bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a Simplified Dual-Platform Flow Cytometric Method for Measurement of Lymphocyte Subsets and T-Cell Maturation Phenotypes in the Population of Nouna, Burkina Faso
Authors: Böhler T. , von Au M. , Klose N. , Müller K. , Coulibaly B. , Nauwelaers F. , Spengler H. P. , Kynast-Wolf G. , Kräusslich H.-G.
Published: April 2007

In the context of a larger clinical study in Nouna, Burkina Faso, we evaluated a simplified dual-platform (DP) flow cytometric (FCM) method that allows the determination of major lymphocyte subsets in a single test tube. We compared the phenotyping of lymphocytes with DP FCM and simultaneous measurements with standard single-platform (SP) FCM for samples from 177 individuals. Analysis of the comparative measurements revealed that DP FCM systematically underestimates the proportion of NK cells, overestimates the percentage of CD3
+
CD8
+
lymphocytes, and yields proportions of B cells and CD4
+
T cells comparable with the results from SP FCM. Bland-Altman analysis showed a low bias between both methods and an acceptable precision for percent values of CD4
+
T cells (bias ± precision, −1% ± 6%) and CD8
+
T cells (−3% ± 6%). The absolute cell numbers of all lymphocyte subpopulations, however, were systematically biased towards lower values being obtained by DP FCM. Reference values for the distribution of T-cell maturation phenotypes in 177 healthy adults were calculated using DP FCM. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) CD4
+
-to-CD8
+
T-cell ratio was 1.61 ± 0.61, the mean percentage ± SD of CD4
+
T cells was 42% ± 7%, and that of CD8
+
T cells 29% ± 7%. Among CD4
+
lymphocytes, 28% ± 7% were classified as central memory (CD45RA
low
CCR7
+
), 22% ± 10% as naïve (CD45RA
high
CCR7
+
), 45% ± 12% as effector memory (CD45RA
low
CCR7
−
); and 5% ± 3% as terminally differentiated effector memory expressing CD45RA (CD45RA
high
CCR7
−
). Among CD8
bright
lymphocytes, 3% ± 2% had a central memory phenotype, 27% ± 13% were naïve, 37% ± 13% had an effector memory phenotype, and 34% ± 12% were terminally differentiated effector memory cells expressing CD45RA.
Immunohematological Reference Values for Healthy Adults in Burkina Faso
Authors: Klose N. , Coulibaly B. , Tebit D. M. , Nauwelaers F. , Spengler H. P. , Kynast-Wolf G. , Kouyaté B. , Kräusslich H.-G. , Böhler T.
Published: April 2007

Reference ranges for peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were generated for 186 healthy adults in Burkina Faso using single-platform flow cytometry. CD4
+
T-cell counts ranged from 631 to 1,696 cells μl
−1
; they were lower in males (
n
= 97) than in females (
n
= 89), whereas natural killer cell counts were higher.
High-Resolution Genetic Fingerprinting of European Strains of
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
by Use of Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis
Authors: Bown Kevin J. , Lambin Xavier , Ogden Nicholas H. , Petrovec Miroslav , Shaw Susan E. , Woldehiwet Zerai , Birtles Richard J.
Published: April 2007

Anaplasma phagocytophilum
is a widely distributed tick-borne pathogen of humans, livestock, and companion animals. We used in silico methods to identify 10 variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci within the genome sequence of the
A. phagocytophilum
HZ strain and used these data to develop a multilocus VNTR-based typing scheme for the species. Having confirmed the stability of four of the loci in replicates of the
A. phagocytophilum
strain that had been subjected to different numbers of passages through cell cocultures in vitro, we then used this typing scheme to discriminate between 20
A. phagocytophilum
strains of diverse geographical and host provenances. Extensive diversity was found at each of the four loci studied, with total allele numbers ranging from 13 to 18 and Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index values ranging from 0.93 to 0.99. Only 2 of the 20 strains examined shared alleles at all four loci. The discriminatory power of VNTR analysis was found to be greater than that of either partial
msp4
or 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison. The extremely high sensitivity of this novel approach to the genetic fingerprinting of
A. phagocytophilum
strains should serve well in molecular epidemiological studies of infection transmission, particularly when fine-scale strain delineation is required.
Results from the ARTEMIS DISK Global Antifungal Surveillance Study, 1997 to 2005: an 8.5-Year Analysis of Susceptibilities of
Candida
Species and Other Yeast Species to Fluconazole and Voriconazole Determined by CLSI Standardized Disk Diffusion Testing
Authors: Pfaller M. A. , Diekema D. J. , Gibbs D. L. , Newell V. A. , Meis J. F. , Gould I. M. , Fu W. , Colombo A. L. , Rodriguez-Noriega E.
Published: April 2007

