gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Blue light irradiation suppresses dendritic cells activation in vitro (2013)

Blue light is a UV-free irradiation suitable for treating chronic skin inflammation, for example, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hand- and foot eczema. However, a better understanding of the mode of action is still missing. For this reason, we investigated whether dendritic cells (DC) are directly affected by blue light irradiation in vitro. Here, we report that irradiation neither induced apoptosis nor maturation of monocyte-derived and myeloid DC. However, subsequent DC maturation upon LPS/IFNγ stimulation was impaired in a dose-dependent manner as assessed by maturation markers and cytokine release. Moreover, the potential of this DC to induce cytokine secretion from allogeneic CD4 T cells was reduced. In conclusion, unlike UV irradiation, blue light irradiation at high and low doses only resulted in impaired DC maturation upon activation and a reduced subsequent stimulatory capacity in allogeneic MLRs with strongest effects at higher doses.
A monoclonal antibody to sialophorin (CD43) induces homotypic adhesion and activation of human monocytes. (1989)

Treatment of human monocytes for 24-48 h with the anti-CD43 mAb L10 caused five- to sevenfold stimulation of hydrogen peroxide-producing capacity, an established characteristic of activated monocytes. Peroxide-producing capacity induced by L10 antibody (1.6 +/- 0.3 nmol H2O2/micrograms DNA/h) was comparable with that induced by IFN-gamma (1.3 +/- 0.4 nmol H2O2/micrograms DNA/h), but appeared more rapidly (maximal at 24 h) than in the IFN-gamma-treated monocytes (maximal at 48 h). Treatment of monocytes with L10 mAb also caused dramatic increase in aggregation (homotypic adhesion). Induction of monocyte aggregation by L10 mAb required incubation for 1-8 h in the presence of Mg2+ and was abrogated by TA-1, an anti-LFA-1-alpha mAb. Thus, L10-induced monocyte activation proceeds via a Mg2+-requiring aggregation stage involving LFA-1. Whereas the extent of monocyte aggregation induced by L10 mAb and by IFN-gamma were comparable, the L10-induced aggregation occurred more rapidly (maximal at 8 h) than the IFN-gamma-induced aggregation (maximal at 24 h). The more rapid appearance of aggregation and increased hydrogen peroxide capacity in L10-treated monocytes suggests that the L10-induced activation pathway is independent of IFN-gamma-and IFN-gamma-R dependent events. These findings suggest that the surface molecule CD43 is the receptor of an independent activation pathway that leads in lymphocytes to proliferation and in monocytes to activation.
The ice/water interface: A molecular dynamics simulation using the simple point charge model (1990)

The ice/water interface is investigated using the simple point charge (SPC) model for water. Molecular dynamics simulations at constant NVE demonstrate that the model interface is stable on the time scale of at least 300 ps. The density profile and mean square displacement of molecules are measured, and the results are nearly identical to those obtained earlier using the TIP4P model for water. This is additional evidence that the properties measured in the simulation are intrinsic to the ice/water interface and do not depend on the particular model potentials employed.
Analysis of Endogenous LRP6 Function Reveals a Novel Feedback Mechanism by Which Wnt Negatively Regulates Its Receptor (2007)

The canonical Wnt pathway plays a crucial role in embryonic development, and its deregulation is involved in human diseases. The LRP6 single-span transmembrane coreceptor is essential for transmission of canonical Wnt signaling. However, due to the lack of immunological reagents, our understanding of LRP6 structure and function has relied on studies involving its overexpression, and regulation of the endogenous receptor by the Wnt ligand has remained unexplored. Using a highly sensitive and specific antibody to LRP6, we demonstrate that the endogenous receptor is modified by N-glycosylation and is phosphorylated in response to Wnt stimulation in a sustained yet ligand-dependent manner. Moreover, following triggering by Wnt, endogenous LRP6 is internalized and recycled back to the cellular membrane within hours of the initial stimulus. Finally, we have identified a novel feedback mechanism by which Wnt, acting through beta-catenin, negatively regulates LRP6 at the mRNA level. Together, these findings contribute significantly to our understanding of LRP6 function and uncover a new level of regulation of Wnt signaling. In light of the direct role that the Wnt pathway plays in human bone diseases and malignancies, our findings may support the development of novel therapeutic approaches that target Wnt signaling through LRP6.
Power and content aware video encoding for video communication over wireless networks (2004)

