bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation, purification, and characterization of the major autolysin fromPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Watt Steven R. , Clarke Anthony J.
Published: February 2010

The major (26 kDa) autolysin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was purified to apparent homogeneity by a combination of preparative electrophoresis, ion-exchange, and dye–ligand chromatographies. This purification was facilitated by the development of a spot-assay that involved the spotting and subsequent incubation of autolysin samples on polyacrylamide gels containing peptidoglycan. The pI of the 26-kDa autolysin was determined to be between 3.5 and 4 and disulfide bonds within the enzyme were essential for activity. The autolysin catalyzed the release of reducing sugars from the peptidoglycans of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli indicating it to be a β-glycosidase. It was ineffective at hydrolysing the peptidoglycan from Gram-positive bacteria and the O-acetylated peptidoglycans from either Proteus mirabilis or Staphylococcus aureus. The N-terminal sequence of the purified autolysin was determined to be His-Glu-Pro-Pro-Gly. The 26-kDa autolysin together with a 29-kDa autolysin was determined to be secreted into the medium by a mechanism that involves the production and release of surface membrane vesicles during normal growth, but the enzymes were not found free and active in culture broth supernatants.Key words: autolysin, purification, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, membrane vesicles, muramidase.
Serratia entomophilabacteriophages: host range determination and preliminary characterization
Authors: O'Callaghan Maureen , Jackson Trevor A. , Glare Travis R.
Published: February 2010

Eight bacteriophages specific to Serratia entomophila, a commercially available bacterial pathogen of the New Zealand grass grub (Costelytra zealandica), were characterized by host range determination, morphology and restriction endonuclease patterns of DNA. Phages were originally isolated from grass grub larvae and fermenter broth where phages had disrupted large-scale production of S. entomophila. Seven of the phages (CW1–CW5, BC, and BT) had heads similar in size (approximately 60 × 60 nm) and long noncontractile tails (185 × 10 nm). Phage AgRP8 (P8) had a smaller head and a short tail structure. Restriction endonuclease analysis divided the phages into four groups: CW2, CW4, CW5, BC, and BT gave identical patterns, while CW1, CW3, and P8 each gave different patterns. Six distinct phage groups were distinguished by host range determination, after screening phages against 70 bacterial isolates: CW1, CW2/CW4, CW3, CW5, BC/BT, and P8. While confirming the indicated groupings by DNA analysis, it was possible to distinguish between some of the phages in the largest group: CW2/4 could be distinguished from CW5 and BC/BT. Screening of soil bacterial isolates of S. entomophila against nondiluted phages will aid in monitoring the establishment and persistence of strains applied for biological control of the grass grub.Key words: Serratia entomophila, bacteriophage, morphology, phage typing, host range.
Characterization of the bacterial flora isolated from a pilot-scale lagoon processing swine manure
Authors: Chikh G. , Pourquié J. , Kaiser P. , Davila A. M.
Published: February 2010

The bacterial flora of an experimental plant that processes liquid swine manure by an aerated compartmented (multistage) lagoon system has been studied. The total flora is characterized by a larger number of oligotrophic bacteria than eutrophic ones. Each compartment displays a specific flora, different from the flora in the manure, and consisting of a complex assembly of Gram-negative and Gram-positive ubiquitous species, such as Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp., and specialized species, such as Sphingobacterium spp. and Corynebacterium spp. The fecal indicator microorganisms have been shown to disappear in the course of the processing. A significant population of nitrifying bacteria has been observed at levels up to 104 bacteria∙mL−1.Key words: swine manure, processing lagoon, bacterial flora, wastewater.
Bacterial microencapsulation with three algal polysaccharides
Authors: Hammill Terry B. , Crawford Ronald L.
Published: February 2010

Methods for encapsulating pollutant-degrading bacteria into microbeads of carrageenan type I, carrageenan type II, and guar gum are described. Cell suspensions in solutions of encapsulating agents were passed through a low-pressure nozzle into an aqueous medium. The resultant aerosols polymerized to form microbeads that ranged in diameter from 2–70 μm. Pentachlorophenol degradation experiments with an encapsulated Sphingomonas sp. showed degradation rates similar to those seen using free cells. These results describe three additional matrices for the microencapsulation of bacteria that have potential for use in bioremediation processes.Key words: Sphingomonas, pentachlorophenol, immobilization, encapsulation, bioremediation.
Purification and properties of a sulfide-oxidizing enzyme fromStreptomycessp. strain SH91
Authors: Ohta Y. , Sumida K. , Nakada Y.
Published: February 2010

A heterotrophic Streptomyces sp. strain SH91 isolated from pig feces compost had the ability to oxidize hydrogen sulfide to odorless substances. With several purification steps including ion-exchange and hydrophobic chromatographies, the hydrogen sulfide oxidizing enzyme was purified to a homogeneous form. The molecular mass was estimated to be 37 kDa by SDS–PAGE. The optimum reaction pH and temperature were 6.5 and 30 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable between pH 6.0 and 8.0 and up to 40 °C. The enzyme was activated by Ba2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+and inhibited by Mn2+, and Al3+. The main product was thiosulfate.Key words: hydrogen sulfide, heterotroph, Streptomyces, oxidizing enzyme, malodorous pollution.
Purification and characterization of an enzyme from a strain ofOchrobactrum anthropithat degrades condensation products of urea and formaldehyde (ureaform)
Authors: Jahns Thomas , Schepp Roswitha , Kaltwasser Heinrich
Published: February 2010

