gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Relationships between retinal layer thickness and brain volumes in the UK Biobank cohort (2020)

Markers of retinal neurodegeneration are associated with smaller brain volumes. Our findings suggest that retinal structure may be a biomarker providing information about important brain structure in healthy older adults.
Evidence that atypical juxtafacet cysts are joint derived (2009)

The authors believe that all JFCs are joint derived. This explanation for intraneural and extraneural JFCs in typical locations would be consistent with the unified articular (synovial) theory and the pathogenesis for intraneural and extraneural ganglion cyst formation in the limbs. Facet joints appear no different from other synovial joints occurring elsewhere. Understanding the pathogenesis of these cysts will help target treatment to the joint, improve surgical outcomes, and decrease recurrences.
<title>Document restoration and enhancement using optimal iterative and paired morphological filters</title> (1997)

Restoration and enhancement of digital documents typically involves use of binary filters. Various methods have been developed to facilitate automatic design of optimal binary filters in the context of morphological image processing. Among these are iterative increasing filters for designing optimal increasing filters in stages, and paired- representation filters, in which a nonincreasing filter is represented as a union of anti-extensive and extensive increasing filters. The present paper applies these filters in three different modalities for digital document enhancement. Iterative design is illustrated in the context of document restoration for dilated, background-noise images; iterative, paired design is illustrate in for restoration of edge-degraded characters; and paired design is used for integer resolution conversion.
Fragile gene product, Fhit, in oxidative and replicative stress responses (2009)

Though the fragile histidine triad gene product, Fhit, was discovered and characterized as a tumor suppressor 13 years ago, its sequence, structure, and cellular location did not provide clues to aid discovery of its mechanisms of suppression. Recently, using chemical cross-linkers and immunoprecipitation, a Fhit protein complex was identified that includes Hsp60 and Hsp10 which may mediate Fhit stability and mitochondrial localization, where Fhit binds and stabilizes ferredoxin reductase (Fdxr); when Fdxr is overexpressed, it can lead to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that induce apoptosis. Cancer cells expressing endogenous or exogenous Fhit, when exposed to H(2)O(2), an oxidative stress, produce higher levels of apoptosis-inducing ROS than matched, Fhit-negative cells; the Fhit-negative cancer cells survive, carrying DNA damage. In addition to this mitochondrial function, Fhit-overexpression in cancer cells exposed to replicative stress-inducing agents leads to enhanced caspase 3 activation and apoptosis, due to defective Chk1 activation. Thus, damage to the fragile FHIT locus leads to reduced expression of Fhit protein, and makes a two-pronged contribution to development of preneoplastic clonal expansion: (1) absence or reduction of Fhit leads to reduced expression of Fdxr and reduced ROS-induced apoptosis; (2) cells that escape ROS- or replicative stress-induced apoptosis can carry misrepaired DNA damage. The aberrant DNA damage response checkpoint in Fhit-deficient preneoplasias and cancers may make these lesions targets for inhibitors of proteins such as Parp1 and Chk1 with important roles in checkpoint responses, as observed for BRCA1-deficient cancer cells that also exhibit DNA damage repair deficiencies.
Association Between HLA–DPB1 and Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody–Associated Vasculitis in Children (2022)

Objective Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare, life‐threatening inflammation of blood vessels that can affect both adults and children. Compared to adult‐onset disease, AAV is especially rare in children, with an annual prevalence of 0.5–6.4 cases per million children. The etiology of AAV remains largely unknown, and both environmental and genetic factors are likely involved. The present study was undertaken to explore the genetic susceptibility factors recently identified in adult patients, including HLA–DP and HLA–DQ, in pediatric patients. Methods We performed a genome‐wide association study of pediatric AAV in patients of European ancestry (n = 63 AAV cases, n = 315 population‐matched controls). Results We identified a significant genetic association between pediatric AAV and the HLA–DPB1*04:01 allele ( P = 1.5 × 10 −8 , odds ratio [OR] 3.5), with a stronger association observed in children with proteinase 3–ANCA positivity than in children with myeloperoxidase−ANCA positivity. Among the HLA alleles, the HLA–DPB1*04:01 allele was the most highly associated with AAV, although not significantly, in a follow‐up adult AAV cohort ( P = 2.6 × 10 −4 , OR 0.4). T cell receptor and interferon signaling pathways were also shown to be enriched in the pediatric AAV cohort. Conclusion The HLA–DPB1 locus showed an association with pediatric AAV, as similarly shown previously in adult AAV. Despite the difference in the age of onset, these findings suggest that childhood‐ and adult‐onset vasculitis share a common genetic predisposition. The identification of genetic variants contributing to AAV is an important step to improved classification tools and treatment strategies.
Polarization-mode dispersion compensation in WDM systems (2001)

