Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption

Abstract Recovery from a bout of exercise is associated with an elevation in metabolism referred to as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). A number of investigators in the first half of the last century reported prolonged EPOC durations and that the EPOC was a major component of the thermic effect of activity. It was therefore thought that the EPOC was a major contributor to total daily energy expenditure and hence the maintenance of body mass. Investigations conducted over the last two or three decades have improved the experimental protocols used in the pioneering studies and therefore have more accurately characterized the EPOC. Evidence has accumulated to suggest an exponential relationship between exercise intensity and the magnitude of the EPOC for specific exercise durations. Furthermore, work at exercise intensities ≥50 – 60% [Vdot]O2max stimulate a linear increase in EPOC as exercise duration increases. The existence of these relationships with resistance exercise at this stage remains unclear because of the limited number of studies and problems with quantification of work intensity for this type of exercise. Although the more recent studies do not support the extended EPOC durations reported by some of the pioneering investigators, it is now apparent that a prolonged EPOC (3 – 24 h) may result from an appropriate exercise stimulus (submaximal: ≥50 min at ≥70% [Vdot]O2max; supramaximal: ≥6 min at ≥105% [Vdot]O2max). However, even those studies incorporating exercise stimuli resulting in prolonged EPOC durations have identified that the EPOC comprises only 6 – 15% of the net total oxygen cost of the exercise. But this figure may need to be increased when studies utilizing intermittent work bouts are designed to allow the determination of rest interval EPOCs, which should logically contribute to the EPOC determined following the cessation of the last work bout. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the earlier research optimism regarding an important role for the EPOC in weight loss is generally unfounded. This is further reinforced by acknowledging that the exercise stimuli required to promote a prolonged EPOC are unlikely to be tolerated by non-athletic individuals. The role of exercise in the maintenance of body mass is therefore predominantly mediated via the cumulative effect of the energy expenditure during the actual exercise.
Retinol-binding protein 4 in adipose and placental tissue of women with gestational diabetes

In the present study, we evaluated serum levels of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and the expression of RBP4, glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) mRNA (using quantitative real time-PCR) in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and placental tissue obtained from patients with gestational diabetes (GDM) and healthy pregnant women. Serum RBP4 concentrations and its expression in SAT were higher in the women with GDM than in the controls (p = 0.03). No association between serum or tissue RBP4 and the indices of insulin resistance was noted. In the GDM group serum RBP4 correlated with its mRNA expression in SAT (r = 0.67, p = 0.007). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that RBP4 mRNA expression in SAT was independently predicted by GLUT4 mRNA expression (β = 0.59, p = 0.003) and the presence of GDM (β = 0.46, p = 0.01), whereas RBP4 mRNA expression in VAT was related to PPARγ mRNA expression (β = 0.64, p = 0.0003) and the patient's age (β = −0.38, p = 0.03). In conclusion, our results suggest that the elevated expression of RBP4 in SAT may contribute to the increase in circulating RBP4 in GDM subjects.
Influence of casting method on effectiveness of foot orthoses using plantar pressure distribution: a preliminary study

Background: Existing techniques of taking foot impressions for producing foot orthoses are static, while walking is a dynamic process. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate a newly developed dynamic casting method for foot orthoses in comparison with static casts. Study Design: Double-blind, randomized two-period cross-over trial. Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers (six women, six men) were randomly assigned within gender to two groups. The first group wore orthoses made from static casts for two weeks and then orthoses made from dynamic casts for two weeks, and the second group vice versa. The orthoses were worn during work in sports shoes. The outcome measure was coefficient of variation (CV, defined as standard deviation/mean) over seven measurement spots on each foot. Results: Foot orthoses produced by a dynamic casting system redistributed plantar pressure (reduced CV) more effectively in the first period on both feet. In the second period, carry-over effect and/or treatment wearing off was observed. Conclusion: The dynamic casting procedure is simple, low-cost and appears promising, but further research is needed to introduce it into clinical practice.
New Latex Bead Agglutination Assay for Differential Diagnosis of Cattle Infected with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

