gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Manometric configuration of the lower esophageal sphincter in normal human subjects. (1971)

The manometric characteristics of the lower esophageal high pressure zone (HPZ) in 15 young human subjects were studied with three continuously perfused side-opening recording catheters whose orifices were at an identical level and equidistant around the circumference of a circle. Withdrawal tracings were obtained during quiet respiration and with the breath held in inspiration and in expiration. With each type of tracing, there were marked differences between the three leads with respect to levels of entry into and exit from the HPZ, point of maximum pressure within the HPZ, maximum HPZ pressure, and point of respiratory reversal. A double respiratory reversal, in one lead only, was observed in 8 of the 15 subjects. Similar recordings for a given lead were obtained through each of the three transducers. These results indicate that the spatial orientation of the recording orifice has an important effect upon the type of tracing obtained from the HPZ. Further, they indicate that an incomplete and potentially misleading profile of the HPZ is obtained by standard recording techniques. The similarity of HPZ profiles recorded by a given lead in different subjects suggests that the observed difference between the three leads reflects an anatomical or physiological situation common to normal individuals. Several manometric features proposed for the diagnosis of hiatal hernia were observed frequently in this group of young, asymptomatic subjects. Hence, the diagnostic usefulness of these features is probably very limited.
Giant Virus Megavirus chilensis Encodes the Biosynthetic Pathway for Uncommon Acetamido Sugars (2014)

Giant viruses mimicking microbes, by the sizes of their particles and the heavily glycosylated fibrils surrounding their capsids, infect Acanthamoeba sp., which are ubiquitous unicellular eukaryotes. The glycans on fibrils are produced by virally encoded enzymes, organized in gene clusters. Like Mimivirus, Megavirus glycans are mainly composed of virally synthesized N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). They also contain N-acetylrhamnosamine (RhaNAc), a rare sugar; the enzymes involved in its synthesis are encoded by a gene cluster specific to Megavirus close relatives. We combined activity assays on two enzymes of the pathway with mass spectrometry and NMR studies to characterize their specificities. Mg534 is a 4,6-dehydratase 5-epimerase; its three-dimensional structure suggests that it belongs to a third subfamily of inverting dehydratases. Mg535, next in the pathway, is a bifunctional 3-epimerase 4-reductase. The sequential activity of the two enzymes leads to the formation of UDP-l-RhaNAc. This study is another example of giant viruses performing their glycan synthesis using enzymes different from their cellular counterparts, raising again the question of the origin of these pathways.
Abstract 1905: Restoration of Normoglycemia Re-Establishes the Infarct-Sparing Effect of Postconditioning in Diabetic Mice (2008)

Relief of ischemia in a stuttering manner (postconditioning: PostC) reduces infarct size in healthy adult populations, due in part to activation of ERK 1/2 during the early minutes of reflow. However, emerging evidence suggests that PostC fails to limit ischemia-reperfusion injury in the setting of diabetes. Our current aim was to establish whether this loss in efficacy of PostC reflects a permanent diabetes-associated defect in cardioprotective signaling, or whether therapy to restore normoglycemia can re-establish the PostC phenotype. To address this issue, isolated buffer-perfused hearts were obtained from 4 cohorts of C57BL/6J mice: healthy adults; animals injected 2 or 4 wks earlier with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes; and mice injected 4 wks earlier with STZ that, at 2 wks after being rendered diabetic, received islet cell transplantation (ICT). All hearts underwent 30 min global ischemia and, within each cohort, were assigned to receive either complete, abrupt reperfusion (controls) or PostC with 3 10-sec cycles of stuttered reflow. In hearts from healthy mice: (i) PostC was cardioprotective (infarct size [delineated by tetrazolium staining] was 27±3% vs 50±3% of the LV in PostC hearts vs controls; p<.05); (ii) PostC-induced protection was associated with significant, >2-fold increases in expression of phospho-MEK, phospho-ERK and downstream targets of ERK; and (iii) the benefits of PostC were abrogated by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. At both 2 and 4 weeks post-STZ injection, mice displayed: (i) low plasma insulin levels (0.18±0.08 and 0.07±0.02 vs 1.40±0.20 ng/ml) and hyperglycemia (blood glucose: 556±15 and 558±10 vs 178±7 mg/dl in healthy C57 mice); (ii) no up-regulation of ERK signaling in response to stuttered reflow; and (iii) no infarct-sparing effect of PostC (mean infarct sizes: 62– 63% in STZ-PostC groups vs 58 – 63% in STZ-controls). In contrast, ICT: (i) restored normal insulin and blood glucose levels (1.33±0.09 ng/ml; 189±7 mg/dl) and, most notably (ii) reinstated the up-regulation in ERK signaling and infarct-sparing effect of PostC (infarct size: 31±3% vs 51±5% in STZ±ICT controls; p<0.05). Thus, therapeutic control of insulin and blood glucose re-establishes the protective PostC phenotype in this mouse model of diabetes.
Dynamically Induced Effective Interaction in Periodically Driven Granular Mixtures (2006)

