gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Surface- and Structure-Dependent Catalytic Activity of Au Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (2009)

Polycrystalline Au nanoparticles (NPs) of 3, 6, and 8 nm were synthesized via solution phase reaction of HAuCl4·3H2O with tert-butylamine borane and oleylamine in tetrahydronaphthalene. The sizes of the Au NPs were tuned by varying the reaction temperatures (40−3 °C). For polycrystalline Au NPs made at room temperature or above, smaller NPs showed more positive onset potential in catalyzing oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.5 M KOH media. However the most active Au NPs were the 8 nm ones that were synthesized at 3 °C. We rationalized the ORR activity of these Au NPs by the ease of oleylamine surfactant removal and the degree of disorder in the polycrystalline structure. This was further confirmed by the low activity observed from the same Au NPs passivated with hexadecanethiol, or from the Au NPs with higher degree of crystallinity made from the etching of the composite Au−Fe3O4 NPs.
Quinolinic Acid Phosphoribosyltransferase in Rat Brain (1985)

Because of the possible participation of quinolinic acid in brain function and/or dysfunction, the characteristics of its catabolic enzyme, quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRTase; EC 2.4.2.19), were examined in rat brain tissue. For this purpose, a sensitive radiochemical assay method, based on the conversion of quinolinic acid to nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NAMN), was developed. For brain QPRTase, the Mg2+ dependency, substrate specificity, and optimal assay conditions were virtually identical to those of the liver enzyme. Kinetic analyses of brain QPRTase revealed a Km of 3.17 +/- 0.30 microM for quinolinic acid and Km = 65.13 +/- 13.74 microM for the cosubstrate phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. The respective Vmax values were: 0.91 +/- 0.08 pmol NAMN/h/mg tissue for quinolinic acid and 11.65 +/- 1.55 fmol NAMN/h/mg tissue for phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. All kinetic parameters measured for the brain enzyme were significantly different from those determined for liver QPRTase, indicating structural differences or distinct regulatory processes for the brain and liver enzymes. Phthalic acid was a potent competitive inhibitor of brain QPRTase. Examination of the regional distribution of QPRTase in the rat CNS and retina indicated a greater than 20-fold difference between the area displaying the highest activity (olfactory bulb) and those of only moderate activity (frontal cortex, striatum, retina, hippo-campus). Enzyme activity was present at the earliest age tested, 2 days, and tended to increase in older animals. Brain QPRTase activity was preferentially located in the nerve-ending (synaptosomal) fraction. Enzyme activity was stable over extensive periods of storage at -80 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
MmpL8 is required for sulfolipid-1 biosynthesis and <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> virulence (2003)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis, is unique among bacterial pathogens in that it displays a wide array of complex lipids and lipoglycans on its cell surface. One of the more remarkable lipids is a sulfated glycolipid, termed sulfolipid-1 (SL-1), which is thought to mediate specific host-pathogen interactions during infection. However, a direct role for SL-1 in M. tuberculosis virulence has not been established. Here we show that MmpL8, a member of a large family of predicted lipid transporters in M. tuberculosis, is required for SL-1 production. The accumulation of an SL-1 precursor, termed SL(1278), in mmpL8 mutant cells indicates that MmpL8 is necessary for an intermediate step in the SL-1 biosynthesis pathway. We use a novel fractionation procedure to demonstrate that SL-1 is present on the cell surface, whereas SL(1278) is found exclusively in more internal layers. Importantly, we show that mmpL8 mutants are attenuated for growth in a mouse model of tuberculosis. However, SL-1 per se is not required for establishing infection as pks2 mutants, which are defective in an earlier step in SL-1 biosynthesis, have no obvious growth defect. Thus, we hypothesize that either MmpL8 transports molecules in addition to SL-1 that mediate host-pathogen interactions or the accumulation of SL(1278) in mmpL8 mutant cells interferes with other pathways required for growth during the early stages of infection.
Overnight urinary norepinephrine and awake pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in heart failure with central sleep apnea. (1999)

