gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Use of the Abdominal Rectus Fascia as a Nonvascularized Allograft for Abdominal Wall Closure After Liver, Intestinal, and Multivisceral Transplantation (2009)

The use of a nonvascularized FoRM is a novel and simple surgical option to resolve complex abdominal wall defects in liver/intestinal/multivisceral transplant recipients when it can be covered with the recipient skin.
Phytate acts as an inhibitor in formation of renal calculi (2006)

The aim of this study was to assess the inhibitory action of phytate in formation of renal calculi. Hypertension (induced by nicotine) combined with hypercalcemia (induced by D vitamin) was used to induce calcification in renal tissue in male Wistar rats that were fed a purified phytate free diet. Phytate non-treated rats developed significant calcium deposits in kidneys and papillae, as well as in kidney tubules and vessels, whereas calcium deposits were absent in control and phytate treated rats. Fragments of hydroxyapatite (HAP) calculi exhibited the capacity to induce the growth of calcium salts on their surfaces. Presence of 1.5 mg/L of phytate in the synthetic urine inhibited the formation of calcium oxalate monohydrate on HAP renal calculi in normocalciuric conditions. The findings show that the action of phytate as a crystallization inhibitor takes place both in the intrapapillary tissue and urine.
Transregulation of memory CD8 T-cell proliferation by IL-15Rα+ bone marrow–derived cells (2003)

Interleukin 15 (IL-15) and the IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Ralpha) chain are both required for the basal proliferation of memory CD8 T cells, but which cell types are required to express IL-15 or IL-15Ralpha to mediate this proliferation is not known. Using bone marrow (BM) chimeras, we showed that virus-specific CD8 memory T-cell proliferation was driven by IL-15 produced by either BM-derived or parenchymal cells. Experiments using mixed BM chimeras showed that IL-15Ralpha expression by memory CD8 T cells was not required for their division. In addition, wild-type memory CD8 T cells did not divide after transfer into IL-15Ralpha(-/-) mice. Further analyses demonstrated that IL-15Ralpha(+) BM-derived cells were crucial in driving memory CD8 T-cell division in the spleen while both parenchymal and BM-derived cells promoted memory cell division in the lung. Proliferation in response to soluble IL-15 in vivo required expression of IL-15Ralpha by opposing cells and IL-15Rbeta by CD8 memory cells, indicating that IL-15 interacted directly with the T cells. These results indicate that transpresentation of IL-15 by IL-15Ralpha on BM-derived cells mediates the basal proliferation of memory CD8 T cells.
Sequence analysis of a mammalian phospholipid-binding protein from testis and epididymis and its distribution between spermatozoa and extracellular secretions (1994)

The cellular origin of a soluble phospholipid-binding protein (PBP) in rat testicular and epididymal secretions has been investigated genetically and immunologically. PBP is ubiquitous in tissue cytosols but is not present in blood serum, lymph or milk. The relatively large amounts present in cauda epididymal plasma (CEP) and rete testis fluid suggested therefore that it may be secreted specifically by these tissues. However, when PBP cDNAs from testis and epididymis were cloned and sequenced, they did not contain a signal peptide and only one size of transcript was obtained on Northern blots of RNAs from liver, brain, placenta, testis and epididymis. Moreover, PBP could not be detected in sperm-free CEP from castrated, androgen-stimulated animals or in medium from Sertoli cell cultures. Spermatozoa, on the other hand, contained significant amounts of PBP that could be solubilized by washing cells in dissociating reagents or high-salt solutions. These results indicate that, contrary to previous interpretations, PBP is not secreted by classical pathways in either the testis or epididymis but that its presence in CEP and rete testis fluid is attributable largely to release from spermatozoa. Thus, spermatozoa have a significant influence on the composition of CEP as well as on the secretory and absorptive activity of the epididymal epithelium. A possible role for PBP in membrane biogenesis and maintenance of antigen segregation in spermatozoa is discussed.
Inhibition of human erythroid colony-forming units by interferons alpha and beta: differing mechanisms despite shared receptor. (1996)