We demonstrate, both experimentally and numerically, polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) compensation in wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems without wavelength demultiplexing. Our technique improves the overall system performance by reducing the fading probability for the worst-performing channel at any given time. The effectiveness of our approach is based on the fact that, for moderate PMD, the probability that all channels are severely degraded at the same time is extremely small. A single-section PMD compensator reduces the 2% worst-case power penalty for a four-channel 10-Gb/s WDM system with /spl sim/42 ps average differential group delay from 9.6 to 5.3 dB.
Novel dinuclear gold(i) complexes containing bis(diphenylphosphano)alkanes and (biphenyl-2-yl)(di-tert-butyl)phosphane: synthesis, structural characterization and anticancer activity (2022)

Four novel dinuclear phosphanegold(I) complexes containing bis(diphenylphosphano)alkanes and related phosphano alkanes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.
Inhibition of myogenesis by transforming growth factor β is density-dependent and related to the translocation of transcription factor MEF2 to the cytoplasm (1998)

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) was found to inhibit differentiation of myogenic cells only when they were grown to high density. Inhibition also occurred when myogenic cells were cocultured with other types of mesenchymal cells but not when they were cocultured with epithelial cells. It is therefore possible that some density-dependent signaling mediates the intracellular response to TGF-beta. Within 30 min of treatment, TGF-beta induced translocation of MEF2, but not MyoD, myogenin, or p21, to the cytoplasm of myogenic cells grown to high density. Translocation was reversible on withdrawal of TGF-beta. By using immune electron microscopy and Western blot analysis on subcellular fractions, MEF2 was shown to be tightly associated with cytoskeleton membrane components. To test whether MEF2 export from the nucleus was causally related to the inhibitory action of TGF-beta, we transfected C2C12 myoblasts with MEF2C containing the nuclear localization signal of simian virus 40 large T antigen (nlsSV40). Myogenic cells expressing the chimerical MEF2C/nlsSV40, but not wild-type MEF2C, retained this transcription factor in the nucleus and were resistant to the inhibitory action of TGF-beta. We propose a mechanism in which the inhibition of myogenesis by TGF-beta is mediated through MEF2 localization to the cytoplasm, thus preventing it from participating in an active transcriptional complex.
Effect of Environmental pH on Rescue of Simian Virus 40 (1973)

Rescue of SV40 virus after Sendai virus-mediated fusion of transformed mouse or hamster cell lines with permissive monkey cells was strikingly dependent on pH in the range 6.4-8.8, with a maximum at pH 8.4. The titer of virus recovered at pH 8.4 was 2 logs higher than that at pH 7.6, and 4 logs higher than that at pH 6.4. The pH-sensitive step was neither the number of heterokaryocytes formed, which was essentially the same at pH 7.6 and 8.4, nor the degree of SV40 replication in the monkey cells, which was also unaffected by pH variation in the range 7.2-8.4.
An EDGE transmitter with mitigation of oscillator pulling (2010)

We propose a polar transmitter architecture that is robust to modulation-induced injection pulling of its RF oscillator by means of a built-in self compensation. A mathematical model is presented for the injection pulling mechanism, which incorporates a digitally-controlled delay circuit that minimizes injection pulling by adjusting the overall phase shift in the parasitic path between the final amplitude modulation stage (aggressor) and the RF oscillator (victim). The technique is verified in a 65-nm CMOS GSM/GPRS/EDGE SoC demonstrating compliant error vector magnitude (EVM) and modulation spectral-mask performance over process and temperature.
Effect of PlGF-inhibition on survival in mice with hepatocellular carcinoma (2010)

