gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Microglial Activation parallels System Degeneration in progressive Supranuclear palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration (2001)

The role of microglia in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is unknown. To address this issue we examined 10 cases of PSP, 5 cases of CBD, and 4 normal controls. Microglial and tau burdens were determined with image analysis on brain sections that had been immunostained with monoclonal antibodies to HLA-DR and phospho-tau. We found that microglial activation was greater in PSP and CBD than normal controls, and that the microglial burden correlated with the tau burden in most areas. There were distinct patterns of microglial activation and tau pathology in PSP and CBD, with PSP showing more pathology in infratentorial structures and CBD showing more pathology in supratentorial structures. These results support the notion that PSP and CBD are distinct clinicopathologic entities. Microglial activation was not well correlated with tau pathology in the brainstem of PSP, which suggests that brainstem pathology in PSP is not exclusively due to tau pathology. While the results do not necessarily support a direct causal link between microglial activation and neurodegeneration in PSP or CBD, they nevertheless suggest that microglia play a role in disease pathogenesis.
Bacteriophage and associated polysaccharide depolymerases – novel tools for study of bacterial biofilms (1998)

Bacteriophage for three representative strains of Gram-negative biofilm bacteria have proved to be of widespread occurrence. Lytic bacteriophage have been isolated from local sewage for the bacterium 1.15, an exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing pseudomonad found originally as a component of biofilms in a local river, and for two Enterobacter agglomerans strains from industrial biofilms. Representative examples of all three bacteriophage possess a relatively low burst size and on solid media, exhibit very large plaques surrounded by a wide halo (5-20 mm) indicative of polysaccharide depolymerase action. The bacteriophage are thus similar to other viruses for EPS-producing bacteria in inducing the synthesis of enzymes degrading the polymers which occlude the bacterial cell surface. In each preparation, the polysaccharase activity was associated both with sedimented phage particles and with the supernate of bacterial lysates. The enzymes have been partially purified and used to prepare polysaccharide digests in which the major products from each polysaccharide are the presumed repeat units of the polymers or oligomers of these. The soluble phage enzymes each degrade their substrate by acting as endo-glycanohydrolases. The phage and their associated enzymes thus provide very useful highly specific tools for studies of biofilms incorporating the bacterial host strains. Their potential applications in studies on bacterial biofilms are discussed.
Back-gate ZnO nanowire field-effect transistors each with a top Ω shaped Au contact (2008)

We have fabricated depletion and enhancement modes (D-mode and E-mode) back-gate metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MISFETs), using two kinds of ZnO nanowires (NWs) labeled as A and B, respectively. The NWs A and B were synthesized via the vapor phase transport method with ZnO∕C admixture and Zn as the sources, respectively. Each of the MISFETs has a top Ω shaped Au contact on the conductive channel. Compared to that without any top Au contact, the on/off ratio (∼106) of the ZnO NW A MISFET increases by a factor of 103, and is the highest one among the back-gate ZnO NW MISFETs ever reported; while the ZnO NW B MISFET changes from D-mode to E-mode when a top Au contact is added. The effects of the Au∕ZnO NW contacts on the performances of the NW A and B MISFETs were discussed.
Manipulating Microparticles with Single Surface-Immobilized Nanoparticles (2008)

This experimental study explores the capture and manipulation of micrometer-scale particles by single surface-immobilized nanoparticles. The nanoparticles, approximately 10 nm in diameter, are cationic and therefore attract the micrometer-scale silica particles in an analyte suspension. The supporting surface on which the nanoparticles reside is negative (also silica) and repulsive toward approaching microparticles. In the limit where there are as few as 9 nanoparticles per square micrometer of collector, it becomes possible to capture and hold micrometer-scale silica particles with single nanoparticles. The strong nanoparticle-microparticle attractions, their nanometer-scale protrusion forward of the supporting surface, and their controlled density on the supporting surface facilitate microparticle-surface contact occurring through a single nanoelement. This behavior differs from most particle-particle, cell-cell, or particle (or cell)-surface interactions that involve multiple ligand-receptor bonds or much larger contact areas. Despite the limited contact of microparticles with surface-immobilized nanoparticles, microparticles resist shear forces of 9 pN or more but can be released through an increase in the ionic strength. The ability of nanoparticles to reversibly trap and hold much larger targets has implications in materials self-assembly, cell capture, and sorting applications, whereas the single point of contact affords precision in particle manipulation.
Peptide YY does not inhibit glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in humans (1996)