Fluconazole in vitro susceptibility test results for 205,329 yeasts were collected from 134 study sites in 40 countries from June 1997 through December 2005. Data were collected for 147,776 yeast isolates tested with voriconazole from 2001 through 2005. All investigators tested clinical yeast isolates by the CLSI M44-A disk diffusion method. Test plates were automatically read and results recorded with a BIOMIC image analysis system. Species, drug, zone diameter, susceptibility category, and quality control results were collected quarterly. Duplicate (same patient, same species, and same susceptible-resistant biotype profile during any 7-day period) and uncontrolled test results were not analyzed. Overall, 90.1% of all
Candida
isolates tested were susceptible (S) to fluconazole; however, 10 of the 22 species identified exhibited decreased susceptibility (<75% S) on the order of that seen with the resistant (R) species
C. glabrata
and
C. krusei
. Among 137,487 isolates of
Candida
spp. tested against voriconazole, 94.8% were S and 3.1% were R. Less than 30% of fluconazole-resistant isolates of
C. albicans
,
C. glabrata
,
C. tropicalis
, and
C. rugosa
remained S to voriconazole. The non-
Candida
yeasts (8,821 isolates) were generally less susceptible to fluconazole than
Candida
spp. but, aside from
Rhodotorula
spp., remained susceptible to voriconazole. This survey demonstrates the broad spectrum of these azoles against the most common opportunistic yeast pathogens but identifies several less common yeast species with decreased susceptibility to antifungal agents. These organisms may pose a future threat to optimal antifungal therapy and emphasize the importance of prompt and accurate species identification.
Possible Transmission ofCryptosporidium canisamong Children and a Dog in a Household
Authors: Xiao Lihua , Cama Vitaliano A. , Cabrera Lilia , Ortega Ynes , Pearson Julie , Gilman Robert H.
Published: April 2007

In a longitudinal cohort diarrhea study, a girl living in Lima, Peru, and her brother and dog were diagnosed withCryptosporidium canisinfections during the same period. Both children had transient diarrhea, but the dog was asymptomatic. This is the first report of possible transmission of cryptosporidiosis between humans and dogs.
Pantoea agglomerans
, a Plant Pathogen Causing Human Disease
Authors: Cruz Andrea T. , Cazacu Andreea C. , Allen Coburn H.
Published: April 2007

We present 53 pediatric cases of
Pantoea agglomerans
infections cultured from normally sterile sites in patients seen at a children's hospital over 6 years. Isolates included 23 from the bloodstream, 14 from abscesses, 10 from joints/bones, 4 from the urinary tract, and 1 each from the peritoneum and the thorax.
P. agglomerans
was most associated with penetrating trauma by vegetative material and catheter-related bacteremia.
Genetic and Antigenic Analysis of Invasive Serogroup Y
Neisseria meningitidis
Isolates Collected from 1999 to 2003 in Canada
Authors: Tsang Raymond S. W. , Henderson Averil M. , Cameron Marissa L. , Tyler Shaun D. , Tyson Shari , Law Dennis K. S. , Stoltz Jan , Zollinger Wendell D.
Published: April 2007

One hundred forty serogroup Y
Neisseria meningitidis
isolates recovered from patients with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Canada from 1999 to 2003 were analyzed by genetic and serological methods. Seventy-four isolates (52.9%) belonged to serotype 2c, and most have serosubtype antigen P1.5,2 (37 isolates, 26%) or P1.5 (31 isolates, 22%). Forty-eight isolates (34.3%) belonged to serotype 14 and have serosubtype antigen P1.5,2 (13 isolates, 9%) or P1.5 (7 isolates, 5%) or were nonserosubtypeable (27 isolates, 19%). Thirteen isolates (9.3%) were nonserotypeable. Multilocus sequence typing identified two unrelated clonal populations of serogroup Y meningococci causing invasive disease in Canada: ST-23 and ST-167 clonal complexes. Almost all ST-167-related isolates were typed as 2c:P1.5, while strains of the ST-23 clonal complex were either serotype 14 or 2c but with the serosubtype antigen P1.5,2. In contrast to previous reports that patients with serogroup Y disease are usually older, 26% of the Canadian serogroup Y cases were found in the 10-to-19-year-old age group and another 11% were in the 20-to-39-year-old age group.
Performance of CAPTIA SelectSyph-G Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay in Syphilis Testing of a High-Risk Population: Analysis of Discordant Results
Authors: Woznicová Vladana , Vališová Zuzana
Published: April 2007

Using the Captia Select Syph-G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we analyzed the sera of 1,771 patients from a high-risk population attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. We focused on discrepancies between the results of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) ELISA and the
Treponema pallidum
hemagglutination (TPHA) test. We identified 57 patients (3.22%) with conflicting results in the IgG ELISA and TPHA test. In order to resolve these discrepancies, these patients’ health records were reviewed and additional serological tests (rapid plasma reagin, IgM ELISA, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption, and Western blotting) were performed. We subsequently diagnosed 22 of these 57 (38.6%) patients with late latent syphilis. None of the patients with discordant test results was diagnosed with early syphilis. We followed 35 of these 57 patients, analyzing two consecutive serum samples at 3 weeks and at 3 months. Discordant results persisted in 12 (33.3%) patients. We successfully resolved the test result discrepancies for 28 patients (80%) involved in follow-up. Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA showed a sensitivity of 99.0%, a specificity of 98.0%, and positive and negative predictive values of 99.3% and 97.2%, respectively. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that the Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA is a reliable tool for syphilis testing in a high-risk population and recommend the utilization of the Captia SelectSyph-G ELISA as a confirmatory test in at-risk patients.
Multilocus Genotyping Identifies Infections by Multiple Strains of
Trichophyton tonsurans
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Susan M. , Preuett Barry , Gaedigk Andrea
Published: April 2007

Acquisition of multiple genetic strains of a single dermatophyte species should not be unexpected in areas of high endemicity, and yet multistrain infections are infrequently reported. This communication details mixed
Trichophyton tonsurans
infections and highlights the need to confirm the presence of multiple strains in a clinical single isolate by use of a multilocus approach.
The p110α Isoform of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Is Essential for Polyomavirus Middle T Antigen-Mediated Transformation
Authors: Utermark Tamara , Schaffhausen Brian S. , Roberts Thomas M. , Zhao Jean J.
Published: April 2007

