bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Insurance Based on Personal Savings
Authors: FÖLSTER STEFAN
Published: October 2007

Many countries have reformed, or plan to reform, their pension system. The trend is to move from an entitlement based system to a system in which contributions accumulate in some form of personal savings account. In recent years proposals have been made to apply a personal savings account also to other elements of social insurance, such as unemployment insurance, social assistance, health care costs and others. This paper presents a simple model and a simulation to compare the lifetime consequences of replacing a wide range of social insurance systems with savings account based social insurance. The results indicate that savings account based social insurance can be designed to provide the same economic security as offered by a generous welfare state, and yet lower marginal taxes considerably.
The Earnings of Immigrant Men in Australia: Assimilation, Cohort Effects, and Macroeconomic Conditions
Authors: MCDONALD JAMES TED , WORSWICK CHRISTOPHER
Published: October 2007

This paper analyzes the earnings of immigrant men in Australia using data from Income Distribution Surveys for 1982, 1986 and 1990. The paper expands on the standard approach used in the literature to evaluate immigrant earnings adjustment by considering the impact of current labour market conditions and conditions at labour market entry on current earnings. Immigrants from non‐English speaking backgrounds have significantly lower earnings on arrival in Australia compared with native‐born males, and this gap is not narrowed as years in Australia increase. However, poorer macroeconomic conditions at entry are found to have a significantly smaller negative effect on the earnings of immigrants from non‐English speaking backgrounds than native‐born males.
Australian Poverty Quantified by a Family‐Based Poverty Index*
Authors: JOHNSON DAVID T. , DIXON PETER B.
Published: October 2007

We postulate a family‐based poverty index (JD) possessing focus, symmetry, monotonicity and decomposability properties commonly required of individualistic indexes. JD also satisfies reformulated distribution and transfer sensitivity axioms which take account of differences between families in their sizes and poverty lines. We introduce a new axiom, substitution sensitivity, which is satisfied by JD but not by the well‐known FGT index. Using JD, we describe Australian poverty in the 1980s. We find that head‐count ratios and average income gaps dominate the explanation of differences in poverty across family types and across time. Differences in the distributions of poor incomes make minor contributions.
The Determinants of Firm Profitability in Australian Manufacturing
Authors: MCDONALD JAMES TED
Published: October 2007

This study provides new evidence on the determinants of the profitability of Australian manufacturing firms by analyzing a unique firm‐level data set of firm performance over the period 1984‐93. The panel nature of the data permits the estimation of dynamic profitability models over the business cycle, to test both the persistence and cyclicality of firm profitability. Econometric results suggest that lagged profitability is a significant determinant of current profit margins, and that industry concentration is positively related to firm profit margins. Also, profit margins are found to be procyciical in concentrated industries but counter‐cyclical in less concentrated industries.
Access Regulation and the Timing of Infrastructure Investment
Authors: GANS JOSHUA S. , WILLIAMS PHILIP L.
Published: October 2007

This paper examines infrastructure investment incentives under a system of ‘regulation by negotiation’. We demonstrate that an appropriately specified access pricing rule can induce private firms to choose to invest at a socially optimal time. The optimal regulatory regime allocates investment costs to the access provider and seeker based on their relative use‐values of the facility. It is superior to an unregulated environment because it commits firms ex ante to an access charge that allows for sunk cost recovery. In addition, we show that when the time that access is sought is flexible both replacement‐ and historical‐cost asset valuation methodologies can lead to optimal investment incentives. However, when seeker timing is restricted, historical cost can give rise to distorted incentives.
Labour Market Inefficiency and Frictional Unemployment in Australia and its States: A Stochastic Frontier Approach
Authors: BODMAN PHILIP M.
Published: October 2007

This paper provides estimates of labour market inefficiency and the frictional unemployment rate for Australia and its States over the period January 1978 to December 1997. These estimates are derived from parametric statistical models of employment growth in which technical inefficiencies are accounted for. The mean estimate of the (technically efficient) frictional unemployment rate for Australia over the sample period is S3 per cent of the labour force. Technical inefficiency in the labour market matching process is significant and contributes around 13 per cent to the mean steady‐state (naturaľ) unemployment rate. Investigation of the factors explaining the levels of inefficiency suggests that inefficiencies vary countercyclical, are related to which political party is in power and the time of year and that only Western Australia and Queensland have exhibited a significant decline in inefficiency over the period.
The Unemployment and Wage Effects of Shifting to an Indirect Tax in an Efficiency Wage Model
Authors: CHANG JUIN‐JEN , LIN CHUNG‐CHENG , LAI CHING‐CHONG
Published: October 2007

This paper examines the unemployment and wage effects of the tax shift from an income tax to a consumption tax in a shirking‐type efficiency wage model. It is found that the results of the ex‐ante individual income‐neutral and aggregate revenue‐neutral proposals in this paper's efficiency wage model confirm those in the monopoly trade union model analyzed by Sampson (1986), Creedy and McDonald (1990, 1992), and Pemberton (1992). The ex‐post tax‐shifting schemes are also discussed.
Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century
Authors: MACFARLANE IJ.
Published: October 2007

