gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Decreasing readmissions: it can be done but one size does not fit all (2013)

Readmissions within 30 days of discharge are common, costly and hazardous—as such, efforts to reduce readmissions are a major focus in virtually all healthcare systems.1 In particular, policy makers have focused on heart failure (HF) as it is one of the most common reasons for hospitalisation in the developed world, HF patients already have the highest 30 -day readmission rates and despite substantial attention over the past decade to this problem the risk of post-discharge adverse events is actually increasing among patients with HF.1 ,2 While a number of interventions have been suggested to reduce readmission rates, their effectiveness in clinical practice has often been disappointing when rigorously evaluated.3

However, in this issue of BMJ Quality & Safety , Amarasingham and colleagues report a remarkably successful programme associated with a 27% relative reduction (a 5% absolute reduction) in 30 -day all-cause readmission rates in HF patients at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.4 This effect size was achieved even though the programme was only offered to approximately a quarter of discharged patients, was only deployed on weekdays (weekend discharges actually exhibit the highest rate of readmissions)5 and despite the fact that only a minority of readmissions may be truly preventable.6 ,7 Indeed, most …
Direct Electrochemistry of Myoglobin and Cytochrome P450cam in Alternate Layer-by-Layer Films with DNA and Other Polyions (1998)

Alternate layer-by-layer polyion adsorption onto gold electrodes coated with chemisorbed mercaptopropanesulfonic acid gave stable, electroactive multilayer films containing the proteins myoglobin and cytochrome P450cam. Direct, reversible, electron exchange between gold electrodes and proteins involved heme FeIII/FeII redox couples. With oxygen in solution, electrons were also transferred to the FeII−O2 complexes of these proteins, a key step for oxidative enzyme catalysis. Film assembly for Mb was done by sequential adsorption with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS), DNA, or poly(dimethyl diallyl) ammonium chloride (PDDA). Cyt P450cam was assembled with layers of PSS or PDDA. Quartz crystal microbalance and voltammetric studies on the same films allowed quantitation of electroactive and nonelectroactive protein. At pH 5.5, the first protein monolayer in all films was fully electroactive. A second monolayer added 30−40% redox activity, but additional protein layers did not communicate with the electrode. Using various film construction strategies, Mb monolayers were also placed at distances from the electrodes of 0.5, 1.8, and 3.8 nm. Full electroactivity was found at 0.5 nm, and about 70−80% electroactivity at 1.8 and 3.8 nm. Results suggest the possibility of enhanced electron transport by partial intermixing of protein and nonprotein layers. Polyion films containing Mb and cyt P450cam were active for enzyme-like catalysis of styrene epoxidation in aerobic solutions.
Differential endocytosis of CD4 in lymphocytic and nonlymphocytic cells. (1991)

The endocytosis of the T cell differentiation antigen CD4 has been investigated in CD4-transfected HeLa cells, the promyelocytic HL-60 cell line, and in a number of leukemia- or lymphoma-derived T cell lines. CD4 internalization was followed using radioiodinated antibodies in an acid-elution endocytosis assay, or by covalently modifying cell surface proteins with biotin and analyzing CD4 distributions by immunoprecipitation; both approaches gave equivalent results. The assays demonstrated that in transfected HeLa cells and in HL-60 cells CD4 was constitutively internalized and recycled in the absence of ligand. Immunogold labeling and electron microscopy demonstrated that CD4 enters cells through coated pits. In contrast to the nonlymphocytic cells, T cell lines showed very little endocytosis of CD4. Measurements of fluid phase endocytosis and morphometric analysis of the endosome compartment indicated that the endocytic capacities of HeLa and lymphoid cells are equivalent and suggested that the low level of CD4 uptake in lymphocytic cells is due to exclusion of CD4 from coated pits. This conclusion was supported by experiments using truncated CD4 molecules, lacking the bulk of the cytoplasmic domain, which were internalized equally efficiently in both transfected lymphocytes and HeLa cells. Together, these results indicate that the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 mediates the different interactions with the endocytic apparatus in lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells. We suggest that the CD4-associated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase p56lck may be involved in preventing CD4 endocytosis in T cells.
The binding of labelled saxitoxin to the sodium channels in nerve membranes (1973)