Peptide YY (PYY) is localized to gut and pancreatic endocrine cells. it may therefore be involved in the regulation of insulin secretion as a gut hormone as well as an islet local regulator. in laboratory animals, the peptide inhibits stimulated insulin secretion, but its effects in humans are not known. We therefore infused PYY intravenously at a low (1 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1); N = 4); or a high rate (5 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1); N = 5) for 120 min in healthy women aged 52 years. After 30 min of infusion, glucose (0.5 g/kg) was injected rapidly. In separate control experiments, saline was infused instead of PYY. We found that PYY did not inhibit the acute insulin response to glucose or affect the glucose elimination rate, and PYY was also without influence on the basal plasma glucose and serum insulin levels during the 30-min infusion before the challenge with glucose. We therefore conclude that intravenous infusion of PYY does not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in man.
High-throughput screening of stabilizers for Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Identification of stabilizers and their effects on the conformational thermostability of viral particles (2007)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe respiratory infection in children worldwide. Recombinant live attenuated viral preparations are one of the most promising strategies for vaccination but they typically possess poor thermostability. In this work, a library of compounds was screened and stabilizers were selected based on their ability to inhibit the aggregation of RSV perturbed at 56 degrees C. After screening and selection of excipients, the conformational stability of the RSV proteins was evaluated in the presence of potential stabilizers. The secondary and tertiary structures as well as aggregation/dissociation of RSV were monitored using circular dichroism and second derivative UV absorption spectroscopies and light scattering, respectively, as a function of temperature (10-90 degrees C). RSV membrane fluidity was also evaluated by generalized polarization of Laurdan fluorescence. Screening experiments showed that a variety of sugars, amino acids, polyols and polyanions inhibited the aggregation of viral particles. Conformational stability studies demonstrated that the addition of sugars and polyols stabilized RSV as indicated by a significant increase in the transition melting temperature (Tm) of both the secondary and tertiary structures as well as the gel to liquid crystalline membrane transition. These results should provide the basis for rational development of more physically stable formulations of live attenuated RSV vaccines.
1,1-Bis(3′-indolyl)-1-( p -substitutedphenyl)methanes Induce Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ-Mediated Growth Inhibition, Transactivation, and Differentiation Markers in Colon Cancer Cells (2004)

1,1-Bis(3'indolyl)-1-(p-substitutedphenyl)methanes containing p-trifluoromethyl (DIM-C-pPhCF)), p-t-butyl (DIM-C-pPhtBu), and p-phenyl (DIM-C-pPhC6H5) groups induce peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma)-mediated transactivation in HT-29, HCT-15, RKO, and SW480 colon cancer cell lines. Rosiglitazone also induces transactivation in these cell lines and inhibited growth of HT-29 cells, which express wild-type PPARgamma but not HCT-15 cells, which express mutant (K422Q) PPARgamma. In contrast, DIM-C-pPhCF3, DIM-C-pPhtBu, and DIM-C-pPhC6H5 inhibited growth of both HT-29 and HCT-15 cells with IC50 values ranging from 1 to 10 micromol/L. Rosiglitazone and diindolylmethane (DIM) analogues did not affect expression of cyclin D1, p21, or p27 protein levels or apoptosis in HCT-15 or HT-29 cells but induced keratin 18 in both cell lines. However, rosiglitazone induced caveolins 1 and 2 in HT-29 but not HCT-15 cells, whereas these differentiation markers were induced by DIM-C-pPhCF3 and DIM-C-pPhC6H5 in both cell lines. Because overexpression of caveolin 1 is known to suppress colon cancer cell and tumor growth, the growth inhibitory effects of rosiglitazone and the DIM compounds are associated with PPARgamma-dependent induction of caveolins.
Expression of phospholipase C-gamma 1 and its transcriptional regulators in breast cancer tissues. (1998)

