gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Effects of glucocorticoids on Fas gene expression in bovine blood neutrophils (2004)

Blood neutrophils are extremely short-lived cells that are programmed for rapid apoptosis after differentiation in bone marrow. Recently, glucocorticoids have been shown to prolong survival of human and rodent neutrophils, but the mechanisms and implications for leukocyte homeostasis and health are unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids on Fas expression in bovine neutrophils because Fas is a major death receptor that stimulates apoptosis in circulating cells. Our study subjects were four periparturient dairy cows whose blood concentrations of cortisol peaked at calving, 15 dexamethasone-treated steers and three untreated steers whose neutrophils were exposed to dexamethasone in vitro. Fas mRNA abundance changes in collected neutrophils were monitored numerous times relative to the in vivo glucocorticoid challenges, and the relationships between these data and circulating neutrophil counts were estimated by correlation analyses. Fas mRNA and protein abundance, caspase 8 activity, and survival of neutrophils in vitro were also monitored in the presence and absence of dexamethasone. In the periparturient cows, Fas mRNA abundance in circulating neutrophils showed a sharp decrease between calving and 12 h postpartum. Based on PROC CORR analysis (SAS), this correlated negatively with blood neutrophil count (r=-0.634; P=0.0009) and serum cortisol concentration (r=-0.659; P<0.0001), but showed no relationship with serum progesterone or estradiol concentrations (P > or =0.09). Administration of dexamethasone to steers also caused a pronounced reduction in neutrophil Fas mRNA abundance that persisted for 12 h and correlated negatively with blood neutrophil count (r=-0.748; P=0.0021). In vitro, dexamethasone caused dose-dependent loss of GR proteins from the cytosol of neutrophils concurrently with Fas mRNA downregulation, which was inhibited by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, RU486. Dexamethasone treatment of cultured neutrophils also reduced surface Fas expression, spontaneous and sFasL-induced caspase 8 activity, and rate of apoptosis in the cells. Taken together, these in vivo and in vitro results suggest that glucocorticoids inhibit Fas expression in bovine blood neutrophils via GR activation, possibly contributing to the cells' increased longevity in culture and the pronounced neutrophilia observed in parturient cows and hormone-treated steers. We thus conclude that glucocorticoid-activated GR may change the homeostasis of circulating neutrophils, in part through its negative effects on Fas gene expression and downstream apoptosis signaling pathways.
An innovative control of a warm compression system for a Helium refrigerator subject to high pulsed loads (2010)

International audience
Back-Contacted Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells With Efficiency >21% (2014)

We report on the fabrication of back-contacted silicon heterojunction solar cells with conversion efficiencies above 21%. Our process technology relies solely on simple and size-scalable patterning methods, with no high-temperature steps. Using in situ shadow masks, doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers are patterned into two interdigitated combs. Transparent conductive oxide and metal layers, forming the back electrodes, are patterned by hot melt inkjet printing. With this process, we obtain high short-circuit current densities close to 40 mA/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and open-circuit voltages exceeding 720 mV, leading to a conversion efficiency of 21.5%. However, moderate fill factor values limit our current device efficiencies. Unhindered carrier transport through both heterocontact layer stacks, as well as higher passivation quality over the minority carrier-injection range relevant for solar cell operation, are identified as key factors for improved fill factor values and device performance.
Long noncoding RNAs regulate adipogenesis (2013)

The prevalence of obesity has led to a surge of interest in understanding the detailed mechanisms underlying adipocyte development. Many protein-coding genes, mRNAs, and microRNAs have been implicated in adipocyte development, but the global expression patterns and functional contributions of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) during adipogenesis have not been explored. Here we profiled the transcriptome of primary brown and white adipocytes, preadipocytes, and cultured adipocytes and identified 175 lncRNAs that are specifically regulated during adipogenesis. Many lncRNAs are adipose-enriched, strongly induced during adipogenesis, and bound at their promoters by key transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (CEBPα). RNAi-mediated loss of function screens identified functional lncRNAs with varying impact on adipogenesis. Collectively, we have identified numerous lncRNAs that are functionally required for proper adipogenesis.
Genetic Polymorphism of Human Y Chromosome and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases: A Study in WOBASZ Cohort (2013)

