bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population Aging in Canada and Japan: Implications for Labour Force and Career Patterns
Authors: Venne Rosemary A.
Published: September 2010

The scenario of population aging in developed countries has been discussed mainly in terms of spiralling pension and health care costs. With below‐replacement‐level fertility rates in most of the developed world, many countries face a stagnant or slow growing labour supply. During the late 1980s in North America, business writers were warning of the coming labour force shortage as the baby bust cohort began to enter the labour force. Despite a slower growing labour force throughout the 1990s, the matter of shortages was a non‐issue for Canada during the early 1990s recession with slow growing labour demand during most of the decade. Thus, demand for labour, though difficult to predict, is an important factor that will affect the aging labour force. Another factor is that of career patterns. In North America, career patterns of the immediate three postwar decades (lifelong linear careers) are giving way to more varied career patterns with delayering, rising credentialism, and lifelong learning as issues that are confronting both employers and employees. This paper examines labour force and career pattern issues with respect to Canada and Japan. Comparisons are drawn between demographic patterns and career patterns of the two countries.

On a discuté du scénario du vieillissement de la population dans les pays développés principalement par rapport à la montée enfièvre des coûts de pension ainsi que ceux associés aux soins de santé. Avec des taux defécon‐dité inférieurs au seuil de renouvellement des générations dans la plupart des pays en voie de développement, plusieurs pays font face à une croissance ralentie ou stagnante de l'off re de main‐d'oeuvre. Vers la fin des années 1980 en Amérique du Nord, les chroniqueurs en affaires nous allertaient à la «penurie de main‐d'oeuvre» quand la génération issue de l'effrondre‐ment de la natalité rentrerait sur le marché du travail. Malgré la croissance ralentie de l'offre de main‐d'oeuvre durant les années 1990, la question de penurie ne figurait pas au Canada pendant la recession au début des années 1990 car la demande de main‐d'oeuvre était ralentie pendant la plupart de la décennie. Donc, la demande de main‐d'oeuvre, bien que difficile à prédire, est unfacteur important influant sur une main‐d'oeuvre vieillissante. Un autre facteur est celui de l'orientation des carrières. En Amérique du Nord, l'orientation des carrières des trois décennies d'après‐guerre (carrières linéaires continues) cèdent le passage à une orientation des carrières plus variée entraînant des questions de déstratification, diplômanie accroissante, et formation permanente affrontant les employés et les employeurs.
Critical Success Factors of CRM Technological Initiatives
Authors: Croteau Anne‐Marie , Li Peter
Published: September 2010

As an increasing number of organizations realize the importance of becoming more customer‐centric in today's competitive economy, they are also discovering that they must deliver authentic customer knowledge across multiple organizational functions and at all customer touch points. This paper compiles the critical success factors of customer relationship management (CRM) technological initiatives realized by 57 large organizations in Canada. The data analysis is performed using structural equation modeling techniques such as PLS.

Évoluant dans une économie fort compétitive, un nombre croissant d'organisations réalisent l'importance de mieux comprendre leurs clients. Elles découvrent alors qu'elles peuvent gérer les connaissances acquises á leur sujet lors des contacts pris avec eux, et les intégrer adéquatement aux multiples fonctions organisationnelles. Cet article relate les facteurs critiques de succés nécessaires lors de l'implantation d'initiatives technologiques supportant la gestion de la relation client (GRC). L'analyse des résultats obtenus auprés de 57 grandes organisations canadiennes est réalisée en testant plusieurs équations structurelles à l'aide de la méthode des moindres carrés partiels (PLS).
Les politiques de gestion de l'absence des entreprises et leurs impacts sur l'absentéisme au travail
Authors: Rocheleau Isabelle , Renaud Stéphane
Published: September 2010

L'absence au travail est une préoccupation constante chez tous les dirigeants d'entreprise. C'est pourquoi plusieurs entreprises ont conçu et appliqué différentes politiques de gestion de l'absence. Cet article étudie l'influence de deux types de politiques de gestion de l'absence sur l'absentéisme des travailleurs, è savoir (a) les politiques de rémunération des absences et (b) les politiques relatives aux congés de maladie non utilisés. Pour ce faire, une banque de données recueillies auprès de 555 travailleurs de la grande région montréalaise est utilisée. Les résultats d'analyses hiérarchiques vont dans le sens de notre hypothèse générate de travail, hypothèse selon laquelle les politiques de gestion de l'absence ont un impact significatif sur l'absentéisme au travail. Plus spécifiquement, les travailleurs qui reçoivent une rémunération lors de leur absence vont s'absenterplus souvent que ceux qui n'en reçoivent pas. De plus, parmi les trois politiques relatives aux congés de maladie, les résultats indiquent que la politique d'accumulation des congés de maladie est celle qui encourage le plus d'absence, suivie par la politique de rémunération des congés de maladie. C'est la politique de perte des congés de maladie non utilisés qui occasionne le moins d'absence parmi les trois politiques. Cet article se termine par une réflexion sur les implications des résultats.

