bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Two‐dimensional governances and industrial international competitiveness
Authors: Linqing Liu , Liwen Tan , Haiyan Ma 
Published: August 2011

PurposeMassive increases in international trade and investment extend industries beyond national borders, so states and enterprises have become the two critical players in the boundary of industries. The purpose of this paper is to provide a new conceptual framework to analyze the role of states and enterprises in enhancing the industrial international competitiveness (IIC).Design/methodology/approachBeing a research‐based paper, the topic is approached by theoretical analysis and conceptual development. The paper reviews IIC literature and argues for a rational study ICC in the context of global value chain. Next, the paper puts forward a two‐dimensional governance model and five typical governance systems of the industries of developing countries. Examples of typical governance system are given based the practice of Chinese industries, such as appeal, rare earths, automotive, etc.FindingsThis paper constructs an industrial two‐dimensional governance model of the developing countries in the context of global value chain based on the interaction between industry governance and market governance, and also presents five typical governance systems – free to market, public governance, industrial governance, joint governance and network governance. Different governance system reflects different roles of states and enterprises played in the global value chains and result in different IIC in the end.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation is based primarily on methodology. The two‐dimensional governance model provides target‐oriented guidance for foresting international competitiveness of different types of industries. Future studies should include more in‐depth case studies on different governance system.Originality/valueThe paper presents a framework of the industrial two‐dimensional governance model, which emphasizes the important role of both states and enterprise in the IIC in the context of global value chain.
Nonlinear impacts of climatic variability on the density‐dependent regulation of an insect vector of disease
Authors: Chaves Luis F. , Morrison Amy C. , Kitron Uriel D. , Scott Thomas W. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAedes aegypti is one of the most common urban tropical mosquito species and an important vector of dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. It is also an organism with a complex life history where larval stages are aquatic and adults are terrestrial. This ontogenetic niche shift could shape the density‐dependent regulation of this and other mosquito species, because events that occur during the larval stages impact adult densities. Herein, we present results from simple density‐dependent mathematical models fitted using maximum likelihood methods to weekly time series data from Puerto Rico and Thailand. Density‐dependent regulation was strong in both populations. Analysis of climatic forcing indicated that populations were more sensitive to climatic variables with low kurtosis, i.e., climatic factors highly variable around the median, rainfall in Puerto Rico, and temperature in Thailand. Changes in environmental variability appear to drive sharp changes in the abundance of mosquitoes. The identification of density‐independent (i.e., exogenous) variables forcing sharp changes in disease vector populations using the exogenous factors statistical properties, such as kurtosis, could be useful to assess the impacts of changing climate patterns on the transmission of vector‐borne diseases.
Intestinal epithelium is more susceptible to cytopathic injury and altered permeability than the lung epithelium in the context of acute sepsis
Authors: Julian Mark W. , Bao Shengying , Knoell Daren L. , Fahy Ruairi J. , Shao Guohong , Crouser Elliott D. 
Published: August 2011

SummaryMitochondrial morphology and function are altered in intestinal epithelia during endotoxemia. However, it is unclear whether mitochondrial abnormalities occur in lung epithelial cells during acute sepsis or whether mitochondrial dysfunction corresponds with altered epithelial barrier function. Thus, we hypothesized that the intestinal epithelium is more susceptible to mitochondrial injury than the lung epithelium during acute sepsis and that mitochondrial dysfunction precedes impaired barrier function. Using a resuscitated feline model of Escherichia coli‐induced sepsis, lung and ileal tissues were harvested after 6 h for histological and mitochondrial ultrastructural analyses in septic (n = 6) and time‐matched controls (n = 6). Human lung epithelial cells (HLEC) and Caco‐2 monolayers (n = 5) were exposed to ‘cytomix’ (TNFα: 40 ng/ml, IL‐1β: 20 ng/ml, IFNγ: 10 ng/ml) for 24–72 h, and measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), epithelial permeability and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) were taken. Lung epithelial morphology, mitochondrial ultrastructure and pulmonary gas exchange were unaltered in septic animals compared to matching controls. While histologically intact, ileal epithelia demonstrated marked mitochondrial ultrastructural damage during sepsis. Caco‐2 monolayers treated with cytomix showed a significant decrease in mitochondrial ΔΨ within 24 h, which was associated with a progressive reduction in TER and increased epithelial permeability over the subsequent 48 h. In contrast, mitochondrial ΔΨ and epithelial barrier functions were preserved in HLEC following cytomix. These findings indicate that intestinal epithelium is more susceptible to mitochondrial damage and dysfunction than the lung epithelium in the context of sepsis. Early alterations in mitochondrial function portend subsequent epithelial barrier dysfunction.
