gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Serum contains a platelet-derived transforming growth factor. (1982)

High concentrations of fetal bovine serum induced colony formation in soft agar by anchorage-dependent, nontransformed mouse AKR-2B and rat NRK cells. The colony-stimulating activity in fetal bovine serum was precipitated by 45% saturated ammonium sulfate and migrated in molecular sieve chromatography as a single peak of activity in the 10,000-15,000 molecular weight range. The colony-stimulating activity was heat and acid stable and was destroyed by trypsin and dithiothreitol, indicating the activity is due to a polypeptide that requires disulfide bonds for biological activity. No competition for binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor was associated with the colony-stimulating activity. Isoelectric focusing revealed activity in the pI 4-5 range. The colony-stimulating activity in serum appeared to be of platelet origin because platelet-poor plasma and platelet-poor plasma-derived serum contained little activity, whereas acid/ethanol extracts of bovine and human platelets had potent colony-stimulating activity. Chromatography of platelet extracts on Bio-Gel P-60 revealed peaks of AKR-2B colony-stimulating activity in the 12,000 and 20,000 molecular weight ranges. The other biological and chemical properties of the platelet colony-stimulating activity were the same as those for the serum activity. The data indicate the presence in serum of a platelet-derived growth factor(s) with properties similar to those of the transforming growth factors.
Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity of 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,5,6-Tetrahydropyridine in Mice (1984)

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6- tetrahydropyri dine ( MPTP ) is known to cause an irreversible destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway and symptoms of parkinsonism in humans and in monkeys. However, MPTP has been reported to act only minimally or not at all in several other animal species. When MPTP (30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) was administered parenterally to mice, a decrease in concentrations of neostriatal dopamine and its metabolites, a decrease in the capacity of neostriatal synaptosomal preparations to accumulate [3H]dopamine, and a disappearance of nerve cells in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra were observed. In contrast, MPTP administration had no effect on neostriatal concentrations of serotonin and its metabolites. MPTP administration thus results in biochemical and histological changes in mice similar to those reported in humans and monkeys and similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease in humans. The mouse should prove to be a useful small animal with which to study the mode of action of MPTP .
The Evolution of Major Histocompatibility Class I Genes in Primates (1995)

MHC class I genes evolve by recombination, largely within loci, and selection (presumably pathogen-driven) maintains these new alleles in the population. Although chimpanzees and humans share an A locus allelic lineage, the B locus molecules of the chimpanzee were less similar to human B locus molecules. The A and B locus molecules in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys were even less similar to their human counterparts, with little conservation of allelic lineages between macaques and humans. In contrast to the instability of MHC class I alleles and allelic lineages, the MHC class I loci themselves are well conserved during the evolution of Great Ape and Old World primates. Homologues of HLA-A, -B, -E, and -F have been found in macaques. The C locus, however, has only been found in gorillas and chimpanzees, whereas in orangutans and rhesus monkeys it is possible that the A and B loci have been duplicated. Classical New World monkey MHC class I genes are all more similar to the nonclassical HLA-G gene and a nonclassical F-like gene is present in the cotton-top tamarin. Duplication and either subsequent deletion or expansion of MHC class I loci, therefore, appear to be the modus operandi of the evolution of these genes in primates.
COP, a Caspase Recruitment Domain-containing Protein and Inhibitor of Caspase-1 Activation Processing (2001)

The production of bio-active interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is mediated by activated caspase-1. One of the known molecular mechanisms underlying pro-caspase-1 processing and activation involves binding of the caspase-1 prodomain to a caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing serine/threonine kinase known as RIP2/CARDIAK/RICK. We have identified a novel protein, COP (CARD only protein), which has a high degree of sequence identity to the caspase-1 prodomain. COP binds to both RIP2 and the caspase-1 prodomain and inhibits RIP2-induced caspase-1 oligomerization. COP inhibits caspase- 1-induced IL-1beta secretion as well as lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-1beta secretion in transfected cells. Our data indicate that COP can regulate IL-1beta secretion, implying that COP may play a role in down-regulating inflammatory responses analogous to the CARD protein ICEBERG.
Isolation and characterization of mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor from bovine serum (1991)