An enzyme hydrolyzing the condensation products of urea and formaldehyde (ureaform) was purified and characterized from a bacterium isolated from soil and described as Ochrobactrum anthropi UF4. The enzyme designated as methylenediurea amidinohydrolase (methylenediurea deiminase) hydrolyzed ureaform condensation products of different length (methylenediurea, dimethylenetriurea, trimethylenetetraurea) to ammonium, formaldehyde, and urea at molar ratios of 2:1:1 (methylenediurea), 4:2:1 (dimethylenetriurea), and 6:3:1 (trimethylenetetraurea). Two other substrates, ureidoglycolate and allantoate, were also hydrolyzed, yielding glyoxylate and urea (ureidoglycolate) and glyoxylate, urea, and ammonium (allantoate), respectively. The molecular mass of the enzyme was determined by size exclusion chromatography to be 140 ± 25 kDa; the enzyme was composed of identical subunits of 38 ± 5 kDa, indicating that the native enzyme has a tetrameric structure. Growth of the bacterium in the presence of ureaform specifically induced the methylenediurea deiminase and no complete repression of enzyme synthesis by ammonium was observed.Key words: ureaformaldehyde, methylenediurea deiminase, fertilizer, Ochrobactrum anthropi.
Inactivation or amplification of the spa2 gene, encoding a potential stationary-phase regulator, affects differentiation in Streptomyces ambofaciens
Authors: Aubert Martine , Weber Elisabeth , Gintz Brigitte , Decaris Bernard , Chater Keith F.
Published: February 2010

The deduced product of the spa2 gene of Streptomyces ambofaciens is a homologue of RspA, involved in stationary-phase σs factor regulation in Escherichia coli. This suggests that Spa2 could play a part in stationary-phase-associated differentiation in S. ambofaciens. The disruption of spa2 led to reductions in aerial mycelial development and associated spore pigmentation. The mutant phenotype reverted to the wild-type phenotype when the disruption construct spontaneously excised. The spa2 disruption had no detectable effect on growth rates in different media or antibiotic production and resistance. When spa2 was placed on a multicopy plasmid, a severe defect in formation and pigmentation of aerial mycelium resulted. These results strongly suggest that Spa2 is involved in a complex manner in the morphological differentiation process.Key words: Streptomyces, differentiation, stationary-phase regulator.
Occurrence and identification of microorganisms in compacted clay-based buffer material designed for use in a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault
Authors: Stroes-Gascoyne Simcha , Haveman Shelley A. , Hamon Connie J. , Delaney Terri-Lynn , Pedersen Karsten , Arlinger Johanna , Ekendahl Susanne , Hallbeck Lotta , Jahromi Nadi , Dekeyser Karin , Daumas Sylvie
Published: February 2010

A full-scale nuclear fuel waste disposal container experiment was carried out 240 m below ground in an underground granitic rock research laboratory in Canada. An electric heater was surrounded by buffer material composed of sand and bentonite clay and provided heat equivalent to what is anticipated in a Canadian nuclear fuel waste repository. During the experiment, the heat caused a mass transport of water and moisture content gradients developed in the buffer ranging from 13% closest to the heater to 23% at the rock wall of the deposition hole. Upon decommissioning after 2.5 years, microorganisms could be cultured from all samples having a moisture content above 15% but not from samples with a moisture content below 15%. Heterotrophic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were found in numbers ranging from 101to 106cells/g dry weight buffer. Approximately 102, or less, sulphate-reducing bacteria and methanogens per gram of dry weight buffer were also found. Identification of buffer population members was performed using Analytical Profile Index (API) strips for isolated bacteria and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for in situ samples. A total of 79 isolates from five buffer layers were identified with API strips as representing the beta, gamma and delta groups of Proteobacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. Sixty-seven 16S rRNA clones that were obtained from three buffer layers were classified into 21 clone groups representing alpha and gamma groups of Proteobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and a yeast. Approximately 20% of the population comprised Gram-positive bacteria. Members of the genera Amycolatopsis, Bacillus, and Nocardia predominated. Among Gram-negative bacteria, the genera Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas predominated. Analysis of lipid biomarker signatures and in situ leucine uptake demonstrated that the buffer population was viable. The results suggest that a nuclear fuel waste buffer will be populated by active microorganisms only if the moisture content is above a value where free water is available for active life.Key words: 16S rRNA, bacteria, bentonite, nuclear fuel waste, phospholipid fatty acids, water activity.
Transcription termination by bacteriophage T3 and SP6 RNA polymerases at Rho-independent terminators
Authors: Jeng Shih-Tong , Lay Sheue-Hwey , Lai Hsi-Mei
Published: February 2010

