gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Lack of antibody production against Hanganutziu‐Deicher (H‐D) antigens with N‐glycolylneuraminic acid in patients with porcine exposure history (2000)

The significance of non-alphagalactosyl antigens remains unclear in pig-to-primate xenotransplantation. Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D) antigens with terminal N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) are widely expressed on endothelial cells of mammalian species, with the exception of humans. As baboons and monkeys also express H-D antigens, a pig-to-non-human primate experimental model cannot resolve the question of whether H-D antigens can elicit a potent humoral response in human recipients. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the clinical significance of H-D antigens by examining the sera from patients who have been previously exposed to porcine tissue. After the digestion of porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) by neuraminidase, NeuGc and N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) were quantitated by HPLC. IgG and IgM antibody levels against H-D antigens were measured by NeuGc-GM3-coated ELISA plates in the sera of patients who had undergone ex vivo kidney perfusion 1 to 3 weeks and 2 years previously (n=2) or had been injected with fetal porcine islets 2 months previously (n= 10). HPLC determined that 9.7x 10(7) NeuAc and 6.3x 10(7) NeuGc residues per cell were released from PAEC by neuraminidase, while 25.7x 10(7) NeuAc and an undetectable level of NeuGc were released from human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). No significant elevation of IgG or IgM antibody levels against NeuGc-GM3 was observed in sera from patients with a history of porcine exposure. Considering the active production of antibody against the foreign galactosyl antigens after pig-to-human xenotransplantation, some production of antibodies against the equally foreign H-D antigens would be expected, because large amounts of NeuGc terminated saccharides are present in the pig endothelial cell surface. However, no production of antibodies directed to H-D antigens could be found in patients exposed to porcine tissue. Further studies are warranted to explain why H-D antigens do not elicit a significant antibody production.
Relationships among Dietary Lipid Intake, Serum Cholesterol and Ovarian Function in Holstein Heifers (1985)

Experiments were performed to determine whether serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) undergo cyclic changes during the estrous cycle of dairy heifers and to assess the relationship between serum concentrations of TC and ovarian steroid hormones. The effects of a hypercholesterolemic diet upon luteal progesterone secretion also were determined. Experiment 1 involved five dairy heifers exhibiting normal estrous cycles. Serum concentrations of TC, progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-17 beta were determined in blood samples collected throughout a complete estrous cycle. A transient decline in TC was observed during the luteal phase of all heifers beginning on d 2 and reached a nadir 6 d after estrus. Highest mean concentrations of TC occurred between d -2 and +2 (96.3 +/- 8.2 mg/dl), which were markedly higher (P less than .05) than the lowest mean concentrations (76.3 +/- 10.3 mg/dl) observed on d 6. Concentrations of serum TC were negatively correlated (r = -.40; P less than .01) with progesterone between d 2 and 9. Serum TC was not correlated with testosterone or estradiol-17 beta. In Exp. 2, seven cycling Holstein heifers were fed a control diet for 70 d (Stage I), a diet containing 15% whole sunflower seed as a source of supplemental dietary lipid for 70 d (Stage II) and then the control diet for 70 d (Stage III). Diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. All heifers were synchronized with prostaglandin F2 alpha after wk 5 in each of the three feeding stages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Muscle and nerve changes induced by perhexiline maleate in man and mice (1979)

Perhexiline maleate therapy may produce a polyneuropathy as well as other side effects in man. The Schwann-cell origin of the neuropathy is demonstrated by morphologic studies. Ultrastructural studies of muscle and nerve biopsies showed the presence of intracytoplasmic inclusions, primarily in Schwann cells, muscle fibers, and endothelial cells. These inclusions were polymorphic and varied from one cell type to another. They were frequently associated with calcium deposits, and their structure suggested a lysosomal origin. It was possible experimentally to reproduce similar inclusions in mice. Furthermore, numerous tubular aggregates were observed in intoxicated mouse muscle fibers.
Platinum Etching and Plasma Characteristics in RF Magnetron and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasmas (1993)

The properties of platinum etching were investigated using both rf magnetron and electron cyclotron resonance plasmas, together with measurement of the plasma parameters. Experiments were performed over a wide pressure range from 0.4 to 50 mTorr in Cl 2 plasmas. In rf magnetron plasmas, the etch rate of Pt was constant at the substrate temperature from 20 to 160°C. The etch rate and the plasma electron density increased with decreasing gas pressure from 50 to 5 mTorr. In ECR plasmas for rf power of 300 W, the etch rate of Pt was almost constant (∼100 nm/min) with decreasing gas pressure from 5 to 0.4 mTorr, while the plasma electron density was gradually increased with decreasing gas pressure. These experimental results were discussed with respect to the relationship between the etch yield and ratio of neutral Cl flux and ion flux incident on the substrate. Submicron patterning (0.5 µm lines &amp; spaces) of platinum masked with photoresist was demonstrated using Cl 2 plasmas in ECR discharges. High accuracy was obtained with no undercutting.
Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 Improves Pancreatic β-Cell Function and Survival by Activation of Extracellular Signal–Regulated Kinase 1/2 and Akt Signaling Pathways (2006)

