bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Rotavirus Virus-Like Particles as Surrogates To Evaluate Virus Persistence in Shellfish
Authors: Loisy Fabienne , Atmar Robert L. , Le Saux Jean-Claude , Cohen Jean , Caprais Marie-Paule , Pommepuy Monique , Le Guyader Françoise S.
Published: October 2005

Rotavirus virus-like particles (VLPs) and MS2 bacteriophages were bioaccumulated in bivalve mollusks to evaluate viral persistence in shellfish during depuration and relaying under natural conditions. Using this nonpathogenic surrogate virus, we were able to demonstrate that about 1 log
10
of VLPs was depurated after 1 week in warm seawater (22°C). Phage MS2 was depurated more rapidly (about 2 log
10
in 1 week) than were VLPs, as determined using a single-compartment model and linear regression analysis. After being relayed in the estuary under the influence of the tides, VLPs were detected in oysters for up to 82 days following seeding with high levels of VLPs (concentration range between 10
10
and 10
9
particles per g of pancreatic tissue) and for 37 days for lower contamination levels (10
5
particles per g of pancreatic tissue). These data suggest that viral particles may persist in shellfish tissues for several weeks.
Pelagic-Benthic Coupling and Diagenesis of Nucleic Acids in a Deep-Sea Continental Margin and an Open-Slope System of the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Dell'Anno Antonio , Corinaldesi Cinzia , Stavrakakis Spyros , Lykousis Vasilis , Danovaro Roberto
Published: October 2005

Downward fluxes of nucleic acids adsorbed onto settling particles play a key role in the supply of organic phosphorus and genetic material to the ocean interior. However, information on pelagic-benthic coupling, diagenesis, and processes controlling nucleic acid preservation in deep-sea sediments is practically nonexistent. In this study, we compared nucleic acid fluxes, sedimentary DNA and RNA concentrations, and the enzymatically hydrolyzable fraction of DNA in a bathyal continental margin (North Aegean Sea) and an open-sea system (South Aegean Sea) of the Eastern Mediterranean. The two systems displayed contrasting patterns of nucleic acid fluxes, which increased significantly with depth in the North Aegean Sea and decreased with depth in the South Aegean Sea. These results suggest that in continental margin and open-ocean systems different processes control the nucleic acid supply to the sea floor. Differences in nucleic acid fluxes were reflected by nucleic acid concentrations in the sediments, which reached extremely high values in the North Aegean Sea. In this system, a large fraction of DNA may be buried, as suggested by the large fraction of DNA resistant to nuclease degradation and by estimates of burial efficiency (ca. eight times higher in the North than in the South Aegean Sea). Overall, the results reported here suggest that the preservation of DNA in deeper sediment layers may be favored in benthic systems characterized by high sedimentation rates.
Effects of Cattle Feeding Regimen and Soil Management Type on the Fate of
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 and
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhimurium in Manure, Manure-Amended Soil, and Lettuce
Authors: Franz Eelco , van Diepeningen Anne D. , de Vos Oscar J. , van Bruggen Ariena H. C.
Published: October 2005

Survival of the green fluorescent protein-transformed human pathogens
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium was studied in a laboratory-simulated lettuce production chain. Dairy cows were fed three different roughage types: high-digestible grass silage plus maize silage (6:4), low-digestible grass silage, and straw. Each was adjusted with supplemental concentrates to high and low crude protein levels. The pathogens were added to manure, which was subsequently mixed (after 56 and 28 days for
E. coli
O157:H7 and
Salmonella
serovar Typhimurium, respectively) with two pairs of organically and conventionally managed loamy and sandy soil. After another 14 days, iceberg lettuce seedlings were planted and then checked for pathogens after 21 days of growth. Survival data were fitted to a logistic decline function (exponential for
E. coli
O157:H7 in soil). Roughage type significantly influenced the rate of decline of
E. coli
O157:H7 in manure, with the fastest decline in manure from the pure straw diet and the slowest in manure from the diet of grass silage plus maize silage. Roughage type showed no effect on the rate of decline of
Salmonella
serovar Typhimurium, although decline was significantly faster in the manure derived from straw than in the manure from the diet of grass silage plus maize silage. The pH and fiber content of the manure were significant explanatory factors and were positively correlated with the rate of decline. With
E. coli
O157:H7 there was a trend of faster decline in organic than in conventional soils. No pathogens were detected in the edible lettuce parts. The results indicate that cattle diet and soil management are important factors with respect to the survival of human pathogens in the environment.
Engineering of a Novel
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Wine Strain with a Respiratory Phenotype at High External Glucose Concentrations
Authors: Henricsson C. , de Jesus Ferreira M. C. , Hedfalk K. , Elbing K. , Larsson C. , Bill R. M. , Norbeck J. , Hohmann S. , Gustafsson L.
Published: October 2005

