bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DETERMINATION OF ULTRASONIC‐BASED RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF DOUGH DURING FERMENTATION1
Authors: LEE SUYONG , PYRAK‐NOLTE LAURA J. , CAMPANELLA OSVALDO
Published: February 2007

An ultrasonic technique was used to study the changes of the rheological properties of dough during fermentation at 37C and compared with the extensional properties of fermented dough obtained from tensile tests carried out in a Universal Testing Maching. The velocity and attenuation of a longitudinal wave (P‐wave) propagated through the dough samples were measured and analyzed to obtain the viscoelastic moduli of the dough; the storage modulus M' and the loss modulus M''. These moduli include both the bulk and the shear moduli. A wavelet analysis also was used to determine the effect of frequency on the ultrasonic‐based viscoelastic moduli and the effect of the fermentation process on the ultrasonic velocity dispersion. A decrease in ultrasonic velocity was observed with increasing fermentation times. Ultrasonic waves were strongly attenuated in the dough subjected to long fermentation times and fermentation had a large influence on the viscoelastic moduli of the dough. The ultrasonic velocity increased with increasing frequency, clearly showing the viscoelastic nature of the fermented dough. The analysis also showed significant ultrasonic velocity dispersion upon fermentation. Ultrasonic measurements yielded results that agreed with those obtained from conventional rheology commonly used to characterize the extensional properties of dough. Both tests clearly showed the loss of elasticity by the dough samples upon fermentation.
The Impact of Electronic Reverse Auctions on Supplier Performance: The Mediating Role of Relationship Variables
Authors: Carter Craig R. , Kaufmann Lutz
Published: February 2007

The use of electronic reverse auctions (ERAs) by buying organizations has increased dramatically over the past five years. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence have shown that ERAs can lower purchase prices. However, researchers are only just beginning to investigate how ERAs impact perceptions of opportunism as compared to sealed bids and traditional negotiations. Further, researchers have yet to examine how perceptions of opportunism surrounding ERAs might in turn affect such outcome variables as trust, commitment, conflict, and ultimately nonprice attributes of supplier performance. The authors address this gap in the research by developing a theoretically grounded model of the interrelationships among these five variables, and empirically testing the model through a survey of buying organizations that rely heavily on ERAs to select and source from suppliers. The authors' findings suggest that increased levels of opportunism harm supplier nonprice performance, through both their more obvious impact on dysfunctional conflict and their more latent effects on relationship trust and commitment.
Binding Pathways of Ligands to HIV‐1 Protease: Coarse‐grained and Atomistic Simulations
Authors: Chang Chia‐En A. , Trylska Joanna , Tozzini Valentina , Andrew McCammon J.
Published: February 2007

Multiscale simulations (coarse‐grained Brownian dynamics simulations and all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations in implicit solvent) were applied to reveal the binding processes of ligands as they enter the binding site of the HIV‐1 protease. The initial structures used for the molecular dynamics simulations were generated based on the Brownian dynamics trajectories, and this is the first molecular dynamics simulation of modeling the association of a ligand with the protease. We found that a protease substrate successfully binds to the protein when the flaps are fully open. Surprisingly, a smaller cyclic urea inhibitor (XK263) can reach the binding site when the flaps are not fully open. However, if the flaps are nearly closed, the inhibitor must rearrange or binding can fail because the inhibitor cannot attain proper conformations to enter the binding site. Both the peptide substrate and XK263 can also affect the protein's internal motion, which may help the flaps to open. Simulations allow us to efficiently study the ligand binding processes and may help those who study drug discovery to find optimal association pathways and to design those ligands with the best binding kinetics.
Individual and Community Predictors of Preterm Birth and Low Birthweight Along the Rural‐Urban Continuum in Central Pennsylvania
Authors: Hillemeier Marianne M. , Weisman Carol S. , Chase Gary A. , Dyer Anne‐Marie
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT: Context:Preterm birth and low birthweight remain high priority public health problems and are associated with increased risk of infant mortality as well as long‐term health impairments. Although 20% of all births nationally are to rural women, relatively little attention has been paid to pregnancy outcomes in rural areas relative to more urbanized areas.Purpose:This study examines the relationship of individual‐ and community‐level socioeconomic, health care, and health status‐related characteristics to preterm birth and low birthweight outcomes among women living in urban and various types of rural communities.Methods:Vital record data on singleton first births to residents of a 28‐county region in central Pennsylvania in 2002 (N = 11,546) were merged with zip code‐level information from the census and residence in a primary care health professional shortage area. Rural‐urban commuting area codes were also appended. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to model risks of preterm birth and low birthweight using generalized estimating equations to account for clustering within zip code.Findings:Women residing in large rural city–focused areas had lower adjusted odds of both preterm birth and low birthweight as compared to urban women, controlling for individual risk factors including maternal demographic characteristics, health conditions, and prenatal care use. In contrast, risks of these adverse birth outcomes were not significantly lower among women living in more rural areas relative to those in urban communities.Conclusions:Reduced risks of preterm birth and low birthweight risk are associated with some, but not all types of rural as compared to urban communities.
Primary Care Providers’ Perceptions of Home Diabetes Telemedicine Care in the IDEATel Project
Authors: Tudiver Fred , Wolff L. Thomas , Morin Philip C. , Teresi Jeanne , Palmas Walter , Starren Justin , Shea Steven , Weinstock Ruth S.
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT: 
Context: Few telemedicine projects have systematically examined provider satisfaction and attitudes. Purpose: To determine the acceptability and perceived impact on primary care providers’ (PCP) practices of a randomized clinical trial of the use of telemedicine to electronically deliver health care services to Medicare patients with diabetes in federally designated medically underserved areas of upstate New York, primarily those in rural areas and small towns with limited access to primary care. Methods: A longitudinal phone survey was completed by 116 PCPs with patients with diabetes in the treatment arm of the trial, and conducted 12 and 24 months after a PCP’s first patient was randomized to the home telemedicine arm of the trial. The 36‐item survey included measures of acceptability (to PCPs, time required), impact (on patient knowledge, confidence, perceived health outcomes), and communication. Six open‐ended questions were analyzed qualitatively. Results: The quantitative data indicated positive responses in terms of acceptability of the telemedicine intervention to the PCPs and of the impact on the PCPs’ patients. This was most evident in issues critical to good control of diabetes: patient knowledge, ability to manage diabetes, confidence, and compliance in managing diabetes. Key qualitative themes, on the positive end, were more patient control and motivation, helpfulness of having extra patient data, and involvement of nurses and dieticians. Negative themes were excessive paperwork and duplication taking more PCP time, and conflicting advice and management decisions from the telemedicine team, some without informing the PCP but none involving medications. Conclusions: Telemedicine was reported to be a positive experience for predominantly rural PCPs and their Medicare‐eligible patients from medically underserved areas; several inefficiencies need to be refined.
LIFE IN THE CELL: SUPERVISION AND TEAMWORK IN A ‘MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING’ ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Buchanan David , Preston Diane
Published: February 2007