We show that a granular mixture subject to horizontal oscillations can be reduced to a monodisperse system of particles interacting via an effective interaction. This interaction is attractive at short distances and strongly anisotropic, and its features explain the system rich phenomenology, including segregation and stripe pattern formation. Finally, we show that a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation, which takes into account the characteristics of the effective interaction, is capable of describing the dynamics of the mixture.
Principles of Chemical Separations with Environmental Applications (2004)

Chemical separations are of central importance in many areas of environmental science, whether it is the clean up of polluted water or soil, the treatment of discharge streams from chemical processes, or modification of a specific process to decrease its environmental impact. This book is an introduction to chemical separations, focusing on their use in environmental applications. The authors first discuss the general aspects of separation technology as a unit operation. They also describe how property differences are used to generate separations, the use of separating agents, and the selection criteria for particular separation techniques. The general approach for each technology is to present the chemical and/or physical basis for the process and explain how to evaluate it for design and analysis. The book contains many worked examples and homework problems. It is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on environmental separations or environmental engineering.
Detergents profoundly affect inhibitor potencies against both cyclo-oxygenase isoforms (2004)

The sensitivity of Coxs (cyclo-oxygenases) to inhibition is known to be highly dependent on assay conditions. In the present study, the inhibitor sensitivities of purified Cox-1 and -2 were determined in a colorimetric assay using the reducing agent N, N, N ', N '-tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine. With the detergent genapol X-100 (2 mM) present, the potencies of nimesulide, ibuprofen, flufenamic acid, niflumic acid and naproxen were increased over 100-fold against Cox-2 and titration curve shapes changed, so that maximal inhibition now approached 100%. Indomethacin, diclofenac and flosulide were not changed in potency. Similar effects of genapol were observed with inhibitors of Cox-1. DuP-697 and two analogues became more than 10-fold less potent against Cox-2 with genapol present. Tween-20, Triton X-100 and phosphatidylcholine, but not octylglucoside, gave qualitatively similar effects as genapol. Similar detergent-dependent changes in inhibitor potency were also observed using a [(14)C]arachidonic acid HPLC assay. The increases in potency of ibuprofen, flufenamic acid, isoxicam and niflumic acid towards Cox-2 and ibuprofen towards Cox-1 were accompanied by a change from time-independent to time-dependent inhibition. The interactions of Cox inhibitors has been described in terms of multiple binding step mechanisms. The genapol-dependent increase in inhibitor potency for ketoprofen was associated with an increase in the rate constant for the conversion of the initial enzyme-inhibitor complex to a second, more tightly bound form. The loss of potency for some inhibitors is probably due to inhibitor partitioning into detergent micelles. The present study identifies detergents as another factor that must be considered when determining inhibitor potencies against both Cox isoforms.
Stent placement for the treatment of occlusive atherosclerotic carotid artery disease in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease (2002)

Carotid artery stent placement should be considered as an alternative for the management of concomitant CA and CorA diseases. These preliminary results support the feasibility and durability of CASP in the population studied.
Thermal resistance of the native interface between vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube arrays and their SiO2/Si substrate (2008)