Previous investigations have demonstrated that interferons alpha, beta, and gamma (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-IFN) are potent inhibitors of erythropoiesis in vitro. By utilizing a cell population enriched for human erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-E), we have previously demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of beta- and gamma-IFNs are direct effects, not requiring the presence of accessory cells, and that the inhibitory effect of recombinant human (rh) gamma-IFN could be corrected by high concentrations of rh erythropoietin (Epo). In this study, we compared the effects of rh(alpha)-IFN on cells enriched for CFU-E to its effects on unpurified marrow cells and found that although h(beta)-IFN (which shares a common receptor with alpha-IFN) directly inhibits CFU-E colony formation, the effect of rh(alpha)-IFN is indirect and is mediated by a soluble factor released from T lymphocytes in response to rh(alpha)-IFN. However, rh(alpha)-IFN enhanced the direct inhibitory effect of rh(gamma)-IFN on CFU-E not inhibited by rh(alpha)-IFN. The inhibitory effects of neither alpha- nor beta-IFN could be overcome by high levels of rhEpo. These findings imply that alpha- and beta-IFN exert different cellular effects despite binding to the same receptor. Failure of rhEpo to correct CFU-E colony inhibition by alpha- and beta-IFNs but not by gamma-IFN also suggests a mechanism for the differing degrees of response to different doses of rhEpo in patients with the anemia of chronic disease.
An update on the treatment of Parkinson's disease. (2006)

Although levodopa remains the most effective symptomatic drug for Parkinson's disease (PD), its use is limited by the emergence of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias, particularly in young-onset patients. Dopamine agonists, catechol-O-methyltransferasee inhibitors and other anti-parkinsonian drugs have been found to diminish or prevent these complications and possibly to exert disease-modifying effects. The finding that the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the globus pallidum internus (GPi) are abnormally active in PD has led to effective surgical treatments designed to improve patients' quality of life. The relative benefits of targeting STN or GPi with high-frequency stimulation are still being debated. Experimental therapeutics of PD include novel delivery systems, anti-apoptotic strategies and implantation of genetically engineered cells, and stem cells. Despite encouraging results from early pre-clinical and clinical studies, trials of human fetal grafts and intraventricular and intraparenchymal infusion of glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor have not shown clinically meaningful benefits. Future therapeutic strategies should focus not only on ameliorating the symptoms of PD, but also on neuroprotective or neurorescue therapies that can favorably modify the natural course of the disease and slow the progression of both motor and nonmotor manifestations of PD.
Elafin is a Biomarker of Graft Versus Host Disease of the Skin (2009)

Table 1Correlating low/high elafin with maximum skin stage, TRM and OSMaximum skin stagep-value∗1 year TRMp-value∗4 years OSp-value∗p-value is adjusted for age, conditioning intensity, donor and HLA match0-12-4Low elafin (%, 95% CI)83% (78-87%)17% (13-22%)< 0.0017% (4-11%)0.00835% (27-36%)0.001High elafin (%, 95% CI)39% (30-48%)61% (52-70%)18% (11-25%)53% (47-60%)∗ p-value is adjusted for age, conditioning intensity, donor and HLA match Open table in a new tab
Non-ionic surfactant assembly of wormhole silica molecular sieves from water soluble silicates (2000)

Thermally stable mesoporous silica molecular sieves with wormhole framework structures, previously obtainable only from silicon alkoxides, have been prepared from low cost soluble silicate precursors in the presence of non-ionic surfactants as structure directors.
Filter fusion for image enhancement using reinforcement learning (2004)

A new approach to image enhancement based on fusion of a number of filters using a reinforcement learning scheme is presented. In most applications the result of applying a single filter is usually unsatisfactory. Appropriate fusion of the results of several different filters, such as median, local average, sharpening, and Wiener filters, can resolve this difficulty. Many different techniques already exist in literatures. In this work, a reinforcement-learning agent will be proposed. During learning, the agent takes some actions (i.e., different weights for filters) to change its environment (the image quality). Reinforcement is provided by a scalar evaluation determined subjectively by the user. The approach has several advantages. The user interaction eliminates the need for objective image quality measures. No formal user model is required. Finally, no training data is necessary. The paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a global reinforced adjustment of the weights of the different filters.
The Inherited Basis of Diabetes Mellitus: Implications for the Genetic Analysis of Complex Traits (2003)