Transcription termination of T3 and SP6 DNA-dependent RNA polymerases have been studied on the DNA templates containing the threonine (thr) attenuator and its variants. The thr attenuator is from the regulatory region of the thr operon of Escherichia coli. The DNA template, encoding the thr attenuator, contains specific features of the rho-independent terminators. It comprises a dG + dC rich dyad symmetry, encoding a stem-and-loop RNA, which is followed by a poly(U) region at the 3′-end. Thirteen attenuator variants have been analyzed for their ability to terminate transcription and the results indicated that the structure as well as the sequence in the G + C rich region of RNA hairpin affect termination of both RNA polymerases. Also, a single base change in the A residues of the hairpin failed to influence termination, whereas changes in the poly(U) region significantly reduced the termination of both T3 and SP6 RNA polymerases. The requirement of a poly(U) region for termination by T3 and SP6 RNA polymerases was studied with nested deletion mutants in this region. The minimum number of U residues required for termination of SP6 and T3 RNA polymerases was five and three, respectively. However, both RNA polymerases needed at least eight U residues to reach a termination efficiency close to that achieved by wild-type thr attenuator encoding nine U residues. In addition, the orientation of the loop sequences of the RNA hairpin did not affect the transcription termination of either of the bacteriophage RNA polymerases.Key words: transcription termination, bacteriophage RNA polymerase.
Comparison of the degradation patterns of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in Aroclors byPseudomonasstrain LB400 after growth on various carbon sources
Authors: Billingsley K. A. , Juneson C. , Ward O. P. , Backus S. M.
Published: February 2010

Resting cells of Pseudomonas strain LB400, grown on biphenyl, transformed 80, 50, and 17% of Aroclor 1242, 1254, and 1260, respectively. Resting cells grown on glucose or glycerol also transformed these polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures to the extent of 60, 35, and 9% for Aroclors 1242, 1254, and 1260, respectively. Time courses of the transformation of the separated individual congeners in the Aroclors were plotted and used to determine the transformation rate constants (k). By analysis of the rate constants, it was concluded that the order of degradation of the different congeners in an Aroclor were similar regardless of the growth substrate. In general, k values for the conversion of a particular congener were lower for cells grown on glucose or glycerol compared with cells grown on biphenyl. Generally, k values for the transformation of the same congener in different Aroclors were not the same: rate constants had highest values for the congener in Aroclor 1242 and lowest values in Aroclor 1260. The data allowed congeners to be grouped according to their relative rates of degradation. The ratio of k values for transformation of individual congeners in Aroclors by cells grown on biphenyl and glucose were not constant.Key words: Pseudomonas strain LB400, polychlorinated biphenyls, Aroclors, transformation, resting cells.
Effects of three azole derivatives on the lipids of different strains ofSporothrix schenckii
Authors: Casali Agnes Kiesling , Hamdan Júnia Soares
Published: February 2010

The comparative effects of ketoconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole on the lipids of five Sporothrix schenckii strains were investigated. Quantitative analysis of lipids and sterols was completed, as well as qualitative analysis of sterols, by thin-layer chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Growth of the S. schenckii isolates in the presence of azole derivative concentrations below the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) resulted in significant alterations in the lipid and sterol contents as compared with the control values. Furthermore, lanosterol was detected in these azole-treated cells. These results were in complete agreement with the proposed mechanism of action of azoles, which act by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis with a consequent accumulation of lanosterol. Concerning the MIC values, fluconazole was found to be the least effective drug. On the other hand, as determined from a comparison of the effects of the three azoles on the sterol content of the strains studied, no significant differences in efficacy were found among the tested drugs.Key words: Sporothrix schenckii, azole derivatives, lipids, sterols.
Culture media and sources of nitrogen promoting the formation of stromata and ascocarps inPetromyces alliaceus(AspergillussectionFlavi)
Authors: McAlpin Cesaria E , Wicklow Donald T
Published: February 2010

Petromyces alliaceus Malloch and Cain is the only known sexually reproducing fungus classified in Asper gillus section Flavi. The goal of this research was to identify culture media and sources of nitrogen that best support the formation of stromata with ascocarps. Three cultures of P. alliaceus isolated from crop field soils were grown on selected agar media in Petri dishes for 7 months at 30 °C in darkness. The largest numbers of stromata were recorded for cultures grown on Czapek's agar (CZA) and a mixed cereal agar (MCA), while the percentage of stromata containing ascocarps was greatest (P ≤ 0.05) for cultures grown on MCA (25%–28%). When P. alliaceus was grown on standard CZA containing 0.3% NaNO3, only 5% of the stromata contained ascocarps. A greater percentage of the stromata (15%–22%) formed ascocarps when the NaNO3in CZA was replaced with an equivalent amount of available nitrogen supplied by ammonium tartrate, glutamic acid, or serine.Key words: ascospores, homothallic, sclerotia, essential amino acids.
Optimization of growth for the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix on a small-batch scale
Authors: Milek Igor , Cigić Blaž , Skrt Mihaela , Kaletunç Gönül , Ulrih Nataša Poklar
Published: February 2010

