gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Activity of a Novel Cyclic Lipopeptide, CB-183,315, against Resistant Clostridium difficile and Other Gram-Positive Aerobic and Anaerobic Intestinal Pathogens (2012)

We evaluated the activity of CB-183,315 against Clostridium difficile, including strains that are resistant to fluoroquinolones and metronidazole and with elevated MICs to vancomycin as well as other Gram-positive intestinal pathogens. The MICs of CB-183,315 against all C. difficile isolates were ≤ 1 μg/ml. CB-183,315 had greater activity than vancomycin and metronidazole against C. difficile isolates and was more active than the comparators against vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). CB-183,315 also had excellent activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), other Clostridium spp., and Peptostreptococcus spp.
Real time resistivity measurements during sputter deposition of ultrathin copper films (2002)

Measurements of the electrical resistivity of thin copper films sputtered onto silicon dioxide, in real time, are reported. The electrical resistivity is shown to strongly depend on the film’s thickness for thicknesses below the bulk mean free path of copper (39 nm). Model fits to the electrical resistivity combined with ex situ atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy suggest that the average grain size plays a dominant role in the resistivity during growth. Furthermore, observations are made on the relaxation of the electrical resistivity after the growth (by sputtering) is terminated, at room temperature. Both the magnitude and the time scale of change in the electrical resistivity are observed to be a function of the film’s thickness.
Research Marked elevations in N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide levels in septic shock (2004)

Introduction N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a cardiac biomarker that has recently shown to be of diagnostic value in a diagnosis of decompensated heart failure, acute coronary syndromes and other conditions resulting in myocardial stretch. We sought to study whether sepsisinduced myocardial dilation would result in an elevation of NT-proBNP. Method Serum NT-proBNP measurements were made in six consecutive patients with septic shock within 6 hours of admission to the intensive care unit. Results Markedly elevated levels of NT-proBNP were found in all six patients. Conclusions NT-proBNP levels can be markedly elevated in critically ill patients presenting with septic shock. An elevated NT-proBNP level in a critically ill patient is not specific for decompensated heart failure.
Tunable Patch Antenna Printed on a Biased Nematic Liquid Crystal Cell (2014)

A nematic liquid crystal (N-LC) cell is used as a substrate to a microstrip patch antenna in order to control its resonant frequency through the use of a DC or low-frequency AC bias voltage. The dielectric tensor properties of the liquid crystal (LC) are dependent on the orientation of the LC molecules, called the directors. The directors' tilt angle is controlled by the amplitude of an externally applied electric field. A finite-difference (FD) scheme with relaxation is formulated in order to solve the highly nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) that models the directors' tilt angle in the LC. The problem of solving for the directors' field is coupled to an electrostatic boundary value problem (BVP) in a nonhomogeneous anisotropic medium. The orientation of the directors determines the constitutive parameters of the material. The HFSS is then utilized to obtain the radiation characteristics of the antenna under various bias conditions. Comparisons with measurements are provided in order to validate the proposed numerical approach and illustrate the potential use of LC's as tunable materials in microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies.
New Synthetic Technology for the Construction of N-Containing Quinones and Derivatives Thereof: Total Synthesis of Epoxyquinomycin B (2001)

A mechanistically inspired tandom Dess–Martin periodinane (DMP) induced oxidation sequence converts anilides into N-substituted p-quinones or o-azaquinones depending on the aromatic nucleus substitution. The application of this technology resulted in an expedient total synthesis of the potent anti-arthritic agent epoxyquinomycin B (see picture).
Lack of knowledge in health professionals: a barrier to providing information to patients? (1994)

Lack of knowledge and greater clinical experience seem to be important barriers to providing patients with information about prenatal screening tests.
Mining the neural code of a guinea pig auditory cortex (2002)

One primary objective of mining the brain is to learn the inner workings of the mind and how external events become internal perceptions. But to mine the brain also means to mine the continuous network of neural signals that transcend across billions of its neurons. Advances in the past several decades in computational neuroscience have provided fundamental clues into understanding brain processes in relation to memory, movement, and sensory perception. We analyze the responses of a population of neurons recorded simultaneously in guinea pig auditory cortex while various sound stimuli are presented in the free field. By mining the responses of auditory neurons in the awake animal to different acoustic stimuli, we hope to address a few key questions. 1) Do the neurons respond in specific ways to particular features of the stimuli? 2) Is there a clear relation between groups of neurons and a specific sound stimulus? 3) How many neurons are needed to decode the stimuli? 4) What are the optimum algorithms to interpret the neural responses? 5) How much pre-processing is necessary to account for missing data, noise, and high levels of variability of neural responses even to similar stimuli? We first introduce techniques that are used to transform the original data set from spike times to identifiable signal waveforms for discrimination analysis. We then demonstrate the level of complexity of the problem by providing results obtained with template matching. Finally, the self-organizing map (SOM) is described as a promising technique that extracts the most relevant information from the complex data set.
Major clinical and histopathological characteristics of canine X-linked muscular dystrophy in Japan, CXMDJ. (2005)