This paper was delivered as the 1998 Shann Memorial Lecture. It describes the evolution of Australia's monetary policy over the past 25 years. It focuses on three aspects of this development: first, improvements to the institutional structure; second, the search for the optimal policy framework; and third, the issue of central bank independence. Particular attention is paid to the period between the end of monetary targeting (1985) and the introduction of inflation targeting (1993).
Bargaining over Interconnection: The Clear‐Telecom Dispute
Authors: CARTER MICHAEL , WRIGHT JULIAN
Published: October 2007

We explore the problem of network interconnection in local telecommunications. We develop a model with a competitive business sector and a regulated residential sector. The model is used to analyze the celebrated New Zealand antitrust case between Clear and Telecom. We discuss implications of the model for the economics of antitrust, including issues of competition versus efficiency and the use of appropriate economic models. We also examine the implications of some proposed rules for interconnection. In particular, we examine reciprocity, ‘bill and keep’, and the rule that the courts ultimately endorsed, the Baumol‐Willig rule.
Do Casual Workers Find Permanent Full‐Time Employment? Evidence from the Australian Youth Survey
Authors: GASTON NOEL , TIMCKE DAVID
Published: October 2007

The growth of casual employment in Australia is sometimes viewed with concern. Such ‘non‐standard’ forms of employment are often associated with intermittent labour force attachment, underemployment and low income. In this paper, we use data from the Australian Youth Survey to analyze the transition from casual work to full‐time permanent jobs. In the short term, gender, employer‐provided training and the receipt of government benefits are among the more important factors affecting the transition. However, these factors are less important in the long term. Overall, the results suggest that casual employment may be more of a ‘stepping stone’ than a ‘dead‐end’.
The Relationship between Multiple Choice and Essay Response Questions in Assessing Economics Understanding
Authors: BECKER WILLIAM E. , JOHNSTON CAROL
Published: October 2007

Efficiency considerations have led to increased use of multiple‐choice questions to assess economics understanding at the secondary and tertiary levels throughout Australia. A multiple‐choice test would suffice if multiple‐choice and essay questions measure the same dimensions of knowledge, as suggested by least squares estimation of the relationship between these two forms of testing. We show a simultaneous equation bias inherent in least squares estimation of the relationship between these two forms. A two‐stage least squares estimation reveals no relationship, implying that these testing forms measure different dimensions of knowledge. Thus, a single form of testing economics knowledge must be avoided.
Consumption Externalities in a Commercial Fishery: the Queensland Beam Trawl Fishery
Authors: CAMPBELL H.F. , REID C.R.M.
Published: October 2007

Demand and contingent valuation models are used to analyze survey data obtained from a sample of recreational boat and shore fishers in southern Queensland. The value of the recreational fishery to the average fisher in the sample and the value of marginal increases in catches of target species are estimated. These estimates are used to calculate the value of Pigovian taxes representing the marginal cost of catch and congestion externalities imposed by the beam trawl fishery on the recreational fishery. The results suggest that the cost of these externalities does not justify the closure of the beam trawl fishery.
Lifetime Net Average Tax Rates in Australia Since Federation—A Generational Accounting Study
Authors: ABLETT JOHN , TSEGGAI‐BOCUREZION ZAID
Published: October 2007

This paper presents estimates of average net payments to government, as a per cent of average lifetime labour earnings, for generations born in Australia since Federation (1901), based on historical data combined with several reasonable future scenarios covering fiscal policy, growth and demographic change. The results shed light on whether certain generations have been treated more favorably by the public sector than others this century. The main conclusion is that the average lifetime net tax rate will, under reasonable‘assumptions, be of the order of 37–39 per cent for all currently living generations born since the mid‐1930s.
The Interdependence of Australian and Foreign Real Interest Rates
Authors: FELMINGHAM BRUCE , QING ZHANG , HEALY TANYA
Published: October 2007

We assess the interdependence of the Australian and foreign (USA, Japan, UK, Canada, Germany, NZ) short‐term real rates of interest using a quarterly time series: 1970(1) to 1997(4). Applying Zivot and Andrews (1992) tests for stationarity subject to structural breaks we find all series to be 1(1). Structural breaks occurring in each series at different times are explained by policy changes, institutional characteristics or shocks such as the second oil crisis. Conventional bivariate cointegration tests (without breaks) provide limited evidence of interdependence, however using the Gregory Hansen (1996a,b) technique it is clear that foreign and Australian rates are interrelated once structural breaks are accommodated. Multivariate cointegration and error correction modelling confirm this finding. Policy implications are indicated.
Trends in Child Poverty in Australia, 1982 to 1995–96
Authors: HARDING ANN , SZUKALSKA AGGIE
Published: October 2007

This study suggests that child poverty in Australia fell by about one‐third between 1982 and 1995–96, largely as a result of the very substantial increases in government cash payments to lower income families with children. However, while there were sharp falls in poverty among dependent children, poverty rates among 15 to 18 year‐olds who had left the parental home or who were still living at home but not in full‐time study increased very sharply. In addition, the after‐housing poverty picture did not look so optimistic, apparently due to a compositional shift in the types of families in after‐housing poverty.
Do China's State‐Owned Enterprises Maximize Profit?
Authors: CHOE CHONGWOO , YIN XIANGKANG
Published: October 2007