Growth of Aeropyrum pernix, the first reported aerobic neutrophilic hyperthermophilic archaeon, was investigated under different cultivation parameters. Different sources of seawater, pH, and the cultivation methods were tested with the aim to improve the biomass production. A 1-L glass flask fitted with a condenser and air diffuser was used as a bioreactor. The optimum conditions for maximizing A. pernix biomass were obtained when Na2S2O3·5H2O (1 g/L) with added marine broth 2216 at pH 7.0 (20 mmol HEPES buffer/L) was used as a growing medium in a 1-L flask. The biomass production was 0.45 g dry cell mass/L in 40 h under the optimum conditions, which is more than the 0.42 g dry cell mass/L in 60 h previously obtained.Key words: Aeropyrum pernix, hyperthermophilic archaeon, biomass production, simple glass flask based system.
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of aeromonads isolated from healthy and diseasedHelix aspersafrom French snail farms
Authors: Kiebre-Toe M B , Lacheretz A , Villard L , Richard Y , Kodjo A
Published: February 2010

The XbaI digestion patterns of chromosomal DNA of 42 aeromonads isolated from French breeding snails during a new epizootic disease, which rapidly progressed to death during the summer of 1994, were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Biochemical identification to species level was also performed. Interestingly, we found that 76% of the aeromonads isolated from diseased snails clustered into a unique pulsotype (P1) whatever their geographic origin, and were assessed to belong to Aeromonas hydrophila. Other strains belonged to Aeromonas caviae or remained unspecified. Our results provide retrospective supplementary epidemiological evidence for implication of A. hydrophila strains in the snail summer disease.Key words: breeding snails, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, Aeromonas.
Production and properties of an inhibitor of the Pseudomonas autoinducer by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Dong Wenxiu , Luo Fei , Du Yuguang , Bai Xuefang , Li Xianzhen
Published: February 2010

An inhibitor was found in the culture fluid of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, which could inhibit the activity of the Pseudomonas autoinducer (PAI). The maximal inhibitory activity occurred in stationary phase culture sup ernatant. The PAI inhibitor did not influence the cell growth and the PAI production by P. aeruginosa PAO1 when the PAI inhibitor was added into culture medium. The induced expression of lacZ in the reporter strain Agrobacterium tumefaciens NT1 was suppressed by this PAI inhibitor, whereas inhibition could be relieved by increasing the auto inducer concentration. The quorum sensing of P. aeruginosa was inhibited presumably by inhibiting the inducing activity of Pseudomonas autoinducer but not by inhibiting the production of Pseudomonas autoinducer. It was demonstrated that the structure of the PAI inhibitor was different from that of acyl-homoserine lactones.Key words: quorum sensing, autoinducer, PAI inhibitor, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, N-acylhomoserine lactone.
Design and implementation of Sator
Authors: Brogi Antonio , Popescu Razvan , Tanca Matteo
Published: February 2010

Our long-term objective is to develop a general methodology for deploying (Web) service aggregation and adaptation middleware, capable of suitably overcoming syntactic and behavioral mismatches in view of application integration within and across organizational boundaries.

This article focuses on describing the core aggregation process, which generates the workflow of a composite service from a set of service workflows to be aggregated and a data-flow mapping linking service parameters.
An experimental study of recent hotlink assignment algorithms
Authors: Jacobs Tobias
Published: February 2010

The concept of
hotlink assignment
aims at enhancing the structure of Web sites such that the user's expected navigation effort is minimized. We concentrate on sites that are representable by trees and assume that each leaf carries a weight representing its popularity.

The problem of optimally adding at most one additional outgoing edge (“hotlink”) to each inner node has been widely studied. A considerable number of approximation algorithms have been proposed and worst-case bounds for the quality of the computed solutions have been given. However, only little is known about the practical behavior of most of these algorithms.

This article contributes to closing this gap by evaluating all recently proposed strategies experimentally. Our experiments are based on trees extracted from real Web sites, as well as on synthetic instances. The latter are generated by a new method that simulates the growth of a Web site over time. Finally, we present a new heuristic that is easy to implement and exhibits excellent behavior in practice.
Virtual decisions
Authors: Gotterbarn Don , Moor James
Published: February 2010

Video games are ethically controversial. Some video games are effective training tools for learning various skills and approaches to problem-solving, but some video games are notorious for promoting discriminatory and barbaric behavior. We consider such ethical pros and cons of video games, but we also present a more fundamental ethical issue about video games. Most video games have a bias toward self-centered decision-making. Often the decision-making driver is not the impact of the decision on society but rather the quantity of rewards for their individual character. This bias can be an obstacle to employing good ethical analysis and good ethical decision-making in video games. In this paper we discuss the ethical theory of Just Consequentialism and show how it can be used to introduce ethical values into video game design and how it can be useful for ethical decision-making, even rapid ethical decision-making, in both virtual world and real worlds.
Internet research ethics and the institutional review board
Authors: Buchanan Elizabeth A. , Ess Charles M.
Published: February 2010