Canine X-linked muscular dystrophy (CXMD), which was found in a colony of golden retriever, is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene and it is a useful model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To investigate the pathogenesis and to develop therapy of DMD, we have established a beagle-based CXMD colony in Japan (CXMDJ) and examined their phenotypes. The mortality by 3 days of age in the third generation (G3) of CXMDJ dogs, 32.3%, was considerably higher than that in normal G3 littermates, 13.3%. Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels of G3 CXMDJ were significantly higher than that of normal male dogs with two peaks: at shortly after birth and around 2 months of age. Diaphragm muscle involvement occurred shortly after birth and was more severe than that of limb muscles. Stress during whelping might be associated with the neonatal death and respiratory muscle involvement. Gait disturbance was also noticed after 2 months of age. The involvement of limb and temporal muscles was observed from 2 months of age, which corresponded with the second peak of serum CK. Macroglossia, dysphagia, drooling and jaw joint contracture were overt from 4 months of age. We noticed severe macroglossia and hypertrophy of the sublingual muscles at the age of 12 months, and these were important features of this model, because dysphagia is one of major symptoms in older DMD patients. Overall, the phenotypes of CXMDJ were roughly identical to those of CXMD dogs in the literature. Beagle-based CXMDJ is smaller and easier to handle than golden retriever, therefore they are a useful model for DMD.
Profile HMMs for sequence families (1998)

So far we have concentrated on the intrinsic properties of single sequences, such as CpG islands in DNA, or on pairwise alignment of sequences. However, functional biological sequences typically come in families, and many of the most powerful sequence analysis methods are based on identifying the relationship of an individual sequence to a sequence family. Sequences in a family will have diverged from each other in their primary sequence during evolution, having separated either by a duplication in the genome, or by speciation giving rise to corresponding sequences in related organisms. In either case they normally maintain the same or a related function. Therefore, identifying that a sequence belongs to a family, and aligning it to the other members, often allows inferences about its function.
Identifying Networks of Semantically-Similar Individuals from Public Discussion Forums (2010)

In identifying communities in the online environment most approaches consider as the basic tie that connects social actors together some form of direct contact, such as through communication. Other approaches use surrogates for direct ties including copresense, cooccurrence, or structural equivalence. In contrast, this paper focuses on semantic equivalence among social actors, regardless of their direct contact. In particular, to index semantic similarity, it measures the entire semantic network across the body of messages an individual produces and compares that network to another person's to index how similar they are. Then it uses this similarity coefficient as the social network tie for network analysis to identify communities of semantic practice. Semantic similarity has some unique value for theory and practice in automated social network analysis. To illustrate this approach, this research extracted all 10, 001 posts from a public discussion forum authored by 3, 272 individuals and represented each author's semantic network based on cooccurrences of all word pairs within three word positions. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for 5.36 million pairs of individuals using Quadratic Assignment Procedures (QAP). Authors sharing approximately 50% of their semantic networks numbered 22. Subsequent network analysis found that they constituted a single group in terms of a community of linguistic practice. A different forum was analyzed as a contrast. Applications of such a procedure can test hypotheses about semantic network similarity in relation to variations in communication frequency and modality More practical purposes would include finding persons of interest to add to a watch list.
Starting procedure of rotation sensorless PMSM at coasting condition for railway vehicle traction (2009)

Abstract This paper investigates the procedure for starting a rotation sensorless PMSM under coasting condition for railway vehicle traction. To achieve restarting, the initial rotor position and speed at restart are needed. The existing algorithm for estimation of the initial position and speed cannot be applied to railway vehicle traction because of the greater speed range and the longer current sampling time. We propose a novel method for estimation of the initial speed. The estimation method is verified experimentally to assure that it is suitable for application to the railway vehicle traction system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 169(2): 56–63, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20764
Evidence for Overlapping Active Sites for 17α-Ethynlestradiol and Bilirubin in the Human Major Bilirubin UDPglucuronosyltransferase (1996)

