gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Citicoline mechanisms and clinical efficacy in cerebral ischemia (2002)

Citicoline, an intermediate in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho), has shown beneficial effects in various CNS injury models and neurodegenerative diseases. PtdCho hydrolysis by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion yields arachidonic acid (ArAc) and lyso-PtdCho. ArAc oxidative metabolism results in formation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides. Lyso-PtdCho could inhibit activity of cytidine triphosphate-phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (the rate-limiting enzyme in PtdCho biosynthesis), resulting in impaired PtdCho synthesis. Citicoline significantly increased glutathione levels and attenuated release of ArAc and the loss of PtdCho, cardiolipin, and sphingomyelin following transient cerebral ischemia. These effects could be explained by an effect of citicoline on PLA(2). Based on these observations, a mechanism has been hypothesized. This Mini-Review summarizes recent experimental data on the effects of citicoline in cerebral ischemia and evaluates several factors that might have hindered efficacy of citicoline in stroke clinical trials in the United States. Clinical stroke trials of citicoline in Europe and Japan have demonstrated beneficial effects. U.S. trials shown only marginal effects, which might be due to the 24 hr time window, the dose and route of administration, and the stringency of the primary outcome parameters. Recent evaluation of U.S. clinical data suggests that reduction of infarct growth may be a more sensitive measure of the citicoline effect than improvement on the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) by > or =7 points. The citicoline neuroprotective mechanism has not been clearly identified, and its potential in stroke treatment might still be fully recognized in the United States. The clinical efficacy of citicoline should be examined further in light of the recent phase III stroke clinical trials and experimental data for cerebral ischemia.
Minireview: Latest Perspectives on Antiinflammatory Actions of Glucocorticoids (2008)

Taking into consideration that glucocorticoid (GC) hormones have been used clinically for over half a century and that more than 20 yr have passed since the cloning of the GC receptor (GR), it is hard to imagine that novel aspects in the molecular mechanism by which GCs mediate their antiinflammatory actions are still being unveiled today. Partly, this is because almost on a daily basis, novel insights arise from parallel fields, e.g. nuclear receptor cofactor and chromatin regulation and their concomitant impact on gene transcription events, eventually leading to a revisitation or refinement of old hypotheses. On the other hand, it does remain striking and puzzling why GCs use different mechanisms in so many different cell types and on many different target genes to elicit an antiinflammatory effect. Meanwhile, the obvious question for the clinic remains: is the separation of GR functionalities through differential ligand design the strategy of choice to avoid most GC-mediated side effects? This minireview aims to highlight some of the latest findings on aspects of the antiinflammatory working mechanisms of GCs.
Circular dichroism studies of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide containing a hairpin loop made of a hexaethylene glycol chain: conformation and stability (1990)

An oligodeoxyribonucleotide, d(GCTCACAAT-X-ATTGTGAGC), where X represents a hexaethylene glycol chain, was studied using circular dichroism spectroscopy. Its conformation and conformational stability were compared to those of compounds where X was replaced by four thymines and to the duplex of same sequence without loop. The compound with the hexaethylene glycol chain can form a hairpin looped structure as well as a bulged duplex structure. In both cases the duplex region of the oligodeoxyribonucleotide exhibits the same conformation. In similar conditions the oligodeoxyribonucleotide with a four thymines loop forms exclusively a hairpin structure. Comparison between the thermodynamic parameters (delta H, delta S, delta G) associated with the formation of the structure of the three compounds are presented. In the case of the compound with the hexaethylene glycol chain it is shown that the large increase in its melting temperature (by about 35 degrees C in our experimental conditions) when compared to the non looped structure is mainly due to the fact that its melting process is intramolecular (monomolecular) whereas the other one is bimolecular.
Carotid sinus baroreceptor control of splanchnic resistance and capacity (1988)