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) is a recently discovered metabolic regulator. Here, we investigated the effects of FGF-21 in the pancreatic beta-cell. In rat islets and INS-1E cells, FGF-21 activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt signaling pathways. In islets isolated from healthy rats, FGF-21 increased insulin mRNA and protein levels but did not potentiate glucose-induced insulin secretion. Islets and INS-1E cells treated with FGF-21 were partially protected from glucolipotoxicity and cytokine-induced apoptosis. In islets isolated from diabetic rodents, FGF-21 treatment increased islet insulin content and glucose-induced insulin secretion. Short-term treatment of normal or db/db mice with FGF-21 lowered plasma levels of insulin and improved glucose clearance compared with vehicle after oral glucose tolerance testing. Constant infusion of FGF-21 for 8 weeks in db/db mice nearly normalized fed blood glucose levels and increased plasma insulin levels. Immunohistochemistry of pancreata from db/db mice showed a substantial increase in the intensity of insulin staining in islets from FGF-21-treated animals as well as a higher number of islets per pancreas section and of insulin-positive cells per islet compared with control. No effect of FGF-21 was observed on islet cell proliferation. In conclusion, preservation of beta-cell function and survival by FGF-21 may contribute to the beneficial effects of this protein on glucose homeostasis observed in diabetic animals.
CD59 deficiency is associated with chronic hemolysis and childhood relapsing immune-mediated polyneuropathy (2012)

CD59 deficiency is a common finding in RBCs and WBCs in patients with chronic hemolysis suffering from paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in which the acquired mutation in the PIGA gene leads to membrane loss of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane proteins, including CD59. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the molecular basis of childhood familial chronic Coombs-negative hemolysis and relapsing polyneuropathy presenting as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in infants of North-African Jewish origin from 4 unrelated families. A founder mutation was searched for using homozygosity mapping followed by exome sequencing. The expression of CD59, CD55, and CD14 was examined in blood cells by flow cytometry followed by Western blot of the CD59 protein. A homozygous missense mutation, p.Cys89Tyr in CD59, was identified in all patients. The mutation segregated with the disease in the families and had a carrier rate of 1:66 among Jewish subjects of North-African origin. The mutated protein was present in the patients' cells in reduced amounts and was undetectable on the membrane surface. Based on the results of the present study, we conclude that the Cys89Tyr mutation in CD59 is associated with a failure of proper localization of the CD59 protein in the cell surface. This mutation is manifested clinically in infancy by chronic hemolysis and relapsing peripheral demyelinating disease.
piggyBac Transposon/Transposase System to Generate CD19-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of B-Lineage Malignancies (2009)

Nonviral integrating vectors can be used for expression of therapeutic genes. piggyBac (PB), a transposon/transposase system, has been used to efficiently generate induced pluripotent stems cells from somatic cells, without genetic alteration. In this paper, we apply PB transposition to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) in primary human T cells. We demonstrate that T cells electroporated to introduce the PB transposon and transposase stably express CD19-specific CAR and when cultured on CD19(+) artificial antigen-presenting cells, numerically expand in a CAR-dependent manner, display a phenotype associated with both memory and effector T cell populations, and exhibit CD19-dependent killing of tumor targets. Integration of the PB transposon expressing CAR was not associated with genotoxicity, based on chromosome analysis. PB transposition for generating human T cells with redirected specificity to a desired target such as CD19 is a new genetic approach with therapeutic implications.
Developing New Smallpox Vaccines (2001)

New stockpiles of smallpox vaccine are required as a contingency for protecting civilian and military personnel against deliberate dissemination of smallpox virus by terrorists or unfriendly governments. The smallpox vaccine in the current stockpile consists of a live animal poxvirus (Vaccinia virus [VACV]) that was grown on the skin of calves. Because of potential issues with controlling this earlier manufacturing process, which included scraping VACV lesions from calfskin, new vaccines are being developed and manufactured by using viral propagation on well-characterized cell substrates. We describe, from a regulatory perspective, the various strains of VACV, the adverse events associated with calf lymph-propagated smallpox vaccine, the issues regarding selection and use of cell substrates for vaccine production, and the issues involved in demonstrating evidence of safety and efficacy.
Potential ameliorators of aflatoxicosis in weanling/growing swine (1993)

