gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic studies of anticancer aptamer AS1411 reveal a novel role for nucleolin in regulating Rac1 activation (2015)

AS1411 is a G-rich quadruplex-forming oligodeoxynucleotide that binds specifically to nucleolin, a protein found on the surface and in the cytoplasm of most malignant cells but absent from the surface/cytoplasm of most normal cells. AS1411 has shown promising clinical activity and is being widely used as a tumor-targeting agent, but its mechanism of action is not fully understood. Previously, we showed that AS1411 is taken up in cancer cells by macropinocytosis (fluid phase endocytosis) and subsequently stimulates further macropinocytosis by a nucleolin-dependent mechanism. In the current study, we have investigated the significance and molecular mechanisms of AS1411-induced macropinocytosis. Our results indicate that the antiproliferative activity of AS1411 in various cell lines correlated with its capacity to stimulate macropinocytosis. In DU145 prostate cancer cells, AS1411 induced activation of EGFR, Akt, p38, and Rac1. Activation of Akt and p38 were not critical for AS1411 activity because Akt activation was not observed in all AS1411-responsive cell lines and knockdown of p38 had no effect on AS1411's ability to inhibit proliferation. On the other hand, activation of EGFR and Rac1 appeared to play a role in AS1411 activity in all cancer cell lines examined (DU145, MDA-MB-468, A549, LNCaP) and their inhibition significantly reduced AS1411-mediated macropinocytosis and AS1411 antiproliferative activity. Interestingly, downregulation of nucleolin expression by siRNA also produced a substantial increase in activated Rac1, revealing a previously unknown role for nucleolin as a negative regulator of Rac1 activation. Our results are consistent with a model whereby AS1411 binding to nucleolin leads to sustained activation of Rac1 and causes methuosis, a novel type of nonapoptotic cell death characterized by hyperstimulation of macropinocytosis. We speculate that methuosis is a tumor/metastasis suppressor mechanism that opposes the malignant functions of Rac1 and that cancer cells may overexpress nucleolin to surmount this barrier.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) in astrocytes: Another source of nitric oxide in neocortex (1999)

The distribution of the endothelial form of nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) was examined in the visual cortex of three species of primate and in the rat using immunocytochemistry. Labeled cells were found in both the gray and white matter. These cells were stellate in appearance and labeled cell processes were seen contacting blood vessels or the pia, suggesting that, by morphological criteria, the cells were astrocytes. All eNOS positive cells were double labeled with an antibody against S100beta. Although all cells were double labeled in the white matter, in the gray matter, some S100beta positive cells did not contain detectable levels of eNOS. eNOS positive astrocytic processes appeared to form prominent and distinctive structures next to neurons, especially in cortical layer IIIC. We postulate that these eNOS-positive structures form astrocytic perisynaptic sheaths on neuronal somas in the cortex. If this is true, then nitric oxide can influence neuronal transmission directly at axosomatic synapses in the cortex. In addition, the presence of eNOS in astrocytes and in their processes that contact blood vessels suggests that the link between local cortical activity and changes in cerebral blood flow could be mediated by astrocytic release of nitric oxide.
New Prostacyclin Analogues (1980)

The highly active prostacyclin (1) cannot be used therapeutically owing to its extremely short half-life (only 3 min in water at 37°C pH 7.5). Methyl esters of the three analogues having the partial structure (2), X = O,S, and NH, have now been synthesized from an industrially available starting compound. The analogues exhibit interesting biological properties.
Gadolinium- and 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Protoporphyrin IX Levels in Human Gliomas: An Ex Vivo Quantitative Study to Correlate Protoporphyrin IX Levels and Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown (2012)

In recent years, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence guidance has been used as a surgical adjunct to improve the extent of resection of gliomas. Exogenous administration of ALA before surgery leads to the accumulation of red fluorescent PpIX in tumor tissue that the surgeon can visualize and thereby discriminate between normal and tumor tissue. Selective accumulation of PpIX has been linked to numerous factors, of which blood-brain barrier breakdown has been suggested to be a key factor. To test the hypothesis that PpIX concentration positively correlates with gadolinium (Gd) concentrations, we performed ex vivo measurements of PpIX and of Gd using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the latter as a quantitative biomarker of blood-brain barrier breakdown; this was corroborated with immunohistochemistry of microvascular density in surgical biopsies of patients undergoing fluorescence-guided surgery for glioma. We found positive correlations between PpIX concentration and Gd concentration (r = 0.58, p < 0.0001) and between PpIX concentration and microvascular density (r = 0.55, p < 0.0001), suggesting a significant, yet limited, association between blood-brain barrier breakdown and ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence. To our knowledge, this is the first time that Gd measurements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry have been used in human gliomas.
Extravascular extravasation of fluid as a complication of central venous lines in the neonate. (1996)

