bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can the Benefits of Good Design BE QUANTIFIED?
Authors: Roy Robin
Published: September 2010

THE BRITISH DESIGN INNOVATION GROUP is a leader in design‐management research. In gathering information from a broad cross‐section of companies, one of its goals has been to distill objective data on the benefits and strategic role of design in business. Robin Roy reviews two major studies he and his colleagues have completed, and proposes an agenda for the future with respect to both the content of analysis and the methodologies used for collecting and analyzing input.
Design Bench Marks—INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Authors: Shida Ted
Published: September 2010

TO ASSURE THE BEST quantitative results, organizations must have processes that let them improve and leverage the quality of their resources. Design BenchMarks is one such process. Ted Shida facilitates this innovative project, and discusses how this self‐evaluation and sharing of strategies permits design managers to exchange information in the areas of leadership, quality, and empowerment without divulging proprietary data or compromising security
The Design Professions CREATE VALUE
Authors: Fontaine Paul
Published: September 2010

JUST AS CORPORATIONS can take advantage of strategies for leveraging the value of design, Paul Fontaine points out that communities can and should also pursue this opportunity. His three case studies illustrate the benefits of using design professionals to create value. Through maximizing existing assets, creative environmental design, and thoughtful site planning and architectural design, businesses, cities, and towns can reap long‐term economic rewards from investment in design.
STRATEGIES for Implementing Changes in Corporate Identity
Authors: Phillips Peter L.
Published: September 2010

AS THE CONTEXT AND CONTENT of corporate activity is always in flux, modification of an organization's identity is inevitable. Peter Phillips spells out the several phases in such a process. The first steps involve research to pinpoint problem areas, company personality, and design concerns. The next stages are to devise alternative solutions and test them across a breadth of audiences ranging from employees and suppliers to investors and customers. In the end, after refining a strategy, executives must prepare a plan for rolling out and maintaining the new identity.
Three PARADOXES, One IMAGE: The Worldwide System for IBM AS/400
Authors: Hensley Randall , Harber Billie
Published: September 2010

THE CHALLENGES WERE MANY: create a strong and unique identity for a new computer line without sacrificing the primacy of IBM as a corporate brand; develop an identity program that could be used in various countries and cultures around the globe; and convey notions such as “enduring,” “dependable,” and “reassuring” while simultaneously getting across ideas such as “flexible” and “dynamic.” In this fascinating case study, Randall Hensley and Billie Harber explain how they and other experts worked together to make it all happen.
Exploring the FUTURE in the PRESENT
Authors: Ireland Christopher , Johnson Bonnie
Published: September 2010

SINCE PEOPLE ARE NOTORIOUSLY unreliable in articulating meaningful preferences for yet‐to‐be developed products, disappointments are common for companies that depend on consumer research as a guide for innovation. Christopher Ireland and Bonnie Johnson believe that their approach, Applied Exploration, overcomes many of the problems inherent in this type of analysis. To support this conclusion, they outline their methodology and describe the very precise marketing profiles that emerge from their research process.
Drafting Tissue? NO, VELLUM—Facilitating Innovative Design
Authors: Hendren Jack
Published: September 2010

THERE IS NO DOUBT that having the right tools can enhance creativity. In the world of CAD, Ashlar Vellum software is one such tool. Its interface has an intuitive quality that supports, rather than interrupts, a designer's thinking. As Jack Hendren points out, this enhances the design process in many ways—minimizing the computer learning curve, facilitating the exchange of information, streamlining prototyping and production, and generally reducing development time while expanding the breadth and depth of options considered.
DESIGNING AN OLYMPIC GAMES in the Face of Chaos: The Case of Lillehammer
Authors: Jevnaker Birgit Helene
Published: September 2010

HOW CAN EXECUTIVES assure quality and consistency when design comes from a diversity of independent directions? Birgit Jevnaker's analysis of the success of the Lillehammer Olympic Games offers insights into the structure, activities, and catalysts that kept this multi‐year, billion‐dollar adventure on track. Interestingly in spite of literally hundreds of participants in design activities, it was organizational and communications strategies—rather than design guidelines—that made the most important contributions to positive results.
CREATING A VOICE in a Crowded Market
Authors: Barnes Diane
Published: September 2010

COMPETITION IN THE US contract furniture market is fierce. For new entrants to this arena, the first and easily overwhelming priority is not sales but creating a presence among a dispersed audience of interior designers, architects, and consumers. In images and words, Diane Barnes recounts how, in a little over a year, the German firm, Wilkhahn, has established its reputation in the United States by leveraging the timeless design of its products in competitions, exhibits, advertising, showrooms, and targeted public relations initiatives.
Increasing the Usability of High‐Tech Products Through DESIGN RESEARCH
Authors: Feldman Laurence P.
Published: September 2010

FASTER! BETTER! EASIER! These are terms often associated with new technologies. But what do users actually think? Addressing this question, Laurence Feldman defines criteria for measuring the usability of technological products and identifies three distinct user profiles, each hallmarked by unique attitudes regarding high‐tech products. Feldman's conclusion, based on survey results, is that the market for new technologies is segmented—a reality companies should respond to more effectively in their design strategies.
What Makes a Design Manager? A Conversation with the Design Management Journal
Authors: Green Lee , Briggs Bonnie , Lombardi John
Published: September 2010