The interface thermal resistance (ITR) of the native interface between vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube arrays and the SiO2/Si substrate was investigated. Experimental results obtained by a photothermoelectric technique are compared with theoretical predictions for the ITR across nanoconstrictions. The model considers classical constriction effects and contributions due to diffuse mismatch thermal resistance. Experimental values of the ITR are much larger than the model predictions. The observed discrepancy may be due to the imperfect mechanical contact between the tubes and substrate or additional contributions to the ITR due to the presence of a catalyst layer at the interface.
Effects of α1-Acid Glycoprotein on Acute Pancreatitis and Acute Lung Injury in Rats (2011)

alpha 1-Acid glycoprotein (AAG), a highly negatively charged glycoprotein, well known for its capillary stabilizing effect, was tested in rat models of acute edematous pancreatitis, acute hemorrhagic-necrotizing pancreatitis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In cerulein-elicited edematous pancreatitis AAG improved histological alterations at 200 mg/kg i.v. and plasma amylase activity at 1800 or 4200 mg/kg i.v. All other parameters (edema, plasma lipase) were not affected in a biologically relevant manner. In glycodeoxycholic acid-induced hemorrhagic-necrotizing pancreatitis AAG was without effect on parameters measured (plasma amylase, plasma lipase activity, histological scores) at 1800 or 4200 mg/kg i.v. At the extremely high dose of 1500 mg/kg i.v. plasma amylase and lipase levels were decreased. In lipopolysaccharide-mediated ARDS, AAG was tested at 50, 200 or 600 mg/kg i.v. AAG, but also the placebo formulation decreased the myeloperoxidase content in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Histological alterations were improved by AAG, however, not by the placebo formulation. Lung water content was not significantly influenced by AAG, whereas Evans blue extravasation was significantly diminished by all three doses of AAG. It is concluded that the edematous pancreatitis is the first in vivo condition with increased extravascular fluid accumulation, in which AAG is not effective. Based on data presented here and literature data, there is evidence for a beneficial effect of AAG in acute lung injury.
Threonine-insensitive Homoserine Dehydrogenase from Soybean (2009)

Aspartate kinase (AK) and homoserine dehydrogenase (HSD) function as key regulatory enzymes at branch points in the aspartate amino acid pathway and are feedback-inhibited by threonine. In plants the biochemical features of AK and bifunctional AK-HSD enzymes have been characterized, but the molecular properties of the monofunctional HSD remain unexamined. To investigate the role of HSD, we have cloned the cDNA and gene encoding the monofunctional HSD (GmHSD) from soybean. Using heterologously expressed and purified GmHSD, initial velocity and product inhibition studies support an ordered bi bi kinetic mechanism in which nicotinamide cofactor binds first and leaves last in the reaction sequence. Threonine inhibition of GmHSD occurs at concentrations (K(i) = 160-240 mM) more than 1000-fold above physiological levels. This is in contrast to the two AK-HSD isoforms in soybean that are sensitive to threonine inhibition (K(i) approximately 150 microM). In addition, GmHSD is not inhibited by other aspartate-derived amino acids. The ratio of threonine-resistant to threonine-sensitive HSD activity in soybean tissues varies and likely reflects different demands for amino acid biosynthesis. This is the first cloning and detailed biochemical characterization of a monofunctional feedback-insensitive HSD from any plant. Threonine-resistant HSD offers a useful biotechnology tool for manipulating the aspartate amino acid pathway to increase threonine and methionine production in plants for improved nutritional content.
Elevated S-Adenosylhomocysteine Alters Adipocyte Functionality With Corresponding Changes in Gene Expression and Associated Epigenetic Marks (2014)

