bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of a Receptor-Binding Capture Quantitative Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay To Concentrate Human Norovirus from Sewage and To Study the Distribution and Stability of the Virus
Authors: Tian Peng , Yang David , Pan Liangwen , Mandrell Robert
Published: November 2011

Water is an important route for human norovirus (HuNoV) transmission. Using magnetic beads conjugated with blood group-like antigens (HuNoV receptors), we developed a simple and rapid receptor-binding capture and magnetic sequestration (RBCMS) method and compared it to the existing negatively charged membrane absorption/elution (NCMAE) method for concentrating HuNoV from sewage effluent. RBCMS required 6-fold-less sample volume than the NCMAE method and also resulted in a significantly higher yield of HuNoV. The NCMAE and RBCMS concentrations of genogroup I (GI) HuNoV measured by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) resulted in average threshold cycle (

C
T

) values of 34.68 (8.68 copies, 252-fold concentration) versus 34.07 (13.05 copies, 477-fold concentration), respectively; the NCMAE and RBCMS concentrations of genogroup II (GII) HuNoV were measured as average

C
T

values of 33.32 (24.7 copies, 239-fold concentration) versus 32.38 (46.9 copies, 333-fold concentration), respectively. The specificity of qRT-PCR was confirmed by traditional RT-PCR and an RNase I protection assay. The qRT-PCR signal from RBCMS-concentrated HuNoV treated with RNase I indicated that it was from encapsidated RNA and, probably, viable virus. In contrast, the qRT-PCR signal from NCMAE-concentrated HuNoV was not protected from RNase I and, likely, degradation. Both GI and GII HuNoV were detected from sewage effluent samples collected between April and July with average concentrations of 7.8 × 10
3
genomic copies per liter (gc/liter) and 4.3 × 10
4
gc/liter, respectively. No GI and <2% GII HuNoV were detected in sewage samples stored at room temperature for 4 weeks. We conclude that RBCMS requires less sample volume, has better recovery and sensitivity, and is faster than NCMAE for detection of HuNoV in sewage.
Disrupting the Transmission of a Vector-Borne Plant Pathogen
Authors: Killiny Nabil , Rashed Arash , Almeida Rodrigo P. P.
Published: November 2011

Approaches to control vector-borne diseases rarely focus on the interface between vector and microbial pathogen, but strategies aimed at disrupting the interactions required for transmission may lead to reductions in disease spread. We tested if the vector transmission of the plant-pathogenic bacterium
Xylella fastidiosa
was affected by three groups of molecules: lectins, carbohydrates, and antibodies. Although not comprehensively characterized, it is known that
X. fastidiosa
adhesins bind to carbohydrates, and that these interactions are important for initial cell attachment to vectors, which is required for bacterial transmission from host to host. Lectins with affinity to substrates expected to occur on the cuticular surface of vectors colonized by
X. fastidiosa
, such as wheat germ agglutinin, resulted in statistically significant reductions in transmission rate, as did carbohydrates with
N
-acetylglucosamine residues. Presumably, lectins bound to receptors on the vector required for cell adhesion/colonization, while carbohydrate-saturated adhesins on
X. fastidiosa
's cell surface. Furthermore, antibodies against
X. fastidiosa
whole cells, gum, and afimbrial adhesins also resulted in transmission blockage. However, no treatment resulted in the complete abolishment of transmission, suggesting that this is a complex biological process. This work illustrates the potential to block the transmission of vector-borne pathogens without directly affecting either organism.
Heterologous Expression and Characterization of Two 1-Hydroxy-2-Naphthoic Acid Dioxygenases from Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans
Authors: Vandera Elpiniki , Kavakiotis Konstantinos , Kallimanis Aristeidis , Kyrpides Nikos C. , Drainas Constantin , Koukkou Anna-Irini
Published: November 2011