China's state enterprise reform is often believed to have made profit the most important goal of SOEs. Nonetheless the poor performance of SOEs relative to other forms of enterprises remains puzzling. We offer an explanation based on the incentive aspect of the reform, which complements the theory based on a soft budget constraint. Under certainty, the incentives of enterprise managers to maximize their own compensation are consistent with profit maximization with or without a soft budget constraint. Under uncertainty, however, the managers' incentives generally deviate from expected profit maximization. This deviation is dampened by, but still exists even without a soft budget constraint.
A Structural VAR Model of the Australian Economy
Authors: DUNGEY MARDI , PAGAN ADRIAN
Published: October 2007

We develop an 11‐variable structural VAR for the Australian economy over the period 1980 to 1998. The VAR methodology has only relatively recently been applied in the Australian context, despite its popularity in quantitative macroeconomics internationally. Our model includes an overseas sector which distinguishes between goods and asset markets so as to disentangle the effects of shocks emanating from each source. We utilize our model to dissect the Australian growth cycle into its separate influences and to study the Asian crisis. Throughout there is a strong emphasis upon identifying the impact of monetary policy.
The Steady Inflation Rate of Economic Growth
Authors: DUNGEY MARDI , PITCHFORD JOHN
Published: October 2007

This paper considers the existence of a path of GDP corresponding to steady inflation in the prices of domestic goods. We estimate the steady inflation rate of growth, denoted the SIRG, at a little over 4 per cent p.a. in the post‐float period in Australia. Changes in inflation are modelled as a nonlinear combination of growth and changes, in import price inflation. Because import price inflation is more volatile than overall inflation, policy that targets overall inflation may require growth to fluctuate considerably, whereas growth can be steady if the target is steady inflation of domestic goods' prices.
Clinical Assessment of Early Morning Blood Pressure in Patients With Hypertension
Authors: White William B.
Published: October 2007

In most individuals with hypertension, blood pressure (BP) shows a moderate to marked increase around the time of awakening, which has been linked to increases in cardiovascular complications occurring at this time of day. Many antihypertensive agents do not adequately control early morning BP, particularly when administered once daily in the morning. Points to consider in selecting an effective antihypertensive drug include pharmacokinetics and formulation of the agent and timing of administration. Agents with long pharmacologic half‐lives, such as the angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan, the calcium antagonist amlodipine, and the β‐blocker bisoprolol, are examples of antihypertensive drugs with demonstrated efficacy in controlling early morning BP. Bedtime administration of chronotherapeutic preparations is also effective for controlling early morning BP. Given the association between early morning BP and cardiovascular risk, future clinical trials should focus on the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs during this important period of risk.
Reducing the Risk of Stroke Through Appropriate Targets and Treatments
Authors: Davidson Michael H. , Basile Jan , Garber Alan J. , Phillips Robert A.
Published: October 2007

On June 29, 2007, Michael H. Davidson, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, moderated a panel of participants, including Jan Basile, MD, Primary Care Service Line, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and the Division of General Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Alan J. Garber, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; and Robert A. Phillips, MD, PhD, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA.

With the publication of this first Expert Panel Discussion in Preventive Cardiology, we inaugurate a new educational feature. Periodically, we will gather a group of experts to exchange viewpoints on current issues relevant to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It is our hope that the resulting discussion will provide the practicing clinician with data from recent trials, expert opinions on symptoms and diagnoses, and a variety of potential therapeutic approaches for the management of risk factors.
Where Are We Going? Beyond JNC 7
Authors: Giles Thomas D. , Oparil Suzanne , Pickering Thomas G.
Published: October 2007

On August 15, 2007, a panel discussion was held to discuss hypertension. The panel was moderated by Thomas D. Giles, MD, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. Discussants included Suzanne Oparil, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, and Thomas G. Pickering, MD, DPhil, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY.
Oligonucleotide microchip for subtyping of influenza A virus
Authors: Fesenko Eugeny E. , Kireyev Dmitry E. , Gryadunov Dmitry A. , Mikhailovich Vladimir M. , Grebennikova Tatyana V. , L’vov Dmitry K. , Zasedatelev Alexander S.
Published: October 2007

Background  Influenza A viruses are classified into subtypes depending on the antigenic properties of their two outer glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Sixteen subtypes of HA and nine of NA are known. Lately, the circulation of some subtypes (H7N7, H5N1) has been closely watched because of the epidemiological threat they present.

Objectives  This study assesses the potential of using gel‐based microchip technology for fast and sensitive molecular subtyping of the influenza A virus.

Methods  The method employs a microchip of 3D gel‐based elements containing immobilized probes. Segments of the HA and NA genes are amplified using multiplex RT‐PCR and then hybridized with the microchip.

Results  The developed microchip was validated using a panel of 21 known reference strains of influenza virus. Selected strains represented different HA and NA subtypes derived from avian, swine and human hosts. The whole procedure takes 10 hours and enables one to identify 15 subtypes of HA and two subtypes of NA. Forty‐one clinical samples isolated during the poultry fall in Novosibirsk (Russia, 2005) were successfully identified using the proposed technique. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were 76% and 100%, respectively, compared with the ‘gold standard’ techniques (virus isolation with following characterization by immunoassay).

