MPER) broadly neutralize HIV-1 primary isolates. However, these antibody specificities are rare, are not induced by Env immunization or HIV-1 infection, and are polyspecific and also react with lipids such as cardiolipin or phosphatidylserine. To probe MPER anti-gp41 antibodies that are produced in HIV-1 infection, we have made two novel murine MAbs, 5A9 and 13H11, against HIV-1 gp41 envelope that partially cross-blocked 2F5 MAb binding to Env but did not neutralize HIV-1 primary isolates or bind host lipids. Competitive inhibition assays using labeled 13H11 MAb and HIV-1-positive patient plasma samples demonstrated that cluster II 13H11-blocking plasma antibodies were made in 83% of chronically HIV-1 infected patients and were acquired between 5 to 10 weeks after acute HIV-1 infection. Both the mouse 13H11 MAb and the three prototypic cluster II human MAbs (98-6, 126-6, and 167-D) blocked 2F5 binding to gp41 epitopes to variable degrees; the combination of 98-6 and 13H11 completely blocked 2F5 binding. These data provide support for the hypothesis that in some patients, B cells make nonneutralizing cluster II antibodies that may mask or otherwise down-modulate B-cell responses to immunogenic regions of gp41 that could be recognized by B cells capable of producing antibodies like 2F5.
Inadvertent Systemic Injection of Pilocarpine (1987)

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —Pilocarpine is a direct-acting parasympathomimetic agent that exerts its effects primarily on muscarinic receptors. Although used only topically, systemically absorbed pilocarpine is considered safe in doses below 20 mg; 100 mg is considered dangerous. The lethal dosage has not been established. The symptoms of pilocarpine overdose begin with flushing of the face and neck, followed shortly by diaphoresis, salivation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and pupillary constriction. Breathing may be difficult because of bronchiolar spasm. In patients with preexisting circulatory disturbances, pulmonary edema may occur and can be fatal.<sup>1,2</sup> Only one instance of presumed pilocarpine toxicity via ocular administration of the drug has been reported, in which a 75-year-old man received an overdose during an attack of acute angle closure.<sup>3</sup>Herein, we report a case of accidental subcutaneous injection of a 4% ophthalmic solution of pilocarpine. <h3>Report of a Case.</h3> —A 70-kg, 39-year-old woman had been followed
A Potassium Channel Mutation in Neonatal Human Epilepsy (1998)

Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is an autosomal dominant epilepsy of infancy, with loci mapped to human chromosomes 20q13.3 and 8q24. By positional cloning, a potassium channel gene (KCNQ2) located on 20q13.3 was isolated and found to be expressed in brain. Expression of KCNQ2 in frog (Xenopus laevis) oocytes led to potassium-selective currents that activated slowly with depolarization. In a large pedigree with BFNC, a five-base pair insertion would delete more than 300 amino acids from the KCNQ2 carboxyl terminus. Expression of the mutant channel did not yield measurable currents. Thus, impairment of potassium-dependent repolarization is likely to cause this age-specific epileptic syndrome.
On Delay Fault Testing in Logic Circuits (1987)

Correct operation of a logic circuit requires propagation delays of all paths in the circuit to be smaller than the intended "clock interval." Random or deterministic tests, conducted at the normal clocking rate, can be used to insure that path delays in manufactured circuits meet the specifications. Algorithms, based on a five-valued logic system, to accurately calculate the detection probability of path delay faults by random delay tests as well as to derive deterministic tests to detect path delay faults are proposed. The results can be used to determine the test length for a desired confidence level in testing a path fault when random tests are used, and to generate a test set for a list of delay faults when deterministic tests are used.
An analytical model for the break-even credit default swap spread with o counterparty default risk in Hall(2009): A pedagogical approach. (2010)