A protein fraction exhibiting 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (1-H2NA) dioxygenase activity was purified via ion exchange, hydrophobic interactions, and gel filtration chromatography from
Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans
sp. nov. strain Sphe3 isolated from a Greek creosote-oil-polluted site. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and tandem MS (MS-MS) analysis revealed that the amino acid sequences of oligopeptides of the major 45-kDa protein species, as analyzed by SDS-PAGE and silver staining, comprising 29% of the whole sequence, exhibited strong homology with 1-H2NA dioxygenase of
Nocardioides
sp. strain KP7. A BLAST search of the recently sequenced Sphe3 genome revealed two putative open reading frames, named
diox1
and
diox2
, showing 90% nucleotide identity to each other and 85% identity at the amino acid level with the
Nocardia
sp. homologue.
diox1
was found on an indigenous Sphe3 plasmid, whereas
diox2
was located on the chromosome. Both genes were induced by the presence of phenanthrene used as a sole carbon and energy source, and as expected, both were subject to carbon catabolite repression. The relative RNA transcription level of the chromosomal (
diox2
) gene was significantly higher than that of its plasmid (
diox1
) homologue. Both
diox1
and
diox2
putative genes were PCR amplified, cloned, and overexpressed in
Escherichia coli
. Recombinant
E. coli
cells expressed 1-H2NA dioxygenase activity. Recombinant enzymes exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent
K

m

of 35 μM for Diox1 and 29 μM for Diox2, whereas they showed similar kinetic turnover characteristics with
K
cat
/
K

m

values of 11 × 10
6
M
−1
s
−1
and 12 × 10
6
M
−1
s
−1
, respectively. Occurrence of two
diox1
and
diox2
homologues in the Sphe3 genome implies that a replicative transposition event has contributed to the evolution of 1-H2NA dioxygenase in
A. phenanthrenivorans
.
Complete Genome Sequence of Salmonella Bacteriophage SPN3US
Authors: Lee Ju-Hoon , Shin Hakdong , Kim Hyeryen , Ryu Sangryeol
Published: November 2011

Salmonella
bacteriophage SPN3US was isolated from a chicken fecal sample. It is a virulent phage belonging to the
Myoviridae
family and showing effective inhibition of
Salmonella enterica
and a few
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 strains. Here we announce the completely sequenced first genome of a
Salmonella
phage using flagella as receptors. It is the largest genome among
Salmonella
phages sequenced to date, and major findings from its annotation are described.
Complete Genomic Sequence of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 16 from China
Authors: Yang Tao , Liu Nihong , Xu Qingyuan , Sun Encheng , Qin Yongli , Zhao Jin , Wu Donglai
Published: November 2011

We report here the complete genomic sequence of the Chinese bluetongue virus serotype 16 (BTV16) strain BN96/16. This work is the first to document the complete genomic sequence (segments 1 to 10) of a BTV16 strain. The sequence information provided herein will help determine the geographic origin of BTV16 and define the phylogenetic relationship of BTV16 to other BTV strains.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Coccolithovirus Emiliania huxleyi Virus 203
Authors: Nissimov Jozef I. , Worthy Charlotte A. , Rooks Paul , Napier Johnathan A. , Kimmance Susan A. , Henn Matthew R. , Ogata Hiroyuki , Allen Michael J.
Published: November 2011

The
Coccolithoviridae
are a recently discovered group of viruses that infect the marine coccolithophorid
Emiliania huxleyi
.
Emiliania huxleyi
virus 203 (EhV-203) has a 160- to 180-nm-diameter icosahedral structure and a genome of approximately 400 kbp, consisting of 464 coding sequences (CDSs). Here we describe the genomic features of EhV-203 together with a draft genome sequence and its annotation, highlighting the homology and heterogeneity of this genome in comparison with the EhV-86 reference genome.
A CHARACTERIZATION OF NONCOMPACT KOISO-TYPE SOLITONS
Authors: YANG BO
Published: November 2011