Validity of bipolar disorder hospital discharge diagnoses: file review and multiple register linkage in Sweden
Authors: Sellgren C. , Landén M. , Lichtenstein P. , Hultman C. M. , Långström N. 
Published: August 2011

Sellgren C, Landén M, Lichtenstein P, Hultman CM, Långström N. Validity of bipolar disorder hospital discharge diagnoses: file review and multiple register linkage in Sweden.Objective:  Hospital discharge registers (HDRs) are frequently used in epidemiological research. However, the validity of several important psychiatric diagnostic entities, including bipolar disorder, remains uncertain. Hence, we aimed to develop an optimal algorithm for register‐based identification of DSM‐IV‐TR bipolar disorder.Method:  We identified potential cases in the Swedish national HDR using two separate discharge diagnoses of bipolar disorder according to ICD versions 8–10 during January 1, 1973 to December 31, 2004. In a randomly selected subsample of 135 cases from the county of Sörmland, two senior psychiatrists reassessed the diagnostic status based on patients’ medical records. We scrutinized false‐positive cases and modified the initial algorithm to improve positive predictive value while minimizing false negatives. Finally, we externally validated resulting caseness algorithms by linking HDR diagnostic data with best‐estimate clinical diagnoses from the National Quality Assurance Register for Bipolar Disorder (BipoläR), dispensed lithium prescriptions from the National Prescribed Drug Register, and the ICD‐10 diagnoses from the National Outpatient Register respectively.Results:  The algorithm with two discharge diagnoses of bipolar disorder yielded a positive predictive value of 0.81. Modification by excluding individuals diagnosed with ICD‐8 296.20 (manic‐depressive psychosis, depressed type), and/or ICD‐9 296.B (unipolar affective psychosis, melancholic form), gave a positive positive predictive value of 0.92. The modified algorithm also had statistically superior external validity compared with the original algorithm.Conclusion:  Our findings suggest that DSM‐IV‐TR bipolar disorder caseness based on two inpatient episodes with a bipolar disorder diagnosis is sufficiently sensitive and specific to be used in further epidemiological study of bipolar disorder.
Suicide and seasonality
Authors: Christodoulou C. , Douzenis A. , Papadopoulos F. C. , Papadopoulou A. , Bouras G. , Gournellis R. , Lykouras L. 
Published: August 2011

Christodoulou C, Douzenis A, Papadopoulos FC, Papadopoulou A, Bouras G, Gournellis R, Lykouras L. Suicide and seasonality.Objective:  Seasonal variation of deaths by suicide offers an important pathway in the study of possible suicide determinants of suicide and consequently suicide prevention.Method:  We conducted a review of the literature on suicide seasonality, assessing articles published between 1979 and 2009.Results:  The majority of the studies confirm a peak in spring, mainly for men, older individuals, and violent methods of suicide. A secondary peak during autumn is observed. There is no common seasonality pattern for suicide methods. However, there are also certain studies that did not confirm seasonal variation. Inconsistent results with reduced, unchanged, and even increased suicide seasonality have been reported. Aspects on the association between seasonality and suicides are discussed. Except sex, age, and method of suicide, other parameters were taken into account to find more specific characteristics of seasonality in suicides as well. The influence of clinical, bioclimatic, sociodemographic as well as biological factors seems to affect the seasonal variation.Conclusion:  Studies from both the Northern and the Southern hemisphere report a seasonal pattern for suicides. These studies are not only an important source of epidemiological data for suicides but also represent a global effort to uncover hidden parameters of this self‐destructive behaviour.
Ferlins: Regulators of Vesicle Fusion for Auditory Neurotransmission, Receptor Trafficking and Membrane Repair
Authors: Lek Angela , Evesson Frances J. , Sutton R. Bryan , North Kathryn N. , Cooper Sandra T. 