Maternal deficiencies in micronutrients affecting one-carbon metabolism before and during pregnancy can influence metabolic status and the degree of insulin resistance and obesity of the progeny in adulthood. Notably, maternal and progeny plasma S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) levels are both elevated after vitamin deficiency in pregnancy. Therefore, we investigated whether this key one-carbon cycle intermediate directly affects adipocyte differentiation and function. We found that expansion and differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in the presence of SAH impaired both basal and induced glucose uptake as well as lipolysis compared with untreated controls. SAH did not alter preadipocyte factor 1 (Dlk1) or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ 2 (Pparγ2) but significantly reduced expression of CAAT enhancer-binding protein-α (Cebpα), Cebpβ, and retinoid x receptor-α (Rxrα) compared with untreated adipocytes. SAH increased Rxrα methylation on a CpG unit (chr2:27,521,057+, chr2:27,521,049+) and CpG residue (chr2:27,521,080+), but not Cebpβ methylation, relative to untreated adipocytes. Trimethylated histone H3-Lys27 occupancy was significantly increased on Cebpα and Rxrα promoters in SAH-treated adipocytes, consistent with the reduction in gene expression. In conclusion, SAH did not affect adipogenesis per se but altered adipocyte functionality through epigenetic mechanisms, such that they exhibited altered glucose disposal and lipolysis. Our findings implicate micronutrient imbalance in subsequent modulation of adipocyte function.
CAP is a bifunctional component of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae adenylyl cyclase complex. (1991)

CAP, a protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that copurifies with adenylyl cyclase, appears to be required for yeast cells to be fully responsive to RAS proteins. CAP also appears to be required for normal cell morphology and responsiveness to nutrient deprivation and excess. We describe here a molecular and phenotypic analysis of the CAP protein. The N-terminal domain is necessary and sufficient for cellular response to activated RAS protein, while the C-terminal domain is necessary and sufficient for normal cellular morphology and responses to nutrient extremes. Thus, CAP is a novel example of a bifunctional component involved in the regulation of diverse signal transduction pathways.
Cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol in rabbits. (1994)

Policosanol is a natural mixture of higher primary aliphatic alcohols isolated and purified from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum, L.) wax, whose main component is octacosanol. Policosanol (5-200 mg/kg) orally administered for 4 weeks to normocholesterolemic New Zealand rabbits significantly reduced total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) serum levels in a dose dependent manner. Serum triglyceride levels of treated and control animals were significantly different, but the reduction observed was not dose-dependent. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels remained unchanged. Results indicate that the reduction in total cholesterol values induced by policosanol is mainly mediated through a decrease in LDL-C levels.
ChemInform Abstract: Microporous Aluminum Oxide Films at Electrodes. Part 7. Mediation of the Catalytic Activity of Glucose Oxidase via Lateral Diffusion of a Ferrocene Amphiphile in a Bilayer Assembly. (1990)

Abstract Glucose oxidase is immobilized in the head group region of an organized bilayer self‐assembled in a porous template of aluminum oxide film at a gold electrode.
Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Joint Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Using a Tendon Graft (2002)

Chronic instability of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb can cause significant functional disability due to pain and weakness of pinch and grasp. In the absence of adequate ligament to repair, stability of the joint can be restored by reconstruction using a free tendon graft. The technique described here routes the tendon graft through two holes in the proximal phalangeal base and one hole in the metacarpal neck in a triangular configuration, which recapitulates the normal anatomy of the ulnar collateral ligament. The results of reconstruction are good. Stability and strength are restored without sacrificing significant range of motion and with minimal donor site morbidity.
Neuroblastoma and treatment-related myelodysplasia/leukemia: the Memorial Sloan-Kettering experience and a literature review. (1998)

Neuroblastoma itself is not associated with a host susceptibility to leukemia. However, current neuroblastoma treatment programs that use high-dose cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and topoisomerase-II inhibitors may entail a considerable risk for t-AML. The incidence of t-AML in neuroblastoma patients may be underestimated because treatment and clinical factors can mask its presence. Efforts to devise effective but less leukemogenic treatment for neuroblastoma or to truncate leukemogenic therapy, eg, by exploiting molecular techniques for the early identification of complete remission, are warranted.
Standardization of Allergens (1984)