Middle T antigen (MT) of polyomavirus is known to play an important role in virus-mediated cellular transformation. While MT has been extensively examined in spontaneously immortalized rodent fibroblasts, its interactions with cells of other types and species are less well understood. We have undertaken a cross-species and cross-cell-type comparison of MT-induced transformation in cells with genetically defined backgrounds. We tested the transforming abilities of a panel of MT mutants, Y250F, Y315F, and Y322F, that are selectively mutated in the binding sites for the principal effectors of MT—Src homology 2 domain-containing transforming protein, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and phospholipase C-γ, respectively—in fibroblasts and epithelial cells of murine or human origin. We found that the Y315F mutation disabled the ability of MT to induce transformation in all cell types and species tested. While Y315F also failed to activate the PI3K pathway in these cells, genetic evidence has indicated Y315 may make other contributions to transformation. To confirm the role of PI3K, the
PIK3CA
gene, encoding p110α, the prime effector of PI3K signaling downstream from activated growth factor receptors, was genetically ablated. This abolished the transforming activity of MT, demonstrating the essential role for this PI3K isoform in MT-mediated transformation. The Y250F mutant was able to transform the human, but not the murine, cells that were examined. Interestingly, this mutant fully activates the PI3K pathway in human cells but activated PI3K signaling poorly in the murine cells used in the study. This again points to the importance of PI3K activation for transformation and suggests that the mechanism by which MT activates the PI3K pathway differs in different species.
Ty3 Capsid Mutations Reveal Early and Late Functions of the Amino-Terminal Domain
Authors: Larsen Liza S. Z. , Zhang Min , Beliakova-Bethell Nadejda , Bilanchone Virginia , Lamsa Anne , Nagashima Kunio , Najdi Rani , Kosaka Kathryn , Kovacevic Vuk , Cheng Jianlin , Baldi Pierre , Hatfield G. Wesley , Sandmeyer Suzanne
Published: April 2007

The Ty3 retrotransposon assembles into 50-nm virus-like particles that occur in large intracellular clusters in the case of wild-type (wt) Ty3. Within these particles, maturation of the Gag3 and Gag3-Pol3 polyproteins by Ty3 protease produces the structural proteins capsid (CA), spacer, and nucleocapsid. Secondary and tertiary structure predictions showed that, like retroviral CA, Ty3 CA contains a large amount of helical structure arranged in amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal bundles. Twenty-six mutants in which alanines were substituted for native residues were used to study CA subdomain functions. Transposition was measured, and particle morphogenesis and localization were characterized by analysis of protein processing, cDNA production, genomic RNA protection, and sedimentation and by fluorescence and electron microscopy. These measures defined five groups of mutants. Proteins from each group could be sedimented in a large complex. Mutations in the amino-terminal domain reduced the formation of fluorescent Ty3 protein foci. In at least one major homology region mutant, Ty3 protein concentrated in foci but no wt clusters of particles were observed. One mutation in the carboxyl-terminal domain shifted assembly from spherical particles to long filaments. Two mutants formed foci separate from P bodies, the proposed sites of assembly, and formed defective particles. P-body association was therefore found to be not necessary for assembly but correlated with the production of functional particles. One mutation in the amino terminus blocked transposition after cDNA synthesis. Our data suggest that Ty3 proteins are concentrated first, assembly associated with P bodies occurs, and particle morphogenesis concludes with a post-reverse transcription, CA-dependent step. Particle formation was generally resistant to localized substitutions, possibly indicating that multiple domains are involved.
Challenges of recruiting farm injury study participants through hospital emergency departments
Authors: Day Lesley , Langley John , Stathakis Voula , Wolfe Rory , Sim Malcolm , Voaklander Don , Ozanne-Smith Joan
Published: April 2007

Background:Hospital emergency departments are common recruitment sites for injury studies. Yet recruitment method details, capture rates and response fractions are not consistently reported. As privacy legislation increasingly impinges on research activity, these parameters become even more important. The authors describe their experience with recruitment via emergency departments and outline subsequent adjustments to the recruitment approach.

Methods:The FIRM study was an Australian case-control study of serious farm work-related injury. Cases were identified prospectively by hospital staff on presentation to emergency departments. Consistent with the Victorian Health Records Act, potential cases were initially approached by hospital staff, and full recruitment was subsequently undertaken by study staff. Manual hospital record audits were conducted at five recruitment sites to determine the proportion of eligible cases approached.

Results:Among 660 medical records audited, 19 eligible cases were confirmed, 9 of whom were approached by hospital staff (47%, 95% CI 25 to 70%). In response, an additional process was established to capture missed cases, who were sent a letter from the hospital providing the opportunity to opt out of telephone contact by study staff. Early indications were that 34% (41/122) of missed cases actively declined to be contacted. Among those who were contacted and eligible, 84% (21/25) agree to study participation.

Conclusions:Recruitment of injury research participants via hospital emergency departments is challenging, particularly where authorities require an intermediary to make the initial contact. Removal of some constraints imposed by privacy legislation would considerably simplify recruitment and enhance scientific rigour in conducting epidemiological research.
Bunk bed-related injuries sustained by young children treated in emergency departments in the United States, 2001–2004, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All Injury Program
Authors: Mack Karin A , Gilchrist Julie , Ballesteros Michael F
Published: April 2007

Objective:To characterize children’s bunk bed-related injuries.