The recently described respiratory strain
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
KOY.TM6*P is, to our knowledge, the only reported strain of
S. cerevisiae
which completely redirects the flux of glucose from ethanol fermentation to respiration, even at high external glucose concentrations (27). In the KOY.TM6*P strain, portions of the genes encoding the predominant hexose transporter proteins, Hxt1 and Hxt7, were fused within the regions encoding transmembrane (TM) domain 6. The resulting chimeric gene,
TM6*
, encoded a chimera composed of the amino-terminal half of Hxt1 and the carboxy-terminal half of Hxt7. It was subsequently integrated into the genome of an
hxt
null strain. In this study, we have demonstrated the transferability of this respiratory phenotype to the V5
hxt1-7
Δ strain, a derivative of a strain used in enology. We also show by using this mutant that it is not necessary to transform a complete
hxt
null strain with the
TM6*
construct to obtain a non-ethanol-producing phenotype. The resulting V5.TM6*P strain, obtained by transformation of the V5
hxt1-7
Δ strain with the
TM6*
chimeric gene, produced only minor amounts of ethanol when cultured on external glucose concentrations as high as 5%. Despite the fact that glucose flux was reduced to 30% in the V5.TM6*P strain compared with that of its parental strain, the V5.TM6*P strain produced biomass at a specific rate as high as 85% that of the V5 wild-type strain. Even more relevant for the potential use of such a strain for the production of heterologous proteins and also of low-alcohol beverages is the observation that the biomass yield increased 50% with the mutant compared to its parental strain.
Autotrophic and Mixotrophic Hydrogen Photoproduction in Sulfur-Deprived
Chlamydomonas
Cells
Authors: Fouchard Swanny , Hemschemeier Anja , Caruana Amandine , Pruvost Jérémy , Legrand Jack , Happe Thomas , Peltier Gilles , Cournac Laurent
Published: October 2005

In
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
cells, H
2
photoproduction can be induced in conditions of sulfur deprivation in the presence of acetate. The decrease in photosystem II (PSII) activity induced by sulfur deprivation leads to anoxia, respiration becoming higher than photosynthesis, thereby allowing H
2
production. Two different electron transfer pathways, one PSII dependent and the other PSII independent, have been proposed to account for H
2
photoproduction. In this study, we investigated the contribution of both pathways as well as the acetate requirement for H
2
production in conditions of sulfur deficiency. By using 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), a PSII inhibitor, which was added at different times after the beginning of sulfur deprivation, we show that PSII-independent H
2
photoproduction depends on previously accumulated starch resulting from previous photosynthetic activity. Starch accumulation was observed in response to sulfur deprivation in mixotrophic conditions (presence of acetate) but also in photoautotrophic conditions. However, no H
2
production was measured in photoautotrophy if PSII was not inhibited by DCMU, due to the fact that anoxia was not reached. When DCMU was added at optimal starch accumulation, significant H
2
production was measured. H
2
production was enhanced in autotrophic conditions by removing O
2
using N
2
bubbling, thereby showing that substantial H
2
production can be achieved in the absence of acetate by using the PSII-independent pathway. Based on these data, we discuss the possibilities of designing autotrophic protocols for algal H
2
photoproduction.
Genomic Diversity of
Campylobacter coli
and
Campylobacter jejuni
Isolates Recovered from Free-Range Broiler Farms and Comparison with Isolates of Various Origins
Authors: Rivoal K. , Ragimbeau C. , Salvat G. , Colin P. , Ermel G.
Published: October 2005

In many industrialized countries, the incidence of campylobacteriosis exceeds that of salmonellosis.
Campylobacter
bacteria are transmitted to humans mainly in food, especially poultry meat products. Total prevention of
Campylobacter
colonization in broiler flocks is the best way to reduce (or eliminate) the contamination of poultry products. The aim of this study was to establish the sources and routes of contamination of broilers at the farm level. Molecular typing methods (DNA macrorestriction pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and analysis of gene polymorphism by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism) were used to characterize isolates collected from seven broiler farms. The relative genomic diversity of
Campylobacter coli
and
Campylobacter jejuni
was determined. Analysis of the similarity among 116 defined genotypes was used to determine clusters within the two species. Furthermore, evidence of recombination suggested that there were genomic rearrangements within the
Campylobacter
populations. Recovery of related clusters from different broiler farms showed that some
Campylobacter
strains might be specifically adapted to poultry. Analysis of the
Campylobacter
cluster distribution on three broiler farms showed that soil in the area around the poultry house was a potential source of
Campylobacter
contamination. The broilers were infected by
Campylobacter
spp. between days 15 and 36 during rearing, and the type of contamination changed during the rearing period. A study of the effect of sanitary barriers showed that the chickens stayed
Campylobacter
spp. free until they had access to the open area. They were then rapidly colonized by the
Campylobacter
strains isolated from the soil.
Chaperone-Mediated Folding and Maturation of the Penicillin Acylase Precursor in the Cytoplasm of
Escherichia coli
Authors: Xu Yali , Weng Chiao-Ling , Narayanan Niju , Hsieh Ming-Yi , Anderson William A. , Scharer Jeno M. , Moo-Young Murray , Chou C. Perry
Published: October 2005

