gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Conditionally Oncogenic Forms of the A-Raf and B-Raf Protein Kinases Display Different Biological and Biochemical Properties in NIH 3T3 Cells (1995)

The protein kinase domains of mouse A-Raf and B-Raf were expressed as fusion proteins with the hormone binding domain of the human estrogen receptor in mammalian cells. In the absence of estradiol, 3T3 and rat1a cells expressing delta A-Raf:ER and delta B-Raf:ER were nontransformed, but upon the addition of estradiol the cells became oncogenically transformed. Morphological oncogenic transformation was more rapid and distinctive in cells expressing delta B-Raf:ER compared with cells expressing delta A-Raf:ER. Biochemical analysis of cells transformed by delta A-Raf:ER and delta B-Raf:ER revealed several interesting differences. The activation of delta B-Raf:ER consistently led to the rapid and robust activation of both MEK and p42/p44 MAP kinases. By contrast, the activation of delta A-Raf:ER led to a weak activation of MEK and the p42/p44 MAP kinases. The extent of activation of MEK in cells correlated with the ability of the different Raf kinases to phosphorylate and activate MEK1 in vitro. delta B-Raf:ER phosphorylated MEK1 approximately 10 times more efficiently than delta Raf-1:ER and at least 500 times more efficiently than delta A-Raf:ER under the conditions of the immune-complex kinase assays. These results were confirmed with epitope-tagged versions of the Raf kinase domains expressed in insect cells. The activation of all three delta Raf:ER proteins in 3T3 cells led to the hyperphosphorylation of the resident p74raf-1 and mSOS1 proteins, suggesting the possibility of "cross-talk" between the different Raf kinases and feedback regulation of intracellular signaling pathways. The activation of either delta B-Raf:ER or delta Raf-1:ER in quiescent 3T3 cells was insufficient to promote the entry of the cells into DNA synthesis. By contrast, the activation of delta A-Raf:ER in quiescent 3T3 cells was sufficient to promote the entry of the cells into S phase after prolonged exposure to beta-estradiol. The delta Raf:ER system has allowed us to reveal significant differences between the biological and biochemical properties of oncogenic forms of the Raf family of protein kinases. We anticipate that cells expressing these proteins and other estradiol-regulated protein kinases will be useful tools in future attempts to unravel the complex web of interactions involved in intracellular signal transduction pathways.
Insulin-like growth factor-I protects myoblasts from apoptosis but requires other factors to stimulate proliferation (1999)

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been shown to stimulate myoblast proliferation for a limited time after which serum is required to reactivate IGF-I-stimulated myoblast proliferation. The aim of these studies was to determine whether IGF-I can stimulate myoblast proliferation and/or inhibit apoptosis alone or whether co-factors are necessary. This was achieved by investigating the proliferative response of L6 myoblasts to IGF-I and horse serum (HS) and by examining the status of cells in terms of cell number, substrate adherence, cell viability and DNA laddering following incubation with IGF-I and HS. L6 myoblasts proliferate in response to IGF-I after 36 h is not due to accumulation of waste products or lack of IGF-I. The addition of a low level (1% v/v) of HS restores the ability of myoblasts to proliferate in response to IGF-I and this supports the existence of a mitogenic competence factor. Furthermore, myoblasts failing to proliferate in response to IGF-I after 36 h regain the capacity to respond to IGF-I for a further period of 36 h when exposed to fetal bovine serum. Following the initial (36 h) phase of IGF-I-stimulated proliferation, removal of both IGF-I and HS led to a dramatic (60%) reduction in the number of cells fully attached to the culture vessel, with 60% of the completely detached cells dead. Agarose gel electrophoresis of extracts from these detached cells revealed higher levels of DNA laddering than extracts prepared from attached cells with IGF-I present. This suggests that IGF-I acts as a survival factor by protecting cells from apoptosis. In conclusion these experiments support the presence of a mitogenic competence factor in horse serum, which restores the ability of cells to proliferate in response to IGF-I. Unlike proliferation, protection against apoptosis is achieved by IGF-I or HS independently of each other.
160Gb/s OTDM clock recovery using cascaded LiNbO 3 modulator (2005)