THIS IS A REALITY CHECK. What are the education priorities of design managers already hard at work? To garner insights, we posed several questions to Lee Green, director of corporate identity and design at IBM; John Lombardi, executive vice president, creative services, for Revlon; and Bonnie Briggs, manager of corporate identity and communications at Caterpillar. Their responses provide an enlightening commentary on a range of important topics.
Designing for Productive Work Environments
Authors: Meek Elizabeth , Bourque Michael
Published: September 2010

QUALITY FACILITIES are not just about looking better. They're about working better, communicating better, and nurturing organizational culture. Illustrating their points with two major case studies, Elizabeth Meek and Michael Bourque explain how workplace revisioning—a multi‐featured interactive research strategy promoting extensive client participation in the design process—helps make sure new office space supports corporate productivity and identity objectives.
The Power of Retailer Brands
Authors: Teich Ira
Published: September 2010

IN THE GLOBAL marketplace, a carefully crafted private label may be the most effective brand strategy. Citing numerous examples, Ira Teich highlights the advantages of this approach—the generation of a distinctive retail personality, the ability to create tiered offerings as a response to varying consumer needs, and higher margins. It's a designintensive commitment, involving products, packaging, architecture, interior design, communications, and promotions, but it can profitably liberate a merchant from the tyranny of global brands.
Adaptation: The Key to Multicultural Marketing
Authors: Radzievsky Yuri , Radzievsky Anna , Mantello Elisabeth
Published: September 2010

TO ESTABLISH an effective global presence, corporations need “brand platforms” that are meaningful across a spectrum of cultures. Yuri and Anna Radzievsky, along with their colleague Elisabeth Mantello, explain why this is much more than fine‐tuning. Some dimensions of brand can remain constant while others change. Success depends on a plan that distinguishes between the two.
From Desktop Publishing to Knowledge Management
Authors: Horne Kate
Published: September 2010

AT EDS, DIGITAL communications opened the floodgates of information. The challenge given Kate Horne and her colleagues was to dramatically improve access and usability. The solution was a multi‐layered “communications portfolio” linking information to business objectives. The key is an intranet “infoCentre” that organizes the content and design of Web sites. Other features include navigation templates, News Maker stories, the Abbreviations weekly e‐mail, and a Straight Talk site for communicating with executives.
Sailing the Seven C's: Or How to Enlighten an Organization Without Losing All Your Friends
Authors: Rieple Alison
Published: September 2010

STRONG CONTENT IS a necessity when spreading the design gospel. What Alison Rieple points out is that there's also a vital personal dimension to suffusing the design message. Design champions must win the hearts and minds of their colleagues, and Rieple reviews seven options design managers might consider as they seek to establish alliances with diverse constituencies, garnering a wide range of input and support.
Brand power: Using design and strategy to create the future
Authors: Leonhardt Ted , Faust Bill
Published: September 2010

If, in the past, brands were about consistency and continuity, today they are about dynamic relationships and responding to change. Ted Leonhardt and William Faust present the thesis that brands are really conversations with consumers, which maintain their relevance and value by stressing core values instead of particular objects and media. To demonstrate their thinking in action and to highlight the contribution of design to strategic branding, they cite examples from Volkswagen, Apple, Hush Puppies, and several other companies.
New! Improved! (Uh huh, yeah sure, whatever…): A look at the modern dynamics of brands
Authors: Keeley Larry
Published: September 2010

Just as ways of doing business have changed, so too have identity and brand. Larry Keeley distills key trends in these arenas, clarifying the distinctions among corporate identity, organizational identity, and brand identity. He points out the ascendancy of the distributor over the manufacturer, the business unit over the organization, the customer over the competition, and collaboration over stand‐alone development. Then, in this new landscape, he proposes seven principals of insightful brand leadership.
Pas de deux— The dance of digital design
Authors: Brooks Kevin
Published: September 2010

Is it possible for the relationships among users and digital technologies to transcend the personal to become intimate? Kevin Brooks is convinced it will happen and describes how “storytelling” will be the heart of such a transformation. He foresees multi‐functional devices that respond to tasks with knowledge of their owners' desires, needs, and contexts. He also imagines interfaces designed to reflect a variety of interactive styles.
Capitalist tool, humanist tool
Authors: Robinson Rick E.
Published: September 2010

In a compelling and highly creative intellectual odyssey, Rick Robinson ponders the connections among contemporary technologies, fundamental human values, economic theory, and the role of design. At the end of his journey, he emerges an optimist, confident that design can be the pathway to humanizing our increasingly abstract world and an opportunity to put users, rather than producers, in control of our most valuable resources.
Managing digital design at BMW
Authors: Thomke Stefan
Published: September 2010