GPE1 binding proteins might be the transcriptional regulator in PLC-gamma 1 overexpression and the relationship between expression of PLC-gamma 1 and E-cadherin would require further elucidation.
Development of a cytomegalovirus vaccine: lessons from recent clinical trials (2001)

Cytomegalovirus-caused diseases are preventable. We believe that both neutralising antibodies and cell-mediated immunity are necessary for prevention. Of the CMV proteins, gB and pp65 are the minimum requirements in a vaccine to induced neutralising antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Immunisation with additional proteins, e.g., gH, gN for neutralising antibodies and IE1exon 4 and pp150 for CTL responses, would strengthen protective immune responses. Approaches to development of a safe and effective cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine for the prevention of CMV diseases include: a) a live attenuated vaccine (Towne strain); b) recombinant constructs of the attenuated Towne and the virulent Toledo CMV strains; c) subunit glycoprotein B (gB) adjuvanted with MF59 to induce neutralising antibodies; d) phosphoprotein 65 (pp65) peptide-based vaccines to induce (CTL) for use in therapeutic vaccination; e) canarypox-CMV recombinants, e.g., ALVAC-CMV(gB) and ALVAC-CMV (pp65) to induce neutralising antibodies and CTL responses, respectively; f) DNA plasmids containing the genes for gB and pp65; g) dense bodies containing the key antigens. The attenuated Towne strain, gB/MF59, ALVAC-CMV(gB) and ALVAC-CMV(pp65) approaches have already been tested in clinical trials. The Towne vaccine induced neutralising antibodies and cell-mediated immunity (including CTLs) mitigated CMV disease in seronegative renal transplant recipients and protected against a low-dose virulent CMV challenge in normal volunteers but did not prevent infection in mothers of children excreting CMV. Immunisation with gB/MF59 resulted in high levels of neutralising antibodies in seronegative subjects. ALVAC-CMV(gB) did not induce neutralising antibodies but primed the immune system to a Towne strain challenge, while ALVAC-CMV(pp65) induced long-lasting CTL responses in all originally seronegative volunteers, with CTL precursor frequency similar to naturally seropositive individuals. These results suggest that CMV diseases can be prevented or attenuated and that a vaccine combining ALVAC-CMV(pp65) with gB/MF59 may induce sufficient CTLs and neutralising antibodies to protect against CMV diseases. Meanwhile, other approaches such as DNA peptide and dense body vaccines, should enter Phase I trials. All candidate vaccines will have to demonstrate that immunogenicity provides protection. Combined vaccines containing canarypox (ALVAC) vectors to express CMV-pp65 to induce CTLs and of subunit gB, given together with an appropriate adjuvant to induce neutralising antibodies, should be tested in a target population for the prevention of CMV infection and disease.
Positive strand RNA viruses (1986)

Brome mosaic virus (BMV) is an isometric. positive strand RNA virls of cereal plants, related by substantial nonstructural protein homologies and features of RNA replication to a variety of other plant virus groups and t o t h e animal alphaviruses. In vitro transcripts of complete cDNA clones of t h e three BMV genomic RNAs can be used t o infect either whole plants (1) or protoplasts (2). 50% or more of inoculated protoplasts can be routinely infected with appropriately tailored BMV transcripts, allowing direct examination of virus replication in primarily infected cells. Such expressible BMV cDNA clones have been used to alter t h e virus for a variety of studies on gene expression and replication.
Chemical Modification of Crude Timothy Grass Pollen Extract (1977)