Work absenteeism is a constant concern for all managers. Over time, many business organizations have designed and implemented various policies to manage work absenteeism. This study investigates the correlation between two types of policies to manage work absenteeism and the level of worker absenteeism, namely: (a) policies for the payment of absences and (b) policies pertaining to unexpended sick leave. The data bank used was created with information provided by 555 workers in the Greater Montréal area. The results of hierarchical‐regression analyses support our general work assumption, that is, policies to manage work absenteeism have a significant impact on work absenteeism. In other words, workers who receive payments during their leaves are likely to be absent more often than those who do not receive any. Furthermore, results show that the policy of accumulating sick leave results in the highest rate of absenteeism, followed by the policy of receiving payment for sick leave. Of the three policies discussed, we noticed that the policy of losing unexpended sick leave results in the least number of absences. We conclude our study with a discussion on the implications of the results.
The Valuation of Loss Carryforwards
Authors: Zeng Tao
Published: September 2010

This paper explores the value‐relevant information of one deferred tax component, that is, loss carryforwards. A tax‐adjusted market valuation model, based on the Feltham‐Ohlson (1995) market valuation model, shows that firm market value depends on the expected future tax payments. Under the assumption that loss carryforwards reduce a firm's future tax payments, the cross‐sectional regression results show that loss carryforwards enhance firm market value, suggesting that the market expects losses will be used to reduce a firm's tax payments in future years. In addition, loss carryforwards are classified into several categories based on the restrictions on the losses (i.e., source, jurisdiction, and timing restrictions). I show that it is the loss carryforwards category with fewer restrictions that significantly enhances firm market value.

Cette présentation étudie les renseignements pertinents à la valeur d'un élément d'impôts différés, c.‐à‐d. des reports de pertes à un exercice ultérieur. Un modèle d'évaluation du marché avec réajustement d'impôt, basé sur sur le modèle d'évaluation du marché de Feltham‐Ohlson (1995), démontre que la valeur marchande d'une firme dépend des paiements prévus d'impôts futurs. Selon l'hypothèse que les reports de pertes à un exercice ultérieur réduisent les paiements d'impôts futurs d'une firme, l'analyse de la régression transversale révèle que les reports de pertes à un exercice ultérieur augmentent la valeur marchande de la firme, ce qui suggère que le marché s'attend à ce que les pertes seront utilisées pour réduire les paiements d'impôts de la firme au cours des années à venir. De plus, les reports de pertes à un exercice ultérieur sont classés dans plusieurs catégories en fonction des restrictions sur les pertes (c.‐à‐d. restrictions couvrant les sources, la juridiction et le calendrier d'application). Je démontre qu'il s'agit de la catégorie de reports de pertes à un exercice ultérieur comportant le moins de restrictions, qui augmente considérablement la valeur marchande d'une firme.
Book Reviews Recensions de livre
Authors: Calvez Vincent , Guénette Alain Max
Published: September 2010

Book reviewed in this article:

Stratégie et sociologie de l'entreprise. Rôle de la direction, comportement organisationnel, management et lien social Claude Michaud et Jean‐Claude Thoenig. (2001).

Stratégie et esprit de finesse. L'apport des sciences économiques et sociales au management stratégique Guy Chassang, Michel Moullet, et Roland Reitter.

Confrontés à la pratique de terrain, les intervenants, qu'ils soient chercheurs ou consultants, ont besoin de s'appuyer sur des théories qui leur permettent d'analyser l'écart—ou le jeu (slack) entre la prescription—ou les discours du management—et l'exécution—c'est‐à‐dire les pratiques réelles de gestion. Pour cela, il est une tendance féconde consistant à articuler des approches considérées parfois comme étant antinomiques: approches de type stratégique et approches de type sciences humaines et sociales (sociologie des organisations, psychologie, etc.). Dans le premier livre, un économiste et un sociologue (tous deux professeurs à l'INSEAD de Fontainebleau) s'adressent principalement aux managers en leur disant en quelque sorte: connaissez les langages qui traversent votre entreprise et vous serez à la hauteur de votre métier de dirigeants. Le second livre prend davantage le point de vue de consultants (Chassang est un des patrons d'Accenture‐France—ex‐Andersen Consulting) qui désirent participer au diagnostic de situations plutôt que se limiter à présenter des solutions. Ces ouvrages ont le mérite de s'appuyer sur des cas concrets.

When confronted with fieldwork, the intervening parties, whether they be researchers or consultants, need to draw on theories that enable them to analyze the slack between prescription—or managerial discourse—and execution, i.e. real practices. For this purpose, they can rely on a fruitful trend that consists of articulating approaches that can be considered (to be) antinomic. The combination of strategic approaches with approaches based on humanities and social sciences—sociology of organizations, psychology, etc.—is the main interest of these two books. In the first book, an economist and a sociologist (both professors at INSEAD in Fontainebleau) aim at managers and recommend that they learn the languages used in their companies so they will be up to their functions as leaders. The second book focuses more on the views of consultants (Chassang is the head of Accenture France—formerly Andersen Consulting) who wish to take part in the diagnosis of situations rather than just foresee solutions. The great merit of these books is that they are based on actual cases.
L'impact de la commercialisation et de la privatisation sur l'efficacitée technique des sociéetées d‘ÉEtat au Canada
Authors: Bozec Richard , Dia Mohamed
Published: September 2010

