gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
N-acetyl-L-cysteine is a pluripotent protector against cell death and enhancer of trophic factor-mediated cell survival in vitro. (1994)

We have discovered that N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) protects cells against death induced by exposure to noxious stimuli and against programmed cell death (apoptosis) associated with exposure to inadequate amounts of trophic factors. NAC prevented glutamate-induced death of oligodendrocytes and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced death of oligodendrocytes and L929 fibroblasts. Moreover, suboptimal doses of NAC plus ciliary neurotrophic factor (which also protects oligodendrocytes against TNF-alpha-mediated killing) acted synergistically to protect oligodendrocytes against TNF-alpha-induced death. Protection against death by growth factor deprivation was provided by the combination of (i) NAC, vitamin C, or Trolox (a water-soluble analogue of vitamin E) with suboptimal concentrations of protein trophic factors, (ii) NAC, vitamin C, or Trolox with progesterone, and (iii) NAC with either vitamin C or Trolox; these latter experiments suggest that the addition of tyrosine kinase stimulators is not required to promote cell survival. In all paradigms, NAC was either equally or more effective than the other compounds examined. In light of the long history of therapeutic application of NAC, we suggest that use of this compound may be of interest in conditions where certain toxin-mediated forms of cell death and/or apoptosis contribute significantly to disease.
STRANGENESS IN NEUTRON STARS (2007)

It is generally agreed on that the tremendous densities reached in the centers of neutron stars provide a high-pressure environment in which several intriguing particles processes may compete with each other. These range from the generation of hyperons to quark deconfinement to the formation of kaon condensates and H-matter. There are theoretical suggestions of even more exotic processes inside neutron stars, such as the formation of absolutely stable strange quark matter. In the latter event, neutron stars would be largely composed of strange quark matter possibly enveloped in a thin nuclear crust. This paper gives a brief overview of these striking physical possibilities with an emphasis on the role played by strangeness in neutron star matter, which constitutes compressed baryonic matter at ultra-high baryon number density but low temperature which is not accessible to relativistic heavy ion collision experiments.
Specificity and Topology of the <i>Escherichia coli</i> Xanthosine Permease, a Representative of the NHS Subfamily of the Major Facilitator Superfamily (2001)

The specificity of XapB permease was compared with that of the known nucleoside transporters NupG and NupC. XapB-mediated xanthosine uptake is abolished by 2,4-dinitrophenol and exhibits saturation kinetics with an apparent K(m) of 136 microM. A 12-transmembrane-segment model was confirmed by translational fusions to alkaline phosphatase and the alpha fragment of beta-galactosidase.
Modeling Noninvasive Neurostimulation in Epilepsy as Stochastic Interference in Brain Networks (2012)

Noninvasive brain stimulation is one of very few potential therapies for medically refractory epilepsy. However, its efficacy remains suboptimal and its therapeutic value has not been consistently assessed. This is in part due to the nonoptimized spatio-temporal application of stimulation protocols for seizure prevention or arrest, and incomplete knowledge of the neurodynamics of seizure evolution. Through simulations, this study investigated electroencephalography (EEG)-guided, stochastic interference with aberrantly coordinated neuronal networks, to prevent seizure onset or interrupt a propagating partial seizure, and prevent it from spreading to large areas of the brain. Brain stimulation was modeled as additive white or band-limited noise, and simulations using real EEGs and data generated from a network of integrate-and-fire neuronal ensembles were used to quantify spatio-temporal noise effects. It was shown that additive stochastic signals (noise) may destructively interfere with network dynamics and decrease or abolish synchronization associated with progressively coupled networks. Furthermore, stimulation parameters, particularly amplitude and spatio-temporal application, may be optimized based on patient-specific neurodynamics estimated directly from noninvasive EEGs.
Forwarding IPv4 Traffics in Pure IPv6 Backbone with Stateless Address Mapping (2006)

As the IPv6 networks rapidly deployed, the transition problem has been changed. Because the transition of applications is a steady process with a far longer duration in comparison to the transition of infrastructure, providers cannot give up the duty of serving IPv4 traffics for the time being. On the other hand, operating a dual-stack backbone is highly costing for large-scale deployment of new networks. In this paper, a new technique of forwarding IPv4 traffics in IPv6-only backbone is developed. Rather than the ever-existing tunneling approaches, the proposed one is automatic and stateless for end nodes, without explicit tunneling. The route entries for delivering IPv4 traffics are well aggregated on the borders of IPv6 autonomous systems. This makes the technique suitable for large-scale deployment in an inter-domain networking environment.
Modeling Pulmonary Disease Pathways Using Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus 6.2 (2015)