ABSTRACT Extensive studies have shown that the current assays used to identify cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis or Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis are not sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect all infected animals, especially animals recently infected with the pathogens. In the present report we show that these limitations might be overcome with a latex bead agglutination assay (LBAA). With the specific immunodominant epitope (ESAT6-p) of M. bovis, we developed an LBAA and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for that purpose and compared them with the “gold standard” culture method and skin test for their efficacy in detecting bovine tuberculosis. When sera from control healthy cows (n = 10), M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-positive cattle (naturally infected, n = 16; experimentally infected, n = 8), and M. bovis-positive cattle (naturally infected, n = 49;experimentally infected, n = 20) were applied to an EIA and an LBAA developed with ESAT6-p, the two tests showed similar sensitivity (97.1% by EIA, 95.7% by LBAA), high specificity (94.2% by EIA, 100% by LBAA), and a positive correlation (kappa value, 0.85; correlation rate, 93.2%; correlation coefficient, 0.64). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of EIA results and comparison with the culture method determined a suitable cutoff value at 0.469, with an area under the curve of 0.991 (95% confidence interval, 0.977 to 1.0). As LBAA didn't show any positive reactions with sera from uninfected control cows or M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-infected cattle, which were confirmed to be free of M. bovis by culture or PCR, LBAA using the ESAT6-p can be a rapid and useful M. bovis diagnostic assay. The data suggest that rapid, sensitive, and specific assays can be developed with peptides containing immunodominant epitopes present in proteins uniquely expressed in M. bovis or M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis for differential diagnosis of cattle infected with M. bovis or M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis.
PreS deletion mutations of hepatitis B virus in chronically infected patients with simultaneous seropositivity for hepatitis‐B surface antigen and anti‐HBS antibodies

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti‐HBs antibodies (anti‐HBs) may coexist in certain chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This study was designed to further explore the relationship between this coexistence and hepatitis B Virus (HBV) preS deletions. Sera of 28 patients carrying both HBsAg and anti‐HBs (Group I) and those of another 28 HBsAg positive but anti‐HBs negative patients (Group II) were collected from CHB patients. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products or sequencing of clones was applied to both groups to determine sequences of HBV preS and S genes. Genotyping of the S gene indicated that all sampled HBVs were either Genosubtype Ba or Genosubtype Ce. Seven samples in Group I harbored HBV preS deletion mutations. Three of the seven samples showed large deletion mutations in 3′ terminus of preS1 and co‐existence of the mutant type and the full‐length wild type, and the remaining four samples showed deletion mutations in 5′ terminus of preS2. All mutant strains were found to be genosubtype Ce. Only two samples in Group I showed G145R/A mutation. Only one sample in Group II contained preS deletion mutation. It is therefore concluded that HBV preS deletion mutations are likely to be related to the coexistence of HBsAg and anti‐HBs in CHB patients (P‐value = 0.024). Some immune reactions may select for the preS deletion in CHB patients with anti‐HBs, the possible marker for immune selection. J. Med. Virol. 82:23–31, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evidence of a Cerebrovascular Postarteriole Windkessel with Delayed Compliance

A pronounced temporal mismatch was observed between the responses of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) measured by magnetic resonance imaging and relative cerebral blood flow measured by laser—Doppler flowmetry in rat somatosensory cortex after electrical forepaw stimulation, The increase of relative cerebral blood flow after stimulus onset and decrease after stimulus cessation were accurately described with a single exponential time constant of 2.4 ± 0.8 seconds. In contrast, rCBV exhibited two distinct and nearly sequential processes after both onset and cessation of stimulation. A rapid change of rCBV (1.5 ± 0.8 seconds) occurring immediately after onset and cessation was not statistically different from the time constant for relative cerebral blood flow. However, a slow phase of increase (onset) and decrease (cessation) with an exponential time constant of 14 ± 13 seconds began approximately 8 seconds after the rapid phase of CBV change. A modified windkessel model was developed to describe the temporal evolution of rCBV as a rapid elastic response of capillaries and veins followed by slow venous relaxation of stress. Venous delayed compliance was suggested as the mechanism for the poststimulus undershoot in blood oxygen-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging signal that has been observed in this animal model and in human data.
A role for G protein‐coupled receptor kinase 2 in mechanical allodynia