Methods:Data are from the 2001–2004 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All Injury Program. Cases were defined as children aged 0–9 years treated for a non-fatal, unintentional injury related to a bunk bed.

Results:An estimated 23 000 children aged 0–9 years were treated annually in emergency departments for bunk bed fall-related injuries, including 14 600 children aged <6 years. Overall, 3.2% were hospitalized. The injuries sustained were largely fractures, lacerations, contusions and abrasions, and internal injuries, with 25.2% injured in a fall from the top bunk. The most commonly injured body region was the head and neck.

Conclusions:Strategies are needed to reduce the most serious injuries. Bunk beds should meet CPSC standards, and the youngest children should not sleep or play in the upper bunk or on ladders. Making care givers aware of the risks, and modifying the living environment are essential.
Reducing firearm violence: a research agenda: Table 1
Authors: Weiner Janet , Wiebe Douglas J , Richmond Therese S , Beam Kristen , Berman Alan L , Branas Charles C , Cheney Rose A , Coyne-Beasley Tamera , Firman John , Fishbein Martin , Hargarten Stephen , Hemenway David , Jeffcoat Robert , Kennedy David , Koper Christopher S , Lemaire Jean , Miller Matthew , Roth Jeffrey A , Schwab C William , Spitzer Robert , Teret Stephen , Vernick Jon , Webster Daniel
Published: April 2007

In the United States, firearms are involved in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries each year. The magnitude of this problem prompted the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to issue a report in 2004 detailing the strengths and limitations of existing research on the relationship between firearms and violence. In response, a multidisciplinary group of experts in the field of firearms and violence formed the National Research Collaborative on Firearm Violence. The Collaborative met for 2 days in June 2005 to (1) critically review the main findings of the NAS report and (2) define a research agenda that could fill research and data gaps and inform policy that reduces gun-related crime, deaths and injuries. This article summarizes the Collaborative’s conclusions and identifies priorities for research and funding.
Water safety: age-specific changes in knowledge and attitudes following a school-based intervention
Authors: Terzidis Agis , Koutroumpa Anastasia , Skalkidis Ilias , Matzavakis Ioannis , Malliori Meni , Frangakis Constantine E , DiScala Carla , Petridou Eleni Th
Published: April 2007

Objectives:To explore whether an intervention during mandatory schooling can lead to age-specific changes in water safety knowledge and attitudes.

Methods:Age-specific questionnaires were distributed to 202 kindergarten and grade one pupils, 220 elementary school pupils and 337 pupils attending the first three high school grades in Greater Athens. The information was used to design an educational package that was subsequently presented to pupils of the same grades and similar socio-demographic profiles attending different schools in the same area. One month later, a post-exposure evaluation was conducted using the initial questionnaires, in which 115, 205 and 321 pupils from the respective grade categories provided their responses. In order to compare the performance of pupils exposed to the educational intervention with that of pupils who participated only in the initial assessment, mean differences in scores measuring overall knowledge and attitudes were estimated within each of the three grade groups adjusting for age, gender, sibship size, maternal education and swimming knowledge.

Results:Among kindergarten and grade one pupils, those who received the intervention scored significantly higher for knowledge (17.40%, 95% CI 6.41% to 28.39%) and attitudes (23.64%, 95% CI 4.48% to 42.79%). Among elementary school pupils the gains in knowledge were less evident (14.58%, 95% CI −3.05% to 32.21%)) and almost null in attitudes (5.64%, 95% CI −11.47% to 22.77%). Further advancement of age showed no improvement in knowledge (−0.15%, 95% CI −5.30% to 4.99%) and a minimal, insignificant increase in attitudes (6.32%, 95% CI −1.87% to 14.52%) among exposed high school pupils.

Conclusion:The school-based intervention resulted in considerable positive changes in knowledge and attitudes among very young pupils. Elementary schooling seems to provide meagre opportunities to simply improve knowledge. Alternative/complementary approaches should be sought in any attempt to modify behavior.
LOCALLY NONCOMMUTATIVE SPACE-TIMES
Authors: BAHNS DOROTHEA , WALDMANN STEFAN
Published: April 2007

Localized noncommutative structures for manifolds with connection are constructed based on the use of vertical star products. The model's main feature is that two points that are far away from each other will not be subjected to a deviation from classical geometry while space-time becomes noncommutative for pairs of points that are close to one another.
FRACTIONAL DERIVATIVE AS FRACTIONAL POWER OF DERIVATIVE
Authors: TARASOV VASILY E.
Published: April 2007

Definitions of fractional derivatives as fractional powers of derivative operators are suggested. The Taylor series and Fourier series are used to define fractional power of selfadjoint derivative operator. The Fourier integrals and Weyl quantization procedure are applied to derive the definition of fractional derivative operator. Fractional generalization of concept of stability is considered.
ON THE REFLEXIVITY OF THE MULTIPLICATION OPERATOR ON BANACH SPACES OF FORMAL LAURENT SERIES
Authors: HEDAYATIAN K.
Published: April 2007

Suppose that the multiplication operator by the independent variable z, Mz, acting on Banach spaces of formal Laurent series is invertible. We will use a result of Hadwin and Nordgren to show that Mz is reflexive. This improves a result that is recently obtained.
GLOBAL MONOPOLE, DARK MATTER AND SCALAR TENSOR THEORY
Authors: RAHAMAN F. , MONDAL R. , KALAM M. , RAYCHAUDHURI B.
Published: April 2007