1. Tritium labelled saxitoxin has been prepared and purified, and its binding both to intact rabbit vagus nerves and to a solubilized preparation of garfish olfactory nerve membranes has been examined.2. In intact and solubilized nerves there is a saturable binding component of magnitude equal to that previously obtained for labelled tetrodotoxin.3. This component of bound saxitoxin is displaced competitively by tetrodotoxin, and it is concluded that the two toxins bind to the same site.4. The saturable saxitoxin (STX) interaction with the nerve membrane is reversible and can be described by the equation STX + R right harpoon over left harpoon STX.R where R is the binding site or receptor. With the solubilized preparation of garfish nerve membranes the saxitoxin-receptor reaction rates are almost four times faster than those of tetrodotoxin. The half-life of the saxitoxin-receptor complexes is 13 sec compared with 44 sec for the tetrodotoxin-receptor complex.5. A number of agents were tested for their ability to displace the labelled saxitoxin. Calcium and thallous ions each produced significant reversible reduction in binding, with apparent equilibrium dissociation constants of about 20-30 mM. Toxin binding is also inhibited reversibly in acidic solutions by protons competing with toxin for a binding site with a pK(a) of 5.6-5.9. All three ions are known to block sodium currents in myelinated nerve at similar concentrations. Our experiments indicate that they do so at the site of toxin binding.6. Lidocaine and veratrine do not affect the binding of saxitoxin.
G1/S Cell Cycle Blockers and Inhibitors of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Suppress Camptothecin-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis (1997)

Previous studies have demonstrated that G1/S cell cycle blockers and inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) prevent the death of nerve growth factor (NGF)-deprived PC12 cells and sympathetic neurons, suggesting that proteins normally involved in the cell cycle may also serve to regulate neuronal apoptosis. Past findings additionally demonstrate that DNA-damaging agents, such as the DNA topoisomerase (topo-I) inhibitor camptothecin, also induce neuronal apoptosis. In the present study, we show that camptothecin-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells, sympathetic neurons, and cerebral cortical neurons is suppressed by the G1/S blockers deferoxamine and mimosine, as well as by the CDK-inhibitors flavopiridol and olomoucine. In each case, the IC50 values were similar to those reported for inhibition of death induced by NGF-deprivation. In contrast, other agents that arrest DNA synthesis, such as aphidicolin and N-acetylcysteine, failed to block death. This suggests that the inhibition of DNA synthesis per se is insufficient to provide protection from camptothecin. We find additionally that the cysteine aspartase family protease inhibitor zVAD-fmk inhibits apoptosis evoked by NGF-deprivation but not camptothecin treatment. Thus, despite their shared sensitivity to G1/S blockers and CDK inhibitors, the apoptotic pathways triggered by these two causes of death diverge at the level of the cysteine aspartase. In summary, neuronal apoptosis induced by the DNA-damaging agent camptothecin appears to involve signaling pathways that normally control the cell cycle. The consequent death signals of such deregulation, however, are different from those that result from trophic factor deprivation.
Quantitative Multicolor Super-Resolution Microscopy Reveals Tetherin HIV-1 Interaction (2011)

Virus assembly and interaction with host-cell proteins occur at length scales below the diffraction limit of visible light. Novel super-resolution microscopy techniques achieve nanometer resolution of fluorescently labeled molecules. The cellular restriction factor tetherin (also known as CD317, BST-2 or HM1.24) inhibits the release of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) through direct incorporation into viral membranes and is counteracted by the HIV-1 protein Vpu. For super-resolution analysis of HIV-1 and tetherin interactions, we established fluorescence labeling of HIV-1 proteins and tetherin that preserved HIV-1 particle formation and Vpu-dependent restriction, respectively. Multicolor super-resolution microscopy revealed important structural features of individual HIV-1 virions, virus assembly sites and their interaction with tetherin at the plasma membrane. Tetherin localization to micro-domains was dependent on both tetherin membrane anchors. Tetherin clusters containing on average 4 to 7 tetherin dimers were visualized at HIV-1 assembly sites. Combined biochemical and super-resolution analysis revealed that extended tetherin dimers incorporate both N-termini into assembling virus particles and restrict HIV-1 release. Neither tetherin domains nor HIV-1 assembly sites showed enrichment of the raft marker GM1. Together, our super-resolution microscopy analysis of HIV-1 interactions with tetherin provides new insights into the mechanism of tetherin-mediated HIV-1 restriction and paves the way for future studies of virus-host interactions.
Polyethylenimine-mediated gene delivery: a mechanistic study (2001)

