julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Focus in Double Object Constructions
2005-01-11

Studies of the English dative alternation during the last three decades have not yet reached an agreement on the proper syntactic analysis of this alternation. The main goal of this article is to show that a study of the information structural properties of certain constructions can provide independent evidence for the adequacy of a particular syntactic analysis. Relying on the empirical adequateness of the argument structural approach to focus structure (Gussenhoven 1984; Selkirk 1995), we use accentual patterns as a test for syntactic representations. We argue that approaches in which any of the semantic arguments in triadic constructions is represented as a syntactic adjunct is not supported from a focus-theoretical perspective. Since double object constructions raise some problems for the overall applicability of the focus rules, a constraint on focus domain formation will be formulated which is not construction specific, but independently motivated.
Breakdown of the mirror image symmetry in the optical absorption/emission spectra of oligo(para-phenylene)s
2005-01-12

The absorption and emission spectra of most luminescent, π-conjugated, organic molecules are the mirror image of each other. In some cases, however, this symmetry is severely broken. In the present work, the asymmetry between the absorption and fluorescence spectra in molecular systems consisting of para-linked phenyl rings is studied. The vibronic structure of the emission and absorption bands is calculated from ab initio quantum chemical methods and a subsequent, rigorous Franck-Condon treatment. Good agreement with experiment is achieved. A clear relation can be established between the strongly anharmonic double-well potential for the phenylene ring librations around the long molecular axis and the observed deviation from the mirror image symmetry. Consequences for related compounds and temperature dependent optical measurements are also discussed.
The Biosynthesis of Vancomycin‐Type Glycopeptide Antibiotics—A Model for Oxidative Side‐Chain Cross‐Linking by Oxygenases Coupled to the Action of Peptide Synthetases
2005-01-13

Model mutants. The biosynthesis of glycopeptide antibiotics must be understood before it can be reprogrammed to generate altered antibiotics. Based on a detailed HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of linear and cyclic peptide intermediates of balhimycin biosynthesis mutants, a new model for glycopeptide assembly is suggested (see figure). We propose that the three central oxidative cyclizations by P450-dependant monooxygenases occur during peptide assembly before cleavage from the nonribosomal peptide synthetase complex.
Irradiation specifically sensitises solid tumour cell lines to TRAIL mediated apoptosis
2005-01-14

Abstract Background TRAIL ( t umor necrosis factor r elated a poptosis i nducing l igand) is an apoptosis inducing ligand with high specificity for malignant cell systems. Combined treatment modalities using TRAIL and cytotoxic drugs revealed highly additive effects in different tumour cell lines. Little is known about the efficacy and underlying mechanistic effects of a combined therapy using TRAIL and ionising radiation in solid tumour cell systems. Additionally, little is known about the effect of TRAIL combined with radiation on normal tissues. Methods Tumour cell systems derived from breast- (MDA MB231), lung- (NCI H460) colorectal- (Colo 205, HCT-15) and head and neck cancer (FaDu, SCC-4) were treated with a combination of TRAIL and irradiation using two different time schedules. Normal tissue cultures from breast, prostate, renal and bronchial epithelia, small muscle cells, endothelial cells, hepatocytes and fibroblasts were tested accordingly. Apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy and western blot determination of PARP processing. Upregulation of death receptors was quantified by flow cytometry. Results The combined treatment of TRAIL with irradiation strongly increased apoptosis induction in all treated tumour cell lines compared to treatment with TRAIL or irradiation alone. The synergistic effect was most prominent after sequential application of TRAIL after irradiation. Upregulation of TRAIL receptor DR5 after irradiation was observed in four of six tumour cell lines but did not correlate to tumour cell sensitisation to TRAIL. TRAIL did not show toxicity in normal tissue cell systems. In addition, pre-irradiation did not sensitise all nine tested human normal tissue cell cultures to TRAIL. Conclusions Based on the in vitro data, TRAIL represents a very promising candidate for combination with radiotherapy. Sequential application of ionising radiation followed by TRAIL is associated with an synergistic induction of cell death in a large panel of solid tumour cell lines. However, TRAIL receptor upregulation may not be the sole mechanism by which sensitation to TRAIL after irradiation is induced.
Mutation of colocalized residues of the pore helix and transmembrane segments S5 and S6 disrupt deactivation and modify inactivation of KCNQ1 K+ channels
2005-01-14

