bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of adrenergic blockade on plasma adrenomedullin concentration during static handgrip in patients with heart failure
Authors: Krzemiński K. , Nazar K. , Cybulski G. , Mikulski T.
Published: October 2006

Our previous study showed that static handgrip caused increases in the plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) both in patients with heart failure (HF) and healthy subjects. The present study was designed to determine the role of the sympathetic nervous system in mediating plasma ADM changes during handgrip in patients with HF. Twelve male HF patients (II class NYHA) treated with carvedilol, a non‐selective adrenergic blocker (TC) and 12 patients untreated with carvedilol (UC) performed two 3‐min bouts of static handgrip at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction, alternately with each hand. At the end of both exercise bouts and in 5 min of the recovery period, plasma ADM and catecholamines were determined. In addition, heart rate, blood pressure and stroke volume (SV) were measured. The baseline plasma ADM, noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) levels were similar in the two groups of patients, while SV was higher (P<0·05) in TC than in UC. During exercise plasma ADM concentrations were lower (P<0·05) in TC than in UC, but the handgrip‐induced increases in plasma ADM did not differ between the groups. Plasma ADM correlated with NA concentrations (r = 0·764) and with SV (r = −0·435) and increases in plasma ADM expressed as percentage of baseline values correlated with those of plasma NA (r = 0·499), diastolic BP (r = 0·550) and total peripheral resistance (r = 0·435). The study suggests that the sympathetic nervous system may be involved in the stimulation of ADM secretion during static exercise either directly or by changes in the haemodynamic response.
Use of Herbal Medicine and Other Dietary Supplements in Community‐Dwelling Older People: Baseline Data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study
Authors: Nahin Richard L. , Fitzpatrick Annette L. , Williamson Jeff D. , Burke Gregory L. , DeKosky Steven T. , Furberg Curt ,   for the GEM Study Investigators
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVES: To analyze baseline data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study, in which information was collected on the use of all dietary supplements.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional regression analysis.

SETTING: GEM study sites in California, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANTS: The GEM study enrolled 3,072 ambulatory individuals aged 75 and older between September 2000 and June 2002.

MEASUREMENTS: Self‐reported use of dietary supplements and use identified through bottles brought to the clinic.

RESULTS: Respectively, 59.4%, 66.6%, and 27.4% of the GEM study cohort used a multivitamin, at least one individual vitamin or mineral supplement, and some type of nonvitamin/nonmineral dietary supplement (NVNMDS). In logistic regression models, multivitamin use was associated with female sex, a higher income, a higher modified Mini‐Mental State Examination score, difficulty with mobility, and asthma history; use of any other vitamin or mineral was associated with female sex, white race, nonsmoking, more years of schooling, difficulty walking, a history of osteoporosis, and reading health and senior magazines; and NVNMDS use was associated with residing in California, having difficulties with muscle strength, and reading health and senior magazines.

CONCLUSION: There were substantial differences between individuals who used vitamins and minerals and those who used NVNMDS. These data require that trial investigators pay close attention to participant use of off‐protocol dietary supplements. In addition, these findings may help identify elderly individuals likely to combine NVNMDS and prescription drugs.
Risk, Trust, and Safety Culture in U.K. Train Operating Companies
Authors: Jeffcott Shelly , Pidgeon Nick , Weyman Andrew , Walls John
Published: October 2006

Organizational safety culture reflects the attitudes and behaviors that individuals share in considering and reacting to hazards and risks. We first argue that trust is an underdeveloped and important concept in relation to theories of safety culture and high‐reliability organizations. The article then reports findings from a two‐year qualitative study of train operating companies (TOCs) in the United Kingdom, which sought to explore in detail the linkages between safety culture and the postprivatized railway industry. In‐depth interviews and focus groups were carried out with a sample of over 500 employees, from four organizations, and representing all key functional levels. Our analysis suggests that the 1993 privatization, and subsequent organizational restructuring of the U.K. railway industry, has had important repercussions for both safety culture and trust relationships. We explore our findings in relation to three key constructs within “safe organizations” theories (namely, flexibility, commitment, and learning), and discuss how the safe organization model might be usefully supplemented by a consideration of trust issues.
Explicit and Implicit Trust Within Safety Culture
Authors: Burns Calvin , Mearns Kathryn , McGeorge Peter
Published: October 2006