Genetic variants of Y chromosome predispose to hypertension in rodents, whereas in humans the evidence is conflicting. Our purpose was to study the distribution of a panel of Y chromosome markers in a cohort from a cross-sectional population-based study on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Poland (WOBASZ study). The HindIII, YAP Y chromosome variants, previously shown to influence blood pressure, lipid traits or height, as well as SNPs defining main Y chromosome haplogroups, were typed in 3026, 2783 and 2652 samples, respectively. In addition, 4 subgroups (N,100 each) representing extremes of LDL concentration or blood pressure (BP) were typed for a panel of 17 STRs. The HindIII and YAP polymorphism were not associated with any of the studied traits. Analysis of the haplogroup distribution showed an association between higher HDL level and hg I-M170 (P = 0.02), higher LDL level and hg F*(xI-M170, J2-M172, K-M9) (P = 0.03) and lower BMI and hg N3-Tat (P = 0.04). Analysis of STRs did not show statistically significant differences. Since all these associations lost statistical significance after Bonferroni correction, we conclude that a major role of Y chromosome genetic variation (defined by HindIII, YAP or main Y chromosome haplogroups) in determining cardiovascular risk in Poles is unlikely.
Computational modeling of endovascular peripheral nerve stimulation using a stent-mounted electrode array (2022)

<i>Objective.</i>Endovascular neuromodulation has attracted substantial interest in recent years as a minimally invasive approach to treat neurological disorders. In this study, we investigated with a computational model the feasibility of stimulating peripheral nerves with an endovascular stent-mounted electrode array.<i>Approach.</i>Anatomically realistic FEM models were constructed for the pudendal and vagal neurovascular bundles. The electromagnetic fields generated from electrical stimuli were computed using Sim4Life NEURON models to predict dynamic axonal responses.<i>Main results.</i>The models predict that the stimulation thresholds of the endovascular stent-electrode array configurations tested are comparable to that of ring electrodes and are dependent on the inter-electrode distance and orientation of the device. Arranging multiple electrodes along the longitudinal axis of the nerve lowers surface charge density without sacrificing axon recruitment, whereas arranging electrodes along the circumference of the blood vessel reduces the risk of misalignment but lowers axon recruitment.<i>Significance.</i>Overall, this study predicts that the endovascular stent-electrode array is a feasible stimulation option for peripheral nerves, and the electrode array can be flexibly optimized to achieve the lowest stimulation threshold.
Bladder Reduction Surgery Accelerates the Appearance of Spontaneous Voiding in Neonatal Rats (2009)

Patients with nocturnal enuresis may have small functional bladder capacity or altered bladder fullness sensation. We determined whether reducing bladder volume would affect the central inhibition of voiding that is normally present between birth and 2 weeks of life in neonatal rats.One and 3-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 50% bladder volume reduction by suture closure of the bladder dome. T8-T10 spinal cord injury was done in select animals. Latency of the perigenital-bladder reflex, spontaneous voiding onset and body weight were measured. Cystometry using urethane anesthesia, and measurements of in vitro spontaneous and KCl evoked contractions were done.Bladder reduction surgery led to the immediate appearance of spontaneous voiding in 1-week-old rats. Cystometry at 2 weeks showed voiding contractions in rats with bladder reduction, which was abolished by acute T8-T10 spinalization. Voiding contractions were not seen in animals with sham surgery or concurrent T8-T10 spinalization and bladder reduction. The perigenital-bladder reflex, somatic growth, spontaneous bladder contractions and bladder contractility were not affected by bladder reduction. Bladder capacity at 9 weeks was significantly larger in animals that underwent bladder reduction at 1 week than in sham treated animals (540 vs 256 microl, p = 0.04) but not in animals that underwent bladder reduction at 3 weeks.Bladder reduction removes the central inhibition of spontaneous voiding in neonatal rats. This suggests that decreased neonatal bladder capacity may alter how the brain regulates the bladder.
Pattern formation in oscillatory media: Beyond reaction-diffusion model (2010)

Reaction-diffusion models of active media provide a quite general framework for describing pattern formation phenomena in very different systems. Here, we extend this model and show that in oscillatory systems more complex oscillatory wave patterns might emerge based on different locally coupled interactions. Autonomous, two-layer Cellular Neural/Nonlinear Network models are used and spatial interactions are encoded in coupling rules. The properties of emerging oscillatory patterns can be determined in advance from the analysis of the coupling rules and cell dynamics.
A parallel Lauritzen-Spiegelhalter algorithm for probabilistic inference (1994)

Probabilistic inference in belief networks is a promising technique for diagnosis, forecasting and decision analysis tasks. Unfortunately, exact inference can be very expensive computationally. In this paper, we examine whether probabilistic inference can be sped up effectively through parallel computation on real multiprocessors. Our experiments are performed on a 32-processor Stanford DASH multiprocessor, a cache-coherent shared-address-space machine with physically distributed main memory. We find that the major part of the calculation can be moved outside the actual propagation through the network, and yields good speedups. Speedups for the propagation itself depend on the structure of the network and the size of the cliques that the algorithm creates. We demonstrate good speedup on a CPCS subnetwork used for medical diagnosis. This result as well as a tendency for the speedup to increase with the size of the network invites practical application of parallel techniques for large Bayesian networks in expert systems.
The selectivity and activity of s-triazine herbicides in banana plants (1967)

