bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth Kinetics and Model Comparison of Cronobacter sakazakii in Reconstituted Powdered Infant Formula
Authors: Fang Ting , Gurtler Joshua B. , Huang Lihan
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Cronobacter sakazakii is a life‐threatening bacterium, infrequently implicated in illnesses associated with the consumption of powdered infant formula (PIF). It can cause rare but invasive infections in neonatal infants who consume contaminated PIF. The objective of this research was to investigate the growth kinetics and develop mathematical models to predict the growth of heat‐injured C. sakazakii in reconstituted PIF (RPIF). RPIF, inoculated with a 6‐strain cocktail of non‐heat‐treated (uninjured) or heat‐injured C. sakazakii, was incubated at different temperatures to develop growth models. Except for storage at 6 °C, C. sakazakii grew well at all test temperatures (10 to 48 °C). Uninjured C. sakazakii exhibited no observable lag phase, while a lag phase was apparent in heat‐treated cells. A simple 3‐parameter logistic equation was used to fit growth curves for non‐heat‐treated cells, while both Baranyi and Huang models were suitable for heat‐treated C. sakazakii. Calculated minimum and maximum growth temperatures were 6.5 and 51.4 °C for non‐heat‐treated cells, and 6.9 and 50.1 °C for heat‐treated cells of C. sakazakii in RPIF, respectively. There was no significant difference between growth rates of non‐heat‐treated and heat‐injured cells in RPIF. For heat‐treated cells of C. sakazakii, the lag phase was temperature‐dependent and very short (between 25 °C and 48 °C). These results suggest that both non‐heat‐treated and heat‐injured C. sakazakii cells may present a risk to infants if the pathogens are not completely destroyed by heat in RPIF and then exposed to subsequent temperature abuse.

Practical Application:  C. sakazakii is a life‐threatening bacterium found in powdered infant formula (PIF). This study shows that the uninjured bacterium exhibits very short or no lag phase if not refrigerated and can grow well in reconstituted PIF (RPIF), while the heat‐injured cells can multiply at an equivalent rate following metabolic recovery. Temperature abuse may allow C. sakazakii to grow and endanger infants fed with RPIF. Predictive models developed in this study can be used to estimate the growth and conduct risk assessments of this pathogen.
Hypotension and pruritus induced by neuraxial anaesthesia in a cat
Authors: Bauquier SH
Published: August 2012

Although preventive epidural morphine administration with bupivacaine is effective in producing long‐lasting analgesia, neuraxial anaesthesia can cause cardiovascular depression and pruritus. This report presents the development and treatment of hypotension and pruritus after intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine administration in a 3‐year‐old female spayed Domestic Short‐hair cat presented for surgical repair of a torn right cranial cruciate ligament. Opioid‐induced pruritus is not usually considered a frequently occurring complication, but may be easily misinterpreted as being dysphoria in recovery. It can be treated by administration of ondansetron, with human patients usually responding within 30 min after treatment.
Coronavirus infection in intensively managed cattle with respiratory disease
Authors: Hick PM , Read AJ , Lugton I , Busfield F , Dawood KE , Gabor L , Hornitzky M , Kirkland PD
Published: August 2012

Background

A detailed laboratory investigation identified bovine coronavirus (BCoV) as the aetiological agent in an outbreak of respiratory disease at a semi‐intensive beef cattle feedlot in south‐east Australia. The outbreak caused 30% morbidity in the resident population and also affected two cohorts of cattle that were newly introduced to the property.

Methods

At slaughter, pulmonary consolidation and inflammatory lesions in the trachea were identified in 15 of 49 animals. Pasteurella multocida or Histophilus somni was cultured from 3 of 7 animals with lesions. Histopathological examination revealed multifocal non‐suppurative bronchointerstitial pneumonia with formation of epithelial syncytial cells, sometimes associated with suppurative bronchopneumonia.

Results

BCoV was detected in nasal swabs and pulmonary lesions using real‐time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) assay and virus isolation. There was serological evidence of previous exposure to bovine viral diarrhoea virus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus and bovine parainfluenza virus type 3, but not to bovine herpesvirus type 1. None of these viral pathogens or Mycoplasma bovis was identified by qRT‐PCR.

Conclusion

This is believed to be the first report of BCoV in association with bovine respiratory disease complex in Australia.
An investigation using the choice experiment method into options for reducing illegal bushmeat hunting in western Serengeti
Authors: Moro Mirko , Fischer Anke , Czajkowski Mikołaj , Brennan Dervla , Lowassa Asanterabi , Naiman Loiruck C. , Hanley Nick
Published: August 2012

Bushmeat hunting is perceived as a serious threat to the conservation status of many species in Africa. We use a novel livelihood choice experiment method to investigate the role of illegal hunting within livelihood strategies in the western Serengeti, and to identify potential trade‐offs between illegal hunting and other income sources. We find that increasing access to microcredit, higher wages, increases in number of cows, weeks hunting and increased access to market all contribute to well‐being. We are able to quantify the trade‐offs between weeks spent illegal hunting and increases in cattle, wage income, access to markets, and access to microcredit. However, important differences emerge in response to these variables between different wealth groups which shape how we should design conservation and development interventions.
Genetic testing reveals some mislabeling but general compliance with a ban on herbivorous fish harvesting in Belize
Authors: Cox Courtney E. , Jones Corbin D. , Wares John P. , Castillo Karl D. , McField Melanie D. , Bruno John F.
Published: August 2012