Background Ethylenimine polymers (PEIs) belong to one of the most efficient family of cationic compounds for delivery of plasmid DNA into mammalian cells. The high transfection efficiencies are obtained even in the absence of endosomolytic agents such as fusogenic peptides or chloroquine, which is in contrast to most of the other cationic polymers. It has been hypothesized that the efficiency of PEI is due to its capacity to buffer the endosomes. Methods To investigate the importance of the acidification of endosomes during PEI-mediated DNA transfer we used proton pump inhibitors such as bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A. Moreover, we tested whether PEI is able to destabilize natural membranes per se at neutral or acidic pH by performing erythrocyte lysis assays. Results PEI-mediated transfection in the presence of bafilomycin A1 resulted in a 7–74-fold decrease in reporter gene expression depending on the cell line used. In contrast, the efficiency of the monocationic lipid, DOTAP, was not importantly altered in the presence of the drug. Furthermore, the present data show that PEI cannot destabilize erythrocyte membranes, even at acidic pH, and that PEI, complexed or not to DNA, can increase the transfection efficiency of the cationic polymer, polylysine, when added at the same time to the cells. Conclusions The transfection efficiency of PEIs partially relies on their ability to capture the protons which are transferred into the endosomes during their acidification. In addition, PEI is able to deliver significant amounts of DNA into cells and the DNA complexes involved in the expression of the transgene escape within 4 h from the endosomes. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
3253 Static Analysis of Pedaling Walker with Assist Equipment (2008)

The walk training make the patient feel pain because they have to support their body with hands or legs when they use the gait training device. The walker which can motivate the patient to train is expected to be developed. In this research, we design and develop the walker with the assist equipment translating the artificial walking motion to the rotating wheel motion. Using this walker, the patients are supported by the saddle, so their hands and legs are relieved from pain keeping their body balance. The assist equipments are designed by using of 4-link planar mechanism, which is the oscillating and rotating motion transfer. The authors prove decrease in pedaling force to change mass and center of gravity for link.
Uniquely human evolution of sialic acid genetics and biology (2010)

Darwinian evolution of humans from our common ancestors with nonhuman primates involved many gene-environment interactions at the population level, and the resulting human-specific genetic changes must contribute to the "Human Condition." Recent data indicate that the biology of sialic acids (which directly involves less than 60 genes) shows more than 10 uniquely human genetic changes in comparison with our closest evolutionary relatives. Known outcomes are tissue-specific changes in abundant cell-surface glycans, changes in specificity and/or expression of multiple proteins that recognize these glycans, and novel pathogen regimes. Specific events include Alu-mediated inactivation of the CMAH gene, resulting in loss of synthesis of the Sia N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and increase in expression of the precursor N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac); increased expression of alpha2-6-linked Sias (likely because of changed expression of ST6GALI); and multiple changes in SIGLEC genes encoding Sia-recognizing Ig-like lectins (Siglecs). The last includes binding specificity changes (in Siglecs -5, -7, -9, -11, and -12); expression pattern changes (in Siglecs -1, -5, -6, and -11); gene conversion (SIGLEC11); and deletion or pseudogenization (SIGLEC13, SIGLEC14, and SIGLEC16). A nongenetic outcome of the CMAH mutation is human metabolic incorporation of foreign dietary Neu5Gc, in the face of circulating anti-Neu5Gc antibodies, generating a novel "xeno-auto-antigen" situation. Taken together, these data suggest that both the genes associated with Sia biology and the related impacts of the environment comprise a relative "hot spot" of genetic and physiological changes in human evolution, with implications for uniquely human features both in health and disease.
Monoclonal antibodies specific for endothelial cells of mouse blood vessels. Their application in the identification of adult and embryonic endothelium. (1994)

