bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Transferrin Receptor from a
Neisseria meningitidis tbpB
Isotype II Strain in Human Transferrin Binding and Virulence
Authors: Renauld-Mongénie Geneviève , Poncet David , Mignon Michèle , Fraysse Sophie , Chabanel Christophe , Danve Bernard , Krell Tino , Quentin-Millet Marie-José
Published: May 2004

Neisseria meningitidis
acquires iron through the action of the transferrin (Tf) receptor, which is composed of the Tf-binding proteins A and B (TbpA and TbpB). Meningococci can be classified into isotype I and II strains depending on whether they harbor a type I or II form of TbpB. Both types of TbpB have been shown to differ in their genomic, biochemical, and antigenic properties. Here we present a comparative study of isogenic mutants deficient in either or both Tbps from the isotype I strain B16B6 and isotype II strain M982. We show that TbpA is essential in both strains for iron uptake and growth with iron-loaded human Tf as a sole iron source. No growth has also been observed for the TbpB
−
mutant of strain B16B6, as shown previously, whereas the growth of the analogous mutant in M982 was similar to that in the wild type. This indicates that TbpB in the latter strain plays a facilitating but not essential role in iron uptake, which has been observed previously in similar studies of other bacteria. These data are discussed in relation to the fact that isotype II strains represent more than 80% of serogroup B meningococcal strains. The contribution of both subunits in the bacterial virulence of strain M982 has been assessed in a murine model of bacteremia. Both the TbpB
−
TbpA
−
mutant and the TbpA
−
mutant are shown to be nonvirulent in mice, whereas the virulence of the TbpB
−
mutant is similar to that of the wild type.
Contribution of Immunological Memory to Protective Immunity Conferred by a
Bacillus anthracis
Protective Antigen-Based Vaccine
Authors: Marcus Hadar , Danieli Rachel , Epstein Eyal , Velan Baruch , Shafferman Avigdor , Reuveny Shaul
Published: May 2004

Protective antigen (PA)-based vaccination is an effective countermeasure to anthrax infection. While neutralizing anti-PA antibody titers elicited by this vaccine serve as good correlates for protection against anthrax (S. Reuveny, M. D. White, Y. Y. Adar, Y. Kafri, Z. Altboum, Y. Gozes, D. Kobiler, A. Shafferman, and B. Velan, Infect. Immun.
69:
2888-2893, 2001), no data are available on the contribution of the immunological memory for PA itself to protection. We therefore developed a guinea pig model in which a primary immunization with threshold levels of PA can induce a long-term T-cell immunological memory response without inducing detectable anti-PA antibodies. A revaccination of primed animals with the same threshold PA levels was effective for memory activation, yielding a robust and rapid secondary response. A challenge with a lethal dose (40 50% lethal doses; 2,000 spores) of spores after the booster vaccinations indicated that animals were not protected at days 2, 4, and 6 postboosting. Protection was achieved only from the 8th day postboosting, concomitant with the detection of protective levels of neutralizing antibody titers in the circulation. The practical implications from the studies reported herein are that, as expected, the protective capacity of memory depends on the PA dose used for the primary immunization and that the effectiveness of booster immunizations for the postexposure treatment of anthrax may be very limited when no detectable antibodies are present in primed animals prior to
Bacillus anthracis
spore exposure. Therefore, to allow for the establishment of memory-dependent protection prior to the expected onset of disease, booster immunizations should not be used without concomitant antimicrobial treatment in postexposure scenarios.
Identification of a Novel Two-Component System inStreptococcus gordoniiV288 Involved in Biofilm Formation
Authors: Zhang Yongshu , Lei Yu , Khammanivong Ali , Herzberg Mark C.
Published: May 2004

Streptococcus gordoniiis a pioneer colonizer of the teeth, contributing to the initiation of the oral biofilm called dental plaque. To identify genes that may be important in biofilm formation, a plasmid integration library ofS. gordoniiV288 was used. After screening for in vitro biofilm formation on polystyrene, a putative biofilm-defective mutant was isolated. In this mutant, pAK36 was inserted into a locus encoding a novel two-component system (bfr[biofilm formation related]) with two cotranscribed genes that form an operon.bfrAencodes a putative response regulator, whilebfrBencodes a receptor histidine kinase. Thebfrmutant and wild-type strain V288 showed similar growth rates in Todd-Hewitt broth (THB). Abfr-catfusion strain was constructed. During growth in THB, the reporter activity (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) was first detected in mid-log phase and reached a maximum in stationary phase, suggesting that transcription ofbfrwas growth stage dependent. After being harvested from THB, thebfrmutant adhered less effectively than did wild-type strain V288 to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (sHA). To simulate pioneer colonization of teeth,S. gordoniiV288 was incubated with sHA for 4 h in THB with 10% saliva to develop biofilms. RNA was isolated, and expression ofbfrABwas estimated. In comparison to that of cells grown in suspension (free-growing cells),bfrmRNA expression by sessile cells on sHA was 1.8-fold greater and that by surrounding planktonic cells was 3.5-fold greater. Therefore,bfrABis a novel two-component system regulated in association withS. gordoniibiofilm formation in vitro.
The Novel Fibrinogen-Binding Protein FbsB PromotesStreptococcus agalactiaeInvasion into Epithelial Cells
Authors: Gutekunst Heike , Eikmanns Bernhard J. , Reinscheid Dieter J.
Published: May 2004

