bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Uncertainty in the Biospheric Carbon Flux for England and Wales
Authors: Kennedy Marc , Anderson Clive , O’Hagan Anthony , Lomas Mark , Woodward Ian , Gosling John Paul , Heinemeyer Andreas
Published: August 2007

A crucial issue in the current global warming debate is the effect of vegetation and soils on carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere. Vegetation can extract CO2 through photosynthesis, but respiration, decay of soil organic matter and disturbance effects such as fire return it to the atmosphere. The balance of these processes is the net carbon flux. To estimate the biospheric carbon flux for England and Wales, we address the statistical problem of inference for the sum of multiple outputs from a complex deterministic computer code whose input parameters are uncertain. The code is a process model which simulates the carbon dynamics of vegetation and soils, including the amount of carbon that is stored as a result of photosynthesis and the amount that is returned to the atmosphere through respiration. The aggregation of outputs corresponding to multiple sites and types of vegetation in a region gives an estimate of the total carbon flux for that region over a period of time. Expert prior opinions are elicited for marginal uncertainty about the relevant input parameters and for correlations of inputs between sites. A Gaussian process model is used to build emulators of the multiple code outputs and Bayesian uncertainty analysis is then used to propagate uncertainty in the input parameters through to uncertainty on the aggregated output. Numerical results are presented for England and Wales in the year 2000. It is estimated that vegetation and soils in England and Wales constituted a net sink of 7.55 Mt C (1 Mt C = 1012 g of carbon) in 2000, with standard deviation 0.56 Mt C resulting from the sources of uncertainty that are considered.
Modelling The Effect of Pupil Mobility on School Differences in Educational Achievement
Authors: Goldstein Harvey , Burgess Simon , McConnell Brendon
Published: August 2007

The recently introduced national pupil database in England allows the tracking of every child through the compulsory phases of the state education system. The data from key stage 2 for three local education authorities are studied, following cohorts of pupils through their schooling. The mobility of pupils among schools is studied in detail by using multiple-membership multilevel models that include prior achievement and other predictors and the results are compared with traditional ‘value-added’ approaches that ignore pupil mobility. The analysis also includes a cross-classification of junior and infant schools attended. The results suggest that some existing conclusions about schooling effects may need to be revised.
Prospects for the 1990s: A New Phase of Development in Australian Higher Education
Authors: Beswick David G.
Published: August 2007

Higher education in Australia is seen as having reached the conclusion of one phase of development characterized by a high degree of central planning and to be engineering a new phase in which it is argued that a radically different orientation is required. Recovery of at least shared responsibility by the states and the development of private initiatives should help to promote more creative management through diversification of funding sources and lines of accountability. Pressures for change follow demographic and social changes in the Australian population which are likely to favors increased participation in higher education for both personal and national economic purposes.
Appraisal and Accountability in Higher Education: Some Current Issues*
Authors: Elton Lewis
Published: August 2007

Appraisal and accountability become meaningful only m terms of declared and agreed objectives. The article, which deals in the main but not on& with teaching and learning, shows that teaching objectives can be clarified by relating teaching to research and that appraisal at both individual and institutional level can then be made meaningful. This leads on, quite generally, to a discussion of the potential for good as well as the inherent dangers, of appraisal and accountability in a collegial setting, the vital role played by staff development and training, and the difficulties which arise from an association of appraisal with promotion.
Student Mobility within the Commonwealth: Growing Constraints, New Initiatives*
Authors: Selvaratnam Viswanathan
Published: August 2007

This article examines the forces which have constrained student mobility and educational co‐operation within the Commonwealth and the new developments which are seeking to improve the situation. Economic imperatives and political pressures in both receiving and sending countries are seen as the major causes of the decline in mobility. The new developments dandified are preparatory courses, split‐site courses and distance education. The paper argues the need for a coherent constituent approach to increase student mobility in place of the rhetoric which has characterized policy to date.
Business Planning for Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Port Jim , Burke Jacqueline
Published: August 2007

Business planning is now an essential discipline for universities, polytechnics and colleges. Those which do not already have a corporate strategy will find they have to develop one in order to succeed in the new funding competition. The skills and attitudes required for successful business planning will have to be acquired and exploited alongside traditional academic strengths. In this article two management consultants who know higher education well explain how institutions can develop and benefit from a structured approach to business planning.
The Selection of Vice‐Chancellors: The Australian Experience
Authors: Sloper D. W.
Published: August 2007

This paper examines appointment procedures and selection criteria for the position of vice‐chancellor in eight of Australia's nineteen universities which advertised a vacancy during 1984 and 1985. Among issues analysed are: advertisement formalities; information provisions; and selection processes and criteria including initial action taken, composition of selection committees, identification of selection criteria and selection processes employed. Ways of imprroving subsequent appointment procedures and of ensuring legitimacy for appointees are discussed.
How Effective is Our University? A Study of Graduates from the University of Malawi
Authors: Dubbey J. M. , Chipofya C. C. , Kandawire J. A. K. , Kasomekera Z. M. , Kathamalo O. J. , Machili G. G.
Published: August 2007