Timothy pollen extracts have been reacted with glutaraldehyde under conditions leading to different degrees of aggregation of the product. Aggregation tends to enhance the previously demonstrated effects of glutaraldehyde in that reactivity with human IgE antibody, and ability to induce IgE antibody in the Bordetella pertussis-treated rat, are further reduced. Ability to induce IgG antibody with specificity for unmodified extract is substantially retained in all aggregated products.
Characterization of Ligand Binding by Saturation Transfer Difference NMR Spectroscopy (1999)

Fast identification of binding activity directly from mixtures of potential ligands is possible with the NMR method described, which is based on saturation transfer to molecules in direct contact to a protein. In addition, the ligand's binding epitope is easily identified. High sensitivity and ease of use are the principal advantages of this method. The picture shows the normal 1D NMR spectrum of a mixture and the spectrum obtained by applying the STD method, which exclusively shows signals from molecules with binding affinity.
Synthesis of estolides from oleic and saturated fatty acids (2001)

Abstract Oleic acid and various saturated fatty acids, butyric through stearic, were treated with 0.4 equivalents of perchloric acid at either 45 or 55°C to produce complex estolides. Yields varied between 45 and 65% after Kugelrohr distillation. The estolide number (EN), i.e., the average number of fatty acid units added to a base fatty acid, varied as a function of temperature and saturated fatty acid. The shorter‐chain saturated fatty acids, i.e., butyric and hexanoic, provided material with higher degrees of oligomerization (EN=3.31) than stearic acid (EN=1.36). The individual, saturated fatty acid estolides each have very different characteristics, such as color and type of by‐products. The higher‐temperature reactions occurred at faster rates at the expense of yield, and lactones were the predominant side products. At 55°C, lactone yields increased, but the δ‐γ‐lactone ratio decreased; this led to lower estolide yields. The opposite trend was observed for the 45°C reaction. The saturate‐capped, oleic estolides were then esterified with 2‐ethylhexyl alcohol, and the chemical composition of these new estolides remained consistent throughout the course of the reaction.
Methyl-directed Repair of Mismatched Small Heterologous Sequences in Cell Extracts from Escherichia coli (1997)

The methyl-directed DNA repair efficiency of a set of M13mp18 heteroduplexes containing 1-8 or 22 unpaired bases was determined by using an in vitro DNA mismatch repair assay. The unpaired bases of each heteroduplex residing at overlapping recognition sites of two restriction endonucleases allow independent assay of repair on either DNA strand. Our results showed that the repair of small nucleotide heterologies in Escherichia coli extracts was very similar to base-base mismatch repair, being strand-specific and highly biased to the unmethylated strand. The in vitro activity was also dependent on products of mutH, mutL, mutS, and uvrD loci and was equally efficient on nucleotide insertions and deletions. The repair levels of small heterologies were affected by base composition of the heterologies. However, the extent of repair of heteroduplexes containing small heterologous sequences was found to decrease with an increase in the number of unpaired bases. Heteroduplexes containing an extra nucleotide of 22 bases provoked very low level of methyl-directed repair.
Cell cycle-specific effects of lovastatin. (1991)

Lovastatin (LOV), the drug recently introduced to treat hypercholesteremia, inhibits the synthesis of mevalonic acid. The effects of LOV on the cell cycle progression of the human bladder carcinoma T24 cell line expressing activated p21ras were investigated. At a concentration of 2-10 microM, LOV arrested cells in G1 and also prolonged--or arrested a minor fraction of cells in--the G2 phase of the cell cycle; at a concentration of 50 microM, LOV was cytotoxic. The cytostatic effects were reversed by addition of exogenous mevalonate. Cells arrested in the cycle by LOV were viable for up to 72 hr and did not show any changes in RNA or protein content or chromatin condensation, which would be typical of either unbalanced growth or deep quiescence. The expression of the proliferation-associated nuclear proteins Ki-67 and p105 in these cells was reduced by up to 72% and 74%, respectively, compared with exponentially growing control cells. After removal of LOV, the cells resumed progression through the cycle; they entered S phase asynchronously after a lag of approximately 6 hr. Because mevalonate is essential for the posttranslational modification (isoprenylation) of p21ras, which in turn allows this protein to become attached to the cell membrane, the data suggest that the LOV-induced G1 arrest may be a consequence of the loss of the signal transduction capacity of p21ras. Indeed, while exposure of cells to LOV had no effect on the cellular content of p21ras (detected immunocytochemically), it altered the intracellular location of this protein, causing its dissociation from the cell membrane and translocation toward the cytoplasm and nucleus. However, it is also possible that inhibition of isoprenylation of proteins other than p21ras (e.g., nuclear lamins) by LOV may be responsible for the observed suppression of growth of T24 cells.
Shear Deterioration of Reinforced Concrete Beams Subjected to Reversed Cyclic Loading (2003)

