gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Human Endocrine Gland-Derived Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: Expression Early in Development and in Leydig Cell Tumors Suggests Roles in Normal and Pathological Testis Angiogenesis (2004)

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. A new human angiogenic mitogen, endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF), has been recently identified; its expression pattern is restricted to endocrine glands, with the highest expression in testis. We used in situ hybridization and newly generated monoclonal antibodies to investigate the expression of EG-VEGF in normal human prenatal and adult testis and in 48 human testicular tumors of different subtypes. We found that EG-VEGF was expressed from 14 wk until birth in human fetal testis. In the adult testis, EG-VEGF was strongly expressed only in Leydig cells. In testicular tumors, EG-VEGF was expressed specifically in Leydig cell tumors, whereas germ cell-derived neoplasms, including carcinoma in situ, seminoma, and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, were negative for this antigen. In contrast, VEGF, another powerful angiogenic factor, was expressed in seminoma, but very weakly in Leydig cell tumors. Interestingly, we found that Leydig cell tumors presented vessel surface density 3.2-fold higher than seminoma. These findings argue that human EG-VEGF may play a role in angiogenesis both during the early endocrine development of testis and in the adult testis as well as in Leydig cell tumor growth.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Derived from Human Somatic Cells (2007)

Somatic cell nuclear transfer allows trans-acting factors present in the mammalian oocyte to reprogram somatic cell nuclei to an undifferentiated state. We show that four factors (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and LIN28) are sufficient to reprogram human somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells that exhibit the essential characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. These induced pluripotent human stem cells have normal karyotypes, express telomerase activity, express cell surface markers and genes that characterize human ES cells, and maintain the developmental potential to differentiate into advanced derivatives of all three primary germ layers. Such induced pluripotent human cell lines should be useful in the production of new disease models and in drug development, as well as for applications in transplantation medicine, once technical limitations (for example, mutation through viral integration) are eliminated.
Microbial biofilms in the human gastrointestinal tract (2007)

The human gastrointestinal tract contains rich and diverse microbiotas along its length. However, while extensive studies have been made on lumenal bacterial communities in the gut, less work has been carried out on organisms growing in biofilms, where individual groups of bacteria exist in a multiplicity of different microhabitats and metabolic niches associated with the mucosa, the mucus layer and particulate surfaces in the gut lumen. Bacteria and yeasts also occur in biofilms attached to artificial surfaces and devices implanted in the host, such as in patients being fed via enteral tubes. Although we are just beginning to investigate the composition and metabolic activities of these structures, increasing evidence suggests that they are important to the host in both health and disease. There is mounting interest in mucosal biofilms in the colon, especially with respect to their role in inflammatory bowel disease. Because bacteria growing in biofilms are more resistant to antibiotics than unattached organisms, it is often difficult to modify the structure and composition of these communities, or to eradicate them from the body. However, recent work has shown that there is considerable potential to alter the species composition of mucosal biofilms in a beneficial way using synbiotics.
Comparison of Captopril and Enalapril in Patients with Severe Chronic Heart Failure (1986)

To evaluate the concept that long duration of action is an advantageous property of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the treatment of severe heart failure, we randomly assigned 42 patients to therapy with either a short-acting inhibitor (captopril, 150 mg daily) or a long-acting inhibitor (enalapril, 40 mg daily) for one to three months while concomitant therapy with digoxin and diuretics was kept constant. The treatment groups had similar hemodynamic and clinical characteristics at base-line evaluation and similar initial responses to converting-enzyme inhibition. During long-term therapy, captopril and enalapril produced similar decreases in systemic blood pressure, but the hypotensive effects of enalapril were more prolonged and persistent than those of captopril. Consequently, although the patients in both groups improved hemodynamically and clinically during the study, serious symptomatic hypotension (syncope and near syncope) was seen primarily among those treated with enalapril. Sustained hypotension also probably accounted for the decline in creatinine clearance (P less than 0.05) and the notable retention of potassium (P less than 0.05) observed in the patients treated with enalapril but not in those treated with captopril. We conclude that when large, fixed doses of converting-enzyme inhibitors are used in the treatment of patients with severe chronic heart failure, long-acting agents may produce prolonged hypotensive effects that may compromise cerebral and renal function, and thus they may have disadvantages in such cases, as compared with short-acting agents.
Cytokines in Murine Lyme Carditis: Th1 Cytokine Expression Follows Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokines in a Susceptible Mouse Strain (1998)