The diminished resources available to a University in a developing country which has at the same time great national responsibilities require that the University will aim to be as efficient and effective as possible. This study of graduates of the University of Malawi attempts to measure the effectiveness of the University and to raise policy issues for the improvement of quality.
Opportunities Gained, Lost and to be Grasped
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2007

This paper will attempt to do two things. First, to try to establish the context in which the New Universities presently operate, both in terms of the overall shape and structure of higher education in Britain and in terms of the likely evolution of this system. Second, to look forward by attempting to discuss how the new universities’ leading characteristics, their achievements, fit into this changing pattern. Will they be assets or handicaps?
Evolution of Higher Education Finance in Australia
Authors: Harrold Ross
Published: August 2007

Central policymakers are becoming more aware of the possibilities of implementing their policies by using ‘softer’ discretionary financial instruments in preference to ‘harder’ directives and conditions attached to granted funds. A typical technique within this softer approach is to offer block grants to any target organization which contracts to pursue specific policy goals and to account for their achievement. Policymakers effectively perceive themselves as ‘quasi‐consumers’, prepared to ‘buy’ the achievements of their target organizations. Following its new self‐perception, the Commonwealth has ‘invited’ higher education institutions to ‘enjoy’ the financial benefits of its new Unified National System. Membership is open, however, only to those institutions which undertake to achieve specific organizational reforms desired by the Commonwealth. Moreover block recurrent grants flow to member institutions only after teaching and research targets have been individually negotiated and contracted. An endnote updates the final section on the Relative Funding Model.
The Contemporary Trend of Marketing Chinese Universities in Hong Kong—An Incoming Rival to British Counterparts
Authors: Liu Sandra S.
Published: August 2007

British universities have always been the market leader in recruiting Hong Kong students to study overseas or to take part in learning programmes. As the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997 approaches, some changes in market demands and incoming competitors have complicated the external environment of the market for higher education in Hong Kong. A major impetus for the incoming rivalry of the PRC is the recognition of qualifications obtained in PRC by the Hong Kong Government and continuing economic growth which in turn creates a tremendous demand for professional and managerial personnel in PRC. With the current sophisticated marketing practices and quality services to potential customers, this article attempts to provide information that may help British universities to discover their competitive edge in capitalizing on the experience and strengths of their higher education tradition and system.
Children in Women's Shelters: A Group Intervention Using Art
Authors: GILBERT CHARLOTTE M.
Published: August 2007

A review of the literature revealed a paucity of material about the needs of children in women's shelters. Yet, a recent national survey, conducted by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, reported that a substantial number of children from violent families not only witnessed abuse but also experienced it. One treatment modality for these children is a group approach. This article describes one children's group at a women's shelter. Through the medium of art, children were encouraged to express their feelings and discuss their own experiences.
Book Reviews
Authors: CS Christine Hacker, MSN, RN,
Published: August 2007

The Invulnerable Child. E. James Anthony, MD, and Bertram J. Cohler, PhD, Eds.
Book Reviews
Authors: RN Victoria S. Harkins, MSN,
Published: August 2007

Nursing Administration of Psychiatric‐Mental Health Nursing. Christina L. S. Evans, MSN, RNC, CNA, and Sharon K. Lewis, MA, RN, CNA. Rockville, MD
Children and Adolescents with AIDS: Mobilizing for Care
Authors: MURILLO‐ROHDE ILDAURA
Published: August 2007

JCPN Commentary presents a series of observations, opinions, and analyses of issues and trends in education and practice in psychiatric and mental health nursing, and social poky factors that influence, families, or the livery of health services to youth and their families
Development of the PAAI as a Measure of Attitudes of Parents with Preschool Children Toward Substance Use and Abuse
Authors: HAHN ELLEN J. , PAPAZIAN KATHERINE R.
Published: August 2007

Because parents have a major impact on their preschool children's development, the study of parental attitudes is crucial to understanding substance abuse behavior. This study examined the reliability of an instrument to measure attitudes of parents with preschool children regarding substance use and abuse. The sample consisted of a lower to middle socioeconomic, racially diverse population of 101 parents of preschool children. The Parent Attitude Assessment Instrument (PAAI) measured parents' attitudes toward substance use and abuse, parental role modeling, and substance abuse prevention with preschool children.
Gardening as Therapy for Children with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: McGINNIS MARILYN
Published: August 2007

A gardening program was implemented by the nursing staff for in‐patients on a children's psychiatric unit. By establishing and maintaining the garden and participating in garden group discussions, patients practiced teamwork, coped with delays in gratification, studied lie cycles and discussed topics of therapeutic significance. The success of this program provides anecdotal evidence for the efficacy of gardening as a supplemental therapy for children with behavioral disorders.
Diagnoses for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing
Authors: COLER MARGA SIMON
Published: August 2007

The classification system of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association and a revised axial system, such as appears in the DSM‐III, offer a solution to combining nursing and psychiatry in the practice of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing. A historical perspective of the major diagnostic systems in nursing and psychiatry help focus on alternatives toward developing a meaningful method of diagnostic‐based intervention.
Sibling Incest
Authors: GILBERT CHARLOTTE M.
Published: August 2007

