bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fermented soymilk increases voluntary wheel running activity and sexual behavior in male rats
Authors: Sato Takuya , Shinohara Yasutomo , Kaneko Daisuke , Nishimura Ikuko , Matsuyama Asahi 
Published: December 2010

Wheel running by rodents is thought to reflect voluntary exercise in humans. The present study examined the effect of fermented soymilk (FSM) on voluntary wheel running in rats. FSM was prepared from soymilk (SM) using the bacteria Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides . The rats were fed a normal diet for 3 weeks followed by a 3-week administration of diet containing FSM or SM (5% w/w), and then the diets were switched back to a normal diet for 3 weeks. The voluntary wheel running activity was increased by FSM administration, although no changes were observed by SM administration. This effect was observed 2 weeks after FSM administration and lasted 1 week after deprivation of FSM. Then we evaluated the effect of FSM on sexual behavior in male rats. FSM administration for 10 days significantly increased the number of mounts. The protein expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) increased in the hippocampus by FSM administration and it is suggested that FSM may change norepinephrine or dopamine signaling in the brain. Our study provides the first evidence that FSM increases voluntary wheel running activity and sexual behavior and suggests that TH may be involved in these effects.
Effect of Pleuran (β-glucan fromPleurotus ostreatus) supplementation on cellular immune response after intensive exercise in elite athletes
Authors: Bobovčák Marián , Kuniaková Renata , Gabriž Ján , Majtán Juraj 
Published: December 2010

Excessive and exhausting physical loads depress the immune system. Carbohydrate consumption may minimize the postexercise suppression of the innate immune system. β-Glucan is a well-known immunomodulator, with positive effects on the functioning of immunocompetent cells. The goal of this study was to determine whether β-glucan dietary supplementation from the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus decreases the suppressed immune system responses induced by short-term high-intensity exercise in humans. In this double-blind pilot study, 20 elite athletes were randomized to β-glucan (n = 9) or placebo (n = 11) groups; these groups consumed 100 mg of β-glucan (Imunoglukan) or placebo supplements, respectively, once a day for 2 months. Venous whole blood was collected before and after 2 months of supplementation (baseline), both immediately and 1 h after (recovery period) a 20-min intensive exercise bout at the end of the supplementation period. The blood samples were used to measure the cell counts of leukocytes, erythrocyte, and lymphocytes; subpopulations of lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes; and natural killer (NK) cell activity (NKCA). A 28% reduction in NKCA (p < 0.01) below the baseline value was observed in the placebo group during the recovery period, whereas no significant reduction in NKCA was found in the β-glucan group. In addition, no significant decrease in NK cell count was measured in the β-glucan group during the recovery period. Immune cell counts did not differ significantly between the groups. These results indicate that insoluble β-glucan supplementation from P. ostreatus may play a role in modulating exercise-induced changes in NKCA in intensively training athletes.
Voluntary fluid intake, hydration status, and aerobic performance of adolescent athletes in the heat
Authors: Wilk Boguslaw , Timmons Brian W. , Bar-Or Oded 
Published: December 2010

We determined whether beverage flavoring and composition would stimulate voluntary drink intake, prevent dehydration, and maintain exercise performance in heat-acclimated adolescent males running in the heat. Eight adolescent (age, 13.7 ± 1.1 years) runners (peak oxygen uptake, 59.5 ± 4.0 mL·kg–1·min–1) underwent at least four 80-min exercise heat-acclimation sessions before completing 3 experimental sessions. All sessions were performed at 30 °C and 60%–65% relative humidity. Each experimental session consisted of five 15-min treadmill runs at a speed eliciting 65% peak oxygen uptake, with a 5 min rest prior to each run. Ten minutes after the final run, a time to exhaustion test was performed at a speed eliciting 90% peak oxygen uptake. Counterbalanced experimental sessions were identical, except for fluid intake, which consisted of tap water (W), flavored water (FW), and FW with 6% carbohydrate and 18 mmol·L–1 NaCl (CNa) consumed ad libitum. Fluid intake and body weight were monitored to calculate dehydration. Voluntary fluid intake was similar to fluid losses in W (1032 ± 130 vs. 1340 ± 246 g), FW (1086 ± 86 vs. 1451 ± 253 g), and CNa (1259 ± 119 vs. 1358 ± 234 g). As a result, significant dehydration was avoided in all trials (–0.45% ± 0.68% body weight in W, –0.66% ± 0.50% body weight in FW, and –0.13% ± 0.71% body weight in CNa). Core temperature increased by ~1 °C during exercise, but was not different between trials. Time to exhaustion was not different between trials and averaged 8.8 ± 1.7 min. Under exercise conditions more closely reflecting real-life situations, heat-acclimatized adolescent male runners can appropriately gauge fluid intake regardless of the type of beverage made available, resulting in consistency in exercise performance.
Analysis and design of steel plate walls: experimental evaluation
Authors: Kharrazi Mehdi H.K. , Ventura Carlos E. , Prion Helmut G.L. 
Published: December 2010

