bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Effects of 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-Galloyl-β-d-Glucopyranose on Biofilm Formation byStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Lin Mei-Hui , Chang Fang-Rong , Hua Mu-Yi , Wu Yang-Chang , Liu Shih-Tung 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranose (PGG) is an active ingredient in plants that are commonly used in Chinese medicine to treat inflammation. We demonstrate here that PGG, at 6.25 μM, does not inhibit the growth ofStaphylococcus aureus, and yet it prevents biofilm formation on polystyrene and polycarbonate surfaces. At the same concentration, PGG is not toxic to human epithelial and fibroblast cells. PGG has an IB50value, i.e., the PGG concentration that inhibits 50% biofilm formation, of 3.6 μM. The value is substantially lower than that ofN-acetylcysteine, iodoacetamide, andN-phenyl maleimide, which are known to inhibit biofilm formation byS. aureus. Biochemical and scanning electron microscopy results also reveal that PGG inhibits initial attachment of the bacteria to solid surface and the synthesis of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, explaining how PGG inhibits biofilm formation. The results of this study demonstrate that coating PGG on polystyrene and silicon rubber surfaces with polyaniline prevents biofilm formation, indicating that PGG is highly promising for clinical use in preventing biofilm formation byS. aureus.
Darunavir, Ritonavir, and Etravirine Pharmacokinetics in the Cervicovaginal Fluid and Blood Plasma of HIV-Infected Women
Authors: Patterson Kristine , Jennings Steven , Falcon Ron , Mrus Joseph , Kashuba Angela 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

We report darunavir, ritonavir, and etravirine pharmacokinetics in cervicovaginal fluid and blood plasma for women from the
G
ender,
R
ace
a
nd
C
linical
E
xperience (GRACE) study. Eight women received darunavir-ritonavir (600/100 mg) twice daily (b.i.d.); two also received etravirine (200 mg) b.i.d. Week 4 paired blood plasma and cervicovaginal fluid samples were collected over 12 h. Darunavir and etravirine cervicovaginal fluid exposures were higher than blood plasma exposures; ritonavir cervicovaginal fluid exposure was lower than blood plasma exposure. The high exposures of darunavir and etravirine in cervicovaginal fluid warrant further evaluation of these drugs for use in HIV-1 prevention.
Efflux-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in
Acinetobacter
spp
Authors: Coyne Sébastien , Courvalin Patrice , Périchon Bruno 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Among
Acinetobacter
spp.,
A. baumannii
is the most frequently implicated in nosocomial infections, in particular in intensive care units. It was initially thought that multidrug resistance (MDR) in this species was due mainly to horizontal acquisition of resistance genes. However, it has recently become obvious that increased expression of chromosomal genes for efflux systems plays a major role in MDR. Among the five superfamilies of pumps, resistance-nodulation-division (RND) systems are the most prevalent in multiply resistant
A. baumannii
. RND pumps typically exhibit a wide substrate range that can include antibiotics, dyes, biocides, detergents, and antiseptics. Overexpression of AdeABC, secondary to mutations in the
adeRS
genes encoding a two-component regulatory system, constitutes a major mechanism of multiresistance in
A. baumannii
. AdeIJK, intrinsic to this species, is responsible for natural resistance, but since overexpression above a certain threshold is toxic for the host, its contribution to acquired resistance is minimal. The recently described AdeFGH, probably regulated by a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, also confers multidrug resistance when overexpressed. Non-RND efflux systems, such as CraA, AmvA, AbeM, and AbeS, have also been characterized for
A. baumannii
, as have AdeXYZ and AdeDE for other
Acinetobacter
spp. Finally, acquired narrow-spectrum efflux pumps, such as the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) members TetA, TetB, CmlA, and FloR and the small multidrug resistance (SMR) member QacE in
Acinetobacter
spp., have been detected and are mainly encoded by mobile genetic elements.
Nuclear DNA content in Sinningia (Gesneriaceae); intraspecific genome size variation and genome characterization in S. speciosa
Authors: Zaitlin David , Pierce Andrew J. 
Published: December 2010