In the highly versatile next-generation wireless networks, a fundamental problem is how to manage power consumption efficiently while preserving high quality performance. The paper addresses power-and-content-aware video encoding in pervasive wireless/mobile environments. We formulate the problem of video quality maximization while preserving the battery power of the underlying device as an optimization problem. This is equivalent to minimizing both the power consumption and video distortion simultaneously. Based on a complexity scalable video coding architecture and content aware adjustment, we propose a software based compression scheme. We call the proposed encoder active because it best uses its bits and power and tunes its parameters accordingly. The preliminary results show that the encoder determines a suitable configuration according to the coding environment in order to save power and maintain well-perceived video quality.
Human liver nicotinamide N-methyltransferase. cDNA cloning, expression, and biochemical characterization. (1994)

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyzes the N-methylation of nicotinamide and other pyridines. Human liver NNMT activity has a bimodal frequency distribution, an observation which raises the possibility that this enzyme activity might be regulated by a genetic polymorphism, a polymorphism that could have functional implications for individual differences in drug and xenobiotic toxicity. As a first step toward testing that hypothesis, we set out to clone and express a cDNA for human liver NNMT. Human liver NNMT was partially purified, photoaffinity-labeled, subjected to limited proteolysis, and partial amino acid sequence information was obtained. The polymerase chain reaction was then used to amplify a 550-nucleotide sequence with human liver cDNA as template and primers designed on the basis of the NNMT amino acid sequence. The 5'- and 3'-ends of a human liver NNMT cDNA were obtained by use of the rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The combined use of these approaches resulted in the isolation of a human liver NNMT cDNA that was 969 nucleotides in length, with a 792-nucleotide open reading frame that encoded a 264-amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 29.6 kDa. The human liver NNMT cDNA was transcribed in vitro and translated with a reticulocyte lysate system to yield a protein with a molecular mass of approximately 29 kDa that comigrated during SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with photoaffinity-labeled human liver NNMT. The NNMT cDNA was also subcloned into the eukaryotic expression vector p91023(B). COS-1 cells transfected with this construct expressed a high level of NNMT enzymatic activity, and the biochemical properties of this activity were similar to those of human liver NNMT. Human liver NNMT and transfected COS-1 cell NNMT had apparent Km values for the two cosubstrates for the reaction, nicotinamide and S-adenosyl-L-methionine, of 0.43 and 0.38 mM and of 1.8 and 2.2 microM, respectively. IC50 values for the inhibition of NNMT by N1-methylnicotinamide were 60 and 30 microns for human liver and COS-1 cell-expressed NNMT, respectively. Cloning of a cDNA for human liver NNMT will help make it possible to test the hypothesis that inheritance may play a role in the regulation of individual differences in human liver NNMT activity.
A 9.2–12.7 GHz Wideband Fractional-N Subsampling PLL in 28 nm CMOS With 280 fs RMS Jitter (2015)

This paper describes a fractional-N subsampling PLL in 28 nm CMOS. Fractional phase lock is made possible with almost no penalty in phase noise performance thanks to the use of a 10 bit, 0.55 ps/LSB digital-to-time converter (DTC) circuit operating on the sampling clock. The performance limitations of a practical DTC implementation are considered, and techniques for minimizing these limitations are presented. For example, background calibration guarantees appropriate DTC gain, reducing spurs. Operating at 10 GHz the system achieves -38 dBc of integrated phase noise (280 fs RMS jitter) when a worst case fractional spur of -43 dBc is present. In-band phase noise is at the level of -104 dBc/Hz. The class-B VCO can be tuned from 9.2 GHz to 12.7 GHz (32%). The total power consumption of the synthesizer, including the VCO, is 13 mW from 0.9 V and 1.8 V supplies.
Characterization of the Kinetochore Binding Domain of CENP-E Reveals Interactions with the Kinetochore Proteins CENP-F and hBUBR1 (1998)