Three trials using 207 crossbred pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of aflatoxin-contaminated corn on young pigs and to determine whether several nutritional and nonnutritional dietary amendments would benefit performance or health in situations of aflatoxin B1 contamination. In Trial 1 using 90 pigs in a 49-d trial, linear (P < .01) and quadratic (P < .05) decreases in ADG were observed with increasing (0, 420, 840 ppb) dietary aflatoxin level. This growth decrease was associated with linear reductions (P < .01) in ADFI and decreases in gain/ feed. Serum indicators of protein synthetic capabilities and of liver damage were also adversely affected. Improvements in growth rate for the total trial period in the presence of 840 ppb of aflatoxin were obtained with the addition of the 2 ppm of folic acid (P < .05) or .5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCA) (P < .01); the magnitude of improvement was greater for the HSCA. The addition of HSCA to the contaminated diet also restored the serum clinical chemistry profile to that exhibited by pigs fed the diet without contaminated corn. The addition of .6 ppm of Se to a basal diet containing .3 ppm of Se was generally without effect. In Trial 2, 63 pigs were used in a 42-d trial to further assess the effectiveness of both folic acid and HSCA, as well as of two sodium bentonites, in reducing the effects of aflatoxin from naturally contaminated diets (800 ppb of aflatoxin). Folic acid had no positive effect in this trial, but HSCA improved ADG (P < .01) and all clinical chemistry indicators that had been negatively affected by the contaminated diet (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
State of the Art in Interactive Ray Tracing (2001)

The term ray tracing is commonly associated with highly realistic images but certainly not with interactive graphics. However, with the increasing hardware resources of today, interactive ray tracing is becoming a reality and offers a number of benefits over the traditional rasterization pipeline. The goal of this report is to provide a better understanding of the potential and challenges of interactive ray tracing. We start with a review of the problems associated with rasterization based rendering and contrast this with the advantages offered by ray tracing. Next we discuss different approaches towards interactive ray tracing using techniques such as approximation, hybrid rendering, and direct optimization of the ray tracing algorithm itself. After a brief review of interactive ray tracing on supercomputers we describe implementations on standard PCs and clusters of networked PCs. This system improves ray tracing performance by more than an order of magnitude and outperforms even high-end graphics hardware for complex scenes up to tens of millions of polygons. Finally, we discuss recent research towards implementing ray tracing in hardware as an alternative to current graphics chips. This report ends with a discussion of the remaining challenges and and the future of ray tracing in interactive 3D graphics.
In vitro potentiation of lymphocyte activation by dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenediol, and androstenetriol. (1994)

Dehydroepiandrosterone (5-androstene-3 beta-ol-17-one, DHEA) has been shown to protect mice from lethal viral and bacterial infections. However, recently, androstenediol (5-androstene-3 beta-17 beta-diol, AED) and androstenetriol (5-androstene-3 beta-7 beta-triol, AET), metabolites of DHEA, have each shown to be more potent endocrine regulators of the immune response. In contrast to glucocorticosteroids, in vivo, these steroid hormones up-regulated the cellular immune response of the host to limit virus-mediated pathology. These experiments first examined the in vitro influences of DHEA, and AED, or AET on mitogen-stimulated activation of murine lymphocytes. From physiologic to pharmacologic doses, DHEA suppressed proliferation of mixed splenocyte cultures activated with Con A or LPS by 20 to 70% whereas AED had little influence on the response. In sharp contrast, AET potentiated the response with both mitogens to 50 to 70% above control. Analogous to these observations was the regulation of IL-2 and IL-3 secretion from Con A-activated lymphocytes by each of these hormones which again was depressed analyzed. The suppressive effects of hydrocortisone on Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production were strongly counteracted by coculture with AET. DHEA did not counteract hydrocortisone activity whereas AED showed moderate antiglucocorticoid function.
Aerodynamic Optimization of Box Wing – A Case Study (2014)

The optimization of a possible medium range box wing commercial airliner is presented in three stages. Preliminary research is used to determine various parameters for a potential box wing model, and a baseline model is designed in Autodesk Inventor, based upon the cantilever Airbus A330-200, an aircraft of a similar role. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software used in this project is Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks, which is validated through comparing the NACA 0009 airfoil lift and drag polars with published results. The first stage of optimization is performed on the airfoil shape, with 8 different designs being tested against the cantilever model. The lift to drag ratios of each model are calculated at cruise conditions, Mach 0.85 and 11,000 meters altitude. The most efficient model with the highest lift to drag ratio is then taken to the second stage of optimization, winglet height, where 7 different winglet heights are tested on the model: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% of the span. The most efficient model out of the different winglet heights is then tested with 7 different aspect ratios: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%. The expectation of the three stages of optimization is to provide a box wing model that performs significantly better than the original base line model, and also has an improved lift to drag ratio when compared to the cantilever model.
Bisulphite Differential Denaturation PCR for Analysis of DNA Methylation (2006)