In this paper, the effectiveness of the Modified Plate–Frame Interaction (M-PFI) model is evaluated by comparing its outcomes against those from experimental results obtained from a number of steel plate walls (SPWs) tested at different universities. As a result of the comparison, the M-PFI model was found to provide satisfactory predictions for SPW specimens constructed with steel plates welded to column and beam members. The M-PFI model was able to predict the initial stiffness, as well as to evaluate whether the boundary members of the SPW have sufficient capacity to allow for the infill plate to yield entirely. However, the model was found to underestimate the ultimate capacity of the SPW system mainly because, among other reasons, the material model used for its underlying theory is the elastic – perfectly plastic material model.
Passive protection of purified yolk immunoglobulin administered against Shiga toxin 1 in mouse models
Authors: Wang Qin , Hou Xiao-jun , Cai Kun , Li Tao , Liu Yue-nan , Tu Wei , Xiao Le , Bao Shi-zhong , Shi Jing , Gao Xiang , Liu Hao , Tian Ren-mao , Wang Hui 
Published: December 2010

Shiga toxins produced by Escherichia coli O157:H7 cause a wide spectrum of enteric diseases, such as lethal hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. In this study, the B subunit protein of Shiga toxin type 1 (Stx1) was produced in the E. coli system, was further purified by Ni-column Affinity Chromatography method, and was then used as an immunogen to immunize laying hens for yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) production. Titers of IgY increased gradually with boosting vaccination and, finally, reached a level of 105, remaining steady over 1 year. Then the protective efficacy of IgY against Stx1 was evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. It was shown that the anti-Stx1 IgY could effectively block the binding of Stx1 to the Hela cells and could protect BALB/c mice from toxin challenges. The data indicates the facility of using egg yolk IgY as a therapeutic intervention in cases of Shiga toxin intoxication.
Effect of phosphatidylcholine–cholesterol liposomes on Entamoeba histolytica virulence
Authors: Serrano-Luna Jesús , Gutiérrez-Meza Manuel , Mejía-Zepeda Ricardo , Galindo-Gómez Silvia , Tsutsumi Víctor , Shibayama Mineko 
Published: December 2010

Trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica HM-1:IMSS become less virulent after long-term maintenance in axenic cultures. The factors responsible for the loss of virulence during in vitro cultivation remain unclear. However, it is known that in vitro cultivation of amoeba in culture medium supplemented with cholesterol restores their virulence. In this study, we analyzed the effect of adding phosphatidylcholine–cholesterol (PC–Chol) liposomes to the culture medium and evaluated the effect of this lipid on various biochemical and biological functions of E. histolytica HM-1:IMSS in terms of its virulence. The addition of PC–Chol liposomes to the culture medium maintained the virulence of these parasites against hamster liver at the same level as the original virulent E. histolytica strain, even though these amoebae were maintained without passage through hamster liver for 18 months. The trophozoites also showed increased endocytosis, erythrophagocytosis, and carbohydrate residue expression on the amoebic surface. Protease activities were also modified by the presence of cholesterol in the culture medium. These findings indicate the capacity of cholesterol to preserve amoeba virulence and provide an alternative method for the maintenance of virulent E. histolytica trophozoites without the need for in vivo procedures.
Shikonin inhibits the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of human HepG2 cells
Authors: Yingkun Nie , Lvsong Zhu , Huimin Yu 
Published: December 2010

