bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional Differences and Interactions between the Escherichia coli Type III Secretion System Effectors NleH1 and NleH2
Authors: Pham Thanh H. , Gao Xiaofei , Tsai Karen , Olsen Rachel , Wan Fengyi , Hardwidge Philip R. 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT

The human pathogens enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC and EPEC), as well as the related mouse pathogen
Citrobacter rodentium
, utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject multiple effector proteins into host cells. The
E. coli
O157:H7 strain EDL933 carries two copies of non-locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded protein H, designated NleH1 and NleH2, both of which bind to the human ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), a subunit of NF-κB transcriptional complexes. In this study, we describe significant functional differences between NleH1 and NleH2 in their ability to regulate the host NF-κB pathway. We show that the EHEC and EPEC NleH effectors are functionally equivalent in their ability to affect RPS3 nuclear translocation. NleH1, but not NleH2, inhibited NF-κB activity without altering the kinetics of IκBα phosphorylation/degradation. We also determined that the class I PSD-95/Disc Large/ZO-1 (PDZ)-binding domain of NleH was important for its activity in the NF-κB pathway. In addition to binding RPS3, we found that NleH1 and NleH2 are able to bind to each other
in vitro
and
in vivo
, suggesting an additional mechanism by which the
E. coli
NleH effectors may regulate the extent and duration of NF-κB activation after their T3SS-dependent translocation. We also performed mouse infection experiments and established that mouse mortality and
Citrobacter
colonization were reduced in mice infected with Δ
nleH
. Complementing Δ
nleH
with NleH1 restored
Citrobacter
virulence and colonization to wild-type levels, whereas complementing with NleH2 reduced them. Taken together, our data show that NleH1 and NleH2 have pronounced functional differences in their ability to alter host transcriptional responses to bacterial infection.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Infection Enhances Apoptosis
In Vivo
through a Caspase-3-Dependent Mechanism in Experimental Periodontitis
Authors: Kang Jun , de Brito Bezerra Beatriz , Pacios Sandra , Andriankaja Oelisoa , Li Yu , Tsiagbe Vincent , Schreiner Helen , Fine Daniel H. , Graves Dana T. 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that diabetes aggravates periodontal destruction induced by
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
infection. Thirty-eight diabetic and 33 normal rats were inoculated with
A. actinomycetemcomitans
and euthanized at baseline and at 4, 5, and 6 weeks after inoculation. Bone loss and the infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in gingival epithelium were measured in hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. The induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and of apoptotic cells by a TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) assay. After
A. actinomycetemcomitans
infection, the bone loss in diabetic rats was 1.7-fold and the PMN infiltration 1.6-fold higher than in normoglycemic rats (
P
< 0.05). The induction of TNF-α was 1.5-fold higher and of apoptotic cells was up to 3-fold higher in diabetic versus normoglycemic rats (
P
< 0.05). Treatment with a caspase-3 inhibitor significantly blocked noninflammatory cell apoptosis induced by
A. actinomycetemcomitans
infection in gingival epithelium and connective tissue (
P
< 0.05). These results provide new insight into how diabetes aggravates
A. actinomycetemcomitans
-induced periodontal destruction in rats by significantly increasing the inflammatory response, leading to increased bone loss and enhancing apoptosis of gingival epithelial and connective tissue cells through a caspase-3-dependent mechanism. Antibiotics had a more pronounced effect on many of these parameters in diabetic than in normoglycemic rats, suggesting a deficiency in the capacity of diabetic animals to resist infection.
Impact of Mosquito Bites on Asexual Parasite Density and Gametocyte Prevalence in Asymptomatic Chronic Plasmodium falciparum Infections and Correlation with IgE and IgG Titers
Authors: Lawaly Ramatoulaye , Konate Lassana , Marrama Laurence , Dia Ibrahima , Diallo Diawo , Diène Sarr Fatoumata , Schneider Bradley S. , Casademont Isabelle , Diallo Mawlouth , Brey Paul T. , Sakuntabhai Anavaj , Mecheri Salah , Paul Richard 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT

An immunomodulatory role of arthropod saliva has been well documented, but evidence for an effect on
Plasmodium
sp. infectiousness remains controversial. Mosquito saliva may orient the immune response toward a Th2 profile, thereby priming a Th2 response against subsequent antigens, including
Plasmodium
. Orientation toward a Th1 versus a Th2 profile promotes IgG and IgE proliferation, respectively, where the former is crucial for the development of an efficient antiparasite immune response. Here we assessed the direct effect of mosquito bites on the density of
Plasmodium falciparum
asexual parasites and the prevalence of gametocytes in chronic, asymptomatic infections in a longitudinal cohort study of seasonal transmission. We additionally correlated these parasitological measures with IgE and IgG antiparasite and anti-salivary gland extract titers. The mosquito biting density was positively correlated with the asexual parasite density but not asexual parasite prevalence and was negatively correlated with gametocyte prevalence. Individual anti-salivary gland IgE titers were also negatively correlated with gametocyte carriage and were strongly positively correlated with antiparasite IgE titers, consistent with the hypothesis that mosquito bites predispose individuals to develop an IgE antiparasite response. We provide evidence that mosquito bites have an impact on asymptomatic infections and differentially so for the production of asexual and sexual parasites. An increased research focus on the immunological impact of mosquito bites during asymptomatic infections is warranted, to establish whether strategies targeting the immune response to saliva can reduce the duration of infection and the onward transmission of the parasite.
Suicides by persons reported as missing prior to death: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sveticic Jerneja , Too Lay San , De Leo Diego 
Published: March 2012

ObjectiveA first study to compare suicides by missing persons with other suicide cases.DesignRetrospective cohort study for the period 1994–2007.Geographical locationQueensland, Australia.Population194 suicides by missing persons and 7545 other suicides were identified through the Queensland Suicide Register and the National Coroners Information System.Main outcome measureχ2statistics and binary logistic regression were used to identify distinct characteristics of suicides by missing persons.ResultsCompared with other suicide cases, missing persons significantly more often died by motor vehicle exhaust gas toxicity (23.7% vs 16.4%; χ2=7.32, p<0.01), jumping from height (6.7% vs 3.2%; χ2=7.08, p<0.01) or drowning (8.2% vs 1.8%; χ2=39.53, p<0.01), but less frequently by hanging (29.4% vs 39.9%; χ2=8.82, p<0.01). They were most frequently located in natural outdoors locations (58.2% vs 11.1%; χ2=388.25, p<0.01). Persons gone missing were less likely to have lived alone at time of death (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.76), yet more likely to be institutionalised (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.28 to 7.64). They were less likely to have been physically ill (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.95) or have a history of problematic consumptions of alcohol (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.87). In comparison to other suicide cases, missing persons more often communicated their suicidal intent prior to death (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.22).ConclusionsSuicides by missing persons show several distinct characteristics in comparisons to other suicides. The findings have implications for development of suicide prevention strategies focusing on early identification and interventions targeting this group. In particular, it may offer assistance to police in designing risk assessment procedures and subsequent investigations of missing persons.
Protocol for the Northern Manhattan Diabetes Community Outreach Project. A randomised trial of a community health worker intervention to improve diabetes care in Hispanic adults
Authors: Palmas Walter , Teresi Jeanne A , Findley Sally , Mejia Miriam , Batista Milagros , Kong Jian , Silver Stephanie , Luchsinger Jose A , Carrasquillo Olveen 
Published: March 2012

