bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The treatment of reflections in a Doppler measurement using the method of images
Authors: Spicklemire Stephen J. , Coffaro Michael A.
Published: December 2005

A simple system consisting of a battery-powered audio source on a string swung in a nearly horizontal circle is investigated. Our analysis of the measured signals shows that there were many echoes of the sinusoidal variation of frequency due to acoustic images of the source.
Phage Library Screening for the Rapid Identification and In Vivo Testing of Candidate Genes for a DNA Vaccine against
Mycoplasma mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
Small Colony Biotype
Authors: March John B. , Jepson Catherine D. , Clark Jason R. , Totsika Makrina , Calcutt Michael J.
Published: December 2005

A new strategy for rapidly selecting and testing genetic vaccines has been developed, in which a whole genome library is cloned into a bacteriophage λ ZAP Express vector which contains both prokaryotic (P
lac
) and eukaryotic (P
CMV
) promoters upstream of the insertion site. The phage library is plated on
Escherichia coli
cells, immunoblotted, and probed with hyperimmune and/or convalescent-phase antiserum to rapidly identify vaccine candidates. These are then plaque purified and grown as liquid lysates, and whole bacteriophage particles are then used directly to immunize the host, following which P
CMV
-driven expression of the candidate vaccine gene occurs. In the example given here, a semirandom genome library of the bovine pathogen
Mycoplasma mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
small colony (SC) biotype was cloned into λ ZAP Express, and two strongly immunodominant clones, λ-A8 and λ-B1, were identified and subsequently tested for vaccine potential against
M. mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
SC biotype-induced mycoplasmemia. Sequencing and immunoblotting indicated that clone λ-A8 expressed an isopropyl-β-
d
-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible
M. mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
SC biotype protein with a 28-kDa apparent molecular mass, identified as a previously uncharacterized putative lipoprotein (MSC_0397). Clone λ-B1 contained several full-length genes from the
M. mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
SC biotype pyruvate dehydrogenase region, and two IPTG-independent polypeptides, of 29 kDa and 57 kDa, were identified on immunoblots. Following vaccination, significant anti-
M. mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
SC biotype responses were observed in mice vaccinated with clones λ-A8 and λ-B1. A significant stimulation index was observed following incubation of splenocytes from mice vaccinated with clone λ-A8 with whole live
M. mycoides
subsp.
mycoides
SC biotype cells, indicating cellular proliferation. After challenge, mice vaccinated with clone λ-A8 also exhibited a reduced level of mycoplasmemia compared to controls, suggesting that the MSC_0397 lipoprotein has a protective effect in the mouse model when delivered as a bacteriophage DNA vaccine. Bacteriophage-mediated immunoscreening using an appropriate vector system offers a rapid and simple technique for the identification and immediate testing of putative candidate vaccines from a variety of pathogens.
Interaction with CagF Is Required for Translocation of CagA into the Host via theHelicobacter pyloriType IV Secretion System
Authors: Couturier Marc Roger , Tasca Elizabetta , Montecucco Cesare , Stein Markus
Published: December 2005

Development of severe gastric diseases is strongly associated with those strains ofHelicobacter pylorithat contain thecagpathogenicity island (PAI) inserted into the chromosome. ThecagPAI encodes a type IV secretion system that translocates the major disease-associated virulence protein, CagA, into the host epithelial cell. CagA then affects host signaling pathways, leading to cell elongations and inflammation. Since the precise mechanism by which the CagA toxin is translocated by the type IV secretion system remained elusive, we used fusion proteins and immunoprecipitation studies to identify CagA-interacting secretion components. Here we demonstrate that CagA, in addition to other yet-unidentified proteins, interacts with CagF, presumably at the inner bacterial membrane. This interaction is required for CagA translocation, since an isogenic nonpolarcagFmutant was translocation deficient. Our results suggest that CagF may be a protein with unique chaperone-like function that is involved in the early steps of CagA recognition and delivery into the type IV secretion channel.
Identification ofBorrelia burgdorferiOuter Surface Proteins
Authors: Brooks Chad S. , Vuppala Santosh R. , Jett Amy M. , Akins Darrin R.
Published: December 2005

SeveralBorrelia burgdorferiouter surface proteins have been identified over the past decade that are up-regulated by temperature- and/or mammalian host-specific signals as this spirochete is transmitted from ticks to mammals. Given the potential role(s) that these differentially up-regulated proteins may play inB. burgdorferitransmission and Lyme disease pathogenesis, much attention has recently been placed on identifying additional borrelial outer surface proteins. To identify uncharacterizedB. burgdorferiouter surface proteins, we previously performed a comprehensive gene expression profiling analysis of temperature-shifted and mammalian host-adaptedB. burgdorferi. The combined microarray analyses revealed that many genes encoding known and putative outer surface proteins are down-regulated in mammalian host-adaptedB. burgdorferi. At the same time, however, several different genes encoding putative outer surface proteins were found to be up-regulated during the transmission and infection process. Among the putative outer surface proteins identified, biochemical and surface localization analyses confirmed that seven (Bb0405, Bb0689, BbA36, BbA64, BbA66, BbA69, and BbI42) are localized to the surface ofB. burgdorferi. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis using serum from tick-infested baboons indicated that all seven outer surface proteins identified are immunogenic and that antibodies are generated against all seven during a natural infection. Specific antibodies generated against all seven of these surface proteins were found to be bactericidal againstB. burgdorferi, indicating that these newly identified outer surface proteins are prime candidates for analysis as second-generation Lyme disease vaccinogens.
Characterization, Distribution, and Expression of Novel Genes among Eight Clinical Isolates of
Streptococcuspneumoniae
Authors: Shen Kai , Gladitz John , Antalis Patricia , Dice Bethany , Janto Benjamin , Keefe Randy , Hayes Jay , Ahmed Azad , Dopico Richard , Ehrlich Nathan , Jocz Jennifer , Kropp Laura , Yu Shujun , Nistico Laura , Greenberg David P. , Barbadora Karen , Preston Robert A. , Post J. Christopher , Ehrlich Garth D. , Hu Fen Z.
Published: December 2005