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAb), MEC 7.46 (IgG1) and MEC 13.3 (IgG2a) that specifically recognize mouse endothelial cells (EC) of blood vessels, were produced immunizing a Lewis rat with a polyoma middle T transformed EC line. Antibodies were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by immunofluorescence on different cultured cell lines and by immunoperoxidase staining on frozen sections of various mouse normal and inflammatory tissues. Both mAbs reacted with eight transformed endothelial lines tested in vitro, but were consistently negative on various cell lines of different histological origin. Reactivity was not altered by preexposure of the cell lines to IL-1. Microscopic immunofluorescence analysis showed that the MEC mAbs localized at the cell-cell contacts in EC. Immunohistochemical staining of various mouse tissue was always restricted to the EC of all blood vessels of the organ considered. Staining of the endothelial lining of blood vessels was greater at cell-to-cell contacts. Weak reactivity was detected in bone marrow and spleen megakaryocytes. This picture was not altered in inflamed and tumor tissues. In the developing mouse embryo, MEC 13.3 specifically stained proliferating and sprouting endothelium in all organs and tissues examined. Both MEC 7.46 and MEC 13.3 mAbs were able to precipitate a molecule with an apparent molecular mass of 130 kDa from endothelioma lysates. The protein was synthesized by the cells and exposed on the cell surface. Immunodepletion analysis indicated that MEC 13.3 recognized a molecule related to the murine from of PECAM or CD31. We believe that these mAbs are promising tools for the identification of murine EC and for studying their ontogenesis and functions.
Folding of Hepatitis C Virus E1 Glycoprotein in a Cell-Free System (2001)

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope proteins, E1 and E2, form noncovalent heterodimers and are leading candidate antigens for a vaccine against HCV. Studies in mammalian cell expression systems have focused primarily on E2 and its folding, whereas knowledge of E1 folding remains fragmentary. We used a cell-free in vitro translation system to study E1 folding and asked whether the flanking proteins, Core and E2, influence this process. We translated the polyprotein precursor, in which the Core is N-terminal to E1, and E2 is C-terminal, and found that when the core protein was present, oxidation of E1 was a slow, E2-independent process. The half-time for E1 oxidation was about 5 h in the presence or absence of E2. In contrast with previous reports, analysis of three constructs of different lengths revealed that the E2 glycoprotein undergoes slow oxidation as well. Unfolded or partially folded E1 bound to the endoplasmic reticulum chaperones calnexin and (with lower efficiency) calreticulin, whereas no binding to BiP/GRP78 or GRP94 could be detected. Release from calnexin and calreticulin was used to assess formation of mature E1. When E1 was expressed in the absence of Core and E2, its oxidation was impaired. We conclude that E1 folding is a process that is affected not only by E2, as previously shown, but also by the Core. The folding of viral proteins can thus depend on complex interactions between neighboring proteins within the polyprotein precursor.
Regiospecific epoxide opening: a facile approach for the synthesis of 3-hydroxy-3-aminomethylindolin-2-one derivatives (2011)

A mild and eco-friendly method has been developed for aminolysis of 3-oxirane-indolin-2-ones with aliphatic and aromatic amines to afford 3-hydroxy-3-aminomethylindolin-2-ones. An enhancement in reaction rate was observed when water was used as the reaction medium. The reactions proceed regiospecifically to open the epoxide ring from the less-substituted end.
Synthesis and biophysical studies of short oligodeoxynudeotides with novel modifications: a possible approach to the problem of mixed base oligodeoxynudeotide synthesis (1984)

The syntheses of 1,2-dideoxy-D-ribofuranose and 1,2-dideoxy-1-phenyl-beta-D-ribofuranose are described. Oligodeoxynucleotides containing these analogues have been synthesised and hybridized to their complementary strands. Hypochromicity studies have shown that these duplices are less stable than either the totally complementary duplex or those containing A.C and G.T mismatches.
CD40 ligation of human keratinocytes inhibits their proliferation and induces their differentiation (1997)