Conclusions  We conclude that the method of subtyping using gel‐based microchips is a promising approach for fast detection and identification of influenza A, which may greatly improve its monitoring.
Novel Trypanocidal Analogs of 5′-(Methylthio)-Adenosine
Authors: Sufrin Janice R. , Spiess Arthur J. , Marasco Canio J. , Rattendi Donna , Bacchi Cyrus J.
Published: October 2007

The purine nucleoside 5′-deoxy-5′-(hydroxyethylthio)-adenosine (HETA) is an analog of the polyamine pathway metabolite 5′-deoxy-5′-(methylthio)-adenosine (MTA). HETA is a lead structure for the ongoing development of selectively targeted trypanocidal agents. Thirteen novel HETA analogs were synthesized and examined for their in vitro trypanocidal activities against bloodstream forms of
Trypanosoma brucei brucei
LAB 110 EATRO and at least one drug-resistant
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
clinical isolate. New compounds were also assessed in a cell-free assay for their activities as substrates of trypanosome MTA phosphorylase. The most potent analog in this group was 5′-deoxy-5′-(hydroxyethylthio)-tubercidin, whose in vitro cytotoxicity (50% inhibitory concentration [IC
50
], 10 nM) is 45 times greater than that of HETA (IC
50
, 450 nM) against pentamidine-resistant clinical isolate KETRI 269. Structure-activity analyses indicate that the enzymatic cleavage of HETA analogs by trypanosome MTA phosphorylase is not an absolute requirement for trypanocidal activity. This suggests that additional biochemical mechanisms are associated with the trypanocidal effects of HETA and its analogs.
No Genetic Bottleneck in
Plasmodium falciparum
Wild-Type Pf
crt
Alleles Reemerging in Hainan Island, China, following High-Level Chloroquine Resistance
Authors: Chen Nanhua , Gao Qi , Wang Shanqing , Wang Guangze , Gatton Michelle , Cheng Qin
Published: October 2007

Chloroquine-resistant
Plasmodium falciparum
was highly prevalent in Hainan, China, in the 1970s. Twenty-five years after cessation of chloroquine therapy, the prevalence of
P. falciparum
wild-type Pf
crt
alleles has risen to 36% (95% confidence interval, 22.1 to 52.4%). The diverse origins of wild-type alleles indicate that there was no genetic bottleneck caused by high chloroquine resistance.
Pharmacodynamics of RWJ-54428 against
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Enterococcus faecalis
in a Neutropenic Mouse Thigh Infection Model
Authors: Griffith David C. , Rodriguez David , Corcoran Erik , Dudley Michael N.
Published: October 2007

RWJ-54428 (also known as MC-02,479) is a new cephalosporin with promising activity against gram-positive bacteria. The pharmacodynamics (PDs) of RWJ-54428 against
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Enterococcus faecalis
were studied in a neutropenic mouse thigh infection model. The RWJ-54428 MICs ranged from 0.25 to 1 mg/liter. Mice with ca. 10
6
CFU/thigh at the initiation of therapy were treated intraperitoneally with RWJ-54428 at doses that ranged from 3 to 1,200 mg/kg of body weight/day (in 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 divided doses) for 24 h. The maximal reductions in bacterial counts in thigh tissues at 24 h for the methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
, penicillin-resistant
S. pneumoniae
, and
E. faecalis
strains were −2.8, −3.8, and −1.7 log
10
CFU/thigh, respectively. The percentage of a 24-h dosing interval that the unbound serum RWJ-54428 concentrations exceeded the MIC (
fT
>
MIC
) was the pharmacokinetic (PK)-PD parameter that best described the efficacy of RWJ-54428. The
fT
>
MIC
s for a bacteriostatic effect (no net change in the numbers of CFU/thigh over 24 h) ranged from 14 to 20% for staphylococci and streptococci; for maximal reductions in the numbers of CFU/thigh, the
fT
>
MIC
s ranged from 22 to 36% for these strains. For
E. faecalis
, the ranges of
fT
>
MIC
s for static and maximal effects were 30 to 46% and 55 to 60%, respectively. These data show that treatment with RWJ-54428 results in marked antibacterial effects in vivo, with the PK-PD parameters for efficacy being comparable to those for the efficacy of penicillins and carbapenems active against staphylococci and pneumococci.
Comparative Analysis of the Bactericidal Activities of Amphibian Peptide Analogues against Multidrug-Resistant Nosocomial Bacterial Strains
Authors: Mangoni Maria Luisa , Maisetta Giuseppantonio , Di Luca Mariagrazia , Gaddi Ludovica Marcellini Hercolani , Esin Semih , Florio Walter , Brancatisano Franca Lisa , Barra Donatella , Campa Mario , Batoni Giovanna
Published: October 2007

Due to the widespread resistance of bacteria to the available drugs, the discovery of new classes of antibiotics is urgently needed, and naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered promising candidates for future therapeutic use. Amphibian skin is one of the richest sources of such AMPs. In the present study we compared the in vitro bactericidal activities of five AMPs from three different species of anurans against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates belonging to species often involved in nosocomial infections (
Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
, and
Acinetobacter baumannii
). The peptides tested were temporins A, B, and G from
Rana temporaria
; the fragment from positions 1 to 18 of esculentin 1b [Esc(1-18)] from
Rana esculenta
; and bombinin H2 from
Bombina variegata
. When they were tested in buffer, all the peptides were bactericidal against all bacterial species tested (three strains of each species) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 48 μΜ, with only a few exceptions. The temporins were found to be more active against gram-positive bacteria, especially when they were assayed in human serum; Esc(1-18) showed fast and strong bactericidal activity, within 2 to 20 min, especially against the gram-negative species, which were killed by Esc(1-18) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1 μΜ; bombinin H2 displayed similar bactericidal activity toward all isolates. Interestingly, while the activities of the temporins and bombinin H2 were almost completely inhibited in the presence of 20% human serum, the activity of Esc(1-18) against the gram-negative species was partially preserved in the presence of 40% serum. This property renders this peptide an attractive molecule for use in the development of new compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases.
Bystander Macrophage Apoptosis afterMycobacterium tuberculosisH37Ra Infection
Authors: Kelly Deirdre M. , ten Bokum Annemieke M. C. , O'Leary Seonadh M. , O'Sullivan Mary P. , Keane Joseph
Published: October 2007