Viral vectors have been applied successfully to generate disease-related animal models and to functionally characterize target genes in vivo. However, broader application is still limited by complex vector production, biosafety requirements, and vector-mediated immunogenic responses, possibly interfering with disease-relevant pathways. Here, we describe adeno-associated virus (AAV) variant 6.2 as an ideal vector for lung delivery in mice, overcoming most of the aforementioned limitations. In a proof-of-concept study using AAV6.2 vectors expressing IL-13 and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), we were able to induce hallmarks of severe asthma and pulmonary fibrosis, respectively. Phenotypic characterization and deep sequencing analysis of the AAV-IL-13 asthma model revealed a characteristic disease signature. Furthermore, suitability of the model for compound testing was also demonstrated by pharmacological intervention studies using an anti-IL-13 antibody and dexamethasone. Similarly, the AAV-TGF-β1 fibrosis model showed several disease-like pathophenotypes monitored by micro-computed tomography imaging and lung function measurement. Most importantly, analyses using stuffer control vectors demonstrated that in contrast to a common adenovirus-5 vector, AAV6.2 vectors did not induce any measurable inflammation and therefore carry a lower risk of altering relevant readouts. In conclusion, we propose AAV6.2 as an ideal vector system for the functional characterization of target genes in the context of pulmonary diseases in mice.
WiMAX femtocell: requirements, challenges, and solutions (2009)

Femtocells are low-power base stations operating in licensed spectrum, which are typically installed indoors in a house, small office, or home office by end users to provide exclusive or preferential access to a designated group of users as configured by the femtocell subscriber and/or the access provider. Femtocells have gained a lot of attention recently due to their advantages in terms of infrastructure cost saving and improved user experience in indoor environments. Several standards bodies, such as 3GPP, WiMAX Forum, and IEEE 802.16, have started to develop standard solutions to enable and optimize femtocells operation. However, there are some technical challenges to the success of femtocell technologies that need to be overcome before they can be deployed on large scales. This article presents an overview of WiMAX femtocell requirements, deployment models, and solutions in the near and long terms.
Fabrication and characterization of optogenetic, multi-strip cardiac muscles (2015)

Cardiac tissue engineering aims to recreate functional tissue constructs similar to the structure and function of the native myocardium. To date, in vitro tissue constructs lack the architectural complexity of a vascular network and the precise motor unit control of muscle fibers. Here, we present a method to construct engineered multi-strip cardiac muscle that simulates the bundle-like architecture of the native myocardium. Densely packed primary myocytes and cardiac fibroblasts were co-cultured with optogenetic, non-excitable cells. The resulting 3D syncytium triggered contraction upon localized blue light illumination to selectively activate and pace the multi-strip cardiac muscles, similar to the activity of pacemaker cells. Acting on a single load, we demonstrated graded force production through light-modulated multi-strip recruitment. These results demonstrate an in vitro platform of optogenetic, multi-strip cardiac muscles that can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as drug discovery, tissue engineering, and bio-hybrid robotic systems.
Effect of collagen gel stiffness on neurite extension (2004)

Although collagen is commonly used as components of tissue-engineered nerve-guidance channels, little is known about the effect of the mechanical properties of commonly used gel concentrations on the extension of neurites. This study focused on neurite extension of dissociated chick dorsal root ganglia in vitro over a range of collagen concentrations (0.4-2.0 mg/ml). Neurite length increased in all gels between day 1 and day 4, except at the highest collagen concentration, where a 9% decrease was noted at day 4. Although maximum neurite extension was seen in lower concentration gels (0.6-0.8 mg/ml), mechanical stiffness of each gel significantly increased with increasing concentration, from 2.2 Pa at 0.4 mg/ml to 17.0 Pa at 2.0 mg/ml. A previous model of mechanical stiffness versus neurite outgrowth did not fit this data well, likely because of interactions between the growth cone and the collagen fibers. Overall, these results provided insight regarding factors that influence neurite elongation and may be utilized to further optimize tissue-engineered scaffolds.
Crystallization and Preliminary X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of FKBP12 Complexed with a Novel Neurotrophic Ligand (2002)

A novel neurotrophic ligand, (3R)-4-(p-Toluenesulfonyl)-1,4-thiazane-3-carboxylic acid-L-Leucine ethyl ester, has been complexed with FKBP12 and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. Crystals belong to P2(1) space group, with unit cell parameters a=41.2, b=29.6, c=41.5 A, beta=114.0 degrees. The crystals diffract to 1.8 A resolution limit.
Efficient Transfer of Regulated Genes in Adipocytes and Hepatoma Cells by the Combination of Liposomes and Replication‐Deficient Adenovirus (1996)