A convenient means was devised for the purification of milligram quantities of a soluble form of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (Man-6-P/IGF II receptor). The receptor was purified to near homogeneity from bovine serum by affinity chromatography on agarose-pentamannosephosphate in the absence of detergent. Approximately 2.5 mg of receptor were obtained from 500 ml of fetal calf serum. The concentration of receptor in serum decreased sharply with development. Fetal calf serum Man-6-P/IGF II receptor was immunologically similar to detergent-solubilized, membrane-bound Man-6-P/IGF II receptor from bovine liver. N-Terminal sequence analysis revealed that the purified serum receptor, but not the solubilized, membrane-associated receptor, contains stoichiometric amounts of bound IGF II. The results of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and gel chromatography studies suggest that the fetal calf serum receptor (in contrast to the solubilized, membrane-bound bovine testis receptor) does not aggregate. The affinity of the fetal calf serum receptor for bovine testis beta-galactosidase approximated one-half that observed for solubilized, membrane-bound bovine testis receptor.
Automatic Classification of Retinal Optical Coherence Tomography Images With Layer Guided Convolutional Neural Network (2019)

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables instant and direct imaging of morphological retinal tissue and has become an essential imaging modality for ophthalmology diagnosis. As one of the important morphological retinal characteristics, the structural information of retinal layers provides meaningful diagnostic information and is closely related to several retinal diseases. In this letter, we propose a novel layer guided convolutional neural network (LGCNN) to identify normal retina and three common types of macular pathologies, namely, diabetic macular edema, drusen, and choroidal neovascularization. Specifically, an efficient segmentation network is first employed to generate the retinal layer segmentation maps, which can delineate two lesion-related retinal layers associated with the meaningful retinal lesions. Then, two well-designed subnetworks in LGCNN are utilized to integrate the information of two lesion-related layers. Consequently, LGCNN can efficiently focus on the meaningful lesion-related layer regions to improve OCT classification. The experimental results conducted on two clinically acquired datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Emerging drugs for Parkinson’s disease (2006)

Parkinson's disease (PD) afflicts millions of people worldwide. There are numerous drugs available for PD; however, levodopa remains the gold standard of pharmacotherapy to which all other therapies are compared. Levodopa is quite effective for many motor symptoms (bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity) of PD; however, non-levodopa-responsive motor symptoms (postural instability) and nonmotor symptoms are frequently the most troublesome in middle and later stages of disease. Although motor symptoms remain an important focus for emerging drugs, current research is largely geared to identify and develop disease-slowing therapies. Another important area of focus has become treatment of the nonmotor symptoms of PD (especially depression and dementia). This review discusses emerging drugs in the management of the motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD and drugs under study as disease-slowing/neuroprotective agents.
Synaptic transmission in the auditory brainstem of normal and congenitally deaf mice (2002)

The deafness (dn/dn) mutant mouse provides a valuable model of human congenital deafness. We investigated the properties of synaptic transmission in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) of normal and congenitally deaf dn/dn mice. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were evoked by focal stimulation of single auditory nerve fibres, and measured by whole-cell recordings from neurones in AVCN slices (mean postnatal age = P13). Absolute amplitudes of both AMPA- and NMDA-mediated components of evoked EPSCs were greater (170 %) in deaf versus control animals. Enhanced transmission in deaf mice was due to a presynaptic mechanism. Variance-mean analysis revealed that the probability of transmitter release was significantly greater in deaf (P(r) = 0.8) versus control animals (P(r) = 0.5). Following high frequency stimulation, deaf mice showed a greater depression of evoked EPSCs, and a significant increase in the frequency of delayed-release (asynchronous) miniature EPSCs (aEPSCs) (deaf 100 Hz vs. control 7 Hz). The acetoxymethyl ester of EGTA (EGTA-AM) blocked the increase in miniature aEPSCs and returned tetanic depression to control values. In deaf mice, reduction of mean P(r) using cadmium caused an expected increase in paired-pulse ratio (PPR). However, in the same cells, a similar reduction in release by EGTA-AM did not result in a change in PPR, demonstrating that a change may occur in P(r) without a concomitant change in PPR. In many respects, transmission in deaf mice was found to be remarkably similar to control mice, implying that many parameters of synaptic transmission develop normally in these animals. The two significant differences (higher P(r) and asynchronous release in deaf mice) could both be reversed by the addition of EGTA-AM, suggesting that endogenous calcium buffering may be impaired or undeveloped in the presynaptic terminals of the auditory nerve in deaf mice.
Resonance Raman spectroscopy in the analysis of residual lignin and other unsaturated structures in chemical pulps (2005)

Ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRRS) was applied to determine the characteristic vibrations of several monomeric and dimeric lignin model compounds. The characteristic vibrations of p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl lignin structures were then detected in the UVRR spectra of extracted wood samples. Further, a partial least squares (PLS) model was developed to assist the determination of the characteristic UVRR bands of different lignin structures. The UVRRS-PLS method was further applied to interpret the more complex lignin spectra. The results correlated well with the results obtained by Py-GC/FID for the quantification of guaiacyl and syringyl lignin structures and with results obtained by NMR spectroscopy for the quantification of condensed lignin structures in guaiacyl-type lignin.\n\nChromophoric lignin structures were studied by exciting pulp samples in the visible range. The overwhelming fluorescence emission was suppressed by applying a carbon disulfide (CS2) based Kerr gate technique. The fluorescence rejection ratio was estimated to be as high as 250. Chromophores in chlorine dioxide and peroxide bleached pulps were of different nature, as indicated by the different correlations with brightness and kappa number.\n\nResidual lignin and hexenuronic acids in the unbleached and bleached chemical pulps were quantified with PLS calibration and with direct band height ratios. PLS calibration gave relatively good predictions, while the direct band height ratio was more a straightforward method. The band height ratio method is not, however, applicable to unbleached pulps with lignin contents of about 5% because in these pulps the cellulose bands are indiscernible and cannot be used as a reference band.\n\nCarbonyl groups in cellulosic pulps were studied by the UVRRS and by the CCOA (carbazole-9-carbonyloxyamine) method, which showed that part of the carbonyls exist in hydrate, hemiacetal and/or hemiketal forms. It was also shown that these structures interconvert upon drying and wetting of the pulps. UVRRS was efficient in detecting extremely low contents of carbonyls, unlike IR spectroscopy, which did not detect any differences in the carbonyl band of these pulps.
Entropy production in multiple scattering of light by a spatially random medium (1994)

This study reports on the problem of entropy production due to multiple scattering of light by a spatially random medium composed of uncorrelated and noninteracting spherical dielectric particles. The degree of polarization P of light, in the form of plane waves, is of the nature of an order parameter for the ensemble of realizations of the fluctuating optical field. The radiation entropy takes a form analogous to the entropy of one-dimensional Ising (two-level) spin systems in contact with a heat bath. On the basis of this analysis, the degree of polarization has a different thermodynamic significance. It is argued that within this representation, one may define an effective polarization temperature \ensuremath{\tau}; we then show how \ensuremath{\tau} depends on the degree of polarization. Light transmitted through a multiple scattering medium is depolarized by decorrelation of the phases of the electric field components and its polarization entropy increases. The effects of size of the spherical particles and of the optical depth on entropy production are studied numerically, using the Mie theory, via the Monte Carlo method. An attempt is made to interpret these results in terms of the minimization procedure (minimum entropy production) that plays a fundamental role in classical irreversible thermodynamics. One of the most remarkable aspects of this problem, where no energy exchange between radiation and scatterer takes place, is that the stationary state corresponds both to the state of minimum production of radiation entropy and to the state of maximum entropy. Thermodynamically, multiple scattering can be viewed as an order-disorder transition using the spin model. It is also emphasized that the system will tend to evolve towards a ``higher polarization temperature'' state. We briefly comment on the use of our treatment in interpreting the irreversibility in a scattering process.
Development and testing of an integrated signal validation system for nuclear power plants (1989)