In this paper, we discuss the spacetime of a global monopole field as a candidate for galactic dark matter in the context of scalar tensor theory.
METRIC-SCALAR GRAVITY WITH TORSION AND THE MEASURABILITY OF THE NON-MINIMAL COUPLING
Authors: ACCIOLY A. , BLAS H.
Published: April 2007

The "measurability" of the non-minimal coupling is discussed by considering the correction to the Newtonian static potential in the semiclassical approach. The coefficient of the "gravitational Darwin term" (GDT) gets redefined by the non-minimal torsion scalar couplings. Based on a similar analysis of the GDT in the effective field theory approach to non-minimal scalar, we conclude that for reasonable values of the couplings the correction is very small.
A q-OSCILLATOR WITH "ACCIDENTAL" DEGENERACY OF ENERGY LEVELS
Authors: GAVRILIK A. M. , REBESH A. P.
Published: April 2007

We study main features of the exotic case of q-deformed oscillators (so-called Tamm–Dancoff cutoff oscillator) and find some special properties: (i) degeneracy of the energy levels En1 = En1 + 1, n1 ≥ 1, at the real value[Formula: see text] of deformation parameter, as well as the occurrence of other degeneracies En1 = En1 + k, for k ≥ 2, at the corresponding values of q which depend on both n1 and k; (ii) the position and momentum operators X and Pcommute on the state|n1> if q is fixed as [Formula: see text], that implies unusual uncertainty relation; (iii) two commuting copies of the creation, annihilation, and number operators of this q-oscillator generate the corresponding q-deformation of the non-simple Lie algebra su(2) ⊕ u(1)whose nontrivial q-deformed commutation relation is: [J+, J-] = 2J0q2J3-1 where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
A REVIEW OF INTEGRABLE DEFORMATIONS IN AdS/CFT
Authors: SWANSON IAN
Published: April 2007

Marginal β deformations of [Formula: see text] super-Yang–Mills theory are known to correspond to a certain class of deformations of the S5 background subspace of type IIB string theory in AdS5×S5. An analogous set of deformations of the AdS5 subspace is reviewed here. String energy spectra computed in the near-pp-wave limit of these backgrounds match predictions encoded by discrete, asymptotic Bethe equations, suggesting that the twisted string theory is classically integrable in this regime. These Bethe equations can be derived algorithmically by relying on the existence of Lax representations, and on the Riemann–Hilbert interpretation of the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz. This letter is a review of a seminar given at the Institute for Advanced Study, based on research completed in collaboration with McLoughlin.
ARCHITECTURES AND FPGA IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE 64-BIT MISTY1 BLOCK CIPHER
Authors: KITSOS P. , GALANIS M. D. , KOUFOPAVLOU O.
Published: April 2007

In this paper, we present two alternative architectures and FPGA implementations of the 64-bit NESSIE proposal, MISTY1 block cipher. The first architecture is suitable for applications with high-performance requirements. A throughput of up to 12.6 Gbps can be achieved at a clock frequency of 168 MHz. The main characteristic of this architecture is that uses RAM blocks embedded in modern FPGA devices in order to implement the S-boxes defined in the block cipher algorithm. The second architecture can be used in implementing applications on area-constrained systems. It utilizes feedback logic and inner pipeline with negative edge-triggered register. This technique shortens the critical path, without increasing the latency of the MISTY1 algorithm execution. Compared with an implementation without inner pipeline, performance improvement of 97% is achieved. The measured throughput of the second architecture implementation is 561 Mbps at 79 MHz.
A NEW METHOD FOR CDMA SIGNAL MODELING IN NONLINEAR SYSTEMS
Authors: POURZAKI ABBAS , MAFINEJAD KHALIL , KESHMIRI SAYYED HOSAIN
Published: April 2007

When a CDMA signal is passed through an RF transmitter, nonlinear elements cause spectral regrowth which result in reduction of spectral efficiency. CDMA signal has a pseudo noise nature; hence its mathematical treatment is too complex to analysis. In this paper, first it will be shown how to simplify the complex mathematics of CDMA signal. Then, a deterministic signal replaces the CDMA signal and the system response to both of them is calculated. In this paper, for the first time, ACPR is explicitly calculated for both the CDMA and deterministic signals. ACPR is calculated in terms of the nonlinear system coefficients and input power, and therefore, can be used in design objectives. In addition, it will be shown that if input power of the deterministic signal is multiplied by [Formula: see text] (i.e., correction factor), ACPR error of these kinds of signals in -55 dBc is less than 2.2% for the system nonlinearity orders up to 13. This correction factor is obtained by both theoretical and simulation methods.
A SIMILARITY METRIC IN IMAGE SEARCHING
Authors: LI XUELONG , LI JING , TAO DACHENG , YUAN YUAN
Published: April 2007

Similarity metric is a key component in query-by-example image searching with visual features. After extraction of image visual features, the scheme of computing their similarities can affect the system performance dramatically — the image searching results are normally displayed in decreasing order of similarity (alternatively, increasing order of distance) on the graphical interface for end users. Unfortunately, conventional similarity metrics, in image searching with visual features, usually encounter several difficulties, namely, lighting, background, and viewpoint problems. From the signal processing point of view, this paper introduces a novel similarity metric and therefore reduces the above three problems to some extent. The effectiveness of this newly developed similarity metric is demonstrated by a set of experiments upon a small image ground truth.
TOWARD AN OPTIMAL BLOCK MOTION ESTIMATION ALGORITHM FOR H.264/AVC
Authors: BEN AYED MOHAMED ALI , SAMET AMINE , MASMOUDI NOURI
Published: April 2007