Human macrophages infected withMycobacterium tuberculosismay undergo apoptosis. Macrophage apoptosis contributes to the innate immune response againstM. tuberculosisby containing and limiting the growth of mycobacteria and also by depriving the bacillus of its niche cell. Apoptosis of infected macrophages is well documented; however, bystander apoptosis of uninfected macrophages has not been described in the setting ofM. tuberculosis. We observed that uninfected human macrophages underwent significant bystander apoptosis 48 and 96 h after they came into contact with macrophages infected with avirulentM. tuberculosis. The bystander apoptosis was significantly greater than the background apoptosis observed in uninfected control cells cultured for the same length of time. There was no evidence of the involvement of tumor necrosis factor alpha, Fas, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, transforming growth factor β, Toll-like receptor 2, or MyD88 in contact-mediated bystander apoptosis. This newly described phenomenon may further limit the spread ofM. tuberculosisby eliminating the niche cells on which the bacillus relies.
Highly Attenuated
Bordetella pertussis
Strain BPZE1 as a Potential Live Vehicle for Delivery of Heterologous Vaccine Candidates
Authors: Ho Si Ying , Chua Shi Qian , Foo Damian G. W. , Locht Camille , Chow Vincent T. , Poh Chit Laa , Alonso Sylvie
Published: October 2007

Bordetella pertussis
, the causative agent of whooping cough, is a promising and attractive candidate for vaccine delivery via the nasal route, provided that suitable attenuation of this pathogen has been obtained. Recently, the highly attenuated
B. pertussis
BPZE1 strain has been described as a potential live pertussis vaccine for humans. We investigated here the use of BPZE1 as a live vehicle for heterologous vaccine candidates. Previous studies have reported the filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), a major
B. pertussis
adhesin, as a carrier to express foreign antigens in
B. pertussis
. In this study, we also examined the BrkA autotransporter as a surface display system. Three copies of the neutralizing peptide SP70 from enterovirus 71 (EV71) were fused to FHA or in the passenger domain of BrkA, and each chimera was expressed in BPZE1. The FHA-(SP70)
3
and BrkA-(SP70)
3
chimeras were successfully secreted and exposed at the bacterial surface, respectively. Nasal administration of the live recombinant strains triggered a strong and sustained systemic anti-SP70 antibody response in mice, although the titers and neutralizing activities against EV71 were significantly higher in the sera of mice immunized with the BrkA-(SP70)
3
-producing strain. These data indicate that the highly attenuated BPZE1 strain is a potential candidate for vaccine delivery via the nasal route with the BrkA autotransporter as an alternative to FHA for the presentation of the heterologous vaccine antigens.
Preclinical Evaluation of the Safety and Immunogenicity of a Vaccine Consisting ofPlasmodium falciparumLiver-Stage Antigen 1 with Adjuvant AS01B Administered Alone or Concurrently with the RTS,S/AS01B Vaccine in Rhesus Primates
Authors: Pichyangkul S. , Kum-Arb U. , Yongvanitchit K. , Limsalakpetch A. , Gettayacamin M. , Lanar D. E. , Ware L. A. , Stewart V. A. , Heppner D. G. , Mettens P. , Cohen J. D. , Ballou W. R. , Fukuda M. M.
Published: October 2007

Several lines of evidence suggest that targeting pre-erythrocytic-stage parasites for malaria vaccine development can provide sterile immunity. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate preclinically the safety and immunogenicity of a new recombinant pre-erythrocytic-stage antigen, liver-stage antigen 1 (LSA1), in nonhuman primates; and (ii) to investigate the potential for immune interference between LSA1 and the leading malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S, by comparing the immune responses after single-antigen vaccination to responses after simultaneous administration of both antigens at separate sites. Using a rhesus monkey model, we found that LSA1 formulated with the GlaxoSmithKline proprietary adjuvant system AS01B (LSA1/AS01B) was safe and immunogenic, inducing high titers of antigen-specific antibody and CD4+T-cell responses, as monitored by the production of interleukin-2 and gamma interferon, using intracellular cytokine staining. RTS,S/AS01B vaccination was well tolerated and demonstrated robust antibody and moderate CD4+T-cell responses to circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and HBsAg. Positive CD8+T-cell responses to HBsAg were detected, whereas the responses to CSP and LSA1 were negligible. For both LSA1/AS01B and RTS,S/AS01B, no statistically significant differences were observed between individual and concurrent administration in the magnitude or duration of antibody and T-cell responses. Our results revealed that both pre-erythrocytic-stage antigens were safe and immunogenic, administered either separately or simultaneously to rhesus monkeys, and that no significant immune cross interference occurred with concurrent separate-site administration. The comparison of the profiles of immune responses induced by separate-site and single-site vaccinations with LSA1 and RTS,S warrants further investigation.
A STATISTICAL MODEL ANALYSIS OF K/π FLUCTUATIONS IN HEAVY ION COLLISIONS
Authors: TORRIERI GIORGIO
Published: October 2007