Streptococcus agalactiaeis a major cause of bacterial sepsis and meningitis in human newborns. The interaction ofS. agalactiaewith host proteins and the entry into host cells thereby represent important virulence traits of these bacteria. The present report describes the identification of thefbsBgene, encoding a novel fibrinogen-binding protein that plays a crucial role in the invasion ofS. agalactiaeinto human cells. In Western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiments, the FbsB protein was demonstrated to interact with soluble and immobilized fibrinogen. Binding studies showed the N-terminal 388 residues of FbsB and the Aα-subunit of human fibrinogen to recognize each other. By reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, thefbsBgene was shown to be cotranscribed with thegbs0851gene inS. agalactiae. Deletion of thefbsBgene in the genome ofS. agalactiaedid not influence the binding of the bacteria to fibrinogen, suggesting that FbsB does not participate in the attachment ofS. agalactiaeto fibrinogen. In tissue culture experiments, however, thefbsBdeletion mutant was severely impaired in its invasion into lung epithelial cells. Bacterial invasion could be reestablished by introducing thefbsBgene on a shuttle plasmid into thefbsBdeletion mutant. Furthermore, treatment of lung epithelial cells with FbsB fusion protein blockedS. agalactiaeinvasion of epithelial cells in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest an important role of the FbsB protein in the overall process of host cell entry byS. agalactiae.
Effect of Antibody on the Rickettsia-Host Cell Interaction
Authors: Feng Hui-Min , Whitworth Ted , Popov Vsevolod , Walker David H.
Published: May 2004

A recent study demonstrated that polyclonal antibodies toRickettsia conoriiand monoclonal antibodies to outer membrane proteins A (OmpA) and B (OmpB) provided effective, Fc-dependent, passive immunity, even in severe combined immunodeficient mice with an established infection. In order to determine the mechanism of protection, mouse endothelial and macrophage-like cell lines were infected withR. conoriithat had been exposed to polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies to OmpA or OmpB, Fab fragments of the polyclonal antibodies, or normal serum or that were left untreated. At 0 h, Fc-dependent antibody enhancement ofR. conoriiadherence to endothelial and macrophage-like cell lines was inhibited by the presence of normal serum, suggesting Fc receptor-mediated adherence of opsonized rickettsiae. At 3 h, the opsonized rickettsiae had been internalized. After 72 h, inhibited survival of rickettsiae exposed to polyclonal antibodies or monoclonal antibodies to OmpA or OmpB was evident compared with growth of untreated and normal serum-treated and polyclonal Fab antibody-treatedR. conorii. Polyclonal antibodies and an anti-OmpB monoclonal antibody inhibited the escape ofR. conoriifrom the phagosome, resulting in intraphagolysosomal rickettsial death. At 48 h of infection, rickettsicidal activity of macrophages by opsonized rickettsiae was inhibited by NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, superoxide dismutase, mannitol, or supplementall-tryptophan, and endothelial rickettsicidal activity against opsonized rickettsiae was inhibited by NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, superoxide dismutase, catalase, or supplementall-tryptophan. Thus, Fc-dependent antibodies protected againstR. conoriiinfection of endothelium and macrophages by opsonization that inhibited phagosomal escape and resulted in phagolysosomal killing mediated by nitric oxide, reactive oxygen intermediates, andl-tryptophan starvation.
Geographical and Temporal Conservation of Antibody Recognition of
Plasmodium falciparum
Variant Surface Antigens
Authors: Nielsen Morten A. , Vestergaard Lasse S. , Lusingu John , Kurtzhals Jørgen A. L. , Giha Haider A. , Grevstad Berit , Goka Bamenla Q. , Lemnge Martha M. , Jensen James B. , Akanmori Bartholomew D. , Theander Thor G. , Staalsoe Trine , Hviid Lars
Published: May 2004

The slow acquisition of protection against
Plasmodium falciparum
malaria probably reflects the extensive diversity of important antigens. The variant surface antigens (VSA) that mediate parasite adhesion to a range of host molecules are regarded as important targets of acquired protective immunity, but their diversity makes them questionable vaccine candidates. We determined levels of VSA-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in human plasma collected at four geographically distant and epidemiologically distinct localities with specificity for VSA expressed by
P. falciparum
isolates from three African countries. Plasma levels of VSA-specific IgG recognizing individual parasite isolates depended on the transmission intensity at the site of plasma collection but were largely independent of the geographical origin of the parasites. The total repertoire of immunologically distinct VSA thus appears to be finite and geographically conserved, most likely due to functional constraints. Furthermore, plasma samples frequently had high IgG reactivity to VSA expressed by parasites isolated more than 10 years later, showing that the repertoire is also temporally stable. Parasites from patients with severe malaria expressed VSA (VSA
SM
) that were better recognized by plasma IgG than VSA expressed by other parasites, but importantly, VSA
SM
-type antigens also appeared to show substantial antigenic homogeneity. Our finding that the repertoire of immunologically distinct VSA in general, and in particular that of VSA
SM
, is geographically and temporally conserved raises hopes for the feasibility of developing VSA-based vaccines specifically designed to accelerate naturally acquired immunity, thereby enhancing protection against severe and life-threatening
P. falciparum
malaria.
CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Improve the Survival of Pregnant and Fetal Mice followingListeria monocytogenesInfection
Authors: Ito Shu-ichi , Ishii Ken J. , Shirota Hidekazu , Klinman Dennis M.
Published: May 2004

Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause the death of both mother and fetus. Previous studies established that immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) increase the resistance of healthy adult mice to many infectious pathogens, includingListeria monocytogenes. This study examines whether the innate immune response elicited by CpG ODN can reduce the susceptibility of pregnant mice to lethal listeria challenge. The results indicate that CpG ODN treatment significantly improves maternal survival and reduces pathogen transmission to offspring. CpG ODN administered during pregnancy did not induce abortion, birth defects, or reduce the size or health of litters. These findings suggest that CpG ODN may provide a safe and effective means of improving the health of mothers and fetuses during pregnancy.
Antibodies against MAEBL Ligand Domains M1 and M2 Inhibit Sporozoite Development In Vitro
Authors: Preiser Peter , Rénia Laurent , Singh Naresh , Balu Bharath , Jarra William , Voza Tatiana , Kaneko Osamu , Blair Peter , Torii Motomi , Landau Irène , Adams John H.
Published: May 2004

MAEBL is a type 1 membrane protein that is implicated in the merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands. This apical organelle protein is structurally similar to the
ebl
erythrocyte binding proteins, such as EBA-175, except that the tandem ligand domains of MAEBL are similar to part of the extracellular domain of apical membrane antigen 1 and not the Duffy binding-like domain. Although midgut and salivary gland sporozoites are morphologically similar, salivary gland sporozoites undergo a period of new gene expression after infecting the salivary glands, display distinct phenotypic differences, and are more infectious for the mammalian host. The objectives of this project were to determine the molecular form of MAEBL in the infectious salivary gland sporozoites and whether the ligand has a role in the sporozoite development to exoerythrocytic stages in hepatocytes. We determined that MAEBL is newly expressed in salivary gland sporozoites and in a form distinct from what is present in the midgut sporozoites or present in erythrocytic stages. Both ligand domains (M1 and M2) were expressed as part of a full-length membrane form of MAEBL in the salivary gland sporozoites in contrast to the other stages that retain only the M2 ligand domain as part of the membrane form of the protein. Antisera developed against the cysteine-rich regions of the extracellular portion of MAEBL inhibited sporozoite development to exoerythrocytic forms in vitro. Together these data indicate that MAEBL has a role in this third developmental stage in the life cycle of the malaria parasite. Thus, MAEBL is another target for pre-erythrocytic-stage vaccine development against malaria parasites.
The Serine Protease Motif of EspC from Enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
Produces Epithelial Damage by a Mechanism Different from That of Pet Toxin from Enteroaggregative
E. coli
Authors: Navarro-García Fernando , Canizalez-Roman Adrián , Sui Bao Quan , Nataro James P. , Azamar Yenia
Published: May 2004

EspC (
Escherichia coli
secreted protein C) of enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC) shows the three classical domains of the autotransporter proteins and has a conserved serine protease motif belonging to the SPATE (serine protease autotransporters of
Enterobacteriaceae
) subfamily. EspC and its homolog Pet in enteroaggregative
E. coli
(EAEC) bear the same sequence within the serine protease motif, and both proteins produce enterotoxic effects, suggesting that like Pet, EspC could be internalized to reach and cleave the calmodulin-binding domain of fodrin, causing actin cytoskeleton disruption. Even though both proteins cause cytoskeleton damage by virtue of their serine protease motifs, the following evidence supports the hypothesis that the mechanisms are different. (i) To obtain similar cytotoxic and cytoskeletal effects, a threefold-higher EspC concentration and a twofold-higher exposure time are needed. (ii) EspC internalization into epithelial cells takes more time (6 h) than Pet internalization (30 min), and the distributions of the two proteins inside the cells are also different. (iii) Both proteins have affinity for fodrin and cleave it, but the cleavage sites are different; EspC produces two cleavages, while Pet produces just one. (iv) EspC does not cause fodrin redistribution within epithelial cells. (v) An EspC serine protease motif mutant, but not a Pet serine protease mutant, competes with EspC by blocking cytoskeletal damage. All these data suggest that the protein conformational structure is very important for the activity of the catalytic site, influencing its interaction with the target protein and its internalization. The differences between these proteins may explain the reduced ability of EspC to cause cytopathic effects. However, these differences may confer a specialized role on EspC in the pathogenesis of EPEC, which is different from that of Pet in EAEC pathogenesis.
Increased Susceptibility of β7-Integrin-Deficient Neonatal Mice in the Early Stage ofCryptosporidium parvumInfection
Authors: Mancassola Roselyne , Lacroix-Lamandé Sonia , Barrier Mathieu , Naciri Muriel , Salmon Henri , Laurent Fabrice
Published: May 2004