Eight
low-passage-number
Streptococcus pneumoniae
clinical isolates,
each of a different serotype and a different multilocus sequence type,
were obtained from pediatric participants in a pneumococcal vaccine
trial. Comparative genomic analyses were performed with these strains
and two
S. pneumoniae
reference strains. Individual genomic
libraries were constructed for each of the eight clinical isolates,
with an average insert size of ∼1 kb. A total of 73,728 clones
were picked for arraying, providing more than four times genomic
coverage per strain. A subset of 4,793 clones were sequenced, for which
homology searches revealed that 750 (15.6%) of the sequences were
unique with respect to the TIGR4 reference genome and 263 (5.5%) clones
were unrelated to any available streptococcal sequence. Hypothetical
translations of the open reading frames identified within these novel
sequences showed homologies to a variety of proteins, including
bacterial virulence factors not previously identified in
S.
pneumoniae
. The distribution and expression patterns of 58 of
these novel sequences among the eight clinical isolates were analyzed
by PCR- and reverse transcriptase PCR-based analyses, respectively.
These unique sequences were nonuniformly distributed among the eight
isolates, and transcription of these genes in planktonic cultures was
detected in 81% (172/212) of their genic occurrences. All 58 novel
sequences were transcribed in one or more of the clinical strains,
suggesting that they all correspond to functional genes. Sixty-five
percent (38/58) of these sequences were found in 50% or less of the
clinical strains, indicating a significant degree of genomic plasticity
among natural
isolates.
Involvement of
potD
in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Polyamine Transport and Pathogenesis
Authors: Ware D. , Jiang Y. , Lin W. , Swiatlo E.
Published: December 2005

Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and cadaverine are small, polycationic molecules that are required for optimal growth in all cells. The intracellular concentrations of these molecules are maintained by de novo synthesis and transport pathways. The human pathogen
Streptococcus pneumoniae
possesses a putative
po
lyamine
t
ransporter (
pot
) operon that consists of the four
pot
-specific genes
potABCD
. The studies presented here examined the involvement of
potD
in polyamine transport and in pneumococcal pathogenesis. A
potD
-deficient mutant was created in the mouse-virulent serotype 3 strain WU2 by insertion duplication mutagenesis. The growth of the WU2Δ
potD
mutant was identical to that of the wild-type strain WU2 in vitro in rich media. However, WU2Δ
potD
possessed severely delayed growth compared to wild-type WU2 in the presence of the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors DFMO (α-dimethyl-fluroornitithine) and MGBG [methylgloxal-
bis
(guanyl hydrazone)]. The mutant strain also showed a significant attenuation in virulence within murine models of systemic and pulmonary infection regardless of the inoculation route or location. These data suggest that
potD
is involved in pneumococcal polyamine transport and is important for pathogenesis within various infection models.
Transcriptional Activation of the
Staphylococcus aureus putP
Gene by Low-Proline-High Osmotic Conditions and during Infection of Murine and Human Tissues
Authors: Schwan William R. , Lehmann Lynn , McCormick James
Published: December 2005

Staphylococcus aureus
can grow virtually anywhere in the human body but needs to import proline through low- and high-affinity proline transporters to survive. This study examined the regulation of the
S. aureus putP
gene, which encodes a high-affinity proline permease.
putP
::
lacZ
and
putP
::
lux
transcriptional fusions were constructed and integrated into the genomes of several
S. aureus
strains. Enzyme activity was measured after growth in media with various osmolyte concentrations. As osmolarity rose,
putP
expression increased, with a plateau at 2 M for NaCl in strain LL3-1. Proline concentrations as low as 17.4 μM activated expression of the
putP
gene. The
putP
::
lux
fusion was also integrated into the genomes of
S. aureus
strains that were either SigB inactive (LL3-1, 8325-4, and SH1003) or SigB active (Newman and SH1000). SigB inactive strains showed increased
putP
gene expression as NaCl concentrations rose, whereas SigB active strains displayed a dramatic decrease in
putP
expression, suggesting that the alternative sigma factor B plays a negative role in
putP
regulation. Mice inoculated with
S. aureus
strains containing the
putP
::
lux
fusion exhibited up to a 715-fold increase in
putP
expression, although levels in the various murine organs differed. Moreover, urine from human patients infected with
S. aureus
showed elevated
putP
levels by use of a PCR procedure, whereas blood and some abscess material had no significant increase. Thus,
putP
is transcriptionally activated by a low-proline and high osmotic environment both in growth media and in murine or human clinical specimens.
Fibronectin Binding Protein BBK32 of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Promotes Bacterial Attachment to Glycosaminoglycans
Authors: Fischer Joshua R. , LeBlanc Kimberly T. , Leong John M.
Published: December 2005