Without sacrificing quality, how does a company that prides itself on its outstanding engineering and the hand‐modeled perfection of its designs integrate computer‐aided design and computer‐aided styling as facets of a commitment to accelerate the development process? This is the question Stefan Thomke poses in a case study that probes the relationship between changes in technology and changes in corporate culture.
Overcoming the paradox of personalization: Building adoption, loyalty, and trust in digital markets
Authors: Rubini David
Published: September 2010

The emergence of one‐to‐one marketing and associated technologies of personalization as an important technique for engaging online customers has been accompanied by an equally strong concern for their privacy and security. David Rubini explores the issues surrounding this dilemma with valuable insights for design managers dealing with these important considerations of digital relationships.
Brand Perception on the Internet
Authors: van de Laar Gaston , van den Berg‐Weitzel Lianne
Published: September 2010

In digital environments, design can significantly improve the effectiveness of consumer communications. Gaston van de Laar and Lianne van den Berg‐Weitzel articulate key principles related to this endeavor. Among their guidelines: Create brand names that are easy to remember and spell; bundle items by theme, brand, and product category; use easily recognized images and logos; and provide layers of increasingly detailed information.
Design strategies for global products
Authors: Cai Yang
Published: September 2010

The design of a global product is often “refined” as a response to the unique dimensions of a particular international market. Yang Cai defines three broad options for dealing with these subtle changes. In adaptive design, product elements are modified. In configurable design, components are rearranged. In interface design, a layer of software is introduced as the vehicle for translating information into locally meaningful content.
By design: The BlueLight brand story
Authors: Danzig Mark
Published: September 2010

In this case study from the retail world, design is the medium that gives an old idea and an old company new life. Mark Danzig narrates how BlueLight has become a centerpiece of the Kmart revival: a gateway to “e‐tailing”—BlueLight.com; a concept that unifies the presence of stores, advertising, and the company's Web site— BlueLightness; an extensive price rollback strategy—BlueLight Always; and a planned affinity program—BlueLight Rewards.
Developing tangible strategies
Authors: Weiss Laura
Published: September 2010

As businesses ponder where to put their resources to assure future success, they are increasingly turning to innovation firms to help sort out the options related to these long‐term decisions. Laura Weiss presents a framework consultants can use to lead clients from “discovery” to “delivery,” a design‐grounded process that becomes a pragmatic “innovation engine” by combining expertise in human, technical, and business factors.
When successful products prevent strategic innovation
Authors: Jones Peter H.
Published: September 2010

As startups become large mainstream corporations, many lose the intense “breakthrough” mentality that characterizes their initial achievements. The willingness to take risks is replaced by a focus on growth and market share. Rather than moving on to the next threshold, satisfying customers becomes the priority. Peter Jones examines this fascinating shift in values and evaluates strategies designed to maintain a company's innovative spirit.
Promoting design leadership through skills development programs
Authors: Topalian Alan
Published: September 2010

Recognizing that design management is still in its formative stages, Alan Topalian has prepared a “brief” specifying a conceptual approach to lifting the profile and effectiveness of the discipline within the corporation. Going beyond current strategies, he discusses the audiences, content, methodologies, and desired outcomes of an education effort he believes should be broad‐based, pragmatic, and hands‐on.
Design in business education— A square peg in a round world?
Authors: Lockwood Thomas
Published: September 2010

Studying curricula and interviewing selected deans and faculty at some of America's most respected business schools, Tom Lockwood reluctantly concludes that design is simply not on the MBA map. Higher‐priority subject matter, accreditation criteria, and theories of education that make it hard to focus on design contribute to this reality. Fortunately, Lockwood identifies trends that suggest things may be better in the years to come.
Design management education: The UK experience
Authors: Hollins Bill
Published: September 2010

In the United Kingdom, the first courses in design management appeared almost three decades ago. Since then, there have been disappointments, as well as successes. Bill Hollins examines the record to highlight promising initiatives, along with the problems—including a poor understanding of design among business professionals, a lack of teachers, and accreditation issues—that thwart academic momentum in this arena.
Perspectives from inside the ivory tower
Authors: Wolf Brigitte , Davis Meredith , Vogel Craig
Published: September 2010

In contrast to business programs, which face the difficulty of integrating design management content within their curricula, design schools are addressing the topic with increasing interest and rigor. Brigitte Wolf describes strategies used at the School of Design, in Cologne, Germany. Meredith Davis speaks to the positive momentum building within graphic design. Craig Vogel looks at design education in general and describes specific courses given at Carnegie Mellon University.
When worlds collide: Integrated development with business and design students
Authors: Rothstein Paul
Published: September 2010

Interdisciplinary development teams have emerged as a key to stimulating organizational creativity. However, Paul Rothstein has discovered in a course he teaches on the subject, with three other colleagues, that making such collaboration work is a demanding task, especially as business and design student perceptions about and openness to this approach change as they experience the process.
Mission Foods: Unifying cultural consumer expectations through design
Authors: Bierzychudek Susan
Published: September 2010

