gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Effect of stent design on reduction of elastic recoil: A comparison via quantitative intravascular ultrasound (1999)

The increase in minimum lumen diameter achieved by coronary stent placement can be further enhanced by reducing the immediate recoil that occurs after stent deployment. The effect of various stent designs-flexible coils, slotted tubes, and a locking stent-on minimization of postdilation stent recoil was evaluated using an in vitro model of circumferential compression. The stents were expanded to 7 atm (3.82 +/- 0.02 mm); as pressure was reduced, lumen diameter and cross-sectional area (CSA) were determined by on-line intravascular ultrasound imaging (30 MHz) positioned inside the dilating balloon (n = 10-15 inflation-deflation cycles). Stent recoil was assessed by calculation of percent change in CSA from 7 atm to negative balloon pressure: -33.1 +/- 5.6% (GR-II) and -22.4 +/- 3.8% (Wiktor) in the coil stents; -20.0 +/- 4.2% (JJIS coronary), -8.4 +/- 2.6% (JJIS biliary), and -6.9 +/- 1.5% (Multilink) in the slotted tube stents; and -1.9 +/- 3.2% in the Navius ZR1 locking stent (P < 0.05 vs. Multilink, P < 0.0001 vs. others). A range of resistances to recoil is demonstrated by this model, with coil stent designs undergoing greater elastic recoil than slotted tube stent designs. The locking stent design demonstrated the greatest radial strength and the most reduction in elastic recoil.
Improved Survival and Reduced Phenotypic Severity Following AAV9/MECP2 Gene Transfer to Neonatal and Juvenile Male Mecp2 Knockout Mice (2020)

Typical Rett syndrome (RTT) is a pediatric disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene. The demonstrated reversibility of RTT-like phenotypes in mice suggests that MECP2 gene replacement is a potential therapeutic option in patients. We report improvements in survival and phenotypic severity in Mecp2-null male mice after neonatal intracranial delivery of a single-stranded (ss) AAV9/chicken β-actin (CBA)-MECP2 vector. Median survival was 16.6 weeks for MECP2-treated versus 9.3 weeks for green fluorescent protein (GFP)-treated mice. ssAAV9/CBA-MECP2–treated mice also showed significant improvement in the phenotype severity score, in locomotor function, and in exploratory activity, as well as a normalization of neuronal nuclear volume in transduced cells. Wild-type (WT) mice receiving neonatal injections of the same ssAAV9/CBA-MECP2 vector did not show any significant deficits, suggesting a tolerance for modest MeCP2 overexpression. To test a MECP2 gene replacement approach in a manner more relevant for human translation, a self-complementary (sc) adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector designed to drive MeCP2 expression from a fragment of the Mecp2 promoter was injected intravenously (IV) into juvenile (4–5 weeks old) Mecp2-null mice. While the brain transduction efficiency in juvenile mice was low (~2–4% of neurons), modest improvements in survival were still observed. These results support the concept of MECP2 gene therapy for RTT.
Complication incidence of two implant systems up to six years: a comparison between internal and external connection implants (2015)

Within the limitations of this study, the ICS-BL was more prone to technical complications while the ECS was more vulnerable to biological complications.
The Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor (FTI) L-778,123 Displays Promising Anti-Leukemia Activity (2008)