The contribution of the splanchnic vascular bed in the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex control of vascular resistance and capacity was studied in nine pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. The splanchnic circulation was vascularly isolated in an unopened abdomen and perfused at constant flow and venous pressure. Decreasing carotid sinus pressure from 200 to 50 mmHg resulted in a 72% increase in splanchnic vascular resistance and a decrease in splanchnic blood volume of 4.7 ml/kg. Changes in splanchnic inflow from 0 to 70 ml.min-1.kg-1 resulted in linear changes in splanchnic arterial pressure. Increasing carotid sinus pressure significantly decreased the slope (P less than 0.005) and intercept (P less than 0.025) of the splanchnic pressure-flow relationship. It is concluded that in the dog, the splanchnic vascular bed contributes a major portion of blood volume mobilized by the carotid sinus reflex.
Molecular cloning and functional expression of human deoxyhypusine synthase cDNA based on expressed sequence tag information (1996)

Deoxyhypusine synthase is an NAD(+)-dependent enzyme that catalyses the formation of a deoxyhypusine residue on the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) precursor by transferring an aminobutyl moiety from spermidine to the epsilon-amino group of a unique lysine residue. We have recently cloned and characterized the Neurospora crassa deoxyhypusine synthase cDNA using a reverse genetics approach. A GenBank search showed that a stretch of the deduced amino acid sequence (96 amino acids) of Neurospora deoxyhypusine synthase matches a short human expressed sequence tag (EST), Z25337, with greater than 70% amino acid identity. Gene-specific primers based on this EST were used together with universal primers to obtain 1219 bp and 1078 bp cDNAs from a human cDNA library. The 1219 bp and 1078 bp sequences, each containing an open reading frame, encode polypeptides of respectively 368 and 321 amino acids. The short sequence is identical to the long one except that it is missing a stretch of 47 amino acids spanning residues 261-307. The 368-amino-acid sequence of human deoxyhypusine synthase shares a high degree of identity ( > 50%) and similarity ( > 60%) with that of the Neurospora and yeast deoxyhypusine synthases. After cloning into an expression vector, the 368-amino-acid recombinant protein exhibits high deoxyhypusine synthase activity. In contrast, the 321-amino-acid recombinant protein shows no detectable activity.
Analysis of amino acid indices and mutation matrices for sequence comparison and structure prediction of proteins (1996)

An amino acid index is a set of 20 numerical values representing any of the different physicochemical and biochemical properties of amino acids. As a follow-up to the previous study, we have increased the size of the database, which currently contains 402 published indices, and re-performed the single-linkage cluster analysis. The results basically confirmed the previous findings. Another important feature of amino acids that can be represented numerically is the similarity between them. Thus, a similarity matrix, also called a mutation matrix, is a set of 20 x 20 numerical values used for protein sequence alignments and similarity searches. We have collected 42 published matrices, performed hierarchical cluster analyses and identified several clusters corresponding to the nature of the data set and the method used for constructing the mutation matrix. Further, we have tried to reproduce each mutation matrix by the combination of amino acid indices in order to understand which properties of amino acids are reflected most. There was a relationship between the PAM units of Dayhoff's mutation matrix and the volume and hydrophobicity of amino acids. The database of 402 amino acid indices and 42 amino acid mutation matrices is made publicly available on the Internet.
Properties of microcrystalline silicon. IV. Electrical conductivity, electron spin resonance and the effect of gas adsorption (1983)

For pt.III see ibid., vol.16, p.2005 (1983). Measured values of the electrical conductivity, sigma , and electron spin density (g=2.0057) of microcrystalline silicon can be essentially determined by the extent of the contamination of the samples by oxygen unless special precautions are taken as regards the sample preparation and/or handling. For samples deposited at a floating potential, two kinds of oxygen incorporation are identified: irreversible formation of Si-O bonds on the grain boundaries (and on the sample surface) and a reversible absorption which is probably associated with a nondissociative O 2 delta - (ads) state. The latter results in a decrease of sigma RT by up to five orders of magnitude, an increase of the activation energy, epsilon a , and of the preexponential factor, sigma 0 , as well as in an increase of the electron spin density. A reversible desorption of oxygen leads to an increase of sigma RT up to not less than about 10 -2 Omega -1 cm -1 and a decrease of the EPR signal below the detection limit of less than 10 16 cm -3 . In order to avoid such effects a negative bias has to be applied to the substrate during deposition. Samples of undoped mu c-Si deposited in this way show neither the incorporation of oxygen into the bulk nor significant changes in the dark conductivity even after long-term exposure to air.
Efficacy of different antibiotics in the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease. (1987)