ObjectiveHispanics in the USA are affected by the diabetes epidemic disproportionately, and they consistently have lower access to care, poorer control of the disease and higher risk of complications. This study evaluates whether a community health worker (CHW) intervention may improve clinically relevant markers of diabetes care in adult underserved Hispanics.Methods and analysisThe Northern Manhattan Diabetes Community Outreach Project (NOCHOP) is a two-armed randomised controlled trial to be performed as a community-based participatory research study performed in a Primary Care Setting in Northern Manhattan (New York City). 360 Hispanic adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (haemoglobin A1c >8%), aged 35–70 years, will be randomised at a 1:1 ratio, within Primary Care Provider clusters. The two study arms are (1) a 12-month CHW intervention and (2) enhanced usual care (educational materials mailed at 4-month intervals, preceded by phone calls). The end points, assessed after 12 months, are primary = haemoglobin A1c and secondary = blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. In addition, the study will describe the CHW intervention in terms of components and intensity and will assess its effects on (1) medication adherence, (2) medication intensification, (3) diet and (4) physical activity.Ethics and disseminationAll participants will provide informed consent; the study protocol has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Columbia University Medical Center. CHW interventions hold great promise in improving the well-being of minority populations who suffer from diabetes mellitus. The NOCHOP study will provide valuable information about the efficacy of those interventions vis-à-vis clinically relevant end points and will inform policy makers through a detailed characterisation of the programme and its effects.Clinical trial registration numberNCT00787475 at clinicaltrials.gov.
Return-Oriented Programming
Authors: Roemer Ryan , Buchanan Erik , Shacham Hovav , Savage Stefan 
Published: March 2012

We introduce
return-oriented programming
, a technique by which an attacker can induce arbitrary behavior in a program whose control flow he has diverted, without injecting any code. A return-oriented program chains together short instruction sequences already present in a program’s address space, each of which ends in a “return” instruction.

Return-oriented programming defeats the W⊕X protections recently deployed by Microsoft, Intel, and AMD; in this context, it can be seen as a generalization of traditional return-into-libc attacks. But the threat is more general. Return-oriented programming is readily exploitable on multiple architectures and systems. It also bypasses an entire category of security measures---those that seek to prevent malicious computation by preventing the execution of malicious code.
To demonstrate the wide applicability of return-oriented programming, we construct a Turing-complete set of building blocks called gadgets using the standard C libraries of two very different architectures: Linux/x86 and Solaris/SPARC. To demonstrate the power of return-oriented programming, we present a high-level, general-purpose language for describing return-oriented exploits and a compiler that translates it to gadgets.
AuDeNTES
Authors: Mariani Leonardo , Micucci Daniela 
Published: March 2012

In academic courses, students frequently take advantage of someone else’s work to improve their own evaluations or grades. This unethical behavior seriously threatens the integrity of the academic system, and teachers invest substantial effort in preventing and recognizing plagiarism.
When students take examinations requiring the production of computer programs, plagiarism detection can be semiautomated using analysis techniques such as JPlag and Moss. These techniques are useful but lose effectiveness when the text of the exam suggests some of the elements that should be structurally part of the solution. A loss of effectiveness is caused by the many common parts that are shared between programs due to the suggestions in the text of the exam rather than plagiarism.
In this article, we present the AuDeNTES anti-plagiarism technique. AuDeNTES detects plagiarism via the code fragments that better represent the individual students’ contributions by filtering from students’ submissions the parts that might be common to many students due to the suggestions in the text of the exam. The filtered parts are identified by comparing students’ submissions against a reference solution, which is a solution of the exam developed by the teachers. Specifically, AuDeNTES first produces tokenized versions of both the reference solution and the programs that must be analyzed. Then, AuDeNTES removes from the tokenized programs the tokens that are included in the tokenized reference solution. Finally, AuDeNTES computes the similarity among the filtered tokenized programs and produces a ranked list of program pairs suspected of plagiarism.
An empirical comparison against multiple state-of-the-art plagiarism detection techniques using several sets of real students’ programs collected in early programming courses demonstrated that AuDeNTES identifies more plagiarism cases than the other techniques at the cost of a small additional inspection effort.
Extractors and Lower Bounds for Locally Samplable Sources
Authors: De Anindya , Watson Thomas 
Published: March 2012