Abstract Deregulated RAS signaling plays an important role in the molecular pathogenesis of myeloid leukemias, and strategies which target RAS signaling pathways are therapeutically promising. Inhibition of RAS post-translational modification (e.g. by farnesyltransferase inhibitors = FTIs) is one strategy to impede oncogenic RAS function in vivo and FTIs are currently being tested in clinical trials in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we tested the anti-leukemia effects of FTI L-778,123 in myeloid leukemia cell lines (HL-60, Kasumi-1, K562) and primary myeloid leukemia cells (n=6). FTI L-778,123 substantially inhibited myeloid leukemia cell proliferation as quantified by MTS assays with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 μM–1.8 μM for cell lines and 0.1 μM–161.8 μM in primary samples. Inhibition of HL-60 (FAB M2) cell proliferation was found to be caused by cell cycle arrest at the G1/S interface as demonstrated by FACS analysis of propidium iodide stained cells. We observed no induction of apoptosis in L-778,123-treated HL-60 cells as quantified by FACS analysis following annexin-V incubation. In contrast, L-778,123 induced a G2M blockade followed by apoptosis in NB-4 (FAB M3) cells. Western blotting demonstrated that blockade of RAS protein prenylation by L-778,123 was both time- and concentration-dependent. H-RAS prenylation in HL-60 cells was almost completely inhibited within 12 hours of treatment with 0.1, 0.5 or 1 μM L-778,123, and by 6 hours with 5 μM of the drug. N-RAS prenylation was strongly inhibited within 3 hours with all four FTI concentrations. Interestingly, an accumulation of unprocessed N-RAS protein was observed after 6 hours of FTI treatment. K-RAS prenylation was only partially blocked after 48 hours incubation with 10 to 20 μM of the drug. This finding probably reflects the 10–20-fold higher affinity of K-RAS for farnesyltransferase, as compared to the other RAS isoforms. Western blotting and FACS analysis showed that L-778,123 also inhibited phosphorylation of MEK-1/2 and MAPK-1/2, down-stream components of the RAS-to-MAPK signaling cascade. Treatment of HL-60 cells with L-778,123 (5 μM, 24 hours) led to approximately 40–50% lower levels of intracellular phosphorylated MEK-1/2. Similarly, L-778,123 treatment caused both time- and concentration-dependent reduction of activated, diphosphorylated MAPK-1/2 levels. Higher L-778,123 concentrations (0.5, 1 and 5 μM) potently decreased diphosphorylated MAPK-1/2 levels within 6 to 12 hours, while a lower drug concentration (0.1 μM) elicited similar effects after 36 to 48 hours. In summary, our data demonstrate that L-778,123 inhibits multiple components of the RASto-MAPK signaling cascade and exhibits impressive activity against myeloid leukemia cell proliferation. Interestingly, L-778,123 displayed differential cell cycle effects in two different myeloid leukemia cell lines (namely, G1 arrest in HL-60 and G2M arrest in NB-4), indicating that this drug may employ leukemia-sub-type-specific activities.
The Efficacy of Glutamine Supplementation in Severe Adult Burn Patients: A Systematic Review With Trial Sequential Meta-Analysis (2023)

Glutamine supplementation, regardless of administration, does not appear to improve clinical outcomes in severely adult burned patients.
A Severe Outbreak ofEscherichia coliO157:H7–Associated Hemorrhagic Colitis in a Nursing Home (1987)

In September 1985, an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 enteritis affected 55 of 169 residents and 18 of 137 staff members at a nursing home. The outbreak was characterized by two phases: a primary wave whose source was probably a contaminated sandwich meal and a secondary wave compatible with person-to-person transmission of infection. Among the elderly residents, the incubation period was 4 to 9 days (mean, 5.7 +/- 1.2). Older age and previous gastrectomy increased the risk of acquiring the infection (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Antibiotic therapy during exposure was associated with acquiring a secondary infection (P = 0.001). Hemolytic uremic syndrome developed in 12 affected residents (22 percent), 11 of whom died. Overall, 19 (35 percent) of the affected residents died, 17 (31 percent) from causes attributable to their infection. Antibiotic therapy after the onset of symptoms was associated with a higher case fatality rate in the more severe cases, possibly because patients with more severe disease tended to be treated with antibiotics. There were no complications or deaths among the affected members of the staff. Evidence of infection by verotoxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 was detected in 30 of 70 cases on the basis of isolation of this organism or demonstration of free verotoxin in stools. All isolates belonged to the same phage type. The high morbidity and mortality associated with this condition emphasize the need for proper food hygiene, rapid identification of outbreaks of disease, and prompt institution of infection-control techniques among the institutionalized elderly.
Potential impact of chlorination of Sandy bottom swimming areas on drinking water sources (1999)