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Niche-Independent Symmetrical Self-Renewal of a Mammalian Tissue Stem Cell (2005)

Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells multiply in simple monoculture by symmetrical divisions. In vivo, however, stem cells are generally thought to depend on specialised cellular microenvironments and to undergo predominantly asymmetric divisions. Ex vivo expansion of pure populations of tissue stem cells has proven elusive. Neural progenitor cells are propagated in combination with differentiating progeny in floating clusters called neurospheres. The proportion of stem cells in neurospheres is low, however, and they cannot be directly observed or interrogated. Here we demonstrate that the complex neurosphere environment is dispensable for stem cell maintenance, and that the combination of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) is sufficient for derivation and continuous expansion by symmetrical division of pure cultures of neural stem (NS) cells. NS cells were derived first from mouse ES cells. Neural lineage induction was followed by growth factor addition in basal culture media. In the presence of only EGF and FGF-2, resulting NS cells proliferate continuously, are diploid, and clonogenic. After prolonged expansion, they remain able to differentiate efficiently into neurons and astrocytes in vitro and upon transplantation into the adult brain. Colonies generated from single NS cells all produce neurons upon growth factor withdrawal. NS cells uniformly express morphological, cell biological, and molecular features of radial glia, developmental precursors of neurons and glia. Consistent with this profile, adherent NS cell lines can readily be established from foetal mouse brain. Similar NS cells can be generated from human ES cells and human foetal brain. The extrinsic factors EGF plus FGF-2 are sufficient to sustain pure symmetrical self-renewing divisions of NS cells. The resultant cultures constitute the first known example of tissue-specific stem cells that can be propagated without accompanying differentiation. These homogenous cultures will enable delineation of molecular mechanisms that define a tissue-specific stem cell and allow direct comparison with pluripotent ES cells.
Cholecystokinin A and B receptors are differentially expressed in normal pancreas and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. (1997)

Cholecystokinin (CCK) plays an important role in pancreatic carcinogenesis. While human CCK-A and -B receptors have been fully characterized, their relative roles in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma remain unclear. Thus, expression of CCK-A and -B receptors in normal human pancreas, pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and other human extrapancreatic tissues and malignancies was examined, using reverse transcription followed by the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). mRNA isolated from 15 normal pancreas specimens, 22 pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and 58 extrapancreatic tissues and tumors was subjected to RT-PCR using primers specific for human CCK-A and -B receptors. Expression of CCK-B receptors was detected in all tissues arising from pancreas and in most extrapancreatic tissues and tumors. In contrast, CCK-A receptors exhibited a more selective pattern of expression in gall bladder, intestine, brain, ovary, spleen, and thymus. Of significance, CCK-A receptors were expressed selectively in all pancreatic adenocarcinomas, but not in any normal pancreas specimens. In situ hybridization, using receptor-specific riboprobes, localized CCK-A receptor expression to ductal cells, the presumed origin of most human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Southern blot analysis revealed no evidence of CCK-A receptor gene amplification or rearrangement in pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Because of its selective expression, the CCK-A receptor may serve as selective biomarker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T gene mutation is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, cardiovascular disease and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels in Korea (2006)

In cardiovascular diseases, the MTHFR C677T mutation: 1) is associated with plasma Hcy levels; 2) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, 3) is associated with plasma BNP levels, and 4) plasma Hcy levels are positively correlated with plasma BNP levels.