Safety culture is an important topic for managers in high‐hazard industries because a deficient safety culture has been linked to organizational accidents. Many researchers have argued that trust plays a central role in models of safety culture but trust has rarely been measured in safety culture/climate studies. This article used explicit (direct) and implicit (indirect) measures to assess trust at a UK gas plant. Explicit measures assessed trust by asking workers to consider and state their attitude to attitude objects. Implicit measures assessed trust in a more subtle way by using a priming task that relies on automatic attitude activation. The results show that workers expressed explicit trust for their workmates, supervisors, and senior managers, but only expressed implicit trust for their workmates. The article proposes a model that conceptualizes explicit trust as part of the surface levels of safety culture and implicit trust as part of the deeper levels of safety culture. An unintended finding was the positive relationship between implicit measures of trust and distrust, which suggests that trust and distrust are separate constructs. The article concludes by considering the implications for safety culture and trust and distrust in high‐hazard industries.
Novel Nucleomorph Genome Architecture in the Cryptomonad Genus Hemiselmis
Authors: LANE CHRISTOPHER E. , ARCHIBALD JOHN M.
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT. Cryptomonads are ubiquitous aquatic unicellular eukaryotes that acquired photosynthesis through the uptake and retention of a red algal endosymbiont. The nuclear genome of the red alga persists in a highly reduced form termed a nucleomorph. The nucleomorph genome of the model cryptomonad Guillardia theta has been completely sequenced and is a mere 551 kilobases (kb) in size, spread over three chromosomes. The presence of three chromosomes appears to be a universal characteristic of nucleomorph genomes in cryptomonad algae as well as in the chlorarachniophytes, an unrelated algal lineage with a nucleomorph and plastid genome derived from a green algal endosymbiont. Another feature of nucleomorph genomes in all cryptomonads and chlorarachniophytes examined thus far is the presence of subtelomeric ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats at the ends of each chromosome. Here we describe the first exception to this canonical nucleomorph genome architecture in the cryptomonad Hemiselmis rufescens CCMP644. Using pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), we estimate the size of the H. rufescens nucleomorph genome to be ∼580 kb, slightly larger than the G. theta genome. Unlike the situation in G. theta and all other known cryptomonads, sub‐telomeric repeats of the rDNA cistron appear to be absent on both ends of the second largest chromosome in H. rufescens and two other members of this genus. Southern hybridizations using a variety of nucleomorph protein gene probes against PFGE‐separated H. rufescens chromosomes indicate that recombination has been a major factor in shaping the karyotype and genomic structure of cryptomonad nucleomorphs.
Ultrastructural and Phylogenetic Studies on Blastocystis Isolates from Cockroaches
Authors: YOSHIKAWA HISAO , WU ZHILIANG , HOWE JOSEPHINE , HASHIMOTO TETSUO , GEOK‐CHOO NG , TAN KEVIN S. W.
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT. Four Blastocystis isolates from cockroaches were established and these isolates were morphologically confirmed as Blastocystis organisms by light and/or electron microscopy. As these isolates were morphologically indistinguishable from Blastocystis isolated from other animals, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using their small subunit ribosomal RNA genes. A analyses of these sequences with previously reported ones that had been classified into nine Blastocystis clades indicated the presence of a new clade that comprised only Blastocystis organisms from cockroaches (clade X). A clade comprised of amphibian and reptilian Blastocystis organisms (clade IX) was located at the basal position of the Blastocystis tree together with the common ancestor of Proteromonas and Protoopalina, clade X emerged after the divergences of these two basal clades and its branching position was clearly supported by bootstrap analysis.
Assessment of cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii, and their natural enemies on aphid‐resistant and aphid‐susceptible wheat varieties in a wheat–cotton relay intercropping system
Authors: Ma Xiao Mu , Liu Xiao Xia , Zhang Qing Wen , Zhao Jian Zhou , Cai Qing Nian , Ma Yong An , Chen Dong Mei
Published: October 2006

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), is an important cotton pest in northern China, especially in the seedling stage of cotton. After large scale commercial use of transgenic Bt cotton, cotton aphids became one of the most important cotton pests. A 2‐year study was conducted to evaluate the role of four winter wheat varieties that were resistant or susceptible to wheat aphid, Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Homoptera: Aphididae), in conserving arthropod natural enemies and suppressing cotton aphids in a wheat–cotton relay intercropping system in northern China. The results indicated that wheat–cotton intercropping preserved and augmented natural enemies more than a monoculture of cotton. The density of natural enemies in cotton was significantly different among relay‐intercropping fields with different wheat varieties. The highest density of natural enemies and low cotton aphid populations were found in the treatment of cotton in relay intercropped with the wheat variety Lovrin10, which is susceptible to wheat aphid. The lowest density of predators and parasitoids associated with high cotton aphid populations were found with the wheat variety KOK1679, which is resistant to wheat aphid. The results showed that wheat varieties that are susceptible or moderately resistant to wheat aphid might reduce cotton aphids more effectively than an aphid‐resistant variety in the intercropping system by enhancing predators to suppress cotton aphids during the cotton seedling stage.
Histological and immunohistochemical study of granuloma annulare and subcutaneous granuloma annulare in children
Authors: Stefanaki Kalliopi , Tsivitanidou‐Kakourou Talia , Stefanaki Christina , Valari Manthoula , Argyrakos Theodoros , Konstantinidou Catherine Van‐Viet , Karentzou Ourania , Katsambas Andreas
Published: October 2006

Background:  The aim of this study was to investigate the histological and immunohistochemical features of granuloma annulare (GA) in comparison to deep granuloma annulare (DGA) and granulomatous dermatoses (GDs).

Methods:  Our material comprised 13 GA, 8 DGA and 1 atypical granuloma annulare (AGA) in a child with primary immunodeficiency, 10 cases of nonspecific GDs and 1 case of sarcoidosis with cutaneous involvement. The immunohistochemical streptavidin‐biotin‐Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) analysis was performed on paraffin sections for the detection of CD68/KP‐1, CD68/anti‐human CD68 clone PGM1 (PGM1), lysozyme, S‐100 protein, CD1a, CD3, CD20/L‐26, CD4 and CD8.