Diabetes encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases, each with a substantial genetic component. We review the division of diabetes into different subtypes based on clinical phenotype, the fruitful pursuit of genes underlying monogenic forms of the disease, the successes and drawbacks of whole-genome linkage scans in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and the recent identification of several diabetes genes by large association studies. We use the lessons learned from this extensive body of evidence to illustrate general implications for the genetic analysis of complex traits.
Prelaunch Forecasting of New Automobiles (1990)

This paper develops and applies a prelaunch model and measurement system to the marketing planning of a new automobile. The analysis addresses active search by consumers, dealer visits, word-of-mouth communication, magazine reviews, and production constraints—issues that are important in understanding consumer response to durable goods. We address these issues with a detailed consumer flow model which monitors and projects key consumer transitions in response to marketing actions. A test-vs.-control consumer clinic provides data which, with judgment and previous experience, are used to “calibrate” the model to fit the sales history of the control car. We illustrate how the model evolved to meet management needs and provided suggestions on advertising, dealer training, and consumer incentives. Comparison of the model's predictions to actual sales data suggests reasonable accuracy when an implemented strategy matches the planned strategy.
Characterization and purification of a novel transcriptional repressor from HeLa cell nuclear extracts recognizing the negative regulatory element region of human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat. (1992)

Cellular transcription factors play critical roles in regulating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gene transcription, although the precise mechanism(s) defining their roles are not well established. Primarily it has been suggested that sequence-specific interaction of trans-activating proteins with cis-acting DNA elements plays a crucial role in regulating the target genes. The negative regulatory element (NRE) of HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) is one such defined region that has been reported to down-regulate LTR-directed HIV gene expression. Information regarding the role of this region in the regulation of HIV expression is lacking. Here we describe an attempt to further characterize the role of NRE cis-elements and define any sequence-specific interaction with cellular factors. Using gel mobility shift DNA-binding and Southwestern blot assays, we have mapped a distinct region of NRE (-290 to -260, a 30-base pair (bp) domain of NRE-A) sequences of HIV-1 LTR, which recognizes a specific DNA-binding protein from HeLa cell nuclear extracts. This factor is a 38-kDa polypeptide which can be affinity-purified to near homogeneity by this 30-bp specific oligonucleotide in affinity chromatography. The cellular factor from HeLa cell nuclear extract exhibits specific interaction only with the 30-bp NRE-A domain of HIV-1 LTR and acts as a strong transcriptional repressor/inhibitor molecule in the DNA-protein gel binding, as well as in vitro transcriptional studies with the nuclear extracts from cells with productive HIV-1 infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a factor recognizing a distinct segment within NRE that has been shown to exert an inhibitory effect on transcriptionally active DNA-protein "pre-initiation" complex formation, suggesting a possible role in HIV-1 gene regulation.
Mcl-1 Down-regulation Potentiates ABT-737 Lethality by Cooperatively Inducing Bak Activation and Bax Translocation (2007)

The Bcl-2 antagonist ABT-737 targets Bcl-2/Bcl-xL but not Mcl-1, which may confer resistance to this novel agent. Here, we show that Mcl-1 down-regulation by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor roscovitine or Mcl-1-shRNA dramatically increases ABT-737 lethality in human leukemia cells. ABT-737 induces Bax conformational change but fails to activate Bak or trigger Bax translocation. Coadministration of roscovitine and ABT-737 untethers Bak from Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL, respectively, triggering Bak activation and Bax translocation. Studies employing Bax and/or Bak knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) confirm that Bax is required for ABT-737+/-roscovitine lethality, whereas Bak is primarily involved in potentiation of ABT-737-induced apoptosis by Mcl-1 down-regulation. Ectopic Mcl-1 expression attenuates Bak activation and apoptosis by ABT-737+roscovitine, whereas cells overexpressing Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL remain fully sensitive. Finally, Mcl-1 knockout MEFs are extremely sensitive to Bak conformational change and apoptosis induced by ABT-737, effects that are not potentiated by roscovitine. Collectively, these findings suggest down-regulation of Mcl-1 by either CDK inhibitors or genetic approaches dramatically potentiate ABT-737 lethality through cooperative interactions at two distinct levels: unleashing of Bak from both Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 and simultaneous induction of Bak activation and Bax translocation. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for simultaneously targeting Mcl-1 and Bcl-2/Bcl-xL in leukemia.
Implementation of haemoglobin A1c results traceable to the IFCC reference system: the way forward (2007)