A merging procedure joining search pattern and variable block size motion estimation for H.264/AVC is proposed in this paper. The principal purpose of the proposed methods is the reduction of the computational complexity for block matching module. In fact, there are numerous contributions in the literature aiming the reduction of the computational cost needed for motion estimation. The best solution from a qualitative point of view is the full search that considers every possible detail. The computational effort required is enormous and this makes motion estimation by far the most important computational bottleneck in video coding systems. Our approach invests and exploits the center-biased characteristics of the real world video sequences, aiming to achieve an acceptable image quality while independently targeting the reduction of the computational complexity. The simulations results demonstrated that the proposal performs well.
COLOR SEGMENTATION VIA IMPROVED MOUNTAIN CLUSTERING TECHNIQUE
Authors: VERMA NISHCHAL K. , HANMANDLU M.
Published: April 2007

This paper proposes a new improved mountain clustering technique, which is compared with some of the existing techniques such as K-Means, FCM, EM and Modified Mountain Clustering. The performance of all these clustering techniques towards color image segmentation is compared in terms of cluster entropy as a measure of information and observed via computational complexity. The cluster entropy is heuristically determined, but is found to be effective in forming correct clusters as verified by visual assessment.
dd-SEQUENCES AND PARTIAL EULER–POINCARÉ CHARACTERISTICS OF KOSZUL COMPLEX
Authors: CUONG NGUYEN TU , CUONG DOAN TRUNG
Published: April 2007

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new notion of sequences called dd-sequences and show that this notion may be convenient for studying the polynomial property of partial Euler–Poincaré characteristics of the Koszul complex with respect to the powers of a system of parameters. Some results about the dd-sequences, the partial Euler–Poincaré characteristics and the lengths of local cohomology modules are also presented in the paper. There are also applications of dd-sequences on the structure of sequentially Cohen–Macaulay modules.
THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ZERO-DIVISOR GRAPHS WITH 6 VERTICES AND THEIR SEMIGROUPS
Authors: LONG YANGJING , HUANG YIZHEN
Published: April 2007

The idea of associating a graph with the zero-divisors of a commutative ring was originated by Beck. The problems concerning zero-divisor graphs have been studied extensively in the past 10 years. DeMeyer and DeMeyer presented some properties for the correspondence between zero-divisor graphs and their semigroups. It is very important to have adequate examples before the complete resolution of this difficult problem. However, the computing cost is enormous even when there are only 6 vertices. We present a program with elaborate optimization and pruning that can solve the correspondence between zero-divisor graphs with 6 vertices and their semigroups rapidly.
EXTENSION OF AUTOMORPHISMS OF SUBGROUPS OF ABELIAN AND POLYCYCLIC-BY-FINITE GROUPS
Authors: AZEVEDO A. C. P. , BASTOS G. G. , JURIAANS S. O.
Published: April 2007

We classify the abelian groups G, for which the following property holds: for every subgroup H, every ϕ ∈ Aut (H) has an extension ψ ∈ Aut (G). We also classify the infinite polycyclic-by-finite groups and the finite nilpotent 2′-groups having this property. Fuchs, Bertholf, Walls and Tomkinson did similar work for groups which have the property that homomorphisms of its subgroups extend to the whole group.
A GENERALIZATION OF BAER'S LOWER NILRADICAL FOR MODULES
Authors: BEHBOODI MAHMOOD
Published: April 2007

Let M be a left R-module. A proper submodule P of M is called classical prime if for all ideals [Formula: see text] and for all submodules N ⊆ M, [Formula: see text] implies that [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. We generalize the Baer–McCoy radical (or classical prime radical) for a module [denoted by cl.rad R(M)] and Baer's lower nilradical for a module [denoted by Nil *(RM)]. For a module RM, cl.rad R(M) is defined to be the intersection of all classical prime submodules of M and Nil *(RM) is defined to be the set of all strongly nilpotent elements of M (defined later). It is shown that, for any projective R-module M, cl.rad R(M) = Nil *(RM) and, for any module M over a left Artinian ring R, cl.rad R(M) = Nil *(RM) = Rad (M) = Jac (R)M. In particular, if R is a commutative Noetherian domain with dim (R) ≤ 1, then for any module M, we have cl.rad R(M) = Nil *(RM). We show that over a left bounded prime left Goldie ring, the study of Baer–McCoy radicals of general modules reduces to that of torsion modules. Moreover, over an FBN prime ring R with dim (R) ≤ 1 (or over a commutative domain R with dim (R) ≤ 1), every semiprime submodule of any module is an intersection of classical prime submodules.
MKP-1 switches arginine metabolism from nitric oxide synthase to arginase following endotoxin challenge
Authors: Nelin Leif D. , Wang Xianxi , Zhao Qun , Chicoine Louis G. , Young Tamara L. , Hatch Dionna M. , English B. Keith , Liu Yusen
Published: April 2007