Borrelia burgdorferi
, the agent of Lyme disease, causes a multisystemic illness that can affect the skin, heart, joints, and nervous system and is capable of attachment to diverse cell types. Among the host components recognized by this spirochete are fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Three surface-localized GAG-binding bacterial ligands, Bgp, DbpA, and DbpB, have been previously identified, but recent studies suggested that at least one additional GAG-binding ligand is expressed on the spirochetal surface when the spirochete is adapted to the mammalian host environment. BBK32 is a surface lipoprotein that is produced during infection and that has been shown to bind to fibronectin. In this study, we show that, when BBK32 was produced from a shuttle vector in an otherwise nonadherent high-passage
B. burgdorferi
strain, the protein localized on the bacterial surface and conferred attachment to fibronectin and to mammalian cell monolayers. In addition, the high-passage strain producing BBK32 bound to purified preparations of the GAGs dermatan sulfate and heparin, as well as to these GAGs on the surfaces of cultured mammalian cells. Recombinant BBK32 recognized purified heparin, indicating that the bacterial attachment to GAGs was due to direct binding by BBK32. This GAG-binding activity of BBK32 is apparently independent of fibronectin recognition, because exogenous heparin had no effect on BBK32-mediated bacterial binding to fibronectin.
Platelets Potentiate Brain Endothelial Alterations Induced byPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: Wassmer Samuel C. , Combes Valéry , Candal Francisco J. , Juhan-Vague Irène , Grau Georges E.
Published: December 2005

Brain lesions of cerebral malaria (CM) are characterized by a sequestration ofPlasmodium falciparum-parasitized red blood cells (PRBC) and platelets within brain microvessels, as well as by blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. In the present study, we evaluated the possibility that PRBC and platelets induce functional alterations in brain endothelium. In a human brain endothelial cell line, named HBEC-5i, exhibiting most of the features demanded for a pathophysiological study of BBB, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or lymphotoxin α (LT-α) reduced transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), enhanced the permeability to 70-kDa dextran, and increased the release of microparticles, a recently described indicator of disease severity in CM patients. In vitro cocultures showed that platelets or PRBC can have a direct cytotoxic effect on activated, but not on resting, HBEC-5i cells. Platelet binding was required, as platelet supernatant had no effect. Furthermore, platelets potentiated the cytotoxicity of PRBC for TNF- or LT-α-activated HBEC-5i cells when they were added prior to these cells on the endothelial monolayers. This effect was not observed when platelets were added after PRBC. Both permeability and TEER were strongly affected, and the apoptosis rate of HBEC-5i cells was dramatically increased. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which platelets can be deleterious to the brain endothelium during CM.
Inhibition of Chlamydiae by Primary Alcohols Correlates with the Strain-Specific Complement of Plasticity Zone Phospholipase D Genes
Authors: Nelson David E. , Crane Deborah D. , Taylor Lacey D. , Dorward David W. , Goheen Morgan M. , Caldwell Harlan D.
Published: December 2005

Members of the genus
Chlamydia
are obligate intracellular pathogens that have a unique biphasic developmental cycle and interactions with host cells. Many genes that dictate host infection tropism and, putatively, pathogenic manifestations of disease are clustered in a hypervariable region of the genome termed the plasticity zone (PZ). Comparative genomics studies have determined that an uncharacterized family of PZ genes encoding orthologs of eukaryotic and prokaryotic members of the phospholipase D (PLD) enzyme family varies among chlamydiae. Here, we show that the PZ PLD (pzPLD) of
Chlamydia trachomatis
are transcribed during both normal and persistent infection and that the corresponding PLD proteins are predominately localized in reticulate bodies on the inner leaflet of the inclusion membrane. Further, we show that strains of chlamydiae encoding the pzPLD, but not a strain lacking these genes, are inhibited by primary alcohols, potent PLD inhibitors, during growth in HeLa 229 cells. This inhibitory effect is amplified approximately 5,000-fold during recovery from persistent infection. These findings suggest that the chlamydial pzPLD may be important, strain-specific, pathogenesis factors in vivo.
Role of Intimin-Tir Interactions and the Tir-Cytoskeleton Coupling Protein in the Colonization of Calves and Lambs by
Escherichia coli
O157:H7
Authors: Vlisidou Isabella , Dziva Francis , La Ragione Roberto M. , Best Angus , Garmendia Junkal , Hawes Pippa , Monaghan Paul , Cawthraw Shaun A. , Frankel Gad , Woodward Martin J. , Stevens Mark P.
Published: December 2005