Mauro Panteghini* and W. Garry John on behalf of the IFCC Scientific Division 1 Centre for Metrological Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (CIRME), University of Milan, Milan, Italy 2 Department of Clinical Sciences ‘‘Luigi Sacco’’, University of Milan, Milan, Italy 3 Clinical Biochemistry, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and School of Medicine Health Policy and Practice, UEA, Norwich, UK
Monoclonal antibody pretargetting techniques for tumour localization (1991)

1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche dell'Università, Istituto H S. Rafacle, via Otgettina, 60, 20132 Milano, Italy 2Dipartimento di Biologia e Genetica dell' Università, via Viotti, 5, 20131 Milano, Italy
Interferon-α in Patients with Asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection (1990)

Treatment of early-stage HIV infection with IFN-alpha can result in a decrease in frequency of viral isolation. Although its use may be accompanied by dose-dependent toxicities, IFN-alpha may have a role in slowing progression of HIV disease.
Synthesis and properties of adenosine oligonucleotide analogs containing methylene groups in place of phosphodiester 5'-oxygens (1993)

The ADP analogue in which the 5'-oxygen has been replaced by a methylene group can be prepared by condensing 5'-deoxy-5'-phosphonomethyladenosine with inorganic phosphate. This analogue readily polymerizes onto the primer A-A in the presence of the enzyme polynucleotide phosphorylase and either Mg2+ or Mn2+. The initial products are of the form A-A(-cA)n-cA (where "-" and "-c" stand for the normal phosphodiester linkage and the linkage in which the 5'-oxygen is replaced with the methylene group, respectively). Treatment of these with alkali yields adenosine 2'(3')-phosphate and the series (A(-cA)n-cA containing only phosphonomethylene linkages. The decamer A(-cA)8-cA interacts with two molecules of U(-U)8-U to form a triple-standard structure that has a stability similar to that exhibited by the analogous complex formed from A(-A)8-A and U(-U)8-U. This property, along with the resistance of these oligomer analogues toward nucleases that cleave phosphodiester linkages between the phosphorus and the 5'-oxygen, should provide a strong rationale for application of phosphonomethylene linkages in schemes for therapeutic drug design that use the antisense strategy.
Effective Discharge Dynamics for Plasma Actuators (2006)

Some effective control parameters for active separation mitigation using asymmetric dielectric barrier discharges is studied by considering the weakly ionized gas flow past a flat plate at angle of attack. A self- consistent plasma actuator model is employed to couple the electric force field to the momentum of the neutral gas. The equations governing the motion of electrons, ions and neutrals are solved with Poisson equation to study separation control for different parameters. It is observed that dielectric surface becomes negatively charged and a time averaged force acts on the plasma predominantly downstream, with a transverse component towards the wall. Momentum of the plasma couples to neutral gas through collisions, which results enhancement of near-wall momentum yielding a wall-jet-like feature that effectively eliminates the separation bubble. The impact of several physical and geometric parameters such as the amplitude and shape of excitation, dielectric constants, the initial ionization level, and the electrode shape is discussed. It is found that for an optimum distance between the exposed electrodes kept at a single phase the momentum transfer to the neighboring gas is cumulative showing, however, a diminishing return with increasing number of electrodes.
Specific targeting and killing activities of anti-P-glycoprotein monoclonal antibody MRK16 directed against intrinsically multidrug-resistant human colorectal carcinoma cell lines in the nude mouse model. (1993)