A total of 40 patients with acute pelvic inflammatory disease (APID) were studied over a period of 7 months; one aim was to evaluate the use of different antibiotics in treatment. The most important findings were: (i) most patients had a polymicrobial aetiology for their APID; (ii) Chlamydia trachomatis and the anaerobic bacteria were the most common organisms encountered; and (iii) tetracycline plus metronidazole is probably the best combination therapy for APID.
Activities of Rifamycin Derivatives against Wild-Type and rpoB Mutants of Chlamydia trachomatis (2005)

Rifalazil, a semisynthetic rifamycin, was shown previously to have exceptional potency against Chlamydia trachomatis (MIC of 0.00025 microg/ml). We therefore tested 250 additional rifamycin derivatives and identified 12 with activities that are eightfold more potent than that of rifalazil. These compounds also showed exceptional activities against rifampin-resistant strains that carry missense mutations in the rpoB gene. The antimicrobial potency and intracellular penetration of these agents suggest their potential in treatment of chlamydial infections.
Acquired Pulmonary Vein Stenosis after Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (2001)

Focal PV stenosis is observed frequently after RF catheter ablation applied within the vein, but usually is without clinical significance. However, ablation within multiple PVs might cause pulmonary hypertension and should be considered a limiting factor in this procedure.
Increased susceptibility to primary infection with Listeria monocytogenes in germfree mice may be due to lack of accumulation of L-selectin+ CD44+ T cells in sites of inflammation (1996)

The host defense of germfree (GF) mice against primary infection with Listeria monocytogenes was compared with that of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice. In SPF mice, the numbers of bacteria in the peritoneal cavity, liver, and spleen decreased gradually to undetectable levels by day 8 after intraperitoneal infection with a sublethal dose (2 X 10(3) CFU) of L. monocytogenes. On the other hand, the elimination of bacteria in these organs of GF mice was significantly impaired at this stage after inoculation. We have reported previously that T cells coexpressing L-selectin and CD44 play an important role in protection against L. monocytogenes through trafficking to sites of inflammation. Consistent with our previous findings, the number of unique L-selectin+ CD44+ T cells in the peritoneal cavity was remarkably increased on day 8 after infection in SPF mice, whereas such an increase was not evident in GF mice at this stage. Listeria-specific T-cell proliferation was normally detected in the lymph node cells of GF mice inoculated with L. monocytogenes, whereas the T-cell-proliferative response of the peritoneal exudate cells of GF mice was significantly impaired compared with that of SPF mice. These results suggest that the priming of T cells against listerial antigens normally occurs in the peripheral lymphoid organs of GF mice but the trafficking of the activated T cells to the inflamed sites may be severely impaired in GF mice, resulting in increased susceptibility to infection with L. monocytogenes.
Common Themes in Assembly and Function of Eukaryotic Transcription Complexes (1995)

The Hippo pathway was initially discovered in Drosophila melanogaster as a key regulator of tissue growth. It is an evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade regulating numerous biological processes, including cell growth and fate decision, organ size ...Read More
Practices, payers slow to prepare for next HIPAA deadline (2003)

A complex set of rules governing electronic communication between doctors and insurance companies goes into effect Oct. 16, 2003.

But unless the federal government is flexible about enforcing these rules, some fear that practices will have trouble getting paid.