Urinary noradrenaline excretion (UNE) is a non-invasive marker of sympathetic activation. In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and central sleep apnoea (CSA), called 'Cheyne Stokes' breathing, UNE and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) are both raised. It is unknown whether in CHF patients: (1) UNE is similarly elevated in those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and, (2) a direct relationship exists between UNE and PCWP in CSA. Aim: In CHF patients, to determine: (1) the relative sympathetic activation, with and without sleep apnoea (CSA and OSA, AHI>5), and, (2) whether UNE is directly related to PCWP in CSA. Method: 54 stable male patients with CHF (LVEF< 45%), underwent overnight sleep study (PSG) and UNE collection. UNE was corrected for urinary creatinine (nmol/mmolCr). PCWP (mmHg) was measured in 41 CHF patients. A normal group without CHF was used for comparison. Results: (mean + sem) Group Normal Normal CHF CHF CHF p anova PSG normal OSA normal OSA CSA Number 13 14 13 14 27 PCWP na na 13±4 14±2 23±1 0.001 UNE 12±2 19±4 24±2 23±3 43±5 0.004 In CHF with CSA, UNE correlated with PCWP (r =0.45, p =0.047). Conclusions: UNE and PCWP are significantly elevated in CHF patients with CSA, and approximately twice that seen in CHF with and without OSA. As UNE and PCWP correlate closely, this suggests that both are related to the pathogenesis of CSA in CHF through the effect of sympathetic activation.
Assembly and integration of semiconductor nanowires for functional nanosystems (2010)

Central to the bottom-up paradigm of nanoscience, which could lead to entirely new and highly integrated functional nanosystems, is the development of effective assembly methods that enable hierarchical organization of nanoscale building blocks over large areas. Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) represent one of the most powerful and versatile classes of synthetically tunable nanoscale building blocks for studies of the fundamental physical properties of nanostructures and the assembly of a wide range of functional nanoscale systems. In this article, we review several key advances in the recent development of general assembly approaches for organizing semiconductor NW building blocks into designed architectures, and the further integration of ordered structures to construct functional NW device arrays. We first introduce a series of rational assembly strategies to organize NWs into hierarchically ordered structures, with a focus on the blown bubble film (BBF) technique and chemically driven assembly. Next, we discuss significant advances in building integrated nano-electronic systems based on the reproducible assembly of scalable NW crossbar arrays, such as high-density memory arrays and logic structures. Lastly, we describe unique applications of assembled NW device arrays for studying functional nanoelectronic–biological interfaces by building well-defined NW-cell/tissue hybrid junctions, including the highly integrated NW–neuron interface and the multiplexed, flexible NW–heart tissue interface.
Applying example-based error correction selectively (2004)

This paper presents a supervised approach to combining detection and correction of speech recognition errors. For each word in a recognition result, our example-based correction algorithm generates a correction candidate by aligning the recognition result and an example sentence in the corpus. The distance between the aligned sentences is regarded as the reliability of the candidate. Then, an SVM (support vector machine) classifier judges whether the correction candidate should chosen by referring to the reliability score of the candidate and multiple confidence measures that are obtained from the recognition result. Experiments carried out on a travel task corpus have shown that the proposed approach achieved a 20 % reduction (from 10 % to 8 % absolute) in WER.
Pappa2 is linked to salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl S rats (2015)

A 1.37 Mbp region of chromosome 13 previously identified by exclusion mapping was consistently associated with a reduction of salt-induced hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. This region contained five genes that were introgressed from the salt-insensitive Brown Norway (BN) rat. The goal of the present study was to further narrow that region to identify the gene(s) most likely to protect from salt-induced hypertension. The studies yielded a subcongenic SS rat strain containing a 0.71 Mbp insert from BN (26-P strain) in which salt-induced hypertension was reduced by 24 mmHg. The region contained two protein-coding genes (Astn1 and Pappa2) and a microRNA (miR-488). Pappa2 mRNA in the renal cortex of the protected 26-P was 6- to 10-fold greater than in SS fed a 0.4% NaCl diet but was reduced to levels observed in SS when fed 8.0% NaCl diet for 7 days. Compared with brain nuclei (NTS, RVLM, CVLM) and the adrenal gland, Pappa2 in the renal cortex was the only gene found to be differentially expressed between SS and 26-P and that responded to changes of salt diet. Immunohistochemistry studies found Pappa2 localized in the cytosol of the epithelial cells of the cortical thick ascending limbs. In more distal segments of the renal tubules, it was observed within tubular lumens and most notably bound to the apical membranes of the intercalated cells of collecting ducts. We conclude that we have identified a variant form of Pappa2 that can protect against salt-induced hypertension in the Dahl S rat.
Ultrasonic electrodeposition of silver nanoparticles on dielectric silica spheres (2007)