The cardiac infiltrate seen in murine Lyme carditis is composed predominantly of macrophages, but small numbers of T cells are also present. To identify the cytokines present in cardiac lesions from susceptible mice, semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction was done on cardiac tissue from mice infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. The temporal expression of proinflammatory and T cell-derived cytokines was characterized in cardiac tissue at days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 42 after infection with B. burgdorferi. Early in the course of infection, up-regulation of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was detected. The Th1 cytokine interferon-gamma appeared after the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines and remained elevated throughout the study. Interleukin-4 was not detectable at any time in cardiac lesions. These data are the first to identify cytokines expressed at the lesional level in murine Lyme carditis and to demonstrate a Th1 pattern of cytokine expression in this lesion.
Micro/Nanostructured Polymeric Systems for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications (2008)

This review provides an outline of the polymeric micro/nanostructured advanced systems that are suited for the controlled and targeted administration of, specifically, nonconventional drugs. The contribution of new trends in drug-delivery technology is focused on two major parts, dealing with brief surveys of: the biodegradable/bioerodible polymeric systems used in the formulation of micro/nanoparticles and techniques used in the preparation of micro/nanoparticles for their biomedical application in cancer treatment specifically, in inflammation pathologies, as oxygen carriers (blood substitutes) and in tissue-engineering practice. A small discussion of the future perspectives of the described systems is also given.
Axonal Degeneration during Aging and Its Functional Role in Neurodegenerative Disorders (2017)

Aging constitutes the main risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. This represents a major health issue worldwide that is only expected to escalate due to the ever-increasing life expectancy of the population. Interestingly, axonal degeneration, which occurs at early stages of neurodegenerative disorders (ND) such as Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease, also takes place as a consequence of normal aging. Moreover, the alteration of several cellular processes such as proteostasis, response to cellular stress and mitochondrial homeostasis, which have been described to occur in the aging brain, can also contribute to axonal pathology. Compelling evidence indicate that the degeneration of axons precedes clinical symptoms in NDs and occurs before cell body loss, constituting an early event in the pathological process and providing a potential therapeutic target to treat neurodegeneration before neuronal cell death. Although, normal aging and the development of neurodegeneration are two processes that are closely linked, the molecular basis of the switch that triggers the transition from healthy aging to neurodegeneration remains unrevealed. In this review we discuss the potential role of axonal degeneration in this transition and provide a detailed overview of the literature and current advances in the molecular understanding of the cellular changes that occur during aging that promote axonal degeneration and then discuss this in the context of ND.
Immunogenicity of botulinum toxins (2012)

Botulinum neurotoxins are formulated biologic pharmaceuticals used therapeutically to treat a wide variety of chronic conditions, with varying governmental approvals by country. Some of these disorders include cervical dystonia, post-stroke spasticity, blepharospasm, migraine, and hyperhidrosis. Botulinum neurotoxins also have varying governmental approvals for cosmetic applications. As botulinum neurotoxin therapy is often continued over many years, some patients may develop detectable antibodies that may or may not affect their biological activity. Although botulinum neurotoxins are considered "lower risk" biologics since antibodies that may develop are not likely to cross react with endogenous proteins, it is possible that patients may lose their therapeutic response. Various factors impact the immunogenicity of botulinum neurotoxins, including product-related factors such as the manufacturing process, the antigenic protein load, and the presence of accessory proteins, as well as treatment-related factors such as the overall toxin dose, booster injections, and prior vaccination or exposure. Detection of antibodies by laboratory tests does not necessarily predict the clinical success or failure of treatment. Overall, botulinum neurotoxin type A products exhibit low clinically detectable levels of antibodies when compared with other approved biologic products. This review provides an overview of all current botulinum neurotoxin products available commercially, with respect to the development of neutralizing antibodies and clinical response.
Biocompatibility of echinoderm skeleton with mammalian cells in vitro: Preliminary evidence (1981)

The physical and chemical properties of echinoderm skeleton are reviewed. A method is described for preparing cell-free, sterile echinoderm skeletal plates (ossicles) which were used as porous substrates for cell cultures. Ossicles of the starfish Pisaster ochraceus were evaluated as substrates for the culture of three mammalian cell lines. Each line grew vigorously on ossicles, and fibroblasts quickly infiltrated their porous microstructure. Echinoderm skeletal plates provide a simple, convenient alternative to coverslips and porous membranes for SEM or correlated SEM/TEM studies of cell behavior. More importantly, the preliminary evidence for biocompatibility presented suggests that native echinoderm skeleton has potential use as a biomaterial and, because of its microstructure and relative solubility; deserves evaluation as a kind of biodegradable ceramic.
Simple result for conformal-strip excited hemisphericaldielectric resonator antenna (2000)