Numerous inflammatory cells are recruited in response toCryptosporidium parvuminfection. These cells include interferon gamma-producing T lymphocytes, which are of major importance for the resolution of infection. Here, we show that β7 integrin is not essential for the control of infection in mice but that β7-deficient neonatal mice are more susceptible during the early stages of infection.
Delivery of the Immunosuppressive Antigen Salp15 to Antigen-Presenting Cells bySalmonella entericaSerovar TyphimuriumaroAMutants
Authors: Motameni Amir-Reza T. , Juncadella Ignacio J. , Ananthanarayanan Shobana K. , Hedrick Michael N. , Huet-Hudson Yvette , Anguita Juan
Published: May 2004

ASalmonella entericaserovar TyphimuriumaroA-deficient delivery system was used to target the immunosuppressive protein Salp15 to antigen-presenting cells. In vitro and in vivo infections with Salp15-containingSalmonellaresulted in an impaired CD4+-T-cell activation, suggesting that the protein was produced by antigen-presenting cells in a physiologically active form.
The α-Specific Cell Identity Factor Sxi1α Is Not Required for Virulence of
Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Hull Christina M. , Cox Gary M. , Heitman Joseph
Published: May 2004

Cryptococcus neoformans
is a human fungal pathogen that has two mating types (
a
and α). Experiments have shown that in some backgrounds α strains are more virulent than
a
strains. Our studies reveal that the only known α-specific factor,
SXI1
α, is not necessary for virulence.
Helicobacter pylori
Induces AGS Cell Motility and Elongation via Independent Signaling Pathways
Authors: Moese Stefan , Selbach Matthias , Kwok Terry , Brinkmann Volker , König Wolfgang , Meyer Thomas F. , Backert Steffen
Published: May 2004

Helicobacter pylori
induces motogenic and cytoskeletal responses in gastric epithelial cells. We demonstrate that these responses can be induced via independent signaling pathways that often occur in parallel. The
cag
pathogenicity island appears to be nonessential for induction of motility, whereas the elongation phenotype depends on translocation and phosphorylation of CagA.
Antibody to
Cryptococcus neoformans
Glucuronoxylomannan Inhibits the Release of Capsular Antigen
Authors: Martinez Luis R. , Moussai Dariush , Casadevall Arturo
Published: May 2004

Cryptococcus neoformans
releases capsular polysaccharide in the supernatant of liquid cultures and in tissues. Significantly less glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) was released by
C. neoformans
in the presence of capsule-binding monoclonal antibody (MAb). MAb-mediated inhibition of GXM release may be another mechanism by which humoral immunity can mediate protection against this pathogen.
Secretory Leucoprotease Inhibitor Impairs Toll-Like Receptor 2- and 4-Mediated Responses in Monocytic Cells
Authors: Greene Catherine M. , McElvaney Noel G. , O'Neill Shane J. , Taggart Clifford C.
Published: May 2004

Secretory leucoprotease inhibitor (SLPI) is an anti-inflammatory antiprotease which can inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation. We examined its ability to inhibit NF-κB activation induced by lipoteichoic acid and investigated the effects of oxidation or complex formation with neutrophil elastase on SLPI's anti-inflammatory properties in U937 myelomonocytic cells and macrophages.
CD4
+
T Lymphocytes from
Anaplasma marginale
Major Surface Protein 2 (MSP2) Vaccinees Recognize Naturally Processed Epitopes Conserved in MSP3
Authors: Brown Wendy C. , Palmer Guy H. , Brayton Kelly A. , Meeus Patrick F. M. , Barbet Anthony F. , Kegerreis Kimberly A. , McGuire Travis C.
Published: May 2004

Major surface protein 2 (MSP2) and MSP3 of the persistent bovine ehrlichial pathogen
Anaplasma marginale
are immunodominant proteins that undergo antigenic variation. The recently completed sequence of MSP3 revealed blocks of amino acids in the N and C termini that are conserved with MSP2. This study tested the hypothesis that CD4
+
T cells specific for MSP2 recognize naturally processed epitopes conserved in MSP3. At least one epitope in the N terminus and two in the C terminus of MSP2 were also processed from MSP3 and presented to CD4
+
T lymphocytes from MSP2-immunized cattle. This T-lymphocyte response to conserved and partially conserved epitopes may contribute to the immunodominance of MSP2 and MSP3.
CDX-2 immunostaining in primary and secondary ovarian carcinomas
Authors: Tornillo L , Moch H , Diener P-A , Lugli A , Singer G
Published: May 2004

Aims:To assess the value of homeobox protein CDX-2 expression in the distinction between primary ovarian carcinomas and carcinomas metastatic to the ovary.

Methods:CDX-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 120 serous, 68 endometrioid, 24 clear cell, and 16 mucinous carcinomas of the ovary. In addition, CDX-2 immunoreactivity was investigated in 20 metastases from adenocarcinomas to the ovary (15 of colorectal, two of gastric, one of appendiceal, one of pancreatic, and one of cervical origin) and their corresponding primary tumours.

Results:Almost all of the primary ovarian carcinomas lacked immunoreactivity for CDX-2. In contrast, 14 of the 16 metastases to the ovary from intestinal primaries showed CDX-2 immunoexpression.