In the present study, a facile and one-step ultrasonic electrodeposition method is first applied to controllably coat colloidal silica spheres with silver nanoparticles. This method is additive-free and very direct, because processes necessary in many other approaches, such as pretreatment of the silica sphere surface and pre-preparation of silver nanoparticles, are not involved in it. Furthermore, it makes possible the coating of dielectric substrates with metal through an electrodeposition route. Under appropriate conditions, silver nanoparticles with sizes of 8–10 nm in diameter can be relatively homogeneously deposited onto the surface of preformed colloidal silica spheres. Silver particles with different sizes and dispersive uniformity on silica sphere surfaces can also be obtained by adjusting the current density (I), the concentration of electrolyte (C) and the electrolysis time (t). The possible ultrasonic electrodeposition mechanism is also suggested according to the experimental results.
Two-phase multi-swarm PSO and the dynamic vehicle routing problem (2014)

In this paper a new 2-phase multi-swarm Particle Swarm Optimization approach to solving Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem is proposed and compared with our previous single-swarm approach and with the PSO-based method proposed by other authors. Furthermore, several evaluation functions and problem encodings are proposed and experimentally verified on a set of standard benchmark sets. For a cut-off time set in the middle of a day our method found new best-literature results for 17 out of 21 tested problem instances.
Review of immediate-release omeprazole for the treatment of gastric acid-related disorders (2005)

Immediate-release omeprazole (Zegerid, Santarus) is the first immediate-release oral proton pump inhibitor to reach the market. As a powder formulation for oral suspension, it is indicated for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, erosive oesophagitis, duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer, and is the only proton pump inhibitor approved for the reduction of risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill patients. Administration of immediate-release omeprazole at bedtime results in a rapid and sustained elevation of gastric pH, and seems to provide better night time control of gastric acidity than that observed with conventional morning dosing of delayed-release proton pump inhibitors. The immediate-release formulation may provide a good treatment option for patients who require flexible dosing, quick onset of action and nocturnal gastric acid control.
Lead(II) Complex Formation with Glutathione (2012)

A structural investigation of complexes formed between the Pb(2+) ion and glutathione (GSH, denoted AH(3) in its triprotonated form), the most abundant nonprotein thiol in biological systems, was carried out for a series of aqueous solutions at pH 8.5 and C(Pb(2+)) = 10 mM and in the solid state. The Pb L(III)-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) oscillation for a solid compound with the empirical formula [Pb(AH(2))]ClO(4) was modeled with one Pb-S and two short Pb-O bond distances at 2.64 ± 0.04 and 2.28 ± 0.04 Å, respectively. In addition, Pb···Pb interactions at 4.15 ± 0.05 Å indicate dimeric species in a network where the thiolate group forms an asymmetrical bridge between two Pb(2+) ions. In aqueous solution at the mole ratio GSH/Pb(II) = 2.0 (C(Pb(2+)) = 10 mM, pH 8.5), lead(II) complexes with two thiolate ligands form, characterized by a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer band (LMCT) S(-) → Pb(2+) at 317 nm in the UV-vis spectrum and mean Pb-S and Pb-(N/O) bond distances of 2.65 ± 0.04 and 2.51 ± 0.04 Å, respectively, from a Pb L(III)-edge EXAFS spectrum. For solutions with higher mole ratios, GSH/Pb(II) ≥ 3.0, electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy spectra identified a triglutathionyllead(II) complex, for which Pb L(III)-edge EXAFS spectroscopy shows a mean Pb-S distance of 2.65 ± 0.04 Å in PbS(3) coordination, (207)Pb NMR spectroscopy displays a chemical shift of 2793 ppm, and in the UV-vis spectrum, an S(-) → Pb(2+) LMCT band appears at 335 nm. The complex persists at high excess of GSH and also at ∼25 K in frozen glycerol (33%)/water glasses for GSH/Pb(II) mole ratios from 4.0 to 10 (C(Pb(2+)) = 10 mM) measured by Pb L(III)-edge EXAFS spectroscopy.
Papel soporte de Barberán (2000)