Overfishing of herbivorous fishes is one of the primary causes of Caribbean coral reef decline. In Belize, herbivorous fishes comprised 28% of the catch from 2005 to 2008. In 2009, the Belize Fisheries Department implemented a national ban on herbivorous fish harvesting to mitigate high‐macroalgal cover on much of the Belize Barrier Reef. However, compliance with this approach has not been evaluated. We assessed the proportion of herbivorous fish in local markets by genetically identifying fish fillets sold in five major towns in Belize from 2009 to 2011. We found that 5–7% of 111 fillets were identified as herbivorous fish and 32–51% were mislabeled. A 5–7% proportion of parrotfish in local markets suggests some ongoing parrotfish harvesting. However, our results suggest that the ban has reduced herbivorous fish harvesting and has the potential to help facilitate the restoration of coral reef ecosystems.
Differences in basement membrane zone components of normal conjunctiva, conjunctiva in glaucoma and normal skin
Authors: Messmer Elisabeth M. , Valet Véronique M. , Kampik Anselm
Published: August 2012

Purpose:  To describe the distribution of basement membrane zone (BMZ) components in normal conjunctiva, conjunctiva of patients with glaucoma and normal skin.

Methods:  Thirty‐five normal conjunctival biopsies and 16 conjunctival biopsies of patients with glaucoma under topical anti‐glaucomatous therapy were examined by immunohistochemistry. Antibodies were directed against laminin α chains, laminin subchains α1, α2, α3, β1, β3, γ1, γ2, γ3, kalinin, β4‐integrin, and collagens IV and VII. Results were compared to the antigen distribution at the BMZ in normal skin.

Results:  The BMZ of skin stained positive for all antibodies tested. In contrast to skin, the BMZ of normal conjunctiva was negative for laminin subunits α2, β1, β3, γ2 and γ3 in most or all specimens. Positive findings at the conjunctival BMZ of patients with glaucoma were comparable to normal conjunctiva for laminin α, α1, β3, γ1, γ3, laminin 5, β4‐integrin, collagen IV and collagen VII. However, staining of the BMZ with antibodies to laminin β1 (p = 0.002) and γ2 (p = 0.017) was seen in a significantly higher rate in glaucoma compared to controls.

Conclusion:  Characteristic differences exist in the antigenicity of the BMZ in normal skin, normal conjunctiva and conjunctiva from patients with glaucoma, especially for laminin subchains. These differences may explain the variable ocular involvement in diseases of the BMZ. Moreover, they may explain the susceptibility of patients with glaucoma to develop mucous membrane pemphigoid‐like disease. Alterations in conjunctival BMZ in glaucoma may be induced by long‐term topical anti‐glaucoma medications including various preservation agents.
Genetic diversity and similarity in the Barbarea vulgaris complex (Brassicaceae)
Authors: Toneatto Fiorello , Hauser Thure P. , Nielsen Jens Kvist , Ørgaard Marian
Published: August 2012

Two subspecies of Barbarea vulgaris are taxonomically recognized as ssp. vulgaris and ssp. arcuata. In addition, two types of Barbarea vulgaris ssp. arcuata occurs in Denmark. The G‐type is resistant to an herbivorous flea beetle (Phyllotreta nemorum) whereas the P‐type is susceptible. A previous study suggested that the P‐type evolved by a loss of resistance from a resistant progenitor. We analyzed the genetic relatedness among eight Barbarea taxa: B. vulgaris spp. vulgaris, B. vulgaris ssp. arcuata G‐ and P‐types, hybrids between the types, B. verna, B. intermedia, B. stricta, B. orthoceras and B. australis, using AFLP and SSR markers. A clear distinction between the G‐ and P‐types was revealed. Both were distinct from B. vulgaris ssp. vulgaris, the G‐type less so than the P‐type. Barbarea verna and B. intermedia formed unambiguous clusters, whereas the remaining taxa produced less discrete groupings. Possible evolutionary scenarios for flea‐beetle resistance and susceptibility are discussed, including lineage sorting from a polymorphic ancestral population, and de novo loss of resistance in the P‐type of B. vulgaris ssp. arcuata.
Temporal study of Nosema spp. in a cold climate
Authors: Forsgren Eva , Fries Ingemar
Published: August 2012

In a nationwide Swedish survey, 967 honey bee colonies from 521 beekeepers were sampled in the spring of 2007 and the samples assayed for Nosema spp. infections. Of the 319 positive samples, only 32 samples contained a proportion of N. ceranae DNA in mixed infections with both Nosema spp. above the cut‐off point chosen for comparisons of 1%. Only one pure N. ceranae infection was found, with the rest 284 infected samples assayed being pure N. apis infections. In 2009 and 2011, beekeepers or bee inspectors providing N. ceranae mixed positive bee samples in 2007 were again asked to submit samples (2009, n = 96; 2011, n = 83). No trend of an increased proportion of N. ceranae‐infected samples could be found. The proportion of N. ceranae DNA in samples with mixed infection did not increase between 2007 and 2011. It is concluded that N. apis is still the dominating Microsporidia infection in honey bees in Sweden and that there is no tendency for one species replacing the other.
Association between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor V66M and treatment responses to escitalopram in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Chang Hun Soo , Lee Hwa‐Young , Ham Byung‐Joo , Park Yong Chon , Hahn Sang‐Woo , Jeong Yoo‐Jung , Kim Bohye , Lee Min‐Soo
Published: August 2012