Child sexual abuse has gained national attention within the last decade. The most reported and studied form of intrafamilial child sexual abuse is father‐daughter incest However, it is believed that sibling incest may be a more widespread form of intrafamilial sexual abuse. Yet, it has received the least amount of documentation and study. The purpose of this article is to describe sibling incest, including family dynamics. Implications for nursing intervention and research are proposed.
Behavioral Disturbances Among Medically Hospitalized School‐Age Children
Authors: MCCLOWRY SANDRA GRAHAM
Published: August 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral disturbances of medically hospitalized school‐age children. Seventy‐six school‐age children, between the ages of 8 and 12, were the subjects. The children's usual prehospital behavior was reported by their mothers who completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The hospitalized children were compared with the standardized nonclinical norms on the CBCL. Fifty‐one percent of the children scored in the clinical range on one or both of the broad bands measuring behavioral disturbances: 21% on externalizing symptoms and 47% on internalizing symptoms. Total behavior problems and externalizing behavior were slightly associated with low socioeconomic status but not with the number of previous hospitalizations. Internalizing problems were not related to socioeconomic status nor the number of previous hospitalizations. The need for specialized mental health services to this population is discussed.
The Feelings Room
Authors: Samenfeld Lisa G.
Published: August 2007

The Clinical Forum Department presents brief reports focused on discussion of clinical issues or innovative practice ideas and programs.
Support Systems and Caretaking Behaviors of Adolescent and Older Mothers: The First Year After Delivery
Authors: Higgins Barbara S. , Schilmoeller Gary L. , Baranowski Marc D. , Coladarci Theodore T.
Published: August 2007

This study investigated differences in support systems and caretaking behaviors of adolescent and older mothers. Nineteen adolescent and 25 older, Caucasian, first‐time mothers completed the Community Interaction Checklist and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment one, six, and 12 months after delivery. No significant differences in number or quality of daily interactions existed, although teens interacted more with helping agents and less with the baby's father and work contacts. No significant relationship between support and caretaking occurred. Teens may not be the isolated group sometimes depicted in the literature. They are a diverse population whose varying, individual needs must be considered prior to intervention.
The Psychological Status of Children With Cancer
Authors: Martinson Ida M. , Bossert Elizabeth
Published: August 2007

The psychological and social functioning of a sample of 16 children with cancer was assessed 3–5 years after diagnosis using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. Analysis indicated that 81% of the children were involved in age‐appropriate social interactions and the same percentage showed normal behavioral patterns.

No significant differences were found due to gender, type of tumor, or behavior over time. The children in this sample appeared to be functioning normally, both psychologically and socially, three to five years after a diagnosis of cancer.
Maintenance of Self‐Esteem by Obese Children
Authors: Manus Helen E. , Killeen Maureen R.
Published: August 2007

Forty‐five fifth grade children participated in a study to examine whether obese children differ in self‐esteem from their average‐weight peers. The study also explored whether obese children use the processes of discounting and cognitive distortion to maintain self‐esteem. The obese children had lower scores than average‐weight children in global self‐worth, and in perceived competence in physical appearance and social acceptance, but not in scholastic competence, athletic competence, or behavioral conduct. The pattern of results indicate that obese children do not discount the importance of physical appearance and weight, but use distortion. Further, the use of distortion by obese children was associated with more positive self‐perceptions. Although the use of defensive cognitions was effective in enhancing obese childrm's global self‐worth, it was not powerful enough to prevent completely the negative effects of obesity on self‐esteem.
Milieu Management of Traumatized Youngsters
Authors: Lawson Louanne
Published: August 2007

TOPIC. Traumatized youngsters are disproportionately represented in out‐of‐home treatment facilities. Conceptual models that guide treatment of traumatized youngsters are not well integrated with models that guide milieu management.

PURPOSE. To describe a milieu management approach for treatment of traumatized youngsters.

somas. Clinical experience with hospital and residential treatment facilities and therapeutic foster homes, as well as literature support.

CONCLUSIONS. Familiar treatment strategies take on an additional meaning when they are implemented in the context of the children's histories of exposure to traumatic euents.
Homeless Parents’Perceptions of Parenting Stress
Authors: Gorzka Patricia A.
Published: August 2007

PURPOSE. To describe homeless parents' perceptions of parenting stress as potential indicators of needs for support in parenting roles.

SAMPLE. Forty‐seven homeless parents (30 mothers, 17 fathers).

METHODS. Subjects completed the Parenting Stress Index to measure perceived parenting stress in the areas of child domain, parent domain, and life stress.

FINDINGS. Homeless mothers and homeless fathers both identified the child domain as the most frequent source of stress. T tests showed a significant dierence between groups only in the parent domain sub‐ scale of competence.

CONCLUSIONS. Findings from this study indicate the need to include parenting stress questions in an initial nursing or health assessment.
Childhood Memories About Food: The Successful Dieters Project
Authors: Brink Pamela J. , Ferguson Kristi , Sharma Anju
Published: August 2007

PURPOSE. The Successful Dieters Project explored and described the characteristics of dieters. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of one question about childhood memories surrounding food.