Field screening trials in Hawaii showed ametryne (2-methylmercapto-4- ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) to be a potentially important herbicide for bananas. Ametryne exhibited more effective weed control than atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine). Furthermore, atrazine caused injury to bananas in 2 of 3 locations used. Investigations were conducted to explain the differential selectivity of the 2 closely related s-triazine herbicides to bananas. Sand culture experiments-showed that both herbicides at concentrations of 0.4, 4, and 16 ppm in 2 liters of nutrient solution injured the plants. Plants grown in pots containing soils from the experimental fields showed increasing phytotoxicity to the herbicides in the fo1lowing order: Poamoho soil, Waimanalo soil, and Kauai soil. Ametryne was less injurious than atrazine but differences were not as pronounced as that under field conditions where ametryne did not exhibit phytotoxicity. Phytotoxicity was directly related to leachability of the herbicides and negatively related to adsorption capacity of each soil for the herbicides. Organic matter content seemed to partly explain the response observed. Selectivity appeared to be largely attributed to differential position of roots of banana plants in relation to herbicide placement rather than to inherent selectivity. Apparently, atrazine being less adsorbed by soil and more readily leached, moved to a greater depth upon receipt of a given amount of water resulting in crop injury. Laboratory studies confirmed results of greenhouse experiments that absorption, translocation and degradation of the herbicides by the plants did not account for the selectivity observed. Both of the herbicides were partly metabolized by the plants to their common hydroxy derivative and 2 other unidentified metabolites after 3 and 7 days of exposure to nutrient solutions containing C14-labelled ametryne and atrazine. When applied to the leaves with a surfactant the herbicides were absorbed and translocated in an acropetal direction to a very limited extent. Higher leaf content of free ammonia, free nitrate, and non-protein nitrogen, and lower chlorophyll content, were associated with plants receiving phytotoxic concentrations of ametryne and atrazine after 1 and 4 weeks from treatment. It appears that phytotoxic concentrations of these herbicides resulted in disturbance of the incorporation of nitrogen into more complex nitrogen containing plant constituents as proteins. In these experiments atrazine at 2 and 10 lb/A and ametryne at 10 lb/A applied to soil were phytotoxic to banana plants grown in pots. Ametryne at 2 lb/A did not injure the plants.
Circulating Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Total and Cause-Specific Mortality (2014)

High circulating linoleic acid, but not other n-6 PUFA, was inversely associated with total and CHD mortality in older adults.
Lethal impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission in hemicholinium-3-sensitive choline transporter knockout mice (2004)

Presynaptic acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis and release is thought to be sustained by a hemicholinium-3-sensitive choline transporter (CHT). We disrupted the murine CHT gene and examined CHT-/- and +/- animals for evidence of impaired cholinergic neurotransmission. Although morphologically normal at birth, CHT-/- mice become immobile, breathe irregularly, appear cyanotic, and die within an hour. Hemicholinium-3-sensitive choline uptake and subsequent ACh synthesis are specifically lost in CHT-/- mouse brains. Moreover, we observe a time-dependent loss of spontaneous and evoked responses at CHT-/- neuromuscular junctions. Consistent with deficits in synaptic ACh availability, we also observe developmental alterations in neuromuscular junction morphology reminiscent of changes in mutants lacking ACh synthesis. Adult CHT+/- mice overcome reductions in CHT protein levels and sustain choline uptake activity at wild-type levels through posttranslational mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that CHT is an essential and regulated presynaptic component of cholinergic signaling and indicate that CHT warrants consideration as a candidate gene for disorders characterized by cholinergic hypofunction.
Activation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells in the Tumor Draining Lymph Nodes by CD8+ T Cells Engineered to Express CD40 Ligand (2010)

Tolerogenic dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment can inhibit the generation and maintenance of robust antitumor T cell responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of local delivery of CD40L by tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells on dendritic cell activation and antitumor T cell responses in the TRAMP model. To increase the immunostimulatory signal, CD40L was engineered, by deleting the majority of the cytoplasmic domain, to increase its levels of expression and duration on the surface of CD8(+) T cells. Tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells expressing the truncated form of CD40L stimulated maturation of dendritic cells in vitro and in the prostate draining lymph nodes in vivo. Following dendritic cell maturation, a significantly higher fraction of adoptively transferred, tumor-reactive (reporter) CD8(+) T cells was stimulated to express IFN-gamma and infiltrate the prostate tissue. The antitumor CD8(+) T cell response was further enhanced if TRAMP mice were also immunized with a tumor-specific Ag. These findings demonstrate that augmented T cell responses can be achieved by engineering tumor-reactive T cells to deliver stimulatory signals to dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Reasoning about inconsistencies in natural language requirements (2005)

