julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The role of nitric oxide in the innate resistance to microfilariae of Litomosoides sigmodontis in mice
2000-08-01

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be an important effector mechanism in the defence against various pathogens, including filariae. The production of NO, as well as H 2 O 2 , is induced by the Th1 cytokine IFN‐γ. Therefore, the microfilariae (mf) of filarial nematodes, which are known to elicit the release of IFN‐γ, may be a target of NO release. In this study, we found that mf of the filarial species Litomosoides sigmodontis were resistant to the attack of H 2 O 2 , but vulnerable to NO exposure in vitro by a chemical NO donor, as well as activated macrophages. Adult worms were considerably less affected by exposure to NO. In‐vivo production of NO following injection of mf, in this and previous studies, suggested a central role in the defence to filariae. However, neither pharmaceutical inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, nor genetic knockout of the gene for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), abrogated resistance to circulating mf in mice. Interestingly, however, iNOS‐KO mice showed higher interleukin (IL)‐2 responses and lower IL‐10 production, compared to their wild‐type counterparts. In conclusion, despite its effectiveness in vitro and the observed production of NO by ex vivo cells following infection, nitric oxide seems not to be an important factor in elimination of mf of L. sigmodontis in vivo . However, it may have a regulatory role in the immune response .
Highly potent inhibitors of human cathepsin L identified by screening combinatorial pentapeptide amide collections
2000-08-01

By screening a combinatorial pentapeptide amide collection in an inhibition assay, we systematically evaluated the potential of 19 proteinogenic amino acids and seven nonproteinogenic amino acids to serve as building blocks for inhibitors of human cathepsin L. Particularly efficient were aromatic, bulky, hydrophobic amino‐acid residues, especially leucine, and positively charged residues, especially arginine. Building blocks for potential inhibitory peptides were combined by random selection from their activity pattern. This random approach for the design of inhibitors was introduced to compensate for the inaccuracy induced by shifted docking of combinatorial compound collections at the active center of cathepsin L. Thereby, we obtained structurally defined pentapeptide amides which inhibited human cathepsin L at nanomolar concentrations. Among the most potent novel inhibitors, one peptide, RKLLW‐NH 2 , shares the amphiphilic character of the nonamer fragment VMNGLQNRK of the autoinhibitory, substrate‐like, but reverse‐binding prosegment of human cathepsin L which blocks the active center of the enzyme. Obviously, RKLLW‐NH 2 carries the functions that are important for enzyme–peptide interaction in a condensed form. This hypothesis was confirmed by structure–activity studies using truncated and modified pentapeptides.
Effects of Static Magnetic Field on the Ultradian Lateral Leaflet Movement Rhythm in Desmodium gyrans
2000-08-01

Abstract The rhythmic leaflet movements of the plant Desmodium gyrans (L.f.) DC slow down in the presence of a static magnetic field. The leaflet positions were digitally retrieved from sequential CCD camera images of the moving leaflets. The experiments were performed under constant light (ca. 500 lux) and temperature (about 20 °C) conditions. The period of the leaflet was then around 5 min. Leaflets moving up and down in a magnetic field of approximately 50 mT flux density increased the period by about 10% due to a slower motion in the “up” position. Since during this position a rapid change of the extracellular potentials of the pulvinus occurs, it is proposed that the effects are mediated via the electric processes in the pulvinus tissue.
Synthesis of silicon tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines
2000-08-01

Symmetric, peripherally substituted dihydroxysilicon tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines 5 and 6 were synthesized by reacting the diiminoisoindolines 1 and 2 with SiCl 4 in pyridine as solvent at considerably low temperature followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate dichlorosilicon tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines 3 and 4. In addition, the preparation of the bisaxially substituted trialkylsilyloxysilicon tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines 11 and 12, the corresponding trialkylsilyloxyhydroxy compound 14 and the μ-oxo dimer 15 is also reported.
Phase II study of bendamustine in patients with relapsed or cisplatin-refractory germ cell cancer
2000-08-01

Despite generally high cure rates in patients with metastatic germ cell cancer, patients with incomplete response to first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy or with relapsed disease following high-dose salvage therapy exhibit a very poor prognosis. We investigated the efficacy and toxicity of bendamustine, a bifunctional alkylating benzimidol derivative with only partial cross-resistance to other alkylating agents such as ifosfamide or cyclophosphamide. Nineteen patients with cisplatin-refractory germ cell tumors (GCT) or relapse after high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell support were treated with bendamustine at a dose of 120 mg/m2 on 2 consecutive days at 3 week intervals. Patients had received a median of 9 (range 4-20) platinum-containing treatment cycles prior to bendamustine and 13 patients (68%) had previously received carboplatin/etoposide-based high-dose chemotherapy. One patient achieved a partial remission of only 6 weeks duration. No other responses were seen. Toxicity was low with one patient developing WHO grade 3 thrombocytopenia as the only WHO grade 3/4 toxicity observed. Hematologic toxicity was similar in patients pretreated with and without high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell support. We conclude that bendamustine has little or no clinically relevant activity in patients with cisplatin-refractory GCT or relapsed disease after high-dose chemotherapy.
Urinary excretion of vasoactive markers following estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women
2000-08-01