L'objectif de cette éetude est d'analyser I'impact de la privatisation sur I'efficacite technique d'un groupe de societes d'Etat au Canada. L'attention est toutefois portee sur les changements qui auront precede le transfen de propriete et qui visent a commercialiser les entre‐prises. Au Canada, la commercialisation des entreprises du secteur public fut initiee vers le milieu des annees 80. Ces reformes se sont poursuivies par la privatisation de certaines societes d'Etat. Ce contexte particulier permet donc d'evaluer dans quelle mesure la commercialisation affecte la performance post‐privatisation. Les resultats obtenus suite aux analyses multivariees suggerent que la commercialisation et la privatisation ont un impact positif et significatif sur l'efficacite technique des societes d'Etat. Les resultats revelent aussi qu'une fois les entreprises commercialisees, l'impact de la privatisation sur l'efficacite des entreprises devient non significatif.

This study sets out to analyze the impact of privatization on the technical efficiency of some state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in Canada. It also focuses on the changes that are undertaken, prior to the transfer of property, in a bid to commercialize the corporations. In Canada, the commercialization of public sector enterprises started in the mid‐1980s and the reforms were pursued with the privatization of SOEs. This specific context can be used to assess the impact of commercialization on the performance of public corporations in the post‐privatization era. The results obtained following the multivariate analysis show that commercialization and privatization have a positive and significant impact on the technical efficiency of SOEs. They also show that once the corporations are commercialized, the impact of privatization on their efficiency becomes insignificant.
An Explanation of Momentum in Canadian Stocks
Authors: Hou Tony C.T. , McKnight Phillip J.
Published: September 2010

This paper examines the drivers of momentum in Canadian stocks. We find that momentum is negatively related to book‐to‐market and analyst coverage, whereas size appears to play no role in explaining the momentum effect. We further document that analyst coverage is more important than book‐to‐market in explaining momentum. In contrast to prior research, we find only partial support for the Fama and French (1998) book‐to‐market argument in that most of the continuation effect is explained by low book‐to‐market stocks.

Le présent article se penche sur les facteurs motivants du momentum dans les actions canadiennes. Il montre que le momentum est relié négativement à la valeur au livre et à la couverture des analystes, et que la taille n'est pas un facteur déterminant dans l'explication de l'effet du momentum. Par ailleurs, comparé à la valeur du livre, la couverture des analystes permet de mieux expliquer le momentum. Contrairement à la thèse défendue par Fama et French (1998), not re étude démontre que les actions faibles de la valeur au livre peuvent rendre compte de l'essentiel de l'effet de continuité.
The Containerless Synthesis of Glass
Authors: Weber J. K. Richard
Published: September 2010

Glasses are commonly synthesized by cooling melts at a rate sufficient to prevent the nucleation of substantial amounts of crystalline phases. In the limit, high cooling rates no longer prevent crystallization. In some of these cases, elimination of container‐melt‐induced nucleation by using containerless processing (also called levitation) significantly extends the glass‐forming composition range. Containerless methods also eliminate contamination allowing the preparation of high‐purity materials that can be used to benchmark properties and structure. This article briefly reviews the application of containerless methods to several types of glass. Some examples of glasses formed using containerless techniques are presented and discussed in the context of developing materials. A short commentary on specific issues that relate to the use of containerless processing is presented. This review is intended to provide an introduction to the use of containerless methods in glass research.
Effect of pitfall trap type and diameter on vertebrate by‐catches and ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spider (Araneae) sampling
Authors: Lange Markus , Gossner Martin M. , Weisser Wolfgang W.
Published: September 2010

1. To determine the diversity of epigaeic arthropods, pitfall traps are a suitable and widely accepted sampling method. Unfortunately small mammals such as shrews, voles and mice are accidentally caught by these traps, sometimes very frequently depending on trap type and size.

2. Here we present an experiment examining the influence of trap types, conventional cup traps vs. funnel traps, and of trap diameter on catches of carabid beetles, spiders and unwanted by‐catches of small mammals.

3. The number of sampled carabid beetles increased significantly with diameter of the traps and presence of a funnel. The number of species was not affected by trap type or trap size.

4. For spiders, significantly more individuals and more species were found in larger traps. After correcting for difference in sample size by rarefaction, spider species number was still higher in larger traps. The use of a funnel had no effect on spider assemblages.

5. Funnel traps and a smaller trap diameter strongly reduced catches of small mammals, on average by at least 2/3. While catches of arthropods increased with increasing trap size independent of trap type, the number of small mammals caught in the traps was not greater in larger traps when a funnel was used.

6. Based on our results and other studies on the efficiency of different pitfall trap types, we recommend to use funnel traps of larger diameter (approximately 9 cm) to more efficiently sample epigaeic arthropod assemblages and to minimize unwanted catches of small mammals.
Evidence for an Alternative Glycolytic Pathway in Rapidly Proliferating Cells
Authors: Vander Heiden Matthew G. , Locasale Jason W. , Swanson Kenneth D. , Sharfi Hadar , Heffron Greg J. , Amador-Noguez Daniel , Christofk Heather R. , Wagner Gerhard , Rabinowitz Joshua D. , Asara John M. , Cantley Lewis C.
Published: September 2010

Glucose Metabolism Revisited

Cancer cells are revved up to reproduce rapidly and typically consume glucose rapidly by glycolysis. Why then do cancer cells express an isoform of a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, pyruvate kinase M2, which has decreased activity?