Efficient transfer of genes maintaining a correct hormonal control in transfected cells is the prerequisite for gene regulation studies and for gene therapy. Differentiated cells, like adipocytes or hepatocytes, are difficult to transfect. In an attempt to improve gene transfer, we first transiently transfected cultured 3T3-F442A adipocytes with a construct containing the simian virus 40 (SV40) promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene (pSV2-CAT), using various cationic liposomes. Among these, only lipofectAMINE was five times more efficient than the standard calcium phosphate procedure. To further augment efficiency, we transfected 3T3-F442A adipocytes and FAO hepatoma cells with the lipofectAMINE/pSV2-CAT complex in the presence of replication-deficient recombinant type-5 adenovirus at 200 pfu/cell. CAT activity of transiently transfected cells was increased about 50-fold when compared to the calcium phosphate procedure. To determine whether this methodology would be useful for obtaining stable transfectants and would not interfere with correct gene regulation, we used a construct containing -2100 to +69 bp of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene fused to the CAT gene (pPL1-CAT). This construct was shown previously to be cAMP-responsive after calcium-phosphate-mediated transfection of adipocytes and hepatoma cells. 3T3-F442A or FAO cells in which pPL1-CAT was either transiently or stably transferred by lipofectAMINE and adenovirus responded to isoproterenol or cAMP, respectively, with a 2-3-fold increase in CAT activity. Therefore the association of liposomes and adenovirus is an efficient method for transient or stable transfer of regulated genes in adipocytes and hepatoma cells.
The Effects of 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibition by Zileuton on Platelet-activating-factor-induced Pulmonary Abnormalities in Mild Asthma (1998)

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. We investigated whether PAF-induced neutropenia and lung function disturbances are secondary to activation of the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway with the consequent liberation of leukotrienes. The effect of a selective 5-LO inhibitor (zileuton) was examined in 10 mildly asthmatic patients (24 +/- 1 [mean +/- SE] yr; FEV1 = 94 +/- 4% predicted) before and after PAF inhalation, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion. Patients were studied at baseline, 3 h after an oral single dose of zileuton (600 mg) or placebo, and then at 5 min, 15 min, and 45 min after PAF (18 microg) inhalation. Compared with vehicle, premedication with zileuton reduced both PAF-induced neutropenia at 5 min (by 43%) (p < 0.005) and the subsequent rebound neutrophilia at 15 min and 45 min (by 50% and 47%, respectively) (p < 0.025 each). In addition, at 5 min after PAF inhalation, zileuton attenuated increases in respiratory system resistance (Rrs) (by 39%) (p < 0.01) and in the alveolar-arterial PO2 difference (A-a)PO2 (by 40%) (p < 0.05), and the decrease in PaO2 (by 27%) (p < 0.005). The protective effect of zileuton against PAF-induced ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) defects was shown by a parallel improvement (decrease) in an overall marker of VA/Q inequality (dispersion of retention minus excretion of inert gases corrected for dead space; DISP R-E.) (by 43%) 5 min after administration of PAF (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that PAF-induced systemic and pulmonary effects in patients with mild asthma are effectively mediated by the ongoing release of leukotrienes.
Stability of Sunitinib in Oral Suspension (2008)

Sunitinib is stable in an oral suspension prepared from commercially available capsules for at least 60 days at room temperature and refrigeration at 4 degrees C. This liquid formulation is better suited for administration to children and adults with cancer who cannot swallow sunitinib capsules.
Adverse Selection in Insurance Markets: Policyholder Evidence from the U.K. Annuity Market (2004)

We use a unique data set of annuities in the United Kingdom to test for adverse selection. We find systematic relationships between ex post mortality and annuity characteristics, such as the timing of payments and the possibility of payments to the annuitant's estate. These patterns are consistent with the presence of asymmetric information. However, we find no evidence of substantive mortality differences by annuity size. These results suggest that the absence of selection on one contract dimension does not preclude its presence on others. This highlights the importance of considering detailed features of insurance contracts when testing theoretical models of asymmetric information.
A Harwell Experience (1983)

The UKAEA has long supported the Fellowships financially and this year offered places at some of its establishments. As Head of Physics at King Alfred's School, Wantage (which is near Harwell), I readily accepted the opportunity of working there under the scheme.
Cross-sectional analysis of composite beams including large initial twist and curvature effects (1996)

An asymptotically exact methodology, based on geometrically nonlinear, three-dimensional elasticity, is presented for cross-sectional analysis of initially curved and twisted, nonhomogeneous, anisotropic beams. The analysis is subject only to the restrictions that the strain is small relative to unity and that the maximum dimension of the cross section is small relative to the wavelength of the deformation and to the minimum radius of curvature and/or twist. The final one-dimensional strain energy per unit length exhibits asymptotically correct second-order dependence of the initial curvature and twist parameters. Cross-sectional constants of the one-dimensional theory are obtained via finite element discretization over the cross-sectional plane. Numerical results obtained for both isotropic and composite beams are compared with published results from special purpose analyses for initially twisted, straight beams, as well as initially curved, untwisted beams. The agreement with previously published results is excellent.
Sticking together (2011)