Introduction

Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a candidate molecule for influencing the clinical response to antidepressant treatment. Among polymorphisms on the BDNF gene, V66M (rs6265) has been reported to be associated with response to antidepressant treatment. The aims of this study were to determine the relationship between the V66M polymorphism and the response to escitalopram in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

One hundred and fifteen Korean patients were examined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV Axis I disorders, and took escitalopram at a daily dose of 5–40 mg. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the 21‐item Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM‐D) scale during 12 weeks of treatment. The genotypes were determined using NlaIII digestion.

Results

The proportions of M allele carriers were higher in responders than those in non‐responders at 1–8 weeks (P = 0.00001–P = 0.025). The percentile decrease of HAM‐D scores was larger in M allele carriers than those in patients possessing VV genotype at 1–8 weeks (P = 0.0002–0.002). The proportion of M allele carriers was higher in remitters than in non‐remitters at 2–8 weeks (P = 0.003–P = 0.038). The comparison between VM heterozygotes and homozygotes (VV or MM) showed similar results.

Discussion

These results suggest that BDNF V66M affects the therapeutic action of escitalopram in MDD and that this polymorphism may be a genetic marker for therapeutic response to escitalopram treatment in patients with MDD.
Serological Survey in Dogs and Cats for Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in Germany
Authors: Damiani A. M. , Kalthoff D. , Beer M. , Müller E. , Osterrieder N.
Published: August 2012

A serological survey for the detection of antibodies to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was carried out in a population of dogs and cats in Germany. A total of 1150 sera collected in 2010 and 2011 were screened using an ELISA targeting anti‐nucleoprotein NP antibodies. Those initially screened positive samples were subsequently tested for antibodies to N1 neuraminidase followed by a virus neutralization test using A/Bayern/74/2009 strain. A prevalence of A(H1N1)pdm09‐specific antibodies of 0.13% and 1.93% was estimated among dogs and cats, respectively. Evidence of exposure to other influenza A virus subtypes was also observed.
Operational Slack and Venture Survival
Authors: Azadegan Arash , Patel Pankaj C. , Parida Vinit
Published: August 2012

Slack can act as a double‐edged sword. While it can buffer against environmental threats to help ensure business continuity, slack can also be costly and reduce profitability. In this study we focus on operational slack, the form related to the firm's production processes. We investigate the role of operational slack on firm survival during its venture stage when its survival is significantly challenged by environmental threats. Specifically, we explore how change in three types of environmental uncertainty, namely dynamism, complexity, and lack of munificence, affect the relationship between operational slack and venture survival. Results suggest that with an increase in environmental uncertainty, operational slack lowers the likelihood of venture failure.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis: An Evaluation of Group versus Individual Performance
Authors: Guerrero Héctor H. , Bradley James R.
Published: August 2012

Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is one of the most frequently used tools in process and product design: it is used in quality and reliability planning, and event and failure mode analysis. It has a long history of use and is a formally prescribed procedure by a number of prominent standards organizations. In addition, it's popular use has evolved as a less formal and widely interpreted tool in the area of Lean/Six Sigma (LSS) process improvement. This paper investigates one of the most important issues related to FMEA practice—the quality of individual vs. group performance in ranking failure modes. In particular, we compare FMEA rankings generated by: (i) individuals, (ii) group consensus, and (iii) non‐collaborative aggregation of group input (a synthesized group ranking). We find that groups outperform individuals and that synthetic groups perform as well as group consensus. We explain the implications of this result on the coordination of the design of products and processes amongst distributed organizations. The increasing distribution of product design efforts, both in terms of geography and different organizations, presents an opportunity to improve coordination using distributed synthetic group‐based FMEA.
Stakeholder Perspectives on E‐Waste Take‐Back Legislation
Authors: Atasu Atalay , Özdemir Öznur , Van Wassenhove Luk N.
Published: August 2012

In this study, we compare two common forms of product take‐back legislation implementation: (i) manufacturer‐operated systems, where the state imposes certain take‐back objectives on manufacturers, and (ii) state‐operated systems, where manufacturers or consumers finance take‐back through recovery fees. We show that their impacts on different stakeholders, that is, social welfare, manufacturers, consumers, and the environment, can be significantly different and stakeholder preferences for these models vary depending on the operating environments (e.g., production and take‐back costs, and environmental externalities). We also consider the impact of operational externalities such as operating and monitoring costs, and show how they affect stakeholder preferences.
The Payback of Effective Innovation Programs: Empirical Evidence from Firms that Have Won Innovation Awards
Authors: Zhang Guoqiang Peter , Yu Jifeng , Xia Yusen
Published: August 2012