KCNQ1 (Kv 7.1) α‐subunits and KCNE1 β‐subunits co‐assemble to form channels that conduct the slow delayed rectifier K + current ( I Ks ) in the heart. Mutations in either subunit cause long QT syndrome (LQTS), an inherited disorder of cardiac repolarization. Here, the functional consequences of the LQTS‐associated missense mutation V310I and several nearby residues were determined. Val310 is located at the base of the pore helix of KCNQ1, two residues below the TIGYG signature sequence that defines the K + selectivity filter. Channels were heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and currents were recorded using the two‐microelectrode voltage‐clamp technique. V310I KCNQ1 reduced I Ks amplitude when co‐expressed with wild‐type KCNQ1 and KCNE1 subunits. Val310 was also mutated to Gly, Ala or Leu to explore the importance of amino acid side chain volume at this position. Like V310I, V310L KCNQ1 channels gated normally. Unexpectedly, V310G and V310A KCNQ1 channels inactivated strongly and did not close normally in response to membrane hyperpolarization. Based on a homology model of the KCNQ1 channel pore, we speculate that the side group of residue 310 can interact with specific residues in the S5 and S6 domains to alter channel gating. When volume of the side chain is small, the stability of the closed state is disrupted and the extent of channel inactivation is enhanced. We mutated putative interacting residues in S5 and S6 and found that mutant Leu273 and Phe340 channels also can disrupt close states and modify inactivation. Together these findings indicate the importance of a putative pore helix−S5−S6 interaction for normal KCNQ1 channel deactivation and confirm its role in KCNQ1 inactivation. Disturbance of these interactions might underly LQTS associated with KCNQ1 mutant channels.
Functional Characterization of Prostate Cancer by Integrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Oxygenation Changes During Carbogen Breathing
2005-01-14

Intrinsic blood-tissue contrast-functional MRI during carbogen breathing may help detect and characterize prostate carcinoma from normal tissue, particularly in small 1-sided carcinomas. This may be useful for identifying candidates for radiotherapy and monitoring noninvasive therapeutic approaches.
Synthesis and Biological Testing of Purine Derivatives as Potential ATP-Competitive Kinase Inhibitors
2005-01-15

On the basis of ATP adenine, a series of adenine and purine derivatives was prepared and tested for their ability to inhibit a spectrum of disease-related kinases. There has been scant research investigating the potential of cosubstrate derived kinase inhibitors for other kinases than CDKs. Our inhibitor design combined the purine system from the original cosubstrate ATP and phenyl moieties in order to explore possible interactions with the different regions of the ATP binding site in several disease-related protein kinases. There have been a number of hits for the assayed substances, which led us to conclude that the spectrum of compounds may prove to be a valuable tool kit for the evaluation of bonding and selectivity patterns for a wide variety of kinases.
Combining Adaboost learning and evolutionary search to select features for real-time object detection
2005-01-17

Recently, P. Viola and M.J. Jones (2001) presented a method for real-time object detection in images using a boosted cascade of simple features. In This work we show how an evolutionary algorithm can be used within the Adaboost framework to find new features providing better classifiers. The evolutionary algorithm replaces the exhaustive search over all features so that even very large feature sets can be searched in reasonable time. Experiments on two different sets of images prove that by the use of evolutionary search we are able to find object detectors that are faster and have higher detection rates.
Evolution strategies with controlled model assistance
2005-01-17