We present I/O Stickers, adhesive sensors and actuators that children can use to handcraft personalized remote communication interfaces. By attaching I/O Stickers to special wirelessly connected greeting cards, children can invent ways to communicate with long-distance loved ones. Children decorate these cards with their choice of craft materials, creatively expressing themselves while making a functioning interface. The low-bandwidth connections -- simple actuators that change as the sensor stickers are manipulated -- leave room not only to design the look and function of the card, but also to decide how to interpret the information transmitted. We aim to empower children to implement ideas that would otherwise require advanced electronics knowledge. In addition, we hope to support creative learning about communication and to make keeping in touch playful and meaningful. In this paper, we describe the design of the I/O Stickers, analyze a variety of artifacts children have created, and explore future directions for the toolkit.
Formation of soliton-like light beams in an aqueous suspension of polystyrene particles (2005)

A Kerr nonlinear medium consisting of an aqueous suspension of dielectric nanoparticles is used for the observation of continuous self-focusing of laser light. The minimum width of the soliton-like beam is measured in relation to the radiation power and the particle concentration. The possibilities of maximum narrowing of the beam in such a medium are discussed.
A Sustainable Route To Synthesize the Xanthommatin Biochrome via an Electro-catalyzed Oxidation of Tryptophan Metabolites (2019)

Xanthommatin (Xa) is a naturally occurring broad-spectrum dye present in arthropods and cephalopods. In these animals, Xa is enzymatically produced via the oxidative cyclization of 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-OHK), a metabolite of tryptophan, but it can also be synthesized in vitro using an iron-based oxidizing agent. While the optoelectronic properties (e.g., high refractive index, redox-sensitive color) of both natural and synthetic forms of Xa have inspired its use in materials, its synthesis faces challenges, in terms of both scalability and purity. We describe a procedure to synthesize Xa via electrochemical oxidation of 3-OHK, which offers both economic and ecological advantages over the traditional method. We used density functional theory calculations to describe the kinetics and thermodynamics of the cyclization of Xa based on the loss of eight electrons and protons from 2 molar equiv of 3-OHK. Our results provide insight into the production of this biochrome in a process that can be scaled up for future materials applications and/or adapted to the production of other phenoxazinones synthesized from ortho-aminophenols.
Real-time estimation and biofeedback of single-neuron firing rates using local field potentials (2014)

The long-term stability and low-frequency composition of local field potentials (LFPs) offer important advantages for robust and efficient neuroprostheses. However, cortical LFPs recorded by multi-electrode arrays are often assumed to contain only redundant information arising from the activity of large neuronal populations. Here we show that multichannel LFPs in monkey motor cortex each contain a slightly different mixture of distinctive slow potentials that accompany neuronal firing. As a result, the firing rates of individual neurons can be estimated with surprising accuracy. We implemented this method in a real-time biofeedback brain-machine interface, and found that monkeys could learn to modulate the activity of arbitrary neurons using feedback derived solely from LFPs. These findings provide a principled method for monitoring individual neurons without long-term recording of action potentials.
A convenient one pot synthesis of fentanyl (2005)

Fentanyl, N-(1-phenethyl-4-piperidyl) propionanilide, was prepared by performing three successive one pot reactions at room temparature.
Microsatellite Variation within the Human RHCE Gene (1999)

Abstract Background and Objectives: This study provides a unique method for identifying individuals carrying the Rh haplotype cDe, and supports a model for the evolution of Rh haplotypes in which cDe is the progenitor. Materials and Methods: DNA from 212 unrelated donors of known Rh serological phenotype was PCR amplified. The resulting products were analysed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing. Results: Two adjacent microsatellite repeat elements of the form (AC)n (GCAC)n were found within the human Rh blood group genes. These display copy number variation which was non‐randomly distributed with respect to Rh serological phenotype, and was restricted to alleles of RHCE expressing the c antigen. Conclusion: The predominantly Black African allele cDe displayed a unique set of microsatellite alleles, providing a method of identifying individuals carrying this haplotype.
The Nickel/Copper‐Catalyzed Direct Alkylation of Heterocyclic CH Bonds (2010)

Too selective: A general and straightforward protocol for the cross-coupling of non-activated alkyl halides with heterocyclic CH bonds has been developed. The transformation is chemo- and regioselective and many functional groups on both coupling partners are tolerated. The method employs cheap nickel/copper catalysts, and expands significantly the scope of CH functionalization (see scheme). Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.