We briefly describe two statistical hadronization models, based respectively on the presence and absence of light quark chemical equilibrium, used to analyze particle yields in heavy ion collisions. We then try to distinguish between these models using K/π fluctuations data. We find that while the non-equilibrium model provides an acceptable description of fluctuations at top SPS and RHIC energies, both models considerably under-estimate fluctuations at low SPS energies.
SYSTEM SIZE DEPENDENCE OF FREEZE-OUT PROPERTIES AT RHIC
Authors:   for the STAR Collaboration, IORDANOVA ANETA , BARANNIKOVA OLGA , HOLLIS RICHARD
Published: October 2007

The STAR experiment at RHIC has measured identified π±, K± and [Formula: see text] spectra and ratios from [Formula: see text] and 200 GeV Cu + Cu collisions. The new Cu + Cu results are studied with hydro-motivated blast-wave and statistical model frameworks in order to characterize the freeze-out properties of this system. Along with measurements from Au + Au and p + p collisions, the obtained freeze-out parameters are discussed as a function of collision energy, system size, centrality and inferred energy density. This multi-dimensional systematic study reveals the importance of the collision geometry and furthers our understanding of the QCD phases.
NUCLEAR STOPPING: PAVING THE WAY FROM RHIC TO LHC
Authors:   for the BRAHMS collaboration, DALSGAARD HANS HJERSING
Published: October 2007

Nuclear stopping has been measured at a range of different energies in heavy ion experiments. In this contribution proton data from the BRAHMS experiment at RHIC running at [Formula: see text] are presented. Furthermore data from AGS, SPS and RHIC are used to estimate the stopping, energy loss and multiplicity at LHC.
LOW pT HADRONIC PHYSICS WITH CMS
Authors:   for the CMS Collaboration, SIKLÉR FERENC
Published: October 2007

The pixel detector of CMS can be used to reconstruct very low pT charged particles down to about 0.1 GeV /c. This can be achieved with high efficiency, good resolution and a negligible fake rate for elementary collisions. In the case of central PbPb collisions the fake rate can be kept low for pT > 0.4 GeV /c. In addition, the detector can be employed for identification of neutral hadrons (V0s) and converted photons.
COHERENCE OF PION SOURCES FROM MULTI-PION INTERFEROMETRY IN RELATIVISTIC HEAVY ION COLLISIONS AT SPS AND RHIC
Authors: MORITA KENJI , MUROYA SHIN , NAKAMURA HIROKI
Published: October 2007

We study degree of coherence of pion sources by making use of two- and three-particle momentum intensity correlation functions in S + Pb , Pb + Pb , and Au + Au collisions at SPS and RHIC. For each system, we calculate a chaotic fraction ε and the number of coherent sources α from the chaoticity λ of the two-pion correlation function and the weight factor ω of the three-pion correlator. We take account of long-lived resonance decay contribution to the λ factor by making a correction with the help of a statistical model. The result gives strong constraints on the source and shows roughly increasing number of coherent sources as multiplicity increases.
IDENTICAL MESON INTERFEROMETRY IN STAR EXPERIMENT
Authors:   for the STAR Collaboration, DAS DEBASISH
Published: October 2007

The influence of Bose–Einstein statistics on multi-particle production characterized for various systems and energies by the STAR collaboration provides interesting information about the space-time dynamics of relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. We present the centrality and transverse mass dependence measurements of the two-pion interferometry in Au + Au collisions at [Formula: see text] and Cu + Cu collisions at [Formula: see text] and 200 GeV. We compare the new data with previous STAR measurements from p + p , d + Au and Au + Au collisions at [Formula: see text]. In all systems and centralities, HBT radii decrease with transverse mass in a similar manner, which is qualitatively consistent with collective flow. The scaling of the apparent freeze-out volume with the number of participants and charged particle multiplicity is studied. Measurements of Au + Au collisions at same centralities and different energies yield different freeze-out volumes, which mean that N part is not a suitable scaling variable. The multiplicity scaling of the measured HBT radii is found to be independent of colliding system and collision energy.
BJORKEN EXPANSION WITH GRADUAL FREEZE OUT
Authors: MAGAS V. K. , CSERNAI L. P. , MOLNAR E.
Published: October 2007

The freeze out of the expanding systems, created in relativistic heavy ion collisions, will be discussed. We combine kinetic freeze out equations with Bjorken type system expansion into a unified model. Such a model is a more physical generalization of the earlier simplified non-expanding freeze out models. We shall see that the basic freeze out features, pointed out in the earlier works, are not smeared out by the expansion.
JET CONVERSIONS IN QGP AND SUPPRESSION OF IDENTIFIED HADRONS
Authors: LIU WEI , KO CHE MING , ZHANG BEN-WEI
Published: October 2007