David Buchanan, Professor of Human Resource Management and Diane Preston, Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour, at the University of Loughborough Business School present the findings of a case study which explores the implications of manufacturing systems engineering (MSE) for the role of foremen and for shopfloor autonomy in an engineering company, Moore Components. MSE is a currently fashionable socio‐technical systems approach to production facility design, combining aspects of group technology, cell autonomy, ‘facilitative’ supervision, and just‐in‐time workflow. The case is used to identify key aspects of emerging new manufacturing methods, to indicate the potential of these methods for developments in work organisation and management practice, and to demonstrate how specific HRM policies can inhibit or facilitate the changes in supervision and teamwork which MSE ostensibly encourages.
THE DERIVATION OF A SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE INVENTORY
Authors: Young Barbara
Published: February 2007

Barbara Young, who is Director of Short Courses in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at the University of Salford, shows how it is possible to develop an inventory of management skills and knowledge using a factor analysis approach. The example is taken from the construction industry, but the approach can very easily be applied in other industries.
What Women Managers Want: Customising Human Resource Management Practices
Authors: Sinclair Amanda , Ewing Jill
Published: February 2007

Amanda Sinclair and Jill Ewing report on a detailed study of women managers in a large retailing organisation to discuss why women are a poorly utilised and misunderstood reserve of managerial talent. They identify three main groups‐ ‘family first job occupants’, ‘mature career traditionalists’ and ‘career‐family committeds’‐ and show how each has different aspirations and correspondingly different attitudes to organisational incentives. the message to policy‐makers is that they need to ‘customise’ their practices in order to relaise benefits both for their women managers and their organisations.

Amanda Sinclair is Associate Professor in Organisational Studies at the Graduate School of Management of the University of Melbourne. Jill Ewing is a postgraduate student in the same university and a Senior Research Assistant at the Key Centre for Women's Health in Society.
Responding to ‘Skill Shortages’: Recruitment and Retention In A High Technology Labour Market
Authors: Causer Gordon , Jones Carol
Published: February 2007

Gordon Causer, who is a Lecturer in Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Southampton, and Carol Jones, who is Senior Lecturer in Employee Relations in the Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, explore the responses of twenty electronics companies in central Southern England to problems of recruitment and retention of professional engineers employed in research, design and development functions. They argue that organisations might be expected to treat such staff as a long‐term resource, subject to processes of careful selection, extensive training and flexible utilisation. In practice these tendencies are modified to a greater or lesser degree by a variety of structural constraints, including the volatile nature of the electronics industry, the disciplinary heterogeneity of its labour force, the funding of research and development activities and the labour market conditions faced by organisations.
The Effect of Educational Background On Performance and Organisational Commitment
Authors: Harel Gedaliahu , Baruch Yehuda
Published: February 2007

