gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Restricted interval guelph permeameter: Theory and application (2000)

A constant head permeameter system has been developed for use in small‐diameter boreholes with any orientation. It is based upon the original Guelph permeameter concept of using a Mariotte siphon reservoir to control the applied head. The new tool, called a Restricted Interval Guelph (RIG) permeameter uses either a single pneumatic packer or straddle packer to restrict the area through which water is allowed to flow so that the borehole wetted area is independent of the applied head. The RIG permeameter has been used at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, in the nonwelded rhyolitic Paintbrush Tuff. Analysis of the acquired data is based upon saturated‐unsaturated flow theory that relies upon the quasi‐linear approximation to estimate field‐saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K fs ) and the α parameter (sorptive number) of the exponential relative hydraulic conductivity–pressure head relationship. These results are compared with a numerical model based upon the solution of the Richards equation using a van Genuchten capillary pressure‐saturation formulation. The numerical model incorporates laboratory capillary pressure versus saturation functions measured from cores taken from nearby boreholes. Comparison between the analytical and numerical approaches shows that the simple analytic model is valid for analyzing the data collected. Sensitivity analysis performed with the numerical model shows that the RIG permeameter is an effective tool for estimating permeability and sorptive number for the nonwelded Paintbrush Tuff.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Pyridopyrazino(2,3‐b)indoles and 10H‐Indolo(3,2‐g) pteridins. (1996)

Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis of Cervical Spine with Dysphagia—Molecular and Clinical Aspects (2021)

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a condition characterized by the calcification and ossification of the ligaments of the cervical spine; in some cases, it may result in dysphagia. The condition is more common in men over 50 years of age with metabolic disorders, and it is often asymptomatic and not a major issue for patients. The etiology of DISH is poorly understood, and known genetic factors indicate multiple signal pathways and multigene inheritance. In this review, we discuss the epidemiological, clinical, and etiological aspects of DISH with a special focus on dysphagia.
Art v 1, the major allergen of mugwort pollen, is a modular glycoprotein with a defensin‐like and a hydroxyproline‐rich domain (2002)

In late summer, pollen grains originating from Compositae weeds (e.g., mugwort, ragweed) are a major source of allergens worldwide. Here, we report the isolation of a cDNA clone coding for Art v 1, the major allergen of mugwort pollen. Sequence analysis showed that Art v 1 is a secreted allergen with an N-terminal cysteine-rich domain homologous to plant defensins and a C-terminal proline-rich region containing several (Ser/Ala)(Pro)2-4 repeats. Structural analysis showed that some of the proline residues in the C-terminal domain of Art v 1 are posttranslationally modified by hydroxylation and O-glycosylation. The O-glycans are composed of 3 galactoses and 9-16 arabinoses linked to a hydroxyproline and represent a new type of plant O-glycan. A 3-D structural model of Art v 1 was generated showing a characteristic "head and tail" structure. Evaluation of the antibody binding properties of natural and recombinant Art v 1 produced in Escherichia coli revealed the involvement of the defensin fold and posttranslational modifications in the formation of epitopes recognized by IgE antibodies from allergic patients. However, posttranslational modifications did not influence T-cell recognition. Thus, recombinant nonglycosylated Art v 1 is a good starting template for engineering hypoallergenic vaccines for weed-pollen therapy.
[Properties of hemoglobin in ozone-exposed hemolysates of erythrocytes]. (1990)

The objective of the paper was to investigate the changes in haemoglobin properties under the influence of ozone on haemolysates of erythrocytes. The detailed analysis of experiments permitted to draw the following conclusions: 1. Haemoglobin in the presence of ozone is transformed into methaemoglobin in a biphasic process. 2. In ozone exposed haemolysates of erythrocytes the haemoglobin had other properties: an increase in affinity for oxygen and a decrease of the hem-hem interaction coefficient.
Loss of heterozygosity in asbestos‐induced mutations in a human mesothelioma cell line (1995)

The relationship between occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma, typically after prolonged latency, has been accepted as one of cause and effect. Most studies have concluded that asbestos is not mutagenic to mammalian cells in vitro. We have studied the potential of crocidolite asbestos to induce mutations in a stable mesothelioma cell line, using a mutation assay that measures mutation at the autosomal HLA-A locus and permits clonal growth of mutant cells. The mesothelioma cell line chosen is more akin to the in vivo target cells of asbestos than human peripheral blood lymphocytes used in previous studies. Exposure of mesothelioma cells in culture to both 200 micrograms/ml and 50 micrograms/ml crocidolite for 72 hr did not result in a statistically significant difference in the mutation frequency (MF) in the HLA-A assay when compared to the spontaneous MF in these cells. Mutations in the mesothelioma cells were classified according to their molecular basis. Notwithstanding the lack of statistically significant change in overall MF, molecular analysis of mutants obtained following exposure of mesothelioma cells to crocidolite demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the class of mutations arising from loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events involving the selection locus (HLA-A) and more distal loci. Mutations following exposure to 200 micrograms/ml and 50 micrograms/ml crocidolite showed a greater frequency of LOH than did spontaneous mutants (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). These results correlate with those obtained in an earlier study using lymphocytes. The mesothelioma cell-based assay may be useful in detecting the mutagenicity of other asbestiform fibers and man-made fibers.
Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of Rhizobium meliloti aminotransferase genes: an aspartate aminotransferase required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation is atypical (1993)