The Internet has been used as a place for and site of an array of research activities. From online ethnographies to public data sets and online surveys, researchers and research regulators have struggled with an array of ethical issues around the conduct of online research. This paper presents a discussion and findings from Buchanan and Ess's study on US-based institutional review boards and the state of internet research ethics.
Cloud9
Authors: Ciortea Liviu , Zamfir Cristian , Bucur Stefan , Chipounov Vitaly , Candea George
Published: February 2010

Cloud9 aims to reduce the resource-intensive and laborintensive nature of high-quality software testing. First, Cloud9 parallelizes symbolic execution (an effective, but still poorly scalable test automation technique) to large shared-nothing clusters. To our knowledge, Cloud9 is the first symbolic execution engine that scales to large clusters of machines, thus enabling thorough automated testing of real software in conveniently short amounts of time. Preliminary results indicate one to two orders of magnitude speedup over a state-of-the-art symbolic execution engine. Second, Cloud9 is an on-demand software testing service: it runs on compute clouds, like Amazon EC2, and scales its use of resources over a wide dynamic range, proportionally with the testing task at hand.
Provenance as first class cloud data
Authors: Muniswamy-Reddy Kiran-Kumar , Seltzer Margo
Published: February 2010

Digital provenance is meta-data that describes the ancestry or history of a digital object. Most work on provenance focuses on how provenance increases the value of data to consumers. However, provenance is also valuable to storage providers. For example, provenance can provide hints on access patterns, detect anomalous behavior, and provide enhanced user search capabilities. As the next generation storage providers, cloud vendors are in the unique position to capitalize on this opportunity to incorporate provenance as a fundamental storage system primitive. To date, cloud offerings have not yet done so. We provide motivation for providers to treat provenance as first class data in the cloud and based on our experience with provenance in a local storage system, suggest a set of requirements that make provenance feasible and attractive.
On the declarativity of declarative networking
Authors: Mao Yun
Published: February 2010

Initiated by the declarative networking project, rule-based declarative programming languages have gained increasing popularity in building complex networked systems across multiple application domains. This paper investigates the declarativity of those systems. First, by analyzing the language semantics, we classify rules into deductive rules and Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules, and reveal their different levels of declarativities. Then, we use case studies to show that ECA rules that are less declarative are dominantly used in most of the proposed systems. As a result, the benefit of declarative programming is undermined. We identify the key factors that cause the low declarativity effect, and present our ongoing work towards addressing those challenges.
PLOS 2009
Authors: Eide Eric , Muller Gilles , Spinczyk Olaf
Published: February 2010

This report summarizes the Fifth Workshop on Programming Languages and Operating Systems (PLOS 2009), which was held in conjunction with the SOSP 2009 conference. This report presents the motivation for holding the workshop and summarizes the workshop contributions.
OMF
Authors: Rakotoarivelo Thierry , Ott Maximilian , Jourjon Guillaume , Seskar Ivan
Published: February 2010

Networking testbeds are playing an increasingly important role in the development of new communication technologies. Testbeds are traditionally built for a particular project or to study a specific technology. An alternative approach is to federate existing testbeds to a) cater for experimenter needs which cannot be fullled by a single testbed, and b) provide a wider variety of environmental settings at different scales. These heterogenous settings allow the study of new approaches in environments similar to what one finds in the real world.

This paper presents OMF, a control, measurement, and management framework for testbeds. It describes through some examples the versatility of OMF's current architecture and gives directions for federation of testbeds through OMF. In addition, this paper introduces a comprehensive experiment description language that allows an experimenter to describe resource requirements and their configurations, as well as experiment orchestration. Researchers would thus be able to reproduce their experiment on the same testbed or in a different environment with little changes. Along with the efficient support for large scale experiments, the use of testbeds and support for repeatable experiments will allow the networking field to build a culture of cross verification and therefore strengthen its scientific approach.
Signet
Authors: Paik Michael , Subramanian Lakshminarayanan
Published: February 2010

The absence of reliable network connectivity in the developing world has resulted in the use of paper receipts remaining the de facto standard for tracking transactions of various types. This includes both cash transactions (microfinancerelated disbursements and repayments, purchases, money transfers) and noncash goods (food commodities to/from godowns or warehouses).

Such receipts are susceptible to loss, damage and alteration, with the last in particular severely compromising systems which depend on quotas or disbursement and repayment. Similarly, they allow go-betweens and agents to falsify payment or disbursement information and embezzle or misdirect funds or goods.