The Gesneriaceae (Lamiales) is a family of flowering plants comprising >3000 species of mainly tropical origin, the most familiar of which is the cultivated African violet ( Saintpaulia spp.). Species of Gesneriaceae are poorly represented in the lists of taxa sampled for genome size estimation; measurements are available for three species of Ramonda and one each of Haberlea , Saintpaulia, and Streptocarpus , all species of Old World origin. We report here nuclear genome size estimates for 10 species of Sinningia , a neotropical genus largely restricted to Brazil. Flow cytometry of leaf cell nuclei showed that holoploid genome size in Sinningia is very small (approximately two times the size of the Arabidopsis genome), and is small compared to the other six species of Gesneriaceae with genome size estimates. We also documented intraspecific genome size variation of 21%–26% within a group of wild Sinningia speciosa (Lodd.) Hiern collections. In addition, we analyzed 1210 genome survey sequences from S. speciosa to characterize basic features of the nuclear genome such as guanine–cytosine content, types of repetitive elements, numbers of protein-coding sequences, and sequences unique to S. speciosa. We included several other angiosperm species as genome size standards, one of which was the snapdragon ( Antirrhinum majus L.; Veronicaceae, Lamiales). Multiple measurements on three accessions indicated that the genome size of A. majus is ∼633 × 106 base pairs, which is approximately 40% of the previously published estimate.
NUTRIOSE dietary fiber supplementation improves insulin resistance and determinants of metabolic syndrome in overweight men: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Li Shuguang , Guerin-Deremaux Laetitia , Pochat Marine , Wils Daniel , Reifer Cheryl , Miller Larry E. 
Published: December 2010

The influence of dietary fiber on determinants of metabolic syndrome is controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of NUTRIOSE supplementation on insulin resistance and the determinants of metabolic syndrome in overweight men. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, we supplemented the diets of overweight Chinese men with 250 mL of fruit juice that contained NUTRIOSE (Test group: n = 60, age = 30.4 ± 4.3 years, body mass index (BMI) = 24.5 ± 0.2 kg·m–2) or a maltodextrin placebo (Control group: n = 60, age = 31.6 ± 4.1 years, BMI = 24.5 ± 0.3 kg·m–2) at a dosage of 17 g twice daily for 12 weeks. Daily caloric intake, body composition, blood chemistry, and blood pressure were evaluated every 4 weeks during the trial. Test subjects consumed fewer calories per day and had greater reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference than Control subjects. All markers of glucose metabolism improved in the Test group, with increases in adiponectin and reductions in glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance, glycosylated hemoglobin, and glycated albumin (all p < 0.01). Similarly, all lipid measures improved with increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (all p < 0.01). No changes were observed in systolic blood pressure between groups. Most components of glucose metabolism and the lipid profile were significantly better in the Test than in the Control subjects. No adverse events or gastrointestinal complaints were reported in either group. Supplementation with NUTRIOSE for 12 weeks is well tolerated, lowers insulin resistance, and improves determinants of metabolic syndrome in overweight men.
Treatment with marine collagen peptides modulates glucose and lipid metabolism in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zhu Cui-Feng , Li Guan-Zhi , Peng Hong-Bin , Zhang Fan , Chen Yun , Li Yong 
Published: December 2010