Despite the widely held belief of the importance of innovation, the connection between innovation and firm performance is empirically inconclusive, partially owing to the limitations of existing innovation measures, which tend to ignore the effectiveness of innovation programs. In this study, we use the winning of innovation awards as a proxy for the effective execution of innovation. We conducted event‐study analyses based on data from more than 1000 publicly traded firms that won innovation awards between 1998 and 2003. Our statistical tests provide strong evidence that the performance of award‐winning firms is significantly higher as compared with several sets of control firms. Over an 8‐year period, starting from 4 years before to 3 years after the year of winning the first innovation award, the test sample's mean (median) change in return on assets is nearly 33% (24%) higher than that of a control sample. The evidence also suggests that effective innovation programs can increase firms' revenue, cost efficiency, and market valuation. Over the period, the control‐adjusted mean (median) change in sales, cost per dollar of sales, and Tobin's Q are 39.28% (20.71%), −5.52% (−3.80%), and 23.70% (3.16%), respectively. Panel data regression analysis provides additional insights on the performance impact of effective innovation programs. The results show that award winners are not only financially more successful but also enjoy an indirect benefit through better R&D execution, which increases firm profitability in both the short term and long term.
Supply Diversification with Responsive Pricing
Authors: Li Tao , Sethi Suresh P. , Zhang Jun
Published: August 2012

We study sourcing and pricing decisions of a firm with correlated suppliers and a price‐dependent demand. With two suppliers, the insight— cost is the order qualifier while reliability is the order winner—derived in the literature for the case of exogenously determined price and independent suppliers, continues to hold when the suppliers' capacities are correlated. Moreover, a firm orders only from one supplier if the effective purchase cost from him, which includes the imputed cost of his unreliability, is lower than the wholesale price charged by his rival. Otherwise, the firm orders from both. Furthermore, the firm's diversification decision does not depend on the correlation between the two suppliers' random capacities. However, its order quantities do depend on the capacity correlation, and, if the firm's objective function is unimodal, the total order quantity decreases as the capacity correlation increases in the sense of the supermodular order. With more than two suppliers, the insight no longer holds. That is, when ordering from two or more suppliers, one is the lowest‐cost supplier and the others are not selected on the basis of their costs. We conclude the paper by developing a solution algorithm for the firm's optimal diversification problem.
The Effect of Competition on R&D Portfolio Investments
Authors: Zschocke Mark S. , Mantin Benny , Jewkes Elizabeth M.
Published: August 2012

Although project portfolio management has been an active research area over the past 50 years, budget allocation models that consider competition are sparse. Faced with the competition, firms contemplating budget allocation for their project portfolio cannot limit their attention to the returns from their projects' target markets, as is the case for monopoly firms, but must also anticipate the competitive effects on these returns. Assuming firms allocate their budgets between projects offering incremental innovation targeting a mature market and projects offering radical innovation targeting an emerging market, we show that while the monopoly firm bases its budget allocation decision solely on the marginal returns of the markets, competing firms—as they take into account their counterparts' investment decisions—need to also consider the projects' average returns from their respective markets. This drives competing firms into incrementalism: faced with competition, firms invest larger portions of their budgets into projects targeting mature markets. This effect is amplified as the number of competing firms increases and firms allocate an even greater share of their budget into projects targeting a mature market. We further demonstrate the effects that changes to firms' individual budgets, as well as to market characteristics, have on firms' budget allocation decision.
Impact and benefit of A2B-adenosine receptor agonists for the respiratory tract: mucociliary clearance, ciliary beat frequency, trachea muscle tonus and cytokine release
Authors: Walaschewski Robin , Begrow Frank , Verspohl Eugen J
Published: August 2012

Objectives

Adenosine is known to induce a bronchospasm in asthma- and COPD patients. The role of A2B receptors was investigated with respect to several parameters of the respiratory tract: tonus of smooth muscle, ciliary beat frequency as measured by high-speed video camera connected to a microscope (both in rats) and mucociliary clearance (MCC; transport of a fluorescent dye using a microdialysis procedure) in mice.

Key findings

NECA (5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) (a non-selective adenosine receptor agonist) was able to acutely induce a contraction, which was reversed to a relaxation after repeated dosing. This relaxation was completely abolished by PSB-1115, an A2B receptor antagonist. IL-13 (cytokine) was not involved mediating acute contractility effects. MCC was increased by BAY 60–6583 (A2B receptor agonist) and NECA (counteracted by the A2B receptor antagonist PSB-1115). Activation of A2B adenosine receptors by BAY 60–6583 induced an increase of the ciliary beat frequency, which could be reduced by administration of PSB-1115. Several cytokines were increased by NECA although only some are relevant because they are not blocked by A2B receptor antagonism.