METHODS. All subjects were interviewed once with an intensive interview guide, were weighed, and were measured for height and waist‐hip ratios.

SUBJECTS. Subjects (N = 162) were 76 men and 86 women, who ranged in age from 21 to 84 years.

FINDINGS. Gender and weight histo y differences were noted in the areas of food rules, the age at which dieting to control weight began, family food rules, positive versus negative memories, and the use of food as a rmard or punishment. Parental experience with food deprivation was a strong force in shaping childrenS attitudes toward food.

CONCLUSIONS. Childhood memories about food appear to contribute to diferences among the obese, the always‐normul‐weight, and the successful dieter. Further research into this area of investigation is uxtrrantd.
The Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Review of the Research on Risk Factors With Implications for Practice
Authors: White Jane H.
Published: August 2007

TOPIC. Eating disorders are a significant health problem among children and adolescents. A synthesis of recent research findings on the risk factors for eating disorders describes prevention strategies for practice.

PURPOSE. To present research findings on risk factors for eating disorders that specifically relate to prevention for advanced practice. Current investigations are reviewed and critiqued for biologic, psychological, family, and sociocultural risk factors. A critique of the research and findings from important studies describes strategies for prevention of eating disorders for aduanced practice.

SOURCES. Published literature and clinical and research expertise of the author.

CONCLUSIONS. Identifiable risk factors for eating disorders are found in children as well as adolescents. Findings from risk factor research provide the advanced practice nurse strategies for prevention of eating disorders. Few prevention programs exist; even fewer have been tested. An important clinical and research focus for advanced practice nurses is the prmention of eating disorders.
Fabrication of GaN-based metal-oxide-semiconductor light-emitting diodes operating in ultraviolet spectral region
Authors: Honda T. , Kobayashi T. , Komiyama S. , Mashiyama Y.
Published: August 2007

Integrated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that operate in the UV spectral region were fabricated using GaN layers grown on sapphire substrates by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. Schottky-type LEDs and metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) LEDs were realized. The near-band-edge emission of GaN was observed in the electroluminescent spectra with reversed bias under pulsed-voltage conditions. The insertion of an aluminum oxide layer in the GaN-based LED leads to an increase in electroluminescent intensity.
Formation of ultrathin SiNx∕Si interface control double layer on (001) and (111) GaAs surfaces for ex situ deposition of high-k dielectrics
Authors: Akazawa Masamichi , Hasegawa Hideki
Published: August 2007

In order to realize pinning-free high-k dielectric metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) gate stack on (001) and (111)B oriented GaAs surfaces using the Si interface control layer (Si ICL) concept, formation of a SiNx∕Si ICL double layer was investigated as a chemically stable structure on (001) and (111)B surfaces which allows ex situ deposition of HfO2 high-k dielectric films without losing the benefit of Si ICL. First, Si ICLs grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on (001) and (111)B GaAs surfaces with various initial surface reconstructions were investigated in detail by reflection high energy electron diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations at each step of the interface formation. Large shifts of the surface Fermi level position toward unpinning were observed after Si ICL growth on appropriately formed Ga-stabilized surfaces. It was found that Si layers grow epitaxially with Si–Ga bonds at the Si∕GaAs interface and Si–As termination on top, suggesting surfactant roles played by As atoms. Then, an ultrathin SiNx buffer film was formed on the Si ICL by its in situ partial nitridation in the MBE chamber. An XPS analysis of the resultant SiNx∕Si ICL double layer formed on (001) and (111)B surface indicated that the structure is chemically stable against air exposure on both surfaces in the sense that it prevents the host GaAs surface from subcutaneous oxidation, although SiNx film itself partially turns into SiOxNy. Finally, high-k MIS capacitors were formed by ex situ deposition of HfO2 on the SiNx∕Si ICL/GaAs structure after transferring the sample through air. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) analysis indicated that the MIS interface is completely pinning-free with a minimum interface state density in the range of low 1011cm−2eV−1.
Trioxaquines and Heme-Artemisinin Adducts Inhibit the In Vitro Formation of Hemozoin Better than Chloroquine
Authors: Loup Christophe , Lelièvre Joël , Benoit-Vical Françoise , Meunier Bernard
Published: August 2007

Trioxaquines, potential antimalarial agents, and heme-artemisinin adducts, resulting from the alkylation of heme by artemisinin, were evaluated as inhibitors of β-hematin formation in 10 M acetate medium at pH 5.
Fatty Acid Synthesis Is Essential for Survival of
Cryptococcus neoformans
and a Potential Fungicidal Target
Authors: Chayakulkeeree Methee , Rude Thomas H. , Toffaletti Dena L. , Perfect John R.
Published: August 2007

Fatty acid synthase in the yeast
Cryptococcus neoformans
is composed of two subunits encoded by
FAS1
and
FAS2
genes. We inserted a copper-regulated promoter (P