Results:  All 13 GA were characterized by typical palisading and interstitial granulomas. In 6 cases, the lesion extended to the subcutaneous fat, while a considerable perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate without any signs of vasculitis was observed in 10 cases. The DGA were located to the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat, showing palisading granulomas with central necrobiosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed a broad intense expression of CD68/PGM1 in the histiocytic population in all cases, a constant but fainter detection of CD68/KP‐1 and a variable one of lysozyme. T‐cell markers (CD3, CD4 and CD8) were mainly detected in the perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate of GA and DGA, with CD4+ T lymphocytes predominating over CD8+ in GA and DGA, while CD8+ T lymphocytes was the predominant population in AGA.

Conclusions:  CD68/PGM1 is a sensitive and reliable histiocytic marker in confirming the histiocytic nature of equivocal GA and DGA, but the histiocytic immunoprofile is of no particular usefulness in differentiating GA from other GD.
Hepcidin – central regulator of iron metabolism
Authors: Atanasiu Valeriu , Manolescu Bogdan , Stoian Irina
Published: October 2006

The knowledge about mammalian iron metabolism has advanced dramatically over the past decades. Studies of genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology allowed us the identification and characterization of many of the molecules involved in regulation of iron homeostasis. Important progresses were made after the discovery in 2000 of a small peptide – hepcidin – that has been proved to play a central role in orchestration on iron metabolism also providing a link between iron metabolism and inflammation and innate immunity. Hepcidin directly interacts with ferroportin (FPN), the only known mammalian iron exporter, which is expressed by enterocytes, macrophages and hepatocytes. The direct hepcidin–FPN interaction allows an adaptative response from the body in situations that alter normal iron homeostasis (hypoxia, anemia, iron deficiency, iron overload, and inflammation).
Peripheral blood haematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with beta thalassaemia major receiving desferrioxamine or deferiprone as chelation therapy
Authors: Vlachaki Efthimia , Ioannidou‐Papagiannaki Elissavet , Tziomalos Konstantinos , Haralambidou‐Vranitsa Styliani , Perifanis Vassilios , Klonizakis Ioannis , Athanassiou‐Metaxa Miranda
Published: October 2006

Objectives: The main adverse effect of deferiprone is the development of neutropenia, which occurs via an unknown mechanism. We aimed to gain insight into the pathogenesis of deferiprone‐induced neutropenia by assessing the peripheral blood haematopoietic progenitor cells. Methods: Sixteen patients with beta thalassaemia were studied; nine (Group A) were receiving desferrioxamine and seven (Group B) deferiprone. Ten healthy individuals comprised the control group (Group C). Results: Granulocyte‐erythrocyte‐monocyte‐megakaryocyte colony forming units were significantly more in Groups A and B compared with Group C. Granulocyte‐macrophage colony forming units (CFU‐GM) were significantly more in Group B compared with Group C. Macrophage colony forming units were significantly less in Group B compared with Group C. Granulocyte colony forming units (CFU‐G) were significantly more in Group A compared with Group C. We found a trend in the difference in the number of CFU‐G between patients’ groups (P = 0.123). Adding serum from patients receiving deferiprone to cultures of controls resulted in a maturation arrest of the granulocytic lineage. Conclusion: Our findings point to a maturation arrest at the level of CFU‐GM as a potential mechanism of deferiprone‐induced neutropenia.
Modeling of Crack Propagation in Thin-Walled Structures Using a Cohesive Model for Shell Elements
Authors: Zavattieri Pablo D.
Published: October 2006

A cohesive interface element is presented for the finite element analysis of crack growth in thin specimens. In this work, the traditional cohesive interface model is extended to handle cracks in the context of three-dimensional shell elements. In addition to the traction-displacement law, a bending moment-rotation relation is included to transmit the moment and describe the initiation and propagation of cracks growing through the thickness of the shell elements. Since crack initiation and evolution are a natural outcome of the cohesive zone model without the need of any ad hoc fracture criterion, this model results in automatic prediction of fracture. In particular, this paper will focus on cases involving mode I/III fracture and bending, typical of complex cases existing in industrial applications in which thin-walled structures are subjected to extreme loading conditions (e.g., crashworthiness analysis). Finally, we will discuss how the three-dimensional effects near the crack front may affect the determination of the cohesive parameters to be used with this model.
Optimal CNC Plunger Selection and Toolpoint Generation for Roughing Sculptured Surfaces Cavity
Authors: El-Midany Tawfik T. , Elkeran Ahmed , Tawfik Hamdy
Published: October 2006

Plunge milling is among the most effective methods of deep core/cavity shaped rough machining techniques. Previous research work had not considered the optimization of plunger selection and toolpoint path. In this paper a new method is proposed (overlapped circles filling (Ocfill)) for optimizing the selection of plungers and toolpoint path generation. The proposed method is used to fill 2D area with a number of overlapped circles. The 2D area is expressed as the feature that being cutting with plunge milling and the circles are plunging holes. The Ocfill method has been implemented in Visual C++. The Ocfill is applied to many examples. The results show that, Ocfill saves rough machining time by significant value up to 28%. This value depends on the shape and complexity of the workpiece that is being cut.
An Enhanced Ray-Shooting Approach to Force-Closure Problems
Authors: Zheng Yu , Qian Wen-Han
Published: October 2006