Inflammation and nerve injury can both induce mechanical allodynia via mechanisms involving the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and increased neuronal activity. Many neurotransmitters involved in pain signal via G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCR kinase (GRK)2 is a member of the GRK family that regulates agonist‐induced desensitization and signalling of GPCRs. Low intracellular GRK2 levels are associated with increased receptor signalling. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mechanical allodynia is associated with decreased spinal cord GRK2 expression and whether reduced GRK2 increases inflammation‐induced mechanical allodynia. Mechanical allodynia was induced in rats by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. After 2 weeks, neuronal GRK2 expression was decreased bilaterally in the superficial layers of the lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn. Moreover, interleukin‐1β significantly reduced GRK2 expression ex vivo in spinal cord slices. To investigate whether reduced GRK2 potentiates inflammation‐induced mechanical allodynia, we used GRK2+/– animals expressing decreased GRK2. At baseline, the threshold for mechanical stimulation did not differ between GRK2+/– and wild‐type mice. However, GRK2+/– animals were more sensitive to mechanical stimulation than wild‐type animals after intraplantar λ‐carrageenan injection. We propose cytokine‐induced down‐regulation of spinal cord neuronal GRK2 expression as a novel mechanism that contributes to increased neuronal signalling in mechanical allodynia.
Effect of type and amount of dietary fat on the enhancement of rat mammary tumorigenesis by exercise.

The effect(s) of treadmill exercise and type and amount of dietary fat on the process of mammary tumorigenesis was investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified 5% fat diet (AIN-76A) from 21 to 64 days of age. At 50 days of age each rat was intubated p.o. with 5 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Fourteen days after DMBA, the rats were randomized into one of three diet groups: 5% fat as corn oil, 24.6% fat as corn oil, or 24.6% fat as a mixture of palm (21.8%) and corn oil (2.8%). The combination of palm and corn oil provided the same amount of linoleic acid per g as the 5% corn oil diet. Half the animals receiving each diet were exercised on a treadmill at a speed of 20 m/min, 1 degree incline, 15 min/day, 5 days/week, and were designated as the moderate intensity treadmill exercise group (MITE). The remaining animals were exercised at a speed of 2 m/min, 1 degree incline, 15 min/day, 5 days/week, and were designated as the low intensity treadmill exercise group (LITE). The experiment was terminated 154 days after DMBA was administered. The median tumor-free time was significantly shortened in MITE rats receiving the 24.6% fat, corn oil-formulated diet in comparison to LITE rats receiving the same diet (43 day vs. 62 day, P = 0.028). Similarly, tumor appearance was more rapid in MITE rats consuming the low fat corn oil diet in comparison to the low fat diet-fed LITE group (57 day vs. 67 day, P = 0.046). Exercise exerted no effect on the rate of tumor appearance in rats that received the 24.6% palm and corn oil mixture, (58 day, MITE, vs. 62 day, LITE, P = 0.502). Mean body weight gains were similar among groups, although MITE rats consistently weighed more than LITE rats consuming the same diet. Gross carcass composition was unaffected by either the level of exercise or the amount of dietary fat consumed. The data indicate that moderate intensity treadmill exercise for a short duration, that is without effect on carcass fat content, can stimulate mammary tumorigenesis in rats fed low or high fat diets. This effect can be influenced by the type of dietary fat ingested.
A mutant herpes simplex virus type 1 unable to express glycoprotein L cannot enter cells, and its particles lack glycoprotein H