Evolutionary algorithms (EA) are excellent optimization tools for complex high-dimensional multimodal problems. However, they require a very large number of problem function evaluations. In many engineering and design optimization problems a single fitness evaluation is very expensive or time consuming. Therefore, standard evolutionary computation methods are not practical for such applications. Applying models as a surrogate of the true fitness function is a quite popular approach to handle this restriction. It is straightforward that the success of this approach depends highly on the quality of the approximation model. We propose a controlled model assisted evolution strategy (C-MAES), which uses a support vector regression (SVR) approximation by preselecting the most promising individuals. The model assistance on the evolutionary optimization process is dynamically controlled by a model quality based on the number of correctly preselected individuals. Numerical results from extensive simulations on high dimensional test functions including noisy functions and noisy functions with changing noise level are presented. The proposed C-MAES algorithm with controlled model assistance has a much better convergence rate and achieves better results than the model assisted algorithms without model control.
A memetic co-clustering algorithm for gene expression profiles and biological annotation
2005-01-17

With the invention of microarrays, researchers are capable of measuring thousands of gene expression levels in parallel at various time points of the biological process. To investigate general regulatory mechanisms, biologists cluster genes based on their expression patterns. In this paper, we propose a new memetic co-clustering algorithm for expression profiles, which incorporates a priori knowledge in the form of gene ontology information. Ontologies offer a mechanism to capture knowledge in a shareable form that is also processable by computers. The use of this additional annotation information promises to improve biological data analysis and simplifies the identification of processes that are relevant under the measured conditions.
<title>Using the web to validate document recognition results: experiments with business cards</title>
2005-01-17

The World Wide Web is a vast information resource which can be useful for validating the results produced by document recognizers. Three computational steps are involved, all of them challenging: (1) use the recognition results in a Web search to retrieve Web pages that contain information similar to that in the document, (2) identify the relevant portions of the retrieved Web pages, and (3) analyze these relevant portions to determine what corrections (if any) should be made to the recognition result. We have conducted exploratory implementations of steps (1) and (2) in the business-card domain: we use fields of the business card to retrieve Web pages and identify the most relevant portions of those Web pages. In some cases, this information appears suitable for correcting OCR errors in the business card fields. In other cases, the approach fails due to stale information: when business cards are several years old and the business-card holder has changed jobs, then websites (such as the home page or company website) no longer contain information matching that on the business card. Our exploratory results indicate that in some domains it may be possible to develop effective means of querying the Web with recognition results, and to use this information to correct the recognition results and/or detect that the information is stale.
Dynamical mass generation in Landau gauge QCD
2005-01-18

We summarise results on the infrared behaviour of Landau gauge QCD from the Green’s functions approach and lattice calculations. Approximate, nonperturbative solutions for the ghost, gluon and quark propagators as well as first results for the quark-gluon vertex from a coupled set of Dyson-Schwinger equations are compared to quenched and unquenched lattice results. Almost quantitative agreement is found for all three propagators. Similar effects of unquenching are found in both approaches. The dynamically generated quark masses are close to ‘phenomenological ’ values. First results for the quark-gluon vertex indicate a complex tensor structure of the non-perturbative quark-gluon interaction. 1.
Gene silencing of adhesion molecules in venous endothelial cells by non-viral siRNA transfection
2005-01-18

Objectives: CPB-mediated release of proinflammatory cytokines promotes monocyte transendothelial migration via intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM) within the venous bypass graft, probably contributing to a diminished early patency rate by hyperplasia of the intima. Non-viral application of short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful technique for post-transcriptional selective knockdown of specific endogenous gene expressions, resulting in a reduced protein synthesis. This study deals with the potential of highly specific siRNA to transiently block leukocyte-endothelial interactions.
Alternatives to DEHP plasticizers for extracorporeal circulation equipments
2005-01-18

Objectives: The most frequently used plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is Di-(2ethyl-hexyl)phthalate (DEHP). Several studies warned of using DEHP because it might cause hepatic, renal and reproductive complications, especially in newborns and male infants. Meanwhile, DEHP containing toys used for children below 2 years are prohibited. This study investigates the release of plasticizers by comparing medical grade PVC with several DEHP blocking surface coatings and PVC with the alternative plasticizer Tri-(2ethyl-hexyl)trimellitat (TEHTM).
Inspite of platelet activation eptifibatide effectively inhibits hypothermia induced platelet aggregation (HIPA) during cooling and rewarming
2005-01-18