Expression of the leaderless
pac
gene (LL
pac
), which lacks the coding region for the signal peptide of penicillin acylase (PAC), in
Escherichia coli
was conducted. It was demonstrated that the PAC precursor, proPAC, can be produced and even processed to form mature PAC in the cytoplasm, indicating that the posttranslational processing steps for PAC maturation can occur in both the periplasm and the cytoplasm of
E. coli
. The outcome of proPAC folding and PAC maturation could be affected by several factors, such as inducer type, proPAC formation rate, and chaperone availability. Misfolding of proPAC in the cytoplasm could be partially resolved through the coexpression of cytoplasmic chaperones, such as trigger factor, GroEL/ES, or DnaK/J-GrpE. The three chaperones tested showed different extents of the effect on proPAC solublization and PAC maturation, and trigger factor had the most prominent one. However, the chaperone-mediated solublization of proPAC did not guarantee its maturation, which is usually limited by the first autoproteolytic step. It was observed that arabinose could act as an effective inducer for the induction of LL
pac
expression regulated by the
lac
-derived promoter system of
trc
. In addition, PAC maturation could be highly facilitated by arabinose supplementation and coexpression of trigger factor, suggesting that the coordination of chaperone systems with proper culture conditions could dramatically impact recombinant protein production. This study suggests that folding/misfolding of proPAC could be a major step limiting the overproduction of PAC in
E. coli
and that the problem could be resolved through the search for appropriate chaperones for coexpression. It also demonstrates the analogy in the issues of proPAC misfolding as well as the expression bottleneck occurring in the cytoplasm (i.e., LL
pac
expression) and those occurring in the periplasm (i.e., wild-type
pac
expression).
Effect of Humic Substance Photodegradation on Bacterial Growth and Respiration in Lake Water
Authors: Anesio Alexandre M. , Granéli Wilhelm , Aiken George R. , Kieber David J. , Mopper Kenneth
Published: October 2005

This study addresses how humic substance (HS) chemical composition and photoreactivity affect bacterial growth, respiration, and growth efficiency (BGE) in lake water. Aqueous solutions of HSs from diverse aquatic environments representing different dissolved organic matter sources (autochthonous and allochthonous) were exposed to artificial solar UV radiation. These solutions were added to lake water passed through a 0.7-μm-pore-size filter (containing grazer-free lake bacteria) followed by dark incubation for 5, 43, and 65 h. For the 5-h incubation, several irradiated HSs inhibited bacterial carbon production (BCP) and this inhibition was highly correlated with H
2
O
2
photoproduction. The H
2
O
2
decayed in the dark, and after 43 h, nearly all irradiated HSs enhanced BCP (average 39% increase relative to nonirradiated controls, standard error = 7.5%,
n
= 16). UV exposure of HSs also increased bacterial respiration (by ∼18%, standard error = 5%,
n
= 4), but less than BCP, resulting in an average increase in BGE of 32% (standard error = 10%,
n
= 4). Photoenhancement of BCP did not correlate to HS bulk properties (i.e., elemental and chemical composition). However, when the photoenhancement of BCP was normalized to absorbance, several trends with HS origin and extraction method emerged. Absorbance-normalized hydrophilic acid and humic acid samples showed greater enhancement of BCP than hydrophobic acid and fulvic acid samples. Furthermore, absorbance-normalized autochthonous samples showed ∼10-fold greater enhancement of BCP than allochthonous-dominated samples, indicating that the former are more efficient photoproducers of biological substrates.
Genome-Directed Isolation of the Key Nitrogen Fixer
Leptospirillum ferrodiazotrophum
sp. nov. from an Acidophilic Microbial Community
Authors: Tyson Gene W. , Lo Ian , Baker Brett J. , Allen Eric E. , Hugenholtz Philip , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: October 2005

Analysis of assembled random shotgun sequence data from a low-diversity, subsurface acid mine drainage (AMD) biofilm revealed a single
nif
operon. This was found on a genome fragment belonging to a member of
Leptospirillum
group III, a lineage in the
Nitrospirae
phylum with no cultivated representatives. Based on the prediction that this organism is solely responsible for nitrogen fixation in the community, we pursued a selective isolation strategy to obtain the organism in pure culture. An AMD biofilm sample naturally abundant in
Leptospirillum
group III cells was homogenized, filtered, and serially diluted into a nitrogen-free liquid medium. The resulting culture in the terminal dilution grew autotrophically to a maximum cell density of ∼10
6
cells/ml, oxidizing ferrous iron as the sole energy source. 16S rRNA-internal transcribed spacer region clone library analysis confirmed that the isolate is a member of
Leptospirillum
group III and that the culture is axenic. We propose the name
Leptospirillum ferrodiazotrophum
sp. nov. for this iron-oxidizing, free-living diazotroph. This study highlights how environmental sequence data can provide insights for culturing previously uncultured microorganisms.
Characterization of Microbial Communities Removing Nitrogen Oxides from Flue Gas: the BioDeNOx Process
Authors: Kumaraswamy Rajkumari , van Dongen Udo , Kuenen J. Gijs , Abma Wiebe , van Loosdrecht Mark C. M. , Muyzer Gerard
Published: October 2005