This paper describes Signet, a system which uses the computational power of commodity mobile telephones and security enabled Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards to create a secure and auditable record for atomic in-person transactions in the developing world. Signet performs this function at very low operating cost and without requiring continuous connectivity to a trusted third party.
Color‐Texture‐Based Image Retrieval System Using Gaussian Markov Random Field Model
Authors: Tsai Meng-Hsiun , Chan Yung-Kuan , Wang Jiun-Shiang , Guo Shu-Wei , Wu Jiunn-Lin
Published: February 2010

The techniques of K‐means algorithm and Gaussian Markov random field model are integrated to provide a Gaussian Markov random field model (GMRFM) feature which can describe the texture information of different pixel colors in an image. Based on this feature, an image retrieval method is also provided to seek the database images most similar to a given query image. In this paper, a genetic‐based parameter detector is presented to decide the fittest parameters used by the proposed image retrieval method, as well. The experimental results manifested that the image retrieval method is insensitive to the rotation, translation, distortion, noise, scale, hue, light, and contrast variations, especially distortion, hue, and contrast variations.
Understory Vegetative Diversity of Post-Thinned Pine Plantations Treated with Fertilizer, Fire and Herbicide in East Texas
Authors: Oswald Brian P. , Ott Betsy , Williams Hans M. , Farrish Kenneth W. , Van Kley James E.
Published: February 2010

This study assessed biodiversity in the understory of two pine plantations where different management tools (fertilizer, prescribed burning, and herbicide application) were utilized. During three growing seasons, species, percent cover, and number of individuals, and physical characteristics were recorded. Responses to treatment were examined based on comparison of species richness, evenness, diversity, and importance. Two years after treatment, fertilized plots showed a decline in species richness, evenness, and diversity. Prescribed burning and herbicide treatments increased species richness but decreased species evenness, resulting in no change in diversity index. Herbicide treatment reduced the importance of dominant shrubs and increased the importance of disturbance-adapted species.
An Analytic Solution for a Vasicek Interest Rate Convertible Bond Model
Authors: Deakin A. S. , Davison Matt
Published: February 2010

This paper provides the analytic solution to the partial differential equation for the value of a convertible bond. The equation assumes a Vasicek model for the interest rate and a geometric Brownian motion model for the stock price. The solution is obtained using integral transforms.
Insights into the Biology of IRES Elements through Riboproteomic Approaches
Authors: Pacheco Almudena , Martinez-Salas Encarnacion
Published: February 2010

Translation initiation is a highly regulated process that exerts a strong influence on the posttranscriptional control of gene expression. Two alternative mechanisms govern translation initiation in eukaryotic mRNAs, the cap-dependent initiation mechanism operating in most mRNAs, and the internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent mechanism, first discovered in picornaviruses. IRES elements are highly structured RNA sequences that, in most instances, require specific proteins for recruitment of the translation machinery. Some of these proteins are eukaryotic initiation factors. In addition, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a key role in internal initiation control. RBPs are pivotal regulators of gene expression in response to numerous stresses, including virus infection. This review discusses recent advances on riboproteomic approaches to identify IRES transacting factors (ITAFs) and the relationship between RNA-protein interaction and IRES activity, highlighting the most relevant features on picornavirus and hepatitis C virus IRESs.
Endometrial Cancer: What Is New in Adjuvant and Molecularly Targeted Therapy?
Authors: Zagouri Flora , Bozas George , Kafantari Eftichia , Tsiatas Marinos , Nikitas Nikitas , Dimopoulos Meletios-A. , Papadimitriou Christos A.
Published: February 2010

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in western countries. Radiotherapy remains the mainstay of postoperative management, but accumulating data show that adjuvant chemotherapy may display promising results after staging surgery. The prognosis of patients with metastatic disease remains disappointing with only one‐year survival. Progestins represent an effective option, especially for those patients with low‐grade estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive disease. Chemotherapy using the combination of paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and cisplatin is beneficial for patients with advanced or metastatic disease after staging surgery and potentially for patients with early‐stage disease and high‐risk factors. Toxicity is a point in question; however, the combination of paclitaxel with carboplatin may diminish these concerns. In women with multiple medical comorbidities, single‐agent chemotherapy may be better tolerated with acceptable results. Our increased knowledge of the molecular aspects of endometrial cancer biology has paved the way for clinical research to develop novel targeted antineoplastic agents (everolimus, temsirolimus, gefitinib, erlotinib, cetuximab, trastuzumab, bevacizumab, sorafenib) as more effective and less toxic options. Continued investigation into the molecular pathways of endometrial cancer development and progression will increase our knowledge of this disease leading to the discovery of novel, superior agents.
Multimode Flex-Interleaver Core for Baseband Processor Platform
Authors: Asghar Rizwan , Liu Dake
Published: February 2010

This paper presents a flexible interleaver architecture supporting multiple standards like WLAN, WiMAX, HSPA+, 3GPP-LTE, and DVB. Algorithmic level optimizations like 2D transformation and realization of recursive computation are applied, which appear to be the key to reach to an efficient hardware multiplexing among different interleaver implementations. The presented hardware enables the mapping of vital types of interleavers including multiple block interleavers and convolutional interleaver onto a single architecture. By exploiting the hardware reuse methodology the silicon cost is reduced, and it consumes 0.126 mm2area in total in 65 nm CMOS process for a fully reconfigurable architecture. It can operate at a frequency of 166 MHz, providing a maximum throughput up to 664 Mbps for a multistream system and 166 Mbps for single stream communication systems, respectively. One of the vital requirements for multimode operation is the fast switching between different standards, which is supported by this hardware with minimal cycle cost overheads. Maximum flexibility and fast switchability among multiple standards during run time makes the proposed architecture a right choice for the radio baseband processing platform.
Adjuvant Endocrine Treatment in Premenopausal Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Orlando L. , Fedele P. , Cinefra M. , Sponziello F. , Calvani N. , Chetrì M.C. , Rizzo P. , D’Amico M. , Schiavone P. , Portaluri M. , Criscuolo M. , Burlizzi S. , Cinieri S.
Published: February 2010