Objectives: Recently we showed that GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors avoid HIPA under conditions of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). It remains unclear, however, whether hypothermia induced aggregates dissolve during rewarming.
Extracorporeal circulation for resection of locally advanced lung cancer
2005-01-18

Objective: For radical resection of lung cancer invading the heart or great vessels extracorporeal circulation (ECC) may be required. Little information is available on the further course of the patients after these rarely performed operations.
Tirofiban (Aggrastat®) protects platelets and decreases platelet-granulocyte binding in an extracorporeal circulation model
2005-01-18

Objectives: Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) induces platelet activation and inflammation with potentially life-threatening organ dysfunction. Short-acting GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors like tirofiban and eptifibatide protect platelets during ECC without increasing bleeding complications and may reduce inflammation. This study investigates anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects of different platelet-inhibitors.
Uptake and presentation of hepatitis C virus-like particles by human dendritic cells
2005-01-19

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis worldwide. Interaction of dendritic cells (DCs) with viral particles may play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of HCV infection. Since the synthesis or purification of infectious virions is limited, we used HCV-like particles (HCV-LPs) to study the interaction of HCV with human DCs. Immature DCs exhibited an envelope-specific and saturable binding of HCV-LPs, indicating receptor-mediated DC-HCV-LP interaction. Confocal microscopy revealed that HCV-LPs were rapidly taken up by DCs in a temperature-dependent manner. Competition experiments demonstrated that C-type lectins such as mannose receptor or DC-SIGN (DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin) were not sufficient for mediating HCV-LP binding. HCV-LP uptake was followed by DC activation. DCs pulsed with HCV-LPs stimulated HCV core-specific CD4(+) T cells, indicating that uptake of HCV-LPs by DCs leads to antigen processing and presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Finally, HCV-LP-derived antigens were efficiently cross-presented to HCV core-specific CD8(+) T cells. These findings demonstrate that HCV-LPs represent a novel model system to study HCV-DC interaction allowing definition of the molecular mechanisms of HCV uptake, DC activation, and antigen presentation to T cells. Furthermore, HCV-LP-mediated DC activation and efficient antigen presentation may explain the marked immunogenicity of HCV-LPs in vivo.
Opposing Actions of Etomidate on Cortical Theta Oscillations Are Mediated by Different γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Subtypes
2005-01-19

Background Cortical networks generate diverse patterns of rhythmic activity. Theta oscillations (4-12 Hz) are commonly observed during spatial learning and working memory tasks. The authors ask how etomidate, acting predominantly via gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors containing beta2 or beta3 subunits, affects theta activity in vitro. Methods To characterize the effects of etomidate, the authors recorded action potential firing together with local field potentials in slice cultures prepared from the neocortex of the beta3(N265M) knock-in mutant and wild type mice. Actions of etomidate were studied at 0.2 microm, which is approximately 15% of the concentration causing immobility ( approximately 1.5 microm). Results In preparations derived from wild type and beta3(N265M) mutant mice, episodes of ongoing activity spontaneously occurred at a frequency of approximately 0.1 Hz and persisted for several seconds. Towards the end of these periods, synchronized oscillations in the theta band developed. These oscillations were significantly depressed in slices from beta3(N265M) mutant mice (P &lt; 0.05). In this preparation etomidate acts almost exclusively via beta2 subunit containing GABAA receptors. In contrast, no depression was observed in slices from wild type mice, where etomidate potentiates both beta2- and beta3-containing GABAA receptors. Conclusions At concentrations assumed to cause sedation and amnesia, etomidate depresses theta oscillations via beta2-containing GABAA receptors but enhances these oscillations by acting on beta3 subunit containing receptors. This indicates that the overall effect of the anesthetic reflects a balance between enhancement and inhibition produced by different GABAA receptor subtypes.
Effects of Intraoperative Blood Salvage on Leukocyte Recruitment to the Endothelium
2005-01-19