BioDeNOx is an integrated physicochemical and biological process for the removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from flue gases. In this process, the flue gas is purged through a scrubber containing a solution of Fe(II)EDTA2−, which binds the NOx to form an Fe(II)EDTA·NO2−complex. Subsequently, this complex is reduced in the bioreactor to dinitrogen by microbial denitrification. Fe(II)EDTA2−, which is oxidized to Fe(III)EDTA−by oxygen in the flue gas, is regenerated by microbial iron reduction. In this study, the microbial communities of both lab- and pilot-scale reactors were studied using culture-dependent and -independent approaches. A pure bacterial strain, KT-1, closely affiliated by 16S rRNA analysis to the gram-positive denitrifying bacteriumBacillus azotoformans, was obtained. DNA-DNA homology of the isolate with the type strain was 89%, indicating that strain KT-1 belongs to the speciesB. azotoformans. Strain KT-1 reduces Fe(II)EDTA·NO2−complex to N2using ethanol, acetate, and Fe(II)EDTA2−as electron donors. It does not reduce Fe(III)EDTA−. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments showed the presence of bacteria closely affiliated with members of the phylumDeferribacteres, an Fe(III)-reducing group of bacteria. Fluorescent in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes designed for strain KT-1 and members of the phylumDeferribacteresshowed that the latter were more dominant in both reactors.
Subsurface Microbial Methanotrophic Mats in the Black Sea
Authors: Treude Tina , Knittel Katrin , Blumenberg Martin , Seifert Richard , Boetius Antje
Published: October 2005

A nodule-shaped microbial mat was found subsurface in sediments of a gas seep in the anoxic Black Sea. This mat was dominated by ANME-1 archaea and consumed methane and sulfate simultaneously. We propose that such subsurface mats represent the initial stage of previously investigated microbial reefs.
High Prevalence of VanA-Type Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Austrian Poultry
Authors: Eisner Alexandra , Feierl Gebhard , Gorkiewicz Gregor , Dieber Franz , Kessler Harald H. , Marth Egon , Köfer Josef
Published: October 2005

Fecal samples from humans and food-producing animals were analyzed for the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The VRE carriage rate in humans was 6%, and there was a predominance of VanC-type resistance.
Enterococcus faecium
with
vanA
-mediated resistance was frequent in broiler chickens (42%) but rare in cattle and pig samples.
Equine and Canine
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Strains Isolated on the Island of Sardinia (Italy) Are Phylogenetically Related to Pathogenic Strains from the United States
Authors: Alberti Alberto , Zobba Rosanna , Chessa Bernardo , Addis Maria Filippa , Sparagano Olivier , Pinna Parpaglia Maria Luisa , Cubeddu Tiziana , Pintori Gianpaolo , Pittau Marco
Published: October 2005

The presence of
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
, a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen, was investigated in Sardinia using a molecular approach. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Sardinian strains are genetically distinct from the two lineages previously described in Europe and are closely related to strains isolated in different areas of the United States.
Community Structure and Diversity of Biofilms from a Beer Bottling Plant as Revealed Using 16S rRNA Gene Clone Libraries
Authors: Timke Markus , Wang-Lieu Ngoc Quynh , Altendorf Karlheinz , Lipski André
Published: October 2005

The microbial composition of biofilms from a beer bottling plant was analyzed by a cultivation independent analysis of the 16S rRNA genes. Clone libraries were differentiated by amplified 16S rRNA gene restriction analysis and representative clones from each group were sequenced. The diversity of the clone libraries was comparable with the diversity found for environmental samples. No evidences for the presence of strictly anaerobic taxa or important beer spoilers were found, indicating that biofilms developed for more than 6 months at the plant formed no appropriate habitat for those microorganisms. The genus
Methylobacterium
was one of the dominating groups of the clone libraries. The size of this population was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and fatty acid analysis. In addition, considerable numbers of clones were assigned to uncultivated organisms.
Emission Characteristics of Fluorescent Labels with Respect to Temperature Changes and Subsequent Effects on DNA Microchip Studies
Authors: Liu Wen-Tso , Wu Jer-Horng , Li Emily Sze-Ying , Selamat Ezrein Shah
Published: October 2005

The effects of temperature, salt concentration, and formamide concentration on the emission characteristics of commonly used fluorescent labels were evaluated on DNA microchips. The emission intensities of different fluorophores without hybridization were observed to vary, each to a different extent, to mainly temperature changes. Rhodamine red, TAMRA (tetramethylrhodamine), and dyes from the carbocyanide group exhibited the largest variations, and Texas Red and Oregon Green exhibited the smallest variations. This temperature dependency was shown to affect results obtained during melting curve analysis in DNA microarray studies. To minimize the bias associated with the temperature-dependent emission of different fluorescent labels, a normalization step was proposed.
THE STATIONARY PHASE CONDITION APPLICABILITY TO THE STUDY OF TUNNEL EFFECT
Authors: BERNARDINI A. E.
Published: October 2005

Some recent theoretical studies tended to employ analytically-continuous gaussian, or infinite-bandwidth step pulses to examine tunneling process. The stationary phase method is often employed to this aim. However, gaussian functions do not have a well-defined front, such that their speed of propagation becomes ambiguous. Also, infinite bandwidth signals cannot propagate through any real physical medium (whose transfer function is therefore finite) without pulse distortion, which also leads to ambiguities in determining propagation velocity during the tunneling process. In this manuscript, we appoint some incompatibilities with the application of the method of stationary phase in deriving tunneling times which, eventually, can ruin the superluminal interpretation of transition times.
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF Li-Sb FERRITES
Authors: CHONGTHAM SHIVAJI , PHANJOUBAM SUMITRA , SARMA H. N. K. , LAISHRAM RADHAPIYARI , PRAKASH CHANDRA
Published: October 2005