In this research note Gedaliahu Harel, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the Israel Institute of Technology, and Yehuda Baruch, Visiting Fellow at the City University Business School, explore the effects of a special educational and training programme that affects the backgrounds of employees in technical jobs measured by variables such as level of performance, professionalism, and organisational commitment. the results are considered in terms of the particular population examined and the implications discussed for the use of special vocational education and training.
Lean Production and Beyond: the System, Its Critics and the Future
Authors: Wickens Peter D.
Published: February 2007

Peter Wickens, who is Director of Personnel and Information Systems of the Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, puts ‘lean production’ in its historical context, examines some of the criticisms of the system and considers some of the changes taking place in Japan. He goes on to suggest possible ways forward and makes the case for a system of ‘lean production’ managed by people who care about people.
Graduate Engineers and British Trans‐National Business: Elite Human Resource Or Technical Labourers?
Authors: Jones Bryn , Scott Peter , Bolton Brian , Bramley Alan
Published: February 2007

Bryn Jones, Peter Scott, Brian Bolton and Alan Bramley discuss the results of their cross‐sectoral study of manufacturing firms in the UK. They find that policy of treating graduate engineers as an elite human resource is mostly confined to consortia having international cooperative links and to companies with ‘central interventionist’ HRD policies. the high degree of decentralisation characteristic of UK‐owned companies, however, combined with the disproportionate recruitment of non‐engineer managers, restricted the career development of engineers.

All four authors are from the University of Bath. Bryn Jones and Peter Scott are from the School of Social Sciences. Brian Bolton and Alan Bramley are from the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering.
Multinational Britain: Employment and Work In an Internationalised Economy
Authors: Marginson Paul
Published: February 2007

Paul Marginson, who is a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Relations at the University of Warwick, draws on the second Company Level Industrial Relations Survey to provide new data on, and an assessment of, the role of Britain in a global economy increasingly shaped by the corporate decisions of multinational companies. He emphasises the multinational character of Britain's economy as compared with those of other large industrialised countries; considers the contrasting implications of the activities of multinational companies for employment practice; and explores the factors underlying the considerable variation evident in the actual practice of multinational companies.
Structure and Culture Change In Two Uk Organisations: A Comparison of Assumptions, Approaches and Outcomes
Authors: Mabey Christopher , Mallory Geoff
Published: February 2007

Christopher Mabey and Geoff Mallory, who are respectively Head of and Research Fellow at the Open University Business School's Centre for Human Resource and Change Management, focus on attempts to modify behaviour and cultivate new competencies through cultural and structural change. They explore these issues, first, theoretically, by reviewing the growing body of relevant literatures and, second, empirically, by analysing two case organisations – the General Motors‐Isuzi joint venture, IBC Vehicles Ltd, and Grampian Health Board – which adopted very different approaches. In both cases, they consider what assumptions underpinned the change processes, what human resource strategies policies were pursued, and what outcomes were apparent.
Misunderstood and Undervalued? Personnel Management In Construction
Authors: Druker Janet , White Geoffrey
Published: February 2007

Janet Druker and Geoffrey White, principal lecturer and senior lecturer respectively in the Business School at the University of Greenwich, draw on interviews and on a postal survey of personnel managers in the construction industry, to consider the role and responsibilities of personnel practitioners in construction. They point to the changing balance of employment within the construction firm and the greater involvement of personnel with non‐manual employees. They highlight the importance of various forms of sub‐contracting as a means of strengthening management control at site level. They suggest that the centrally located personnel function may well be close to strategy makers but ultimately the role was found to be advisory with a limited capacity for direct intervention.
Health and Motivational Factors In Sickness Absence
Authors: Warr Peter , Yearta Shawn
Published: February 2007

The influence on sickness absence of both attendance motivation and ill‐health is addressed in a national sample of British working people. Three patterns of absence are studied, those suggested to be attributable to differences in ill‐health alone, those considered to arise from variations in attendance motivation alone and those thought to be due to variations in both factors. the first pattern is illustrated by the finding that age is positively associated with sickness absence, contrary to suggestions from published meta‐analyses. Variations in both ill‐health and attendance motivation are implicated in the demonstration that the positive relationship with age is significantly non‐linear, with elevated rates of sickness absence at younger as well as at older ages; minimum levels of sickness absence were found to be at 41 years for men and 38 years for women. Motivational (rather than ill‐health) differences are suggested to underlie the observed greater sickness absence among employed people in comparison with the self‐employed, and among full‐time workers in relation to part‐timers. Differences associated with gender, socio‐economic status, shift‐working and chronic health impairment are also reported here.
Playing God? the Performance of Appraisal
Authors: Newton Tim , Findlay Patricia
Published: February 2007