Published: August 2011

Ferlins are a family of multiple C2 domain proteins with emerging roles in vesicle fusion and membrane trafficking. Ferlin mutations are associated with muscular dystrophy (dysferlin) and deafness (otoferlin) in humans, and infertility in Caenorhabditis elegans (Fer‐1) and Drosophila (misfire), demonstrating their importance for normal cellular functioning. Ferlins show ancient origins in eukaryotic evolution and are detected in all eukaryotic kingdoms, including unicellular eukaryotes and apicomplexian protists, suggesting origins in a common ancestor predating eukaryotic evolutionary branching. The characteristic feature of the ferlin family is their multiple tandem cytosolic C2 domains (five to seven C2 domains), the most of any protein family, and an extremely rare feature amongst eukaryotic proteins. Ferlins also bear a unique nested DysF domain and small conserved 60–70 residue ferlin‐specific sequences (Fer domains). Ferlins segregate into two subtypes based on the presence (type I ferlin) or absence (type II ferlin) of the DysF and FerA domains. Ferlins have diverse tissue‐specific and developmental expression patterns, with ferlin animal models united by pathologies arising from defects in vesicle fusion. Consistent with their proposed role in vesicle trafficking, ferlin interaction partners include cytoskeletal motors, other vesicle‐associated trafficking proteins and transmembrane receptors or channels. Herein we summarize the research history of the ferlins, an intriguing family of structurally conserved proteins with a preserved ancestral function as regulators of vesicle fusion and receptor trafficking.
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Effects of DNA Methylation on Expression of Virulence Genes in Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Banas Jeffrey A. , Biswas Saswati , Zhu Min 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Bacteria produce a variety of enzymes capable of methylating DNA. In many species, the majority of adenine methylation is accomplished by the DNA adenine methylase Dam. In
Escherichia coli
the Dam methylase plays roles in the initiation of replication, mismatch repair, and gene regulation. In a number of other bacterial species, mutation or overexpression of Dam leads to attenuation of virulence. Homologues of the
dam
gene exist in some members of the
Firmicutes
, including
Streptococcus mutans
, a dental pathogen. An
S. mutans
strain inactivated in the
dam
gene (SMU.504; here designated
damA
) was engineered, and phenotypes linked to cariogenicity were examined. A prominent observation was that the
damA
mutant produced greater amounts of glucan than the parental strain. Real-time PCR confirmed upregulation of
gtfB
. To determine whether other loci were affected by the
damA
mutation, a microarray analysis was carried out. Seventy genes were upregulated at least 2-fold in the
damA
mutant, and 33 genes were downregulated at least 2-fold. In addition to
gtfB
(upregulated 2.6-fold; 1.7-fold when measured by real-time PCR), other upregulated virulence factors included
gbpC
(upregulated 2.1-fold) and loci predicted to encode bacteriocins (upregulated 2- to 7-fold). Various sugar transport operons were also upregulated, the most extreme being the cellobiose operon (upregulated nearly 40-fold). Expression of
sacB
, encoding fructosyltransferase, was downregulated 2.4-fold. The sequence 5′-GATC-3′ appeared to constitute the recognition sequence for methylation. These results provide evidence that DNA methylation in
S. mutans
has a global effect on gene expression, including that of genes associated with cariogenic potential.
Microarray-Based Analysis of IncA/C Plasmid-Associated Genes from Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica
Authors: Lindsey Rebecca L. , Frye Jonathan G. , Fedorka-Cray Paula J. , Meinersmann Richard J. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

In the family
Enterobacteriaceae
, plasmids have been classified according to 27 incompatibility (Inc) or replicon types that are based on the inability of different plasmids with the same replication mechanism to coexist in the same cell. Certain replicon types such as IncA/C are associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). We developed a microarray that contains 286 unique 70-mer oligonucleotide probes based on sequences from five IncA/C plasmids: pYR1 (
Yersinia ruckeri
), pPIP1202 (
Yersinia pestis
), pP99-018 (
Photobacterium damselae
), pSN254 (
Salmonella enterica
serovar Newport), and pP91278 (
Photobacterium damselae
). DNA from 59
Salmonella enterica
isolates was hybridized to the microarray and analyzed for the presence or absence of genes. These isolates represented 17 serovars from 14 different animal hosts and from different geographical regions in the United States. Qualitative cluster analysis was performed using CLUSTER 3.0 to group microarray hybridization results. We found that IncA/C plasmids occurred in two lineages distinguished by a major insertion-deletion (indel) region that contains genes encoding mostly hypothetical proteins. The most variable genes were represented by transposon-associated genes as well as four antimicrobial resistance genes (
aphA
,
merP
,
merA
, and
aadA
). Sixteen mercury resistance genes were identified and highly conserved, suggesting that mercury ion-related exposure is a stronger pressure than anticipated. We used these data to construct a core IncA/C genome and an accessory genome. The results of our studies suggest that the transfer of antimicrobial resistance determinants by transfer of IncA/C plasmids is somewhat less common than exchange within the plasmids orchestrated by transposable elements, such as transposons, integrating and conjugative elements (ICEs), and insertion sequence common regions (IS
CR
s), and thus pose less opportunity for exchange of antimicrobial resistance.