In this paper, we demonstrate clock recovery from a patterned 160Gb/s optical-time-division-multiplexed (OTDM) return-to-zero (RZ) data stream. A cascaded LiNbO3 Mach-Zehnder modulator is employed as an efficient optical-electrical mixer. A phase-locked-loop (PLL) is used to lock the cross-correlation component between the optical signal and a local oscillating signal. As a result, clock signal at 10GHz is extracted from the 160Gb/s optical TDM signal. The measured root-mean-square (RMS) timing jitter of the 10GHz clock signal is ~ 130fs.
Identification of pathogenic Leptospira species by conventional or real-time PCR and sequencing of the DNA gyrase subunit B encoding gene. (2006)

This research has successfully developed a methodology for the identification of pathogenic Leptospira using an alternate gene to 16s rRNA. The gyrB encoding gene shows higher nucleotide/evolutionary divergence allowing for superior identification and also the potential for the development of DNA probe based identification.
Tailor-Made Silylating Agents for Efficient Surface Modification (1990)

N-Silyldimethylamines are efficient silylating agents for the chemical surface modification of hydroxylated silicon dioxide preparations. The synthesis of chloro(5-X-3,3-dimethylpentyl)-dimethylsilanes and their conversion to the corresponding (dimethylamino) silanes are described, where X is a methoxy, methoxymethoxy, cyano or dimethylamino group. The bulky substituent forms a two stage protecting layer at the surface. The second stage hinders the access of nucleophiles to the silicon atom resulting an enhanced hydrolytic stability.
Quinazoline-derived alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists induce prostate cancer cell apoptosis via an alpha1-adrenoceptor-independent action. (2002)

Recent evidence suggests that the quinazoline-based alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists, doxazosin and terazosin, exhibit a potent apoptotic effect against prostate tumor epithelial cells, whereas tamsulosin, a sulfonamide-based alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, was ineffective in inducing a similar apoptotic effect against prostate cells (Cancer Res., 60: 4550-4555, 2000). In this study, to identify the precise molecular mechanism underlying this apoptosis induction, we examined whether doxazosin and terazosin (both piperazinyl quinazolines) affect prostate growth via an alpha1-adrenoceptor-independent action. Transfection-mediated overexpression of alpha1-adrenoceptor in human prostate cancer cells, DU-145 (that lack alpha1-adrenoceptor), did not alter the ability of prostate cancer cells to undergo apoptosis in response to quinazolines. Significantly enough, there was no modification of the apoptotic threshold of the androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells, LNCaP, to either quinazoline-based alpha1-agonist by androgens. Furthermore, human normal prostate epithelial cells exhibited a very low sensitivity to the apoptotic effects of doxazosin compared with that observed for the malignant prostate cells. These findings provide the first evidence that the apoptotic activity of the quinazoline-based alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists (doxazosin and terazosin) against prostate cancer cells is independent of: (a) their capacity to antagonize alpha1-adrenoceptors; and (b) the hormone sensitivity status of the cells. This may have potential therapeutic significance in the use of quinazoline-based alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists (already in clinical use for the treatment of hypertension and benign prostate hyperplasia) for the treatment of androgen-independent human prostate cancer.
Development and evaluation of internal amplification controls for use in a real-time duplex PCR assay for detection of Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni (2009)