Dielectric properties such as dielectric constant (ε′) and dielectric loss tangent ( tan δ) of Li 0.5+x Fe 2.5-2x Sb x O 4 ferrites, 0.10≤ x ≤0.30 in steps of 0.05 have been investigated as a function of composition, frequency and temperature. The dielectric constant showed dispersion with frequency in the range of 100 Hz–1 MHz. Peaks were observed in the tan δ versus frequency curves for almost all the samples. The temperature variation of dielectric constant for the different samples was studied at 10 kHz in the temperature range from room temperature to 433 K. Peaks were observed for some of the samples. The peaks were seen to shift towards higher temperature region as the substitution level increases. The mechanisms involved in the processes are discussed in this paper.
EXACT CALCULATION OF ROBUSTNESS OF ENTANGLEMENT VIA CONVEX SEMI-DEFINITE PROGRAMMING
Authors: JAFARIZADEH M. A. , MIRZAEE M. , REZAEE M.
Published: October 2005

In general, the calculation of robustness of entanglement for the mixed entangled quantum states is rather difficult to handle analytically. Using the convex semi-definite programming method, we claculate exactly the robustness of entanglement of some mixed entangled quantum states such as the generic two-qubit state in the Wootters basis, 2 ⊗ 2 Bell decomposable (BD) states, iso-concurrence decomposable states, 2 ⊗ 3 Bell decomposable states, d ⊗ d Werner and isotropic states, a one parameter 3 ⊗ 3 state and a multi-partite isotropic state. The results are in agreement with those of 2 ⊗ 2 density matrices and have already been calculated in Refs. 1 and 2. Also, an analytic expression is given for separable states that wipe out all the entanglements. It is further shown that they are on the boundary of separable states, as pointed out in Ref. 3.
DYNAMICS OF ENTANGLEMENT FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL SPIN SYSTEMS IN AN EXTERNAL TIME-DEPENDENT MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: HUANG ZHEN , KAIS SABRE
Published: October 2005

We study the dynamics of entanglement for the XY-model, one-dimensional spin systems coupled through the nearest neighbor exchange interaction and subject to an external time-dependent magnetic field. Using the two-site density matrix, we calculate the time-dependent entanglement of formation between nearest neighbor qubits. We investigate the effect of varying the temperature, the anisotropy parameter and the external time-dependent magnetic field on the entanglement. We have found that the entanglement can be localized between nearest neighbor qubits for certain values of the external time-dependent magnetic field. Moreover, as known for the magnetization of this model, the entanglement shows nonergodic behavior, it does not approach its equilibrium value at the infinite time limit.
AN EFFICIENT MULTIPARTY QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION SCHEME
Authors: ZHANG ZHAN-JUN , MAN ZHONG-XIAO , SHI SHOU-HUA
Published: October 2005

We propose a quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme in which four parties can simultaneously share a secret key via optical device. The participants divide the communication into two modes, namely, detecting mode and message mode. Taking advantage of controlled secret short key technology, the participants together can achieve the detecting mode or the message mode by switching between their two sets of optical devices. In the detecting mode, the key distributer Alice utilizes a single-photon state resource and two beam splitters and the other three participants Bob, Charlie and Dick use first-type devices to detect the superposition of vacuum and single-particle states. Hence, any eavesdropping can be found by using a variant of Bell's inequality. In the message mode, Alice uses a two-photon Bell-state resource and two polarization beam splitters instead of the single-particle state resource and beam splitters used in the detecting mode and the other three participants use second-type devices to detect photons. In this case, the secret key can be successfully distributed from Alice to the other three ones. Moreover, the present four-party QKD scheme can be generalized to a 2n-party QKD scheme by using n-photon Greenberg–Horne–Zeilinger.
Increased basal phosphorylation of detrusor smooth muscle myosin in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbit is mediated by upregulation of Rho-kinase β and CPI-17
Authors: Chang Shaohua , Hypolite Joseph A. , DiSanto Michael E. , Changolkar Arun , Wein Alan J. , Chacko Samuel
Published: October 2005

Urinary bladder dysfunction caused by the alteration of detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) is one of the complications of diabetes. It is well established that smooth muscle contractility is regulated by an elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ via myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. However, recent studies have shown the modulation of MLC phosphorylation without a rise in Ca2+ in smooth muscle and that two key molecules (Rho-kinase and CPI-17) are involved in the regulation of calcium sensitization. This study investigates the effect of diabetes on DSM calcium sensitization. Diabetes was induced by alloxan in New Zealand White rabbits, and age-matched rabbits given 5% sucrose in the drinking water served as control for diuresis. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that basal MLC phosphorylation level was significantly higher in diabetic animals than normal or diuretic controls, and Rho-kinase-specific inhibitor, Y-27632, decreased MLC phosphorylation level. Adding Y-27632 to bethanechol-precontracted DSM strips can induce muscle relaxation, but it occurred much more slowly in diabetic samples compared with controls. RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry revealed the overexpression of Rho-kinase β and CPI-17 at both mRNA and protein levels in response to diabetes. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that Rho-kinase contributes to DSM MLC phosphorylation and there is a higher basal MLC phosphorylation level in diabetic DSM. Our results also suggest that this high basal MLC phosphorylation may be due to the upregulation of Rho-kinase and CPI-17. Thus Rho-kinase- and CPI-17-mediated Ca2+ sensitization might play a role in diabetes-induced alteration of the detrusor contractility and bladder dysfunction.
Endothelial NO Synthase Polymorphisms and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Authors: Garland Emily M. , Winker Robert , Williams Scott M. , Jiang Lan , Stanton Krista , Byrne Daniel W. , Biaggioni Italo , Cascorbi Ingolf , Phillips John A. , Harris Paul A. , Rüdiger Hugo , Robertson David
Published: October 2005