It was no easy task: Devise a brand/packaging strategy that would simultaneously appeal to both the general and Hispanic markets. As the single largest manufacturer of tortilla products in the US and Mexico, Mission Foods was already a success, but executives were convinced even more growth was possible. Packaging was part of the plan, and Susan Bierzychudek discusses the evolution of designs that helped lift sales 10 percent.
Package design in the halls of academia
Authors: Bottoni Joseph
Published: September 2010

This is a snapshot of how one school handles the challenge of package design. The work comes from students at the University of Cincinnati. Professor Joseph Bottoni explains that the goals of the concise 10‐week assignment are to develop a package with a strong retail presence—clearly conveying content; reaching consumers emotionally, as well as rationally; and responsibly conserving resources. The outcomes are imaginative and diverse.
Wow! Who built that?
Authors: Blumenthal Dannielle
Published: September 2010

The look and feel of products have often been aspects of brand. In this case study, Dannielle Blumenthal demonstrates how this principle is being leveraged by an innovative homebuilder. From the layout of streets to the restoration of local landmarks, from light‐filled spaces to inspiring interiors and careful detailing, these highend homes have a memorable style that is attracting a growing number of buyers.
One giant leap for identity: Designing NASA's mission patches
Authors: Zolli Andrew
Published: September 2010

Since Gemini 5 in 1965, mission patches have captured the spirit of each NASA manned space flight. With modest professional assistance, they are designed by the astronauts themselves. In a fascinating case study, Andrew Zolli reveals the iconography, teamwork, history, rituals, and meaning embodied in these unique visual symbols. He also distills four broader design lessons from this NASA communications program.
The case for customization
Authors: Hanna Jeannette
Published: September 2010

The framework for personalized print communications—often included under the rubric customer message management—has existed for several years, and sales staffs have been enthusiastic supporters. But as Jeannette Hanna demonstrates in a case analysis, this reality will only emerge when the approach is part of a new strategic direction, drives down costs, and is complemented by a dynamic and highly flexible communications design culture.
Effect of Pore Architecture on Oxygen Diffusion in 3D Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Ahn Geunseon , Park Jeong Hun , Kang Taeyun , Lee Jin Woo , Kang Hyun-Wook , Cho Dong-Woo
Published: September 2010

The aim of this study was to maximize oxygen diffusion within a three-dimensional scaffold in order to improve cell viability and proliferation. To evaluate the effect of pore architecture on oxygen diffusion, we designed a regular channel shape with uniform diameter, referred to as cylinder shaped, and a new channel shape with a channel diameter gradient, referred to as cone shaped. A numerical analysis predicted higher oxygen concentration in the cone-shaped channels than in the cylinder-shaped channels, throughout the scaffold. To confirm these numerical results, we examined cell proliferation and viability in 2D constructs and 3D scaffolds. Cell culture experiments revealed that cell proliferation and viability were superior in the constructs and scaffolds with cone-shaped channels.
Microstructure and tribological performance of nanocomposite Ti–Si–C–N coatings deposited using hexamethyldisilazane precursor
Authors: Wei Ronghua , Rincon Christopher , Langa Edward , Yang Qi
Published: September 2010

Thick nanocomposite Ti–Si–C–N coatings (20–30 μm) were deposited on Ti–6Al–4V substrate by magnetron sputtering of Ti in a gas mixture of Ar, N2, and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN) under various deposition conditions. Microstructure and composition of the coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, while the mechanical and tribological properties of these coatings were studied using Rc indentation, and micro- and nanoindentations, solid particle erosion testing, and ball-on-disk wear testing. It has been observed that the Si concentration of these coatings is varied from 0% (TiN) to 15% (Ti–Si–C–N), while the structure of these coatings is similar to the nanocomposite Ti–Si–N coatings and consists of nanocrystalline B1 structured Ti(C,N) in an amorphous matrix of SiCxNy with the grain size of 5−>100 nm, depending on the coating preparation process. These coatings exhibit excellent adhesion when subjected to Rc indentation tests. The microhardness of these coatings varies from 1200 to 3400 HV25, while the nanohardness varies from 10 to 26 GPa. Both the microhardness and nanohardness are slightly lower than those of similar coatings prepared using trimethylsilane. However, the erosion test using a microsand erosion tester at both 30° and 90° incident angles shows that these coatings have very high erosion resistance and up to a few hundred times of improvement has been observed. These coatings also exhibit very high resistance to sliding wear with a low coefficient of friction of about 0.2 in dry sliding. There are a few advantages of using the HMDSN precursor to prepare the Ti–Si–C–N coatings over conventional magnetron sputtered deposition of Ti–Si–N coatings including composition uniformity, precursor handling safety, and high deposition rate. The coatings can be applied to protect gas turbine compressor blades from solid particle erosion and steam turbine blades from liquid droplet erosion, as well as other mechanical components that experience severe abrasion. These coatings may also be used in areas where both high wear resistance and low friction are required.
The Shifting Balance of Diversity Among Major Marine Animal Groups
Authors: Alroy J.
Published: September 2010

No Guide to the Future

Although fossils can provide glimpses of evolution, the accuracy for predictions made on the basis of commonality among geographically and hierarchically distinct taxa is unknown.
Alroy
(p.
1191
; see the Perspective by