Background The contamination of salvaged wound blood with activated leukocytes has been suspected to play a role in leukocyte-mediated tissue injury by increased adhesion to the endothelium. To verify this hypothesis, the authors performed a clinical study to examine the effects of blood salvage on leukocyte-endothelial interactions. Methods Expression of L-selectin, CD18, and CD11b and leukocyte adhesion to activated endothelium from human umbilical veins were measured in 25 patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. Adhesion of fluorescently labeled leukocytes was examined in a flow chamber at shear rates of 50-1,600 s. Comparisons were made between samples from venous blood and from processed salvaged wound blood (SWB). Results At 30% hematocrit, SWB contained 2,162 +/- 147 leukocytes/microl. In comparison with venous blood, CD11b was up-regulated in SWB 1.3- to 3.6-fold on monocytes and neutrophils, whereas L-selectin and CD18 decreased on monocytes by 53% and 15%, respectively (P &lt; 0.05). Despite up-regulation of CD11b, firm adhesion was significantly reduced by 74-76% in SWB. Rolling fractions and rolling velocities were significantly higher in SWB, and their relation to shear rate was markedly altered (P &lt; 0.01). In addition, adherent leukocytes from SWB were significantly less resistant to increments of shear rate than leukocytes from venous blood (P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions Despite up-regulated CD11b, integrin-mediated adhesion is markedly impaired in salvaged blood. Therefore, the effect of blood salvage cannot be predicted from cell surface expression but rather from functional assays. The former hypothesis, that leukocytes from SWB aggravate leukocyte-mediated tissue injury by increased adhesion, may not be as great a concern as previously suggested.
Polymorphisms of transporter associated with antigen processing type 1 (TAP1), proteasome subunit beta type 9 (PSMB9) and their common promoter in African children with different manifestations of malaria
2005-01-21

The distribution of gene variants of the antigen processing proteins transporter associated with antigen processing type 1 (TAP1) and proteasome subunit beta type 9 (PSMB9) and of their shared bidirectional promoter was assessed in children with either mild or severe malaria. The genetic study was performed on samples collected during a longitudinal study on malariometric indices in an area hyperendemic for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Gabon. The allele frequencies of the genes did not differ between the mild and the severe malaria groups. The distributions of alleles among children with distinct phenotypes of severe malaria were similar. A negative association of hypoglycaemia with the PSMB9 promoter variant PSMB9-R was found (odds ratio 0.01; chi2=12.1; P<0.0005; Pc<0.03). The promoter allele TAP1-446G was associated with hyperparasitaemia and absence of hypoglycaemia. TAP1, PSMB9, and TAP1/PSMB9 promoter alleles were in strong linkage disequilibrium. DNA sequencing of the TAP1/PSMB9 promoter region revealed a previously unrecognized single nucleotide polymorphism 455 bp upstream of the TAP1 transcription start site.
Localized pemphigoid on the soles of both feet
2005-01-21

An 80-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a spontaneously appearing bullous dermatosis limited to the soles of both feet, causing an intense pruritus. She also suffered from Parkinson's disease and depression, and had been treated with levodopa, benserazide, and mirtazapine for several years. On clinical examination, we found several tense and hemorrhagic bullae, with a diameter of up to 3 cm, at both plantar sites and multiple, confluent, dyshidrotic vesicles ( Figs 1 and 2). The rest of the skin, including the mucous membranes and palms, was normal. The first clinical diagnosis was podopompholyx, but histopathologic findings and direct immunofluorescence revealed a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid, showing subepidermal blisters (Fig. 3) and linear deposits of C3 and immunoglobulin G (IgG). Indirect immunofluorescence was positive, the IgG autoantibodies bound to the epidermal site of salt-split skin, and circulating antibodies against bullous pemphigoid antigens 1 and 2 were found. Because of this typical clinical picture, a diagnosis of dyshidrotic pemphigoid, a localized form of bullous pemphigoid, was made. Under systemic treatment with prednisolone, 40 mg/day, the skin healed completely within 2 weeks. Descriptions of dyshidrotic pemphigoid limited to the soles of both feet are very rare, and the clinical findings might easily lead to a misdiagnosis of podopompholyx.