The use of central venous lines in neonatal intensive care is widespread. We report a series of 11 infants in whom extravasation of fluid developed presumably as a result of the central line. There were six cases of pericardial effusion with a 67% mortality rate and five cases of pleural effusion with no mortality, for a total extravasation incidence of 1.1% for central lines placed during a 5-year period. The highest incidence of effusion occurred with polyethylene catheters, but all types of catheters resulted in effusion. This report emphasizes the serious morbidity and mortality of these complications of central venous lines.
Chronic Jet Lag Produces Cognitive Deficits (2000)

Traveling across time zones causes disruption to the normal circadian rhythms and social schedules because of travelers' shift in time. As the endogenous circadian timing system adapts slowly to new time cues, the phase relationship between biological rhythms and external time cues are out of synchronization for a period of time. This disturbance of circadian rhythms has been shown to impair physical and psychological health (Winget et al., 1984). To test the effects of repeated jet lag on mental abilities, airline cabin crew were compared with ground crew. Salivary cortisol was used as a physiological marker for circadian disruption. The cabin crew group, who had a history of repeated jet lag, had significantly higher salivary cortisol levels in an average working day. In addition, this elevated level of cortisol was only seen in the same subjects when the cabin crew were on transmeridian flights but not domestic flights. Cabin crew also exhibited cognitive deficits, possibly in working memory, that became apparent after several years of chronic disruption of circadian rhythms.
An efficient solution method for finite element ring‐rolling simulation (2000)

Finite element ring-rolling simulation gives rise to poor conditioned non-linear equations that require repeated solution. The associated computational costs are extreme making analysis impracticable in industry. This paper is concerned with a solution strategy that addresses this problem and involves the combined use of an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation and a successive preconditioned conjugate gradient method (SPCGM). This approach, coupled to a finite element flow formulation, is shown to offer considerable computational savings. Through the combined use of the ALE flow formulation and the SPCGM the stability and condition of the non-linear systems is enhanced. This purely iterative approach takes advantage of the slowly evolving velocity field and the self-preconditioning offered by the SPCGM. The performance of the solver is compared against well-known alternatives for varying problem sizes. The approach is shown to be generic but in particular makes ring-rolling simulation a more practicable proposition. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Remote Sensing of Coastal Plumes and Ocean Fronts: Overview and Case Study (2011)

Coastal plumes, which carry run-off from land, influence the circulation patterns and ecology of nearby coastal areas, causing eutrophication, turbidity, and spread of harmful pollutants. They can be observed along many coasts. Estuarine and ocean fronts result when denser water under-rides lighter water giving rise to an inclined interface and a strong convergence at the surface, which can concentrate phytoplankton and pollutants. To detect and map fronts and plumes, remote sensors exploit their differences in turbidity, color, temperature, or salinity from ambient background water. The most effective remote sensing techniques for observing coastal plumes and estuarine/ocean fronts are reviewed. Studies are presented, which use data from multispectral and hyperspectral imagers, thermal infrared (TIR) radiometers, microwave radiometers, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Mounted on satellites and aircraft, these sensors provide the spatial/temporal resolution and coverage needed for tracking plumes and fronts, including their high temporal and spatial variability. This article reviews the most effective remote sensing techniques for observing coastal plumes and ocean fronts and illustrates the application of these techniques in a case study.
Novel Wi-Fi Throughput Estimation Method Considering CSMA/CA Behavior (2012)

Wi-Fi is one of the solutions to overcome the explosion of mobile data traffic and improvement of Wi-Fi performance intensifies the cellular data offload to Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi AP (Access Point) selection at the STA (STAtion) is a key function to improve Wi-Fi throughput. Our proposed method is practical for the AP selection. If an STA can know the throughputs between the STA and surrounding APs before exchanging Wi-Fi packets with an AP, the STA can select the optimum AP that promises high throughput. In this paper, we focus on a throughput estimation method that is applicable to AP selection, and discuss the accuracy of the estimated throughput. We propose a novel Wi-Fi throughput estimation method with passive measurement and without modification for the Wi-Fi standard. The proposed method consists of three stages: measurement of the time ratio used by each Wi-Fi device, selection of dominant Wi-Fi devices and calculation of estimated throughout. Our proposed method considers the influence of CSMA/CA that affects Wi-Fi throughput that changes based on the number of Wi-Fi devices sharing the same frequency band and the traffic load of each device. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method by experiments (estimated before communication) and compare the estimated throughput and the actual throughput (measured during communication) in certain environments. The proposed method is effective for estimating Wi-Fi throughput. The RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) of the proposed method decreases to 29~33% that of conventional methods. Estimated throughput with our proposed method is always higher than measured throughput. Therefore, modification of the proposed method to decrease the difference between the estimated and measured value is a subject for future study. As some systems influence Wi-Fi, considering these influences in a throughput estimation process is also recommended.
The Treatment of Disabling Multilevel Lumbar Discogenic Low Back Pain With Total Disc Arthroplasty Utilizing the ProDisc Prosthesis (2005)