Social isolation (SI) is a common phenomenon in the modern world, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and causes lasting cognitive impairments and mental disorders. However, it is still unclear how SI alters molecules in the brain and induces behavioural dysfunctions. Here, we report that SI impairs cognitive function and induces depressive-like behaviours in C57BL/6 J mice, in addition to impairing synaptic plasticity and increasing the levels of APP cleavage-related enzymes, thereby promoting Aβ production. Moreover, we show that in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, SI accelerates pathological changes and behavioural deficits. Interestingly, downregulation of the expression of the BACE1 attenuates SI-induced Aβ toxicity and synaptic dysfunction. Furthermore, early intervention with BACE1 shRNA blocks SI-induced cognitive impairments. Together, our data strongly suggest that SI-induced upregulation of BACE1 expression mediates Aβ toxicity and induces behavioural deficits. Down-regulation of BACE1 may be a promising strategy for preventing SI-induced cognitive impairments.
DDB Accumulates at DNA Damage Sites Immediately after UV Irradiation and Directly Stimulates Nucleotide Excision Repair (2002)

Damaged DNA-binding protein, DDB, is a heterodimer of p127 and p48 with a high specificity for binding to several types of DNA damage. Mutations in the p48 gene that cause the loss of DDB activity were found in a subset of xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group E (XP-E) patients and have linked to the deficiency in global genomic repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in these cells. Here we show that with a highly defined system of purified repair factors, DDB can greatly stimulate the excision reaction reconstituted with XPA, RPA, XPC.HR23B, TFIIH, XPF.ERCC1 and XPG, up to 17-fold for CPDs and approximately 2-fold for (6-4) photoproducts (6-4PPs), indicating that no additional factor is required for the stimulation by DDB. Transfection of the p48 cDNA into an SV40-transformed human cell line, WI38VA13, was found to enhance DDB activity and the in vivo removal of CPDs and 6-4PPs. Furthermore, the combined technique of recently developed micropore UV irradiation and immunostaining revealed that p48 (probably in the form of DDB heterodimer) accumulates at locally damaged DNA sites immediately after UV irradiation, and this accumulation is also observed in XP-A and XP-C cells expressing exogenous p48. These results suggest that DDB can rapidly translocate to the damaged DNA sites independent of functional XPA and XPC proteins and directly enhance the excision reaction by core repair factors.
Recent issues in contrast‐induced nephropathy (2011)

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication resulting from the use of iodinated contrast medium (CM) with potentially high morbidity and mortality. Patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency appear to be at higher risk of CIN. To prevent CIN among patients undergoing contrast-enhanced computed tomography, every effort is required, including routine identification of at-risk patients, the use of appropriate hydration regimens, withdrawal of nephrotoxic drugs, selection of low-osmolality CM or iso-osmolar CM, and using the minimum volume of CM possible.
Sequencing of peptides containing alanine, asparagine, histidine, isoleucine and tryptophan by partial methanolysis and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (1991)

Five peptides containing the amino acids alanine, asparagine, histidine, isoleucine and tryptophan were investigated by partial methanolysis and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry in order to examine the behaviour of these amino acid residues under the conditions employed in the methanolytic step. The results obtained confirm that partial methanolysis prior to mass analysis increases considerably the content of sequence information in the mass spectra and that no secondary reactions occur in the residues of the amino acids now investigated, with the exception of the esterification of the glutamic acid carboxyl group and partial conversion of the asparagine amide group in the corresponding methyl ester.
Complete complementary codes and generalized reed-muller codes (2008)

Due to ideal autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties, complete complementary codes (CCCs) can be employed in CDMA systems to eliminate the multiple-access interference. In this letter, we propose a direct general construction of CCCs from cosets of the first-order Reed-Muller codes, which includes previous results as a special case. The larger number of CCCs constructed by our method can provide advantages in applications to cellular CDMA systems.
Interfacing optical fibers with plasmonic nanoconcentrators (2018)