The authors argue here that work on performance appraisal suffers form a narrow theoretical perspective and a variety of methodological limitations. the narrow theoretical base appears as a consequence of the treatment of performance appraisal within a largely neo‐human relations perspective. More recently, however, a critical debate on appraisal has emerged. In order to further this debate, we analyse performance appraisal from the contrasting perspectives of labour process theory and the writings of Michel Foucault. This analysis points to a number of limitations of both mainstream work on appraisal and more recent critical studies. From this, we argue that though appraisal can be seen as a means of manufacturing consent among employees, it should not necessarily be seen as a zero‐sum game solely benefiting management groups. At the same time, however, appraisal must be viewed within the wider context of other forms of performance management, surveillance and accountability. Finally, we note that while labour process and Foucauldian perspectives help to contextualise and critique work on appraisal, both are limited by a lack of attention to human agency.
Dependent Development: the Subcontracting Networks In the Tiger Economies
Authors: Poon Teresa Shuk‐ching
Published: February 2007

The ‘dependency development’ approach attributes the phenomenal economic growth of Hong Kong and Taiwan to their structural linkage with the advanced industrialised countries through trade. Foreign buyers and sourcing agents of the multinationals subcontract to the Hong Kong and Taiwanese manufacturers for low‐cost and flexible production of labour‐intensive consumer products. Such a dependency relationship is, however, successfully managed by the manufacturers in the two economies of the operation of a very similar subcontracting system in major industries. This paper examines the nature of the subcontracting system, the reasons for subcontracting, the operating dynamics, the sustaining mechanisms and the inherent structural problems of the subcontracting network. With the industrial restructuring process taking place in Hong Kong and Taiwan, there are changes to the subcontracting system which have significant implications for the welfare of the workers.
Management‐labour relations in the new Chinese economy
Authors: Warner Malcolm
Published: February 2007

This article sets out to cast greater light on employment practices in an emerging ‘socialist market economy’. It is based on empirical research carried out in a range of Chinese enterprises, which are then examined in terms of their management‐labour relations, employment practices and human resources. Although the ‘iron rice bowl’ system of job security and ‘cradle‐to‐grave’ welfare coverage found mainly in state‐owned enterprises is now being phased out, the study concludes that the degree of overlap with Sino‐foreign joint ventures which are often portrayed as more likely to implement labour market‐driven practices, to be as yet only partial.
SHOULD SOUTH AFRICA HAVE A FISCAL RULE?
Authors: Burger Philippe , Jimmy Chandapiwa
Published: February 2007

Over the past three decades many countries have struggled to find solutions to their persistent public sector deficits. For some the solution to this problem seemingly became the adoption of fiscal rules. This paper considers the applicability of one such rule, namely the output‐sensitive deficit rule of Taylor, and in particular its applicability to South Africa. The paper shows that its applicability in developing countries such as South Africa might be limited due to higher output volatility that may cause output‐sensitive deficit rules such as the Taylor rule to become more volatile. Such volatility in the deficit/GDP ratio may cause fears that government may not be able to maintain the stability of the debt/GDP ratio, thereby again introducing fiscal unsustainability. To address this problem the paper augments the Taylor rule to reduce the volatility in the public debt/GDP ratio and demonstrates how these rules would have performed in South Africa. It concludes that the augmented fiscal rule might contribute to both fiscal sustainability and economic stability in South Africa.
Application of an Ultrasonic Technique to Assess Contact Performance of Bolted Joints
Authors: Pau Massimiliano , Baldi Antonio
Published: February 2007

Bolted joints are a widespread type of connection used in mechanical engineering, but their performance, in terms of contact area size and shape and pressure distribution, is not easy to verify due to the nature of closed contact, which makes it difficult to investigate them with most experimental techniques. This study proposes the application of an ultrasonic method (through immersion scans of the potential contact region between the members of a bolted joint) aimed at obtaining both graphical maps of contact conditions and, after a calibration process, actual contact pressure distributions. The analysis is carried out on a number of joints characterized by different values of plate thickness and applied load. Moreover, to evaluate the quantitative accuracy of the ultrasonic technique, the results have been compared to those of another experimental technique (pressure-sensitive film) and numerical findings obtained by a finite element model of the experimental setup.
Speech production knowledge in automatic speech recognition
Authors: King Simon , Frankel Joe , Livescu Karen , McDermott Erik , Richmond Korin , Wester Mirjam
Published: February 2007

Although much is known about how speech is produced, and research into speech production has resulted in measured articulatory data, feature systems of different kinds, and numerous models, speech production knowledge is almost totally ignored in current mainstream approaches to automatic speech recognition. Representations of speech production allow simple explanations for many phenomena observed in speech which cannot be easily analyzed from either acoustic signal or phonetic transcription alone. In this article, a survey of a growing body of work in which such representations are used to improve automatic speech recognition is provided.
A single-scattering correction for large contrasts in elastic layers
Authors: Küsel Elizabeth T. , Siegmann William L. , Collins Michael D.
Published: February 2007

The single-scattering solution is implemented in a formulation that makes it possible to accurately handle solid-solid interfaces with the parabolic equation method. Problems involving large contrasts across sloping stratigraphy can be handled by subdividing a vertical interface into a series of two or more scattering problems. The approach can handle complex layering and is applicable to a large class of seismic problems. The solution of the scattering problem is based on an iteration formula, which has improved convergence in the new formulation, and the transverse operator of the parabolic wave equation, which is implemented efficiently in terms of banded matrices. Accurate solutions can often be obtained by using only one iteration.
Differences in loudness of positive and negative Schroeder-phase tone complexes as a function of the fundamental frequency
Authors: Mauermann Manfred , Hohmann Volker
Published: February 2007