In Rhizobium meliloti, an aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) encoded within a 7.3-kb HindIII fragment was previously shown to be required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation and aspartate catabolism (V. K. Rastogi and R.J. Watson, J. Bacteriol. 173:2879-2887, 1991). A gene coding for an aromatic aminotransferase located within an 11-kb HindIII fragment was found to complement the AspAT deficiency when overexpressed. The genes encoding these two aminotransferases, designated aatA and tatA, respectively, have been localized by subcloning and transposon Tn5 mutagenesis. Sequencing of the tatA gene revealed that it encodes a protein homologous to an Escherichia coli aromatic aminotransferase and most of the known AspAT enzymes. However, sequencing of the aatA gene region revealed two overlapping open reading frames, neither of which encoded an enzyme with homology to the typical AspATs. Polymerase chain reaction was used to selectively generate one of the candidate sequences for subcloning. The cloned fragment complemented the original nitrogen fixation and aspartate catabolism defects and was shown to encode an AspAT with the expected properties. Sequence analysis showed that the aatA protein has homology to AspATs from two thermophilic bacteria and the eukaryotic tyrosine aminotransferases. These aminotransferases form a distinct class in which only 13 amino acids are conserved in comparison with the well-known AspAT family. DNA homologous to the aatA gene was found to be present in Agrobacterium tumefaciens and other rhizobia but not in Klebsiella pneumoniae or E. coli.
Electrophilic nitro-fatty acids inhibit vascular inflammation by disrupting LPS-dependent TLR4 signalling in lipid rafts (2013)

These studies demonstrate that acute administration of nitro-fatty acids is effective to reduce vascular inflammation in vivo. These findings reveal a direct role of nitro-fatty acids in the disruption of the TLR4 signalling complex in lipid rafts, upstream events of the NF-κB pathway, leading to resolution of pro-inflammatory activation of NF-κB in the vasculature.
Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) acts as a paracrine and autocrine factor for prostate cancer growth and invasion (2006)

MCP-1 acts as a paracrine and autocrine factor for CaP growth and invasion.
In VivoPotential Anti-Inflammatory Activity ofMelissa officinalisL. Essential Oil (2013)

Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) had been reported in traditional Moroccan medicine to exhibit calming, antispasmodic, and strengthening heart effects. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the anti-inflammatory activities of M. officinalis L. leaves. The effect of the essential oil of the leaves of this plant was investigated for anti-inflammatory properties by using carrageenan and experimental trauma-induced hind paw edema in rats. The essential oil extracted from leaves by hydrodistillation was characterized by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). M. officinalis contained Nerol (30.44%), Citral (27.03%), Isopulegol (22.02%), Caryophyllene (2.29%), Caryophyllene oxide (1.24%), and Citronella (1.06%). Anti-inflammatory properties of oral administration of essential oil at the doses of 200, 400 mg/kg p.o., respectively, showed significant reduction and inhibition of edema with 61.76% and 70.58%, respectively, (P < 0.001) induced by carrageenan at 6 h when compared with control and standard drug (Indomethacin). On experimental trauma, M. officinalis L. essential oil showed pronounced reduction and inhibition of edema induced by carrageenan at 6 h at 200 and 400 mg/kg with 91.66% and 94.44%, respectively (P < 0.001). We can conclude that the essential oil of M. officinalis L. possesses potential anti-inflammatory activities, supporting the traditional application of this plant in treating various diseases associated with inflammation and pain.
Imaging pharyngeal clearance in transverse and coronal planes with electrical impedance tomography (2003)

Images of fluid being swallowed have been obtained by electrical impedance tomography in transverse and coronal planes on the neck. Normal subjects swallowed 20 ml volumes of test solutions of different electrical conductivities. Imaging sequences were obtained with a temporal resolution of 110 ms. From the images a pharyngeal transit time parameter could be calculated.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
How Homogeneous Are the Trehalose, Maltose, and Sucrose Water Solutions? An Insight from Molecular Dynamics Simulations (2005)