Enhancement of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Biomass Production under Drought Conditions by the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Sebacina vermifera
Authors: Ghimire Sita R. , Craven Kelly D. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACTExperiments were conducted to examine the effects of cocultivating the important bioenergy crop switchgrass with the ectomycorrhizal fungusSebacina vermiferaunder severe drought conditions. Plants cocultivated with the fungus produced significantly higher biomass and had a higher macronutrient content than uninoculated control plants under both adequately watered and drought conditions.
Iron Uptake by Toxic and Nontoxic Strains of Microcystis aeruginosa
Authors: Fujii Manabu , Rose Andrew L. , Waite T. David 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Iron uptake by microcystin-producing and non-microcystin-producing strains of
Microcystis aeruginosa
was investigated through short-term uptake assays. Although strain-specific differences were observed, the siderophore-independent Fe uptake kinetics were essentially similar (e.g., maximum uptake rates of 2.0 to 3.3 amol·cell
−1
·h
−1
) for the wild-type toxic strain PCC7806 and a genetically engineered mutant unable to produce microcystin.
sxtA
-Based Quantitative Molecular Assay To Identify Saxitoxin-Producing Harmful Algal Blooms in Marine Waters
Authors: Murray Shauna A. , Wiese Maria , Stüken Anke , Brett Steve , Kellmann Ralf , Hallegraeff Gustaaf , Neilan Brett A. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

The recent identification of genes involved in the production of the potent neurotoxin and keystone metabolite saxitoxin (STX) in marine eukaryotic phytoplankton has allowed us for the first time to develop molecular genetic methods to investigate the chemical ecology of harmful algal blooms
in situ
. We present a novel method for detecting and quantifying the potential for STX production in marine environmental samples. Our assay detects a domain of the gene
sxtA
that encodes a unique enzyme putatively involved in the
sxt
pathway in marine dinoflagellates,
sxtA4
. A product of the correct size was recovered from nine strains of four species of STX-producing
Alexandrium
and
Gymnodinium catenatum
and was not detected in the non-STX-producing
Alexandrium
species, other dinoflagellate cultures, or an environmental sample that did not contain known STX-producing species. However,
sxtA4
was also detected in the non-STX-producing strain of
Alexandrium tamarense
, Tasmanian ribotype. We investigated the copy number of
sxtA4
in three strains of
Alexandrium catenella
and found it to be relatively constant among strains. Using our novel method, we detected and quantified
sxtA4
in three environmental blooms of
Alexandrium catenella
that led to STX uptake in oysters. We conclude that this method shows promise as an accurate, fast, and cost-effective means of quantifying the potential for STX production in marine samples and will be useful for biological oceanographic research and harmful algal bloom monitoring.