Force-closure is a fundamental topic in grasping research. Relevant problems include force-closure test, quality evaluation, and grasp planning. Implementing the well-known force-closure condition that the origin of the wrench space lies in the interior of the convex hull of primitive wrenches, Liu presented a ray-shooting approach to force-closure test. Because of its high efficiency in 3D work space and no limitation on the contact number of a grasp, this approach is advanced. Achieving some new results of convex analysis, this paper enhances the above approach in three aspects. (a) The exactness is completed. In order to avoid trouble or mistakes, the dimension of the convex hull of primitive wrenches is taken into account, which is always ignored until now. (b) The efficiency is increased. A shortcut which skips some steps of the original force-closure test is found. (c) The scope is extended. Our simplified ray-shooting approach yields a grasp stability index suitable for grasp planning. Numerical examples in fixturing and grasping show the enhancement superiority.
Torpedo Anchor Installation Hydrodynamics
Authors: Fernandes Antonio Carlos , Bastos de Araujo Jairo , Lima de Almeida José Carlos , Diniz Machado Rogério , Matos Vinicius
Published: October 2006

The installation procedure of a torpedo anchor is the release of the torpedo from a high enough position from the sea bottom to allow the device to reach the terminal velocity. A sufficient kinetic energy at the bottom is essential for the penetration. Besides this, the anchor has to reach the bottom in an upright position to maximize the final holding power in all directions. The present work addresses two hydrodynamic aspects for the installation design and analysis. The first is the drag evaluation and the second is the directional stability. If the drag is to be kept small, then the terminal velocity should be high. The work shows that parameters like the mass and the shape are essential for this. On the other hand, the shape and mass distribution have a strong influence on the directional stability. One important parameter is the rear line length connected to the anchor. This line is necessary for further connection with the final mooring line and influences both the terminal velocity and the directional stability. The work addresses all these aspects under the light of an innovative model test setup to be performed in a deep ocean basin. This kind of model testing has been conceived specifically to attend the torpedo anchor evaluation.
On the differential geometry of time-like curves in Minkowski spacetime
Authors: Formiga J. B. , Romero C.
Published: October 2006

We establish the Serret-Frenet equations in Minkowski spacetime and use them to give a simple proof of the fundamental theorem of curves in Minkowski spacetime. We also derive two theorems that represent Minkowskian versions of a well-known theorem of the differential geometry of curves in tridimensional Euclidean space. We discuss the general solution for torsionless paths in Minkowki spacetime. We then apply the four-dimensional Serret-Frenet equations to describe the motion of a charged test particle in a constant and uniform electromagnetic field and show how the curvature and the torsions of the four-dimensional path of the particle contain information on the electromagnetic field acting on the particle.
Redshifts and Killing vectors
Authors: Harvey Alex , Schucking Engelbert L. , Surowitz Eugene J.
Published: October 2006

Current approaches to physics stress the importance of conservation laws due to spacetime and internal symmetries. In special and general relativity the generators of these symmetries are known as Killing vectors. We use them for the rigorous determination of gravitational and cosmological redshifts.
Whole-Genome Sequence ofListeria welshimeriReveals Common Steps in Genome Reduction withListeria innocuaas Compared toListeria monocytogenes
Authors: Hain Torsten , Steinweg Christiane , Kuenne Carsten Tobias , Billion André , Ghai Rohit , Chatterjee Som Subhra , Domann Eugen , Kärst Uwe , Goesmann Alexander , Bekel Thomas , Bartels Daniela , Kaiser Olaf , Meyer Folker , Pühler Alfred , Weisshaar Bernd , Wehland Jürgen , Liang Chunguang , Dandekar Thomas , Lampidis Robert , Kreft Jürgen , Goebel Werner , Chakraborty Trinad
Published: October 2006

We present the complete genome sequence ofListeria welshimeri, a nonpathogenic member of the genusListeria. Listeria welshimeriharbors a circular chromosome of 2,814,130 bp with 2,780 open reading frames. Comparative genomic analysis of chromosomal regions betweenL. welshimeri,Listeria innocua, andListeria monocytogenesshows strong overall conservation of synteny, with the exception of the translocation of an FoF1ATP synthase. The smaller size of theL. welshimerigenome is the result of deletions in all of the genes involved in virulence and of “fitness” genes required for intracellular survival, transcription factors, and LPXTG- and LRR-containing proteins as well as 55 genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism. In total, 482 genes are absent fromL. welshimerirelative toL. monocytogenes. Of these, 249 deletions are commonly absent in bothL. welshimeriandL. innocua, suggesting similar genome evolutionary paths from an ancestor. We also identified 311 genes specific toL. welshimerithat are absent in the other two species, indicating gene expansion inL. welshimeri, including horizontal gene transfer. The speciesL. welshimeriappears to have been derived from early evolutionary events and an ancestor more compact thanL. monocytogenesthat led to the emergence of nonpathogenicListeriaspp.
Specific Binding of the
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. vesicatoria AraC-Type Transcriptional Activator HrpX to Plant-Inducible Promoter Boxes
Authors: Koebnik Ralf , Krüger Antje , Thieme Frank , Urban Alexander , Bonas Ulla
Published: October 2006