Since the incident at Three Mile Island unit 2, computerized plant status display, implementation of human factors in control room design, and plant monitoring based on expert system technology have seen a tremendous growth. One such proposed operator assist device is a plant signal validation system. This system is used to check the consistency of redundant measurements (sensors) of selected process variables, estimate their expect values from plant-wide data, and detect, isolate and characterize the type of anomaly in the instrument channel outputs. In large process control systems signals from several hundred instrument channels are routed via data highways to control systems, protection (safety) systems and plant monitoring systems. The need of automated signal validation is necessary because of the large amount of information available, and as a result the operator's inability to validate information from many diverse sources. This is also useful for improved plant control (minimize challenges on control systems), minimizing plant downtime, and for predictive maintenance advising. 107 refs., 56 figs., 6 tabs.
An integrated PET-SPECT small animal imager: preliminary results (2000)

The authors have successfully built and characterised a small animal PET based on 4 rotating detectors with a spatial resolution <2 mm over its field of view and a sensitivity of 640 cps//spl mu/Ci at the centre. The scanner is based on four matrices of 400 YAP:Ce finger crystals (2/spl times/2/spl times/30 mm/sup 3/ each) coupled to Position Sensitive PhotoMultipliers (Hamamatsu R2486-06.) The authors have now applied two high resolution collimators to two opposite detectors, hence realising an integrated PET-SPECT scanner for small animals. The collimators are made of lead with 20 mm long, 0.6 mm hexagonal holes with 0.15 mm septa. The read-out and data acquisition system are handled by NIM-CAMAC standard electronics. The Field Of View (FOV) of the tomograph has a diameter of 4 cm and an axial length of 4 cm in both PET and SPECT configuration which is appropriate for mice and rat studies.
Ultrathin self‐assembled polymeric films on solid surfaces. I. Synthesis and characterization of acrylate copolymers containing alkyl disulfide side chains (1993)

Abstract Copolymers of 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2‐methoxyethyl acrylate with variable compositions were synthesized, fractionated, and characterized by 1 H‐NMR, IR, GPC, and viscometry. These copolymers were further modified via polymer analog esterification of copolymer hydroxy groups by a series of disulfide‐containing carboxylic acids including lipoic acid and ( n ‐pentyldithio) alkyl carboxylic acids ( n ‐C 5 H 11 SS(CH 2 ) m COOH, m = 10, 15, 22) in the presence of 1,3‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). Esterification reactions were quantitative for copolymers possessing hydroxy monomer contents ≤ 40% when excess acid and DCC were present for sufficiently long reaction times (2–4 days) at room temperature. Copolymer DSC analysis demonstrates a systematic variation of T g with copolymer composition in good agreement with ideal mixing theory. These disulfide‐bearing copolymers spontaneously yield two‐dimensional ultrathin polymer films with side chain‐dependent layer thicknesses of 20–45 Å by solution adsorption onto freshly deposited gold surfaces. Such ultrathin polymer films are expected to have diverse applications as bound polymeric surface modification reagents. © 1993 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc.
Ghrelin Regulates Insulin Release and Glycemia: Physiological Role and Therapeutic Potential (2008)