Professor Hull in his textbook [Hull, J. C. Options, Futures, &amp; Other Derivatives, Edition 7, Pearson, 2009] illustrates the determination of the credit default swap (CDS) spread by a numerical example. This paper follows the assumptions used by Professor Hull and provides a reduced form formula for the CDS spread. The CDS spread can be simplified by the Taylor series into a function of two variables, the default probability and the recovery rate. Rearranging this simplified formula, the default probability, expressed as the ratio of the CDS spread and the loss given default, is equivalent to the average default intensity, or, the hazard rate defined in Hull [2009, p.500].
Autonomous in Vitro Anticancer Drug Release from Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles by pH-Sensitive Nanovalves (2010)

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) have proven to be an extremely effective solid support for controlled drug delivery on account of the fact that their surfaces can be easily functionalized in order to control the nanopore openings. We have described recently a series of mechanized silica nanoparticles, which, under abiotic conditions, are capable of delivering cargo molecules employing a series of nanovalves. The key question for these systems has now become whether they can be adapted for biological use through controlled nanovalve opening in cells. Herein, we report a novel MSNP delivery system capable of drug delivery based on the function of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) nanovalves that are responsive to the endosomal acidification conditions in human differentiated myeloid (THP-1) and squamous carcinoma (KB-31) cell lines. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to optimize the surface functionalization of the MSNP so as to provide a platform for the effective and rapid doxorubicin release to the nuclei of KB-31 cells.
The absence of diabetic retinopathy in patients with retinitis pigmentosa: implications for pathophysiology and possible treatment (2001)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness but it is not known why retinopathy should be so early and so severe a complication of diabetes. The sensory loss caused by minute retinal lesions is part of the problem, but the diabetic changes in the brain are different and less serious than in the retina, often described as an outpost of the brain. This has led to the concept of a local factor being responsible for the microvasculopathy of DR. There are physiological factors unique to the retina, and it is suggested below how these, by causing hypoxia very early in diabetes, could activate cytokines that produce the microvascular changes. If retinal hypoxia is an important causal factor in the production of DR, prevention of hypoxia should ameliorate DR. This hypothesis predicts that retinitis pigmentosa (RP) should prevent DR. Both old and new work is described, which indicates that this is in fact the case, thus pointing to new, simple, and effective ways of delaying the progress of diabetic retinopathy.

Direct comparison of retinal and brain capillaries taken from diabetics show very considerable differences1 (Table 1), which indicate a “local factor” in the development of DR. It has been suggested2 that the local factor is related to what is unique to the retina, the photoreceptors. The 120 million rods have the highest metabolic rate of any cell in the body. In darkness, the outer limb membrane “leaks”, causing an inward “dark current”. This current is reduced by light, and at normal photopic levels is shut off completely. In full dark adaptation sodium ions and water enter the outer limb at a maximal rate, and are pumped out in the inner limb.3 The entire cytosol volume is pumped in about 15 seconds.4 This process requires a …
Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Atrial Fibrillation: A Translational Appraisal (2011)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmia that can occur as the result of numerous different pathophysiological processes in the atria. Some aspects of the morphological and electrophysiological alterations promoting AF have been studied extensively in animal models. Atrial tachycardia or AF itself shortens atrial refractoriness and causes loss of atrial contractility. Aging, neurohumoral activation, and chronic atrial stretch due to structural heart disease activate a variety of signaling pathways leading to histological changes in the atria including myocyte hypertrophy, fibroblast proliferation, and complex alterations of the extracellular matrix including tissue fibrosis. These changes in electrical, contractile, and structural properties of the atria have been called "atrial remodeling." The resulting electrophysiological substrate is characterized by shortening of atrial refractoriness and reentrant wavelength or by local conduction heterogeneities caused by disruption of electrical interconnections between muscle bundles. Under these conditions, ectopic activity originating from the pulmonary veins or other sites is more likely to occur and to trigger longer episodes of AF. Many of these alterations also occur in patients with or at risk for AF, although the direct demonstration of these mechanisms is sometimes challenging. The diversity of etiological factors and electrophysiological mechanisms promoting AF in humans hampers the development of more effective therapy of AF. This review aims to give a translational overview on the biological basis of atrial remodeling and the proarrhythmic mechanisms involved in the fibrillation process. We pay attention to translation of pathophysiological insights gained from in vitro experiments and animal models to patients. Also, suggestions for future research objectives and therapeutical implications are discussed.