The pathogenicity of the plant-pathogenic bacterium
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion system which is encoded by the 23-kb
hrp
(
h
ypersensitive
r
esponse and
p
athogenicity) gene cluster. Expression of the
hrp
operons is strongly induced in planta and in a special minimal medium and depends on two regulatory proteins, HrpG and HrpX. In this study, DNA affinity enrichment was used to demonstrate that the AraC-type transcriptional activator HrpX binds to a conserved
cis
-regulatory element, the plant-inducible promoter (PIP) box (TTCGC-N
15
-TTCGC), present in the promoter regions of four
hrp
operons. No binding of HrpX was observed when DNA fragments lacking a PIP box were used. HrpX also bound to a DNA fragment containing an imperfect PIP box (TTCGC-N
8
-TTCGT). Dinucleotide replacements in each half-site of the PIP box strongly decreased binding of HrpX, while simultaneous dinucleotide replacements in both half-sites completely abolished binding. Based on the complete genome sequence of
Xanthomonas campestris
pv. vesicatoria, putative plant-inducible promoters consisting of a PIP box and a −10 promoter motif were identified in the promoter regions of almost all HrpX-activated genes. Bioinformatic analyses and reverse transcription-PCR experiments revealed novel HrpX-dependent genes, among them a NUDIX hydrolase gene and several genes with a predicted role in the degradation of the plant cell wall. We conclude that HrpX is the most downstream component of the
hrp
regulatory cascade, which is proposed to directly activate most genes of the
hrpX
regulon via binding to corresponding PIP boxes.
The
Streptomyces
NrdR Transcriptional Regulator Is a Zn Ribbon/ATP Cone Protein That Binds to the Promoter Regions of Class Ia and Class II Ribonucleotide Reductase Operons
Authors: Grinberg Inna , Shteinberg Tanya , Gorovitz Batia , Aharonowitz Yair , Cohen Gerald , Borovok Ilya
Published: October 2006

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides and are essential for de novo DNA synthesis and repair.
Streptomyces
spp. contain genes coding for two RNRs, either of which is sufficient for vegetative growth. The class Ia RNR is encoded by the
nrdAB
genes, and the class II RNR is encoded by
nrdJ
, which is coexpressed with
nrdR
. We previously showed that the
Streptomyces coelicolor nrdR
gene encodes a protein, NrdR, which represses transcription of both sets of RNR genes. NrdR is a member of a highly conserved family of proteins that is confined exclusively to prokaryotes. In this report, we describe a physical and biochemical characterization of the
S. coelicolor
NrdR protein and show that it is a zinc-ATP/dATP-containing protein that binds to the promoter regions of both
Streptomyces
RNR operons. The NrdR N terminus contains a zinc ribbon motif that is necessary for binding to the upstream regulatory region of both RNR operons. The latter contains two 16-bp direct repeat sequences, termed NrdR boxes, which are located proximal to, or overlap with, the promoter regions. These experiments support the view that NrdR controls the transcription of RNR genes by binding to the NrdR box sequences. We also show that the central NrdR ATP cone domain binds ATP and dATP and that mutations that abolish ATP/dATP binding significantly reduce DNA binding, suggesting that the ATP cone domain may allosterically regulate NrdR binding. We conclude that NrdR is a widely conserved regulator of RNR genes, binding to specific sequence elements in the promoter region and thereby modulating transcription.
Localization of the Transglutaminase Cross-Linking Sites in the
Bacillus subtilis
Spore Coat Protein GerQ
Authors: Monroe Alicia , Setlow Peter
Published: October 2006

The
Bacillus subtilis
spore coat protein GerQ is necessary for the proper localization of CwlJ, an enzyme important in the hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan cortex during spore germination. GerQ is cross-linked into high-molecular-mass complexes in the spore coat late in sporulation, and this cross-linking is largely due to a transglutaminase. This enzyme forms an ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine isopeptide bond between a lysine donor from one protein and a glutamine acceptor from another protein. In the current work, we have identified the residues in GerQ that are essential for transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking. We show that GerQ is a lysine donor and that any one of three lysine residues near the amino terminus of the protein (K2, K4, or K5) is necessary to form cross-links with binding partners in the spore coat. This leads to the conclusion that all Tgl-dependent GerQ cross-linking takes place via these three lysine residues. However, while the presence of any of these three lysine residues is essential for GerQ cross-linking, they are not essential for the function of GerQ in CwlJ localization.
Shift work increases the frequency of duodenal ulcer inH pyloriinfected workers
Authors: Pietroiusti A , Forlini A , Magrini A , Galante A , Coppeta L , Gemma G , Romeo E , Bergamaschi A
Published: October 2006

Aim:To evaluate whether shift work is associated with an increased rate of peptic ulcer inH pyloriinfected workers.

Methods:During a two year period, consecutive dyspeptic workers underwent non-invasive evaluation ofH pyloristatus by means of urea13C breath test or stool testing. Those testing positive were included in the study and divided into two main categories: day-time workers and shift workers. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in all workers, and biopsy specimens were taken from the stomach to confirm the presence ofH pyloriinfection (culture and histology).

Results:A total of 247 day-time workers and 101 shift workers were included. The prevalence of duodenal ulcer was significantly higher in shift workers than in day-time workers (29 of 101v23 of 247; OR = 3.92, 95% CI 2.13 to 7.21), and persisted after multivariate analysis, taking into account possible confounding factors (OR = 3.96, 95% CI 2.10 to 7.47).