Our preliminary data on multisegmental ProDisc lumbar total disc arthroplasty appear to be a safe and efficacious treatment method for debilitating lumbar spondylosis without significant facet arthropathy. In our select (non-Workers Compensation and/or medical legal) cohort of patients, we demonstrate a patient satisfaction rate of 93%. Careful and appropriate patient selection is essential in ensuring optimal surgical outcomes.
NOVEL OXIDATION OF PHENOLS TO QUINONES BY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF COBALT(II) AND MANGANESE(II) ACETATE (2015)

Hydrogen peroxide readily oxidizes phenols to the corresponding quinones in the presence of cobalt(II) acetate or manganese(II) acetate as catalyst.
[Heparin cofactor II (HCII) activity and antigen assay and their significance in thrombotic diseases]. (2003)

Plasma HCII deficiency may not be the risk factor for arterial thrombosis in the Han population of Hunan Chinese. It is needed to further confirm if decreased plasma HCII is correlated with venous thrombosis.
Utilising a simulation platform to understand the effect of domain model assumptions (2014)

Computational and mathematical modelling approaches are increasingly being adopted in attempts to further our understanding of complex biological systems. This approach can be subjected to strong criticism as substantial aspects of the biological system being captured are not currently known, meaning assumptions need to be made that could have a critical impact on simulation response. We have utilised the CoSMoS process in the development of an agent-based simulation of the formation of Peyer's patches (PP), gut-associated lymphoid organs that have a key role in the initiation of adaptive immune responses to infection. Although the use of genetic tools, imaging technologies and ex vivo culture systems has provided significant insight into the cellular components and associated pathways involved in PP development, interesting questions remain that cannot be addressed using these approaches, and as such well justified assumptions have been introduced into our model to counter this. Here we focus not on the development of the model itself, but instead demonstrate how the resultant simulation can be used to assess how these assumptions impact the simulation response. For example, we consider the impact of our assumption that the migration rate of lymphoid tissue cells into the gut remains constant throughout PP development. We demonstrate that an analysis of the assumptions made in the construction of the domain model may either increase confidence in the model as a representation of the biological system it captures, or may suggest areas where further biological experimentation is required.
Framework for indoor video-based augumented reality applications (2008)

Augmented Reality (AR) has been proven to be useful in many fields such as medical surgery, military training, engineering design, tourist guiding, manufacturing and maintenance. Several AR systems and tracking tools have been reviewed and examined. Taking into consideration the different shortcomings of the available AR systems, a framework for indoor video-based AR applications is proposed to integrate four main components of AR applications, which are large scale virtual environment, mobile devices, interaction methods and video-tracking, in one system. The proposed framework benefits from the rapidly evolving technology in virtual modeling by combing GIS maps and 3D virtual models of cities and building interiors in one single platform. Interaction methods for AR applications are introduced, such as the automatic 3D picking which allows for a location-based data access. In addition, a practical method is proposed for the configuration and the deployment of video tracking. This method makes use of the XML mark-up language to allow for future extensions and simplified interchangeability. An implementation of the proposed approach is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework. Different case studies are carried out to validate the applicability of the system and identify its benefits and limitations.
Volume and iron content in basal ganglia and thalamus (2009)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have highlighted the possibility to investigate brain iron content in vivo. In this study, we combined T2* relaxometry and automatic segmentation of basal ganglia based on T1-weighted images in healthy subjects, with the aim of characterizing age related changes in volume and iron-related relaxivity values (R2*) of these structures. Thirty healthy subjects underwent MR imaging at 3 Tesla. Mean R2* values and volumes were calculated for the selected subcortical structures (pallidum, putamen, thalamus and caudate nucleus). Our results showed a correlation between R2* values and iron concentration as calculated from published post-mortem data. Furthermore, we observed a shrinkage/iron increase with a different pattern in the anatomical regions selected in this work, suggesting that the age-related changes on these MR parameters are specific to the subcortical structure considered. In particular, the putamen demonstrated a decrease of volume and an increase of iron level, with the posterior region of this structure appearing more disposed to iron deposition. Our work suggests that combining volumetry and iron estimation in MRI permits to investigate in vivo neurophysiological and neuropathological changes of basal ganglia.
Photosensitized Lysis of Egg Lecithin Liposomes by L-Tryptophan and N-Acetylphenylalanyl-L-Tryptophan (1986)