Rob Tennant, a senior policy adviser
Methodological considerations in quantification of oncological FDG PET studies (2009)

This review provides an up-to-date overview of the many factors that influence quantification of glucose metabolism by FDG PET.
PP.20.11 (2015)

Objective: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is a risk factor of mortality and is associated with the progression of AAC in end-stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. However, no cutoff value has been determined for the prediction of mortality and the optimum values of serum calcium and phosphate concentrations for the prevention of AAC progression have been still controversial. Design and method: The medical records of 112 patients on hemodialysis who had undergone simple lateral lumbar radiography every 6 months from November 2011 were reviewed. Degrees of aortic calcification were evaluated using the scoring system devised by Kauppila et al. Patients were followed until November, 2014 and the relationship between the degree of AAC and mortality was evaluated. Also, the relationships between the progression of AAC and serum concentrations of calcium and phosphate were evaluated. Results: The mean AAC score at baseline was 5.5 + 4.8 and the cutoff calcification score for prediction of mortality was 7.75 (sensitivity 61%, specificity 81%). Patients were allocated to group A (baseline total calcification score under 8.0, n 85) or group B (baseline total calcification score over 8.0, n 27). 75 patients completed the follow-up period, and of these, 51 showed a progression in calcification scores (group 1) and 24 showed no change or improvement (group 2). Furthermore, repeated measures analysis of variance showed higher monthly corrected calcium concentrations (P, 0.099) and mean corrected calcium levels during the 1st year, 2nd year,and 3rd year of follow-up (P, 0.062) in Group 1, but without statistical significance.The cutoff values of mean corrected calcium of the 2nd year and 3rd year for the prediction of AAC progression during follow-up years were 8.96 mg/dL and 9.45 mg/dL, respectively. Conclusions: Patients with an AAC score of 48 at baseline seem to be at higher risk of mortality during follow-up. Of the serum variables examined, such as corrected calcium, phosphate, and corrected calcium phosphate, corrected calcium was found to be marginally associated with AAC progression. However, a larger-scale prospective study is required to confirm our findings.
Mechanically-compliant intracortical implants reduce the neuroinflammatory response (2014)

Overall, the data show strikingly that mechanically-compliant intracortical implants can reduce the neuroinflammatory response in comparison to stiffer systems.
Graphene/Polyurethane Nanocomposites for Improved Gas Barrier and Electrical Conductivity (2010)

Recently developed strategies for isolating single-layer carbon sheets from graphite have enabled production of electrically conductive, mechanically robust polymer nanocomposites with enhanced gas barrier performance at extremely low loading. In this article, we present processing, morphology, and properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) reinforced with exfoliated graphite. For the first time, we compare carbon sheets exfoliated from graphite oxide (GO) via two different processes: chemical modification (isocyanate treated GO, iGO) and thermal exfoliation (thermally reduced GO, TRG), and three different methods of dispersion: solvent blending, in situ polymerization, and melt compounding. Incorporation of as low as 0.5 wt % of TRG produced electrically conductive TPU. Up to a 10-fold increase in tensile stiffness and 90% decrease in nitrogen permeation of TPU were observed with only 3 wt % iGO, implying a high aspect ratio of exfoliated platelets. Real- and reciprocal-space morphological characterization indicated that solvent-based blending techniques more effectively distribute thin exfoliated sheets in the polymer matrix than melt processing. This observation is in good qualitative agreement with the dispersion level inferred from solid property enhancements. Although also processed in solvents, property increase via in situ polymerization was not as pronounced because of reduced hydrogen bonding in the TPU produced.
Use of the Quorum‐Sensing Inhibitor RNAIII‐Inhibiting Peptide to Prevent Biofilm Formation In Vivo by Drug‐ResistantStaphylococcus epidermidis (2003)

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a frequent cause of infections associated with foreign bodies and indwelling medical devices. The bacteria are capable of surviving antibiotic treatment through encapsulation into biofilms. RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP) is a heptapeptide that inhibits S. aureus pathogenesis by disrupting quorum-sensing mechanisms. In this study, RIP inhibited drug-resistant S. epidermidis biofilm formation through a mechanism similar to that evidenced for S. aureus. RIP is synergistic with antibiotics in eliminating 100% of graft-associated in vivo S. epidermidis infections, which suggests that RIP may be used to coat medical devices to prevent staphylococcal infections. Disruption of cell-cell communication can prevent infections associated with antibiotic-resistant strains.
Computer graphics : proceedings : SIGGRAPH 98 : conference proceedings, July 19-24, 1998 (1998)