This study was aimed at examining the therapeutic effects of marine collagen peptides (MCPs) from fish hydrolysate in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 100 diabetic patients and 50 healthy controls were recruited. Diabetic patients were randomized into treatment and control groups. The patients in the treatment group received an additional 13 g of MCPs daily for 3 months. Their blood samples were collected before, and 1.5 and 3 months after, treatment to evaluate glucose and lipid metabolism. The levels of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), nitric oxide (NO), bradykinin, prostacyclin (PGI2), and adipokines were determined. Significantly reduced levels of fasting blood glucose, human glycated hemoglobin A1c (GHbA1c), fasting blood insulin, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and free-fatty acids, but increased levels of insulin sensitivity index and HDL were observed in T2DM patients following treatment with MCPs for 1.5 and 3 months. The values of these measures were significantly lower or higher than those of patient controls (p < 0.01), respectively. Interestingly, significantly decreased levels of hs-CRP and NO, but increased levels of bradykinin, PGI2, and adiponectin were detected in MCP-treated T2DM patients (p < 0.01), as compared with their basal values or the levels in patient controls. MCP treatment improved glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic patients.
Effects of interactive video game cycling on overweight and obese adolescent health
Authors: Adamo Kristi B. , Rutherford Jane A. , Goldfield Gary S. 
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of interactive video game stationary cycling (GameBike) in comparison with stationary cycling to music on adherence, energy expenditure measures, submaximal aerobic fitness, body composition, and cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight and obese adolescents, using a randomized controlled trial design. Thirty overweight (with at least 1 metabolic complication) or obese adolescents aged 12–17 years were stratified by gender and randomized to video game or music condition, with 4 participants (2 per group) failing to complete the twice weekly 60 min sessions of the 10-week trial. The music group had a higher rate of attendance compared with the video game group (92% vs. 86%, p < 0.05). Time spent in minutes per session at vigorous intensity (80%–100% of predicted peak heart rate) (24.9 ± 20 min vs. 13.7 ± 12.8 min, p < 0.05) and average distance (km) pedaled per session (12.5 ± 2.8 km vs. 10.2 ± 2.2 km, p < 0.05) also favoured the music group. However, both interventions produced significant improvements in submaximal indicators of aerobic fitness as measured by a graded cycle ergometer protocol. Also, when collapsed, the exercise modalities reduced body fat percentage and total cholesterol. The present study indicates that cycling to music was just as effective as stationary cycling while playing video games at improving fitness, body composition, and cholesterol profiles in overweight and obese teens, and resulted in increased attendance, vigorous intensity of physical activity, and distance pedaled. Therefore, our data support the superiority of cycling to music and indicate investing in the more expensive GameBike may not be worth the cost.
Evidence that the exoH gene of Sinorhizobium meliloti does not appear to influence symbiotic effectiveness with Medicago truncatula ‘Jemalong A17’
Authors: Zribi Kais , Mhadhbi Haythem , Badri Yazid , Aouani Mohamed Elarbi , van Berkum Peter 
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti that formed either an effective or completely ineffective symbiosis with Medicago truncatula L. ‘Jemalong A17’ and, subsequently, to determine whether differences existed between their exoH genes. Sinorhizobium meliloti TII7 and A5 formed an effective and ineffective symbiosis with M. truncatula ‘Jemalong A17’, respectively. Using a multilocus sequence typing method, both strains were shown to have chromosomes identical with S. meliloti Rm1021 and RCR2011. The 2260-bp segments of DNA stretching from the 3′ end of exoI through open reading frames of hypothetical proteins SM_b20952 and SM_b20953 through exoH into the 5′ end of exoK in strains TII7 and Rm1021 differed by a single nucleotide at base 127 of the hypothetical protein SM_b20953. However, the derived amino acid sequences of the exoH genes of effective TII7, ineffective A5, and strain Rm1021 were shown to be identical with each other. Therefore, it would seem unlikely that the gene product of exoH is directly involved with the low efficiency of a symbiosis of strain Rm1021 with M. truncatula ‘Jemalong A17’. Complementation or complete genome sequence analyses involving strains TII7 and A5 might be useful approaches to investigate the molecular bases for the differential symbiotic response with M. truncatula ‘Jemalong A17’.
Denning-area fidelity and mitochondrial DNA diversity of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Barents Sea
Authors: Zeyl E. , Ehrich D. , Aars J. , Bachmann L. , Wiig Ø. 
Published: December 2010

Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) show fidelity to general denning areas in subsequent reproductive events. Studying the level and spatio-temporal scale of denning-area fidelity is critical to determine the adaptability of polar bears to climate change. We used mark–recapture data in conjunction with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data to investigate the level of fidelity of polar bears from the Barents Sea population to five maternal denning areas. There was no differentiation in mtDNA haplotype frequencies between denning areas. The fidelity of females to denning areas is at a local geographic scale and small groups of neighboring females (3–13) shared similar haplotypes with higher probability than expected by chance. The transmission of denning-area fidelity is supported by the short distances (≤60.0 km) observed between capture locations of six (out of eight) denning mother–daughter pairs. Moreover, our results suggested that some females (3 out of 13) used different denning areas in subsequent denning events. This behavioral plasticity implies that females are likely to be able to change denning locations if unsuitable ice conditions prevent them from reaching their preferred denning areas. We consider this plasticity an important attribute of polar bears when facing climate change.
Functional morphology as a barrier to the evolution of grasp-ejection in hosts of the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Authors: Rasmussen J. L. , Underwood T. J. , Sealy S. G. 
Published: December 2010

Acceptance of eggs of the Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)) by hosts is enigmatic because hosts usually raise fewer of their own young when parasitized. Ejection may not be adaptive for small hosts because they cannot eject cowbird eggs efficiently. Grasp-ejection apparently has a negligible cost but requires a bill of a minimum length that is not known. In this study, we examined the limits of grasp-ejection of the American Robin ( Turdus migratorius L., 1766) and the Gray Catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis (L., 1766)). We determined the largest object width that each species is capable of grasping (limit width) by observing individuals grasping models larger than cowbird eggs in 104 video-recorded ejections and one direct observation. We standardized the limit width to the tomial length of each species (limit ratio) and extrapolated to the width of a cowbird egg to predict the minimum tomial length required for grasp-ejection. Our results suggest that the minimum tomial length required to grasp-eject a cowbird egg is 15.9–16.1 mm and the probability of host-egg damage during grasp-ejection does not increase as the limit ratio increases. Bill length may prevent the evolution of grasp-ejection in cowbird hosts with bills shorter than 16 mm.
Approximation algorithms for restless bandit problems
Authors: Guha Sudipto , Munagala Kamesh , Shi Peng 
Published: December 2010

The
restless bandit
problem is one of the most well-studied generalizations of the celebrated stochastic multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem in decision theory. In its ultimate generality, the restless bandit problem is known to be PSPACE-Hard to approximate to any nontrivial factor, and little progress has been made on this problem despite its significance in modeling activity allocation under uncertainty.

In this article, we consider the Feedback MAB problem, where the reward obtained by playing each of
n
independent arms varies according to an underlying on/off Markov process whose exact state is only revealed when the arm is played. The goal is to design a policy for playing the arms in order to maximize the infinite horizon time average expected reward. This problem is also an instance of a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP), and is widely studied in wireless scheduling and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) routing. Unlike the stochastic MAB problem, the Feedback MAB problem does not admit to greedy index-based optimal policies.

We develop a novel duality-based algorithmic technique that yields a surprisingly simple and intuitive (2+ϵ)-approximate greedy policy to this problem. We show that both in terms of approximation factor and computational efficiency, our policy is closely related to the
Whittle index
, which is widely used for its simplicity and efficiency of computation. Subsequently we define a multi-state generalization, that we term Monotone bandits, which remains subclass of the restless bandit problem. We show that our policy remains a 2-approximation in this setting, and further, our technique is robust enough to incorporate various side-constraints such as blocking plays, switching costs, and even models where determining the state of an arm is a separate operation from playing it.

Our technique is also of independent interest for other restless bandit problems, and we provide an example in nonpreemptive machine replenishment. Interestingly, in this case, our policy provides a constant factor guarantee, whereas the Whittle index is provably polynomially worse.
By presenting the first O(1) approximations for nontrivial instances of restless bandits as well as of POMDPs, our work initiates the study of approximation algorithms in both these contexts.
Fixed Point Theorems for ws-Compact Mappings in Banach Spaces
Authors: Agarwal RaviP , O'Regan Donal , Taoudi Mohamed-Aziz 
Published: December 2010