The impact of endocrine therapies in the adjuvant treatment of premenopausal patients with early breast cancer is well established. However, the right combination and duration of endocrine manipulations currently available (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs and tamoxifen) remain unclear. Moreover, the role of chemotherapy in addition to endocrine therapies is not clearly defined. The most recent Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group overview has confirmed the efficacy of five years of tamoxifen in reducing the annual recurrence rate and the annual breast cancer death rate by 41 and 34%, respectively, in an estrogen receptor-positive population. These results are largely irrespective of age, use of chemotherapy or other tumor features. Moreover, the expert panel of the St. Gallen Conference accepted both tamoxifen or tamoxifen plus ovarian suppression as standard endocrine therapy for premenopausal breast cancer patients with endocrine-responsive disease. The use of ovarian suppression or ablation also significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer-related death, mainly in the absence of other systemic therapies. Chemotherapy is widely used in this population; however, its role in endocrine-positive premenopausal women with hormone-positive disease treated with optimal endocrine therapy remains unclear.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Clavarezza Matteo , Venturini Marco
Published: February 2010

HER2-positive breast cancer is characterized by high chemosensitivity. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy is recognized as a very effective adjuvant treatment in HER2-positive disease. One of the possible explanations is the co-amplification of TOPO II-alpha and HER2. However, recent data seem to demonstrate that HER2 and TOPO II-alpha seem to be less predictive of anthracycline-based chemotherapy efficacy than chromosome 17 polysomy. Chromosome 17 polysomy is present in 21–40% of breast cancer and for this reason benefit of anthracycline-based chemotherapy seems to be not restricted only to HER2-positive disease. Trastuzumab added to chemotherapy administered for one year is associated with improvement in disease-free survival and sometimes in overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone. Efficacy of trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting seems to be increased if administered concomitantly with chemotherapy instead of sequentially. However, the interpretation of longer follow-up results is difficult because of a large crossover from the control arm to trastuzumab.
Perspectives in Adjuvant Therapy of Gastric Cancer
Authors: De Vita Ferdinando , Vecchione Loredana , Galizia Gennaro , Di Martino Natale , Fabozzi Teresa , Catalano Giuseppe , Ciardiello Fortunato , Orditura Michele
Published: February 2010

Although the incidence of gastric cancer has been declining in Western countries, it is still a major health problem and a leading cause of cancer mortality. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma. However, even among patients undergoing gastrectomy with curative intent, 5-year survival rates are disappointing due to locoregional relapse and distant metastases. This emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary management of patients with gastric cancer. In contrast to the preoperative approach, several phase III trials have been carried out in the adjuvant setting, but postoperative chemotherapy has not proven to be superior to surgery alone. Therefore, at present the routine use of adjuvant therapy should be regarded as an investigational approach. Improved clinical trial designs with standardized surgical techniques and the incorporation of newer active drugs are needed.
The Long and Winding Road to Useful Predictive Factors for Anti-EGFR Therapy in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma: The KRAS/BRAF Pathway
Authors: Russo Antonio , Rizzo Sergio , Bronte Giuseppe , Silvestris Nicola , Colucci Giuseppe , Gebbia Nicola , Bazan Viviana , Fulfaro Fabio
Published: February 2010

Monoclonal antibodies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have improved outcomes for patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Among patients not carrying activating mutations in the KRAS gene, only a limited number will experience tumor response to these therapeutic agents. The role of BRAF mutations in determining resistance to this treatment is emerging through preclinical and clinical studies. Standardization and validation of laboratory mutation analysis is needed to allow an optimal use of anti-EGFR therapies in the management of colorectal carcinoma. Clinical single-arm and randomized studies were conducted both in first-line and refractory settings to evaluate the correlation of KRAS mutational status and efficacy of cetuximab and panitumumab. The main trials on first-line regiments are CRYSTAL, which is looking at FOLFIRI (folinic acid, fluorouracil, irinotecan) + cetuximab, and OPUS, which is evaluating FOLFOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin) + cetuximab. The results of these trials have induced the European Medicines Agency to apply restrictions to its approval of cetuximab and panitumumab for use in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with wild-type KRAS tumors. However, the absence of KRAS mutations is not sufficient to assure clinical response to cetuximab and panitumumab. We need to discover further molecular biomarkers of impairment in this or other signaling pathways to identify responders more specifically. Preclinical rationale is available for combined therapies, which simultaneously target EGFR and the RAS/RAF/MAPK signaling pathways for metastatic colorectal cancer.
New Agents in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treatment
Authors: Ricciardi Serena , de Marinis Filippo
Published: February 2010