This study investigated the potential of shikonin as an anticancer agent against liver cancer and an in vitro human hepatoma cancer model system. The HepG2 cell line was the hepatoma cancer model in the present study. The inhibitory effect of shikonin on the growth of HepG2 cells was measured by MTT assay. To explore the underlying mechanism of cell growth inhibition of shikonin, the cell cycle distribution, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δ[Formula: see text]m) disruption, and expression of Bax and Bcl-2 were measured in HepG2 cells. The activity of shikonin in inducing apoptosis was investigated through the detection of Annexin V signal and CD95 expression by flow cytometry and electron microscopy, respectively. Shikonin inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 value (inhibiting cell growth by 50%) was 4.30 µg/mL. Shikonin inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and blocked HepG2 cell cycle progression at the S phase. The changes in mitochondrial morphology, dose-dependently decreased in Δ[Formula: see text]m, were observed in different concentrations of the drug treatment group. Western blot analysis showed that cajanol inhibited Bcl-2 expression and induced Bax expression. Furthermore, we show that shikonin increases Annexin V signal and CD95 (Fas/APO) expression, resulting in apoptotic cell death of HepG2 cells. In addition, lump formation of intranuclear chromatin, pyknosis of cell nucleus, deletion of microvillus, vacuolar degeneration of mitochondria, reduction of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and resolution of free ribosome, etc., associated with apoptosis were discovered by electron microscopy in HepG2 cells after 48 h treatment. Shikonin inhibited HepG2 cells, possibly through the pathway of inducing early apoptosis, and was beneficial for restoring the apoptotic sensitivity of HepG2 cells by CD95, and should therefore be considered as a candidate agent for the prevention or treatment of human hepatoma.
Correlations between aortic stiffness and parasympathetic autonomic function in healthy volunteers
Authors: Nemes Attila , Takács Róbert , Gavallér Henriette , Várkonyi Tamás T. , Wittmann Tibor , Forster Tamás , Lengyel Csaba 
Published: December 2010

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and alterations in vascular elasticity are known complications of several disorders, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, aging, and chronic kidney disease. The current study was designed to test whether a relationship existed between pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), aortic elastic properties, and cardiovascular autonomic function in healthy volunteers. The study comprised 25 healthy volunteers, whose aortic strain, distensibility, and stiffness index were measured by echocardiography, whereas PWV and AIx were evaluated by Arteriograph (TensioMed, Budapest, Hungary) in all cases. Autonomic function was assessed by means of 5 standard cardiovascular reflex tests. We found that heart rate response to deep breathing, as the most reproducible cardiovascular reflex test to characterize parasympathetic function, showed low to moderate correlations with PWV (r = –0.431, p = 0.032), aortic strain (r = 0.594, p = 0.002), distensibility (r = 0.407, p = 0.043), and stiffness index (r = –0.453, p = 0.023). Valsalva ratio and autonomic neuropathy score (ANS) correlated with PWV (r = –0.557, p = 0.004 and r = –0.421, p = 0.036, respectively) and AIx (r = –0.461, p = 0.020 and r = –0.385, p = 0.057, respectively), while ANS correlated with even aortic stiffness index (r = –0.457, p = 0.022). Cardiovascular reflex tests mainly characterizing sympathetic function had no correlation with aortic stiffness parameters (p = NS for all correlations). Correlations exist between parameters characterizing aortic elasticity and parasympathetic autonomic function, as shown by standard cardiovascular reflex tests in healthy volunteers.
Epistemic privacy
Authors: Evfimievski Alexandre , Fagin Ronald , Woodruff David 
Published: December 2010