Anti-P-glycoprotein (P-gp) monoclonal antibody, MRK16, and its F(ab')2 fragment were evaluated for its therapeutic efficacy to P-gp-mediated multidrug resistant human colorectal carcinoma cell lines in a nude mouse model. In a blood clearance experiment, 125I-labeled MRK16 had a half-life (16 h) 7 times longer than its F(ab')2 fragment (half-life of 1.8 h) in circulation in nude mice, and approximately 16 and 5% of MRK16 were retained on days 10 and 20 after injection, respectively. In biodistribution experiments using nude mice bearing HCT-15, an intrinsically resistant cell line, 125I-labeled MRK16 accumulated at the tumor site significantly higher than its F(ab')2 fragment as revealed by the percentage of injected dose/g of tissue values (7.4 versus 0.6%) on day 3 after injection. In contrast, the tissue to blood ratio at the tumor site of the MRK16 was significantly lower than that of its F(ab')2 fragment (1.2 versus 10.5). Specific targeting of the MRK16 F(ab')2 fragment to the P-gp-positive tumor (HCT-15) but not to the P-gp-negative tumor (COLO 205) was observed in the nude mice bearing both tumors. In the therapeutic efficacy tests, when administered i.v. 3 times on days 1, 4, and 7 after tumor s.c. inoculation, MRK16 alone showed the significant inhibition of tumor growth of P-gp-positive cell lines, HCT-15, DLD-1, SW480, and SW1417 in contrast to cases of P-gp-negative cell lines, COLO 205 and KM20L2. This inhibitory effect of MRK16 was enhanced in combination with Adriamycin, which alone hardly inhibited the tumor growth. However, MRK16 F(ab')2 fragment alone, even at 1 mg/mouse, had little inhibitory effect on the growth of HCT-15 in the same treatment schedule. When administered at early palpable stage, the degree of HCT-15 tumor growth suppression depended on the number of MRK16 injections. At more progressed stages, treatment with MRK16 alone showed little antitumor activity but when combined with Adriamycin resulted in significant suppression of tumor growth. The present results suggest that MRK16 may be useful for in vivo immunoscintigraphy and immunotherapy of multidrug-resistant colorectal carcinoma.
Engineering Yeast Transcription Machinery for Improved Ethanol Tolerance and Production (2006)

Global transcription machinery engineering (gTME) is an approach for reprogramming gene transcription to elicit cellular phenotypes important for technological applications. Here we show the application of gTME to Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improved glucose/ethanol tolerance, a key trait for many biofuels programs. Mutagenesis of the transcription factor Spt15p and selection led to dominant mutations that conferred increased tolerance and more efficient glucose conversion to ethanol. The desired phenotype results from the combined effect of three separate mutations in the SPT15 gene [serine substituted for phenylalanine (Phe(177)Ser) and, similarly, Tyr(195)His, and Lys(218)Arg]. Thus, gTME can provide a route to complex phenotypes that are not readily accessible by traditional methods.
Iterative in vivo assembly of large and complex transgenes by combining the activities of C31 integrase and Cre recombinase (2005)

We have used the phiC31 integrase to introduce large DNA sequences into a vertebrate genome and measure the efficiency of integration of intact DNA as a function of insert size. Inserts of 110 kb and 140 kb in length may be integrated with about 25% and 10% efficiency respectively. In order to overcome the problems of constructing transgenes longer than approximately 150 kb we have established a method that we call; 'Iterative Site Specific Integration' (ISSI). ISSI combines the activities of phiC31 integrase and Cre recombinase to enable the iterative and serial integration of transgenic DNA sequences. In principle the procedure may be repeated an arbitrary number of times and thereby allow the integration of tracts of DNA many hundreds of kilobase pairs long. In practice it may be limited by the time needed to check the accuracy of integration at each step of the procedure. We describe two ISSI experiments, in one of which we have constructed a complex array of vertebrate centromeric sequences of 150 kb in size. The principle that underlies ISSI is applicable to transgenesis in all organisms. ISSI may thus facilitate the reconstitution of biosynthetic pathways encoded by many different genes in transgenic plants, the assembly of large vertebrate loci as transgenes and the synthesis of complete genomes in bacteria.