CTR4
-
2

) to regulate
FAS1
and
FAS2
expression in
Cryptococcus neoformans
(strains P

CTR4
-
2

/
FAS1
and P

CTR4
-
2

/
FAS2
, respectively). Both mutants showed growth rates similar to those of the wild type in a low-copper medium in which
FAS1
and
FAS2
were expressed, but even in the presence of exogenous fatty acids, strains were suppressed in growth under high-copper conditions. The treatment of
C. neoformans
with fluconazole was shown to have an increased inhibitory activity and even became fungicidal when either
FAS1
or
FAS2
expression was suppressed. Furthermore, a subinhibitory dose of fluconazole showed anticryptococcal activity in vitro in the presence of cerulenin, a fatty acid synthase inhibitor. In a murine model of pulmonary cryptococcosis, a tissue census of yeast cells in P

CTR4
-
2

/
FAS2
strain at day 7 of infection was significantly lower than that in mice treated with tetrathiomolybdate, a copper chelator (
P
< 0.05), and a yeast census of P

CTR4
-
2

/
FAS1
strain at day 14 of infection in the brain was lower in the presence of more copper. In fact, no positive cultures from the brain were detected in mice (with or without tetrathiomolybdate treatment) infected with the P

CTR4
-
2

/
FAS2
strain, which implies that this mutant did not reach the brain in mice. We conclude that both
FAS1
and
FAS2
in
C. neoformans
are essential for in vitro and in vivo growth in conditions with and without exogenous fatty acids and that
FAS1
and
FAS2
can potentially be fungicidal targets for
C. neoformans
with a potential for synergistic behavior with azoles.
Targeting of the
Brucella suis
Virulence Factor Histidinol Dehydrogenase by Histidinol Analogues Results in Inhibition of Intramacrophagic Multiplication of the Pathogen
Authors: Joseph Pascale , Abdo Marie-Rose , Boigegrain Rose-Anne , Montero Jean-Louis , Winum Jean-Yves , Köhler Stephan
Published: August 2007

Brucella suis
histidinol dehydrogenase (HDH) can be efficiently targeted by substrate analogues. The growth of this pathogen in minimal medium was inhibited and the multiplication in human macrophages was totally abolished in the presence of the drugs. These effects have been shown to be correlated with the previously described inhibition of
Brucella
HDH activity.
Respiration of
Escherichia coli
in the Mouse Intestine
Authors: Jones Shari A. , Chowdhury Fatema Z. , Fabich Andrew J. , Anderson April , Schreiner Darrel M. , House Anetra L. , Autieri Steven M. , Leatham Mary P. , Lins Jeremy J. , Jorgensen Mathias , Cohen Paul S. , Conway Tyrrell
Published: August 2007

Mammals are aerobes that harbor an intestinal ecosystem dominated by large numbers of anaerobic microorganisms. However, the role of oxygen in the intestinal ecosystem is largely unexplored. We used systematic mutational analysis to determine the role of respiratory metabolism in the streptomycin-treated mouse model of intestinal colonization. Here we provide evidence that aerobic respiration is required for commensal and pathogenic
Escherichia coli
to colonize mice. Our results showed that mutants lacking ATP synthase, which is required for all respiratory energy-conserving metabolism, were eliminated by competition with respiratory-competent wild-type strains. Mutants lacking the high-affinity cytochrome
bd
oxidase, which is used when oxygen tensions are low, also failed to colonize. However, the low-affinity cytochrome
bo

3

oxidase, which is used when oxygen tension is high, was found not to be necessary for colonization. Mutants lacking either nitrate reductase or fumarate reductase also had major colonization defects. The results showed that the entire
E. coli
population was dependent on both microaerobic and anaerobic respiration, consistent with the hypothesis that the
E. coli
niche is alternately microaerobic and anaerobic, rather than static. The results indicate that success of the facultative anaerobes in the intestine depends on their respiratory flexibility. Despite competition for relatively scarce carbon sources, the energy efficiency provided by respiration may contribute to the widespread distribution (i.e., success) of
E. coli
strains as commensal inhabitants of the mammalian intestine.
Prolonged Colonization of Mice by
Vibrio cholerae
El Tor O1 Depends on Accessory Toxins
Authors: Olivier Verena , Salzman Nita H. , Satchell Karla J. Fullner
Published: August 2007