The use of logic in identifying and analyzing inconsistency in requirements from multiple stakeholders has been found to be effective in a number of studies. Nonmonotonic logic is a theoretically well-founded formalism that is especially suited for supporting the evolution of requirements. However, direct use of logic for expressing requirements and discussing them with stakeholders poses serious usability problems, since in most cases stakeholders cannot be expected to be fluent with formal logic. In this article, we explore the integration of natural language parsing techniques with default reasoning to overcome these difficulties. We also propose a method for automatically discovering inconsistencies in the requirements from multiple stakeholders, using both theorem-proving and model-checking techniques, and show how to deal with them in a formal manner. These techniques were implemented and tested in a prototype tool called CARL . The effectiveness of the techniques and of the tool are illustrated by a classic example involving conflicting requirements from multiple stakeholders.
Nitric Oxide Metabolites in Normal Human Pregnancy and Preeclampsia (1995)

Objective: Alterations in the vascular endothelial release of nitric oxide (NO) may contribute to the vasodilatory adaptation to normal pregnancy and to the vasoconstriction associated with preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to investigate these hypotheses by measuring plasma levels of the stable metabolites of NO, nitrite and nitrate, during normal human pregnancy and those complicated by preeclampsia.Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from women in the following groups: nonpregnant; normal first-, second-, and third-trimester pregnant; and preeclamptic. Nitrite concentrations in the samples were determined using a colorimetric assay. Nitrate concentrations were determined using anion-exchange chromatography with UV detection.Results: The plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations of normal pregnant women (9.45 ± 0.58 u.M. n = 59. and 85 ± 8 µM, n = 29, respectively) were not significantly different from those of nonpregnant women (10.04 ± 1.47 µM, n = 10, and 95 ± 15 µM, n = 9, respectively), and did not change significantly with advancing gestation (ANOVA, P ± 0.05). Furthermore, plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations were not significantly different in association with preeclampsia (11.44 ± 1.73 µM, n = 14, and 96 ± 16 µM, n = 6, respectively) (ANOVA, P ± 0.05).Conclusions: These data do not support a role for NO in the vascular changes associated with normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. However, the interpretation of the results may be confounded by endogenous sources of NO other than vascular endothelial cells, the indirect methods available to human studies for estimating NO production, and dietary sources of nitrite and nitrate.
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Ebola Virus Infection by Human Antibodies Isolated from Survivors (2018)

Some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recovered from survivors of filovirus infections can protect against infection. It is currently unknown whether natural infection also induces some antibodies with the capacity for antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). A panel of mAbs obtained from human survivors of filovirus infection caused by Ebola, Bundibugyo, or Marburg viruses was evaluated for their ability to facilitate ADE. ADE was observed readily with all mAbs examined at sub-neutralizing concentrations, and this effect was not restricted to mAbs with a particular epitope specificity, neutralizing capacity, or subclass. Blocking of specific Fcγ receptors reduced but did not abolish ADE that was associated with high-affinity binding antibodies, suggesting that lower-affinity interactions still cause ADE. Mutations of Fc fragments of an mAb that altered its interaction with Fc receptors rendered the antibody partially protective in vivo at a low dose, suggesting that ADE counteracts antibody-mediated protection and facilitates dissemination of filovirus infections.
Stereological Analysis of Cerebral Atrophy in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-associated Dementia (1996)

Brain atrophy is a common finding in patients with AIDS, but the relationship of atrophy to HIV-associated dementia is unclear. We used unbiased, stereological methods on postmortem brain specimens to estimate volumes of different brain regions in patients prospectively diagnosed with and without HIV-associated dementia. Thirty HIV-seropositive (9 without AIDS/without dementia, 6 with AIDS/without dementia, 15 with AIDS/with dementia) and 7 HIV-seronegative controls were studied using the technique of point counting and Cavalieri's principle of volume estimation. There was a significant reduction in the mean neocortical volume (15%, p=0.032) in the group with AIDS when compared to the seronegative controls, and this difference was accentuated when comparing only the group with HIV-associated dementia to the seronegatives (neocortex: 18%, p=0.020). There were no significant differences between the AIDS groups with and without HIV-associated dementia, although there was a trend for smaller volumes in the most severely demented patients. There were no differences in white matter volumes between groups. In conclusion, patients dying with AIDS, and particularly those with HIV-associated dementia, show significant neocortical atrophy when compared to seronegative controls. The lack of a significant difference in cerebral atrophy between HIV-seropositive patients with and without dementia suggests that atropy may be a more generalized phenomenon of AIDS as opposed to a specific marker for HIV-associated dementia.
Attempted chemical synthesis of graphite-like carbon nitride (2001)

Melamine-based quasi carbon nitride with an orthorhombic layer structure and a molecular weight of more than m/z 5000 was prepared with a system of melamine–Lewis acid at 600–700 °C in an autoclave avoiding catalytic carbonation action by ferrous substances.