Conclusions

The A2B receptors are involved in airway relaxation, MCC improvement and ciliary beat frequency. A2B receptor agonists may be of therapeutic value and should be developed.
Unusual but sound minds: Mental health indicators in spiritual individuals
Authors: Farias Miguel , Underwood Raphael , Claridge Gordon
Published: August 2012

Previous research has linked certain types of modern spirituality, including New Age and Pagan, with either benign schizotypy or insecure attachment. While the first view emphasizes a positive aspect of spiritual believers’ mental health (benign schizotypy), the second view emphasizes a negative aspect, namely the unhealthy emotional compensation associated with an insecure attachment style. This study addresses these two conflicting views by comparing a sample of modern spiritual individuals (N = 114) with a contrast group of traditional religious believers (N = 86). Measures of schizotypy and attachment style were combined with mental health scales of anxiety and depression. We further assessed death anxiety to determine whether modern spiritual beliefs fulfilled a similar function as traditional religious beliefs in the reduction of existential threat. Our results support a psychological contiguity between traditional and modern spiritual believers and reinforce the need to de‐stigmatize spiritual ideas and experiences. Using hierarchical regression, we showed that unusual experiences and ideas are the major predictor of engagement in modern spiritual practices. Anxiety, depression variables, and insecure attachment were not significant predictors of spirituality or correlated with them; on the other hand, the results show that spiritual believers report high social support satisfaction and this variable predicts involvement in modern spirituality. Further, spiritual practices were negatively correlated with and negatively predicted by death anxiety scores. Overall, the results strengthen the association between modern spirituality, good mental health, and general well‐being.
Too exhausted to see the truth: Ego depletion and the ability to detect deception
Authors: Reinhard Marc‐André , Scharmach Martin , Stahlberg Dagmar
Published: August 2012

In two experiments, recent findings showing the detrimental role of regulatory depletion in decision making are extended to the field of deception detection. In both experiments, the state of ego depletion was induced by having judges inhibit versus non‐inhibit a dominant response while transcribing a text. Subsequently they judged true or deceptive messages of different stimulus persons with regard to their truthfulness. In both experiments, ego‐depleted judges scored significantly lower on detection accuracy than control judges. Signal detection measures showed that this effect was not due to differences in judgmental bias between the two conditions. In Experiment 2, it was shown that the lower detection accuracy in the state of ego depletion was due to a feeling of difficulty of relying on verbal content information. Practical implications of the current findings are discussed.
Data Mining Nursing Care Plans of End‐of‐Life Patients: A Study to Improve Healthcare Decision Making
Authors: Almasalha Fadi , Xu Dianhui , Keenan Gail M. , Khokhar Ashfaq , Yao Yingwei , Chen Yu‐C. , Johnson Andy , Ansari R. , Wilkie Diana J.
Published: August 2012

PURPOSE:  To reveal hidden patterns and knowledge present in nursing care information documented with standardized nursing terminologies on end‐of‐life (EOL) hospitalized patients.

METHOD:  596 episodes of care that included pain as a problem on a patient's care plan were examined using statistical and data mining tools. The data were extracted from the Hands‐On Automated Nursing Data System database of nursing care plan episodes (n = 40,747) coded with NANDA‐I, Nursing Outcomes Classification, and Nursing Intervention Classification (NNN) terminologies. System episode data (episode = care plans updated at every hand‐off on a patient while staying on a hospital unit) had been previously gathered in eight units located in four different healthcare facilities (total episodes = 40,747; EOL episodes = 1,425) over 2 years and anonymized prior to this analyses.

RESULTS:  Results show multiple discoveries, including EOL patients with hospital stays (<72 hr) are less likely (p < .005) to meet the pain relief goals compared with EOL patients with longer hospital stays.

CONCLUSIONS:  The study demonstrates some major benefits of systematically integrating NNN into electronic health records.
Do all the patients with gastric parietal cell antibodies have pernicious anemia?
Authors: Sun A , Wang YP , Lin HP , Chia JS , Chiang CP
Published: August 2012

Objective

This study evaluated whether all the patients with serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity had pernicious anemia (PA).

Materials and Methods

The blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, and vitamin B12 concentrations, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in 124 GPCA‐positive patients were measured and compared with the corresponding data in 124 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. PA was defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as having an Hb concentration < 13 g dl−1 for men and < 12 g dl−1 for women, an MCV ≥ 100 fl, and a serum vitamin B12 level < 200 pg ml−1.

Results

We found that 20, 25, and 20 GPCA‐positive patients had deficiencies of Hb (men < 13 g dl−1, women < 12 g dl−1), iron (<60 μg dl−1), and vitamin B12 (<200 pg ml−1), respectively. Moreover, 16 GPCA‐positive patients had abnormally high MCV (≥100 fl). GPCA‐positive patients had a significantly higher frequency of Hb, iron, or vitamin B12 deficiency and of abnormally high MCV (all P‐values < 0.001) than healthy controls. However, only 12.9% of 124 GPCA‐positive patients were diagnosed as having PA by the WHO definition.