Components of an extract of <i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus </i>were electrophoretically separated, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and then probed with a variety of antibodies and lectins. Using miteallergic human sera as the first antibody source, IgE-binding components were identified. Binding patterns by monoclonal and heterologous sera were also obtained. The method is suitable for the qualitative, and ultimately the quantitative, characterization of allergen extracts. The electroblotting procedure employing specific probes, therefore, promises to be a valuable aid for allergen standardization.
A High Performance Java Middleware with a Real Application (2005)

Previous experiments with high-performance Java were initially disappointing. After several years of optimization, this paper investigates the current suitability of such object-oriented middleware for High-Performance and Grid programming. Using a middleware offering high level abstractions (ProActive), we have replaced the standard Java RMI layer with the optimized Ibis RMI interface. Ibis is a grid programming environment featuring efficient communications. Using a 3D electromagnetic application (an object-oriented time domain finite volume solver for 3D Maxwell equations) we have first conducted benchmarks on single clusters, including comparisons with the same application in Fortran MPI. Finally, Grid experiments have been conducted simultaneously on up to 5 different clusters. Overall, the paper reports extremely promising results. For instance, a speed up of 12 on 16 machines (vs. 13.8 for Fortran), a speedup of 100 on 150 machines on a Grid.
Human computer confluence in BCI for social inclusion improved rehabilitation and assessment of brain function (2015)

Frontiers Events is a rapidly growing calendar management system dedicated to the scheduling of academic events. This includes announcements and invitations, participant listings and search functionality, abstract handling and publication, related events and post-event exchanges. Whether an organizer or participant, make your event a Frontiers Event!
A linear polarization survey of bright QSOs (1978)

Polarization of bright QSOs is considered as an attribute separating BL Lacertae-like QSOs and BL Lacertae objects from 'normal' QSOs. Attention is given to the linear polarization of violent variables, which is taken as an indication of resonance scattering in an expanding asymmetric envelope. Polarization in BL Lacertae objects, however, has been regarded as intrinsic to the central compact region. The results of a survey undertaken to reconcile these conflicting explanations are presented in this paper. A possible explanation is the strong color dependence of polarization, which is typical of dust scattering, and which has been observed in many Seyfert 1 galaxies.
Twenty-fifth anniversary meeting of the International Tinnitus Forum, September 15, 2007, Washington, DC. (2007)

Attendees to the twenty-fifth anniversary meeting of the International Tinnitus Forum (ITF), September 15, 2007, in Washington, DC, celebrated the occasion by experiencing state-of-the-art presentations and discussion, reflections of the past, plans for the future, and each other’s company. Together, attendees were reminded of the initial meeting in Miami, 1982, sponsored by John Shea, Jr., attended by a handful of professionals, and followed by the growth and development in meeting attendance and quality and content of presentations of professionals worldwide.
The Key Physical Parameters Governing Frictional Dissipation in a Precipitating Atmosphere (2013)

Abstract Precipitation generates small-scale turbulent air flows—the energy of which ultimately dissipates to heat. The power of this process has previously been estimated to be around 2–4 W m−2 in the tropics: a value comparable in magnitude to the dynamic power of global atmospheric circulation. Here it is suggested that the true value is approximately half the value of this previous estimate. The result reflects a revised evaluation of the mean precipitation pathlength HP. The dependence of HP on surface temperature, relative humidity, temperature lapse rate, and degree of condensation in the ascending air were investigated. These analyses indicate that the degree of condensation, defined as the relative change of the saturated water vapor mixing ratio in the region of condensation, is a major factor determining HP. From this theory the authors develop an estimate indicating that the mean large-scale rate of frictional dissipation associated with total precipitation in the tropics lies between 1 and 2 W m−2 and show empirical evidence in support of this estimate. Under terrestrial conditions frictional dissipation is found to constitute a minor fraction of the dynamic power of condensation-induced atmospheric circulation, which is estimated to be at least 2.5 times larger. However, because HP increases with increasing surface temperature Ts, the rate of frictional dissipation would exceed the power of condensation-induced dynamics, and thus block major circulation, at Ts ≳ 320 K in a moist adiabatic atmosphere.