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by an excessive rise in heart rate and symptoms consistent with cerebral hypoperfusion in the upright position. NO produced by endothelial NO synthase is a significant factor in the regulation of blood flow. Genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region (T-786C) and exon 7 (E298D) of the NO synthase isoform 3 gene affect enzyme activity and have been associated with a number of cardiovascular diseases. Because some findings in POTS suggest aberrant NO-mediated functions, we postulated that the variant genotypes of these polymorphisms may increase the risk of developing POTS and correlate with more severe symptoms. We genotyped 136 patients with POTS (mean age 32.2±9.9 years; 46 men and 90 women) from Nashville, Tenn, and Vienna, Austria, and compared them with 191 healthy volunteers (mean age 29.1±8.0 years; 127 men and 64 women). Participants also underwent orthostatic testing with blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma norepinephrine measurements while supine and upright. The frequencies of the -786CC and 298DD genotypes were significantly lower in patients with POTS than in control subjects (odds ratio [OR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14 to 0.57;
P
=0.001 for -786CC; and OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.91;
P
=0.033 for 298DD). According to 2-locus genotype analyses, patients with -786CC and 298EE or 298ED experienced the largest changes in heart rate and plasma norepinephrine with standing. These results indicate that NO may influence the development of POTS and the severity of POTS symptoms.
Effect of Cuts in Medicare Reimbursement on Process and Outcome of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients
Authors: Volpp Kevin G. , Konetzka R. Tamara , Zhu Jingsan , Parsons Lori , Peterson Eric
Published: October 2005

Background—

The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 was designed to reduce Medicare reimbursements by $116.4 billion from 1998 to 2002. The objective of this study was to determine whether the process of care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) worsened to a greater degree in hospitals under increased financial strain from the BBA and whether vulnerable populations such as the uninsured were disproportionately affected.

Methods and Results—

We examined how process-of-care measures and in-hospital mortality for AMI patients changed in accordance with the degree of BBA-induced financial stress using data on 236 506 patients from the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction (NRMI) and Medicare Cost Reports from 1996 to 2001. BBA-induced reductions in hospital net revenues were estimated at 1.5% ($2.9 million) for hospitals with low BBA impact and 3.2% ($3.7 million) for hospitals with a high impact in 1998, worsening to 2.2% ($4.4 million) and 4.7% ($6.0 million), respectively, by 2001. For both insured and uninsured patients in high- versus low-impact hospitals, there was no systematic worsening of time to thrombolytic therapy, balloon inflation, medication use on admission, medication use on discharge, or mortality. There was no systematic pattern of different treatment among the insured and uninsured. Operating margins decreased to a degree commensurate with the degree of revenue reduction in high- versus low-impact hospitals.

Conclusions—

BBA created a moderate financial strain on hospitals. However, process-of-care measures for both insured and uninsured patients with AMI were not appreciably affected by these revenue reductions. It is important to note that these results apply only to AMI patients; we do not know the degree to which these findings generalize to other conditions.
Preprocedural Levels of C-Reactive Protein and Leukocyte Counts Predict 9-Month Mortality After Coronary Angioplasty for the Treatment of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis
Authors: Palmerini Tullio , Marzocchi Antonio , Marrozzini Cinzia , Ortolani Paolo , Saia Francesco , Bacchi-Reggiani Letizia , Virzì Santo , Gianstefani Silvia , Branzi Angelo
Published: October 2005

Background—

An accurate preprocedural risk stratification scheme for patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis who are undergoing coronary stenting is lacking. We examined the predictive value of preprocedural levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and leukocyte counts with respect to 9-month clinical outcomes after stenting of the ULMCA stenosis.

Methods and Results—

Levels of CRP, fibrinogen, and leukocyte count were prospectively measured in 83 patients undergoing stenting of the ULMCA. A drug-eluting stent was used in 42 patients, and a bare metal stent was used in 41. The end point of the study was death and the combination of death and myocardial infarction (MI). By the 9-month follow-up, there were 11 deaths (13%), 7 MIs (8%), and 16 target lesion revascularizations (19%). Death and death/MI occurred in 19% and 31%, respectively, of 59 patients with high serum levels of CRP (>3 mg/L) but in none of 24 patients with normal CRP levels (for death,
P
=0.02; for death/MI,
P
=0.006). In multivariate analysis, the highest tertiles of CRP level (
P
=0.028) and leukocyte count (
P
=0.002) were the only independent predictors of death. The highest tertiles of CRP level (
P
=0.002) and leukocyte count (
P
=0.002) and acute coronary syndromes (
P
=0.05) were the only independent predictors of the combined end point death/MI.