l-Arginine (l-arg) is metabolized to nitric oxide (NO) by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) or to urea and l-ornithine (l-orn) by arginase. NO is involved in the inflammatory response, whereas arginase is the first step in polyamine and proline synthesis necessary for tissue repair and wound healing. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) mediate LPS-induced iNOS expression, and MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) plays a crucial role in limiting MAPK signaling in macrophages. We hypothesized that MKP-1, by attenuating iNOS expression, acts as a switch changing l-arg metabolism from NO production to l-orn production after endotoxin administration. To test this hypothesis, we performed studies in RAW264.7 macrophages stably transfected with an MKP-1 expression vector in thioglyollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages harvested from wild-type and Mkp-1−/−mice, as well as in vivo in wild-type and Mkp-1−/−mice. We found that overexpression of MKP-1 resulted in lower iNOS expression and NO production but greater urea production in response to LPS. Although deficiency of MKP-1 resulted in greater iNOS expression and NO production and lower urea production in response to LPS, neither the overexpression nor the deficiency of MKP-1 had any substantial effect on the expression of the arginases.
p53-Dependent NDRG1 expression induces inhibition of intestinal epithelial cell proliferation but not apoptosis after polyamine depletion
Authors: Zhang Ai-Hong , Rao Jaladanki N. , Zou Tongtong , Liu Lan , Marasa Bernard S. , Xiao Lan , Chen Jie , Turner Douglas J. , Wang Jian-Ying
Published: April 2007

Normal intestinal mucosal growth requires polyamines that regulate expression of various genes involved in cell proliferation, growth arrest, and apoptosis. Our previous studies have shown that polyamine depletion stabilizes p53, resulting in inhibition of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) proliferation, but the exact downstream targets of induced p53 are still unclear. The NDRG1 (N- myc downregulated gene-1) gene encodes a growth-related protein, and its transcription can be induced in response to stress. The current study tests the hypothesis that induced p53 inhibits IEC proliferation by upregulating NDRG1 expression following polyamine depletion. Depletion of cellular polyamines by inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) with α-difluoromethylornithine not only induced p53 but also increased NDRG1 transcription as indicated by induction of the NDRG1 promoter activity and increased levels of NDRG1 mRNA and protein, all of which were prevented by using specific p53 siRNA and in cells with a targeted deletion of p53. In contrast, increased levels of cellular polyamines by ectopic expression of the ODC gene decreased p53 and repressed expression of NDRG1. Consistently, polyamine depletion-induced activation of the NDRG1-promoter was decreased when p53-binding sites within the NDRG1 proximal promoter region were deleted. Ectopic expression of the wild-type NDRG1 gene inhibited DNA synthesis and decreased final cell numbers regardless of the presence or absence of endogenous p53, whereas silencing NDRG1 promoted cell growth. However, overexpression of NDRG1 failed to directly induce cell death and to alter susceptibility to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-α/cycloheximide. These results indicate that NDRG1 is one of the direct mediators of induced p53 following polyamine depletion and that p53-dependent NDRG1 expression plays a critical role in the negative control of IEC proliferation.
Effect of aging on baroreflex function in humans
Authors: Monahan Kevin D.
Published: April 2007

Arterial blood pressure (BP) is regulated via the interaction of various local, humoral, and neural factors. In humans, the major neural pathway for acute BP regulation involves the baroreflexes. In response to baroreceptor activation/deactivation, as occurs during transient changes in BP, key determinants of BP, such as cardiac period/heart rate (via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system) and vascular resistance (via the sympathetic nervous system), are modified to maintain BP homeostasis. In this review, the effects of aging on both the parasympathetic and sympathetic arms of the baroreflex are discussed. Aging is associated with decreased cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (i.e., blunted reflex changes in R-R interval in response to a change in BP). Mechanisms underlying this decrease may involve factors such as increased levels of oxidative stress, vascular stiffening, and decreased cardiac cholinergic responsiveness with age. Consequences of cardiovagal baroreflex impairment may include increased levels of BP variability, an impaired ability to respond to acute challenges to the maintenance of BP, and increased risk of sudden cardiac death. In contrast, baroreflex control of sympathetic outflow is not impaired with age. Collectively, changes in baroreflex function with age are associated with an impaired ability of the organism to buffer changes in BP. This is evidenced by the reduced potentiation of the pressor response to bolus infusion of a pressor drug after compared to before systemic ganglionic blockade in older compared with young adults.
Expression and nephron segment-specific distribution of major renal aquaporins (AQP1–4) inEquus caballus, the domestic horse
Authors: Floyd R. V. , Mason S. L. , Proudman C. J. , German A. J. , Marples D. , Mobasheri A.
Published: April 2007

Aquaporins (AQPs) play fundamental roles in water and osmolyte homeostasis by facilitating water and small solute movement across plasma membranes of epithelial, endothelial, and other tissues. AQP proteins are abundantly expressed in the mammalian kidney, where they have been shown to play essential roles in fluid balance and urine concentration. Thus far, the majority of studies on renal AQPs have been carried out in laboratory rodents and sheep; no data have been published on the expression of AQPs in kidneys of equines or other large mammals. The aim of this comparative study was to determine the expression and nephron segment localization of AQP1–4 in Equus caballus by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry with custom-designed rabbit polyclonal antisera. AQP1 was found in apical and basolateral membranes of the proximal convoluted tubules and thin descending limbs of the loop of Henle. AQP2 expression was specifically detected in apical membranes of cortical, medullary, and papillary collecting ducts. AQP3 was expressed in basolateral membranes of cortical, medullary, and papillary collecting ducts. Immunohistochemistry also confirmed AQP4 expression in basolateral membranes of cells lining the distal convoluted and connecting tubules. Western blots revealed high expression of AQP1–4 in the equine kidney. These observations confirm that AQPs are expressed in the equine kidney and are found in similar nephron locations to mouse, rat, and human kidney. Equine renal AQP proteins are likely to be involved in acute and chronic regulation of body fluid composition and may be implicated in water balance disorders brought about by colic and endotoxemia.
Luminally released serotonin stimulates colonic motility and accelerates colonic transit in rats
Authors: Tsukamoto Kiyoshi , Ariga Hajime , Mantyh Chris , Pappas Theodore N. , Yanagi Hidenori , Yamamura Takehira , Takahashi Toku
Published: April 2007