The resulting data show that estradiol replacement in postmenopausal women is able to increase renal excretion of various vasoactive substances implying a vasodilative effect of estrogen. This was seen, both in transdermal and oral administration, transdermal application having a more pronounced effect on the markers than oral administration.
Hopanoids are formed during transition from substrate to aerial hyphae in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
2000-08-01

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) contains a cluster of putative isoprenoid and hopanoid biosynthetic genes. The strain does not produce the pentacyclic hopanoids in liquid culture but produces them on solid medium when sporulating. Mutants defective in the formation of aerial mycelium and spores (bld), with the exception of bldB, do not synthesize hopanoids, whereas mutants, which form aerial mycelium but no spores (whi), do. The membrane condensing hopanoids possibly may alleviate stress in aerial mycelium by diminishing water permeability across the membrane.
Immunoprotective Effect of Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase on Myeloid Graffi Tumor-Bearing Hamsters
2000-08-01

Abstract Investigation on the immunoprotective activity of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase from Humicola lutea 103 AL (HLSOD) in hamsters with transplanted myeloid tumor was performed. Survivability, tumor growth and tumor transplantability were followed. The immune status of tumor-bearing animals, injected with the optimal protective HLSOD dose, was examined during 27 days after tumor transplantation by the following parameters: (i) the number, migration and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages, (ii) the phagocytic activity of blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), (iii) the responsibility in vitro of spleen lymphocytes to T and B cell mitogens. It was established that intraperitoneal inoculation of HLSOD produced a protective effect on the development of tumors. Elongation of the latent time for tumor appearance and inhibition of the tumor growth were observed. The decreased percentage of mortality in early stage of tumor progression was established. Immunological studies on tumor-bearing hamsters (TBH) induced a tem porary immunorestoring effect on the suppressed phagocytic activities of peritoneal macrophages and blood PMNs during the first 14 days of tumor development. Moreover, HLSOD showed an expressed stimulating effect on proliferative activity in vitro of spleen B lymphocytes from healthy and TBH as well. The immunorestoring and protective effect of the enzyme was probably due to improve of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in peritoneal phagocytes. The tem porary character of the effect can be explained with the interference of immunosuppressing factors produced by tumor tissue as well as by the presence of tumor antigens, tumor cells and antigen-antibody complexes in the circulation.
DOES GLUCAGON STIMULATION PREDICT ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE IN PATIENTS AFTER SIMULTANEOUS PANCREAS-KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION?1
2000-08-01

In pancreas-kidney transplant recipients, a low insulin response after intravenous glucagon predicts a reduced insulin response after oral glucose and an impaired oral glucose tolerance. This simple test may be helpful in the follow-up of pancreas transplant recipients.
Purification, Characterization and Thermostability of Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase from Barley Leaves
2000-08-01

Abstract The enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (rubisco) and its functional subunits from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves were purified to homogeneity by activitydirected sequencial steps of chromatography. Based on the molecular mass estimation by SDS-PAGE, the large subunit (LS) had an apparent molecular weight of ca. 55 kDa, whereas the small subunit (SS) was ca. a 14 kDa polypeptide chain. The N-terminal sequences, established by automated Edman degradation analysis of the purified subunits, showed very close sequence homologies (52-92%) with the subunits of other rubisco enzymes reported from several photosynthetic species. In order to establish the chemical heterogeneity in the rubisco from barley, the amino acid composition of purified native enzyme was analyzed and the results systematically compared with other known type-I rubisco enzymes from spinach, maize, tobacco and pea. Major differences have been observed in the amino acid composition of barley rubisco, the concentration of cysteine, serine, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, arginine and tryptophan residues were found quite variable as compared to other higher plants. The thermostability of the native rubisco was also investigated using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. The critical ( T c ) and melting ( T m ) temperatures were determined to be 60 °C and 57 °C, respectively, and at this temperature the enzyme not only retains its structural integrity but also its enzymatic activity. Results of these studies were discussed in the light of structural and functional adaptation of this bifunctional enzvme in C 3 and C 4 plants to their environments.
Isokinetic strength and strength endurance of the lower limb musculature ten years after achilles tendon repair
2000-08-01