Marshall

) looked at the global marine fossil record and found that major taxonomic groups of animals have distinctive patterns of diversification and unpredictable responses to mass extinctions. Extrapolating from the current ongoing extinction event predicted a geologically rapid rebound of a number of species, although the future taxonomic composition of the marine biosphere could not be forecast.
Growing Roles for Science Education in Community Colleges
Authors: Boggs George R.
Published: September 2010

To help meet economic challenges, 2- and 4-year colleges must collaborate to improve student completion and transfer.
Targeting the Core of Transcription
Authors: Hardie D. Grahame
Published: September 2010

An enzyme that senses metabolic stress phosphorylates a chromatin protein to control gene expression and adaptive responses.
Controversial Ruling Throws U.S. Research Into a Tailspin
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn , Vogel Gretchen
Published: September 2010

A U.S. judge's surprise decision last week to block government funding of human embryonic stem cell research has left scientists across the country confused, upset, and angry.
A Heterologous MF59-Adjuvanted H5N1 Prepandemic Influenza Booster Vaccine Induces a Robust, Cross-Reactive Immune Response in Adults and the Elderly
Authors: Fragapane Elena , Gasparini Roberto , Schioppa Francesco , Laghi-Pasini Franco , Montomoli Emanuele , Banzhoff Angelika
Published: September 2010

Immunogenicity and safety of a booster dose of an MF59-adjuvanted H5N1 vaccine containing 7.5 μg A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005-like (clade 2.2) H5N1 hemagglutinin, given approximately 18 months after primary vaccination with a heterologous strain, were evaluated. The booster vaccine was well tolerated and induced a robust, cross-reactive immune response.
Evaluation of
mupA
EVIGENE Assay for Determination of High-Level Mupirocin Resistance in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Rasmussen Anne K. I. , Skov Robert L. , Venezia Richard A. , Johnson Jennifer K. , Stender Henrik
Published: September 2010

Mupirocin is widely used to decolonize patients carrying
Staphylococcus aureus
, especially methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA). The aim of this study was to determine the presence of high-level mupirocin resistance by a new commercially available
mupA
genotypic diagnostic product,
mupA
EVIGENE assay (AdvanDx).
Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in China
Authors: Zhang Rong-Fang , Jin Yu , Xie Zhi-Ping , Liu Na , Yan Kun-Long , Gao Han-Chun , Song Jing-Rong , Yuan Xin-Hui , Xiao Ni-Guang , Guo Ming-Wei , Zhou Qiong-Hua , Hou Yun-De , Duan Zhaojun
Published: September 2010

There are limited data on the prevalence and clinical and molecular characterization of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in China. From December 2006 to March 2009, 894 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were collected from children under 14 years of age with ARTIs. Samples were screened for HRSV and genotyped by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and sequencing. Demographic and clinical information was recorded. A total of 38.14% (341/894) of samples were positive for HRSV. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 60.4% of the selected 227 RSV strains were GA2, 34.4% were BA, 4.8% were GB2, and 0.4% were GB3. A total of 40.47% of all of the RSV-positive samples were coinfected with other respiratory viruses, and adenovirus was the most common additional respiratory virus. No statistical differences were found in the frequency of diagnosis and symptoms between the coinfection group and monoinfection group. Additionally, no statistical differences were found in epidemiological characterizations or disease severity between genotype BA- and GA2-positive patients, except for a greater frequency of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) (mostly bronchitis)with BA. HRSV is the most important viral pathogen in Chinese children with ARTIs. Four genotypes (i.e., GA2, BA, GB2, and GB3) circulate locally, and the predominant genotype may shift between seasons. Coinfection with other viruses does not affect disease severity. HRSV genotypes were not associated with different epidemiological characterizations or disease severity.
Comparison of Premier CAMPY Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), ProSpecT Campylobacter EIA, and ImmunoCard STAT! CAMPY Tests with Culture for Laboratory Diagnosis of
Campylobacter
Enteric Infections
Authors: Granato Paul A. , Chen Li , Holiday Iris , Rawling Russell A. , Novak-Weekley Susan M. , Quinlan Tammy , Musser Kimberlee A.
Published: September 2010