Conclusions—

Elevated preprocedural levels of CRP indicate an increased risk of death and death/MI after ULMCA stenting. Inflammatory risk assessment in patients with ULMCA stenosis may be useful for selecting patients for percutaneous coronary interventions with very low risk.
Baroclinic Instability and Loss of Balance
Authors: Molemaker M. Jeroen , McWilliams James C. , Yavneh Irad
Published: October 2005

Under the influences of stable density stratification and the earth’s rotation, large-scale flows in the ocean and atmosphere have a mainly balanced dynamics—sometimes called the slow manifold—in the sense that there are diagnostic hydrostatic and gradient-wind momentum balances that constrain the fluid acceleration. The nonlinear balance equations are a widely successful, approximate model for this regime, and mathematically explicit limits of their time integrability have been identified. It is hypothesized that these limits are indicative, at least approximately, of the transition from the larger-scale regime of inverse energy cascades by anisotropic flows to the smaller-scale regime of forward energy cascade to dissipation by more nearly isotropic flows and intermittently breaking inertia–gravity waves. This paper analyzes the particular example of an unbalanced instability of a balanced, horizontally uniform, vertically sheared current, as it occurs within the Boussinesq equations. This ageostrophic, anticyclonic, baroclinic instability is investigated with an emphasis on how it relates to the breakdown of balance in the neighborhood of loss of balanced integrability and on how its properties compare with other examples of ageostrophic anticyclonic instability of rotating, stratified, horizontally sheared currents. It is also compared with the more familiar types of instability for a vertically sheared current: balanced (geostrophic) baroclinic instability, centrifugal instability, and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability.
Nonnormal Amplification of the Thermohaline Circulation
Authors: Zanna Laure , Tziperman Eli
Published: October 2005

A simple zonally averaged coupled ocean–atmosphere model, with a relatively high resolution in the meridional direction, is used to examine physical mechanisms leading to transient amplification of thermohaline circulation (THC) anomalies. It is found that in a stable regime, in which small perturbations eventually decay, there are optimal initial conditions leading to a dramatic amplification of initial temperature and salinity anomalies in addition to the THC amplification. The maximum amplification occurs after about 40 years, and the eventual decay is on a centennial time scale. The initial temperature and salinity anomalies are considerably amplified by factors of a few hundreds and 20, respectively. The initial conditions leading to this amplification are characterized by mutually canceling initial temperature and salinity anomalies contributions to the THC anomaly, such that the initial THC anomaly vanishes. The mechanism of amplification is analyzed and found to be the result of an interaction between a few damped (oscillatory and nonoscillatory) modes with decay time scales lying in a range of 20–800 years. The amplification mechanism is also found to be distinct from the advective feedback leading to THC instabilities for large freshwater forcing.
Mixing, 3D Mapping, and Lagrangian Evolution of a Thermohaline Intrusion
Authors: Alford Matthew H. , Gregg Michael C. , D’Asaro Eric A.
Published: October 2005

Observations of the three-dimensional structure and evolution of a thermohaline intrusion in a wide, deep fjord are presented. In an intensive two-ship study centered on an acoustically tracked neutrally buoyant float, a cold, fresh, low-oxygen tongue of water moving southward at about 0.03 m s−1 out of Possession Sound, Washington, was observed. The feature lay across isopycnal surfaces in a 50–80-m depth range. The large-scale structures of temperature, salinity, velocity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll were mapped with a towed, depth-cycling instrument from one ship while the other ship measured turbulence close to the float with loosely tethered microstructure profilers. Observations from both ships were expressed in a float-relative (Lagrangian) reference frame, minimizing advection effects. A float deployed at the tongue’s leading edge warmed 0.2°C in 24 h, which the authors argue resulted from mixing. Diapycnal heat fluxes inferred from microstructure were 1–2 orders of magnitude too small to account for the observed warming. Instead, lateral stirring along isopycnals appears responsible, implying isopycnal diffusivities O(1 m2 s−1). These are consistent with estimates, using measured temperature microstructure, from an extension of the Osborn–Cox model that allows for lateral gradients. Horizontal structures with scales O(100 m) are seen in time series and spatial maps, supporting this interpretation.
De-Thawing Democracy
Authors: Field Bonnie N.
Published: October 2005

Do transitions by pact necessarily depress the level of competition or contestation (substantively and behaviorally) across political parties in the subsequent democracy? This article demonstrates—through a study of deputy votes in the Spanish Congress of Deputies between 1977 and 2004—that the Spanish transition by pact initially depressed the degree of competition across political parties, as democratization literature hypothesizes. However, it also shows that collaboration precipitously declined within 5 years of the transition and aside from a one-time increase, progressively declined during the 27-year period. The data also demonstrate that substantive policy received significantly less cross-party support than legislation on the “rules of the game” after 1993. These findings provide the foundation for the argument that transitions by pact do not necessarily preclude more competitive and representative democratic politics as initially feared.
Are U.S. Crime Rate Trends Historically Contingent?
Authors: McDowall David , Loftin Colin
Published: October 2005