Conclusion

Only 12.9% of GPCA‐positive patients are discovered to have PA by the WHO definition.
Bacterial Pathogens Commandeer Rab GTPases to Establish Intracellular Niches
Authors: Stein Mary‐Pat , Müller Matthias P. , Wandinger‐Ness Angela
Published: August 2012

Intracellular bacterial pathogens deploy virulence factors termed effectors to inhibit degradation by host cells and to establish intracellular niches where growth and differentiation take place. Here, we describe mechanisms by which human bacterial pathogens (including Chlamydiae; Coxiella burnetii; Helicobacter pylori; Legionella pneumophila; Listeria monocytogenes; Mycobacteria; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica) modulate endocytic and exocytic Rab GTPases in order to thrive in host cells. Host cell Rab GTPases are critical for intracellular transport following pathogen phagocytosis or endocytosis. At the molecular level bacterial effectors hijack Rab protein function to: evade degradation, direct transport to particular intracellular locations and monopolize host vesicles carrying molecules that are needed for a stable niche and/or bacterial growth and differentiation. Bacterial effectors may serve as specific receptors for Rab GTPases or as enzymes that post‐translationally modify Rab proteins or endosomal membrane lipids required for Rab function. Emerging data indicate that bacterial effector expression is temporally and spatially regulated and multiple virulence factors may act concertedly to usurp Rab GTPase function, alter signaling and ensure niche establishment and intracellular bacterial growth, making this field an exciting area for further study.
Clathrin‐Mediated Endocytic Proteins are Involved in Regulating Mitotic Progression and Completion
Authors: Smith Charlotte M. , Chircop Megan
Published: August 2012

A few proteins required for clathrin‐mediated endocytosis (CME) are associated with successful completion of mitosis at distinct mitotic stages. Clathrin heavy chain (CHC) and epsin are required for chromosome segregation independent of their CME function and dynamin II (dynII) functions in the abscission stage of cytokinesis. In this study we screened for mitotic roles of eight CME proteins: CHC, α‐adaptin, CALM, epsin, eps15, endophilin II (edpnII), syndapin II (sdpnII) and the GTPase dynII using a small interfering RNA targeting approach. All proteins, except for CALM, are associated with completion of the abscission stage of cytokinesis, suggesting that they function in this process in an endocytic‐dependent manner. In support of this concept, overexpression of epsinS357D, which blocks endocytosis, induced multinucleation. Moreover, six of them have a secondary role at earlier mitotic stages that is not dependent on their endocytic function: CHC, epsin and eps15 in chromosome segregation, and sdpnII, α‐adaptin and CALM have a role in furrow ingression. Therefore, the role of endocytic proteins in mitosis is much broader than previously recognized.
Chlamydiae Assemble a Pathogen Synapse to Hijack the Host Endoplasmic Reticulum
Authors: Dumoux Maud , Clare Daniel K. , Saibil Helen R. , Hayward Richard D.
Published: August 2012

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that replicate within a specialized membrane‐bound compartment, termed an ‘inclusion’. The inclusion membrane is a critical host–pathogen interface, yet the extent of its interaction with cellular organelles and the origin of this membrane remain poorly defined. Here we show that the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is specifically recruited to the inclusion, and that key rough ER (rER) proteins are enriched on and translocated into the inclusion. rER recruitment is a Chlamydia‐orchestrated process that occurs independently of host trafficking. Generation of infectious progeny requires an intact ER, since ER vacuolation early during infection stalls inclusion development, whereas disruption post ER recruitment bursts the inclusion. Electron tomography and immunolabelling of Chlamydia‐infected cells reveal ‘pathogen synapses’ at which ordered arrays of chlamydial type III secretion complexes connect to the inclusion membrane only at rER contact sites. Our data show a supramolecular assembly involved in pathogen hijack of a key host organelle.
A Unified Library of Nonlinear Solution Schemes
Authors: Leon Sofie E. , Paulino Glaucio H. , Pereira Anderson , Menezes Ivan F. M. , Lages Eduardo N.
Published: August 2012

Nonlinear problems are prevalent in structural and continuum mechanics, and there is high demand for computational tools to solve these problems. Despite efforts to develop efficient and effective algorithms, one single algorithm may not be capable of solving any and all nonlinear problems. A brief review of recent nonlinear solution techniques is first presented. Emphasis, however, is placed on the review of load, displacement, arc length, work, generalized displacement, and orthogonal residual control algorithms, which are unified into a single framework. Each of these solution schemes differs in the use of a constraint equation for the incremental-iterative procedure. The governing finite element equations and constraint equation for each solution scheme are combined into a single matrix equation, which characterizes the unified approach. This conceptual model leads naturally to an effective object-oriented implementation. Within the unified framework, the strengths and weaknesses of the various solution schemes are examined through numerical examples.
Development of a Postprocessing Methodology for Studying Thermal Stratification in an HCCI Engine
Authors: Lawler Benjamin , Hoffman Mark , Filipi Zoran , Güralp Orgun , Najt Paul
Published: August 2012