Campylobacter
enteritis is a food-borne or waterborne illness caused almost exclusively by
Campylobacter jejuni
and, to a lesser extent, by
Campylobacter coli
. These organisms produce indistinguishable clinical diseases and together represent the second most common cause of bacterial diarrhea in the United States and the leading cause of enteric infection throughout the world. The conventional approach to the laboratory diagnosis of
Campylobacter
enteritis is based on the recovery of the organism from a stool specimen, which requires the use of a specialized medium incubated at 42°C for several days in an artificially created microaerophilic environment. Recently, several commercially available enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) have been developed for the direct detection of
C. jejuni
and
C. coli
in stool specimens. This study compared conventional culture with three EIA methods, the Premier CAMPY EIA (Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, OH), the ProSpecT Campylobacter EIA (Remel, Lenexa, KS), and the ImmunoCard STAT! CAMPY test (Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, OH), for the detection of
C. jejuni
and
C. coli
in 485 patient stool samples. Discordant results were arbitrated by using an in-house, real-time PCR assay that was developed and validated by a public health reference laboratory. Following analyses of the discrepant specimens by PCR, the sensitivity and specificity of both the Premier CAMPY and ProSpecT Campylobacter EIAs were 99.3% and 98%, respectively, while the ImmunoCard STAT! CAMPY test had a sensitivity of 98.5% and a specificity of 98.2%. By use of the PCR test as the reference standard, culture detected 127 of 135
Campylobacter
-positive stool specimens, yielding a sensitivity of 94.1%. These results showed that the three EIAs evaluated in this study provide a rapid and reliable alternative for the laboratory diagnosis of enteric infections with
C. jejuni
and
C. coli
and that conventional culture may no longer be recognized as the “gold standard” for diagnosis.
Dabigatran Inhibits
Staphylococcus aureus
Coagulase Activity
Authors: Vanassche Thomas , Verhaegen Jan , Peetermans Willy E. , Hoylaerts Marc F. , Verhamme Peter
Published: September 2010

The ability of
Staphylococcus aureus
to clot plasma through conformational activation of prothrombin by staphylocoagulase is used to distinguish
S. aureus
from coagulase-negative staphylococci. We show that while the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran inhibits staphylocoagulase activity, the clinical use of dabigatran etexilate is not expected to interfere with direct tube coagulase testing.
VP23R of Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus Mediates Formation of Virus-Mock Basement Membrane To Provide Attaching Sites for Lymphatic Endothelial Cells
Authors: Xu Xiaopeng , Weng Shaoping , Lin Ting , Tang Junliang , Huang Lichao , Wang Jing , Yu Xiaoqiang , Lu Ling , Huang Zhijian , He Jianguo
Published: September 2010

Putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding laminin-like proteins are found in all members of the genus
Megalocytivirus
, family
Iridoviridae
. This is the first study that identified the VP23R protein encoded by ORF23R of the infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), a member of these genes of megalocytiviruses. The VP23R mRNA covering the ISKNV genomic coordinates 19547 to 22273 was transcribed ahead of the major capsid protein. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that VP23R was expressed on the plasma membrane of the ISKNV-infected cells and could not be a viral envelope protein. Residues 292 to 576 of VP23R are homologous to the laminin γ1III2-6 fragment, which covers the nidogen-binding site. An immunoprecipitation assay showed that VP23R could interact with nidogen-1, and immunohistochemistry showed that nidogen-1 was localized on the outer membrane of the infected cells. Electron microscopy showed that a virus-mock basement membrane (VMBM) was formed on the surface of the infected cells and a layer of endothelial cells (ECs) was attached to the VMBM. The VMBM contained VP23R and nidogen-1 but not collagen IV. The attached ECs were identified as lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), which have unique feature of overlapping intercellular junctions and can be stained by immunohistochemistry using an antibody against a specific lymphatic marker, Prox-1. Such infection signs have never been described in viruses. Elucidating the functions of LECs attached to the surface of the infected cells may be useful for studies on the pathogenic mechanisms of megalocytiviruses and may also be important for studies on lymphangiogenesis and basement membrane functions.
Early Selection in Gag by Protective HLA Alleles Contributes to Reduced HIV-1 Replication Capacity That May Be Largely Compensated for in Chronic Infection
Authors: Brockman Mark A. , Brumme Zabrina L. , Brumme Chanson J. , Miura Toshiyuki , Sela Jennifer , Rosato Pamela C. , Kadie Carl M. , Carlson Jonathan M. , Markle Tristan J. , Streeck Hendrik , Kelleher Anthony D. , Markowitz Martin , Jessen Heiko , Rosenberg Eric , Altfeld Marcus , Harrigan P. Richard , Heckerman David , Walker Bruce D. , Allen Todd M.
Published: September 2010