A gluon or quark jet traversing through a quark-gluon plasma can be converted into a quark or gluon jet through scatterings with thermal partons. Their conversion rates due to two-body elastic and inelastic scattering as well as scatterings involving gluon radiation are evaluated in the lowest order in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Including both energy loss and conversions of quark and gluon jets in the expanding quark-gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions, we find a net conversion of quark jets to gluon jets. This reduces the difference between the nuclear modification factors for quark and gluon jets in central heavy ion collisions and thus enhances the p/π+ and [Formula: see text] ratios at high transverse momentum. Using the larger QCD coupling constant from lattice QCD calculations than that given by the perturbative QCD further enhances the net quark to gluon jet conversion rate, leading to a closer similarity between these ratios at high transverse momentum in central Au + Au collisions at [Formula: see text] and in p + p collisions at same energy as observed in experiments.
PROBING THE QUARK-GLUON PLASMA AT THE LHC WITH Z0-TAGGED JETS IN CMS
Authors: MIRONOV CAMELIA , CASTRO MARIA , CONSTANTIN PAUL , KUNDE GERD J. , VOGT RAMONA
Published: October 2007

An important tool in quark-gluon plasma studies at RHIC has been the measurement of dijets investigated via leading hadron correlations. With much higher rates for hard processes at the Large Hadron Collider, studies of Z0-tagged jets become possible. A clear experimental signature is provided by the measurement of muon pairs from the Z0 decays, for which CMS is an ideally suited detector. Instead of measuring back-to-back correlations of two strongly interacting particles, one side is replaced by an electromagnetic probe which propagates through the plasma undisturbed and provides a measurement of the energy of the initial hard scattering. We propose to use lepton-pair tagged jets to study medium-induced partonic energy loss and to measure in-medium parton fragmentation functions. The lepton pairs from semileptonic decays of heavy meson pairs ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) are a background source for the tagged dilepton-jet signal. We present the calculated signal rates (using PYTHIA) and background rates (using HVQMNR). We also discuss strategies for maximizing the signal-to-background ratio.
METHODS FOR JET STUDIES WITH THREE-PARTICLE CORRELATIONS
Authors: PRUNEAU CLAUDE
Published: October 2007

We present a method based on three-particle azimuthal correlation cumulants for the study of the interaction of jets with the medium produced in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC where jets cannot be reconstructed on an event-by-event basis with conventional jet finding algorithms. The method is specifically designed to distinguish a range of jet interaction mechanisms such as Mach cone emission, gluon Cerenkov emission, jet scattering, and jet broadening. We discuss how anisotropic flow background conti-butions of second order (e.g. [Formula: see text]) are suppressed in three-particle azimuthal correlation cumulants, and discussed specific model representations of di-jets, away-side scattering, and Mach cone emission.
MEASUREMENT OF AZIMUTHAL ANISOTROPY OF HIGH pT CHARGED HADRON AT RHIC-PHENIX
Authors:   for the PHENIX collaboration, SHIMOMURA MAYA
Published: October 2007

In non-central high energy heavy ion collisions, the initial spatial anisotropy is transferred to the final momentum anisotropy due to a pressure gradient in the collision participants. We present the pT and centrality dependence of the azimuthal anisotropy for charged hadrons in different energies and collision systems measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. The relation of initial geometrical eccentricity to the azimuthal anisotropy will also be discussed.
EVOLUTION OF THE AWAY-SIDE JET SHAPES IN π0 − h± CORRELATIONS IN 200 GeV Au+Au COLLISIONS WITH RHIC-PHENIX
Authors:   for the PHENIX (For the full list of PHENIX authors and ackinowledgements, see Appendix “Collaborations” of this volume) Collaboration., GRAU NATHAN
Published: October 2007

Two-particle azimuthal correlations have allowed detailed study of the modification to di-jets in the hot, dense medium created in RHIC collisions. Light can be shed by such correlations on many novel effects discovered at RHIC such as the enhanced p/π+ ratio and conical structure of events with energy loss. Using π0 triggers to reduce the effect of recombination we utilize high-pT correlations to explore the away-side structure.
PARTON EVOLUTION FOR CHEMICAL EQUILIBRATION AT RHIC: DEPENDENCE ON INITIAL CONDITIONS
Authors: CHENG LUAN , WANG ENKE
Published: October 2007

An important ingredient for studying non-equilibrium evolution of partons at RHIC and LHC is to have physical initial conditions for the partonic system. In this paper we investigate the initial conditions with chemical non-equilibrium at RHIC. Considering the parton production, we studied evolution of the partonic medium with chemical non-equilibrium toward a fully equilibrated partonic system. By using a set of rate equations which describe the chemical equilibration of gluons and quarks, and putting different initial conditions, we obtained the transverse energy production dET/dy and particle multiplicities dN/dy. Comparing the experimental data of dET/dy and dN/dy with numerical results, we get following initial conditions for the formation of partonic system: the initial temperature is around 550 MeV and the initial fugacity λg is from 0.4 to 0.75. It is shown that, until the partonic medium freezes out the partonic system hasn't been totally chemical equilibrated.
THE CENTRALITY DEPENDENCE OF STRANGE BARYON AND MESON PRODUCTION IN CU+CU AND AU+AU FOR $\sqrt{^SNN} = 200 {\rm GEV}$ COLLISIONS
Authors:   for the STAR Collaboration, TIMMINS ANTHONY R.
Published: October 2007