Abstract The concentration of light to deep‐subwavelength dimensions plays a key role in nanophotonics and has the potential to bring major breakthroughs in fields demanding to understand and initiate interaction on nanoscale dimensions, including molecular disease diagnostics, DNA sequencing, single nanoparticle manipulation and characterization, and semiconductor inspection. Although planar metallic nanostructures provide a pathway to nanoconcentration of electromagnetic fields, the delivery/collection of light to/from such plasmonic nanostructures is often inefficient, narrow‐band, and requires complicated excitations schemes, limiting widespread applications. Moreover, planar photonic devices reveal a reduced flexibility in terms of bringing the probe light to the sample. An ideal photonic‐plasmonic device should combine (i) a high spatial resolution at the nanometre level beyond to what is state‐of‐the‐art in near‐field microscopy with (ii) flexible optical fibers to promote a straightforward integration into current near‐field scanning microscopes. Here, we review the recent development and main achievements of nanoconcentrators interfacing optical fibers at their end‐faces that reach entirely monolithic designs, including campanile probes, gold‐coated fiber‐taper nanotips, and fiber‐integrated gold nanowires.
Hydrophobic Domains of Human Tropoelastin Interact in a Context-dependent Manner (2001)

Tropoelastin is the soluble precursor of elastin, the major component of the extracellular elastic fiber. Tropoelastin undergoes self-association via an inverse temperature transition termed coacervation, which is a crucial step in elastogenesis. Coacervation of tropoelastin takes place through multiple intermolecular interactions of its hydrophobic domains. Previous work has implicated those hydrophobic domains located near the center of the polypeptide as playing a dominant role in coacervation. Short constructs of domains 18, 20, 24, and a mutated form of domain 26 were largely disordered at 20 degrees C but displayed increased order on heating that was consistent with the formation of beta-structures. However, their conformational transitions were not sensitive to physiological temperature in contrast to the observed behavior of the native domain 26. A polypeptide consisting of domains 17-27 of tropoelastin coacervated at temperatures above 60 degrees C, whereas individually expressed hydrophobic regions were not capable of coacervation. We conclude that coacervation depends on the hydrophobicity of the molecule and, by inference, the number of hydrophobic domains. Tropoelastin mutants were constructed to contain a Pro --> Ala mutation in domain 26, separate deletions of domains 18 and 26, and a displacement of domain 26. These constructs displayed unequal capacities for coacervation, even when they contained the same number of hydrophobic regions and comparable levels of secondary structure. Thus, the capability for coacervation is determined by contributions from individual hydrophobic domains for which function should be considered in the context of their positions in the intact tropoelastin molecule.
Activation of NF-κB in Virus-Infected Macrophages Is Dependent on Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Intracellular Calcium: Downstream Involvement of the Kinases TGF-β-Activated Kinase 1, Mitogen-Activated Kinase/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Kinase 1, and IκB Kinase (2003)

Efficient clearance of virus infections depends on the nature of the host response raised by the infected organism. A proinflammatory cell-mediated immune response is important for elimination of many viruses, including herpesviruses. Macrophages are intimately involved in generation of a proinflammatory response, the initiation of which involves activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. However, the mechanisms of HSV-induced NF-kappaB activation are poorly understood. In this study we demonstrate that activation of NF-kappaB by HSV in macrophages is dependent on a functional viral genome and proceeds through a mechanism involving the cellular IkappaB kinase, as well as the upstream kinases TGF-beta-activated kinase 1, mitogen-activated kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1, and possibly NF-kappaB-inducing kinase. Furthermore, we show that HSV triggers NF-kappaB activation by a signaling pathway involving oxidative stress in mitochondria and intracellular calcium, because specific inhibition of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen intermediates, as well as mitochondrial calcium channels, prevented NF-kappaB activation. Together, these results point to mitochondria as cellular checkpoints able to initiate NF-kappaB activation after virus infection and also show that the cellular NF-kappaB-regulating kinases IkappaB kinase, TGF-beta-activated kinase 1, mitogen-activated kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1, and possibly NF-kappaB-inducing kinase, are essential components in the HSV-induced signaling pathway.