The structural properties resulting from the reciprocal influence between water and three well-known homologous disaccharides, namely, trehalose, maltose, and sucrose, in aqueous solutions have been investigated in the 4-66 wt % concentration range by means of molecular dynamics computer simulations. Hydration numbers clearly show that trehalose binds to a larger number of water molecules than do maltose or sucrose, thus affecting the water structure to a deeper extent. Two-dimensional radial distribution functions of trehalose solutions definitely reveal that water is preferentially localized at the hydration sites found in the trehalose dihydrate crystal, this tendency being enhanced when increasing trehalose concentration. Over a rather wide concentration range (4-49 wt %), the fluctuations of the radius of gyration and of the glycosidic dihedral angles of trehalose indicate a higher flexibility with respect to maltose and sucrose. At sugar concentrations between 33 and 66 wt %, the mean sugar cluster size and the number of sugar-sugar hydrogen bonds formed within sugar clusters reveal that trehalose is able to form larger clusters than sucrose but smaller than maltose. These features suggest that trehalose-water mixtures would be more homogeneous than the two others, thus reducing both desiccation stresses and ice formation.
Theoretical study of the band offsets at GaN/AlN interfaces (1994)

The valence-band offset at the zincblende AlN/GaN (110) interface is calculated self-consistently by means of the linear muffin-tin orbital method using up to 5+5 layer supercells. The value obtained is Ev(GaN)−Ev(AlN)=0.85 eV corresponding to a type I offset. Assuming interface orientation and polytype effects on the valence-band maximum to be reasonably small, a type I offset can also be expected for wurtzite interfaces. By means of separate calculations, we also test the validity of two simplified approaches, the self-consistent dipole approximation (SCD) of Lambrecht, Segall and Andersen and the dielectric midgap energy (DME) model of Cardona and Christensen. We find that the SCD results are in very good agreement and the DME results, in fairly good agreement with the fully self-consistent results. The interface local densities of states show no indication of interface states in the main gap.
N-Cadherin Expression and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Carcinoma (2004)

This study provided the morphological evidence of EMT in pancreatic carcinoma and revealed that overexpression of N-cadherin is involved in EMT and is affected by growth factors.
Brain monoglyceride lipase participating in endocannabinoid inactivation (2002)

The endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) are lipid molecules that may mediate retrograde signaling at central synapses and other forms of short-range neuronal communication. The monoglyceride 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) meets several criteria of an endocannabinoid substance: (i) it activates cannabinoid receptors; (ii) it is produced by neurons in an activity-dependent manner; and (iii) it is rapidly eliminated. 2-AG inactivation is only partially understood, but it may occur by transport into cells and enzymatic hydrolysis. Here we tested the hypothesis that monoglyceride lipase (MGL), a serine hydrolase that converts monoglycerides to fatty acid and glycerol, participates in 2-AG inactivation. We cloned MGL by homology from a rat brain cDNA library. Its cDNA sequence encoded for a 303-aa protein with a calculated molecular weight of 33,367 daltons. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses revealed that MGL mRNA is heterogeneously expressed in the rat brain, with highest levels in regions where CB(1) cannabinoid receptors are also present (hippocampus, cortex, anterior thalamus, and cerebellum). Immunohistochemical studies in the hippocampus showed that MGL distribution has striking laminar specificity, suggesting a presynaptic localization of the enzyme. Adenovirus-mediated transfer of MGL cDNA into rat cortical neurons increased MGL expression and attenuated N-methyl-D-aspartate/carbachol-induced 2-AG accumulation in these cells. No such effect was observed on the accumulation of anandamide, another endocannabinoid lipid. The results suggest that hydrolysis by means of MGL is a primary mechanism for 2-AG inactivation in intact neurons.
Affinity purification and characterization of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) from bovine brain. Comparison of the cytoplasmic and the membrane-bound forms. (1992)

A major in vivo substrate of Ca(2+)-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS)) has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the particulate as well as from the cytoplasmic fractions of calf brain using a calmodulin affinity column. The two preparations were characterized and compared with various biochemical and biophysical techniques. Although they behave similarly in various chromatographic procedures during purification, their elution positions from the gel filtration column are markedly different. Stokes radii of 85 and 45 A were measured for the cytoplasmic and membrane MARCKS, respectively. Once purified, however, they show a similar small Stokes radius (45 A), suggesting the dissociation of a component or a drastic conformational change in the cytoplasmic preparation during purification. The electrospray mass spectroscopic analysis of the two preparations revealed the existence of at least three major subpopulations with molecular mass differences of 80 daltons, which suggests the presence of protein phosphorylated in different degrees. The cytoplasmic preparation contains more phosphorylated species compared with the membrane preparation, whereas the calculated molecular weight of each peak was indistinguishable between the two preparations. Correspondingly, when the two preparations were phosphorylated by purified protein kinase C in vitro, more phosphate groups were transferred to the membrane preparation (4 mol/mol) than to the cytoplasmic preparation (2.9 mol/mol). A significant difference was also observed in the inhibition of calmodulin of the phosphorylation reaction. On the other hand, the circular dichroism of the two preparations showed similar spectra rich in random coil with little contribution of alpha-helix (approximately 10%), suggesting that there is not a significant difference in the overall conformation. These results clearly established that the two preparations are the same protein coded by a single gene but they differ in their degree of phosphorylation, and that the difference observed in their Stokes radius is due to the presence of an unidentified factor that is removed from the cytoplasmic MARCKS during purification.
Human umbilical cord blood cells ameliorate Alzheimer's disease in transgenic mice. (2001)