Conclusion:Shift work increases the ulcerogenic potential ofH pyloriinfection and should be considered a risk factor for duodenal ulcer in infected shift workers. Treatment of infection in this high risk group may improve the health of workers and may reduce the economic impact of peptic ulcer.
SYNTHESIS OF NANOCRYSTALLINE ANATASE TiO2 BY SOL–GEL METHOD
Authors: YANG HUAMING , SHI RONGRONG , ZHANG KE , HU YUEHUA , ZHANG HUIHUI , LI XIANWEI
Published: October 2006

Synthesis of uniform nanocrystalline anatase TiO 2 by sol–gel method was investigated using different thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Thermal treatment of the precursor at 350°C for 2 h in air results in the formation of nanocrystalline anatase TiO 2 with the average crystal size of 21.5 nm. Quantitative analysis through energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) indicated that the atomic ratio of Ti:O ≈ 1:1 is close to the stoichiometric ratio of TiO 2, leading to the evident fact that the prepared nanoparticles are indeed the TiO 2 material.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT MORPHOLOGICAL LITHIUM TITANATE
Authors: ZHAO HUI-LING , LIU BING , ZHANG XING-TANG , LI YUN-CAI , HUANG YA-BIN , DU ZU-LIANG
Published: October 2006

Lithium titanate powders of different morphologies were synthesized by improved hydrothermal technique, which was performed at 90°C and atmospheric pressure for 20 h. By changing the solution in the reaction, nanoparticles, flowers petal-like structures, and nanorods of lithium titanate have been obtained, especially nanoparticles with well-crystalline structures were obtained. The morphology and micro-structure of the as-synthesized products were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED).
PREPARATION OF HEAT INSULATING FILM WITH MPS (MERCAPTOPROPYL TRIMETHOXYSILANE) COATED-SiO2 NANOPARTICLES
Authors: KANG YOUNG SOO , KIM YOUNG HWAN , KIM YONG JOO
Published: October 2006

To improve the heat insulating property of EVA (ethylene vinylacetate), monodispersed spherical SiO 2 nanoparticles as inorganic insulating filler were prepared from sodium metasilicate by emulsion method in reverse micelle. In order to make a comparative study about effect of dispersibility on mechanical properties, aggregated microsized- SiO 2 particles were also prepared. Surface modifications of synthesized SiO 2 nanoparticles were accomplished with MPS (mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane) to maximize homogeneous distribution and compatibility between obtained SiO 2 nanoparticles and EVA. Finally heat insulating nanocomposite film was prepared with MPS coated- SiO 2 nanoparticles at the ratio of 2 wt% and EVA. The insulating capacity was tested by IR spectroscopy and light transmission was observed by UV-vis spectroscopy. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, impact strength, tear strength, clarity and haze were also studied.
DIELECTRIC CERAMIC PREPARED FROM (Ba, Sr)TiO3 NANOPOWDER UNDER MICROWAVE IRRADIATION
Authors: DING SHIWEN , WANG JING
Published: October 2006

The reaction conditions of size-controlled BaTiO 3 nanopowder prepared by microwave irradiation have been investigated. It has found that the dosage of alkali, reactant concentration and reaction time are very important factors that affect average grain size of BaTiO 3 powder. Through these investigations, we synthesized adulterated BaTiO 3 nanopowder from an aqueous solution of barium hydrate and titanium tetrachloride, and use microwave irradiation as a heating source. XRD of the series of the nanometer powder demonstrates that pure and adulterated BaTiO 3 of cubic system has been prepared. Through TEM we found the products have a shape of uniform, substantially spherical particles with an average grain size to be 70 nm.
Neogene structures overprinting Palaeozoic thrust systems in the Andean Precordillera at 30°S latitude
Authors: Alvarez-Marron J. , Rodriguez-Fernandez R. , Heredia N. , Busquets P. , Colombo F. , Brown D.
Published: October 2006

Field studies along a 30°S latitude transect of the Precordillera in NW Argentina indicate that Neogene to recent deformation caused high-angle faulting that uplifted and breached a Palaeozoic east-verging thrust stack. Palaeozoic structures crop out in the higher linear ranges, and intramontane Neogene basins occur in the intervening valleys. The Palaeozoic rocks include three tectonic units with contrasting structural styles and differences in stratigraphy. The Western Allochthon includes clastic Ordovician rocks metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies and folded by large-scale asymmetric, east-verging folds with a well-developed axial planar cleavage. This unit overthrusts a Siluro-Devonian flysch-type succession of the Central Imbricate thrust system and associated fault propagation folds in which the thrusts merge into a basal thrust beneath Ordovician carbonates. Middle to Upper Carboniferous sediments unconformably overlie structures of this imbricate system. In the Frontal Unit minor thrust faults are interpreted to explain the low-angle unconformity within Palaeozoic rocks. Neogene deformation causes only a minor overprint of the Palaeozoic structure, and large-scale folding in the Frontal Unit appears to be mostly of Neogene age. The new data indicate that Neogene intracontinental shortening may be smaller than previously proposed, providing new perspectives on the present orogenic architecture along this Andean section.
Oblique rift geometry of the West Siberian Basin: tectonic setting for the Siberian flood basalts
Authors: Allen Mark B. , Anderson Lester , Searle Roger C. , Buslov Misha
Published: October 2006