Vander Heiden
et al.

(p.
1492
) propose that consequent accumulation of phosphoenolpyruvate, with the help of an enzymatic activity that remains to be characterized, can lead to phosphate transfer to phosphoglycerate mutase, another glycolytic enzyme, providing the cell with a different way to make pyruvate. This may allow cancer cells to produce pyruvate without generating excess adenosine triphosphate, which can act through feedback to inhibit glycolyis.
Achieving Scientific Eminence Within Asia
Authors: Huang Alice S. , Tan Chris Y. H.
Published: September 2010

Asian countries are poised to help solve modern biological problems, but some policies and practices need reform.
Rainforest Aerosols as Biogenic Nuclei of Clouds and Precipitation in the Amazon
Authors: Pöschl U. , Martin S. T. , Sinha B. , Chen Q. , Gunthe S. S. , Huffman J. A. , Borrmann S. , Farmer D. K. , Garland R. M. , Helas G. , Jimenez J. L. , King S. M. , Manzi A. , Mikhailov E. , Pauliquevis T. , Petters M. D. , Prenni A. J. , Roldin P. , Rose D. , Schneider J. , Su H. , Zorn S. R. , Artaxo P. , Andreae M. O.
Published: September 2010

Clean or Dirty

Aerosols strongly affect atmospheric properties and processes—including visibility, cloud formation, and radiative behavior. Knowing their effects in both clean and polluted air is necessary in order to understand their influence (see the Perspective by

Baltensperger

).
Clarke and Kapustin
(p.
1488
) examine vertical atmospheric profiles collected above the Pacific Ocean, where air quality is affected by the transport of polluted air from the west, and find significant regional enhancements in light scattering, aerosol mass, and aerosol number associated with combustion. Aerosol particle concentrations in this region can exceed values in clean, unperturbed regions by over an order of magnitude. Thus combustion affects hemispheric aerosol optical depth and the distribution of cloud condensation nuclei.

Pöschl
et al.

(p.
1513
) discuss the composition of aerosols above the Amazon Basin, in the pristine conditions of the rainy season. The aerosols in this region are derived mostly from gaseous biogenic precursors, plants, and microorganisms, and particle concentration is orders of magnitude lower than in polluted continental regions.
The Ecological Significance of Tool Use in New Caledonian Crows
Authors: Rutz Christian , Bluff Lucas A. , Reed Nicola , Troscianko Jolyon , Newton Jason , Inger Richard , Kacelnik Alex , Bearhop Stuart
Published: September 2010

Clever Crows

Understanding the adaptive significance of animal tool use requires reliable information on the foraging behavior in the wild. New Caledonian crows consume a range of foods and use sticks as tools to extract wood-boring beetle larvae from their burrows. These larvae, with their unusual diet, have a distinct isotopic signature that can be traced after consumption by the crows in the crows' feathers and blood. By comparing the stable isotope profiles of crows' tissues with those of their food sources,

Rutz
et al.

(p.
1523
) estimated the proportion of larvae in crow diets, providing a proxy for tool-use dependence in individual crows. Just a few larvae can satisfy a crow's daily energy requirements, highlighting the substantial rewards available to competent tool users and their offspring. Thus, tool use provides New Caledonian crows with access to a very nutritional food source that is not easily exploited by beak alone.
Highly Silicic Compositions on the Moon
Authors: Glotch Timothy D. , Lucey Paul G. , Bandfield Joshua L. , Greenhagen Benjamin T. , Thomas Ian R. , Elphic Richard C. , Bowles Neil , Wyatt Michael B. , Allen Carlton C. , Hanna Kerri Donaldson , Paige David A.
Published: September 2010

Lunar Reconnaissance

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reached lunar orbit on 23 June 2009. Global data acquired since then now tell us about the impact history of the Moon and the igneous processes that shaped it. Using the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter,

Head
et al.

(p.
1504
; see the cover) provide a new catalog of large lunar craters. In the lunar highlands, large-impact craters have obliterated preexisting craters of similar size, implying that crater counts in this region cannot be used effectively to determine the age of the underlying terrain. Crater counts based on the global data set indicate that the nature of the Moon's impactor population has changed over time.

Greenhagen
et al.

(p.
1507
) and

Glotch
et al.

(p.
1510
) analyzed data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, which measures emitted thermal radiation and reflected solar radiation at infrared wavelengths. The silicate mineralogy revealed suggests the existence of more complex igneous processes on the Moon than previously assumed.
Hybrid Incompatibility “Snowballs” Between
Solanum
Species
Authors: Moyle Leonie C. , Nakazato Takuya
Published: September 2010

Rolling Snowballs

The genetic incompatibilities that separate ongoing speciation events have been hypothesized by the Dobzhansky-Muller model of speciation to snowball—that is, accumulate mutations causing postzygotic isolation at a faster rate than the linear accumulation of mutations. This occurs because of potential deleterious epistatic interactions in hybrids involving two or more interacting genes. Testing QTLs (quantitative trait loci) in seed and pollen sterility between multiple species pairs in the plant group
Solanum
,
Moyle and Nakazato
(p.
1521
) show that hybrid female (seed) sterility accumulates exponentially between increasingly distant species pairs, although not for hybrid male (pollen) sterility. In contrast, loci contributing to differences in other traits show no evidence for nonlinear accumulation over time.