While CD40-CD40 ligand interactions are known to regulate B cell proliferation and differentiation, much less is known about the role this receptor plays on other cell types, especially those of nonhemopoietic origin. We report here that CD40 is expressed in normal human epidermis in situ, especially on the basal cell layer, and that it is maintained on cultured epidermal basal cells. Immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE analysis confirms that CD40 expressed by epidermal basal cells is immunologically related to the B cell CD40. IFN-gamma up-regulates CD40 expression on cultured keratinocytes, whereas other proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1 or TNF-alpha, have little effects. Using CD40-ligand-transfected L cells (CD40Lc), we demonstrated that CD40 triggering results in an enhanced secretion of both IL-8 and TNF-alpha by cultured epidermal basal cells, suggesting that CD40-CD40L interactions may play a role in amplifying the cutaneous inflammatory reactions. More importantly, we found that keratinocyte proliferation was significantly inhibited when the cells were grown on CD40Lc, as compared with CD32-transfected, or nontransfected, L cells. This inhibitory effect can be reversed substantially by pretreatment of keratinocytes with anti-CD40 mAb. In addition, inhibition of proliferation could be obtained by adding a soluble form of CD40 ligand to the keratinocyte cultures. Interestingly, inhibition of keratinocyte proliferation on CD40Lc correlates with differentiation of the cells, as assessed by morphologic analysis and increased profilaggrin content. Collectively, these results demonstrate that CD40 is expressed and functional on human epidermal basal cells and that, on these cells, CD40 ligation may be a signal for limitation of cell growth and induction of differentiation.
Bariatric Surgery (2004)

Effective weight loss was achieved in morbidly obese patients after undergoing bariatric surgery. A substantial majority of patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea experienced complete resolution or improvement.
Computing replica placement in distributed systems (2003)

The authors investigate the design of a replica management system (RMS) which allows a programmer to specify the quality of service required for individual replicated objects in terms of availability and performance. From the quality of service specification, information about the replication protocol to be used, and data about the characteristics of the underlying distributed system, the RMS computes an initial placement and replication level for the object. As machines and communications systems are detected to have failed or recovered, the RMS can be reinvoked to compute an updated mapping of replicas which preserves the desired quality of service. Preliminary simulation of the authors RMS shows that its placement algorithm gives consistent improvements in the availability of a replicated service than simply placing replicas on nodes at random, as is done in most distributed systems.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
Treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis with the immunomodulator linomide (1996)

Linomide (quinoline-3-carboxamide) is a synthetic immunomodulator that increases the natural killer cell activity. We previously demonstrated that linomide effectively inhibited the clinical and histopathologic signs of acute and chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We report a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate tolerability and to obtain preliminary indications of the clinical efficacy of linomide on secondary progressive MS. Thirty patients suffering from clinically definite and laboratory-supported secondary progressive MS, with an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) of 3.0 to 7.0, were included in this study. Patients were treated daily with linomide (2.5 mg) or placebo orally and were followed up for side effects and changes in their neurologic status; monthly MRI scans were taken throughout the treatment period. Twenty-four patients completed at least 6 months of treatment. Mild to moderate side effects, including muscle pains, arthralgia, and edema, were present in 11 of the 15 patients receiving placebo and in 13 of the 15 patients treated with linomide. At 24 weeks, the mean shift in EDSS was +0.272 +/- 0.156 in the placebo group versus -0.166 +/- 0.167 in the linomide group (p = 0.0451). The percentage of patients with evidence of "activity" on their MRI (new, enlarging, or new gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid [Gd-DTPA]-enhancing lesions) throughout the treatment period was 75% in the placebo group and 33% in the linomide group (p = 0.0205). The mean total number of new Gd-DTPA-enhancing lesions per MRI scan for the same period was 0.42 +/- 0.143 in the placebo group and 0.19 +/- 0.114 in the linomide group (p = 0.0387). In this study, linomide proved to be safe and well tolerated in patients with secondary progressive MS. In addition, our results indicate that linomide tends to inhibit the progression of the disease, especially preventing the appearance of new active lesions in the MRI scans. Based on these results, two multicenter phase III trials are currently under way in the United States and in Europe and Australia.