Conclusion:CDX-2 is a useful marker for differentiating primary ovarian carcinoma from carcinomas metastatic to the ovary.
Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome as a complication of induction chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Chandra D , Lawson S , Ramani P
Published: May 2004

This report describes a case of fatal haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) developing in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) during induction chemotherapy. The aetiology in this case is uncertain but it may have resulted from treatment with L-asparaginase or vincristine. The possibility of HUS during induction chemotherapy for ALL should be considered early on in the treatment regimen, if clinical signs and symptoms suggest this diagnosis, so that appropriate treatment can be instituted.
Myocardial air collections as a result of infection with a gas producing strain ofEscherichia coli: Figure 1
Authors: van der Vliet H J J , Niessen H W M , Perenboom R M
Published: May 2004

Certain strains ofEscherichia colihave been shown to cause gas accumulation in—for example, emphysematous pyelonephritis. This paper describes a patient with intramyocardial air collections resulting from an intramyocardial infection with gas formingE coli.
Preliminary investigation into factors affecting controlled struvite crystallization at the bench scale
Authors: Adnan Ali , Dastur Mazareen , Mavinic Donald S , Koch Frederic A
Published: May 2004

A preliminary investigation of factors affecting controlled struvite crystallization was conducted in bench-scale studies using a new crystallization reactor design, operating under a range of reactor and feed strength conditions. In 21 different experiments, it was found that the bench-scale reactor functioned well in terms of achieving good particle classification, although its performance was somewhat restricted in terms of P removal. Reactor operation was generally somewhat compromised because of scale effects. As a preliminary to further (ongoing) pilot-scale investigations, it was found that, for a given set of operating and feed strength conditions, there was a specific value of pH (pHlim) beyond which the reactor would not operate effectively. The pH value is an important operating parameter in struvite crystallization, and the mode of pH operation plays a major role in determining struvite crystal quality. When operated at pH values exceeding pHlim, poor quality (i.e., dendritic) crystals were produced and reactor plugging often occurred. A qualitative assessment of temperature effects on crystallization reactions suggested that low temperatures may indeed favour struvite crystal growth. Reactor seeding was not found to be a factor of any particular importance since, once struvite crystallization reactions were underway, the reactor appeared to be "self-seeding". Key words: Crystallization, phosphorus removal, struvite, environmental sustainability, bench-scale studies, phosphorus recovery.
Persistence of enteric bacteria in alluvial streams
Authors: Jamieson R C , Joy D M , Lee H , Kostaschuk R , Gordon R J
Published: May 2004

A tracer-bacteria was used to study the persistence of enteric bacteria in three alluvial streams (Carroll Creek, Lutteral Creek, Eramosa River) located in Southern Ontario, Canada. Within each stream, a 1.1 m2 section of the bed was seeded with a strain of Escherichia coli resistant to nalidixic acid (E. coli NAR). The survival of the tracer-bacteria within the stream bed and the release of the tracer-bacteria to the water column were monitored for approximately 3 weeks. Survival dynamics were also studied in each stream using dialysis tubes. In Carroll Creek, where water temperatures were typically lower than 16 °C, the inactivation of the tracer-bacteria did not follow a first order decay. The number of tracer-bacteria within the stream bed did not decrease for the first 5 d of the experiment. Inactivation of the tracer-bacteria within bed sediments of Lutteral Creek and the Eramosa River resembled typical first order decay, preceded by a 24-h lag phase. Water temperatures in Lutteral Creek and the Eramosa River were generally 10 °C higher than in Carroll Creek. Downstream water quality monitoring indicated that the tracer-bacteria was being released from the seeded bed sediments during both baseflow and stormflow periods in Carroll and Lutteral Creeks. However, in the Eramosa River, where bed sediments possessed an organic matter content of 9.5%, the tracer-bacteria was rarely recovered in downstream water samples. Survival dynamics observed in dialysis tubes resembled those observed in bed seeding experiments. The experimental approach employed in this study could be used to further investigate the survival and transport characteristics of sediment-associated bacteria. Key words: E. coli, sediments, survival, streams, tracer-bacteria.
Cyanobacteria toxins and the current state of knowledge on water treatment options: a review
Authors: Svrcek Clark , Smith Daniel W
Published: May 2004

Cyanobacteria toxins have quickly risen in infamy as important water contaminants that threaten human health. This paper provides a broad overview of cyanobacteria toxins and the current state of knowledge about water treatment options to reduce these toxins. The first part of the paper focuses on cyanobacteria as organisms and their ability to produce a variety of toxins, the proposed or accepted regulatory guidelines for these toxins, and common detection techniques. Then a review is presented of the past 25 years worth of work on cyanobacteria toxin removal using both conventional and advanced water treatment processes and operations. The paper concludes by identifying directions for future research required to advance the abilities of utilities and water treatment plant designers to deal with these toxins while long-term, watershed management and surveillance plans are developed and implemented. As well, some suggestions are provided for immediate steps that a water utility facing cyanobacteria blooms could take to minimize human exposure to these toxins. Key words: cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, cyanotoxins, water treatment, membrane filtration, advanced oxidation, UV photolysis, drinking water.
THE INDUCED REPRESENTATION OF THE ISOMETRY GROUP OF THE EUCLIDEAN TAUB–NUT SPACE AND NEW SPHERICAL HARMONICS
Authors: COTĂESCU ION I. , VISINESCU MIHAI
Published: May 2004