Background: Inhibition of angiogenesis is currently hot topic in the search for an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Up till recently, the focus was mainly on VEGF, an important regulator in the pathologic and physiologic angiogenesis. Although promising results are seen by inhibiting the VEGF-pathway, patients often suffer from major side effects. Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a VEGF analogue only involved in pathologic angiogenesis and its inhibition has the potential to restrain tumour growth, without affecting healthy organs. Therefore, we assessed whether administration of PlGF-antibodies could serve as a potential therapy for HCC in mice. Methods: 5-week-old male mice (sv129) received intraperitoneal (ip) injections once per week with N-nitrosodiethylamine (35 mg/kg bodyweight) or saline , which gives rise to HCC after 25W in WT. PlGF-knock-out mice (PlGF-/-) received weekly ip DEN-injections and were compared with their WT counterparts. At 26W, WT mice were treated with twice a week with murine monoclonal PlGF-antibodies (20 mg/kg anti-PlGF) or IgG for 5W and 10W. Results: By 25 weeks of DEN treatment, 29% of the WT mice but none of the PlGF-/- mice had succumbed to the disease (p = 0,056). Also, treatment of DEN-injected HCC mice from 25 weeks for 5 weeks with 5D11D4 (ThromboGenics N.V.) or IgG showed a significant difference in mortality. While 45% died in the control IgG group, only 23% mortality was observed in the anti-PlGF group (N=48; P < 0.05). Also, the liver/body weight ratio was 0.057 ± 0.003 in the control group versus 0.042 ± 0.004 in the 5D11D4 group (N=19; P < 0,05). After 10W treatment 90% died in the control IgG group, while only 41 % mortality was observed in the anti-PlGF group (N = 11, P < 0,05). No mortality was observed in mice injected with saline instead of DEN, followed by 5 wks of treatment with anti-PlGF or IgG. The liver/body weight ratio was 0.038 ± 0.001 in the saline and IgG group versus 0.041 ± 0.002 in the anti-PlGF group (N=12, P = 0,27). Figure 1: left: Mean survival of IgG and aPlGF treated mice ; right: mean survival of PlGF knock out mice and WT’s during DEN-induction Conclusion: Our study showed that administration of 20 mg/kg anti-PlGF twice a week, has a positive effect on survival in mice with HCC. The liver/bodyweight ratio of anti-PlGF treated mice was significantly lower than in the control IgG group, showing a specific effect on liver tumours. Treatment of anti-PlGF in healthy mice did not induce negative side effects. Therefore, treatment with PlGF antibodies might serve as a promising systemic treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
Four-Step Pathway from Phenylpyruvate to Benzylamine, an Intermediate to the High-Energy Propellant CL-20 (2021)

Benzylamine is a commodity chemical used in the synthesis of motion-sickness treatments and anticonvulsants, in dyeing textiles, and as a precursor to the high-energy propellant CL-20. Because chemical production generates toxic waste streams, biosynthetic alternatives have been explored, recently resulting in a functional nine-step pathway from central metabolism (phenylalanine) in <i>E. coli</i>. We report a novel four-step pathway for benzylamine production, which generates the product from cellular phenylpyruvate using enzymes from different sources: a mandelate synthase (<i>Amycolatopsis orientalis</i>), a mandelate oxidase (<i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>), a benzoylformate decarboxylase (<i>Pseudomonas putida</i>), and an aminotransferase (<i>Salicibacter pomeroyi</i>). This pathway produces benzylamine at 24 mg/L in 15 h (4.5% yield) in cultures of unoptimized cells supplemented with phenylpyruvate. Because the yield is low, supplementation with pathway intermediates is used to troubleshoot the design. This identifies conversion inefficiencies in the mandelate synthase-mediated synthesis of (<i>S</i>)-mandelic acid, and subsequent genome mining identifies a new mandelate synthase (<i>Streptomyces</i> sp. 1114.5) with improved yield. Supplementation experiments also reveal native redirection of ambient phenylpyruvate away from the pathway to phenylalanine. Overall, this work illustrates how retrosynthetic design can dramatically reduce the number of enzymes in a pathway, potentially reducing its draw on cellular resources. However, it also shows that such benefits can be abrogated by inefficiencies of individual conversions. Addressing these barriers can provide an alternative approach to green production of benzylamine, eliminating upstream dependence on chlorination chemistry.
Estimation of sonodynamic treatment region with sonochemiluminescence in gel phantom (2018)