Achilles tendon repair with following immobilisation causes atrophy of the calf musculature. The aim of this study was the long term evaluation of the strength and strength endurance deficit ten years after the injury. 63 patients (48 male, 15 female) were tested 10.8 years after achilles tendon rupture repair and subsequent 6-week immobilisation. The test was made in the eccentric (60 /s), isometric and concentric(60 /s, 180 /s) mode for plantarflexion and dorsiflexion with a Lido Active dynamometer. The mean peak torque of the best 3 of 5 movements and the work over 1 minute(180 /s) were evaluated for plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. The circumference of the calf musculature and the range of motion of the ankle (ROM) were measured. Differences to the non-operated side were assessed with the Wilcoxon matched pairs test and adjusted with the Bonferroni method. The mean peak torque in all modes showed no statistically significant difference between the operated and non-operated legs ten years after immobilisation. The work over 1 minute was markedly reduced for the operated leg in plantarflexion (516 J operated versus 634 J non-operated, ). The circumference of the calf musculature( cm) and the ROM( plantarflexion, dorsiflexion) were also reduced ( ). It seems that a selective atrophy of the slow twitch fibers is relevant for the durable loss of musculature and the weakened calf musculature in the strength endurance test. Early remobilization should be chosen after reconstruction of the achilles tendon, and more strength endurance training must be done at the end of the rehabilitation.
The Fate of Global Information in Dorsal Simultanagnosia
2000-08-01

Abstract We report a patient with simultanagnosia and Bálint-Holmes syndrome, following bilateral parieto-occlpital lesions, who exhibits a selective disturbance of global processing in everyday situations and in clinical tasks. For hierarchical Navon stimuli, where global letters are formed by the layout of smaller local letters, she could report only local shapes. She could identify the global form via proprioceptive input, when her finger was passively moved to trace the global shape, provided her eyes were closed. However, with her eyes open, the local visible form dominated once again even when the global shape was traced. This demonstrates dominance of pathological vision over intact proprioception, and shows that local capture persists even when the global information can still be processed by the patient, through another modality. This raises the possibility that some visual global processing might likewise still take place despite the local capture. In accordance wlth this notion, additional experiments showed that the patient was faster at naming local shapes if the global shape had the same identity rather than an incongruent identity. Moreover, a visual-search task found that parallel searching for unique features was preserved across the visual field. Taken together, our experiments suggest that the dominance of the local scale for KB is not due to a total inability to code any global information, but rather to an attentional bias towards salient local details following her brain damage.
[The MR characterization of the composition of the hematopoietic bone marrow. The findings in generalized neoplasms and the monitoring of therapy].
2000-08-01

Methods of MRI and MRS allow to non-invasively characterize hematopoietic bone marrow in the course of hematological diseases and during therapy. Marked changes in the composition of hematological bone marrow are detectable for extensive marrow areas. The prognostic relevance of the findings has to be evaluated in future follow-up studies.
R‐ and B‐cadherin expression defines subpopulations of glial cells involved in axonal guidance in the optic nerve head of the chicken
2000-08-01

Glial cells play a crucial role in the organization and function of the nervous system. Cell-cell adhesion receptors of the cadherin family have been shown to participate in distinct morphogenetic processes throughout the development of the CNS, but little is known about glial expression of cadherins. Applying immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigated R- and B-cadherin expression in relation to the glial cell differentiation in the optic nerve head and pecten oculi of developing chicken. Throughout embryonic development, R- and B-cadherin were expressed in distinct cell populations, which differentiated into distinct subtypes of glial cells. R-cadherin was located in the glia limitans perivascularis et superficialis of the optic nerve and in cells bordering the optic nerve head, where it comes in contact with the retina. B-cadherin was located in the glia limitans perivascularis et superficialis of the pecten oculi and in a subset of cells at the retinal border. R-cadherin-expressing cells differentiated unequivocally into a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive but glutamine synthetase (GS)-negative phenotype, whereas B-cadherin-expressing glia developed into a GS-positive but GFAP-negative phenotype. In addition, the B-cadherin-positive population developed into a highly pigmented cell type, which was consistently associated with pecten-type capillaries. By contrast, the R-cadherin-positive glia remained unpigmented and surrounded normal brain-phenotype capillaries. These data suggest that glial cells, like neurons, may use the expression of different cadherins to segregate and differentiate into distinct subtypes, which goes hand in hand with their involvement in special functions and morphogenetic processes. To address this issue, we selectively lysed both glial subtypes in developing embryos by microinjection of R- and B-cadherin antibodies with complement. First evidence is presented for R-cadherin-positive glial cells as crucial to the organization of the optic nerve and axonal guidance at its lateral margin. B-cadherin-positive cells are involved in the axonal guidance at the pecteneal margin, avoiding the ingrowth of axons into the pecten. GLIA 31:131–143, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Stratigraphy of European Basins: SEPM Special Publication Series No. 60
2000-08-01

Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Stratigraphy of European Basins: SEPM Special Publication Series No. 60, P.C. de Graciansky, J. Hardenbol, T. Jaquin, and P.R. Vail (Editors), 1998, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), Tulsa, 786 p. ( 125 members) ISBN: 1-56576-043-3. From the mid-seventies, and especially since 1987 when Haq et al. proposed a chronostratigraphic record of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sequences, the paradigm of sequence stratigraphy has evolved as a sound building block in sedimentary geology. Among soft-rock geologists, the sequence stratigraphic premise that deposition within a basin is controlled by the principal variables of subsidence or uplift of the basin floor, sediment supply and, perhaps most important, eustasy has reached much acclaim. Stratigraphers became extremely interested in well-calibrated chronostratigraphic frameworks for the stratigraphic positioning of depositional sequence boundaries, as eustasy represents a synchronous signal on a global scale and, thus, represents an ideal tool for global stratigraphic correlation. Since the work of Haq et al. (1987) was published, an increasing number of workers as well as an increase in the number and diversity of basins studied has resulted in the near doubling of sequence boundaries known from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Even more important, the time scales for both the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic have been improved greatly. For example, new radiometric data have led to a revision of the time scale for the Upper Cretaceous of the North American Western Interior Seaway (Obradovich, 1993) and the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) principle of the International Commission on Stratigraphy has, to date, rendered new dates for boundaries such as the Eocene/Oligocene, Oligocene/Miocene, and Pliocene/Pleistocene transitions. Recognizing the need for an upgrade of the classical Haq et al. (1987) framework, Peter Vail and Thierry Jacquin started an initiative in 1990 to construct a state-of-the-art chronostratigraphic record of depositional sequences ...
Stability Performance of an Energy Filtering TEM
2000-08-01

Abstract The electron-optical design and the technical realisation of correctors, monochromators and imaging spectrometers as well as methods of resolution improvement (Focus variation, Holography) have made significant progress in the past few years. For all such devices and methods the mechanical and electrical stability of the microscope are the main challenges. Such requirements are even more critical in case of Energy Filtering Transmission Electron Microscopes (EFTEMs), where the achievement of highly resolved analytical results requires long detection times (in the range of a few 10s of seconds). Resolution in such case could mean both spatial and energy resolution even at the same time. The stability performance of the combined system is more complex than the sum of the stabilities of the single components. Thus, a specified HT short- and long-term stability of 2 ppm is not sufficient to achieve an energy resolution of 0.2 eV at 100 kV acceleration voltage.
To err is human - a summary of the IOM-Report
2000-08-01

NO. 7 The report of the Institute of Medicine [1] published in December 1999 is a groundbreaking aggressive report about errors in medicine and how to improve patient safety. The core elements are of significant relevance for anaesthesiologists. Adverse Events (AE) occur in 3-4% of all hospital admissions. Over 50% of AE are due to medical errors and could have been prevented theoretically! Approximately 10% of AE lead to death. If the numbers of two studies are extrapolated to all US admissions 44 000-98 000 Americans die each year due to errors. Taking these numbers into account, medical errors are the 8th leading cause of death in the US (breast cancer: 42 000 deaths). The costs are estimated to be 17-29 billions a year. The report wants to break the cycle of inaction. Envisaged is a 50% reduction of AE in the next 5 years. This seems possible because the know-how exists to prevent many of these mistakes. Health care is just a decade or more behind other high-risk industries in its attention to ensuring basic safety. This means that dramatic, system-wide changes are required. The report recommends: The focus must shift from blaming individuals to preventing future errors by designing safety into the system. Establishing a national Patient Safety Center to enhance the knowledge base about safety. Implementing periodic reexaminations and re-licensing. Paying special attention to the safe use of drugs and using proven medication safety practices. Designing of reporting systems: mandatory and public for severe injuries and deaths; voluntary and protected for minor injuries and incidents. Raising standards and expectations for safety issues and creating a safety culture: Safety as a declared serious aim, interdisciplinary team training programs and the use of simulators ('proven method') whenever possible. Finally the efforts should lead to safe practices at the delivery level, because 'it may be part of human nature to err, but it is also part of human nature to create solutions, find better alternatives and meet the challenges ahead' [2].