The human major bilirubin UDP glucuronosyltransferase (transferase), HUG-Brl, and its mutants were expressed in the COS-1 cells using cDNA-based pSVL expression units to generate isoforms for the comparison of relative activities with 17 alpha-ethynlestradiol (17 alpha-EE) and bilirubin, its natural substrate. In comparison to bilirubin, 17 alpha-EE was a good substrate for HUG-Br1 under typical assay conditions of pH 7.2, confirming published studies [Ebner, T., et al. (1993) Mol. Pharmacol. 43, 649-654]. It was further shown that the estrogen derivative is 1.2-2-fold more effective as a substrate at pH 6.4 than at pH 7.2. The km for 17 alpha-EE was 40 microM under both pH conditions, while the Vmax values were 400 and 200 pmol per hour per 300 micrograms of protein at pH 6.4 and 7.2, respectively. The pattern of glucuronidation was similar for both bilirubin and 17 alpha-EE. Previously, a ratio of 2-3-fold more activity for bilirubin glucuronidation at pH 6.4 versus 7.6 was established, and km values of 2.5 microM at both pH conditions were determined [Ritter, J.K., et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 23573-23579]. In this study, the generation of 17 alpha-EE and bilirubin beta-glucuronides under both pH conditions was confirmed by the sensitivity of the products to beta-glucuronidase treatment. Concurrent glucuronidation reaction mixtures containing equal amounts of wild-type and mutant proteins demonstrated the following. P270G, V273D, and five different G276 mutants nearly or completely inactivated all glucuronidation at both pH levels. V273Q generated 81-94% of the normal activity for 17 alpha-EE and 42% of the normal activity for bilirubin turnover; H173R gave 37-60% of the normal turnover with both substrates, and V275I produced 15-24% of the normal level of glucuronide with both compounds. The most distinguishing amino acid tested was P176G which was approximately 50% normal for 17 alpha-EE at both pH conditions but was totally inactive for bilirubin. A second substitution, P285G, did not affect 17 alpha-EE turnover but was 50% normal for bilirubin. The parallel effects on the metabolism of both substrates by some mutants and the opposite results from two mutants are evidence for a common set of amino acids for their catalysis with the recruitment of additional amino acids to depend upon the substrate to be metabolized. Hence, amino acid substitutions in the protein are not necessarily universally inactivating.
Impact of Bacteremia on the Pathogenesis of Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis (2008)

Although brain lesions appear to result from local meningeal infection, systemic infection significantly contributes to clinical disease presentation and the pathophysiology of BBB breakdown and ventricle expansion. The different end points affected by the systemic and local infectious processes should be addressed in future studies.
The whey proteins of the milk of red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i> L.). A homologue of bovine β-lactoglobulin (1976)

1. The whey proteins from the milk of red deer are compared with those of cattle. Gel chromatography and electrophoresis showed a close similarity between the whey proteins of the two species in the size, mobility and relative amounts of the main constituents and in the changes in their relative amounts with time after parturition. 2. The major constituent of the deer whey was isolated. It appeared to be homologous with bovine beta-lactoglobulin and had the following properties: m=-5.2X10(-9)m2-s-1-V-1 at 4 degrees C and pH 8.6; pI=5.17; S020, w =2.89S; v=0.748 ml/g; E1g/dl 1cm= 9.12 at 278 nm; deltan/c=1.794 X 10(-3)dl/g at 579 nm (all at 20 degrees C except m). Its molecular weight was that of a dimer with a subunit weight of 18 000. 3. Amino acid analyses of this protein, adjusted to lysine = 15 residues showed that it contains one more residue of aspartic acid, alanine and methionine and one less glutamic acid residue and two less leucine residues than bovine beta-lactoglobulin A. 4. On starch-gel electrophoresis at pH 8.2, this protein migrated at the same rate as bovine beta-lactoglobulin B, although its isoelectric point is close to that of the bovine A variant. Milk from three out of 27 hinds examined showed a variant. This migrated in starch gel at the same rate as the bovine A variant but had a more acid pI = 5.02. 5. The two species whose milk whey proteins are compared represent two different families of ruminants. The similarities found support the view that the milk whey proteins of the bovids are probably typical of the suborder as a whole.
Increased compliance with tumor treating fields therapy is prognostic for improved survival in the treatment of glioblastoma: a subgroup analysis of the EF-14 phase III trial (2018)

A compliance threshold of 50% with TTFields/TMZ correlated with significantly improved OS and PFS versus TMZ alone. Patients with compliance > 90% showed extended median and 5-year survival rates. Increased compliance with TTFields therapy is independently prognostic for improved survival in glioblastoma.
Structural and Biophysical Characterization of a Cyclic Bioadhesive with Cell Attachment Ability (2010)