Cholera epidemics caused by
Vibrio cholerae
El Tor O1 strains are typified by a large number of asymptomatic carriers who excrete vibrios but do not develop diarrhea. This carriage state was important for the spread of the seventh cholera pandemic as the bacterium was mobilized geographically, allowing the global dispersion of this less virulent strain. Virulence factors associated with the development of the carriage state have not been previously identified. We have developed an animal model of cholera in adult C57BL/6 mice wherein
V. cholerae
colonizes the mucus layer and forms microcolonies in the crypts of the distal small bowel. Colonization occurred 1 to 3 h after oral inoculation and peaked at 10 to 12 h, when bacterial loads exceeded the inoculum by 10- to 200-fold, indicating bacterial growth within the small intestine. After a clearance phase, the number of bacteria within the small intestine, but not those in the cecum or colon, stabilized and persisted for at least 72 h. The ability of
V. cholerae
to prevent clearance and establish this prolonged colonization was associated with the accessory toxins hemolysin, the multifunctional autoprocessing RTX toxin, and hemagglutinin/protease and did not require cholera toxin or toxin-coregulated pili. The defect in colonization attributed to the loss of the accessory toxins may be extracellularly complemented by inoculation of the defective strain with an isogenic colonization-proficient
V. cholerae
strain. This work thus demonstrates that secreted accessory toxins modify the host environment to enable prolonged colonization of the small intestine in the absence of overt disease symptoms and thereby contribute to disease dissemination via asymptomatic carriers.
Constitutive Acid Sphingomyelinase Enhances Early and Late Macrophage Killing of
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhimurium
Authors: McCollister Bruce D. , Myers Jesse T. , Jones-Carson Jessica , Voelker Dennis R. , Vázquez-Torres Andrés
Published: August 2007

We have identified acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) as an important player in the early and late anti-
Salmonella
activity of macrophages. A functional ASM participated in the killing activity of macrophages against wild-type
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium. The role of ASM in early macrophage killing of
Salmonella
appears to be linked to an active NADPH phagocyte oxidase enzymatic complex, since the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium not only blocked a productive respiratory burst but also abrogated the survival advantage of
Salmonella
in macrophages lacking ASM. Lack of ASM activity also increased the intracellular survival of an isogenic Δ
spiC::FRT Salmonella
strain deficient in a translocator and effector of the
Salmonella
pathogenicity island 2 (SPI2) type III secretion system, suggesting that the antimicrobial activity associated with ASM is manifested regardless of the SPI2 status of the bacteria. Constitutively expressed ASM is responsible for the role that this lipid-metabolizing hydrolase plays in the innate host defense of macrophages against
Salmonella
. Accordingly, the ASM activity and intracellular concentration and composition of ceramide, gangliosides, and neutral sphingolipids did not increase upon
Salmonella
infection.
Salmonella
triggered, nonetheless, a significant increase in the secreted fraction of ASM. Collectively, these findings have elucidated a novel role for constitutive ASM in the anti-
Salmonella
activity of murine macrophages.
Antibody-Independent, CD4
+
T-Cell-Dependent Protection against Pneumococcal Colonization Elicited by Intranasal Immunization with Purified Pneumococcal Proteins
Authors: Basset Alan , Thompson Claudette M. , Hollingshead Susan K. , Briles David E. , Ades Edwin W. , Lipsitch Marc , Malley Richard
Published: August 2007

Immunity to pneumococcal colonization in mice by exposure to live or killed pneumococci has been shown to be antibody independent but dependent on CD4
+
T cells. Here we show that intranasal immunization with pneumococcal proteins (pneumococcal surface protein C, adhesin A, and a pneumolysoid) can elicit a similar mechanism of protection. Colonization could be significantly reduced in mice congenitally deficient in immunoglobulins after intranasal immunization with this mixture of proteins; conversely, the depletion of CD4
+
T cells in immunized wild-type mice at the time of challenge eliminated the protection afforded by immunization. Overall, our results show that intranasal immunization with a mixture of pneumococcal proteins protects against colonization in an antibody-independent, CD4
+
T-cell-dependent manner.
CONSTRUCTION OF WHISKERS FOR THE QUASIPERIODICALLY FORCED PENDULUM
Authors: STENLUND MIKKO
Published: August 2007

We study a Hamiltonian describing a pendulum coupled with several anisochronous oscillators, giving a simple construction of unstable KAM tori and their stable and unstable manifolds for analytic perturbations.

We extend analytically the solutions of the equations of motion, order by order in the perturbation parameter, to a uniform neighborhood of the time axis.
ONLINE LEARNING OF OBJECTS IN A BIOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED VISUAL ARCHITECTURE
Authors: WERSING HEIKO , KIRSTEIN STEPHAN , GÖTTING MICHAEL , BRANDL HOLGER , DUNN MARK , MIKHAILOVA INNA , GOERICK CHRISTIAN , STEIL JOCHEN , RITTER HELGE , KÖRNER EDGAR
Published: August 2007

We present a biologically motivated architecture for object recognition that is capable of online learning of several objects based on interaction with a human teacher. The system combines biological principles such as appearance-based representation in topographical feature detection hierarchies and context-driven transfer between different levels of object memory. Training can be performed in an unconstrained environment by presenting objects in front of a stereo camera system and labeling them by speech input. The learning is fully online and thus avoids an artificial separation of the interaction into training and test phases. We demonstrate the performance on a challenging ensemble of 50 objects.
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLDS FOR NEURAL NETWORKS WITH SYNAPTIC NOISE
Authors: BOLLÉ D. , HEYLEN R.
Published: August 2007