We use magnetic intensity data to determine the geometries of basalt-filled rifts of the West Siberian Basin. En echelon graben arrays suggest a component of right-lateral, north–south shear during east–west extension (present co-ordinates). Several major exposed faults at the basin margins, mainly within the Altaid orogenic belt, underwent right-lateral strike-slip in the Late Permian–Early Triassic interval. The combined datasets show that the Siberian flood basalts were erupted during right-lateral oblique extension between the Urals and the Siberian craton, centred on a triple junction in the NE of the West Siberian Basin.
New tax incentives a boon to digital entertainment in Georgia
Authors: Lee Newton
Published: October 2006

ATLANTA, GA, March 20, 2006 -- The Georgia legislature recently enacted tax code changes allowing digital entertainment producers, including computer game companies based outside of the state, to reap a significant saving on products made there. Many states encourage film and television work, but Georgia also revised its tax code enough to include development on interactive entertainment.
ACM MM Workshop on Audio and Music Computing for Multimedia
Authors: Lee Newton
Published: October 2006

Multimedia is usually defined as the combination of text, graphics, full-motion video, and sound into an integrated application. The final frontier, sound, which includes general-purpose audio, music, and speech, is an integral, but often neglected, component of the field. Traditionally, the audio and the image research communities have developed independently, and almost in perfect isolation one with another. Even though there exist many important audio conferences and societies, general venues such as the ACM Multimedia Conference still attract relatively low participation from the audio and music community. Our goal is to set a new trend of active contribution by the audio and music community through the initiating of a workshop on Audio and Music Computing for Multimedia (AMCMM), specifically targeted to researchers in this community.
Ten years of Forth in ACM Sigplan Notices
Authors: Frenger Paul
Published: October 2006

Last column, we began a two-part retrospective to recap the first ten years of the
ACM Sigplan Notices Forth Report
. Our walk through memory lane began with a history lesson: who Chuck Moore is, the origins of the Forth programming language, Forth software and hardware incarnations, some vendors, conferences, and a few tall tales. We looked at little pioneer
ACM SIG-Forth
and its four-year
Newsletter
, and how phoenix-like their ashes gave rise to the ten-year run of the
Forth Report
in
Sigplan Notices
.
States merging in LR parser
Authors: Lenka Dillip Kumar , Kumar Pawan
Published: October 2006

Here a scheme is presented, which reduces the size of an LR parser. It is accomplished by merging two states, which do not perform differently on the same input symbol or non-terminal. This state merging has following advantages:1. The reduction in number of states is greater than the reduction in an LALR parser.2. The power of parser is not reduced as it would be in an LALR parser.The above merging scheme has following disadvantages:1. Even erroneous inputs are accepted. However, it is stopped by changing the notion of acceptance.2. Errors are report late and in a misleading manner.3. Parsing takes more time because string matching is done during reduction.
Energy-efficient instruction scheduling utilizing cache miss information
Authors: Chiyonobu Akihiro , Sato Toshinori
Published: October 2006

Current microprocessors require both high performance and low-power consumption. In order to reduce energy consumption with maintaining computing performance, we propose to utilize the information regarding instruction criticality. Microprocessors we are proposing have two types of functional units distinguished in terms of their execution latency and power consumption. Only critical instructions are executed on power-hungry functional units, and thus the total energy consumption can be reduced without severe performance loss. In order to achieve large energy reduction, it is required to execute instructions on power-efficient units as frequently as possible. In this paper, we propose a new instruction scheduling method utilizing cache miss information over the above mentioned scheduling technique. As a performance gap between microprocessors and main memories is increasing, it is possible that critical instructions are executed in power-efficient units as well as non-critical ones while main memory access is occurring. Our simulation results reveal that the modified instruction scheduling achieves 27.3%
ED
2
P
reduction with 1.4% performance degradation.
"A veritable bucket of facts" origins of the data base management system
Authors: Haigh Thomas
Published: October 2006

The data base concept derives from early military on-line systems, and was not originally associated with the specific technologies of modern data base management systems. While the idea of an integrated data base, or "bucket of facts," spread into corporate data processing and management circles during the early 1960s, it was seldom realized in practice. File-processing packages were among the very first distributed as supported products, but only in the late 1960s were they first called "data base management systems," in large part through the actions of the Data Base Task Group of the Committee on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL). As the DBMS concept spread, the data base itself was effectively redefined as the informational content of a packaged DBMS. Throughout the process, managerial descriptions of the data base as a flexible and integrated repository for all corporate data stood in sharp contrast with the useful but limited nature of actual systems.
Report on the 2nd International Workshop on Data Integration in the Life Sciences
Authors: Gupta Amarnath , Ludäscher Bertram , Raschid Louiqa
Published: October 2006

Following a successful first international workshop on
Data Integration in the Life Sciences
(DILS) in 2004 in Leipzig, Germany [2], the second DILS workshop was held in San Diego, California from July 20-22, 2005 [1]. This new workshop series reflects the strong interest in an annual event, bringing together biologists and computer scientists conducting research in life science data management and integration, in domains and applications such as molecular biology, biodiversity, drug discovery and personalized medical research. The program committee accepted 15 long papers and 5 short papers from 42 submissions. In addition, DILS also featured 7 posters, 2 keynotes, several reports on ongoing research activities in academia and industry, and a panel on
The Electronic Health Record of the Future: Incorporating Molecular Information
, organized by the AMIA Genomics Working Group.
Social Perception
Authors: Crowley James L.
Published: October 2006