Matute
et al.

(p.
1518
) come to similar conclusions through the use of deletion mapping in comparisons between two pairs of species of
Drosophila
. The number of genes causing postzygotic isolation grows as fast as the square of the number of substitutions between two species. Thus, a hybrid snowball effect is found in both plants and animals.
Island Biogeography Reveals the Deep History of SIV
Authors: Worobey Michael , Telfer Paul , Souquière Sandrine , Hunter Meredith , Coleman Clint A. , Metzger Michael J. , Reed Patricia , Makuwa Maria , Hearn Gail , Honarvar Shaya , Roques Pierre , Apetrei Cristian , Kazanji Mirdad , Marx Preston A.
Published: September 2010

Separation of the island of Bioko from West Africa about 10,000 years ago dates the origins of simian immunodeficiency virus.
Performance Sapped by Stereotypes
Whistling Vivaldi
And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us

by Claude M. Steele

Norton, New York, 2010. 256 pp. $25.95, C$32.50. ISBN 9780393062496.
Authors: von Hippel William
Published: September 2010

Steele discusses how stereotypes can undermine the performance and affect the psychology and lives of those marked on the basis of race, gender, class, or cultural classifications.
What Would A. G. Bell Say Now?

Nanotechnologies for Future Mobile Devices
Tapani Ryhänen, Mikko A. Uusitalo, Olli Ikkala, and Asta Kärkkäinen, Eds.

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2010. 282 pp. $73.99, £45. ISBN 9780521112161. eBook, $56. ISBN 9780511717505.
Authors: Lavine Marc
Published: September 2010

Researchers from Nokia, Helsinki University of Technology, and the University of Cambridge describe ways in which nanotechnologies may transform future mobile and Internet communications.
Young Leaders for Biology in India
Authors: Tole Shubha , Vale Ronald D.
Published: September 2010

Many developing countries in Asia are rapidly building new Research Institutes, eager to establish a vibrant and progressive scientific enterprise on a nationwide scale. As Huang and Tan point out in the Policy Forum on p. 1471, this buildup of scientific infrastructure must be combined with changes in culture that promote innovation and collaboration, which are required ingredients for recruiting a new generation of outstanding scientists. India, a nation faced with such challenges, is engaged in a promising grassroots experiment aimed at attracting back talented young researchers and fostering a new scientific culture in the biological sciences.
No Meeting of Minds on XMRV's Role in Chronic Fatigue, Cancer
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: September 2010

Many hoped a workshop last week would help resolve the controversy over reports linking a new retrovirus to some cases of prostate cancer and, more recently—and more controversially—the mysterious illness chronic fatigue syndrome. Instead, the field remains mired in "a zone of chaos," organizers concluded.
Genentech Scientist to Take the Helm at Rockefeller University
Authors: Miller Greg
Published: September 2010

Last week, Rockefeller University announced that it has selected Marc Tessier-Lavigne to be its next president. Tessier-Lavigne spoke with
Science
last week about the transition.
In a Cold Snap, Farmers Turned to Milk
Authors: Balter Michael
Published: September 2010

About 8200 years ago, a sudden shift of North Atlantic currents plunged the Northern Hemisphere into a short cold and dry spell. At the meeting, an archaeologist presented evidence that at one site in the Middle East, milk products suddenly showed up in the archaeological record then, perhaps to help farmers cope with the climate.
Generation of Fab Fragment-Like Molecular Recognition Proteins against Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B by Phage Display Technology
Authors: Urushibata Yuji , Itoh Kunihiko , Ohshima Motohiro , Seto Yasuo
Published: September 2010

Antigen-binding fragments (Fab fragments) and single-chain variable fragments (scFv) against staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) were produced by phage display technology. SEB epitopes were first identified by phage display approach using the commercial anti-SEB monoclonal antibody ab53981 as the target. Heptamer and dodecamer mimotope peptides recognized by ab53981 were screened from Ph.D-7 or Ph.D-12 random peptide phage libraries expressed in
Escherichia coli.
The isolated 7-mer and 12-mer mimotopes were shown to share a sequence homologous to
8
PDELHK
14
S in the amino acid sequence of SEB. The N-terminal 15-mer peptide of SEB was determined to be an epitope of ab53981. After immunization of mice with maltose-binding protein-tagged N-terminal 15-mer peptide, a phage display Fab library was constructed using cDNA prepared from the mRNAs of spleen cells. Three phage clones displaying the Fab molecule which recognized SEB were isolated through three rounds of panning. Only one of them produced a soluble Fab fragment from the transformed cells, and the fragment fused with a histidine tag sequence was produced in
E. coli
cells and converted into scFv. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the dissociation constants of these proteins with SEB were (4.1 ± 1.1) × 10
−9
M and (8.4 ± 2.3) × 10
−10
M, respectively. The produced molecule was applied to the determination of SEB by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Meningitis following Recurrent Episodes of Bacteremia in a Child Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Robin Frédéric , Paillard Catherine , Marchandin Hélène , Demeocq François , Bonnet Richard , Hennequin Claire
Published: September 2010