Transverse momentum spectra of Λ and [Formula: see text] particles are presented for Cu + Cu at [Formula: see text] collisions observed at STAR, and compared to Au + Au measurements at the same energy. For both systems, a number of observables are shown to increase at mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) with increasing centrality. These are the integrated Λ and [Formula: see text] yields, the integrated ? and [Formula: see text] yields per participating nucleon, and mid-pT(1 GeV /c → 4.5 GeV /c)[Formula: see text] ratios. The RCP ratio is found to be higher for the Λ yields at mid-pT compared to the [Formula: see text] yields for both the Cu + Cu and Au + Au data. In contrast, when similar numbers of participating nucleons are considered for the Cu + Cu and Au + Au data, an indication of increased bulk strangeness production and a higher mid-pT(1 GeV /c → 4.5 GeV /c)[Formula: see text] ratio are found, for Cu + Cu .
J/ψ PRODUCTION FROM CHARM COALESCENCE IN RELATIVISTIC HEAVY ION COLLISIONS
Authors: ZHANG BIN
Published: October 2007

J/ψ production is closely related to the production of the strongly interacting Quark-Gluon Plasma (sQGP) in relativistic heavy ion collisions. To study the effects of charm quark dynamics on J/ψ production, the phase space distributions of charm and anti-charm quarks are generated using A Multi-Phase Transport (AMPT) model. These charm quarks then coalesce into J/ψ particles. The production and flow of J/ψ show strong sensitivity to final state charm interactions. The results are compared to charm quark and D meson results from the AMPT model and recent predictions from other models.
HEAVY QUARK ENERGY LOSS THROUGH SOFT QCD SCATTERING IN THE QGP
Authors: ZAPP KORINNA , INGELMAN GUNNAR , RATHSMAN JOHAN , STACHEL JOHANNA
Published: October 2007

A strong suppression of non-photonic electrons in Au + Au collisions is observed at Rhic. This is in disagreement with the expected dominance of the energy loss via gluon radiation, which predicts a much weaker suppression of heavy flavours due to the dead cone effect. However, collisional energy loss is also important, as demonstrated recently by the Soft Colour Interaction Jet Quenching model. Based on this model we show that collisional energy loss of charm quarks gives a suppression of electrons of the observed magnitude, but the contribution from beauty decays, which dominates at intermediate and large p⊥, results in a somewhat weaker overall suppression of electrons than observed.
STRANGENESS PRODUCTION IN RELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR COLLISIONS
Authors: LI LIANG
Published: October 2007

Quark matter produced in relativistic nuclear collisions is thermally equilibrated. A phenomenological model is used to calculate the yield of strange quark pairs at AGS, SPS and RHIC, which is comparable to the results from the experiments. In addition, analysis with this model indicates that there is a signal of phase transition where the cms energy is approximately 7.5 GeV.
STUDY OF PARTICLE CORRELATIONS AT RHIC ENERGIES WITHIN THE QUARK-GLUON STRING MODEL
Authors: BRAVINA L. , MALININA L. V. , ARSENE I. , NILSSON M. S. , SARYCHEVA L. I. , ZABRODIN E.
Published: October 2007

The experimental data obtained by the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have shown surprisingly large elliptic flow and small correlation (Hanbury-Brown-Twiss, HBT) radii. Quark-Gluon String Model (QGSM) is found to reproduce well many of the flow features in heavy-ion collisions, whereas the models based on the longitudinal excitation of strings essentially underpredict the elliptic flow seen at RHIC. Our aim is to study the HBT correlations within the same QGSM approach. The transverse momentum dependence of correlation radii R long , R out and R side obtained in the QGSM is compared with the UrQMD transport model calculations and the experimental STAR data at [Formula: see text] for the central Au + Au collisions. It appears that the correlation radii obtained in the QGSM from the analysis of all pions are essentially smaller than the experimental ones, while for pions coming from the decay of resonances the agreement with the experimental data is very good.
DEAD CONE EFFECT OF HEAVY QUARK IN MEDIUM
Authors: ZHANG X. M. , ZHOU D. C. , XIANG W. C.
Published: October 2007

We demonstrate by using Wiedemann's gluon radiative spectrum that heavy quark radiative energy loss spectrum can be factorized as the light quark radiative energy loss spectrum times a dead cone factor in the absence of medium effect. The availability of factorial approach with a dead cone approximation in medium is studied by Djordjevic-Gyulassy (D-G) and GLV (M.Gyulassy, P.Levai and I.Vitev) formulas. The numerical results show that the factorial method with a dead cone approximation is more suitable for charm quarks than bottom quarks at both RHIC and LHC energies.
CHARM QUARK ENERGY LOSS IN DENSE MATTER WITHIN THE LIGHT-CONE PATH INTEGRAL APPROACH
Authors: MAO YAXIAN , XIANG WENCHANG , ZHOU DAICUI
Published: October 2007

The energy loss of heavy quarks traversing color dense matter is calculated with an analytical formula derived within the light-cone path integral (LCPI) approach. We find that the energy loss mechanism is dominated by gluon radiation and induces a suppression pattern of charm quark different from the suppression of light quarks. We find also that this radiative energy-loss is proportional to L2 for energetic quarks, but changes to a L dependance with decreasing quark energy, where L is the length of the traversed medium.