We consider the problem of extracting randomness from sources that are efficiently samplable, in the sense that each output bit of the sampler only depends on some small numberdof the random input bits. As our main result, we construct a deterministic extractor that, given anyd-local source with min-entropykonnbits, extractsΩ(k2/nd) bits that are 2−nΩ(1)-close to uniform, providedd≤o(logn) andk≥n2/3+γ(for arbitrarily small constantsγ> 0).Using our result, we also improve a result of Viola [2010] who proved a 1/2 −O(1/logn) statistical distance lower bound foro(logn)-local samplers trying to sample input-output pairs of an explicit boolean function, assuming the samplers use at mostn+n1−δrandom bits for some constantδ> 0. Using a different function, we simultaneously improve the lower bound to 1/2 − 2−nΩ(1)and eliminate the restriction on the number of random bits.
Neural Correlates of People's Hypercorrection of Their False Beliefs
Authors: Metcalfe Janet , Butterfield Brady , Habeck Christian , Stern Yaakov 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Despite the intuition that strongly held beliefs are particularly difficult to change, the data on error correction indicate that general information errors that people commit with a high degree of belief are especially easy to correct. This finding is called the hypercorrection effect. The hypothesis was tested that the reason for hypercorrection stems from enhanced attention and encoding that results from a metacognitive mismatch between the person's confidence in their responses and the true answer. This experiment, which is the first to use imaging to investigate the hypercorrection effect, provided support for this hypothesis, showing that both metacognitive mismatch conditions—that in which high confidence accompanies a wrong answer and that in which low confidence accompanies a correct answer—revealed anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus activations. Only in the high confidence error condition, however, was an error that conflicted with the true answer mentally present. And only the high confidence error condition yielded activations in the right TPJ and the right dorsolateral pFC. These activations suggested that, during the correction process after error commission, people (1) were entertaining both the false belief as well as the true belief (as in theory of mind tasks, which also manifest the right TPJ activation) and (2) may have been suppressing the unwanted, incorrect information that they had, themselves, produced (as in think/no-think tasks, which also manifest dorsolateral pFC activation). These error-specific processes as well as enhanced attention because of metacognitive mismatch appear to be implicated.
The Context–Object–Manipulation Triad: Cross Talk during Action Perception Revealed by fMRI
Authors: Wurm Moritz F. , Cramon D. Yves , Schubotz Ricarda I. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
To recognize an action, an observer exploits information about the applied manipulation, the involved objects, and the context where the action occurs. Context, object, and manipulation information are hence expected to be tightly coupled in a triadic relationship (the COM triad hereafter). The current fMRI study investigated the hemodynamic signatures of reciprocal modulation in the COM triad. Participants watched short video clips of pantomime actions, that is, actions performed with inappropriate objects, taking place at compatible or incompatible contexts. The usage of pantomime actions enabled the disentanglement of the neural substrates of context–manipulation (CM) and context–object (CO) associations. There were trials in which (1) both manipulation and objects, (2) only manipulation, (3) only objects, or (4) neither manipulation nor objects were compatible with the context. CM compatibility effects were found in an action-related network comprising ventral premotor cortex, SMA, left anterior intraparietal sulcus, and bilateral occipito-temporal cortex. Conversely, CO compatibility effects were found bilaterally in lateral occipital complex. These effects interacted in subregions of the lateral occipital complex. An overlap of CM and CO effects was observed in the occipito-temporal cortex and the dorsal attention network, that is, superior frontal sulcus/dorsal premotor cortex and superior parietal lobe. Results indicate that contextual information is integrated into the analysis of actions. Manipulation and object information is linked by contextual associations as a function of co-occurrence in specific contexts. Activation of either CM or CO associations shifts attention to either action- or object-related relevant information.
Behavioral Choice-related Neuronal Activity in Monkey Primary Somatosensory Cortex in a Haptic Delay Task
Authors: Wang Liping , Li Xianchun , Hsiao Steven S. , Bodner Mark , Lenz Fred , Zhou Yong-Di 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
The neuronal activity in the primary somatosensory cortex was collected when monkeys performed a haptic–haptic DMS task. We found that, in trials with correct task performance, a substantial number of cells showed significant differential neural activity only when the monkeys had to make a choice between two different haptic objects. Such a difference in neural activity was significantly reduced in incorrect response trials. However, very few cells showed the choice-only differential neural activity in monkeys who performed a control task that was identical to the haptic–haptic task but did not require the animal to either actively memorize the sample or make a choice between two objects at the end of a trial. From these results, we infer that the differential activity recorded from cells in the primary somatosensory cortex in correct performance reflects the neural process of behavioral choice, and therefore, it is a neural correlate of decision-making when the animal has to make a haptic choice.
Regional Climate–Weather Research and Forecasting Model
Authors: Liang Xin-Zhong , Xu Min , Yuan Xing , Ling Tiejun , Choi Hyun I. , Zhang Feng , Chen Ligang , Liu Shuyan , Su Shenjian , Qiao Fengxue , He Yuxiang , Wang Julian X. L. , Kunkel Kenneth E. , Gao Wei , Joseph Everette , Morris Vernon , Yu Tsann-Wang , Dudhia Jimy , Michalakes John 
Published: March 2012