Tone complexes with positive (m+) and negative (m−) Schroeder phase show large differences in masking efficiency. This study investigated whether the different phase characteristics also affect loudness. Loudness matches between m+ and m− complexes were measured as a function of (1) the fundamental frequency (f0) for different frequency bands in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired subjects, and (2) intensity level in normal-hearing subjects. In normal-hearing subjects, the level of the m+ stimulus was up to 10dB higher than that of the corresponding m− stimulus at the point of equal loudness. The largest differences in loudness were found for levels between 20 and 60dB SL. In hearing-impaired listeners, the difference was reduced, indicating the relevance of active cochlear mechanisms. Loudness matches of m+ and m− stimuli to a common noise reference (experiment 3) showed differences as a function of f0 that were in line with direct comparisons from experiment 1 and indicated additionally that the effect is mainly due to the specific internal processing of m+. The findings are roughly consistent with studies pertaining to masking efficiency and can probably not be explained by current loudness models, supporting the need for incorporating more realistic cochlea simulations in future loudness models.
On the effect of error correlation on matched-field geoacoustic inversion
Authors: Huang Chen-Fen , Gerstoft Peter , Hodgkiss William S.
Published: February 2007

The effect of correlated data errors on matched-field geoacoustic inversion for vertical array data is examined. The correlated errors stem from our inability to model the inhomogeneities in the environment resulting in an additional error term beyond ambient noise. Simulated data with these correlated errors are generated and then inverted with or without using the proper covariance matrix. Results show that the correlated error has a negative impact on geoacoustic parameter estimation if not accounted for properly.
Antifungal Drug Susceptibility Profile of
Pichia anomala
Isolates from Patients Presenting with Nosocomial Fungemia
Authors: da Matta Vânia Lúcia Ribeiro , Melhem Márcia de Souza Carvalho , Colombo Arnaldo Lopes , Moretti Maria Luiza , Rodero Laura , de Almeida Gisele Madeira Duboc , Martins Marilena dos Anjos , Costa Silvia Figueiredo , Souza Dias Maria Beatriz G. , Nucci Márcio , Levin Anna S.
Published: February 2007

In vitro susceptibility of 58 isolates of
Pichia anomala
to five antifungal drugs using two broth microdilution methods (CLSI and EUCAST) was analyzed. Low susceptibility to itraconazole was observed. Fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin showed good antifungal activity, although relatively high drug concentrations were necessary to inhibit the isolates.
Antistaphylococcal Activity of DX-619 Alone and in Combination with Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, and Linezolid Assessed by Time-Kill Synergy Testing
Authors: Credito Kim , Lin Genrong , Appelbaum Peter C.
Published: February 2007

Time-kill synergy studies testing in vitro activity of DX-619 alone and with added vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid against 101
Staphylococcus aureus
strains showed synergy between DX-619 and teicoplanin at 12 to 24 h in 72 strains and between DX-619 and vancomycin in 28 strains. No synergy was found with linezolid, and no antagonism was observed with any combination.
Molecular Epidemiology and Dynamics of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Populations in Lungs of Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Jelsbak Lars , Johansen Helle Krogh , Frost Anne-Louise , Thøgersen Regitze , Thomsen Line E. , Ciofu Oana , Yang Lei , Haagensen Janus A. J. , Høiby Niels , Molin Søren
Published: February 2007

The ability to establish lifelong persistent infections is a fundamental aspect of the interactions between many pathogenic microorganisms and their mammalian hosts. One example is chronic lung infections by the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This infection process is associated with extensive genetic adaptation and microevolution of the infecting bacteria. Through investigations of
P. aeruginosa
populations and infection dynamics in a group of CF patients followed at the Danish CF Clinic in Copenhagen, we have identified two distinct and dominant clones that have evolved into highly successful colonizers of CF patient airways. A significant component of the evolutionary success of these two clones has been their efficient transmissibility among the CF patients. The two clones have been present and transmitted among different CF patients for more than 2 decades. Our data also suggest that the
P. aeruginosa
population structure in the CF patient airways has been influenced by competition between different clones and that the two dominant clones have been particularly competitive within the lungs, which may add to their overall establishment success. In contrast, we show that adaptive traits commonly associated with establishment of chronic
P. aeruginosa
infections of CF patients, such as transition to the mucoid phenotype and production of virulence factors, play minor roles in the ability of the two dominant clones to spread among patients and cause long-term chronic infections. These findings suggest that hitherto-unrecognized evolutionary pathways may be involved in the development of successful and persistent
P. aeruginosa
colonizers of CF patient lungs.
Complement Factor D, Albumin, and Immunoglobulin G Anti-Band 3 Protein Antibodies Mimic Serum in Promoting Rosetting of Malaria-Infected Red Blood Cells
Authors: Luginbühl Alexander , Nikolic Milica , Beck Hans Peter , Wahlgren Mats , Lutz Hans U.
Published: February 2007