A common problem of both conventional and real-time PCR assays is failure of DNA amplification due to the presence of inhibitory substances in samples. In view of this, our aim was to develop and evaluate internal amplification controls (IACs) for use with an existing duplex real-time PCR assay for Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni. Both competitive and non-competitive IACs were developed and evaluated. The competitive approach involved a DNA fragment of the coding region of the fish viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, flanked by the mapA PCR primers, whilst the non-competitive approach utilized an extra set of universal 16S rDNA primers. Both IAC-PCR assay types were evaluated using cultures of Campylobacter and chicken caecal content samples. Both IACs were sensitive to caecal inhibitors, making them suitable for detecting inhibition which could lead to false-negatives. Results showed that both IACs at optimum concentrations worked well without reducing the overall sensitivity of the PCR assay. Compared to culture, the optimized competitive IAC-PCR assay detected 45/47 positives (sensitivity 93.6 %, specificity 80.1 %); however, it had the advantage over culture in that it could detect mixed infections of C. coli and C. jejuni and was capable of giving a result for a sample within a day.
A Review of the Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Pilocarpine, Moxisylyte (Thymoxamine), and Dapiprazole in the Reversal of Diagnostic Pupillary Dilation (1992)

An alpha-adrenergic blocking drug, dapiprazole, is now marketed in eyedrop form. Dapiprazole is being promoted as an agent suitable for reversing the diagnostic mydriasis produced by tropicamide or tropicamide and phenylephrine. The mechanism of action of dapiprazole is thought to be the same as that of moxisylyte (thymoxamine). The human pharmacokinetics for these drugs are reviewed and compared to pilocarpine. Published data indicate that either dapiprazole (0.5%) or moxisylyte (0.5%) enhance recovery from the mydriasis produced by tropicamide, phenylephrine, or their combination. However, because the published studies differ substantially in the doses of these mydriatics or in the miotics actually used, it is not possible to make any firm recommendations on how many drops of these new miotics should be instilled.
A Survey on the Application of Genetic Programming to Classification (2009)

Classification is one of the most researched questions in machine learning and data mining. A wide range of real problems have been stated as classification problems, for example credit scoring, bankruptcy prediction, medical diagnosis, pattern recognition, text categorization, software quality assessment, and many more. The use of evolutionary algorithms for training classifiers has been studied in the past few decades. Genetic programming (GP) is a flexible and powerful evolutionary technique with some features that can be very valuable and suitable for the evolution of classifiers. This paper surveys existing literature about the application of genetic programming to classification, to show the different ways in which this evolutionary algorithm can help in the construction of accurate and reliable classifiers.
Development of large-aperture GEMs as a gating device of the ILC-TPC for blocking positive ion feedback (2014)

The feedback of positive ions in gas amplification detectors of a time projection chamber (TPC) causes adverse effects on the electric field in the drift region, thereby degrading the spatial resolution of the TPC. Instead of employing a conventional wire-grid as a gating device, as often done to alleviate this problem, there is a proposed solution to use a gas electron multiplier (GEM) operated in low voltage mode as gate. The gate is required to block the positive ions when it is closed and to have high transparency to drift electrons when it is open. A TPC for the international linear collider (ILC) will be operated in a 3.5 tesla axial magnetic field, and in a gas with a long mean-free-time of drift electrons between collisions with gas molecules. Consequently, the motion of electrons is strongly restricted to the direction of the magnetic field. Therefore high optical transparency of the gate is required to ensure its high transmission rate of the electrons in the open state. A gate having a GEM-like structure would be most suitable for a readout module structure of the ILC-TPC since it is easier to implement and allows a low switching voltage of a few tens of volts. Ordinary amplifying GEMs are, however, not suitable because of their poor optical transparency. To achieve high electron transmission, several different types of large-aperture GEMs which have 75% to 85% optical transparency were produced using various processing methods (e.g. UV-laser ablation technology) by a Japanese company. These samples were tested with a test chamber installed in a 1-tesla solenoid magnet, and the high electron transmission was confirmed. Also presented is the evaluation of their performance by simulations using an ANSYS-Garfield framework.
Meno (2014)

meno: Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is teachable? Or is it not teachable, but attainable by practice? Or is it attainable neither by practice nor by learning, and do people instead acquire it by nature, or in some other way?
Study on <i>Yang-Xu</i> Using Body Constitution Questionnaire and Blood Variables in Healthy Volunteers (2016)