Nitrate-Dependent Degradation of Acetone by Alicycliphilus and Paracoccus Strains and Comparison of Acetone Carboxylase Enzymes
Authors: Dullius Carlos Henrique , Chen Ching-Yuan , Schink Bernhard 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

A novel acetone-degrading, nitrate-reducing bacterium, strain KN Bun08, was isolated from an enrichment culture with butanone and nitrate as the sole sources of carbon and energy. The cells were motile short rods, 0.5 to 1 by 1 to 2 μm in size, which gave Gram-positive staining results in the exponential growth phase and Gram-negative staining results in the stationary-growth phase. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolate was assigned to the genus
Alicycliphilus
. Besides butanone and acetone, the strain used numerous fatty acids as substrates. An ATP-dependent acetone-carboxylating enzyme was enriched from cell extracts of this bacterium and of
Alicycliphilus denitrificans
K601
T
by two subsequent DEAE Sepharose column procedures. For comparison, acetone carboxylases were enriched from two additional nitrate-reducing bacterial species,
Paracoccus denitrificans
and
P. pantotrophus
. The products of the carboxylase reaction were acetoacetate and AMP rather than ADP. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of cell extracts and of the various enzyme preparations revealed bands corresponding to molecular masses of 85, 78, and 20 kDa, suggesting similarities to the acetone carboxylase enzymes described in detail for the aerobic bacterium
Xanthobacter autotrophicus
strain Py2 (85.3, 78.3, and 19.6 kDa) and the phototrophic bacterium
Rhodobacter capsulatus
. Protein bands were excised and compared by mass spectrometry with those of acetone carboxylases of aerobic bacteria. The results document the finding that the nitrate-reducing bacteria studied here use acetone-carboxylating enzymes similar to those of aerobic and phototrophic bacteria.
Simultaneous Nitrite-Dependent Anaerobic Methane and Ammonium Oxidation Processes
Authors: Luesken Francisca A. , Sánchez Jaime , van Alen Theo A. , Sanabria Janeth , Op den Camp Huub J. M. , Jetten Mike S. M. , Kartal Boran 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Nitrite-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane (n-damo) and ammonium (anammox) are two recently discovered processes in the nitrogen cycle that are catalyzed by n-damo bacteria, including “
Candidatus
Methylomirabilis oxyfera,” and anammox bacteria, respectively. The feasibility of coculturing anammox and n-damo bacteria is important for implementation in wastewater treatment systems that contain substantial amounts of both methane and ammonium. Here we tested this possible coexistence experimentally. To obtain such a coculture, ammonium was fed to a stable enrichment culture of n-damo bacteria that still contained some residual anammox bacteria. The ammonium supplied to the reactor was consumed rapidly and could be gradually increased from 1 to 20 mM/day. The enriched coculture was monitored by fluorescence
in situ
hybridization and 16S rRNA and
pmoA
gene clone libraries and activity measurements. After 161 days, a coculture with about equal amounts of n-damo and anammox bacteria was established that converted nitrite at a rate of 0.1 kg-N/m
3
/day (17.2 mmol day
−1
). This indicated that the application of such a coculture for nitrogen removal may be feasible in the near future.
High Yields of 2,3-Butanediol and Mannitol in Lactococcus lactis through Engineering of NAD
+
Cofactor Recycling
Authors: Gaspar Paula , Neves Ana Rute , Gasson Michael J. , Shearman Claire A. , Santos Helena 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Manipulation of NADH-dependent steps, and particularly disruption of the
las
-located lactate dehydrogenase (
ldh
) gene in
Lactococcus lactis
, is common to engineering strategies envisaging the accumulation of reduced end products other than lactate. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments revealed that three out of the four genes assigned to lactate dehydrogenase in the genome of
L. lactis
, i.e., the
ldh
,
ldhB
, and
ldhX
genes, were expressed in the parental strain MG1363. Given that genetic redundancy is often a major cause of metabolic instability in engineered strains, we set out to develop a genetically stable lactococcal host tuned for the production of reduced compounds. Therefore, the
ldhB
and
ldhX
genes were sequentially deleted in
L. lactis
FI10089, a strain with a deletion of the
ldh
gene. The single, double, and triple mutants, FI10089, FI10089Δ
ldhB
, and FI10089Δ
ldhB
Δ
ldhX
, showed similar growth profiles and displayed mixed-acid fermentation, ethanol being the main reduced end product. Hence, the alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding gene, the
adhE
gene, was inactivated in FI10089, but the resulting strain reverted to homolactic fermentation due to induction of the
ldhB
gene. The three lactate dehydrogenase-deficient mutants were selected as a background for the production of mannitol and 2,3-butanediol. Pathways for the biosynthesis of these compounds were overexpressed under the control of a nisin promoter, and the constructs were analyzed with respect to growth parameters and product yields under anaerobiosis. Glucose was efficiently channeled to mannitol (maximal yield, 42%) or to 2,3-butanediol (maximal yield, 67%). The theoretical yield for 2,3-butanediol was achieved. We show that FI10089Δ
ldhB
is a valuable basis for engineering strategies aiming at the production of reduced compounds.