Intimin facilitates intestinal colonization by enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
O157:H7; however, the importance of intimin binding to its translocated receptor (Tir) as opposed to cellular coreceptors is unknown. The intimin-Tir interaction is needed for optimal actin assembly under adherent bacteria in vitro, a process which requires the Tir-cytoskeleton coupling protein (TccP/EspF
U
) in
E. coli
O157:H7. Here we report that
E. coli
O157:H7
tir
mutants are at least as attenuated as isogenic
eae
mutants in calves and lambs, implying that the role of intimin in the colonization of reservoir hosts can be explained largely by its binding to Tir. Mutation of
tccP
uncoupled actin assembly from the intimin-Tir-mediated adherence of
E. coli
O157:H7 in vitro but did not impair intestinal colonization in calves and lambs, implying that pedestal formation may not be necessary for persistence. However, an
E. coli
O157:H7
tccP
mutant induced typical attaching and effacing lesions in a bovine ligated ileal loop model of infection, suggesting that TccP-independent mechanisms of actin assembly may operate in vivo.
A σ
28
-Regulated Nonflagella Gene Contributes to Virulence of
Campylobacter jejuni
81-176
Authors: Goon Scarlett , Ewing Cheryl P. , Lorenzo Maria , Pattarini Dawn , Majam Gary , Guerry Patricia
Published: December 2005

A
Campylobacter jejuni
81-176 mutant in Cj0977 was fully motile but reduced >3 logs compared to the parent in invasion of intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. The mutant was also attenuated in a ferret diarrheal disease model. Expression of Cj0977 protein was dependent on a minimal flagella structure.
Effects of brief yoga exercises and motivational preparatory interventions in distance runners: results of a controlled trial
Authors: Donohue B , Miller A , Beisecker M , Houser D , Valdez R , Tiller S , Taymar T
Published: December 2005

Objective:To examine the efficacy of two preparatory interventions on one mile run performance in 90 high school long distance runners.

Method:After participants had completed a one mile baseline run, they were randomly assigned to participate in either one of two interventions (brief yoga exercises, motivational shouting exercises) or a no intervention control condition. Experimental conditions were implemented one week after the baseline run about 20 minutes before a second one mile trial.

Results:Participants assigned to the motivational intervention improved their running performance significantly more than those assigned to the other two conditions. Although the magnitude of the effect was small, participants assigned to yoga exercises showed significant improvements in running performance relative to control condition participants. Consumer satisfaction ratings indicated that participants who were assigned to the motivational and yoga exercise groups liked their interventions more than those assigned to the control group.

Conclusion:Motivational and yoga interventions designed to improve long distance running performance were equally acceptable to the participants, but the former had a greater effect.
Effect of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy on bone mineral density in premenopausal and perimenopausal women: a systematic review
Authors: Liu S L , Lebrun C M
Published: December 2005

Seventy five articles on the effect of oral contraceptives and other hormone replacement on bone density in premenopausal and perimenopausal women were reviewed. The evidence was appraised using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence. There is good evidence for a positive effect of oral contraceptives on bone density in perimenopausal women, and fair evidence for a positive effect in “hypothalamic” oligo/amenorrhoeic premenopausal women. There is limited evidence for a positive effect in healthy and anorexic premenopausal women. In hypothalamic oligo/amenorrhoeic women, baseline bone density has been shown to be significantly lower than that in healthy controls, therefore the decision to treat is clinically more important. The ideal formulation(s) and duration of treatment remain to be determined by further longitudinal and prospective randomised controlled trials in larger subject populations.
No cumulative effects for one or two previous concussions: Table 1
Authors: Iverson G L , Brooks B L , Lovell M R , Collins M W
Published: December 2005

Background:Sports medicine clinicians and the general public are interested in the possible cumulative effects of concussion.

Objective:To examine whether athletes with a history of one or two previous concussions differed in their preseason neuropsychological test performances or symptom reporting.

Method:Participants were 867 male high school and university amateur athletes who completed preseason testing with ImPACT version 2.0. They were sorted into three groups on the basis of number of previous concussions. There were 664 athletes with no previous concussions, 149 with one previous concussion, and 54 with two previous concussions. Multivariate analysis of variance was conducted using the verbal memory, visual memory, reaction time, processing speed, and postconcussion symptom composite scores as dependent variables and group membership as the independent variable.

Results:There was no significant multivariate effect, nor were there any significant main effects for individual scores. There was no measurable effect of one or two previous concussions on athletes’ preseason neuropsychological test performance or symptom reporting.

Conclusion:If there is a cumulative effect of one or two previous concussions, it is very small and undetectable using this methodology.
A randomised, placebo controlled trial of low level laser therapy for activated Achilles tendinitis with microdialysis measurement of peritendinous prostaglandin E2concentrations
Authors: Bjordal J M , Lopes-Martins R A B , Iversen V V
Published: December 2005

Background:Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has gained increasing popularity in the management of tendinopathy and arthritis. Results from in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that inflammatory modulation is one of several possible biological mechanisms of LLLT action.

Objective:To investigate in situ if LLLT has an anti-inflammatory effect on activated tendinitis of the human Achilles tendon.

Subjects:Seven patients with bilateral Achilles tendinitis (14 tendons) who had aggravated symptoms produced by pain inducing activity immediately before the study.