AbstractWe present new fixed point theorems for ws-compact operators. Our fixed point results are obtained under Sadovskii, Leray-Schauder, Rothe, Altman, Petryshyn, and Furi-Pera type conditions. An example is given to show the usefulness and the applicability of our results.
Select Heterozygous Keap1 Mutations Have a Dominant-Negative Effect on Wild-Type Keap1 In Vivo
Authors: Suzuki Takafumi , Maher Jonathan , Yamamoto Masayuki 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
Under homeostatic conditions, Keap1 constitutively mediates the proteasomal degradation Nrf2. However, tertiary changes in Keap1 in response to the cellular environment allow for liberation of Nrf2 to transcriptionally regulate downstream cytoprotective genes that aid in cell survival. KEAP1/NRF2 somatic mutations causing constitutive NRF2 activation have been estimated to occur in approximately 25% of human lung tumors, with similar rates believed to exist in other tissue subtypes. As the stoichiometry between Keap1 and Nrf2 is 2:1, we hypothesized that heterozygous Keap1 mutations could suppress wild-type Keap1 (Keap1WT) activity by functioning as a dominant-negative protein through heterodimerization of mutant Keap1 (Keap1mutant) with Keap1WT. When Keap1G430C or Keap1G364C mutants were expressed in lieu of Keap1WT, premature juvenile mortality was observed. To test the hypothesis of a dominant-negative effect, Keap1-null mice were engineered to coexpress both Keap1WT and Keap1G430C transgenes, a phenotype analogous to that previously observed from a human lung tumor. These mice were viable, but phenotypically displayed hyperactivation of downstream Nrf2 target genes and moderate esophageal hyperkeratosis. Similar to the transgenic mouse Keap1G430C mutant, Keap1C273&288A substitutions also diminished Keap1WT activity in vivo. To further delineate involvement of the dominant-negative heterodimer, transgenic mice with a deletion or strategic mutation in Broad-complex, Tramtrack and Bric-a-Brac (BTB) domain that disallowed Keap1 dimerization were generated in the presence of Keap1WT, and failed to induce the dominant-negative effect in vivo. These results thus demonstrate that sequestration of Keap1WT into a Keap1mutant–Keap1WT heterodimer leads to a dominant-negative effect in vivo and gives rise to Nrf2 activation. Cancer Res; 71(5); 1700–9. ©2010 AACR.
Frequency of Circulating Tregs with Demethylated FOXP3 Intron 1 in Melanoma Patients Receiving Tumor Vaccines and Potentially Treg-Depleting Agents
Authors: de Vries I. Jolanda M. , Castelli Chiara , Huygens Caroline , Jacobs Joannes F.M. , Stockis Julie , Schuler-Thurner Beatrice , Adema Gosse J. , Punt Cornelis J.A. , Rivoltini Licia , Schuler Gerold , Coulie Pierre G. , Lucas Sophie 
Published: December 2010

Abstract
Purpose: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are thought to inhibit antitumor immune responses, and their depletion could therefore have a synergistic effect with therapeutic cancer vaccines. We investigated the impact of three medications on blood Treg frequency in vaccinated cancer patients.
Experimental Design: To date, the most specific marker for human Tregs is demethylation in the DNA that encodes the transcription factor FOXP3. Thus, we used a FOXP3 methylation-specific quantitative PCR assay (MS-qPCR) to measure Treg frequencies in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of melanoma patients. The patients participated in three clinical trials that combined tumor vaccines with potential Treg-depleting agents: low-dose cyclophosphamide, anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody daclizumab, and the IL-2/diphtheria toxin fusion protein denileukin diftitox.
Results: In the nine control patients, blood Treg frequencies varied over time; there was a 46% reduction in one patient. In treated patients, a more than 2-fold decrease in Tregs was observed in one out of 11 patients receiving cyclophosphamide and in four out of 13 receiving daclizumab, but there was no such Treg decrease in any of the six patients who received denileukin diftitox. As a positive control, a more than 2-fold increase in blood Tregs was detected in four out of nine patients who were treated with interleukin-2.
Conclusions: We used a MS-qPCR method that detects Tregs but not other activated T lymphocytes; however, none of the Treg-depleting strategies that we tested led, in the majority of patients, to a conservative 50% reduction in blood Tregs. Clin Cancer Res; 17(4); 1–8. ©2010 AACR.