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein H (gH) is essential for virus entry into cells and forms a hetero-oligomer with a newly described viral glycoprotein, gL. Normal folding, posttranslational processing, and intracellular transport of both gH and gL depend upon the coexpression of gH and gL in cells infected with vaccinia virus vectors (L. Hutchinson, H. Browne, V. Wargent, N. Davis-Poynter, S. Primorac, K. Goldsmith, A. C. Minson, and D. C. Johnson, J. Virol. 66:2240-2250, 1992). Homologs of gH and gL have been found in herpesviruses of all subgroups, and thus it appears likely that the gH-gL complex serves a highly conserved function during herpesvirus penetration into cells. To examine the role of gL in the infectious cycle of HSV-1, a mutant HSV-1 unable to express gL was constructed by inserting a lacZ gene cassette into the coding sequences of the UL1 (gL) gene. Because gL was found to be essential for virus replication, cell lines capable of expressing gL were constructed to complement the virus mutant. In the absence of gL, virus particles were produced, and these particles reached the cell surface; however, gL-negative particles purified from infected cells were also deficient in gH. Mutant virions lacking gH and gL were able to adsorb onto cells but were unable to enter cells and initiate an infection. Further, the role of gL in fusion of infected cells was reexamined. A mutation in HSV-1 (804) which produces the syncytial phenotype had previously been mapped to a region of the HSV-1 genome which includes the UL1 gene and no other open reading frame. However, in contrast to this previous report, we found that the syncytial mutation in 804 affects the UL53 gene, which encodes gK, a gene commonly mutated in syncytial viruses.
SU11248 (sunitinib) directly inhibits the activity of mammalian 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)

AMPK has been termed the fuel sensor of mammalian cells because it directly responds to the depletion of the fuel molecule ATP. In previous work, we found that AMPK is strongly activated by tumor-like hypoxia and glucose deprivation, independently of the oxygen response system associated with HIF-1. We also observed high levels of AMPK activity in tumor cells in vivo, using different model tumors. These findings suggested the hypothesis that modulation of AMPK activity could have therapeutic value for the treatment of solid tumors. To investigate this hypothesis, we have been conducting a SAR study of potential small-molecule modulators of AMPK activity. Here we report that the chemotherapeutic drug SU11248 (sunitinib) is at least as potent an inhibitor of AMPK as compound C, which is a commonly used experimental direct inhibitor of the enzyme. We also provide a computational model of the binding pose of SU11248 to an AMPKa subunit, which suggests a structural basis for the affinity of the drug for the ATP site of the catalytic domain. The ability of SU11248 to inhibit AMPK has potential clinical significance-there may be populations of SU11248-treated patients in which AMPK activity is inhibited in normal as well as in tumor tissue.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN THE OOGAMOCHLAMYS CLADE (CHLOROPHYCEAE): HIGH GC CONTENT AND UNIQUE GENOME ARCHITECTURE FOR GREEN ALGAE 1

Most mitochondrial genomes in the green algal phylum Chlorophyta are AT‐rich, circular‐mapping DNA molecules. However, mitochondrial genomes from the Reinhardtii clade of the Chlorophyceae lineage are linear and sometimes fragmented into subgenomic forms. Moreover, Polytomella capuana, from the Reinhardtii clade, has an elevated GC content (57.2%). In the present study, we examined mitochondrial genome conformation and GC bias in the Oogamochlamys clade of the Chlorophyceae, which phylogenetic data suggest is closely related to the Reinhardtii clade. Total DNA from selected Oogamochlamys taxa, including four Lobochlamys culleus (H. Ettl) Pröschold, B. Marin, U. G. Schlöss. et Melkonian strains, Lobochlamys segnis (H. Ettl) Pröschold, B. Marin, U. G. Schlöss. et Melkonian, and Oogamochlamys gigantea (O. Dill) Pröschold, B. Marin, U. G. Schlöss. et Melkonian, was subjected to Southern blot analyses with cob and cox1 probes, and the results suggest that the mitochondrial genome of these taxa is represented by multiple‐sized linear DNA fragments with overlapping homologies. On the basis of these data, we propose that linear mitochondrial DNA with a propensity to become fragmented arose in an ancestor common to the Reinhardtii and Oogamochlamys clades or even earlier in the evolutionary history of the Chlorophyceae. Analyses of partial cob and cox1 sequences from these Oogamochlamys taxa revealed an unusually high GC content (49.9%–65.1%) and provided evidence for the accumulation of cob and cox1 pseudogenes and truncated sequences in the mitochondrial genome of all L. culleus strains examined.
Analyzing the defect structure of CuO-Doped PZT and KNN piezoelectrics from electron paramagnetic resonance

The defect structure for copper-doped sodium potassium niobate (KNN) ferroelectrics has been analyzed with respect to its defect structure. In particular, the interplay between the mutually compensating dimeric (CuNb-VO) and trimeric (VO-CuNb-VO) defect complexes with 180° and non-180° domain walls has been analyzed and compared to the effects from (Cu - VO)x× dipoles in CuO-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Attempts are made to relate the rearrangement of defect complexes to macroscopic electromechanical properties.
A hybrid two-phase system for anaerobic digestion of food waste.