Conventional explanations of crime rate trends assume that changes in the rates follow a process that is linear and constant, and that draws its inputs from a normal distribution. These features ensure that the present is linearly predictable from the past and that the future will be linearly predictable from the present. Questioning the conventional assumptions, an emerging class of historical contingency theories stresses variation in the crime-generating mechanism. According to contingency explanations, the process underlying the rates is nonlinear or non-normal, or has a structure that shifts over time. Future rate changes can then differ greatly depending on current conditions, and unanticipated developments will limit the accuracy of linear predictions. This article examines U.S. crime rates during the past two-thirds of the twentieth century, and finds little evidence of historical contingency. This supports the standard explanations, but it also raises deeper questions about the forces that produce the rates.
School Climate Predictors of School Disorder: Results from a National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools
Authors: Gottfredson Gary D. , Gottfredson Denise C. , Payne Allison Ann , Gottfredson Nisha C.
Published: October 2005

Hypotheses about the association of school organizational characteristics with school crime and disorder were tested in a nationally representative sample of 254 secondary schools. Relatively small intra-class correlations suggest that most of the variance in the individual measures of school disorder result from within-school rather than between-school variation. Therefore only a small portion of this variation is potentially explainable by between-school influences. Nevertheless, school climate explained a substantial percentage of the variance in all measures of school disorder, controlling for the effects of community characteristics and school student composition. Schools in which students perceived greater fairness and clarity of rules had less delinquent behavior and less student victimization. Rule fairness and clarity did not influence teacher victimization. Schools with more positive psychosocial climates had less teacher victimization, but climate did not influence student victimization or delinquent behavior.
Poor Women’s Migration to the City
Authors: van de Pol Lotte , Kuijpers Erika
Published: October 2005

Early modern Amsterdam attracted large numbers of female immigrants. Their presence can be inferred from marriage registers and the city’s substantial surplus of women. Knowledge of their exact numbers, of why they migrated, and of how they lived is, however, hard to come by. This article approaches their motives and perspectives through two case studies. The first concerns the migrating poor from Husum, a small town in northern Germany. The second probes the migration patterns and stories of the thousands of immigrant women convicted of prostitution as told before the Amsterdam courts. Female migration had many facets. Women migrated in all stages of their lives and for many reasons. Probably, most came looking for work, even if it was informal or illegal. Others were attracted by the relatively generous poor relief and free medical care Amsterdam offered, especially to pregnant women, a fact that seems to have been widely known.
Center or Nexus
Authors: Huber Nicole
Published: October 2005

Based on the concept of cognitive mapping, the article addresses the issues of the production, representation, and conceptualization of space. Focusing on emerging concepts of urban space in turn-of-the-century and Weimar Berlin as developed by the sociologist Georg Simmel, the architectural historian Adolf Behne, and the urban designer Martin Wagner, it is shown to what extent these concepts are bound to technological modes of representation like photography and film. Based on these concepts, it is proposed to extend the concept of cognitive mapping, emphasizing that it not just examines but also produces images of the urban. Thus, cognitive mapping is not just analytical but also constructive.
Modernist Civic Space and the Case of Brasília
Authors: Williams Richard J.
Published: October 2005

Is architectural modernism necessarily hostile to civic life? Or can it be said to produce civic life in new terms? This article explores the experience of the civic realm of the modernist city with regard to Brasilia, the new capital of Brazil and by far the largest city built on modernist lines. Designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in the 1950s, and inaugurated to international acclaim in 1960, it subsequently came to represent an authoritarian and inflexible urbanism that for residents was profoundly alienating or worse. Yet for all the city’s evident problems, it is productive of complex spatial experiences that are qualitatively different from those of older cities. Civic space here is by no means absent, it is argued: it merely takes different forms.
Crown, Capital, and Metropolis
Authors: Dennison E. Patricia , Lynch Michael
Published: October 2005

This article considers the topography of two neighboring Scottish burghs—Edinburgh and Canongate. Sited alongside each other, they sat on a tail-like ridge running down from the volcanic rock that housed Edinburgh’s castle. From the castle, a single street stretched about a mile down to Holyrood Abbey at the east end of the burgh of Canongate. Both the castle and abbey were temporary homes to kings and queens of Scotland throughout the Middle Ages; by the sixteenth century, Holyrood was established as a palace and Edinburgh was the sole capital of Scotland. This royal palace with an urban court was the home of Scots kings, whereas Edinburgh housed the tools of a capital—parliament, law courts, and university. The two burghs became the stage for ceremony—royal entries, processions, and “riding the parliament” followed the processional route, the Royal Mile. Topography determined that route and does so to this day.
Habit Reversal Treatment of Tic Disorders
Authors: Carr James E. , Chong Ivy M.
Published: October 2005

One of the most commonly reported and successful behavioral interventions for tic disorders is habit reversal (HR). Several narrative literature reviews have adequately summarized the outcomes of these studies. The purpose of this articlewas to reviewstudies that usedHR to treat tics in terms of their methodological characteristics and rigor. Guidelines developed by the Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures were used to evaluate the state of the literature. From an initial database that included 29 studies, 12 were included in the final analysis. Results indicate that although research has been conducted in this area for almost three decades, the majority of studies contain considerable methodological shortcomings. Based on the Task Force guidelines, the existing literature on the use of HR to treat tics can currently be classified as probably efficacious, and it almost meets the criteria for the well-established classification. Directions for future research are discussed.