A simple result for the input impedance of a conformal-strip excited hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna is presented for the first time. The result involves only simple algebraic operations and, thus, should be useful to the design engineer. The limitation of the result is discussed and explained.
Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and taxonomic implications of the flagellin gene of Roseburia cecicola (1988)

The gene coding for the flagellin protein of Roseburia cecicola, an oxygen-intolerant, gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium indigenous to the murine cecum, has been cloned and sequenced. NH2-terminal amino acid sequence data from the flagellin protein were used as a basis for the synthesis of two mixed-sequence deoxyoligonucleotides. The oligonucleotides were used to identify and clone the flagellin structural gene. DNA sequence analysis of M13mp8 and mp9 subclones revealed a protein with a length of 293 amino acids and a molecular weight of 31,370. Comparisons with the sequences of flagellins of other species revealed conserved regions and suggested that although R. cecicola has structural characteristics of a gram-negative bacterium, it may be most closely related to the gram-positive bacteria.
Interactions of Phytoestrogens with Estrogen Receptors .ALPHA. and .BETA. (III). Estrogenic Activities of Soy Isoflavone Aglycones and Their Metabolites Isolated from Human Urine (2004)

Two glucuronides (4'-O-, and 7-O-) and a glucuronyl (7-O-) sulfate (4'-O-) of genistein, two glucuronides (4'-O-, and 7-O-) and a glucuronyl (7-O-) sulfate (4'-O-) of daidzein, 7-O-glucuronides of glycitein, dihydrodaidzein and O-desmethylangolensin were isolated from the urine of volunteer subjects fed soy bean curds (Tofu). The estrogenic activities, i.e., i) the effect on the estrogen-dependent growth of MCF-7 cells, ii) the binding ability to human estrogen receptors (hERs) alpha and beta, and iii) the effect on hER-dependent beta-galactosidase induction, of these isoflavone metabolites were examined. Two synthetic isoflavone aglycones (dihydrodaidzein and O-desmethylangolensin) and four synthetic sulfates (4'-O- and 4'-, 7-di-O-) of genistein and daidzein were also studied for their estrogenic activities for the purpose of comparison. With respect to estrogenic acivity, the tested isoflavone metabolites were classified into three groups. The first group shows a very poor stimulatory effect toward the growth of MCF-7 cells, binding activity, and beta-galactosidase induction. The sulfates belong to this group. The second group shows a moderate binding activity but poor stimulation and beta-galactosidase induction. Some glucuronyl conjugates belong to this group. The last group shows a moderate stimulation and beta-galactosidase induction but poor binding activity. A mixed type of conjugates having glucuronyl and sulfony moieties belong to this group.
The pattern and mechanism of mitochondrial transport in axons (1996)

Mitochondria in nerve axons display motility behavior that is as distinctive as their metabolic function. Unlike many other classes of organelles, mitochondria undergo net movement that is the sum of movements in both the anterograde and retrograde directions, and their net velocity is strongly influenced by their recruitment between stationary and motile states. They recently became the first specific class of organelle shown to be capable of moving along either microtubule or F-actin tracks in the axon, indicating that they probably use a diversity of molecular motors. Although we still know relatively little about how the movement of specific classes of axonal organelles is coordinated with their function in the neuron, in the case of mitochondria it is at least clear that their transport delivers them to regions of the neuron where ATP consumption is likely to be high, and disperses them when local energy needs change. In addition, although mitochondria contain both anterograde and retrograde motor activities, the modulation of their motility necessary to achieve these redistributions seems to rely largely upon regulation of the anterograde motor activity alone. A further element in the regulation of their motility and distribution is the apparent "docking" of mitochondria to microtubules or neurofilaments, a phenomenon which may serve to stabilize their distribution once regulated motility has moved them to appropriate sites. This review considers the current state of knowledge in these areas with an emphasis on the pattern of regulation of motility and how it underlies the role of mitochondria as the aerobic ATP source of the neuron.
Studies on Some 2,1-Benzisoxazole Derivatives (1971)

7-Acetyl-3-methyl-2,1-benzisoxazole has been synthesized by reduction of 2,6-diacetylnitrobenzene. While the chemical properties of the compound indicate that it undergoes valency-tautomerism, spectroscopic studies indicate that this is a relatively slow process. Comparisons with other heterocyclic systems having similar properties are noted.
Soft matter with soft particles (2006)