The concentrations of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, disinfection by‐products (DBPs) of chlorine, were measured in sandy bottom swimming areas to determine their potential impact on surface and ground water that are sources of drinking water. Total trihalomethanes and individual haloacetic acid concentrations in several swimming area samples were higher than the drinking water standards (current and proposed). Individual trihalomethanes (except bromoform) also exceeded ground and surface water release standards. No release standard exists for haloacetic acids. The DBPs, while exceeding standards, would be diluted by the ground water and microbially degraded prior to reaching the drinking water plant. So while DBPs from swimming areas contributed to groundwater concentrations, the current drinking water standards could still be met using source waters impacted by chlorinated swimming areas. It is suggested, though, that any release of chlorinated DBPs to surface and ground water be minimized to obtain the highest quality water sources for drinking water.
<title>Analysis of the photoplethysmographic signal</title> (1993)

A photoplethysmography (PPG) device, which filters the dc signal without distorting the pulse shape, was developed. Measurements were performed on the finger, for hand at heart level, below and above it. The PPG signal was highest above heart level, and lowest below heart level. It seems that the compliance and the resistance of the blood vessels influence the PPG curve.
Molecular aggregation‐induced photocarrier generation in layered organic photoreceptors incorporating azo compounds (1995)

The high photosensitivity of azo‐compound‐based photoreceptors is considered to be due to molecular‐aggregation‐induced geminate‐pair dissociation rather than a photo‐induced electron‐transfer reaction. Both agregated and non‐aggregated carrier‐generating materials are employed on order to investigate the mechanism of this process, which has practical implications for the development of electrophotography.
A quantitative analysis of the binding of N-acyl derivatives of alpha-aminoamides by alpha-chymotrypsin. (1966)

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans the biological, physical, and social sciences.
Acidification Asymmetrically Affects Voltage-dependent Anion Channel Implicating the Involvement of Salt Bridges (2014)

The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is the major pathway for ATP, ADP, and other respiratory substrates through the mitochondrial outer membrane, constituting a crucial point of mitochondrial metabolism regulation. VDAC is characterized by its ability to "gate" between an open and several "closed" states under applied voltage. In the early stages of tumorigenesis or during ischemia, partial or total absence of oxygen supply to cells results in cytosolic acidification. Motivated by these facts, we investigated the effects of pH variations on VDAC gating properties. We reconstituted VDAC into planar lipid membranes and found that acidification reversibly increases its voltage-dependent gating. Furthermore, both VDAC anion selectivity and single channel conductance increased with acidification, in agreement with the titration of the negatively charged VDAC residues at low pH values. Analysis of the pH dependences of the gating and open channel parameters yielded similar pKa values close to 4.0. We also found that the response of VDAC gating to acidification was highly asymmetric. The presumably cytosolic (cis) side of the channel was the most sensitive to acidification, whereas the mitochondrial intermembrane space (trans) side barely responded to pH changes. Molecular dynamic simulations suggested that stable salt bridges at the cis side, which are susceptible to disruption upon acidification, contribute to this asymmetry. The pronounced sensitivity of the cis side to pH variations found here in vitro might provide helpful insights into the regulatory role of VDAC in the protective effect of cytosolic acidification during ischemia in vivo.
Brain Permeable Nanoparticles (2008)

The brain is one of the least accessible organs of the body, thus making the delivery of neurotherapeutics almost a challenge. Despite its relatively high nutrient support and exchange requirements, the uptake of any compound is strictly regulated by the blood brain barrier (BBB). As a consequence, BBB prevents effective treatment of many severe and life threatening diseases like brain cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia etc. Numerous drug delivery strategies have been developed to circumvent this barrier. One such approach is the use of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles form solid, colloidal drug delivery system that consists of macromolecular materials in which the active principle is dissolved, entrapped or encapsulated or onto which the active principle is adsorbed or attached. Brain targeted polymeric nanoparticles have been found to increase the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the toxicity for a large number of drugs. By coating the nanoparticles with surfactants, higher concentrations of drugs can be delivered to the brain. The article presents various approaches used in design and delivery of nanoparticles to brain. It also reviews various patents that describe the use of nanoparticles to deliver various neurotherapeutics and neurodiagnostics to brain.
Varidnaviruses in the human gut: a major expansion of the order Vinavirales (2022)