The inclusion of a macroscopic adaptive threshold is studied for the retrieval dynamics of both layered feedforward and fully connected neural network models with synaptic noise. These two types of architectures require a different method to be solved numerically. In both cases it is shown that, if the threshold is chosen appropriately as a function of the cross-talk noise and of the activity of the stored patterns, adapting itself automatically in the course of the recall process, an autonomous functioning of the network is guaranteed. This self-control mechanism considerably improves the quality of retrieval, in particular the storage capacity, the basins of attraction and the mutual information content.
AN EMBEDDED SALIENCY MAP ESTIMATOR SCHEME: APPLICATION TO VIDEO ENCODING
Authors: TSAPATSOULIS NICOLAS , RAPANTZIKOS KONSTANTINOS , PATTICHIS CONSTANTINOS
Published: August 2007

In this paper we propose a novel saliency-based computational model for visual attention. This model processes both top-down (goal directed) and bottom-up information. Processing in the top-down channel creates the so called skin conspicuity map and emulates the visual search for human faces performed by humans. This is clearly a goal directed task but is generic enough to be context independent. Processing in the bottom-up information channel follows the principles set by Itti et al. but it deviates from them by computing the orientation, intensity and color conspicuity maps within a unified multi-resolution framework based on wavelet subband analysis. In particular, we apply a wavelet based approach for efficient computation of the topographic feature maps. Given that wavelets and multiresolution theory are naturally connected the usage of wavelet decomposition for mimicking the center surround process in humans is an obvious choice. However, our implementation goes further. We utilize the wavelet decomposition for inline computation of the features (such as orientation angles) that are used to create the topographic feature maps. The bottom-up topographic feature maps and the top-down skin conspicuity map are then combined through a sigmoid function to produce the final saliency map. A prototype of the proposed model was realized through the TMDSDMK642-0E DSP platform as an embedded system allowing real-time operation. For evaluation purposes, in terms of perceived visual quality and video compression improvement, a ROI-based video compression setup was followed. Extended experiments concerning both MPEG-1 as well as low bit-rate MPEG-4 video encoding were conducted showing significant improvement in video compression efficiency without perceived deterioration in visual quality.
SELF-AFFINE SCALING AND NON-THERMAL PHASE TRANSITION IN TARGET FRAGMENTS OF MUON–NUCLEUS INTERACTIONS AT HIGH ENERGY
Authors: GHOSH DIPAK , DEB ARGHA , HALDAR PRABIR KUMAR , AHMED SYED IMTIAZ , GHOSH PARTHASARATHI
Published: August 2007

In this paper non-thermal phase transition for the target fragments of lepton–nucleus interactions at (420±45) GeV is studied in the framework of two-dimensional factorial moment methodology using the concept of Hurst exponent (H) to take care of anisotropic phase space. An indication of non-thermal phase transition is obtained where the anisotropic scaling behavior (self affinity) of dynamical fluctuation is best revealed (H = 0.8).
THE VIRGO–MINIGRAIL CROSS CORRELATION FOR THE DETECTION OF SCALAR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
Authors: CORDA CHRISTIAN
Published: August 2007

After a review of the frequency-dependent angular pattern of interferometers in the TT gauge for scalar gravitational waves (SGWs), which has been recently analysed by Capozziello and Corda, in this letter the result is used to study the cross correlation between the Virgo interferometer and the MiniGRAIL resonant sphere. It is shown that the overlap reduction function for the cross correlation between Virgo and the monopole mode of MiniGRAIL is very small, but a maximum is also found in the correlation at about 2710 Hz, in the range of the MiniGRAIL sensitivity.
INTERSECTING BRANE WORLD FROM TYPE I COMPACTIFICATION
Authors: CHOI KANG-SIN
Published: August 2007

We elaborate that general intersecting brane models on orbifolds are obtained from type I string compactifications and their T-duals. Symmetry breaking and restoration occur via recombination and parallel separation of branes, preserving supersymmetry. The Ramond–Ramond tadpole cancellation and the toron quantization constrain the spectrum as a branching of the adjoints of SO(32), up to orbifold projections. Since the recombination changes the gauge coupling, the single gauge coupling of type I could give rise to different coupling below the unification scale. This is due to the nonlocal properties of the Dirac–Born–Infeld action. The desirable weak mixing angle sin2θW= 3/8 is naturally explained by embedding the quantum numbers to those of SO(10).
Personal Information, Borders, and the New Surveillance Studies
Authors: Marx Gary T. , Muschert Glenn W.
Published: August 2007

This article reviews and critiques recent scholarship on surveillance and communication technology that involves the crossing of personal information borders. A Sociology of Information framework focusing on the normative elements is proposed as a way to integrate this variegated field. Empirical analysis is particularly needed to test the claims of surveillance scholars, and we suggest some hypotheses. The article concludes with a consideration of conflicting values and empirical trends that make this such a challenging field and suggests some “moral mandates” to guide research in the crossing of personal informational borders, whether this involves individual privacy and accountability or broader social concerns.
Effects of prior or concurrent food restriction on amylin-induced changes in body weight and body composition in high-fat-fed female rats
Authors: Roth Jonathan D. , Hughes Heather , Coffey Todd , Maier Holly , Trevaskis James L. , Anderson Christen M.
Published: August 2007