We have identified a 350-amino acid domain in the kinetochore motor CENP-E that specifies kinetochore binding in mitosis but not during interphase. The kinetochore binding domain was used in a yeast two-hybrid screen to isolate interacting proteins that included the kinetochore proteins CENP-E, CENP-F, and hBUBR1, a BUB1-related kinase that was found to be mutated in some colorectal carcinomas (Cahill, D.P., C. Lengauer, J. Yu, G.J. Riggins, J.K. Wilson, S.D. Markowitz, K.W. Kinzler, and B. Vogelstein. 1998. Nature. 392:300-303). CENP-F, hBUBR1, and CENP-E assembled onto kinetochores in sequential order during late stages of the cell cycle. These proteins therefore define discrete steps along the kinetochore assembly pathway. Kinetochores of unaligned chromosome exhibited stronger hBUBR1 and CENP-E staining than those of aligned chromosomes. CENP-E and hBUBR1 remain colocalized at kinetochores until mid-anaphase when hBUBR1 localized to portions of the spindle midzone that did not overlap with CENP-E. As CENP-E and hBUBR1 can coimmunoprecipitate with each other from HeLa cells, they may function as a motor-kinase complex at kinetochores. However, the complex distribution pattern of hBUBR1 suggests that it may regulate multiple functions that include the kinetochore and the spindle midzone.
Reconstitution of Membranes Simulating “Glycosignaling Domain” and Their Susceptibility to Lyso-GM3 (2000)

GM3 ganglioside at the surface of mouse melanoma B16 cells is clustered and organized with signal transducer molecules c-Src, Rho A, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to form a membrane unit separable from caveolae, which are enriched in cholesterol and caveolin but do not contain GM3 or the above three signal transducers. The GM3-enriched membrane units are involved in GM3-dependent cell adhesion coupled with activation of c-Src, Rho A, and FAK and are termed the "glycosphingolipid signaling domain" or the "glycosignaling domain" (GSD). In order to assess the essential components that display GSD function, membranes with properties similar to those of GSD were reconstituted using GM3, sphingomyelin, and c-Src, with or without other lipid components. The reconstituted membrane thus prepared displayed GM3-dependent adhesion to plates coated with Gg3 or anti-GM3 antibody, resulting in enhanced c-Src phosphorylation (c-Src phosphorylation response). This response in reconstituted membrane depends on GM3 concentration and was not observed when GM3 was absent or replaced with other gangliosides GM1 or GD1a, or with LacCer. The GM3-dependent c-Src phosphorylation response was enhanced when cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine were added. Although GM3, sphingomyelin, and c-Src are essential for GSD function, a small quantity of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine may act as an auxiliary factor to stabilize membrane. GSD function in terms of GM3-dependent adhesion and signaling was blocked in the presence of lyso-GM3 or its analogue but not psychosine, lactosyl-sphingosine, or lyso-phosphatidylcholine. Such susceptibility of reconstituted GSD to lyso-GM3 and other lyso compounds is the same as GSD of original B16 cells. Thus, functional organization of the reconstituted membrane closely simulates that of GSD in B16 cells, which is based on clustered GM3 organized with c-Src as the essential components.
Growth of gallium nitride thin films by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (1993)

We report on optimization studies for the growth of GaN films by the electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (ECR-MBE) method on the R plane of sapphire. The films were grown by the reaction of Ga vapor with ECR-activated molecular nitrogen and their growth kinetics were found to depend strongly on the distance between the ECR condition and the substrate. Single crystalline films with their α plane (112̄0) parallel to the R plane of sapphire (101̄2) were grown with the substrate held at 400–700 °C. All films were found to be n type with carrier concentrations varying between 1017 and 1019 cm−3. Films grown at 600 °C were found to have the smallest amount of strain and the highest electron mobility, suggesting that strain might be one of the sources of compensating defects.
Effect of Antisense c- raf -1 on Tumorigenicity and Radiation Sensitivity of a Human Squamous Carcinoma (1989)

Antisense RNA-mediated inhibition of gene expression was used to investigate the biological function of the c-raf-1 gene in a radiation-resistant human squamous carcinoma cell line, SQ-20B. S1 nuclease protection assays revealed that transfection of full-length raf complementary DNA in the antisense orientation (AS) leads to a specific reduction (greater than tenfold) of steady-state levels of the endogenous c-raf-1 sense (S) transcript in SQ-20B cells. In nude mice, the malignant potential of SQ-20B cells transfected with raf (S) was significantly increased relative to that of SQ-20B cells transfected with raf (AS). SQ-20B cells containing transfected raf (S) maintained a radiation-resistant phenotype as compared to those cells harboring the AS version, which appeared to have enhanced radiation sensitivity. These data indicate that the reduced expression of endogenous c-raf-1 is sufficient to modulate the tumorigenicity and the radiation-resistant phenotype of SQ-20B cells, thus implicating c-raf-1 in a pathway important to the genesis of this type of cancer.
A Direct Stereoselective Approach totrans-2,3-Disubstituted Piperidines: Application in the Synthesis of 2-Epi-CP-99,994 and (+)-Epilupinine (2008)