Insulin release from pancreatic islet beta-cells is stimulated by glucose. Glucose-induced insulin release is potentiated or suppressed by hormones and neural substances. Ghrelin, a novel acylated 28-amino acid peptide isolated from stomach, is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue-receptor (GHS-R). Circulating ghrelin is produced predominantly in stomach. Ghrelin is a potent stimulator of GH release and feeding as well as exhibiting positive cardiovascular effects. In relation to the glucose metabolism, initial studies indicated that low plasma ghrelin levels are associated with elevated fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance, and obesity. It has recently been demonstrated that ghrelin suppresses glucose-induced insulin release via G alpha(i2) subtype of GTP-binding proteins and delayed outward K(+) (Kv) channels, representing a novel signaling mechanism, and that the ghrelin originating from islets regulates insulin release and thereby glycemia. Furthermore, elimination of ghrelin enhances insulin release to prevent or ameliorate glucose intolerance in high-fat diet fed mice and ob/ob mice. This review focuses on the physiological roles of ghrelin in regulating insulin release and glycemia, the insulinostatic mechanisms of ghrelin in islet beta-cells, and the potential of ghrelin-GHS-R system as the therapeutic target to treat type 2 diabetes.
A Common MUC5B Promoter Polymorphism and Pulmonary Fibrosis (2011)

A common polymorphism in the promoter of MUC5B is associated with familial interstitial pneumonia and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Our findings suggest that dysregulated MUC5B expression in the lung may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others.).
Bioinspired Surfaces with Switchable Adhesion (2007)

The shape memory property of a thermoplastic elastomer is taken advantage of to fabricate a fibrillar switchable adhesive surface that switches from a temporary non-adhesive state to a permanent adhesive surface with at least a 200-fold increase in pull-off force. Applications of such systems, for example in pick-and-carry elements or in medical tapes, may well impact future technologies and devices.
Human Endothelial Cells: Use of Heparin in Cloning and Long-Term Serial Cultivation (1983)

Endothelial cells from human blood vessels were cultured in vitro, with doubling times of 17 to 21 hours for 42 to 79 population doublings. Cloned human endothelial cell strains were established for the first time and had similar proliferative capacities. This vigorous cell growth was achieved by addition of heparin to culture medium containing reduced concentrations of endothelial cell growth factor. The routine cloning and long-term culture of human endothelial cells will facilitate studying the human endothelium in vitro.
Interdependence between adhesion and proliferation (1999)

Summary In this study, the role of the alphaL/beta2-integrin leukocyte function antigen-1(LFA-1) in the proliferation of T cell antigen receptor(TCR)-stimulated primary human T lymphocytes was analyzed. Co- engagement of LFA-1 was found to be a prerequisite for proliferation in TCR- stimulated cells in the absence of other receptor-ligand interactions. The effect of LFA-1 on cell cycle progression can not simply be explained with enhanced adhesion-dependent TCR triggering, but is mediated by TCR-independent signal transduction. As reported for non-lymphoid, anchorage-dependent cell types, the integrin-mediated signal transduction and proliferation critically depend on an intact actin-based cytoskeleton and a spread cell shape rather than on receptor aggregation. The pro-mitotic effects of LFA-1 act at two distinct points on cell cycle progression: In the Gap 0 phase of the cell cycle, LFA-1-mediated spreading synergizes with the TCR on tyrosine phosphorylation, leading to enhanced mitogen-activated protein(Map) kinase activation, immediate early gene expression, cell cycle entry and the induction of responsiveness to the T cell growth factor Interleukin 2 (IL-2). However, LFA-1 was found to be as well a required late component of TCR- dependent proliferation: Prolonged LFA-dependent spreading, in the context of intercellular contact, is a prerequisite for the production of the mitogenic cytokine Interleukin-2. LFA-1-dependent IL-2 production was found to be cyclosporin A-resistant and was paralleled by the enhanced binding of transcription factors to the NF-AT and the CD28RE/AP-1 site of the IL-2 promoter in vitro. The alternative costimulatory receptor CD28 is able to bypass this step in an adhesion-independent way. IL-2 in turn triggers the expression of the a-chain of the IL-2 receptor (CD25), and leads to the activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), probably due to enhanced cyclin D3 expression and to the downregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27kip1. The activation of the CDKs leads to the inactivating phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and to the progression into the synthesis(S) phase of the cell cycle. Anchorage-dependent T cell growth is therefore characterized by a sequential action of signals conveyed by integrins which together with the activating antigenic stimulus effects both cell cycle entry and G1 to S transition.