We construct complete gradient Kähler–Ricci solitons of various types on the total spaces of certain holomorphic line bundles over compact Kähler–Einstein manifolds with positive scalar curvature. Those are noncompact analogues of the compact examples found by Koiso [On rotationally symmetric Hamilton's equations for Kähler–Einstein metrics, in Recent Topics in Differential and Analytic Geometry, Advanced Studies in Pure Mathematics, Vol. 18-I (Academic Press, Boston, MA, 1990), pp. 327–337]. Our examples can be viewed a generalization of previous examples by Cao [Existense of gradient Kähler–Ricci solitons, in Elliptic and Parabolic Methods in Geometry (Minneapolis, MN, 1994), pp. 1–16], Chave and Valent [On a class of compact and non-compact quasi-Einstein metrics and their renormalizability properties, Nuclear Phys. B 478 (1996) 758–778], Pedersen, Tønnesen-Friedman, and Valent [Quasi-Einstein Kähler metrics, Lett. Math. Phys. 50(3) (1999) 229–241], and Feldman, Ilmanen and Knopf [Rotationally symmetric shrinking and expanding gradient Kähler–Ricci solitons, J. Differential Geom. 65 (2003) 169–209]. We also prove a uniformization result on complete steady gradient Kähler–Ricci solitons with non-negative Ricci curvature under additional assumptions.
SYMPLECTIC STABILIZERS WITH APPLICATIONS TO ABELIAN VARIETIES
Authors: CULLINAN JOHN
Published: November 2011

Fix a prime number ℓ > 2 and let V be a four-dimensional Fℓ-vector space. We classify subgroups G of Sp (V) with the property that every g ∈ G stabilizes a one-dimensional subspace of V, yet G itself is not of parabolic type. This classification is motivated by its application to the mod ℓ representation of abelian surfaces, following a program outlined by Sutherland.
UPPER BOUNDS FOR THE NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS TO QUARTIC THUE EQUATIONS
Authors: AKHTARI SHABNAM
Published: November 2011

We will give upper bounds for the number of integral solutions to quartic Thue equations. Our main tool here is a logarithmic curve ϕ(x, y) that allows us to use the theory of linear forms in logarithms. This paper improves the results of the author's earlier work with Okazaki [The quartic Thue equations, J. Number Theory130(1) (2010) 40–60] by giving special treatments to forms with respect to their signature.
TRANSCENDENCE AND ALGEBRAIC INDEPENDENCE OF SERIES RELATED TO STERN'S SEQUENCE
Authors: BUNDSCHUH PETER
Published: November 2011

In this same journal, Coons published recently a paper [The transcendence of series related to Stern's diatomic sequence, Int. J. Number Theory6 (2010) 211–217] on the function theoretical transcendence of the generating function of the Stern sequence, and the transcendence over ℚ of the function values at all non-zero algebraic points of the unit disk. The main aim of our paper is to prove the algebraic independence over ℚ of the values of this function and all its derivatives at the same points. The basic analytic ingredient of the proof is the hypertranscendence of the function to be shown before. Another main result concerns the generating function of the Stern polynomials. Whereas the function theoretical transcendence of this function of two variables was already shown by Coons, we prove that, for every pair of non-zero algebraic points in the unit disk, the function value either vanishes or is transcendental.
THE TWISTED TENSOR L-FUNCTION OFGSp4
Authors: YOUNG JUSTIN
Published: November 2011

The author gives an integral representation for the twisted tensor L-function of a cuspidal, globally generic automorphic representation of GSp4over a quadratic extension E of a number field F with trivial central character. He proves the Euler product factorization of the global integral; computes the unramified L-factor via explicit branching from GL4to Sp4and shows it is equal to the normalized unramified local integral; and proves the absolute convergence and nonvanishing of all local integrals.
HENSLEY'S PROBLEM FOR FUNCTION FIELDS
Authors: WANG JULIE TZU-YUEH
Published: November 2011