Enterochromaffin (EC) cells of the epithelial cells release 5-HT into the lumen, as well as basolateral border. However, the physiological role of released 5-HT into the lumen is poorly understood. Concentrations of 5-HT in the colonic mucosa, colonic lumen, and feces were measured by HPLC in rats. To investigate whether intraluminal 5-HT accelerates colonic transit, 5-HT and 51Cr were administered into the lumen of the proximal colon, and colonic transit was measured. To investigate whether 5-HT is released into the lumen, we used an ex vivo model of isolated vascularly and luminally perfused rat proximal colon. To investigate whether luminal 5-HT is involved in regulating stress-induced colonic motility, the distal colonic motility was recorded under the stress loading, and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (ondansetron, 10−6 M, 0.5 ml) was administered intraluminally of the distal colon. Tissue content of 5-HT in the proximal colon (15.2 ± 4.3 ng/mg wet tissue) was significantly higher than that in the distal colon (3.3 ± 0.7 ng/mg wet tissue), while fecal content and luminal concentration of 5-HT was almost the same between the proximal and distal colon. Luminal administration of 5-HT (10−6–10−5 M) significantly accelerated colonic transit. Elevation of intraluminal pressure by 10 cmH2O significantly increased the luminal concentration of 5-HT but not the vascular concentration of 5-HT. Stress-induced stimulation of the distal colonic motility was significantly attenuated by the luminal administration of ondansetron. These results suggest that luminally released 5-HT from EC cells plays an important role in regulating colonic motility in rats.
Penalized Probabilistic Clustering
Authors: Lu Zhengdong , Leen Todd K.
Published: April 2007

While clustering is usually an unsupervised operation, there are circumstances in which we believe (with varying degrees of certainty) that items A and B should be assigned to the same cluster, while items A and C should not. We would like such pairwise relations to influence cluster assignments of out-of-sample data in a manner consistent with the prior knowledge expressed in the training set. Our starting point is probabilistic clustering based on gaussian mixture models (GMM) of the data distribution. We express clustering preferences in a prior distribution over assignments of data points to clusters. This prior penalizes cluster assignments according to the degree with which they violate the preferences. The model parameters are fit with the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Our model provides a flexible framework that encompasses several other semisupervised clustering models as its special cases. Experiments on artificial and real-world problems show that our model can consistently improve clustering results when pairwise relations are incorporated. The experiments also demonstrate the superiority of our model to other semisupervised clustering methods on handling noisy pairwise relations.
Robustness of Connectionist Swimming Controllers Against Random Variation in Neural Connections
Authors: Or Jimmy
Published: April 2007

The ability to achieve high swimming speed and efficiency is very important to both the real lamprey and its robotic implementation. In previous studies, we used evolutionary algorithms to evolve biologically plausible connectionist swimming controllers for a simulated lamprey. This letter investigates the robustness and optimality of the best-evolved controllers as well as the biological controller hand-crafted by Ekeberg.

Comparing cases of random variation in intrasegmental or intersegmental weights against each controller allows estimates of robustness to be made. We conduct experiments on the controllers' robustness at the excitation level, which corresponds to either the maximum swimming speed or efficiency by randomly varying the segmental connection weights and on some occasions also the intersegmental couplings, through varying noise ranges. Interestingly, although the swimming performance (in terms of maximum speed and efficiency) of the Ekeberg biological controller is not as good as that of the artificially evolved controllers, it is relatively robust against noise in the neural networks. This suggests that the natural evolutions have evolved a swimming controller that is good enough to survive in the real world. Our findings could inspire neurobiologists to conduct real physiological experiments to gain a better understanding on how neural connectivity affects behavior. The results can also be applied to control an artificial lamprey in simulation and possibly also a robotic one.
Efficient Computation and Model Selection for the Support Vector Regression
Authors: Gunter Lacey , Zhu Ji
Published: April 2007

In this letter, we derive an algorithm that computes the entire solution path of the support vector regression (SVR). We also propose an unbiased estimate for the degrees of freedom of the SVR model, which allows convenient selection of the regularization parameter.
The Lament over the River Nile—Isaiah xix 5-10 in Its Wider Context
Authors: Marlow Hilary
Published: April 2007

The 'Lament over the River Nile' in Isaiah xix 5-10 has attracted little interest from scholars yet demonstrates some interesting features in terms of poetic form and structure as well as its relationship to the larger unit of Isaiah xix 1-15. Comparison with ancient Egyptian prophecy suggests that this larger section is a unity and draws heavily on the author's awareness of Egyptian geography and culture. In the lament itself, the author uses various forms of parallelism in order to emphasise the effect of the drought, and in so doing to highlight the superiority of YHWH over the gods of Egypt.