Rosetting ofPlasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (parasitized RBC [pRBC]) with uninfected RBC has been associated in many studies with malaria morbidity and is one form of cytoadherence observed with malarial parasites. Rosetting is serum dependent for many isolates ofP. falciparum, including the strains FCR3S1.2 and Malayan Camp studied here. We identified the three naturally occurring components of sera which confer rosetting. Complement factor D alone induced 30 to 40% of de novo rosetting. Its effect was additive to that of 0.5 mg/ml albumin and to that of 15 ng/ml of naturally occurring antibodies to the anion transport protein, band 3. The three components together mediated rosetting as effectively as 10% serum. De novo rosetting experiments showed that naturally occurring anti-band 3 antibodies as well as factor D were effective only when added to pRBC. Factor D appeared to cleave a small fraction of a protein expressed on the surface of pRBC.
New Tick Defensin Isoform and Antimicrobial Gene Expression in Response to
Rickettsia montanensis
Challenge
Authors: Ceraul Shane M. , Dreher-Lesnick Sheila M. , Gillespie Joseph J. , Rahman M. Sayeedur , Azad Abdu F.
Published: February 2007

Recent studies aimed at elucidating the rickettsia-tick interaction have discovered that the spotted fever group rickettsia
Rickettsia montanensis
, a relative of
R. rickettsii
, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, induces differential gene expression patterns in the ovaries of the hard tick
Dermacentor variabilis
. Here we describe a new defensin isoform, defensin-2, and the expression patterns of genes for three antimicrobials, defensin-1 (
vsnA1
), defensin-2, and lysozyme, in the midguts and fat bodies of
D. variabilis
ticks that were challenged with
R. montanensis
. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses of the primary structure of defensin-2 support its role as an antimicrobial. The tissue distributions of the three antimicrobials, especially the two
D. variabilis
defensin isoforms, are markedly different, illustrating the immunocompetence of the many tissues that
R. montanensis
presumably invades once acquired by the tick. Antimicrobial gene expression patterns in
R. montanensis
-challenged ticks suggest that antimicrobial genes play a role during the acquisition-invasion stages in the tick.
Bradyzoite-Specific Surface Antigen SRS9 Plays a Role in Maintaining
Toxoplasma gondii
Persistence in the Brain and in Host Control of Parasite Replication in the Intestine
Authors: Kim Seon-Kyeong , Karasov Ariela , Boothroyd John C.
Published: February 2007

Toxoplasma gondii
is a ubiquitous parasite that persists for the life of a healthy mammalian host. A latent, chronic infection can reactivate upon immunosuppression and cause life-threatening diseases, such as encephalitis. A key to the pathogenesis is the parasite's interconversion between the tachyzoite (in acute infection) and bradyzoite (in chronic infection) stages. This developmental switch is marked by differential expression of numerous, closely related surface proteins belonging to the SRS (
S
AG1-
r
elated
s
equence) superfamily. To probe the functions of bradyzoite-specific SRSs, we created a bioluminescent strain lacking the expression of SRS9, one of the most abundant SRSs of the bradyzoite stage. Imaging of mice intraperitoneally infected with tachyzoites revealed that during an acute infection, wild-type and Δ
srs9
strains replicated at similar rates, disseminated systemically following similar kinetics, and initially yielded similar brain cyst numbers. However, during a chronic infection, Δ
srs9
cyst loads substantially decreased compared to those of the wild type, suggesting that SRS9 plays a role in maintaining parasite persistence in the brain. In oral infection with bradyzoite cysts, the Δ
srs9
strain showed oral infectivity and dissemination patterns indistinguishable from those of the wild type. When chronically infected mice were treated with the immunosuppressant dexamethasone, however, the Δ
srs9
strain reactivated in the intestinal tissue after only 8 to 9 days, versus 2 weeks for the wild-type strain. Thus, SRS9 appears to play an important role in both persistence in the brain and reactivation in the intestine. Possible mechanisms for this are discussed.
Beating jet lag
Authors: Milne C J , Fuard M H
Published: February 2007

Jet lag is often cited as a cause of poor sporting performance. We report on the case of a rugby league player who flew 20 000 km and 12 time zones, then repeated the feat a few days later, prior to playing with distinction in an important final match in an international series.
Oral phaeohyphomycosis: Figure 1
Authors: Cardoso S V , Campolina S S , Guimarães A L S , Faria P R , da C Costa E M , Gomez R S , Rocha A , Caligiorne R B , Loyola A M
Published: February 2007

This is the first description of solitary phaeohyphomycosis affecting the mucosal surface. The lesion developed in the inferior lip of a 57-year-old woman. After surgical resection, histopathological examination evidenced characteristic brownish fungal structures within granulomatous–purulent inflammation. Amplification and sequencing of rDNA obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue identifiedAlternariaspecies, as the causative agent.
Doctor’s views on disclosing or withholding information on low risks of complication
Authors: Palmboom G G , Willems D L , Janssen N B A T , de Haes J C J M
Published: February 2007

Background:More and more quantitative information is becoming available about the risks of complications arising from medical treatment. In everyday practice, this raises the question whether each and every risk, however low, should be disclosed to patients. What could be good reasons for doing or not doing so? This will increasingly become a dilemma for practitioners.