Having had success in extending the life of mice with a transgene for amyotropic lateral sclerosis (SOD1) mice and Huntington's disease (Hdexon1), we administered megadoses of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells to mice with Alzheimer's disease. These mice have an over-expression of human Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein (APP), die early and develop a CNS disorder that includes neophobia. When given 110 x 10(6) human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells, these mice (HuAPP 695.SWE) had considerable extension of life with a p value of 0.001 when compared to control animals.
<title>Deflection behavior of Fabry-Perot pressure sensors having planar and corrugated membrane</title> (1996)

Micromachined Fabry-Perot microcavity structures have been investigated for use as pressure sensors. For the application of pressure sensors, the devices are categorized based on the shape and location of the deflecting diaphragm. Discussed here are planar bottom, planar top, and corrugated top diaphragm Fabry-Perot microcavity structures. Output signal degradation as a function of pressure, referred to as the signal averaging effect, caused by the non-planar deflection of an edge-clamped diaphragm, is reduced using planar top diaphragm structures, as compared to planar bottom diaphragm structures. This is achieved by improving the flatness of the deflecting diaphragm in the optically sampled area of the planar top diaphragm structures by adjusting the ratio of the top diaphragm area to the bottom diaphragm area. Corrugation of the top diaphragm structure further enhances flat deflection. However, the corrugated structures induce a static deflection of the diaphragm due to localized internal stress generated by the asymmetry of the corrugation on the diaphragm, referred to as the zero- pressure offset effect. The existence and influence of these parasitic effects have been observed using real-time measurements of the diaphragm deflection.
Continuous blood cell separation by hydrophoretic filtration (2007)

We propose a new hydrophoretic method for continuous blood cell separation using a microfluidic device composed of slanted obstacles and filtration obstacles. The slanted obstacles have a larger height and gap than the particles in order to focus them to a sidewall by hydrophoresis. In the successive structure, the height and gap of the filtration obstacles with a filtration pore are set between the diameters of small and large particles, which defines the critical separation diameter. Accordingly, the particles smaller than the criterion freely pass through the gap and keep their focused position. In contrast, the particles larger than the criterion collide against the filtration obstacle and move into the filtration pore. The microfluidic device was characterized with polystyrene beads with a minimum diameter difference of 7.3%. We completely separated polystyrene microbeads of 9 and 12 microm diameter with a separation resolution of approximately 6.2. This resolution is increased by 6.4-fold compared with our previous separation method based on hydrophoresis (S. Choi and J.-K. Park, Lab Chip, 2007, 7, 890, ref. 1). In the isolation of white blood cells (WBCs) from red blood cells (RBCs), the microfluidic device isolated WBCs with 210-fold enrichment within a short filtration time of approximately 0.3 s. These results show that the device can be useful for the binary separation of a wide range of biological particles by size. The hydrophoretic filtration as a sample preparation unit offers potential for a power-free cell sorter to be integrated into disposable lab-on-a-chip devices.
Arbitrary Control of a Quantum Electromagnetic Field (1996)

We present a cavity QED interaction which forces the ground state of a cavity field mode to evolve into an arbitrary quantum state at a prechosen time ${t}^{*}$. This method does not involve either atom-field state entanglement or the projections characteristic of quantum measurement.
Visible Light Switching of a BF2-Coordinated Azo Compound (2012)

Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a BF(2)-azo complex that can be induced to isomerize without the need of deleterious UV light. The complexation of the azo group with BF(2), coupled with the extended conjugation of the N═N π-electrons, increases the energy of the n-π* transitions and introduces new π-nonbonding (π(nb)) to π* transitions that dominate the visible region. The well separated π(nb)-π* transitions of the trans and cis isomers enable the efficient switching of the system by using only visible light. The complexation also leads to a slow cis → trans thermal relaxation rate (t(1/2) = 12.5 h). Theoretical calculations indicate that the absorption bands in the visible range can be tuned using different Lewis acids, opening the way to a conceptually new strategy for the manipulation of azo compounds using only visible light.