Structural and cellular attachment analysis identified overall bent helical regions of adhesive peptides identified within mussel adhesive protein (MAP) capable of also attaching cells. DOPA (L-DOPA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) is frequently identified and credited for the attachment ability of several marine proteins [Olivieri, MP, <i>et al</i>. (2002), <i>Biofouling</i><b>18</b>, 149-159]. Newly designed cyclic peptides (DOPA-G-G-C-G-K-A-K-G-C [cyc-DOPA] & Y-G-G-C-G-K-A-K-G-C [cyc-Y]) derived from structurally conserved regions of several MAP peptides were examined to assist in the understanding of both surface and cellular attachment. Solution-state proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy coupled with molecular modeling and dynamics revealed minimal differences in the structures of the proposed cellular attachment domain within these two peptides. Multiple attenuated internal reflection infrared (MAIR-IR) spectroscopy, ellipsometry and advancing contact angle analyses showed that formation of thin films by these peptides was L-DOPA and pH dependent. When compared to control surfaces, undifferentiated leukocyte cells (MOLT-4) significantly attached and spread onto films created from the cyc-DOPA. The culmination of these structural, biophysical and cellular attachment techniques reveal a conformation of cyc-DOPA that is capable of both adsorbing to surfaces and then attaching cells that spread. This work supports the sequence, K-A-K, as the cellular attachment domain, especially when held in a reliable structural conformation.,.
The effects of chronic haloperidol administration on GABA‐immunoreactive. Axon terminals in rat medial prefrontal cortex (1994)

Several reports have suggested that chronic haloperidol (HAL) treatment induces ultrastructural changes in synapses of substantia nigra, corpus striatum, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rat brain. The effects of HAL on specific cortical transmitter systems, however, are not well characterized. Recent studies have indicated that there may be a loss of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic cells in anterior cingulate cortex of schizophrenic subjects and this hypothesis has prompted interest in the question of whether dopamine receptor antagonists, such as HAL, may influence the activity of this transmitter system. This current report describes a quantitative light microscopic analysis of GABA-immunolabeled axosomatic terminals in mPFC of rats treated with HAL decanoate (0.5 mg/kg/day, i.m.) for a period of 4 months. GABA-containing terminals were visualized with an avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method for localizing anti-GABA antibodies. Computer-assisted image processing was employed to determine the total number of pixels representing GABA-immunoreaction product in axon terminals that were in direct apposition to pyramidal cell bodies. Drug-treated animals showed a significant increase in the number of pixels representing GABA-immunoreaction product in axosomatic terminals of layers II, III, VI, and VI (93%, 63%, 31%, and 43%, respectively). These data are consistent with the idea that chronic HAL administration may be associated with a significant increase in the amount of GABA present in terminals surrounding pyramidal neurons of rat mPFC. The fact that GABA-containing terminals showed the greatest increase in layer II is not consistent with the known distribution of dopamine afferents to this region which is lowest in superficial laminae. Based on the laminar distribution of non-dopaminergic receptor types that have a high affinity for HAL, the effect of this drug on GABAergic transmission could potentially involve changes that are mediated through mechanisms in which 5-HT2 or sigma opiate receptors play a role.
U.S. Hospitalizations for Pneumonia after a Decade of Pneumococcal Vaccination (2013)

Declines in hospitalizations for childhood pneumonia were sustained during the decade after the introduction of PCV7. Substantial reductions in hospitalizations for pneumonia among adults were also observed. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.).
Specific Gap Junctions Enhance the Neuronal Vulnerability to Brain Traumatic Injury (2002)

Traumatic brain injury results in neuronal loss and associated neurological deficits. Although most research on the factors leading to trauma-induced damage focuses on synaptic or ionic mechanisms, the possible role of direct intercellular communication via gap junctions has remained unexplored. Gap junctions connect directly the cytoplasms of coupled cells; hence, they offer a way to propagate stress signals from cell to cell. We investigated the contribution of gap junctional communication (GJC) to cell death using an in vitro trauma model. The impact injury, induced by a weight dropped on the distal CA1 area of organotypic hippocampal slices, results in glutamate-dependent cell loss. The gap junctional blockers carbenoxolone and octanol decreased significantly post-traumatic cell death, measured by propidium iodide staining over a 72 hr period after the impact. Dye coupling in the pyramidal layers was enhanced immediately after the injury and decreased over the following 24 hr. To determine whether specific connexins were involved in the spread of trauma-induced cell death, we used organotypic slices from connexin43 (Cx43) knock-out mice, as well as acute knock-outs by incubation with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Simultaneous knockdown of two neuronal connexins resulted in significant neuroprotection. Slices from the null-mutant Cx43 mice, as well as the acute Cx43 knockdown, also showed decreased cell death after the impact. The gap junctional blockers alleviated the trauma-induced impairment of synaptic function as measured by electrophysiological field potential recordings. These results indicate that GJC enhances the cellular vulnerability to traumatic injury. Hence, specific gap junctions could be a novel target to reduce injury and secondary damage to the brain and maximize recovery from trauma.
The Craniospinal Venous System (2006)

The valveless craniospinal venous system consists of veins and plexuses that communicate freely and whose flow is bidirectional. It comprises (1) the intracranial-cortical veins, dural sinuses, cavernous sinuses and ophthalmic veins, and (2) the vertebral venous plexuses, which freely anastomose with the intracranial venous system. The vertebral venous plexuses anastamose with the sacral, pelvic and prostatic venous plexus. It is clinically important since it provides a route for the spread of tumours, infection or emboli. This route may go unrecognised.