Objective:To report doctors’ views on whether to disclose or withhold information on low risks of complications.

Methods:In a qualitative study design, 37 respondents (gastroenterologists and gynaecologists or obstetricians) were included. Focus group interviews were held with 22 respondents and individual in-depth interviews with 15.

Results:Doctors have doubts about disclosing or withholding information on complication risk, especially in a risk range of 1 in 200 to 1 in 10 000. Their considerations on whether to disclose or to withhold information depend on a complicated mix of patient and doctor-associated reasons; on medical and personal considerations; and on the kind and purpose of intervention.

Discussion:Even though the degree of a risk is important in a doctor’s considerations, the severity of the possible complications and patients’ wishes and competencies have an important role as well. Respondents said that low risks should always be communicated when there are alternatives for the intervention or when the patient may prevent or mitigate the risk. When the appropriateness of disclosing risks is doubtful, doctors should always tell their patients that no intervention is without risk, give them the opportunity to gather all the information they need or want, and enable them to detect a complication at an early stage.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005: a new framework for healthcare decision making
Authors: Johnston Carolyn , Liddle Jane
Published: February 2007

The Mental Capacity Act received Royal Assent on 7 April 2005, and it will be implemented in 2007. The Act defines when someone lacks capacity and it supports people with limited decision-making ability to make as many decisions as possible for themselves. The Act lays down rules for substitute decision making. Someone taking decisions on behalf of the person lacking capacity must act in the best interests of the person concerned and choose the options least restrictive of his or her rights and freedoms. Decision making will be allowed without any formal procedure unless specific provisions apply, such as a written advance decision, lasting powers of attorney or a decision by the court of protection.
Hepatoprotective Effects ofChai-Hu-Ching-Kan-Tangon Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Rats
Authors: Lin Tzu-Hsiang , Ng Lean-Teik , Yen Feng-Lin , Lin Chun-Ching
Published: February 2007

Chai-Hu-Ching-Kan-Tang (CHCKT) is one of the traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions commonly used to treat liver diseases. In this study, we evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of aqueous CHCKT extract at various concentrations (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver injury in rats. Results showed that CHCKT treatments significantly decreased the level of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (sGOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (sGPT) in APAP-treated groups. CHCKT also significantly decreased the level of lipid peroxides and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes (i.e. SOD and GPx). Histopathological observation further confirmed the hepatoprotective activity of CHCKT as indicated by the amelioration in the central necrosis and fatty changes of the liver after APAP induction. Interestingly, the hepatoprotective activity of CHCKT at concentrations 125~500 mg/kg appeared to be as good as 12.5 mg/kg silymarin (a commercial hepatoprotective agent). Taken together, these results suggest that aqueous extract of CHCKT possesses potent hepatoprotective effects agianst APAP-induced liver injury in rats.
TACHYON CONDENSATION AND OFF-SHELL GRAVITY/GAUGE DUALITY
Authors: MYUNG YUN SOO
Published: February 2007

We investigate quasilocal tachyon condensation by using gravity/gauge duality. In order to cure the IR divergence due to a tachyon, we introduce two regularization schemes: AdS space and a d = 10 Schwarzschild black hole in a cavity. These provide stable canonical ensembles and thus are good candidates for the end point of tachyon condensation. Introducing the Cardy–Verlinde formula, we establish the on-shell gravity/gauge duality. We propose that the stringy geometry resulting from the off-shell tachyon dynamics matches onto the off-shell AdS black hole, where "off-shell" means nonequilibrium configuration. The instability induced by condensation of a tachyon behaves like an off-shell black hole and evolves toward a large stable black hole. The off-shell free energy and its derivative (β-function) are used to show the off-shell gravity/gauge duality for the process of tachyon condensation. Further, d = 10 Schwarzschild black hole in a cavity is considered for the Hagedorn transition as a possible explanation of the tachyon condensation.
THE EFFECTIVE POTENTIAL IN THE MASSIVE $\phi_4^4$ MODEL
Authors: BRANDT F. , CHISHTIE F. , MCKEON D. G. C.
Published: February 2007

By applying the renormalization group equation, it has been shown that the effective potential V in the massless [Formula: see text] model and in massless scalar quantum electrodynamics is independent of the scalar field. This analysis is extended here to the massive [Formula: see text] model, showing that the effective potential is independent of ϕ here as well.
The Role of Livestock Production in Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles
Authors: Steinfeld Henning , Wassenaar Tom
Published: February 2007