Mutations that allow escape from CD8 T-cell responses are common in HIV-1 and may attenuate pathogenesis by reducing viral fitness. While this has been demonstrated for individual cases, a systematic investigation of the consequence of HLA class I-mediated selection on HIV-1
in vitro
replication capacity (RC) has not been undertaken. We examined this question by generating recombinant viruses expressing plasma HIV-1 RNA-derived Gag-Protease sequences from 66 acute/early and 803 chronic untreated subtype B-infected individuals in an NL4-3 background and measuring their RCs using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter CD4 T-cell assay. In acute/early infection, viruses derived from individuals expressing the protective alleles HLA-B*57, -B*5801, and/or -B*13 displayed significantly lower RCs than did viruses from individuals lacking these alleles (
P
< 0.05). Furthermore, acute/early RC inversely correlated with the presence of HLA-B-associated Gag polymorphisms (
R
= −0.27;
P
= 0.03), suggesting a cumulative effect of primary escape mutations on fitness during the first months of infection. At the chronic stage of infection, no strong correlations were observed between RC and protective HLA-B alleles or with the presence of HLA-B-associated polymorphisms restricted by protective alleles despite increased statistical power to detect these associations. However, RC correlated positively with the presence of known compensatory mutations in chronic viruses from B*57-expressing individuals harboring the Gag T242N mutation (
n
= 50;
R
= 0.36;
P
= 0.01), suggesting that the rescue of fitness defects occurred through mutations at secondary sites. Additional mutations in Gag that may modulate the impact of the T242N mutation on RC were identified. A modest inverse correlation was observed between RC and CD4 cell count in chronic infection (
R
= −0.17;
P
< 0.0001), suggesting that Gag-Protease RC could increase over the disease course. Notably, this association was stronger for individuals who expressed B*57, B*58, or B*13 (
R
= −0.27;
P
= 0.004). Taken together, these data indicate that certain protective HLA alleles contribute to early defects in HIV-1 fitness through the selection of detrimental mutations in Gag; however, these effects wane as compensatory mutations accumulate in chronic infection. The long-term control of HIV-1 in some persons who express protective alleles suggests that early fitness hits may provide lasting benefits.
Epstein-Barr Virus SM Protein Utilizes Cellular Splicing Factor SRp20 To Mediate Alternative Splicing
Authors: Verma Dinesh , Bais Swarna , Gaillard Melusine , Swaminathan Sankar
Published: September 2010

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) SM protein is an essential nuclear protein produced during the lytic cycle of EBV replication. SM is an RNA-binding protein with multiple mechanisms of action. SM enhances the expression of EBV genes by stabilizing mRNA and facilitating nuclear export. SM also influences splicing of both EBV and cellular pre-mRNAs. SM modulates splice site selection of the host cell STAT1 pre-mRNA, directing utilization of a novel 5′ splice site that is used only in the presence of SM. SM activates splicing in the manner of SR proteins but does not contain the canonical RS domains typical of cellular splicing factors. Affinity purification and mass spectrometry of SM complexes from SM-transfected cells led to the identification of the cellular SR splicing factor SRp20 as an SM-interacting protein. The regions of SM and SRp20 required for interaction were mapped by in vitro and in vivo assays. The SRp20 interaction was shown to be important for the effects of SM on alternative splicing by the use of STAT1 splicing assays. Overexpression of SRp20 enhanced SM-mediated alternative splicing and knockdown of SRp20 inhibited the SM effect on splicing. These data suggest a model whereby SM, a viral protein, recruits and co-opts the function of cellular SRp20 in alternative splicing.
Andes Virus Disrupts the Endothelial Cell Barrier by Induction of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Downregulation of VE-Cadherin
Authors: Shrivastava-Ranjan Punya , Rollin Pierre E. , Spiropoulou Christina F.
Published: September 2010

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) are severe diseases associated with hantavirus infection. High levels of virus replication occur in microvascular endothelial cells but without a virus-induced cytopathic effect. However, virus infection results in microvascular leakage, which is the hallmark of these diseases. VE-cadherin is a major component of adherens junctions, and its interaction with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, VEGF-R2, is important for maintaining the integrity of the endothelial barrier. Here we report that increased secreted VEGF and concomitant decreased VE-cadherin are seen at early times postinfection of human primary lung endothelial cells with an HPS-associated hantavirus, Andes virus. Furthermore, active virus replication results in increased permeability and loss of the integrity of the endothelial cell barrier. VEGF binding to VEGF-R2 is known to result in dissociation of VEGF-R2 from VE-cadherin and in VE-cadherin activation, internalization, and degradation. Consistent with this, we showed that an antibody which blocks VEGF-R2 activation resulted in inhibition of the Andes virus-induced VE-cadherin reduction. These data implicate virus induction of VEGF and reduction in VE-cadherin in the endothelial cell permeability seen in HPS and suggest potential immunotherapeutic targets for the treatment of the disease.
Lower-bounded facility location
Authors: Svitkina Zoya
Published: September 2010

We study the lower-bounded facility location problem which generalizes the classical uncapacitated facility location problem in that it comes with lower bound constraints for the number of clients assigned to a facility in the case that this facility is opened. This problem was introduced independently in the papers by Karger and Minkoff [2000] and by Guha et al. [2000], both of which give bicriteria approximation algorithms for it. These bicriteria algorithms come within a constant factor of the optimal solution cost, but they also violate the lower bound constraints by a constant factor. Our result in this article is the first true approximation algorithm for the lower-bounded facility location problem which respects the lower bound constraints and achieves a constant approximation ratio for the objective function. The main technical idea for the design of the algorithm is a reduction to the capacitated facility location problem, which has known constant-factor approximation algorithms.
Hypoxia downregulates p53 but induces apoptosis and enhances expression of BAD in cultures of human syncytiotrophoblasts
Authors: Chen Baosheng , Longtine Mark S. , Sadovsky Yoel , Nelson D. Michael
Published: September 2010