It is shown that the SO(3) isometries of the Euclidean Taub–NUT space combine a linear three-dimensional representation with one induced by an SO(2) subgroup, giving the transformation law of the fourth coordinate under rotations. This explains the special form of the angular momentum operator on this manifold which leads to a new type of spherical harmonics and spinors.
PARTICLE PRODUCTION BY THE EXPANDING THIN-WALLED BUBBLE
Authors: MAZIASHVILI MICHAEL
Published: May 2004

Neglecting the effect of particle production at the moment of bubble nucleation, the spectrum of created particles during the bubble expansion is evaluated in the thin-wall approximation. It is shown that the expanding thin-walled bubble makes the dominant contribution to the particle production.
THE DISCOVERY OF TWO NEW SURPRISING Ds STATES
Authors: PALANO ANTIMO
Published: May 2004

The BaBar experiment has discovered an unexpected new narrow state, [Formula: see text] in the inclusive [Formula: see text] invariant mass distribution from e+e- annihilation data at energies near 10.6 GeV. The same experiment has also shown evidence for structure in the 2.46 GeV c2 region in the [Formula: see text] mass spectrum. These discoveries have triggered a search in several experiments for new states coupled to the [Formula: see text] meson which have confirmed the existence of [Formula: see text] together with [Formula: see text] both in inclusive e+e- annihilation and in B-decays. These two new states are difficult to explain in terms of potential models.
DERIVING HAPLOTYPES THROUGH RECOMBINATION AND GENE CONVERSION PATHWAYS
Authors: EL-MABROUK NADIA
Published: May 2004

Retracing the trajectories of past genetic events is crucial to understand the structure of the genome, both in individuals and across populations. A haplotype describes a string of polymorphic sites along a DNA segment. Haplotype diversity is due to mutations creating new variants, and to recombinations and gene conversions that mix and redistribute these variants among individual chromosomes in populations. A number of studies have revealed a relatively simple pattern of haplotype diversity in the human genome, dominated by a few common haplotypes representing founder ancestral ones. New haplotypes are usually rare and have a limited geographic distribution. We propose a method to derive a new haplotype from a set of putative ancestral haplotypes, once mutations in place, through minimal recombination and gene conversion pathways. We describe classes of pathways that represent the whole set of minimal pathways leading to a new haplotype. We show that obtaining this set of pathways can be represented as a problem of finding "secondary structures" of minimum energy. We present a polynomial algorithm solving this folding problem.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SPLICE SITES IN GT–AG AND GC–AG INTRONS IN HIGHER EUKARYOTES USING FULL-LENGTH cDNAs
Authors: KITAMURA–ABE SUMIE , ITOH HITOMI , WASHIO TAKANORI , TSUTSUMI AKIHIRO , TOMITA MASARU
Published: May 2004

For the purpose of analyzing the relation between the splice sites and the order of introns, we conducted the following analysis for the GT–AG and GC–AG splice site groups. First, the pre-mRNAs of H. sapiens, M. musculus, D. melanogaster, A. thaliana and O. sativa were sampled by mapping the full-length cDNA to the genomes. Next, the consensus sequences at different regions of pre-mRNAs were analyzed in the five species. We also investigated the mononucleotide and dinucleotide frequencies in the extensive regions around the 5' splice sites (5'ss) and 3' splice sites (3'ss). As a result, differential frequencies of nucleotides at the first 5'ss in both the GT–AG and GC–AG splice site groups were observed in A. thaliana and O. sativa pre-mRNAs. The trend, which indicates that GC 5'ss possess strong consensus sequences, was observed not only in mammalian pre-mRNAs but also in the pre-mRNAs of D. melanogaster, A. thaliana and O. sativa. Furthermore, we examined the consensus sequences of the constitutive and alternative splice sites. It was suggested that in the case of the alternative GC–AG introns, the tendency to have a weak consensus sequence at 5'ss is different between H. sapiens and M. musculus pre-mRNAs.
SEARCHING FOR TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR BINDING SITE CLUSTERS: HOW TRUE ARE TRUE POSITIVES?
Authors: KRIVAN WILLIAM
Published: May 2004

The computational detection of functional transcription factor binding sites in genomic sequence is one of the challenges of the post-genomic era. Several groups have approached this problem from different directions and have demonstrated considerable success. The purpose of this communication, however, is to point out an imperfection in the way computational results are commonly reported that may lead to a distorted picture of the performance of existing algorithms.
1974 conjecture of Andrews on partitions
Authors: Padmavathamma  , Salestina M. R.
Published: May 2004

The case k = a of the 1974 conjecture of Andrews on two
partition functions Aλ,k,a(n) and Bλ,k,a(n) was proved by the first author and Sudha (1993) and the
case k = a + 1 was established by the authors (2000). In this
paper, we prove that the conjecture is false and give a revised
conjecture for a particular case when λ is even.
New filtering technique for the impulsive noise reduction in color images
Authors: Smolka B. , Chydzinski A. , Plataniotis K. N. , Venetsanopoulos A. N.
Published: May 2004