We report a case of meningitis due to
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
in a child undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute leukemia. Four episodes of bacteremia involving strains with pulsotypes identical to that of the cerebrospinal fluid isolate preceded meningitis. After several courses of clindamycin, no relapse occurred during the patient follow-up.
Prevalence and Diversity ofBorreliaSpecies in Ticks That Have Bitten Humans in Sweden
Authors: Wilhelmsson Peter , Fryland Linda , Börjesson Stefan , Nordgren Johan , Bergström Sven , Ernerudh Jan , Forsberg Pia , Lindgren Per-Eric
Published: September 2010

Members of the genusBorreliaare among the most common infectious agents causing tick-borne disease in humans worldwide. Here, we developed a Light Upon eXtension (LUX) real-time PCR assay that can detect and quantifyBorreliaspecies in ticks that have fed on humans, and we applied the assay to 399 such ticks.BorreliaPCR-positive ticks were identified to species level by sequencing the products of conventional PCR performed usingBorreliagroup-specific primers. There was a 19% prevalence ofBorreliaspp. in the detached ticks, and the number of spirochetes perBorreliaPCR-positive tick ranged from 2.0 × 102to 4.9 × 105, with a median of 7.8 × 103spirochetes. Adult ticks had a significantly larger number of spirochetes, with a median of 8.4 × 104compared to the median of nymphs of 4.4 × 104. Adult ticks also exhibited a higher prevalence ofBorrelia(33%) than nymphs (14%). Among the identified species,Borrelia afzeliiwas found to predominate (61%) and was followed byB.garinii(23%),B.valaisiana(13%),B.burgdorferisensu stricto (1%),B.lusitaniae(1%), andB.miyamotoi-like (1%). Also, 3% of the ticks were coinfected with multiple strains ofB. afzelii. Notably, this is the first report ofB. lusitaniaebeing detected in ticks in Sweden. Our LUX real-time PCR assay proved to be more sensitive than a corresponding TaqMan assay. In conclusion, the novel LUX real-time PCR method is a rapid and sensitive tool for detection and quantification ofBorreliaspp. in ticks.
Mass Spectrometry Biotyper System Identifies Enteric Bacterial Pathogens Directly from Colonies Grown on Selective Stool Culture Media
Authors: He Ying , Li Haijing , Lu Xuedong , Stratton Charles W. , Tang Yi-Wei
Published: September 2010

We evaluated the performance and cost-effectiveness of a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based Biotyper system for the routine identification of common enteric bacterial pathogens seen in middle Tennessee from suspicious colonies grown on selective stool culture media. A total of 304 suspicious colonies were selected and further identified from 605 stool specimens. The suspicious colonies were analyzed by the Biotyper system, and the results were compared to those from routine phenotypic methods, which identified 22
Salmonella
species, 39
Shigella
species, 3 enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) isolates, 2
Yersinia enterocolitica
isolates, 2
Campylobacter
species, and 236 gastrointestinal normal flora isolates. The Biotyper system correctly identified the
Salmonella
species,
Yersinia enterocolitica
, and
Campylobacter
species but failed to distinguish the
Shigella
species and EHEC isolates from
E. coli
. Among the 236 normal flora isolates, 233 (98.7%) and 228 (96.6%) agreed at the genus and species levels, respectively, between the phenotypic and Biotyper methods. Organism identification scores were insignificantly different between colonies directly from selective media and subsequently from pure subculture. The entire Biotyper identification procedure, from smear preparation to final result reporting, can be completed within 30 min. The Biotyper system provides a rapid and simple screening tool for identifying many, but not all, suspicious colonies grown on selective media within 24 h after inoculation, which shortens test turnaround time by 2 to 3 days.
Evaluation of Three Influenza A and B Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assays and a New 2009 H1N1 Assay for Detection of Influenza Viruses
Authors: Selvaraju Suresh B. , Selvarangan Rangaraj
Published: September 2010

The performance characteristics of three real-time influenza A/B virus reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays and two real-time 2009 H1N1 RT-PCR assays were evaluated using previously characterized clinical specimens. A total of 150 respiratory specimens from children (30 influenza A/H1 virus-, 30 influenza A/H3 virus-, 30 2009 H1N1-, and 30 influenza B virus-positive specimens and 30 influenza virus-negative specimens) were tested with the CDC influenza A/B PCR (CDC), ProFlu
+
multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay (ProFlu
+
), and MGB Alert Influenza A/B & RSV RUO (MGB) assays. A second set of 157 respiratory specimens (100 2009 H1N1-, 22 seasonal influenza A/H1-, and 15 seasonal influenza A/H3-positive specimens and 20 influenza-negative specimens) were tested with a new laboratory-developed 2009 H1N1 RT-PCR and the CDC 2009 H1N1 assay. The overall sensitivities of the CDC, ProFlu
+
, and MGB assays for detection of influenza A and B viruses were 100%, 98.3%, and 94%, respectively. The ProFlu
+
assay failed to detect one influenza A/H1 virus-positive specimen and yielded one unresolved result with another influenza A/H1 virus-positive specimen. The MGB assay detected 84/87 (96.5%) of influenza A and B viruses and 26/30 (86.6%) of 2009 H1N1 viruses. The new laboratory-developed 2009 H1N1 RT-PCR assay detected 100/100 (100%) 2009 H1N1 virus-positive specimens, while the CDC SW Inf A and SW H1 PCR assays failed to detect one and three low-positive 2009 H1N1-positive specimens, respectively. The CDC influenza A/B virus assay and the newly developed 2009 H1N1 RT-PCR assay with an internal control can be set up in two separate reactions in the same assay for routine clinical testing to detect influenza A and B viruses and to specifically identify the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Stimulation of Human Dendritic Cells by Wild-Type and M Protein Mutant Vesicular Stomatitis Viruses Engineered To Express Bacterial Flagellin
Authors: Ahmed Maryam , Puckett Shelby , Arimilli Subhashini , Braxton Cassandra L. , Mizel Steven B. , Lyles Douglas S.
Published: September 2010

Vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSVs) containing wild-type (wt) or mutant matrix (M) proteins are being developed as candidate vaccine vectors due to their ability to induce innate and adaptive immunity. Viruses with wt M protein, such as recombinant wild-type (rwt) virus, stimulate maturation of dendritic cells (DC) through Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and its adaptor molecule MyD88. However, M protein mutant viruses, such as rM51R-M virus, stimulate both TLR7-positive and TLR7-negative DC subsets. The goal of this study was to determine whether the ability of rwt and rM51R-M viruses to induce maturation of human DC can be enhanced by engineering these vectors to express bacterial flagellin. Flagellin expressed from the rwt virus genome partially protected human DC from VSV-induced shutoff of host protein synthesis and promoted the production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-1β. In addition, DC infected with rwt virus expressing flagellin were more effective at stimulating gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production from CD8
+
allogeneic T cells than DC infected with rwt virus. Although rM51R-M virus effectively stimulated human DC, flagellin expressed from the rM51R-M virus genome enhanced the production of cytokines. Furthermore, mice immunized with both rwt and rM51R-M viruses expressing flagellin had enhanced anti-VSV antibody responses
in vivo
. Therefore, rwt and rM51R-M viruses expressing flagellin may be promising vectors for the delivery of foreign antigen due to their potential to stimulate DC function.
Bovine Foamy Virus Transactivator BTas Interacts with Cellular RelB To Enhance Viral Transcription
Authors: Wang Jian , Tan Juan , Guo Hongyan , Zhang Qicheng , Jia Rui , Xu Xuan , Geng Yunqi , Qiao Wentao
Published: September 2010

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that depend on cellular machinery for their efficient transcription and replication. In a previous study we reported that bovine foamy virus (BFV) is able to activate the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway through the action of its transactivator BTas to enhance viral transcription. However, the mechanism used by NF-κB to enhance BFV transcription remains elusive. To address this question, we employed a yeast two-hybrid assay to screen for BTas-interacting proteins. We found that RelB, a member of NF-κB protein family, interacts with BTas. We confirmed the putative RelB-BTas interaction
in vitro
and
in vivo
and identified the protein regions responsible for the RelB-BTas interaction. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we next showed that RelB enhances BFV transcription (BTas-induced long terminal repeat [LTR] transactivation) and that this process requires both the localization of the RelB-BTas interaction in the nucleus and the Rel homology domain of RelB. The knockdown of the cellular endogenous RelB protein using small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly attenuated BTas-induced LTR transcription. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that endogenous RelB binds to the viral LTR in BFV-infected cells. Together, these results suggest that BFV engages the RelB protein as a cotransactivator of BTas to enhance viral transcription. In addition, our findings indicate that BFV infection upregulates cellular RelB expression through BTas-induced NF-κB activation. Thus, this study demonstrates the existence of a positive-feedback circuit in which BFV utilizes the host's NF-κB pathway through the RelB protein for efficient viral transcription.
Distinct Stability States of Disease-Associated Human Prion Protein Identified by Conformation-Dependent Immunoassay
Authors: Choi Young Pyo , Peden Alexander H. , Gröner Albrecht , Ironside James W. , Head Mark W.
Published: September 2010

The phenotypic and strain-related properties of human prion diseases are, according to the prion hypothesis, proposed to reside in the physicochemical properties of the conformationally altered, disease-associated isoform of the prion protein (PrPSc), which accumulates in the brains of patients suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and related conditions, such as Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. Molecular strain typing of human prion diseases has focused extensively on differences in the fragment size and glycosylation site occupancy of the protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres) in conjunction with the presence of mutations and polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Here we report the results of employing an alternative strategy that specifically addresses the conformational stability of PrPScand that has been used previously to characterize animal prion strains transmitted to rodents. The results show that there are at least two distinct conformation stability states in human prion diseases, neither of which appears to correlate fully with the PrPrestype, as judged by fragment size or glycosylation, thePRNPcodon 129 status, or the presence or absence of mutations inPRNP. These results suggest that conformational stability represents a further dimension to a complete description of potentially phenotype-related properties of PrPScin human prion diseases.
Macaque Proteome Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and 1918 Reassortant Influenza Virus Infections
Authors: Brown Joseph N. , Palermo Robert E. , Baskin Carole R. , Gritsenko Marina , Sabourin Patrick J. , Long James P. , Sabourin Carol L. , Bielefeldt-Ohmann Helle , García-Sastre Adolfo , Albrecht Randy , Tumpey Terrence M. , Jacobs Jon M. , Smith Richard D. , Katze Michael G.
Published: September 2010