Hypoxia is commonly assigned a role in the placental dysfunction characteristic of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. We previously showed that hypoxia upregulates p53 and enhances apoptosis in primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts. Here we tested the hypothesis that hypoxia also induces apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts by upregulation of p53. Primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts that had differentiated into syncytiotrophoblasts by 52 h were exposed for ≤24 h to 20% or <1% oxygen in the presence or absence of staurosporine or the p53 modulators nutlin-3, pifithrin-α, and pifithrin-μ. Proteins were detected by Western blot analysis or immunofluorescence. Compared with 20% oxygen, exposure of syncytiotrophoblasts to <1% oxygen upregulated hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and rapidly downregulated p53. Activity of p53 in hypoxic syncytiotrophoblasts was reduced by the higher expression of the negative p53 regulator MDMX and by the reduction of phosphorylation of p53 at Ser392, which reduces p53 activity. Conversely, staurosporine, a kinase inhibitor, and nutlin-3, a drug that enhances p53 expression, both raised p53 levels and increased the rate of apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts compared with vehicle controls. Immunofluorescence staining showed p53 immunolocalized to both cytoplasm and nuclei of nutlin-3-exposed syncytiotrophoblasts. The hypoxia-induced apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts correlated with enhanced expression of the proapoptotic BAD and a reduced level of antiapoptotic BAD phosphorylated on Ser112. We surmise that cell death induced by extreme hypoxia in syncytiotrophoblasts follows a non-p53-dependent pathway, unlike that of a nonhypoxic stimulus and unlike hypoxic cytotrophoblasts. We speculate that downregulation of p53 activity in response to hypoxia reduces or eliminates the apoptosis transduced by the p53 pathway in syncytiotrophoblasts, thereby limiting cell death and maintaining the integrity of this critical villous component.
A role for AMPK in increased insulin action after serum starvation
Authors: Ching James Kain , Rajguru Pooja , Marupudi Nandhini , Banerjee Sankha , Fisher Jonathan S.
Published: September 2010

Serum starvation is a common cell culture procedure for increasing cellular response to insulin, though the mechanism for the serum starvation effect is not understood. We hypothesized that factors known to potentiate insulin action [e.g., AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and p38] or to be involved in insulin signaling leading to glucose transport [e.g., Akt, PKCζ, AS160, and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)] would be phosphorylated during serum starvation and would be responsible for increased insulin action after serum starvation. L6 myotubes were incubated in serum-containing or serum-free medium for 3 h. Levels of phosphorylated AMPK, Akt, and ATM were greater in serum-starved cells than in control cells. Serum starvation did not affect p38, PKCζ, or AS160 phosphorylation or insulin-stimulated Akt or AS160 phosphorylation. Insulin had no effect on glucose transport in control cells but caused an increase in glucose uptake for serum-starved cells that was preventable by compound C (an AMPK inhibitor), by expression of dominant negative AMPK (AMPK-DN), and by KU55933 (an ATM inhibitor). ATM protein levels increased during serum starvation, and this increase in ATM was prevented by compound C and AMPK-DN. Thus, it appears that AMPK is required for the serum starvation-related increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport, with ATM as a possible downstream effector.
Crafting a Real-Time Information Aggregator for Mobile Messaging
Authors: Leu Jenq-Shiou
Published: September 2010

Mobile messaging is evolving beyond SMS (Short Message Service) text messaging with the introduction of MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). In the past, such a scheme is used for peer-to-peer communication. Messages are generally displayed on a cellular phone with a limited-sized screen. However, such a visualizing process is not suitable to broadcast real-time SMS/MMS messages to people in public. To facilitate the instancy and publicity, we develop a real-time information aggregator—Visualizing SMS and MMS Messages System (VSMMS)—to realize the concept by integrating SMS and MMS messaging over GSM/GPRS/UMTS onto a remote display device. The device exhibits messages on a larger display device in public. VSMMS features a revolutionized variation of mass media broadcasting. In this paper, we practically illustrate how to design and implement VSMMS and use a M/M/1 model to conduct a theoretical analysis about the message delay in the system queue. Meanwhile, we make an empirical performance evaluation about the message transmission time over different networks.
An Integrated Supplier‐Buyer Inventory Model with Conditionally Free Shipment under Permissible Delay in Payments
Authors: Su Chia-Hsien
Published: September 2010

It is well known that production, distribution, marketing, inventory control, and financing all/each have a positive impact on the performance of a supply chain. Despite the growing interest in the development of integrated inventory models, the interactions between these elements of a supply chain may not be efficiently included, resulting in a restricted supply chain model presentation. To incorporate this phenomenon, a mathematical model that tackles the interdependent relationships between these aforementioned elements is developed in this paper. This study considers the determination of the optimal pricing, ordering, and delivery policies of a profit‐maximizing supply chain system, faced with (1) unit wholesale price of the supplier is set based on unit production cost, (2) unit production cost is taken as a function of demand rate and production rate, (3) the supplier′s production rate is adjusted according to market demand, (4) market demand depends upon buyer′s selling price, (5) a free freight is offered if the buyer′s order exceeds a certain minimum requirement, and (6) a constant credit period is offered by the supplier to stimulate the demand of the buyer. Algorithm for computing the optimal policies is derived. The sensitivity of the optimal results with respect to those parameters which directly influence the production and transportation costs is also examined.