Abstract Background Bacteriophages play key roles in the dynamics of the human microbiome. By far the most abundant components of the human gut virome are tailed bacteriophages of the realm Duplodnaviria , in particular, crAss-like phages. However, apart from duplodnaviruses, the gut virome has not been dissected in detail. Results Here we report a comprehensive census of a minor component of the gut virome, the tailless bacteriophages of the realm Varidnaviria . Tailless phages are primarily represented in the gut by prophages of the families Corticoviridae and Autolykiviridae that jointly comprise the order Vinavirales and are mostly integrated as prophages in genomes of Alphaproteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia . Phylogenetic analysis of the major capsid proteins (MCP) and packaging ATPases suggests that at least three new families within Vinavirales should be established to accommodate the diversity of prophages from the human gut virome. Previously, only the MCP and ATPase genes were reported to be conserved in all members of Vinavirales . Here we identify a core set of 12 proteins that are shared by most of these viruses including previously undetected lysis enzymes. We further demonstrate that replication system components are frequently replaced in the genomes of Vinavirales , suggestive of selective pressure for escape from yet unknown host defenses or avoidance of incompatibility with coinfecting related viruses. Conclusions The results of this analysis show that, in a sharp contrast to marine viromes, varidnaviruses are a minor component of the human gut virome. Moreover, they are primarily represented by proviruses, suggesting that there are few if any active varidnavirus infections in the gut at any given time. These findings complement the existing knowledge of the human gut virome by exploring a group of viruses that was virtually overlooked in previous work.
Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Peptide Levels in Blood Exhibit a Diurnal Rhythm: Regulation by Glucocorticoids (2004)

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides are novel neurotransmitters that are implicated in several physiological functions such as control of feeding behavior, drug reward, sensory processing, stress, and development. Although a majority of studies have examined the role of CART in the brain, less is known about its function in the periphery. Therefore, the goals of this study were to examine the levels and species of CART peptides in blood, to determine whether they undergo diurnal rhythms, and to elucidate their sources and regulatory factors. RIA showed that CART peptides are present in the blood of rats and monkeys and that they exhibit a diurnal variation. Western blotting confirmed the pattern of diurnal variation in rats and, additionally, showed that CART immunoreactivity was due to a single predominant fragment with an apparent molecular weight in the range of the active CART 55-102 peptide. Adrenalectomy caused a 70% reduction in CART peptide levels in rat blood, and this was reversed by corticosterone replacement. CART levels paralleled glucocorticoid levels in rat and monkey blood. Control of CART levels by corticosterone suggests the possibility that CART peptides in blood may be influenced by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal interactions and that they may play a role in glucocorticoid-related processes such as stress.
A Digital Watermarking Scheme Used for Authentication of Surveillance Video (2010)

Fragile digital watermarking is one of the methods used for authentication of surveillance video. A fragile digital watermarking scheme is proposed, in which the watermark is made up of time information and camera ID, the secret key is generated based on the video feature, the watermark is embedded into the chromatism component of B frames. This watermarking scheme can detect and locate the modification of the video, including frame cut, foreign frame insertion and frame swapping etc. In addition, while the video is played back, the watermark information picked up from the carrier can be displayed on the video, which is a replacement of the traditional OSD (On Screen Display).
Effects of chronic stress on hippocampal long‐term potentiation (2002)