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Novel targeted therapies based on specific molecular and biological characteristics of lung cancer have emerged as a new treatment paradigm. The current globally accepted standard of treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is platinum-based combination therapy. Recently, several ongoing phase I and II trials with new drugs in NSCLC have been registered, such as sorafenib, sunitinib, mTOR inhibitors and ASA404. The optimal use of new agents is more likely in combination with standard cytotoxic or other targeted agents. Further investigations into adverse events with targeted therapy are urgently needed as these impact an increasing number of patients.
Targeted Therapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer
Authors: Di Lorenzo Giuseppe , Scagliarini Sarah , Di Napoli Marilena , Scognamiglio Florinda , Rizzo Mimma , Carteni’ Giacomo
Published: February 2010

The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) has evolved from being predominantly cytokine-based to being grounded in the use of drugs targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. New agents including the small-molecule targeted inhibitors sunitinib, sorafenib and temsirolimus and the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab have shown anti-tumor efficacy and have become the standard of care for most patients. Sunitinib and temsirolimus have shown significant improvements in overall survival (OS), in the first-line setting, when compared with interferon. Sorafenib has demonstrated prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in a phase III study in comparison with placebo in the second-line setting. More recently, two phase III studies have compared bevacizumab and interferon with interferon alone. Both studies showed a statistically significant improvement in PFS for the combination arm but no difference in OS. Everolimus showed prolonged PFS in the second/third-line setting. Pazopanib prolongs PFS in naïve/cytokine refractory patients. Immunotherapy confers a small but significant OS advantage but only for the minority of patients with good prognostic features. The results of these trials and ongoing efforts to improve treatment of MRCC are the focus of this review.
Clinical Relevance of IgG Antibodies against Food Antigens in Crohn’s Disease: A Double-Blind Cross-Over Diet Intervention Study
Authors: Bentz S. , Hausmann M. , Piberger H. , Kellermeier S. , Paul S. , Held L. , Falk W. , Obermeier F. , Fried M. , Schölmerich J. , Rogler G.
Published: February 2010

Background: Environmental factors are thought to play an important role in the development of Crohn’s disease (CD). Immune responses against auto-antigens or food antigens may be a reason for the perpetuation of inflammation. Methods: In a pilot study, 79 CD patients and 20 healthy controls were examined for food immunoglobulin G (IgG). Thereafter, the clinical relevance of these food IgG antibodies was assessed in a double-blind cross-over study with 40 patients. Based on the IgG antibodies, a nutritional intervention was planned. The interferon (IFN)γ secretion of T cells was measured. Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin was quantified in stool. Results: The pilot study resulted in a significant difference of IgG antibodies in serum between CD patients and healthy controls. In 84 and 83% of the patients, respectively, IgG antibodies against processed cheese and yeast were detected. The daily stool frequency significantly decreased by 11% during a specific diet compared with a sham diet. Abdominal pain reduced and general well-being improved. IFNγ secretion of T cells increased. No difference for eosinophil-derived neurotoxin in stool was detected. Conclusion: A nutritional intervention based on circulating IgG antibodies against food antigens showed effects with respect to stool frequency. The mechanisms by which IgG antibodies might contribute to disease activity remain to be elucidated.
Role of Cardiac Multidetector Computed Tomography in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Ko Sang-Bae , Choi Sang Il , Chun Eun Ju , Ko Youngchai , Park Jung-Hyun , Lee Sook-Jin , Lee Juneyoung , Han Moon-Ku , Bae Hee-Joon
Published: February 2010

Background and Purpose: Cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is less dependent upon the patient’s condition and may be valuable in the diagnosis of embolic sources when the patient’s cooperation is limited due to a neurologic deficit. However, its role has never been validated in acute stroke patients whose stroke mechanism is assumed to be embolic. Methods: Consecutive patients who were admitted with acute ischemic stroke from May 1, 2007 to November 30, 2007 were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were (1) any cardiac evidence of high-risk embolic sources for cerebral embolism, or (2) radiological or (3) clinical evidence of embolic stroke. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography first, and then cardiac MDCT or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was attempted, if possible. The results and feasibility of cardiac MDCT and TEE were compared. Results: One hundred and forty-three patients met the inclusion criteria. Cardiac MDCT was performed in 124 patients (86.7%), TEE in 83 patients (57.3%), whereas 75 patients (52.4%) underwent both studies. Renal insufficiency for cardiac MDCT and lack of cooperation for TEE were found to be the most impeding factors. Among the patients with both evaluations, cardiac MDCT identified a high-risk intracardiac embolic source in 8 and an extracardiac source in 20, while TEE found an intracardiac source in 1 and an extracardiac source in 7. Statistically significant differences were found with respect to detecting cardioembolic sources and high-risk aortic atheroma. Conclusions: Cardiac MDCT is a feasible and accurate diagnostic tool for embolic sources in an acute stroke setting.