We present a novel definition of privacy in the framework of offline (retroactive) database query auditing. Given information about the database, a description of sensitive data, and assumptions about users' prior knowledge, our goal is to determine if answering a past user's query could have led to a privacy breach. According to our definition, an audited propertyAis private, given the disclosure of propertyB, if no user can gain confidence inAby learningB, subject to prior knowledge constraints. Privacy is not violated if the disclosure ofBcauses a loss of confidence inA. The new notion of privacy is formalized using the well-known semantics for reasoning about knowledge, where logical properties correspond to sets of possible worlds (databases) that satisfy these properties. Database users are modeled as either possibilistic agents whose knowledge is a set of possible worlds, or as probabilistic agents whose knowledge is a probability distribution on possible worlds.We analyze the new privacy notion, show its relationship with the conventional approach, and derive criteria that allow the auditor to test privacy efficiently in some important cases. In particular, we prove characterization theorems for the possibilistic case, and study in depth the probabilistic case under the assumption that all database records are considered a-priori independent by the user, as well as under more relaxed (or absent) prior-knowledge assumptions. In the probabilistic case we show that for certain families of distributions there is no efficient algorithm to test whether an audited propertyAis private given the disclosure of a propertyB, assumingP≠NP. Nevertheless, for many interesting families, such as the family of product distributions, we obtain algorithms that are efficient both in theory and in practice.
Gated-diode FinFET DRAMs
Authors: Bhoj Ajay N. , Jha Niraj K. 
Published: December 2010

Scaling bulk CMOS SRAM technology for on-chip caches beyond the 22nm node is questionable, on account of high leakage power consumption, performance degradation, and instability due to process variations. Recently, two-three transistor one gated-diode (2T/3T1D) DRAMs were proposed as alternatives to address the SRAM variability problem, with an emphasis on high-activity embedded cache applications. They are highly competitive to SRAM in terms of performance, while having a smaller power and area footprint at lower technology nodes. The current evolutionary trend in transistor structures is moving toward an era of multigate devices, which makes it necessary to identify design issues and advantages of gated-diode DRAMs implemented in a multigate technology.
In this work, we address gated-diode DRAM design in FinFET technology using mixed-mode 2D-device simulations. We revisit the model of internal voltage gain in bulk gated diodes and extend it to provide quantitative insight into designing Fin gated diodes, that is, gated diodes in FinFET technology. To this effect, we propose FinFET variants of the bulk gated-diode configuration and identify parameters that are critical to enhancing the retention time and read current in 2T/3T1D FinFET DRAMs. Additionally, we show the superiority of 2T1D FinFET DRAM over 6T FinFET SRAM having pass-gate feedback (6T PGFB) and 2T1D bulk DRAM under the effect of physical parameter process variations using a quasi--Monte Carlo method implemented in FinE, an environment we have developed for double-gate circuit design that integrates Sentaurus TCAD from Synopsys with the Spice3-UFDG double-gate compact model from University of Florida, under a single framework. Finally, we present a new tunable threshold gated diode FinFET amplifier which uses an n-type gated diode for voltage-boosting, along with a p-type gated diode for zero-suppression.
Pathologic Reassessment of Prostate Cancer Surgical Specimens Before Molecular Retrospective Studies
Authors: Fromont Gaelle , Validire Pierre , Prapotnich Dominique , Rozet François , Vallancien Guy , Cussenot Olivier , Cathelineau Xavier 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
Purpose: The retrospective use of prostate cancer tissue is crucial to design tumor marker prognostic studies. We hypothesize that comparison between recent and more historical cases could introduce biases due to stage and grade migration upon time.
Design: We reviewed 544 margin-free specimens from patients treated for clinically localized prostate cancer by radical prostatectomy between 2000 and 2005. One hundred and ninty-two patients that underwent biochemical recurrence after surgery were matched with 352 patients without progression, according to pretreatment prostate specific antigen, Gleason score, pathologic stage, and follow-up duration (at least 36 months).
Results: The reassessment led to histopathologic reclassification of standard prognostic variables in 15% of cases, including modifications in the Gleason score (n = 63), pathologic stage (n = 12), and margin status (n = 30). Most discrepancies with the initial reports are explained either by differences in the scoring system upon time, or by the exam of additional tissues sections. The impact of reclassification led to increase adverse prognostic factors more frequently in the group of patients with progression (Chi2, P &lt; 0.0001).
Conclusion: Careful reassessment of prostate cancer samples should be mandatory before molecular prognostic studies to ensure a more uniform pathologic evaluation, and might be reported in the “recommendations for tumor markers prognostic studies” (REMARK). Clin Cancer Res; 17(4); 836–40. ©2010 AACR.
ENMD-2076 Is an Orally Active Kinase Inhibitor with Antiangiogenic and Antiproliferative Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Fletcher Graham C. , Brokx Richard D. , Denny Trisha A. , Hembrough Todd A. , Plum Stacy M. , Fogler William E. , Sidor Carolyn F. , Bray Mark R. 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
ENMD-2076 is a novel orally active, small molecule kinase inhibitor with a mechanism of action involving several pathways key to tumor growth and survival: angiogenesis, proliferation, and the cell cycle. ENMD-2076 has selective activity against the mitotic kinase Aurora A, as well as kinases involved in angiogenesis (VEGFRs, FGFRs). ENMD-2076 inhibited the growth in vitro of a wide range of human solid tumor and hematopoietic cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.025 to 0.7 μmol/L. ENMD-2076 was also shown to induce regression or complete inhibition of tumor growth in vivo at well-tolerated doses in tumor xenograft models derived from breast, colon, melanoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma cell lines. Pharmacodynamic experiments in vivo showed that in addition to inhibiting Aurora A, single doses of ENMD-2076 had sustained inhibitory effects on the activation of Flt3 as well as the angiogenic tyrosine kinases, VEGFR2/KDR and FGFR1 and 2. ENMD-2076 was shown to prevent the formation of new blood vessels and regress formed vessels in vivo at doses equivalent to those that gave substantial activity in tumor xenograft models. These results indicate that ENMD-2076 is a well-tolerated, orally active multitarget kinase inhibitor with a unique antiangiogenic/antiproliferative profile and provides strong preclinical support for use as a therapeutic for human cancers. Several phase 1 studies involving ENMD-2076 have been recently completed, and the compound is currently being evaluated in a phase 2 clinical trial in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(1); 126–37. ©2010 AACR.
Academic Giftedness and Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence
Authors: Peairs Kristen F. , Eichen Dawn , Putallaz Martha , Costanzo Philip R. , Grimes Christina L. 
Published: December 2010