The CWRF is developed as a climate extension of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) by incorporating numerous improvements in the representation of physical processes and integration of external (top, surface, lateral) forcings that are crucial to climate scales, including interactions between land, atmosphere, and ocean; convection and microphysics; and cloud, aerosol, and radiation; and system consistency throughout all process modules. This extension inherits all WRF functionalities for numerical weather prediction while enhancing the capability for climate modeling. As such, CWRF can be applied seamlessly to weather forecast and climate prediction. The CWRF is built with a comprehensive ensemble of alternative parameterization schemes for each of the key physical processes, including surface (land, ocean), planetary boundary layer, cumulus (deep, shallow), microphysics, cloud, aerosol, and radiation, and their interactions. This facilitates the use of an optimized physics ensemble approach to improve weather or climate prediction along with a reliable uncertainty estimate. The CWRF also emphasizes the societal service capability to provide impactrelevant information by coupling with detailed models of terrestrial hydrology, coastal ocean, crop growth, air quality, and a recently expanded interactive water quality and ecosystem model.
This study provides a general CWRF description and basic skill evaluation based on a continuous integration for the period 1979– 2009 as compared with that of WRF, using a 30-km grid spacing over a domain that includes the contiguous United States plus southern Canada and northern Mexico. In addition to advantages of greater application capability, CWRF improves performance in radiation and terrestrial hydrology over WRF and other regional models. Precipitation simulation, however, remains a challenge for all of the tested models.
Seasonal Prediction of North Pacific SSTs and PDO in the NCEP CFS Hindcasts
Authors: Wen Caihong , Xue Yan , Kumar Arun 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Seasonal prediction skill of North Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) and the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) in the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) retrospective forecasts is assessed. The SST forecasts exhibit significant skills over much of the North Pacific for two seasons in advance and outperform persistence over much of the North Pacific except near the Kuroshio–Oyashia Extension. Similar to the “spring barrier” feature in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation forecasts, the central North Pacific SST experiences a faster drop in prediction skill for forecasts initialized from November to February than those from May to August. Forecasts for the PDO displayed a constant phase shift from the observation with respect to lead time. The PDO skill has a clear seasonality with highest skill for forecasts initialized in boreal spring.
The impact of ENSO on the PDO and North Pacific SST prediction was investigated. The analysis revealed that seasonal prediction skill in the central North Pacific mainly results from the skillful prediction of ENSO. As a result, the PDO is more skillful than persistence at all lead times during ENSO years. On the other hand, persistence is superior to the CFS forecast during ENSO-neutral conditions owing to errors in initial conditions and deficiencies in model physics. Examination of seasonal variance and predictability (signal-to-noise ratio) further articulates the influence of ENSO on the PDO skill. The results suggest that improvement of ENSO prediction as well as reduction in model biases in the western North Pacific will lead to improvements in the PDO and North Pacific SST predictions.