Naturally occurring thermal stratification significantly impacts the characteristics of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion. The in-cylinder gas temperature distributions prior to combustion dictate the ignition phasing, burn rates, combustion efficiency, and unburned hydrocarbon and CO emissions associated with HCCI operation. Characterizing the gas temperature fields in an HCCI engine and correlating them to HCCI burn rates is a prerequisite for developing strategies to expand the HCCI operating range. To study the development of thermal stratification in more detail, a new analysis methodology for postprocessing experimental HCCI engine data is proposed. This analysis tool uses the autoignition integral in the context of the mass fraction burned curve to infer information about the distribution of temperature that exists in the cylinder prior to combustion. An assumption is made about the shape of the charge temperature profiles of the unburned gas during compression and after combustion starts elsewhere in the cylinder. Second, it is assumed that chemical reaction rates proceed very rapidly in comparison to the staggering of ignition phasing from thermal stratification. The autoignition integral is then coupled to the mass fraction burned curve to produce temperature-mass distributions that are representative of a particular combustion event. Due to the computational efficiency associated with this zero-dimensional calculation, a large number of zones can be simulated at very little computational expense. The temperature-mass distributions are then studied over a coolant temperature sweep. The results show that very small changes to compression heat transfer can shift the distribution of mass and temperature in the cylinder enough to significantly affect HCCI burn rates and emissions.
Performance Evaluation of the Integration Between a Thermo–Photo–Voltaic Generator and an Organic Rankine Cycle
Authors: Barbieri Enrico , De Pascale Andrea , Ferrari Claudio , Melino Francesco , Morini Mirko , Peretto Antonio , Pinelli Michele
Published: August 2012

The present study deals with the integration between a thermo-photo-voltaic generator (TPV) and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), named here TORCIS (thermo-photo-voltaic organic Rankine cycle integrated system). The investigated TORCIS system is suitable for combined heat and power (CHP) applications, such as residential and tertiary sector users. The aim of the research project on this innovative system is the complete definition of the components’ design and the preprototyping characterization of the system, covering all the unresolved issues. This paper shows the results of a preliminary thermodynamic analysis of the system. In more details, TPV is a system to convert, into electric energy, the radiation emitted from an artificial heat source (i.e., combustion of fuel) by the use of photovoltaic cells; in this system, the produced electric power is strictly connected to the thermal one, as their ratio is almost constant and cannot be changed without severe loss in performance. The coupling between TPV and ORC allows us to overcome this limitation and to realize a cogenerative system, which can be regulated with a large degree of freedom, changing the electric-to-thermal power ratio. The paper presents and discusses the TORCIS achievable performance, highlighting its potential in the field of distributed generation and cogenerative systems.
Inductive Effect on the Fuel Cell Cathode Impedance Spectrum at High Frequencies
Authors: Cruz-Manzo Samuel , Chen Rui , Rama Pratap
Published: August 2012

The high frequency electrochemical impedance measurements with positive imaginary components in the impedance complex plot of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) are attributable to the inductance of the electrical cables of the measurement system. This study demonstrates that the inductive effect of the electrical cables deforms the high frequency region of the cathode impedance spectrum and as such leads to an erroneous interpretation of the electrochemical mechanisms in the cathode catalyst layer (CCL). This study is divided into a theoretical analysis and an experimental analysis. In the theoretical analysis a validated model that accounts for the impedance spectrum of the CCL as reported in the authors’ previous study is applied with experimental impedance data reported in the literature. The results show that the ionic resistance of the CCL electrolyte which skews the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) current distribution toward the membrane interface is masked in the cathode impedance spectrum by the inductive component. In the experimental analysis cathode experimental impedance spectra were obtained through a three-electrode configuration in the measurement system and with two different electrical cables connected between the electronic load and the PEFC. The results agree with the theoretical analysis and also show that the property of causality in the Kramers-Kronig mathematical relations for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements is violated by the external inductance of the measurement cables. Therefore the experimental data presenting inductance at high frequencies do not represent the physics and chemistry of the PEFC. The study demonstrates that a realistic understanding of factors governing EIS measurements can only be gained by applying fundamental modeling which accounts for underlying electrochemical phenomena and experimental observations in a complementary manner.
Available and Future Gas Turbine Power Augmentation Technologies: Techno-Economic Analysis in Selected Climatic Conditions
Authors: Bhargava Rakesh K. , Branchini Lisa , Melino Francesco , Peretto Antonio
Published: August 2012

There exists a widespread interest in the application of gas turbine power augmentation technologies in both electric power generation and mechanical drive markets, attributable to deregulation in the power generation sector, significant loss in power generation capacity combined with increased electric rates during peak demand period, and need for a proper selection of the gas turbine in a given application. In this study, detailed thermo-economic analyses of various power augmentation technologies, implemented on a selected gas turbine, have been performed to identify the best techno-economic solution depending on the selected climatic conditions. The presented results show that various power augmentation technologies examined have different payback periods. Such a techno-economic analysis is necessary for proper selection of a power augmentation technology.
Exploring High Frequency Temporal Fluctuations in the Terminal Aneurysm of the Basilar Bifurcation
Authors: Ford Matthew D. , Piomelli Ugo
Published: August 2012