The host proteome response and molecular mechanisms that drive disease
in vivo
during infection by a human isolate of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) and 1918 pandemic influenza virus remain poorly understood. This study presents a comprehensive characterization of the proteome response in cynomolgus macaque (
Macaca fascicularis
) lung tissue over 7 days of infection with HPAI (the most virulent), a reassortant virus containing 1918 hemagglutinin and neuraminidase surface proteins (intermediate virulence), or a human seasonal strain (least virulent). A high-sensitivity two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy strategy and functional network analysis were implemented to gain insight into response pathways activated in macaques during influenza virus infection. A macaque protein database was assembled and used in the identification of 35,239 unique peptide sequences corresponding to approximately 4,259 proteins. Quantitative analysis identified an increase in expression of 400 proteins during viral infection. The abundance levels of a subset of these 400 proteins produced strong correlations with disease progression observed in the macaques, distinguishing a “core” response to viral infection from a “high” response specific to severe disease. Proteome expression profiles revealed distinct temporal response kinetics between viral strains, with HPAI inducing the most rapid response. While proteins involved in the immune response, metabolism, and transport were increased rapidly in the lung by HPAI, the other viruses produced a delayed response, characterized by an increase in proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation, RNA processing, and translation. Proteomic results were integrated with previous genomic and pathological analysis to characterize the dynamic nature of the influenza virus infection process.
Herpesviruses and Chromosomal Integration
Authors: Morissette Guillaume , Flamand Louis
Published: September 2010

Herpesviruses are members of a diverse family of viruses that colonize all vertebrates from fish to mammals. Although more than one hundred herpesviruses exist, all are nearly identical architecturally, with a genome consisting of a linear double-stranded DNA molecule (100 to 225 kbp) protected by an icosahedral capsid made up of 162 hollow-centered capsomeres, a tegument surrounding the nucleocapsid, and a viral envelope derived from host membranes. Upon infection, the linear viral DNA is delivered to the nucleus, where it circularizes to form the viral episome. Depending on several factors, the viral cycle can proceed either to a productive infection or to a state of latency. In either case, the viral genetic information is maintained as extrachromosomal circular DNA. Interestingly, however, certain oncogenic herpesviruses such as Marek's disease virus and Epstein-Barr virus can be found integrated at low frequencies in the host's chromosomes. These findings have mostly been viewed as anecdotal and considered exceptions rather than properties of herpesviruses. In recent years, the consistent and rather frequent detection (in approximately 1% of the human population) of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) viral DNA integrated into human chromosomes has spurred renewed interest in our understanding of how these viruses infect, replicate, and propagate themselves. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on chromosomal integration by herpesviruses and present the current state of knowledge on integration by HHV-6 with the possible clinical implications associated with viral integration.
Dendritic Cell-Specific Antigen Delivery by Coronavirus Vaccine Vectors Induces Long-Lasting Protective Antiviral and Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Cervantes-Barragan Luisa , Züst Roland , Maier Reinhard , Sierro Sophie , Janda Jozef , Levy Frederic , Speiser Daniel , Romero Pedro , Rohrlich Pierre-Simon , Ludewig Burkhard , Thiel Volker
Published: September 2010

Efficient vaccination against infectious agents and tumors depends on specific antigen targeting to dendritic cells (DCs). We report here that biosafe coronavirus-based vaccine vectors facilitate delivery of multiple antigens and immunostimulatory cytokines to professional antigen-presenting cellsin vitroandin vivo. Vaccine vectors based on heavily attenuated murine coronavirus genomes were generated to express epitopes from the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein, or human Melan-A, in combination with the immunostimulatory cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). These vectors selectively targeted DCsin vitroandin vivoresulting in vector-mediated antigen expression and efficient maturation of DCs. Single application of only low vector doses elicited strong and long-lasting cytotoxic T-cell responses, providing protective antiviral and antitumor immunity. Furthermore, human DCs transduced with Melan-A-recombinant human coronavirus 229E efficiently activated tumor-specific CD8+T cells. Taken together, this novel vaccine platform is well suited to deliver antigens and immunostimulatory cytokines to DCs and to initiate and maintain protective immunity.

IMPORTANCEVaccination against infectious agents has protected many individuals from severe disease. In addition, prophylactic and, most likely, also therapeutic vaccination against tumors will save millions from metastatic disease. This study describes a novel vaccine approach that facilitates delivery of viral or tumor antigens to dendritic cellsin vivo. Concomitant immunostimulation via the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was achieved through delivery by the same viral vector. Single immunization with only low doses of coronavirus-based vaccine vectors was sufficient to elicit (i) vigorous expansion and optimal differentiation of CD8+T cells, (ii) protective and long-lasting antiviral immunity, and (iii) prophylactic and therapeutic tumor immunity. Moreover, highly efficient antigen delivery to human DCs with recombinant human coronavirus 229E and specific stimulation of human CD8+T cells revealed that this approach is exceptionally well suited for translation into human vaccine studies.