Method:Infrared (904 nm wavelength) LLLT (5.4 J per point, power density 20 mW/cm2) and placebo LLLT (0 J) were administered to both Achilles tendons in random blinded order.

Results:Ultrasonography Doppler measurements at baseline showed minor inflammation through increased intratendinous blood flow in all 14 tendons and measurable resistive index in eight tendons of 0.91 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 0.95). Prostaglandin E2concentrations were significantly reduced 75, 90, and 105 minutes after active LLLT compared with concentrations before treatment (p  =  0.026) and after placebo LLLT (p  =  0.009). Pressure pain threshold had increased significantly (p  =  0.012) after active LLLT compared with placebo LLLT: the mean difference in the change between the groups was 0.40 kg/cm2(95% confidence interval 0.10 to 0.70).

Conclusion:LLLT at a dose of 5.4 J per point can reduce inflammation and pain in activated Achilles tendinitis. LLLT may therefore have potential in the management of diseases with an inflammatory component.
IMAGE STORAGE FOR AUTOMATED CRYSTALLIZATION IMAGING SYSTEMS
Authors: BERRY IAN , WILSON JULIE , DIPROSE JON , STUART DAVE , FULLER STEPHEN , ESNOUF ROBERT
Published: December 2005

To use crystallography for the determination of the three-dimensional structures of proteins, protein crystals need to be grown. Automated imaging systems are increasingly being used to monitor these crystallization experiments. These present problems of accessibility to the data, repeatability of any image analysis performed and the amount of storage required. Various image formats and techniques can be combined to provide effective solutions to high volume processing problems such as these, however lack of widespread support for the most effective algorithms, such as JPeg2000 which yielded a 64% improvement in file size over the bitmap, currently inhibits the immediate take up of this approach.
HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW ARTIFICIAL NEURON
Authors: LABIB RICHARD , AUDETTE FRANCIS , FORTIN ALEXANDRE , ASSADI REZA
Published: December 2005

This paper describes an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) implementation of a new type of neuron, the Quantron. The goal is to demonstrate the capability of current technology to closely recreate the human body's reaction to a change of temperature. This is accomplished by creating a function that adds a number of kernels at different frequencies depending on the external temperature. Once the sum of the kernels reaches a certain threshold, the artificial neural network, equivalent to its biological counterpart, "reacts" by sending a specific output signal designed to trigger a response. The various elements of each subsystem are discussed and implemented in software and hardware. The results are analyzed in terms of accuracy and efficiency compared to the biological equivalent.
CREATING CONTEXT – ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN A CONSUMER MARKET SETTING
Authors: GADDEFORS JOHAN
Published: December 2005

This paper focuses on entrepreneurial opportunities in a consumer market setting. The purpose is to explore how the corporate branding process influences emerging entrepreneurial opportunities. The empirical results show the importance of symbols and images influencing emerging opportunities, rather than isolated product innovations. Here the importance of examining all the people involved in the entrepreneurial process, rather than just focusing on the entrepreneur or the entrepreneurial organization, is emphasized. The case illustrates the intensity and the devotion invested in the creation of a context that holds the Nav products. In this process the interplay between identity and image is described in a corporate branding perspective. I show how, by whom, and where, the creation of context becomes distinct. Introducing the creation of context to entrepreneurship theories change the opportunity discussion from a situation where organizational aspects are primarily focused on, to a situation also emphasizing the consumer market side of entrepreneurial opportunities. The theoretical results illustrate how branding theory and marketing/entrepreneurship interface theories shift the interest from organization aspects to market related aspects of the entrepreneurial process. The overall conclusions are that branding aspects of the entrepreneurial process are becoming more challenging in a society and on a market generally characterized by fragmentation.
CORPORATE BRAND BUILDING IN START-UPS
Authors: WITT PETER , RODE VERENA
Published: December 2005

In this paper, we develop a multi-stage formative measurement model to investigate which factors constitute the corporate brand of a start-up as seen from within the firm (corporate identity) and as perceived from outside (corporate image). Furthermore, we propose a structural model for brand building in start-ups, i.e. the causal relation between corporate identity and corporate image. We test this model empirically for a sample of 311 German start-ups. The study proves the importance of well-balanced and timely corporate branding activities in new ventures. It shows that internal branding activities are at least as important as those communication measures that are directly targeted at external audiences like customers and investors.
INTEGRATION OF IMPERFECT DEBUGGING IN GENERAL TESTING-DOMAIN DEPENDENT NHPP SRGM
Authors: PARK JOONG-YANG , HWANG YANG-SOOK , FUJIWARA TAKAJI
Published: December 2005

Recently the general testing-domain dependent NHPP SRGM is developed to reflect repeated execution of constructs and location of detected faults. It assumes that debugging is perfect. Since realistic models need to reflect imperfect debugging, this paper integrates imperfect debugging in the general testing-domain dependent NHPP SRGM. Differential equations representing the mean value function are first derived for general testing strategy and then realized for the uniform testing. Specific mean value functions are obtained for some selected fault detection rate functions and constant fault reduction rate. Finally empirical performance evaluation is fulfilled.
LINK MONOTONIC ALLOCATION SCHEMES
Authors: SLIKKER MARCO
Published: December 2005