Chronic stress causes atrophy of the apical dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons and deficits in spatial memory. We investigated the effects of chronic stress on hippocampal physiology and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG). Rats were subjected to chronic (21 days, 6 h/day) restraint stress and tested for LTP 48 h following the last stress episode. Control animals were briefly handled each day, similar to the experimental group but without restraint. To eliminate acute stress effects, a second control group of rats was subjected to a single acute (6 h) restraint stress and tested for LTP 48 h later. Field potential recordings were made, under chloropent anesthesia, from the stratum lucidum of CA3, with stimulation of either the mossy fiber or commissural/associational pathways, or in the DG granule-cell layer, with stimulation of the medial perforant pathway. Chronic stress produced a suppression of LTP at 48 h compared to controls in a site-specific manner, namely, significantly lower LTP in the medial perforant input to the DG and also in the commissural/associational input to the CA3, but not in the mossy fiber input to CA3. The animals subjected to acute stress and tested 48 h later did not show a suppression in LTP. High-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the commissural/associational and mossy fiber inputs to CA3 produced epileptic afterdischarges in 56% of acutely stressed animals and in 29% of chronically stressed animals, whereas HFS caused afterdischarges in only 9% of nonstressed controls. No afterdischarges were seen in the medial perforant path input to DG. In order to explore the basis for these changes, we performed paired-pulse inhibition/facilitation (PPI/F) and current-source-density (CSD) analysis in stressed and control animals. For PPI/F, acute stress caused an overall significant enhancement of excitation in the commissural/associational input to CA3 and medial perforant path input to DG. In contrast, chronic stress did not produce significant changes in PPI/F. The CSD analysis revealed significant chronic stress-induced shifts in the current sources and sinks in the apical dendrites and pyramidal cell layers of the CA3 field but not in the DG. These results are consistent with the morphological findings for stress effects upon dendrites of CA3 neurons. Furthermore, they suggest that chronic stress produces changes in the input-output relationship in the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit which could affect information flow through this structure.
A family of transmembrane proteins with homology to the MET-hepatocyte growth factor receptor. (1996)

In hunting for unknown genes on the human X chromosome, we identified a cDNA in Xq28 encoding a transmembrane protein (SEX) of 1871 amino acids. SEX shares significant homology with the extracellular domain of the receptors encoded by the oncogenes MET, RON, and SEA [hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor family]. Further screenings of cDNA libraries identified three additional sequences closely related to SEX: these were named SEP, OCT, and NOV and were located on human chromosomes 3p, 1, and 3q, respectively. The proteins encoded by these genes contain large cytoplasmic domains characterized by a distinctive highly conserved sequence (SEX domain). Northern blot analysis revealed different expression of the SEX family of genes in fetal tissues, with SEX, OCT, and NOV predominantly expressed in brain, and SEP expressed at highest levels in kidney. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that SEX has a distinctive pattern of expression in the developing nervous system of the mouse, where it is found in postmitotic neurons from the first stages of neuronal differentiation (9.5 day postcoitus). The SEX protein (220 kDa) is glycosylated and exposed at the cell surface. Unlike the receptors of the HGF family, p220SEX, a MET-SEX chimera or a constitutively dimerized TPR-SEX does not show tyrosine kinase activity. These data define a gene family (SEX family) involved in the development of neural and epithelial tissues, which encodes putative receptors with unexpected enzymatic or binding properties.
Influence of Particle Wettability on the Type and Stability of Surfactant-Free Emulsions (2000)

A systematic investigation into the influence of the wettability of spherical, nanometer-sized silica particles on the type and stability of water−toluene emulsions is described. The particles range from hydrophilic to hydrophobic depending on the extent of chemisorbed silane on their surfaces. We show that predictions based on considerations of the energy of attachment of a single particle to the oil−water interface relate directly to the stability of emulsions. A combination of powder immersion, shelf stability, light diffraction, and microscopy measurements is used to characterize the systems. Emulsions stabilized by either very hydrophilic or very hydrophobic particles are large (>100 μm) and unstable to coalescence. Those with particles of intermediate hydrophobicity are submicrometer and stable to coalescence indefinitely. For these, catastrophic inversion of emulsions occurs upon increasing the volume fraction of water, φw, and their stability to sedimentation or creaming increases approaching inversion. The stability of emulsions to gravity-induced separation passes through a sharp maximum upon increasing the particle hydrophobicity, alongside a minimum in the average drop diameter. This is universal and independent of φw and the type of emulsion formed. In one system, an otherwise very stable water-in-oil emulsion is destabilized in an ultracentrifugal field leading to enhanced sedimentation and eventual coalescence.