Amylin infusion reduces food intake and slows body weight gain in rodents. In obese male rats, amylin (but not pair feeding) caused a preferential reduction of fat mass with protein preservation despite equal body weight loss in amylin-treated (fed ad libitum) and pair-fed rats. In the present study, the effect of prior or concurrent food restriction on the ability of amylin to cause weight loss was evaluated. Retired female breeder rats were maintained on a high-fat diet (40% fat) for 9 wk. Prior to drug treatment, rats were either fed ad libitum or food restricted for 10 days to lose 5% of their starting body weight. They were then subdivided into treatment groups that received either vehicle or amylin (100 μg·kg−1·day−1 via subcutaneous minipump) and placed under either a restricted or ad libitum feeding schedule (for a total of 8 treatment arms). Amylin 1) significantly reduced body weight compared with vehicle under all treatment conditions, except in always restricted animals, 2) significantly decreased percent body fat in all groups, and 3) preserved lean mass in all groups. These results indicate that amylin's anorexigenic and fat-specific weight loss properties can be extended to a variety of nutritive states in female rats.
Ribotoxic Stress Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to Death Receptor–Induced Apoptosis: Requirements for c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase and Bim
Authors: Xia Shuli , Li Yang , Rosen Eliot M. , Laterra John
Published: August 2007

A prominent feature of glioblastoma is its resistance to death receptor–mediated apoptosis. In this study, we explored the possibility of modulating death receptor–induced cell death with the c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activator anisomycin. Anisomycin activates JNK by inactivating the ribosome and inducing “ribotoxic stress.” We found that anisomycin and death receptor ligand anti-Fas antibody CH-11 or tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) synergistically induce apoptosis in multiple human glioblastoma cell lines. For example, in U87 cells, anisomycin reduced the IC50 of CH-11 by more than 20-fold (from 500 to 25 ng/mL). Cell viability in response to anisomycin, CH-11, and their combination was 79%, 91%, and 28% (P < 0.001), respectively. Anisomycin and TRAIL were found to be similarly synergistic in glioblastoma cells maintained as tumor xenografts. The potentiation of death receptor–dependent cell death by anisomycin was specific because emetine, another ribosome inhibitor that does not induce ribotoxic stress or activate JNK, did not have a similar effect. Synergistic cell death was predominantly apoptotic involving both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Expression of Fas, FasL, FLIP, and Fas-associated death domain (FADD) was not changed following treatment with anisomycin + CH-11. JNK was activated 10- to 22-fold by anisomycin + CH-11 in U87 cells. Inhibiting JNK activation with pharmacologic inhibitors of JNKK and JNK or with dominant negative mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase 2 (MEKK2) significantly prevented cell death induced by the combination of anisomycin + CH-11. We further found that anisomycin + CH-11 up-regulated the proapoptotic protein Bim by ∼14-fold. Simultaneously inhibiting Bim expression and JNK activation additively desensitized U87 cells to anisomycin + CH-11. These findings show that anisomycin-induced ribotoxic stress sensitizes glioblastoma cells to death receptor–induced apoptosis via a specific mechanism requiring both JNK activation and Bim induction. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(8):783–92)
c-Src/Histone Deacetylase 3 Interaction Is Crucial for Hepatocyte Growth Factor–Dependent Decrease of CXCR4 Expression in Highly Invasive Breast Tumor Cells
Authors: Matteucci Emanuela , Ridolfi Elisa , Maroni Paola , Bendinelli Paola , Desiderio Maria Alfonsina
Published: August 2007

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a cytokine of tumor microenvironment, exerts opposite effects on CXCR4 expression in MCF-7 (low invasive) and MDA-MB231 (highly invasive) breast carcinoma cells, and here, we show that completely different molecular mechanisms downstream of c-Src activation were involved. As experimental models, we used cells transfected with two CXCR4 promoter constructs and treated with HGF or cotransfected with c-Src wild-type (Srcwt) expression vector; phospho–c-Src formation was enhanced in both cell lines. In MCF-7 cells, consistent with activations of CXCR4Luc constructs after HGF treatment and Srcwt expression, Ets1 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors were activated. In contrast, in MDA-MB231 cells, CXCR4Luc construct, Ets1 and NF-κB activities decreased. The divergence point seemed to be downstream of HGF/c-Src and consisted in the interaction between c-Src and the substrate histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3). Only in MDA-MB231 cells, HDAC3 level was enhanced in membranes and nuclei 30 min after HGF and colocalized/coimmunoprecipitated with phospho–c-Src and phosphotyrosine. Thus, the CXCR4 induction by HGF in MCF-7 cells required NF-κB and Ets1 activations, downstream of phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt, whereas in HGF-treated MDA-MB231 cells, HDAC3 activation via c-Src probably caused a reduction of transcription factor activities, such as that of NF-κB. These results indicate possible roles of HGF in invasive growth of breast carcinomas. By enhancing CXCR4 in low invasive tumor cells, HGF probably favors their homing to secondary sites, whereas by suppressing CXCR4 in highly invasive cells, HGF might participate to retain them in the metastatic sites. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(8):833–45)