Sonodynamic treatment is a non-invasive cancer treatment using ultrasound through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by acoustic cavitation. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can generate cavitation bubbles using highly negative pressure in its focal region. When cavitation bubbles are forced to collapse, they generate ROS, which can attack cancer cells, typically assisted by a sonodynamically active antitumor agent. For sonodynamic treatment, both localization and efficiency of generating ROS are important. To improve them, the region of ROS generation was quantitatively estimated in this study using a polyacrylamide gel containing luminol as the target exposed to "Trigger HIFU", consisting of a highly intense short "trigger pulse" to generate a cavitation cloud followed by a moderate-intensity long "sustaining burst" to keep the cavitation bubbles oscillating. It was found to be important for efficient ROS generation that the focal region of the trigger pulse should be immediately exposed to the sustaining burst.
Theoretical Prediction and Experimental Confirmation of Unusual Ternary Ordered Semiconductor Compounds in Sr–Pb–S System (2014)

We examine the thermodynamics of phase separation and ordering in the ternary Ca(x)Pb(1-x)S and Sr(x)Pb(1-x)S systems by density-functional theory combined with a cluster expansion and Monte Carlo simulations. Similar to most other ternary III-V or IV-VI semiconductor alloys, we find that bulk phase separation is thermodynamically preferred for PbS-CaS. However, we predict the surprising existence of stable, ordered ternary compounds in the PbS-SrS system. These phases are previously unreported ordered rocksalt-based compounds: SrPb3S4, SrPbS2, and Sr3PbS4. The stability of these predicted ordered phases is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy observations and band gap measurements. We believe this work paves the way for a combined theory-experiment approach to decipher complex phase relations in multicomponent chalcogenide systems.
Microbial response on the first full-scale DEMON® biomass transfer for mainstream deammonification (2022)

Sidestream partial nitritation and deammonification (pN/A) of high-strength ammonia wastewater is a well-established technology. Its expansion to the mainstream is, however mainly impeded by poor retention of anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB), insufficient repression of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and difficult control of soluble chemical oxygen demand and nitrite levels. At the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Strass (Austria) the microbial consortium was exhaustively monitored at full-scale over one and a half year with regular transfer of sidestream DEMON® biomass and further retention and enrichment of granular anammox biomass via hydrocyclone operation. Routine process parameters were surveyed and the response and evolution of the microbiota was followed by molecular tools, ex-situ activity tests and further, AnAOB quantification through particle tracking and heme measurement. After eight months of operation, the first anaerobic, simultaneous depletion of ammonia and nitrite was observed ex-situ, together with a direction to higher nitrite generation (68% of total NO<sub>x</sub>-N) as compared to nitrate under aerobic conditions. Our dissolved oxygen (DO) scheme allowed for transient anoxic conditions and had a strong influence on nitrite levels and the NOB community, where Nitrobacter eventually dominated Nitrospira. The establishment of a minor but stable AnAOB biomass was accompanied by the rise of Chloroflexi and distinct emergence of Chlorobi, a trend not seen in the sidestream system. Interestingly, the most pronounced switch in the microbial community and noticeable NOB repression occurred during unfavorable conditions, i.e. the cold winter season and high organic load. Further abatement of NOB was achieved through bioaugmentation of aerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB) from the sidestream-DEMON® tank. Performance of the sidestream pN/A was not impaired by this operational scheme and the average volumetric nitrogen removal rate of the mainstream even doubled in the second half of the monitoring campaign. We conclude that a combination of both, regular sidestream-DEMON® biomass transfer and granular SRT increase via hydrocyclone operation was crucial for AnAOB establishment within the mainstream.
Synergistic Effect of Methyl Jasmonate and Abscisic Acid Co-Treatment on Avenanthramide Production in Germinating Oats (2021)