Cerebral aneurysms are a common cause of death and disability. Of all the cardiovascular diseases, aneurysms are perhaps the most strongly linked with the local fluid mechanic environment. Aside from early in vivo clinical work that hinted at the possibility of high-frequency intra-aneurysmal velocity oscillations, flow in cerebral aneurysms is most often assumed to be laminar. This work investigates, through the use of numerical simulations, the potential for disturbed flow to exist in the terminal aneurysm of the basilar bifurcation. The nature of the disturbed flow is explored using a series of four idealized basilar tip models, and the results supported by four patient specific terminal basilar tip aneurysms. All four idealized models demonstrated instability in the inflow jet through high frequency fluctuations in the velocity and the pressure at approximately 120 Hz. The instability arises through a breakdown of the inflow jet, which begins to oscillate upon entering the aneurysm. The wall shear stress undergoes similar high-frequency oscillations in both magnitude and direction. The neck and dome regions of the aneurysm present 180 deg changes in the direction of the wall shear stress, due to the formation of small recirculation zones near the shear layer of the jet (at the frequency of the inflow jet oscillation) and the oscillation of the impingement zone on the dome of the aneurysm, respectively. Similar results were observed in the patient-specific models, which showed high frequency fluctuations at approximately 112 Hz in two of the four models and oscillations in the magnitude and direction of the wall shear stress. These results demonstrate that there is potential for disturbed laminar unsteady flow in the terminal aneurysm of the basilar bifurcation. The instabilities appear similar to the first instability mode of a free round jet.
A Finite Element Solution of the Unidimensional Shallow-Water Equation
Authors: Triki Ali
Published: August 2012

Based on the finite element method, the numerical solution of the shallow-water equation for one-dimensional (1D) unsteady flows was established. To respect the stability criteria, the time step of the method was dependent on the space step and flow velocity. This method was used to avoid the restriction due to the wave celerity variation in the computational analysis when using the method of characteristics. Furthermore, boundary conditions are deduced directly from the scheme without using characteristics equations. For the numerical solution, a general-purpose computer program, based on the finite element method (FEM), is coded in fortran to analyze the dynamic response of the open channel flow. This program is able to handle rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal sections. Some examples solved with the finite element method are reported herein. The first involves routing a discharge hydrograph down a rectangular channel. The second example consists of routing a sudden shutoff of all flow at the downstream end of a rectangular channel. The third one deals with routing a discharge hydrograph down a trapezoidal channel. These examples are taken from the quoted literature text book. Numerical results agree well with those obtained by these authors and show that the proposed method is consistent, accurate, and highly stable in capturing discontinuities propagation in free surface flows.
Single Reconstituted Neuronal SNARE Complexes Zipper in Three Distinct Stages
Authors: Gao Ying , Zorman Sylvain , Gundersen Gregory , Xi Zhiqun , Ma Lu , Sirinakis George , Rothman James E. , Zhang Yongli
Published: August 2012

Dissecting SNARE Zippering

The SNARE complex is critical for vesicle fusion, notably during release of neurotransmitters at synapses. Understanding the biophysics of SNARE assembly has been the object of several structural studies, and yet much remains to be understood about the mechanisms. Now,

Gao
et al.

(p.
1340
, published online 16 August; see the Perspective by

Rizo

) describe the results of cell-free experiments using optical tweezers to elucidate assembly and disassembly of the SNARE complex. Direct observations of SNARE intermediates revealed multiple steps of the assembly process, along with the associated energetics and kinetics. Applying forces similar to those occurring during fusion, an intermediate was stabilized, and the derived mechanism indicates how neurotransmitter release may be regulated.
Intestinal Inflammation Targets Cancer-Inducing Activity of the Microbiota
Authors: Arthur Janelle C. , Perez-Chanona Ernesto , Mühlbauer Marcus , Tomkovich Sarah , Uronis Joshua M. , Fan Ting-Jia , Campbell Barry J. , Abujamel Turki , Dogan Belgin , Rogers Arlin B. , Rhodes Jonathan M. , Stintzi Alain , Simpson Kenneth W. , Hansen Jonathan J. , Keku Temitope O. , Fodor Anthony A. , Jobin Christian
Published: August 2012

Of Microbes and Cancer

Inflammation is a well-established driver of tumorigenesis. For example, patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an elevated risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Whether the gut microbiota also contributes to the development of CRC is less well understood.Arthuret al.(p.120, published online 16 August; see the Perspective bySchwabe and Wang) now show that the microbiota does indeed promote tumorigenesis in an inflammation-driven model of CRC in mice. Although germ-free mice were protected against developing cancer, colonization of mice withEscherichia coliwas sufficient to drive tumorigenesis.
SMOOTH METRIC MEASURE SPACES AND QUASI-EINSTEIN METRICS
Authors: CASE JEFFREY S.
Published: August 2012

Smooth metric measure spaces have been studied from the two different perspectives of Bakry–Émery and Chang–Gursky–Yang, both of which are closely related to work of Perelman on the Ricci flow. These perspectives include a generalization of the Ricci curvature and the associated quasi-Einstein metrics, which include Einstein metrics, conformally Einstein metrics, gradient Ricci solitons and static metrics. In this paper, we describe a natural perspective on smooth metric measure spaces from the point of view of conformal geometry and show how it unites these earlier perspectives within a unified framework. We offer many results and interpretations which illustrate the unifying nature of this perspective, including a natural variational characterization of quasi-Einstein metrics as well as some interesting families of examples of such metrics.
COMMUTATORS IN THE JIANG–SU ALGEBRA
Authors: NG P. W.
Published: August 2012

Let [Formula: see text] be the Jiang–Su algebra and let τ be its unique tracial state. We prove that for all [Formula: see text], the following statements are equivalent:

(1) a is a finite sum of commutators.

(2) a is a sum of five commutators.

(3) τ(a) = 0.