This review looks at the role of the livestock sector in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles from a global perspective and considers impacts at the various stages of the commodity chain. With regard to livestock, N and C cycles are closely connected to livestock's role in land use and land-use change. Livestock's land use includes grazing land and cropland dedicated to the production of feed crops and fodder. Considering emissions along the entire commodity chain, livestock currently contribute about 18% to the global warming effect. Livestock contribute about 9% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but 37% of methane (CH4), and 65% of nitrous oxide (N2O). The latter will substantially increase over the coming decades, as the pasture land is currently at maximum expanse in most regions; future expansion of the livestock sector will increasingly be crop based. The chapter also reviews mitigation options to reduce C and N emissions from livestock's land use, production, and animal waste.
A null mutation in skeletal muscle FAT/CD36 reveals its essential role in insulin- and AICAR-stimulated fatty acid metabolism
Authors: Bonen Arend , Han Xiao-Xia , Habets Daphna D. J. , Febbraio Maria , Glatz Jan F. C. , Luiken Joost J. F. P.
Published: February 2007

Fatty acid translocase (FAT)/CD36 is involved in regulating the uptake of long-chain fatty acids into muscle cells. However, the contribution of FAT/CD36 to fatty acid metabolism remains unknown. We examined the role of FAT/CD36 on fatty acid metabolism in perfused muscles (soleus and red and white gastrocnemius) of wild-type (WT) and FAT/CD36 null (KO) mice. In general, in muscles of KO mice, 1) insulin sensitivity and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) sensitivity were normal, 2) key enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation were altered minimally or not at all, and 3) except for an increase in soleus muscle FATP1 and FATP4, these fatty acid transporters were not altered in red and white gastrocnemius muscles, whereas plasma membrane-bound fatty acid binding protein was not altered in any muscle. In KO muscles perfused under basal conditions (i.e., no insulin, no AICAR), rates of hindquarter fatty acid oxidation were reduced by 26%. Similarly, in oxidative but not glycolytic muscles, the basal rates of triacylglycerol esterification were reduced by 40%. When muscles were perfused with insulin, the net increase in fatty acid esterification was threefold greater in the oxidative muscles of WT mice compared with the oxidative muscles in KO mice. With AICAR-stimulation, the net increase in fatty acid oxidation by hindquarter muscles was 3.7-fold greater in WT compared with KO mice. In conclusion, the present studies demonstrate that FAT/CD36 has a critical role in regulating fatty acid esterification and oxidation, particularly during stimulation with insulin or AICAR.
MPSS profiling of embryonic gonad and primordial germ cells in chicken
Authors: Kim Heebal , Park Tae Sub , Lee Woon Kyu , Moon Sunjin , Kim Jin Nam , Shin Ji Hye , Jung Jin Gyoung , Lee Seon Duk , Park Sang Hyun , Park Kyung Je , Kim Mi A , Shin Sang Su , Kim Tae Min , Nam Jungrye , Kang Yeonkyung , Lim Jeong Mook , Han Jae Yong
Published: February 2007

The massively parallel signature sequencing (MPSS) provides a greater depth of coverage than expressed sequence tag scan or microarray and provides a comprehensive expression profile. We used the MPSS technology to uncover gene expression profiling in the early embryonic gonads and primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the chicken. Total numbers of sequenced signatures were 1,012,533 and 995,676 for the PGCs and gonad, respectively. Using a noise distribution model, we found that 1.67% of all signatures are expressed at a higher level in PCGs and 2.81% of all signatures are expressed at a higher level in the gonad. The MPSS data are presented via an interactive web interface available at http://snugenome.snu.ac.kr/MPSS . The MPSS data have been submitted to the Gene Expression Omnibus of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (accession number GSM137300 and GSM137301 for PGCs and gonad, respectively).
Association of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Polymorphism with Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Petrovič Daniel , Verhovec Renata , Globočnik Petrovič Mojca , Osredkar Joško , Peterlin Borut
Published: February 2007

Background: Many studies have reported increased serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with acute coronary syndromes. We searched for the association between either the –634 C/G or the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the VEGF gene and myocardial infarction (MI) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Methods: 143 subjects with type 2 diabetes and MI were compared to 228 diabetic subjects without coronary artery disease (CAD). VEGF serum levels were analyzed in 94 subjects with type 2 diabetes without CAD. Results: A significantly higher frequency of the CC genotype of the –634 C/G VEGF polymorphism was found in the patients with MI compared to the patients without CAD (17.5 vs. 9.2%; p = 0.019), whereas the insertion/deletion VEGF polymorphism failed to yield an association with MI. Significantly higher VEGF serum levels were demonstrated in subjects with the CC genotype compared to those with the other (CG + GG) genotypes (60.4 ± 32.1 vs. 44.1 ± 23.5 ng/l; p < 0.01). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that the CC genotype of the –634 C/G VEGF gene might be a risk factor for MI in Caucasians with type 2 diabetes of duration of more than 10 years.