A simple synthesis of enantiomerically pure piperidine esters is described, offering a straightforward access to the trans-2,3-disubstituted piperidine skeleton which is present in a broad range of biologically active compounds.
[Therapy of seborrheic eczema with an antifungal agent with an antiphlogistic effect]. (1991)

Numerous AIDS patients show the typical seborrheic eczema in a very prominent way. For this is an inflammatory disease, combination preparations were taken frequently which contain antimycotics and corticosteroids. We investigated 7 antimycotic compounds in 3 inflammatory models: amorolfin, ciclopiroxolamine (cic), fluconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, naftifine, and rilopirox. In an in vitro model the inflammatory activity towards the 5-lipoxygenase was investigated. 1,000 mumol naftifine, 100 mumol ketoconazole, 50 mumol cic, and 10 mumol rilopirox inhibited 5-HETE by 90%. In a cell culture model only cic had a significant activity towards cyclo-oxygenase. In this model the inhibition of the prostaglandin E2 liberation by 1 mumol cic was 40%. In an in vivo model the anti-inflammatory activity on a mouse ear was investigated (arachidonic acid induced). In this model only cic showed a significant inhibition of inflammation (50%) at 1 mg/ear. These investigations show, that cic has a strong antiphlogistic activity. In an open clinical trial with 20 patients suffering from seborrheic eczema after 4 weeks on cic cream a strong inhibition of infiltration and flakiness had been observed. The antimycotic compound cic offers a possibility to treat inflammatory mycoses without using corticosteroid combinations. In a double blind clinical trial (tinea) where cic was compared with a cic/hydrocortisone combination no statistical differences were found.
Substrate Specificity of the Heparan Sulfate Hexuronic Acid 2-O-Sulfotransferase (2001)

The interaction of heparan sulfate with different ligand proteins depends on the precise location of O-sulfate groups in the polysaccharide chain. We have previously shown that overexpression in human kidney 293 cells of a mouse mastocytoma 2-O-sulfotransferase (2-OST), previously thought to catalyze the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to C2 of L-iduronyl residues, preferentially increases the level of 2-O-sulfation of D-glucuronyl units [Rong, J., Habuchi, H., Kimata, K., Lindahl, U., and Kusche-Gullberg, M. (2000) Biochem. J. 346, 463-468]. In the study presented here, we further investigated the substrate specificity of the mouse mastocytoma 2-OST. Different polysaccharide acceptor substrates were incubated with cell extracts from 2-OST-transfected 293 cells together with the sulfate donor 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phospho[(35)S]sulfate. Incubations with O-desulfated heparin, predominantly composed of [(4)alphaIdoA(1)-(4)alphaGlcNSO(3)(1)-](n)(), resulted in 2-O-sulfation of iduronic acid. When, on the other hand, an N-sulfated capsular polysaccharide from Escherichia coli K5, with the structure [(4)betaGlcA(1)-(4)alphaGlcNSO(3)(1)-](n)(), was used as an acceptor, sulfate was transferred almost exclusively to C2 of glucuronic acid. Substrates containing both iduronic and glucuronic acid residues in about equal proportions strongly favored sulfation of iduronic acid. In agreement with these results, the 2-OST was found to have a approximately 5-fold higher affinity for iduronic acid-containing substrate disaccharide units (K(m) approximately 3.7 microM) than for glucuronic acid-containing substrate disaccharide units (K(m) approximately 19.3 microM).
Hand-powered centrifugal microfluidic platform inspired by the spinning top for sample-to-answer diagnostics of nucleic acids (2018)