The photosensitized lysis of egg lecithin lipid membranes (liposomes) have been performed to UV-B light (270-320 nm) by L-tryptophan(L-Trp) and its peptide such as N-acetylphenylalanyl-L-tryptophan(NAPT) incorporated in the liposomes(ca. 0.1% by weight) or in the external buffer (0.1-0.3 mM). Requirement of oxygenation suggests that the lysis of liposomes is caused by the photosensitized oxidation of lipids. There was significant protection against lysis photosensitized by Trp in the external buffer by low concentration of ferricyanide (0.8 mM), but there was no effect on the lytic efficiency by which is singlet oxygen() quencher, indicative of an electron transfer mechanism involved in the photosensitization. The small change of the lytic efficiency with increasing pH from 4 to 9 was interpreted by large target theory and subsequently indicates that superoxide() may be an active intermediate for the oxidation. The efficiency of photosensitization of Trp was higher than that of NAPT under the same experimental condition. The weak lytic efficiency of liposomes photosensitized by NAPT was enhanced by incorporating NAPT in liposomes, but it was again quenched by -carotene incorporated in the bilayer of liposomes. These results indicate that a portion of liposome lysis may be due to formation from the excited NAPT.
LA RÉACTION DU SULFURE DE BORE AVEC LES ALCOOLS (1964)

not available
Trapping and release of giant unilamellar vesicles in microfluidic wells (2014)

We describe the trapping and release of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in a thin and wide microfluidic channel, as they cross indentations etched in the channel ceiling. This trapping results from the reduction of the membrane elastic energy, which is stored in the GUV as it squeezes to enter into the thin channel. We demonstrate that GUVs whose diameter is slightly larger than the channel height can be trapped and that they can be untrapped by flowing the outer fluid beyond a critical velocity. GUVs smaller than the channel height flow undisturbed while those much larger cannot squeeze into the thin regions. Within the range that allows trapping, larger GUVs are anchored more strongly than smaller GUVs. The ability to trap vesicles provides optical access to the GUVs for extended periods of time; this allows the observation of recirculation flows on the surface of the GUVs, in the forward direction near the mid-plane of the channel and in the reverse direction elsewhere. We also obtain the shape of GUVs under different flow conditions through confocal microscopy. This geometric information is used to derive a mechanical model of the force balance that equates the viscous effects from the outer flow with the elastic effects based on the variation of the membrane stretching energy. This model yields good agreement with the experimental data when values of the stretching moduli are taken from the scientific literature. This microfluidic approach provides a new way of storing a large number of GUVs at specific locations, with or without the presence of an outer flow. As such, it constitutes a high-throughput alternative to micropipette manipulation of individual GUVs for chemical or biological applications.
Clusters of sedimenting high-Reynolds-number particles (2009)

We report experiments wherein groups of particles were allowed to sediment in an otherwise quiescent fluid contained in a large tank. The Reynolds number of the particles, defined as Re = aU /ν, ranged from 93 to 425; here, a is the radius of the spherical particle, U its settling velocity and ν the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. The characteristic size of a cluster, in a plane transverse to gravity, was measured by a ‘cluster variance’(〈 r 2 t 〉); the latter is defined as the mean square of the transverse coordinates of all constituent particles, averaged over a series of runs. The cluster variance, when plotted as a function of time, exhibited two regimes. There was a quadratic growth in the variance at short times(〈 r 2 t 〉 ∝ t 2 ), while for long times, the cluster variance exhibited a slower sublinear growth with 〈 r 2 t 〉 ∝ t 0.67 . A theory, based on isotropic repulsive hydrodynamic interactions between particles, predicts the cluster variance to grow as t 2/3 in the limit of long times. The theoretical framework was originally proposed to describe the long-time self-similar evolution of dilute clusters in the limit Re ≪ 1 Subramanian & Koch ( J. Fluid Mech. , vol. 603, 2008, p. 63), when the probability of wake-mediated interactions between particles remains asymptotically small; the latter requirement is satisfied for homogeneous spherical clusters larger than a critical radius, and is evidently satisfied for planar clusters oriented transversely to gravity. The isotropy of the interactions therefore stems from the isotropy, at large distances, of the disturbance velocity field produced by a single sedimenting particle outside its wake(which contains the compensating inflow to satisfy mass conservation). Herein, the theory is extended to large Re using an empirical correlation for the drag on a sedimenting particle. This allows one to predict, as a function of Re , the numerical prefactors in the expressions for the cluster variance of both spherical and planar clusters; the predictions for the growth exponent remain unchanged. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental growth exponents supports the hypothesis of a self-similar expansion at long times. The prefactor determined from the experimental observations is found to lie between the theoretical predictions for planar and spherical clusters.
Gastroduodenal tolerability of lumiracoxib vs. placebo and naproxen: a pilot endoscopic study in healthy male subjects (2003)

Multiple doses of lumiracoxib resulted in gastroduodenal tolerability similar to placebo and superior to naproxen.