A hybrid two-phase system, consisting of a solid waste reactor as the acidification reactor and a wastewater reactor, i.e. an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, as the methanogenic reactor, for anaerobic digestion of food waste was investigated. After the pre-acidification stage, COD and total VFA removals in the methanogenic phase were in the ranges of 74-93% and 77-100%, respectively, while leachate COD and total VFA concentrations in the acidification phase decreased by 95% and 97-99%, respectively. Some 99% of the total CH4 generated was from the methanogenic phase with the CH4 content of 68-70%. About 77-79% of TOC, 57-60% of volatile solids and 79-80% of total COD were removed. The results of this laboratory-scale study show that the hybrid two-phase anaerobic batch reactor system is suitable for effective conversion of food waste into CH4 and CO2. The hybrid two-phase system can be further developed into an effective and efficient way to enhance waste stabilization in operating bioreactor landfills.
Diversity and geographic distribution of secondary endosymbiotic bacteria in natural populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

In addition to the essential intracellular symbiotic bacterium Buchnera, several facultative endosymbiotic bacteria called collectively secondary symbionts (S‐symbionts) have been identified from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. We conducted an extensive and systematic survey of S‐symbionts in Japanese local populations of A. pisum using a specific PCR detection technique. Five S‐symbionts of A. pisum, PASS, PAUS, PABS, Rickettsia and Spiroplasma, and two facultative endosymbionts universally found in various insects, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus, were targeted. Of 119 isofemale strains originating from 81 localities, 66.4% of the strains possessed either of four S‐symbionts: PASS (38.7%); PAUS (16.0%); Rickettsia (8.4%); and Spiroplasma (3.4%), while 33.6% of the strains contained only Buchnera. PABS, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus were not detected from the Japanese strains of A. pisum. In order to understand intra‐ and interpopulational diversity of S‐symbiont microbiota in detail, 858 insects collected from 43 localities were examined for infection with the four S‐symbionts. It was demonstrated that different S‐symbionts coexist commonly in the same local populations, but double infections with two S‐symbionts were rarely detected. Notably, the S‐symbionts exhibited characteristic geographical distribution patterns: PASS at high frequencies all over Japan; PAUS at high frequencies mainly in the northeastern part of Japan; and Rickettsia and Spiroplasma at low frequencies sporadically in the southwestern part of Japan. These results indicate that the geographical distribution and infection frequency of the S‐symbionts, in particular PAUS, might be affected by environmental and/or historical factors. Statistical analyses suggested that the distribution of PAUS infection might be related to host plant species, temperature and precipitation.
Food Insecurity and SNAP Participation in Mexican Immigrant Families: The Impact of the Outreach Initiative

Abstract We study the factors associated with food insecurity and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Mexican immigrant families in the US. Estimates from analyses that control for a rich set of economic, demographic, and geographic variables show that children in Mexican immigrant families are more likely to be food insecure than children in native families, but are less likely to participate in SNAP. Further, more vulnerable groups such as the first-generation Mexican immigrant families, families in the US for less than 5 years, and families with non-citizen children – that are at a higher risk of food insecurity are the least likely to participate in SNAP. Our analysis suggests that the US Department of Agriculture outreach initiative and SNAP expansion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased SNAP participation of the mixed-status Mexican families, and there is some evidence that food insecurity declined among children in low-educated mixed status families. We do not find any evidence that the outreach and ARRA expansion increased SNAP receipt among Mexican immigrant families with only non-citizen members who are likely to be undocumented.