Point-of-care (POC), sample-to-answer and electricity-free nucleic acid diagnostic tools are vital for health care and disease control in resource-limited settings where centralized medical facilities or even electric power may remain unreliable. Inspired by one of the oldest recognizable toys, the spinning top, here we report a fully hand-powered centrifugal microfluidic platform for the diagnostics of pathogenic bacteria. Assay procedures such as zeolite-based purification of nucleic acids, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and visual detection of fluorescence signals are integrated into a single microfluidic disc. A simple pull-out operation of the top rack of the customized centrifuge initiates high-speed rotation of the disc, resulting in efficient actuation and mixing of preloaded sample/reagent fluids. This microfluidic platform enables the simultaneous detection of six kinds of pathogenic bacteria within a small disc in an electricity-free manner, showing great promise in sample-to-answer nucleic acid detection in remote settings.
Distribution and Variability of Surface Soil Properties at a Regional Scale (2000)

Information on the probability distribution and variability of soil properties at a regional scale could improve the ability of the USDA‐Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to monitor soil condition using the National Resources Inventory (NRI). Our objective was to evaluate the hypothesis that the probability distribution of 17 physical, chemical, and biological soil properties are: (i) normally distributed, or (ii) log‐normally distributed at a regional scale, and to estimate the magnitude of change that may be detected assuming either a normal or log‐normal distribution. Samples were collected irrespective of soil series from two Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) (no. 9 and 105), and from the Ascalon (fine‐loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustoll) and Amarillo (fine‐loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Paleustalf) soils in MLRA 67 and 77, using the NRI sampling design. Most soil properties were non‐normally distributed, with the frequency of non‐normality varying between MLRAs. Confining sampling to a single soil series did not consistently improve the precision with which soil properties were estimated. Log e transformation resulted in normal distributions for most soil properties and reduced variability two‐ to threefold. However, a few soil properties remained non‐normally distributed. Soil pH may be monitored at the regional scale with a high degree of precision. Small changes in soil C content (3–8% of the regional mean) may be detected using log e transformed total organic C as the indicator. Sampling soil properties as part of the NRI should improve NRCs' ability to monitor soil condition on a regional scale.
CXCR7 (RDC1) promotes breast and lung tumor growth in vivo and is expressed on tumor-associated vasculature (2007)

Chemokines and chemokine receptors have been posited to have important roles in several common malignancies, including breast and lung cancer. Here, we demonstrate that CXCR7 (RDC1, CCX-CKR2), recently deorphanized as a chemokine receptor that binds chemokines CXCL11 and CXCL12, can regulate these two common malignancies. Using a combination of overexpression and RNA interference, we establish that CXCR7 promotes growth of tumors formed from breast and lung cancer cells and enhances experimental lung metastases in immunodeficient as well as immunocompetent mouse models of cancer. These effects did not depend on expression of the related receptor CXCR4. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry of primary human tumor tissue demonstrates extensive CXCR7 expression in human breast and lung cancers, where it is highly expressed on a majority of tumor-associated blood vessels and malignant cells but not expressed on normal vasculature. In addition, a critical role for CXCR7 in vascular formation and angiogenesis during development is demonstrated by using morpholino-mediated knockdown of CXCR7 in zebrafish. Taken together, these data suggest that CXCR7 has key functions in promoting tumor development and progression.
The purification and characterization of a proline dipeptidase from guinea pig brain. (1983)

A proline dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.9) from guinea pig brain was purified to over 90% homogeneity by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, calcium phosphate-cellulose chromatography, chromatofocusing, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. A purification factor of 2718-fold was obtained with a yield of 7%. The purified enzyme was found to have an apparent molecular weight of 132,000 and to consist of two dissimilar subunits of molecular weights 64,000 and 68,000. The substrate specificity of the enzyme is not that of a strict proline dipeptidase. Although it preferentially hydrolyzes proline dipeptides (Leu-Pro) it also hydrolyzes prolyl dipeptides (Pro-Leu) and dipeptides not containing proline (Leu-Leu). The purified enzyme preparation exhibited weak aminoacylproline aminopeptidase activity against Arg-Pro-Pro but it did not exhibit any post-proline dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, post-proline cleaving endopeptidase, proline iminopeptidase, prolyl carboxypeptidase or carboxypeptidase P activities when tested with a large variety of peptides and arylamides. With all of the proline and prolyl dipeptides examined the enzyme exhibited biphasic kinetics (two distinct slopes on Lineweaver-Burk plots). However, with Leu-Leu as substrate normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics were obeyed.