Adolescence is a period of development particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol use, with recent studies underscoring alcohol’s effects on adolescent brain development. Despite the alarming rates and consequences of adolescent alcohol use, gifted adolescents are often overlooked as being at risk for early alcohol use. Although gifted adolescents may possess protective factors that likely inhibit the use of alcohol, some gifted youth may be vulnerable to initiating alcohol use during adolescence as experimenting with alcohol may be one way gifted youth choose to compensate for the social price (whether real or perceived) of their academic talents. To address the dearth of research on alcohol use among gifted adolescents the current study (a) examined the extent to which gifted adolescents use alcohol relative to their nongifted peers and (b) examined the adjustment profile of gifted adolescents who had tried alcohol relative to nongifted adolescents who tried alcohol as well as gifted and nongifted abstainers. More than 300 students in seventh grade (42.5% gifted) participated in the present study. Results indicated gifted students have, in fact, tried alcohol at rates that do not differ from nongifted students. Although trying alcohol was generally associated with negative adjustment, giftedness served as a moderating factor such that gifted students who had tried alcohol were less at risk than their nongifted peers. However, evidence also suggests that gifted adolescents who tried alcohol may be a part of a peer context that promotes substance use, which may place these youth at risk for adjustment difficulties in the future. Putting the Research to Use This research demonstrates that a fruitful line of future research would focus on examining the potential mechanisms underlying alcohol use among gifted youth. Individual differences with regard to endorsing a high desirability of gaining social acceptance or fitting in with non-gifted peers or distancing oneself from a “gifted” image may explain why some gifted students use alcohol and others do not. Until the underlying reasons of alcohol use/experimentation among gifted adolescents are better understood and researched further, it is not clear whether current prevention and intervention programs are effective for this subgroup of adolescents.