A network is a graph where the nodes represent players and the links represent bilateral interaction between the players. A reward game assigns a value to every network on a fixed set of players. An allocation scheme specifies how to distribute the worth of every network among the players. This allocation scheme is link monotonic if extending the network does not decrease the payoff of any player. We characterize the class of reward games that have a link monotonic allocation scheme. Two allocation schemes for reward games are studied, the Myerson allocation scheme and the position allocation scheme, which are both based on allocation rules for communication situations. We introduce two notions of convexity in the setting of reward games and with these notions of convexity we characterize the classes of reward games where the Myerson allocation scheme and the position allocation scheme are link monotonic. As a by-product we find a characterization of the Myerson value and the position value on the class of reward games using potentials.
ON GAMES OF PERFECT INFORMATION: EQUILIBRIA, ε–EQUILIBRIA AND APPROXIMATION BY SIMPLE GAMES
Authors: CARMONA GUILHERME
Published: December 2005

We show that every bounded, continuous at infinity game of perfect information has an ε–perfect equilibrium. Our method consists of approximating the payoff function of each player by a sequence of simple functions, and to consider the corresponding sequence of games, each differing from the original game only on the payoff function. In addition, this approach yields a new characterization of perfect equilibria: A strategy f is a perfect equilibrium in such a game G if and only if it is an 1/n–perfect equilibrium in Gn for all n, where {Gn} stands for our approximation sequence.
"MAY I PLEASE PAY A HIGHER PRICE?": SUSTAINING NON-SIMULTANEOUS EXCHANGE THROUGH FREE DISPOSAL OF BARGAINING ADVANTAGE
Authors: MATHEWS TIMOTHY
Published: December 2005

The issue of whether or not trade can be sustained when exchange is non-simultaneous is addressed. An environment in which a buyer is exposed to the possibility that a seller will not deliver an item which has been paid for is examined. Situations of this nature often arise when consumer-to-consumer trade is negotiated via the internet. Repeated interaction between a single seller and a single buyer is modelled, assuming each has incomplete information about the type of their prospective trading partner. It is possible for an agent to be better off with less relative bargaining power. Thus, if an agent can reduce his own relative bargaining power, he may choose to do so.
Indispensable role of mitochondrial UCP1 for antiobesity effect of β3-adrenergic stimulation
Authors: Inokuma Ken-ichi , Okamatsu-Ogura Yuko , Omachi Asako , Matsushita Yukiko , Kimura Kazuhiro , Yamashita Hitoshi , Saito Masayuki
Published: December 2005

Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) has been thought to be a key molecule for thermogenesis during cold exposure and spontaneous hyperphagia and thereby in the autonomic regulation of energy expenditure and adiposity. However, UCP1 knockout (KO) mice were reported to be cold intolerant but unexpectedly did not get obese even after hyperphagia, implying that UCP1 may not be involved in the regulation of adiposity. Treatment of obese animals with β3-adrenergic agonists is known to increase lipid mobilization, induce UCP1, and, finally, reduce body fat content. To obtain direct evidence for the role of UCP1 in the anti-obesity effect of β3-adrenergic stimulation, in the present study, UCP1-KO and wild-type (WT) mice were fed on cafeteria diets for 8 wk and then given a β3-adrenergic agonist, CL-316,243 (CL), or saline for 2 wk. A single injection of CL increased whole body oxygen consumption and brown fat temperature in WT mice but not in KO mice, and it elicited almost the same plasma free fatty acid response in WT and KO mice. WT and KO mice increased similarly their body and white fat pad weights on cafeteria diets compared with those on laboratory chow. Daily treatment with CL resulted in a marked reduction of white fat pad weight and the size of adipocytes in WT mice, but not in KO mice. Compared with WT mice, KO mice expressed increased levels of UCP2 in brown fat but decreased levels in white fat and comparable levels of UCP3. It was concluded that the anti-obesity effect of β3-adrenergic stimulation is largely attributable to UCP1, but less to UCP2 and UCP3, and thereby to UCP1-dependent degradation of fatty acids released from white adipose tissue.
Characterization of novel Na+-dependent nucleobase transport systems at the blood-testis barrier
Authors: Kato Ryo , Maeda Tomoji , Akaike Toshihiro , Tamai Ikumi
Published: December 2005

In the testis, nucleosides and nucleobases are important substrates of the salvage pathway for nucleotide biosynthesis, and one of the roles of Sertoli cells is to provide nutrients and metabolic precursors to spermatogenic cells located within the blood-testis barrier (BTB). We have already shown that concentrative and equilibrative nucleoside transporters are expressed and are functional in primary-cultured rat Sertoli cells as a BTB model, but little is known about nucleobase transport at the BTB or about the genes encoding specific nucleobase transporters in mammalian cells. In the present study, we examined the uptake of purine ([3H]guanine) and pyrimidine ([3H]uracil) nucleobases by primary-cultured rat Sertoli cells. The uptake of both nucleobases was time and concentration dependent. Kinetic analysis showed the involvement of three different transport systems in guanine uptake. In contrast, uracil uptake was mediated by a single Na+-dependent high-affinity transport system. Guanine uptake was inhibited by other purine nucleobases but not by pyrimidine nucleobases, whereas uracil uptake was inhibited only by pyrimidine nucleobases. In conclusion, it was suggested that there might be purine- or pyrimidine-selective nucleobase transporters in rat Sertoli cells.
Glycosylation of the osmoresponsive transient receptor potential channel TRPV4 on Asn-651 influences membrane trafficking
Authors: Xu Hongshi , Fu Yi , Tian Wei , Cohen David M.
Published: December 2005