The annual SIGGRAPH Proceedings features topical and current papers on computer graphics, desktop video, multimedia workstations, physically-based modeling, and more.
An Enhanced Mutant of Red Fluorescent Protein DsRed for Double Labeling and Developmental Timer of Neural Fiber Bundle Formation (2001)

We developed a new variant of coral-derived red fluorescent protein, DsRed S197Y, which is brighter and essentially free from secondary fluorescence peak. This makes it an ideal reporter for double labeling with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Though purified protein shows only 20% stronger fluorescence emission, culture cells that express DsRed S197Y exhibit a 3-3.5 times higher level of fluorescence than the cells that express wild-type DsRed. The much slower fluorescence maturation of DsRed than that of GFP is a beneficial feature for a fluorescent developmental timer application. When GFP and DsRed S197Y are expressed simultaneously, emissions start at different latency. This provides information about the time after the onset of expression. It reflects the order of cell differentiation if the expression is activated upon differentiation of certain types of cells. We applied this system to the developing brain of Drosophila and visualized, for the first time, the formation order of neural fibers within a large bundle. Our results showed that newly extending fibers of the mushroom body neurons mainly run into the core rather than to the periphery of the existing bundle. DsRed-based timer thus presents an indispensable tool for developmental biology and genetics of model organisms.
Improved Nearest-Neighbor Parameters for Predicting DNA Duplex Stability (1996)

Thermodynamic data were determined from UV absorbance vs temperature profiles of 23 oligonucleotides. These data were combined with data from the literature for 21 sequences to derive improved parameters for the 10 Watson-Crick nearest neighbors. The observed trend in nearest-neighbor stabilities at 37 degrees C is GC > CG > GG > GA approximately GT approximately CA > CT > AA > AT > TA (where only the top strand is shown for each nearest neighbor). This trend suggests that both sequence and base composition are important determinants of DNA duplex stability. On average, the improved parameters predict deltaG degrees(37), deltaH degrees, deltaS degrees, and T(m) within 4%, 7%, 8%, and 2 degrees C, respectively. The parameters are optimized for the prediction of oligonucleotides dissolved in 1 M NaC1.
Beta‐carotene, carotenoids, and disease prevention in humans (1996)

A growing body of literature exists regarding the effects of beta-carotene and other carotenoids on chronic diseases in humans. This article reviews and critically evaluates this literature and identifies areas for further research. This review is restricted to studies in humans, with a major emphasis on the most recent literature in the area of carotenoids and selected cancers. Effects of carotenoids on cardiovascular diseases, photosensitivity diseases, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration are also discussed briefly. Numerous observational studies have found that people who ingest more carotenoids in their diets have a reduced risk of several chronic diseases. However, intervention trials of supplemental beta-carotene indicate that supplements are of little or no value in preventing cardiovascular disease and the major cancers occurring in well-nourished populations, and may actually increase, rather than reduce, lung cancer incidence in smokers. As a consequence of these findings, some of the ongoing trials of beta-carotene and disease prevention have been terminated or have dropped beta-carotene from their interventions. Researchers should now seek explanations for the apparently discordant findings of observational studies vs. intervention trials. The most pressing research issues include studies of interactions of carotenoids with themselves and with other phytochemicals and mechanistic studies of the actions of beta-carotene in lung carcinogenesis and cardiovascular disease. Paradoxically, the finding that lung carcinogenesis and cardiovascular disease can be enhanced by supplemental beta-carotene may ultimately lead to a clearer understanding of the role of diet in the etiology and prevention of these diseases. The conclusion that major public health benefits could be achieved by increasing consumption of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables still appears to stand; however, the pharmacological use of supplemental beta-carotene for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, particularly in smokers, can no longer be recommended.