Bob manages a team that designs and builds widgets. Life would be sweet, except that Bob’s team is distributed over three sites, located in three different time zones. Bob used to collect lots of frequent flyer miles traveling to attend meetings. Lately, however, business travel has evolved into a humanly degrading, wasteful ordeal. So Bob has invested in a high-bandwidth video communications system to cut down on business travel. Counting direct costs, the system was supposed to pay for itself within three months. There is a problem, however.
Stable distributions, pseudorandom generators, embeddings, and data stream computation
Authors: Indyk Piotr
Published: October 2006

In this article, we show several results obtained by combining the use of
stable distributions
with
pseudorandom generators for bounded space
. In particular:---We show that, for any
p
∈ (0, 2], one can maintain (using only
O
(log
n
/ϵ
2
) words of storage) a
sketch
C(q)
of a point
q
∈
l

n

p

under dynamic updates of its coordinates. The sketch has the property that, given
C(q)
and
C(s)
, one can estimate ‖
q
−
s
‖

p

up to a factor of (1 + ϵ) with large probability. This solves the main open problem of Feigenbaum et al. [1999].---We show that the aforementioned sketching approach directly translates into an approximate algorithm that, for a fixed linear mapping
A
, and given
x
∈ ℜ

n

and
y
∈ ℜ

m

, estimates ‖
Ax
−
y
‖

p

in
O
(
n
+
m
) time, for any
p
∈ (0, 2]. This generalizes an earlier algorithm of Wasserman and Blum [1997] which worked for the case
p
= 2.---We obtain another sketch function
C
′ which probabilistically embeds
l

n

1
into a
normed space
l

m

1
. The embedding guarantees that, if we set
m
= log(1/δ)

O
(1/ϵ)

, then for any pair of points
q
,
s
∈
l

n

1
, the distance between
q
and
s
does not
increase
by more than (1 + ϵ) with constant probability, and it does not
decrease
by more than (1 − ϵ) with probability 1 − δ. This is the only known dimensionality reduction theorem for the
l
1
norm. In fact, stronger theorems of this type (i.e., that guarantee very low probability of expansion as well as of contraction) cannot exist [Brinkman and Charikar 2003].---We give an explicit embedding of
l

n

2
into
l

n

O
(log
n
)

1
with distortion (1 + 1/
n
Θ(1)
).
Split-ordered lists
Authors: Shalev Ori , Shavit Nir
Published: October 2006

We present the first lock-free implementation of an extensible hash table running on current architectures. Our algorithm provides concurrent insert, delete, and find operations with an expected
O
(1) cost. It consists of very simple code, easily implementable using only load, store, and compare-and-swap operations. The new mathematical structure at the core of our algorithm is
recursive split-ordering
, a way of ordering elements in a linked list so that they can be repeatedly “split” using a single compare-and-swap operation. Metaphorically speaking, our algorithm differs from prior known algorithms in that extensibility is derived by “moving the buckets among the items” rather than “the items among the buckets.” Though lock-free algorithms are expected to work best in multiprogrammed environments, empirical tests we conducted on a large shared memory multiprocessor show that even in non-multiprogrammed environments, the new algorithm performs as well as the most efficient known lock-based resizable hash-table algorithm, and in high load cases it significantly outperforms it.
Computing with highly mixed states
Authors: Ambainis Andris , Schulman Leonard J. , Vazirani Umesh
Published: October 2006

Device initialization is a difficult challenge in some proposed realizations of quantum computers, and as such, must be treated as a computational resource. The degree of initialization can be quantified by
k
, the number of clean qubits in the initial state of the register. In this article, we show that unless
m
∈
O
(
k
+ log
n
), oblivious (gate-by-gate) simulation of an ideal
m
-qubit quantum circuit by an
n
-qubit circuit with
k
clean qubits is impossible. Effectively, this indicates that there is no avoiding physical initialization of a quantity of qubits proportional to that required by the best ideal quantum circuit.
A maximal figure-of-merit (MFoM)-learning approach to robust classifier design for text categorization
Authors: Gao Sheng , Wu Wen , Lee Chin-Hui , Chua Tat-Seng
Published: October 2006

We propose a maximal figure-of-merit (MFoM)-learning approach for robust classifier design, which directly optimizes performance metrics of interest for different target classifiers. The proposed approach, embedding the decision functions of classifiers and performance metrics into an overall training objective, learns the parameters of classifiers in a decision-feedback manner to effectively take into account both positive and negative training samples, thereby reducing the required size of positive training data. It has three desirable properties: (a) it is a performance metric, oriented learning; (b) the optimized metric is consistent in both training and evaluation sets; and (c) it is more robust and less sensitive to data variation, and can handle insufficient training data scenarios. We evaluate it on a text categorization task using the Reuters-21578 dataset. Training an F
1
-based binary tree classifier using MFoM, we observed significantly improved performance and enhanced robustness compared to the baseline and SVM, especially for categories with insufficient training samples. The generality for designing other metrics-based classifiers is also demonstrated by comparing precision, recall, and F
1
-based classifiers. The results clearly show consistency of performance between the training and evaluation stages for each classifier, and MFoM optimizes the chosen metric.