We identified a consensus N-linked glycosylation motif within the pore-forming loop between the fifth and sixth transmembrane segments of the osmoresponsive transient receptor potential (TRP) channel TRPV4. Mutation of this residue from Asn to Gln (i.e., TRPV4N651Q) resulted in loss of a slower migrating band on anti-TRPV4 immunoblots and a marked reduction in lectin-precipitable TRPV4 immunoreactivity. HEK293 cells transiently transfected with the mutant TRPV4N651Qexhibited increased calcium entry in response to hypotonic stress relative to wild-type TRPV4 transfectants. This increase in hypotonicity responsiveness was associated with an increase in plasma membrane targeting of TRPV4N651Qrelative to wild-type TRPV4 in both HEK293 and COS-7 cells but had no effect on overall channel abundance in whole cell lysates. Residue N651 of TRPV4 is immediately adjacent to the pore-forming loop. Although glycosylation in this vicinity has not been reported for a TRP channel, the structurally related hexahelical hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, HCN2, and the voltage-gated potassium channel, human ether-a-go-go-related (HERG), share a nearly identically situated and experimentally confirmed N-linked glycosylation site which promotes rather than limits channel insertion into the plasma membrane. These data point to a potentially conserved structural and functional feature influencing membrane trafficking across diverse members of the voltage-gated-like ion channel superfamily.
Biomechanical characterization of the urethral musculature
Authors: Jankowski Ron J. , Prantil Rachelle L. , Chancellor Michael B. , de Groat William C. , Huard Johnny , Vorp David A.
Published: December 2005

Rigorous study of the associations between urethral structural anatomy and biomechanical function is necessary to advance the understanding of the development, progression, and treatment of urethral pathologies. An ex vivo model was utilized to define the relative biomechanical contributions of the active (muscle) elements of the female urethra relative to its passive (noncontractile) elements. Whole urethras from female, adult rats were tested under a range of applied intraluminal pressures (0 to 20 mmHg) as a laser micrometer simultaneously measured midurethral outer diameter. Active tissue characterization was performed during induced contraction of either smooth muscle alone ( Nω-nitro-l-arginine, phenylephrine), striated muscle alone (sodium nitroprusside, atropine, hexamethonium, acetylcholine), or during collective activation of both muscles ( Nω-nitro-l-arginine, phenylephrine, acetylcholine). The subsequent collection of paired passive biomechanical responses permitted the determination of parameters related to intrinsic muscle contractile function. Activation of each muscle layer significantly influenced the biomechanical responses of the tissue. Measures of muscle responsiveness over a wide range of sustained opposing pressures indicated that an activated striated muscle component was approximately one-third as effective as activated smooth muscle in resisting tissue deformation. The maximum circumferential stress generated by the striated muscle component under these conditions was also determined to be approximately one-third of that generated by the smooth muscle (748 ± 379 vs. 2,229 ± 409 N/m2). The experiments quantitatively reveal the relative influence of the intrinsic urethral smooth and striated muscle layers with regard to their effect on the mechanical properties and maximum functional responses of the urethra to applied intralumenal stresses in the complete absence of extrinsic influences.
Genome-wide analysis of restriction-modification system in unicellular and filamentous cyanobacteria
Authors: Zhao Fangqing , Zhang Xiaowen , Liang Chengwei , Wu Jinyu , Bao Qiyu , Qin Song
Published: December 2005

Cyanobacteria are an ancient group of gram-negative bacteria with strong genome size variation ranging from 1.6 to 9.1 Mb. Here, we first retrieved all the putative restriction-modification (RM) genes in the draft genome of Spirulina and then performed a range of comparative and bioinformatic analyses on RM genes from unicellular and filamentous cyanobacterial genomes. We have identified 6 gene clusters containing putative Type I RMs and 11 putative Type II RMs or the solitary methyltransferases (MTases). RT-PCR analysis reveals that 6 of 18 MTases are not expressed in Spirulina, whereas one hsdM gene, with a mutated cognate hsdS, was detected to be expressed. Our results indicate that the number of RM genes in filamentous cyanobacteria is significantly higher than in unicellular species, and this expansion of RM systems in filamentous cyanobacteria may be related to their wide range of ecological tolerance. Furthermore, a coevolutionary pattern is found between hsdM and hsdR, with a large number of site pairs positively or negatively correlated, indicating the functional importance of these pairing interactions between their tertiary structures. No evidence for positive selection is found for the majority of RMs, e.g., hsdM, hsdS, hsdR, and Type II restriction endonuclease gene families, while a group of MTases exhibit a remarkable signature of adaptive evolution. Sites and genes identified here to have been under positive selection would provide targets for further research on their structural and functional evaluations.
Microdomains of Intracellular Ca2+: Molecular Determinants and Functional Consequences
Authors: Rizzuto Rosario , Pozzan Tullio
Published: December 2005