In this review we present a summary of recent progress achieved in examining the equilibrium and dynamical properties of concentrated solutions of two novel kinds of soft matter systems: and starburst molecules known as . The two systems share a host of interesting properties. The both consist of highly branched polymers, they allow for tuning of their properties through modification of the macromolecular architecture and they are both representatives of a quite novel class of colloidal particles, termed . On the other hand there are also important differences, reflecting the fundamental difference in their architecture. It will be shown that a combination of scattering techniques and rheology with computer simulations and analytical methods from the realm of theoretical physics can shed light on the unusual properties of such systems. In this fashion, new ways appear for the manipulation of soft matter systems under external influences and promising perspectives for the fabrication of new materials are opened up and the versatility in manipulating soft matter is underlined.
Protein tyrosine kinase p59fyn is associated with the T cell receptor‐CD3 complex in functional human lymphocytes (1992)

The binding of antigen to the multicomponent T cell antigen receptor (TcR)-CD3 complex leads to the activation of several signal transduction pathways which result in T lymphocyte proliferation and lymphokine secretion by molecular mechanisms and catalytic molecules as yet poorly defined. One of the earliest events that follows the triggering of the antigen-specific TcR-CD3 complex is a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of several intracellular substrates, suggesting stimulation of at least one protein tyrosine kinase (PTK). Since none of the seven TcR-CD3 subunits exhibits a recognizable kinase domain, it seems likely that the receptor complex is associated with an intracellular PTK. p59fyn and the T lymphocyte-specific p56lck are two intracellular, non-receptor, cell membrane-associated PTK of the src family expressed in T lymphocytes. Here, we show by double immunofluorescence microscopy a specific co-distribution of p59fyn, but not p56lck, with antibody-induced TcR or CD3 caps in intact human T lymphocytes. These findings provide direct evidence for a significant association of p59fyn with the TcR-CD3 complex under physiologically relevant conditions in functional T lymphocytes. They suggest that p59fyn is a crucial component of the TcR signal transduction machinery and that one of the earliest consequences of antigen recognition by the TcR is p59fyn-mediated phosphorylation of intracellular substrates on tyrosine residues.
Sequence Specificity and Biochemical Characterization of the RusA Holliday Junction Resolvase of Escherichia coli (1997)

The RusA protein of Escherichia coli is an endonuclease that resolves Holliday intermediates in recombination and DNA repair. Analysis of its subunit structure revealed that the native protein is a dimer. Its resolution activity was investigated using synthetic X-junctions with homologous cores. Resolution occurs by dual strand incision predominantly 5' of CC dinucleotides located symmetrically. A junction lacking homology is not resolved. The efficiency of resolution is related inversely to the number of base pairs in the homologous core, which suggests that branch migration is rate-limiting. Inhibition of resolution at high ratios of protein to DNA suggests that binding of RusA may immobilize the junction point at non-cleavable sites. Resolution is stimulated by alkaline pH and by Mn2+. The protein is unstable in the absence of substrate DNA and loses approximately 80% of its activity within 1 min under standard reaction conditions. DNA binding stabilizes the activity. Junction resolution is inhibited in the presence of RuvA. This observation probably explains why RusA is unable to promote efficient recombination and DNA repair in ruvA+ strains unless it is expressed at a high level.
Evaluation of the INS-1 832/13 Cell Line as a Beta-Cell Based Screening System to Assess Pollutant Effects on Beta-Cell Function (2013)

Environmental pollutants have recently emerged as potential risk factors for metabolic diseases, urging systematic investigation of pollutant effects on metabolic disease processes. To enable risk assessment of these so-called metabolic disruptors the use of stable, robust and well-defined cell based screening systems has recently been encouraged. Since beta-cell (dys)functionality is central in diabetes pathophysiology, the need to develop beta-cell based pollutant screening systems is evident. In this context, the present research evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the INS-1 832/13 pancreatic beta-cell line as diabetogenic pollutant screening system with a focus on beta-cell function. After optimization of exposure conditions, positive (exendin-4, glibenclamide) and negative (diazoxide) control compounds for acute insulin secretion responses were tested and those with the most profound effects were selected to allow potency estimations and ranking of pollutants. This was followed by a first explorative screening of acute bisphenol A and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate effects. The same approach was applied for chronic exposures, focusing primarily on evaluation of acknowledged chronic stimulators (diazoxide, T0901317, exendin-4) or inhibitors (glibenclamide) of insulin secretion responses to select the most responsive ones for use as control compounds in a chronic pollutant testing framework. Our results showed that INS-1 832/13 cells responded conform previous observations regarding acute effects of control compounds on insulin secretion, while bisphenol A and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate had limited acute effects. Furthermore, chronic exposure to known beta-cell reactive compounds resulted in deviating insulin secretion and insulin content profiles compared to previous reports. In conclusion, this INS-1 subclone appears to lack certain characteristics needed to respond appropriately to acute pollutant exposure or long term exposure to known beta-cell reactive compounds and thus seems to be, in our setting, inadequate as a diabetogenic pollutant screening system.