The oat (<i>Avena sativa</i> L.) is a grain of the Poaceae grass family and contains many powerful anti-oxidants, including avenanthramides as phenolic alkaloids with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-itch, anti-irritant, and anti-atherogenic activities. Here, the treatment of germinating oats with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or abscisic acid (ABA) resulted in 2.5-fold (582.9 mg/kg FW) and 2.8-fold (642.9 mg/kg FW) increase in avenanthramide content, respectively, relative to untreated controls (232.6 mg/kg FW). Moreover, MeJA and ABA co-treatment synergistically increased avenanthramide production in germinating oats to 1505 mg/kg FW. Individual or combined MeJA and ABA treatment increased the expression of genes encoding key catalytic enzymes in the avenanthramide-biosynthesis pathway, including hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:hydrocyanthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HHT). Further analyses showed that six AsHHT genes were effectively upregulated by MeJA or ABA treatment, especially AsHHT4 for MeJA and AsHHT5 for ABA, thereby enhancing the production of all three avenanthramides in germinating oats. Specifically, AsHHT5 exhibited the highest expression following MeJA and ABA co-treatment, indicating that AsHHT5 played a more crucial role in avenanthramide biosynthesis in response to MeJA and ABA co-treatment of germinating oats. These findings suggest that elicitor-mediated metabolite farming using MeJA and ABA could be a valuable method for avenanthramide production in germinating oats.
ChemInform Abstract: 3‐ONIUM DERIVATIVES OF 1,4‐BENZODIAZEPIN‐2‐ONES WITH TERTIARY ORGANIC BASES (1974)

Abstract Aus den drei Diazepinen (IIa)‐(IIc) der phannakologisch interessanten 1,4‐Benzodiazepin‐2‐one (Ia)‐(Ic) entstehen mit Basen (III) die Ammoniumderivate (IV), die unter physiologischen Bedingungen infolge eines Überganges in (I) ,pharmakologisch wirksam sein sollten.
Absorption and disposition of a tripeptoid and a tetrapeptide in the rat (1999)

The present study is concerned with the absorption and disposition of a tripeptoid (N-substituted glycine derivative) and a tetrapeptide in the rat. The two compounds have similar backbone structures but differ with respect to the presence or absence of peptide bond. [3H]tripeptoid and [3H]tetrapeptide were administered orally (30 mg kg(-1)) and intravenously (i.v.) (30 or 3 mg kg(-1)) to Sprague Dawley rats. Blood, urine and feces were collected at designated times for radioactivity and parent drug analysis. The intestinal absorptive clearances of the tripeptoid and tetrapeptide were studied using an in situ rat intestinal perfusion model. The octanol/water partition coefficient of these two compounds was also determined. The results showed that the peptoid and peptide have similar absorptive clearance and octanol/water partitioning, but different in vivo absorption and disposition characteristics. The absorptive clearances of the tripeptoid and tetrapeptide were 6.7 and 4.8 x 10(-4) mL min(-1) cm(-1), respectively, and the corresponding octanol/water partition coefficients were 0.39 and 0.30. The extent of oral absorption of the tripeptoid was only 3-8%, consistent with its low absorptive clearance. In contrast, the apparent absorption of the tetrapeptide was > 75% of the radioactive dose. The peptide was completely metabolized within 2 h after an i.v. dose, whereas the peptoid was stable in blood and was primarily eliminated in feces as intact drug. In conclusion, the difference in in vivo absorption and disposition between the peptoid and peptide was apparently due to the presence or absence of a peptide bond. The tetrapeptide was subject to rapid metabolism in the body. Its relatively high absorption appeared to represent the absorption of metabolized radioactive fragments. The peptoid appears to have advantages over the peptide in term of metabolic stability, but its low oral absorption and rapid biliary excretion present additional challenges in the selection of an optimal drug candidate.
Baseline characteristics of participants in the Pre-Diabetes Interventions and Continued Tracking to Ease-out Diabetes (Pre-DICTED) Program (2022)

The Pre-DICTED cohort represents subjects at high risk of diabetes conversion. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based incentivized lifestyle intervention program in an urban Asian context.
Anti‐Inflammatory Drugs in the Fight against Alzheimer's Diseasea (1996)

Lesions in Alzheimer disease are characterized by the assembly of a variety of cells and proteins associated with the immune system. Activated microglia express high levels of MHC glycoproteins and receptors for complement. Small numbers of T-lymphocytes infiltrate tissue. Proteins of the classical complement pathway are closely connected with beta-amyloid deposits. Several materials associated with senile plaques, including beta-amyloid protein itself, bind C1q in vitro and activate the pathway. The membrane attack complex of complement, as well as proteins which defend against that complex, colocalize with dystrophic neurites. These data imply that an autodestructive process is occurring in Alzheimer's disease, and that anti-inflammatory drugs might be an effective form of therapy. Some epidemiological evidence and results of a pilot clinical trial support this hypothesis.