Calcium ions are ubiquitous and versatile signaling molecules, capable of decoding a variety of extracellular stimuli (hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, etc.) into markedly different intracellular actions, ranging from contraction to secretion, from proliferation to cell death. The key to this pleiotropic role is the complex spatiotemporal organization of the [Ca2+] rise evoked by extracellular agonists, which allows selected effectors to be recruited and specific actions to be initiated. In this review, we discuss the structural and functional bases that generate the subcellular heterogeneity in cellular Ca2+levels at rest and under stimulation. This complex choreography requires the concerted action of many different players; the central role is, of course, that of the calcium ion, with the main supporting characters being all the entities responsible for moving Ca2+between different compartments, while the cellular architecture provides a determining framework within which all the players have their exits and their entrances. In particular, we concentrate on the molecular mechanisms that lead to the generation of cytoplasmic Ca2+microdomains, focusing on their different subcellular location, mechanism of generation, and functional role.
Sodium/Calcium Exchanger: Influence of Metabolic Regulation on Ion Carrier Interactions
Authors: Dipolo Reinaldo , Beaugé Luis
Published: December 2005

The Na+/Ca2+exchanger's family of membrane transporters is widely distributed in cells and tissues of the animal kingdom and constitutes one of the most important mechanisms for extruding Ca2+from the cell. Two basic properties characterize them. 1) Their activity is not predicted by thermodynamic parameters of classical electrogenic countertransporters (dependence on ionic gradients and membrane potential), but is markedly regulated by transported (Na+and Ca2+) and nontransported ionic species (protons and other monovalent cations). These modulations take place at specific sites in the exchanger protein located at extra-, intra-, and transmembrane protein domains. 2) Exchange activity is also regulated by the metabolic state of the cell. The mammalian and invertebrate preparations share MgATP in that role; the squid has an additional compound, phosphoarginine. This review emphasizes the interrelationships between ionic and metabolic modulations of Na+/Ca2+exchange, focusing mainly in two preparations where most of the studies have been carried out: the mammalian heart and the squid giant axon. A surprising fact that emerges when comparing the MgATP-related pathways in these two systems is that although they are different (phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate in the cardiac and a soluble cytosolic regulatory protein in the squid), their final target effects are essentially similar: Na+-Ca2+-H+interactions with the exchanger. A model integrating both ionic and metabolic interactions in the regulation of the exchanger is discussed in detail as well as its relevance in cellular Cai2+homeostasis.
Dynamic Sensorimotor Interactions in Locomotion
Authors: Rossignol Serge , Dubuc Réjean , Gossard Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2005

Locomotion results from intricate dynamic interactions between a central program and feedback mechanisms. The central program relies fundamentally on a genetically determined spinal circuitry (central pattern generator) capable of generating the basic locomotor pattern and on various descending pathways that can trigger, stop, and steer locomotion. The feedback originates from muscles and skin afferents as well as from special senses (vision, audition, vestibular) and dynamically adapts the locomotor pattern to the requirements of the environment. The dynamic interactions are ensured by modulating transmission in locomotor pathways in a state- and phase-dependent manner. For instance, proprioceptive inputs from extensors can, during stance, adjust the timing and amplitude of muscle activities of the limbs to the speed of locomotion but be silenced during the opposite phase of the cycle. Similarly, skin afferents participate predominantly in the correction of limb and foot placement during stance on uneven terrain, but skin stimuli can evoke different types of responses depending on when they occur within the step cycle. Similarly, stimulation of descending pathways may affect the locomotor pattern in only certain phases of the step cycle. Section ii reviews dynamic sensorimotor interactions mainly through spinal pathways. Section iii describes how similar sensory inputs from the spinal or supraspinal levels can modify locomotion through descending pathways. The sensorimotor interactions occur obviously at several levels of the nervous system. Section iv summarizes presynaptic, interneuronal, and motoneuronal mechanisms that are common at these various levels. Together these mechanisms contribute to the continuous dynamic adjustment of sensorimotor interactions, ensuring that the central program and feedback mechanisms are congruous during locomotion.
Sur la théorie spectrale locale des shifts à poidsopérateurs
Authors: Houimdi Mohamed , Zguitti Hassane
Published: December 2005

Nous étudions les propriétés spectrales locales du
shift unilateral à poids opérateurs. Nous donnons une
condition nécessaire et suffisante pour que l′adjoint satisfasse
la propriété de l′extension unique (SVEP). Une condition
suffisante pour satisfaire la propriété de Dunford (C) ainsi qu′une condition nécessaire pour satisfaire la condition de
Bishop (β) seront données. Enfin, nous montrons que le
shift à poids opérateurs est décomposable si, et seulement
si, il est quasinilpotent.

We study the local spectral properties for the
unilateral shift with operator‐valued weights. We give
necessary and sufficient conditions for the adjoint to satisfy
the SVEP. Sufficient condition to satisfy Dunford′s property (C) and necessary condition to satisfy Bishop′s condition (β) are given. Finally we show that the unilateral shift with
operator‐valued weights is decomposable if and only if it is
quasinilpotent.