We present a novel approach to the problem of impulsive noise reduction for colorimages. The new image‐filtering
technique is based on the maximization of the similarities
between pixels in the filtering window. Themethod is able to
remove the noise component, while adapting itself to the local
image structure. In this way, the proposed algorithm eliminates
impulsive noise while preserving edges and fine image details.
Since the algorithm can be considered as a modification of the
vector median filter driven by fuzzy membership functions, it is
fast, computationally efficient, and easy to implement.
Experimental results indicate that the new method is superior, in
terms of performance, to algorithms commonly used for impulsive
noise reduction.
Direct current electric potential in an anisotropic half‐space with vertical contact containing a conductive 3D body
Authors: Li Ping , Stagnitti Frank
Published: May 2004

Detailed studies of anomalous conductors in otherwise homogeneous
media have been modelled. Vertical contacts form common geometries
in galvanic studies when describing geological formations with
different electrical conductivities on either side. However,
previous studies of vertical discontinuities have been mainly
concerned with isotropic environments. In this paper, we deal
with the effect on the electric potentials, such as mise‐à‐la‐masse anomalies, due to a conductor near a
vertical contact between two anisotropic regions. We also
demonstrate the interactive effects when the conductive body is
placed across the vertical contact. This problem is normally very
difficult to solve by the traditional numerical methods. The
integral equations for the electric potential in anisotropic
half‐spaces are established. Green′s function is obtained using
the reflection and transmission image method in which five images
are needed to fit the boundary conditions on the vertical
interface and the air‐earth surface. The effects of the
anisotropy of the environments and the conductive body on the
electric potential are illustrated with the aid of several
numerical examples.
Economic system dynamics
Authors: McCauley Joseph L. , Küffner Cornelia M.
Published: May 2004

We provide here a qualitative summary of the main ideas from
econophysics and finance theory, starting with a thorough
criticism of the standard ideas taught in typical economics
textbooks. The emphasis is on the Galilean or physicists′
approach to market dynamics, as opposed to the standard
nonempirical postulatory one.
Physics and the foundations of economic science: comments inmemory of Ilya Prigogine
Authors: Day Richard H.
Published: May 2004

This paper discusses how the concepts of nonlinearity, discrete
dynamics, chaos, and emergent order that Ilya Prigogine advanced
correspond to similar ideas involved in the adaptive,
evolutionary branch of economics.
On Prigogine′s approaches to irreversibility: a case study by thebaker map
Authors: Tasaki S.
Published: May 2004

The baker map is investigated by
two different theories of irreversibility by Prigogine and his
colleagues, namely, the Λ‐transformation and complex
spectral theories, and their structures are compared. In both
theories, the evolution operator U† of observables (the
Koopman operator) is found to acquire dissipativity by
restricting observables to an appropriate subspace Φ of the
Hilbert space L2 of square integrable functions. Consequently,
its spectral set contains an annulus in the unit disc. However,
the two theories are not equivalent. In the
Λ‐transformation theory, a bijective map Λ†−1 : Φ → L2 is looked for and the evolution operator
U of densities (the Frobenius‐Perron operator) is transformed
to a dissipative operator W = ΛUΛ−1. In the
complex spectral theory, the class of densities is restricted
further so that most values in the interior of the annulus are
removed from the spectrum, and the relaxation of expectation
values is described in terms of a few point spectra in the
annulus (Pollicott‐Ruelle resonances) and faster decaying terms.
Superfluidity in the stochastic limit
Authors: Accardi L. , Kozyrev S. V.
Published: May 2004

We discuss the stochastic limit approach to superfluidity.
Starting from the usual Hamiltonian describing the interaction
between the Bose condensate and the normal phase, we prove the
existence of superfluidity in the stochastic limit and deduce a
nonlinear (quadratic) kinetic equation describing the evolution
of the density of superfluid liquid.
Quantum theory and consciousness: an overview with selectedexamples
Authors: Atmanspacher Harald
Published: May 2004

It is widely accepted that consciousness or, in other words,
mental activity is in some way correlated to the behavior of the
brain or, in other words, material brain activity. Since quantum
theory is the most fundamental theory of matter that is currently
available, it is a legitimate question to ask whether quantum
theory can help us to understand consciousness. Several
approaches answering this question affirmatively, proposed in
recent decades, will be surveyed. It will be pointed out that
they make different epistemological assumptions, refer to
different neurophysiological levels of description, and adopt
quantum theory in different ways. For each of the approaches
discussed, these imply both problematic and promising features
which will be indicated.
Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C
Authors: Flashman Emily , Redwood Charles , Moolman-Smook Johanna , Watkins Hugh
Published: May 2004

Myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C) is a thick filament–associated protein localized to the crossbridge-containing C zones of striated muscle sarcomeres. The cardiac isoform is composed of eight immunoglobulin I–like domains and three fibronectin 3–like domains and is known to be a physiological substrate of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. MyBP-C contributes to thick filament structure via interactions at its C-terminus with the light meromyosin section of the myosin rod and with titin. The protein also has a role in the regulation of contraction, due to the binding of its N-terminus to the subfragment-2 portion of myosin, which reduces actomyosin ATPase activity; phosphorylation abolishes this interaction, resulting in release of the “brake” on crossbridge cycling. Several structural models of the interaction of MyBP-C with myosin have been proposed, although its precise arrangement on the thick filament remains to be elucidated. Mutations in the gene encoding cardiac MyBP-C are a common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and this has led to increased interest in the protein’s function. Investigation of disease-causing mutations in domains with unknown function has led to further insights into the mechanism of cMyBP-C action. This Review aims to collate the published data on those aspects of MyBP-C that are well characterized and to consider new and emerging data that further define its structural and regulatory roles and its arrangement in the sarcomere. We also speculate on the mechanisms by which hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–causing truncation and missense mutations affect the normal functioning of the sarcomere.
Ecological Politics, Violence, and the Theme of Empire
Authors: Dalby Simon
Published: May 2004