Differential denaturation during PCR can be used to selectively amplify unmethylated DNA from a methylated DNA background. The use of differential denaturation in PCR is particularly suited to amplification of undermethylated sequences following treatment with bisulphite, since bisulphite selectively converts cytosines to uracil while methylated cytosines remain unreactive. Thus amplicons derived from unmethylated DNA retain fewer cytosines and their lower G + C content allows for their amplification at the lower melting temperatures, while limiting amplification of the corresponding methylated amplicons (Bisulphite Differential Denaturation PCR, BDD-PCR). Selective amplification of unmethylated DNA of four human genomic regions from three genes, GSTP1, BRCA1 and MAGE-A1, is demonstrated with selectivity observed at a ratio of down to one unmethylated molecule in 10(5) methylated molecules. BDD-PCR has the potential to be used to selectively amplify and detect aberrantly demethylated genes, such as oncogenes, in cancers. Additionally BDD-PCR can be effectively utilized in improving the specificity of methylation specific PCR (MSP) by limiting amplification of DNA that is not fully converted, thus preventing misinterpretation of the methylation versus non-conversion.
A Chemoselective Approach to Grafting Biodegradable Polyesters (2004)

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVCommunication to the...Communication to the EditorNEXTA Chemoselective Approach to Grafting Biodegradable PolyestersIkuo Taniguchi, Anne M. Mayes, Eugene W. L. Chan, and Linda G. GriffithView Author Information Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Biological Engineering Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Biological Engineering Division, Mechanical Engineering Department, and Biotechnology Process Engineering Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Cite this: Macromolecules 2005, 38, 2, 216–219Publication Date (Web):December 24, 2004Publication History Received22 June 2004Revised9 December 2004Published online24 December 2004Published inissue 1 January 2005https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ma0487554https://doi.org/10.1021/ma0487554rapid-communicationACS PublicationsCopyright © 2005 American Chemical SocietyRequest reuse permissionsArticle Views1229Altmetric-Citations54LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail Other access optionsGet e-AlertscloseSupporting Info (1)»Supporting Information Supporting Information SUBJECTS:Alcohols,Copolymers,Ketones,Organic polymers,Polymers Get e-Alerts
Successful immunotherapy in a murine metastasizing fibrosarcoma model (1984)

Antigenic differences were demonstrated between the primary murine fibrosarcoma and its metastases. Immunization with irradiated primary tumor cells (TC) protected C57B1/6J mice against subsequent challenge with those cells, but not against challenge with cells from pulmonary metastases (PMC). Mice immunized with irradiated PMC were protected from challenge with those cells, but not against challenge with TC. Mice with fibrosarcomas produced by the injection of 5 X 10(3) cells from the primary tumor were treated by resection of the tumor-bearing limb (Amp), Amp plus cyclophosphamide (Amp + Cy), Amp plus primary TC (Amp + TC), Amp plus primary TC and from its metastatic variant (Amp + TC + PMC), and with combinations of the last two groups with Cy. Although Amp + Cy improved survival, no animal lived 100 days and metastases increased as compared to controls. Immunotherapy significantly improved survival and decreased pulmonary metastases. Antigen combinations from primary and metastatic tumors resulted in significantly better survival than did a single preparation only from TC. Chemotherapy did not enhance the results obtained with immunotherapy and surgery. Immunity conferred in long-term survivors was permanent.
Financial impact of spinal cord stimulation on the healthcare budget: a comparative analysis of costs in Canada and the United States (2009)

For budgeting purposes the institution should first calculate the initial implantation costs that then can be "grossed up" by 18% per annum. This amount of 18% should be in addition to the implantation costs for the individual institution for new patients, as well as for each actively managed patient. This resulting amount will cover the costs associated with annual maintenance and complications for every actively managed patient. As the initial cost of implantation in any country reflects their current economics, the formula provided will be applicable to all implanters and policy makers alike.
Thermostable reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase: application to amperometric enzyme assay (1989)

The use in amperometric enzyme assays of a highly stable, pH insensitive flavoenzyme, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase (NADH oxidase), from the thermophilic organism Thermus aquaticus is described. The enzyme catalyses the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with concomitant two-electron reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide. In addition the enzyme used a substituted ferrocene as an alternative mediator of electron transfer. Hydrogen peroxide was detected at +650 mV vs Ag/AgCl at a platinum electrode. The current produced by oxidation of hydrogen peroxide was directly proportional to NADH concentration. The enzyme was used in solution to reoxidize enzymatically generated NADH and served as a basis for amperometric enzyme amplification systems for immunoassay as well as for the detection of substrate concentration for oxidoreductase enzymes. In the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase a rapid production of current occurred upon addition of ethanol over a clinically significant range. Thermus aquaticus NADH oxidase appears to be ideally suited for future exploitation in amperometric sensors for oxidoreductase substrates, offering a number of advantages over previously reported methods.