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulates treatment according to body constitution (BC) differentiation. Different constitutions have specific metabolic characteristics and different susceptibility to certain diseases. This study aimed to assess the Yang-Xu constitution using a body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) and clinical blood variables. A BCQ was employed to assess the clinical manifestation of Yang-Xu. The logistic regression model was conducted to explore the relationship between BC scores and biomarkers. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and K-fold cross-validation were performed to evaluate the accuracy of a predictive model in practice. Decision trees (DTs) were conducted to determine the possible relationships between blood biomarkers and BC scores. According to the BCQ analysis, 49% participants without any BC were classified as healthy subjects. Among them, 130 samples were selected for further analysis and divided into two groups. One group comprised healthy subjects without any BC (68%), while subjects of the other group, named as the sub-healthy group, had three BCs (32%). Six biomarkers, CRE, TSH, HB, MONO, RBC, and LH, were found to have the greatest impact on BCQ outcomes in Yang-Xu subjects. This study indicated significant biochemical differences in Yang-Xu subjects, which may provide a connection between blood variables and the Yang-Xu BC.
Analytical approach of the stator current frequency harmonics computation for detection of induction machine rotor faults (2003)

The aim of this paper is to analyze theoretically and experimentally the stator current of a three-phase squirrel cage induction machine in order to show how it is influenced by rotor faults. The approach used for this study analyzes the modification introduced by n broken rotor bars in the rotor cage magnetomotive force (MMF) and then, estimates the resulting frequency spectrum in the stator current. This approach is validated in a 3 kW-230 V/400 V-50 Hz-2850 rpm-2 poles three-phase induction machine, showing the sensible frequency components to this fault condition.
The world of protein acetylation (2016)

Acetylation is one of the major post-translational protein modifications in the cell, with manifold effects on the protein level as well as on the metabolome level. The acetyl group, donated by the metabolite acetyl-coenzyme A, can be co- or post-translationally attached to either the α-amino group of the N-terminus of proteins or to the ε-amino group of lysine residues. These reactions are catalyzed by various N-terminal and lysine acetyltransferases. In case of lysine acetylation, the reaction is enzymatically reversible via tightly regulated and metabolism-dependent mechanisms. The interplay between acetylation and deacetylation is crucial for many important cellular processes. In recent years, our understanding of protein acetylation has increased significantly by global proteomics analyses and in depth functional studies. This review gives a general overview of protein acetylation and the respective acetyltransferases, and focuses on the regulation of metabolic processes and physiological consequences that come along with protein acetylation.
Mechanical Properties of Icy Mars Regolith Simulant: Assessment of a Potential ISRU Feedstock (2016)

Recent data on near-surface water availability at Mars, along with ongoing research on the low-temperature and in situ behavior of fresh water and sea ices, has been employed to identify feasible engineering approaches for capturing water as a Mars ISRU feedstock. Acknowledging the need to minimize biological contamination, we have proposed extracting water from Mars regolith fines as a very conservative feedstock harvesting approach that is relatively insensitive to fixed base site selection. Relatively pure water ice can be found in the polar regions of Mars, and data from the Phoenix lander site suggest that veins of pure water ice or brine ice may be accessible near the surface at other locations, permitting drilling or sawing chunks of those feedstock ice materials, and the hardware systems to extract those materials have been defined for other applications. Mars permafrost feedstock was the focus of this investigation because it appears to be the least understood, and could be present near the surface at desirable mid-latitude landing sites. JSC Mars-1A, Mars regolith simulant has been employed as a surrogate solid matrix in order to anticipate the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity of Martian permafrost for consideration as a potential ISRU feedstock. Test specimens were produced containing distilled water ice mass fractions ranging from 15 to 35 %. Testing showed that water mass fractions less than 20 % lacked sufficient cohesion, when frozen, to produce a rigid sample, whereas water concentrations greater than 35 % produced non-homogeneous water pockets or puddles. Sample preparation was based on ASTM testing procedures, and an effort was made to avoid uncontrolled water contamination and to minimize adsorbed gases on the simulant particles, prior to adding distilled water. After the regolith simulant was combined with the desired mass of distilled water, and mixed to assure homogeneity, 43 rectangular bar-shaped, three-point bend test samples 25.4 mm wide by 12.7 mm thick by 101.6 mm long (1 x 0.5 x 4 inches) were produced. The test articles, created in individual molds were frozen above slabs of dry ice, inside a freezer, attempting to approximate rapid permafrost formation in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere at Mars-like temperatures. Triplicate sample sets were produced containing distilled water mass fractions of 20, 25, 30 and 35 percent, to permit testing to failure at test temperatures of 133 K, 210 K, and 253 K. An additional test specimen set, consisting of 35% water and 2 % sodium chloride salt, by mass, was prepared in a cursory attempt to investigate the possible influence of frozen brine systems on the mechanical behavior of Martian permafrost. Our experiments indicate that the bending strength of Martian permafrost will be less than 10 MPa, and it should be possible to harvest liter-size permafrost feedstock blocks by sawing 10 cm-deep grooves into exposed permafrost, then breaking off and recovering the resulting material.
Electrical Properties of Pyrolytic Graphites (1962)