Empire has returned as a key political category in the last few years. It allows the politics of environment at the largest scale to be reconceptualized in interesting ways. Looking to imperial history and its ecological disruptions, to political ecology with its focus on the connections between rural production and metropolitan consumption, and in particular at the contemporary discussion of resource wars, this comment suggests that the focus on empire adds important dimensions to understanding global environmental politics. Not least empire requires a more explicit focus on the material contexts of contemporary politics and the violence that is connected to the extraction of resources, and petroleum in particular. Among other things this suggests a very different interpretation of the events of September 11th 2001, and the importance of including much more than regimes and cooperation into the study of global environmental politics.
Redefining the Issues: NGO Influence on International Forest Negotiations
Authors: Humphreys David
Published: May 2004

How successful have nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) been in influencing international forest policy? Specifically, how effective have they been at altering the texts of international forest policy declarations and agreements? This paper studies NGO efforts to influence international forest policy from the mid-1980s, when deforestation first emerged as an international environmental challenge, to 2001 when the United Nations Forum on Forests was created. This paper demonstrates that, in the short term, NGOs are more effective when they: 1. involve themselves in the early stages of negotiations, 2. suggest substantive and procedural ideas that are already well-known in fora outside forest politics, and 3. align their suggestions with the prevailing neoliberal discourse of international politics. The paper suggests that such conditions can be rather limited and thus speculates about NGO efforts within a longer time frame.
Crimes and the Criminal Process
Authors: Bassiouni
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
The Incompatibility of the Penal Code with Shari'a
Authors: Al-Muhairi
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Reasoning in Islamic Law: Part Three
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Omar
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Case Reports from the UAE
Authors: al-Marikhi
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Punishment in Islamic Law: a Critique of The Hudud Bill of Kelantan, Malaysia
Authors: Kamali
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Negotiating Contracts in Islamic and Middle Eastern Laws
Authors: Zahraa
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
The Representation of Chance
Authors: Hergovich Andreas , Ponocny Ivo
Published: May 2004

Two studies were conducted which examined the social representations of chance. In Study 1 (n = 90) an exploratory interview was held with subjects from different occupational groups (theologians, para-psychologists, physicists, statisticians, philosophers, gamblers, "man/woman on the street"). Results showed different metaphors of chance for the groups. Para-psychologists had the most idiosyncratic concept of chance (most of them declaring that chance does not exist). In Study 2 (n = 440, sample of students), the representation of chance was measured using quantitative instruments. Generally chance was represented as something which really exists, which is surprising and not calculable. Believers in psi saw chance as more supernatural than did non-believers. The results of multidimensional scaling provided semantic configurations of chance for believers in psi and non-believers.
Religion, Off-Line Cognition and the Extended Mind
Authors: Day Matthew
Published: May 2004

This essay argues that the "classical" or "standard" computation model of an enviroment of thought may hamstring the nascent cognitive science of religion by masking the ways in which the bare biological brain is prosthetically extended and embedded in the surrounding landscape. The motivation for distinsuishing between the problem-solving profiles of the basic brain and the brain-plus-scaffolding is that in many domains non-biological artifacts support and augment biological modes of computation - often allowing us to overcome some of the brain's native computation limitations. The recognition that in some contexts not all of the relevant computational machinery fits inside the head suggests that we should reconsider the possible role(s) and significance of material culture in religious cognition. More specifically, the broad spectrum of rituals, music, relics, scriptures, statues and buildings typically associated with religious traditions may be more than quaint ethnographic window dressing. Rather than thin cultural wrap arounds that decorate the real cognitive processes going on underneath, these elements could represent central components of the relevant machinery of religious thought. By introducing tangible features of the world that can be physically manipulated and tracked in real-time, for example, the cognitive scaffolding that religious material culture affords seems tailor-made for allowing people to exchange the intricate "off-line" problems that arise from dealing with invisible, counter-intuitive supernatural agents for the kinds of "on-line" cognitive tasks they are naturally good at doing (i.e., recognizing patterns, modeling simple worldly dynamics, and manipulating objects).
Intuitive and Explicit in Religious Thought
Authors: Pyysiäinen Ilkka
Published: May 2004

It has been argued within the new cognitive science of religion that people's actual religious concepts and inferences differ from their explicitly held religious concepts and beliefs; the latter are too complex to be used in fast online reasoning. Natural intuitions thus tend to overwrite theological doctrine and to drive behavior. The cognitive science of religion has focused on this intuitive aspect of religion, ignoring theological thought. Here I try to outline a theoretical model on the basis of which it should be possible to explain the interaction of the intuitive and explicit processes in religious cognition.