Pyrolized graphite samples are produced by pyroly tic deposition on substrates at temperatures of 1700 to 2500 deg C. A review is presented of the basal plane and c-direcion conductivities, electrical anisotropy, Hall coefficient, and magnetoresistance of these samples, as functions of the deposition temperature and the ambient temperature. The data are analyzed in terms of carrier concentrations and mobilities, and in ternms of other conduction mechanisms for graphitic systems. X-ray-diffraction analyses of the samples are also reported. (T.F.H.)
Reducing the risks associated with urinary catheters (2009)

The NHS strives to create and promote a safe environment for patient care in which risks are minimised. Urinary catheterisation is a common healthcare procedure but it is an invasive intervention that carries the risk of infection. Evidence-based guidelines have been developed to minimise the risks associated with these devices and to allow healthcare professionals to implement best practice at all times. This article looks at evidence-based guidance and technological innovations aimed at reducing infection risks and improving patient outcomes.
Mechanism of Cadmium Ion Substitution in Mammalian Zinc Metallothionein and Metallothionein α Domain: Kinetic and Structural Studies (2010)

Cellular metallothionein (MT) protects against Cd(2+) exposure through direct binding of the metal ion. The model reaction between rabbit liver Zn(7)-MT-2 with Cd(2+) was studied with stopped flow kinetics. Four kinetic steps were observable. Comparison of this reaction with an analog utilizing the MT Zn(4)-alpha domain revealed that only the fastest step involved the Zn(3)-beta domain. Each step of the Zn(4)-alpha domain reaction with Cd(2+) displayed hyperbolic dependence of the observed rate constant on Cd(2+) concentration, with the first step comprising 50% of the total reaction and each of the other two, 25%. The two constants extracted from each of these relationships were interpreted as the equilibrium constant for the initial binding of Cd(2+) to the Zn((4-n)),Cd(n)-thiolate cluster (n = 0-3) of the alpha domain and the first order rate constant for the exchange of Cd(2+) for Zn(2+) in the cluster. Activation enthalpies and entropies were determined for each constant. A suite of Zn((4-n)),Cd(n)-thiolate clusters (n = 0-3) was prepared by titration of the Zn(4)-alpha domain with (113)Cd(2+). The products were analyzed by one-dimensional (113)Cd(2+) NMR spectroscopy to define the distribution of (113)Cd(2+) among the four cluster binding sites. Each of these species was also reacted with Cd(2+). The properties of these reactions were similar to those extracted from the reaction of Cd(2+) with the overall domain. Thus, the kinetic results were linked to (113)Cd(2+) occupancy among the cluster metal binding sites. In turn, this linkage permitted the interpretation of the various constants determined for the reaction of Cd(2+) with the Zn(4)-alpha domain in relation to the alpha domain cluster structure.