Büchi's square problem asks if there exists a positive integer M such that all x1, …, xM ∈ ℤ satisfying the equations [Formula: see text] for all 3 ≤ r ≤ M must also satisfy [Formula: see text] for some integer x and for all 1 ≤ r ≤ M. Hensley's problem asks if there exists a positive integer M such that, for any integers ν and a, if (ν + r)2 - a is a square for all 1 ≤ r ≤ M, then a = 0. It is not difficult to see that a positive answer to Hensley's problem implies a positive answer to Büchi's square problem. One can ask a more general version of Hensley's problem by replacing the square power by an nth power for any integer n ≥ 2 which is called Hensley's problem for nth powers. In this paper, we will study Hensley's problem for nth powers over function fields of any characteristic.
BASES OF MINIMAL VECTORS IN LATTICES, III
Authors: MARTINET JACQUES , SCHÜRMANN ACHILL
Published: November 2011

We prove that all Euclidean lattices of dimension n ≤ 9 which are generated by their minimal vectors, also possess a basis of minimal vectors. By providing a new counterexample, we show that this is not the case for all dimensions n ≥ 10.
二战时期马来亚华人与印度人政治活动的比较分析
Authors: 石沧金
Published: November 2011

二战初期，马来亚华人就已展开轰轰烈烈的抗日救亡运动，支持中国抗战；与此同时，马来亚共产党从事反抗英国殖民统治的政治斗争。马来亚印度人则主要通过举行罢工等较为温和的方式，希望英国殖民政府给予他们公平合理的地位和待遇。日据时期，马来亚华人开展富有成效的在地抗日武装斗争，尤其是马共与英国殖民当局合作，共同抗击日军的侵略和占领。马来亚印度人则通过与日本人的合作，借助日军的力量，掀起了一场较有声势的独立运动，希望推翻英国人在祖籍国印度的殖民统治。从民族主义和身份认同的角度考察，二战时期马来亚华人与印度人的政治活动既有共同点和相似性，更有明显的不同和差异。
近十年(2000–2009年) SSCI、A & HCI 华侨华人研究文献计量分析
Authors: 王华  , 李爱慧
Published: November 2011

SSCI、A & HCI是国际著名的人文社会科学论文引文数据库。它们的统计分 析结果对把握学科发展历程、学术发展趋势，具有重要的意义。作者运用文献计 量学的方法，对近十年两个数据库中有关华侨华人研究的文献量、学科分布、作 者及作者群、论文语种、发文期刊、被引频次等指标进行量化研究，并总结原因 及得出结论，为相关研究提供参考。
RECENT ADVANCES IN GRAPHENE-BASED NANOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: BAO HONGQIAN , PAN YONGZHENG , LI LIN
Published: November 2011

Graphene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial reported for the first time in 2004, has been widely investigated for its novel physicochemical properties and potential applications. This review selectively summarizes the recent progress in using graphene-based nanomaterials for various biomedical applications. In particular, graphene-based sensors and biosensors, which are classified according to different sensing mechanisms and targets, are thoroughly discussed. Next, the utilization of graphene as nanocarriers for drug delivery, gene delivery and nanomedicine are demonstrated for potential cancer therapies. Finally, other graphene-based matrices, nanoscaffolds, and composites, which are used in bioapplications, are presented, followed by conclusions and perspective.
PLGA–LECITHIN–PEG CORE-SHELL NANOPARTICLES FOR CANCER TARGETED THERAPY
Authors: ZHENG MINGBIN , GONG PING , JIA DONGXUE , ZHENG CUIFANG , MA YIFAN , CAI LINTAO
Published: November 2011

We reported the development of multifunctional poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-lecithin-polyethylene glycol (PEG) core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) that combined the beneficial properties of liposome and polymeric NPs for chemotherapeutics delivery. The particle size, surface charge and surface functional groups were easily tunable in highly reproducible manner by various formulation parameters such as lipid/polymer, 1, 2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE)-PEG- COOH /lecithin, DSPE-PEG- COOH /DSPE-PEG- NH2mass ratio and modification of terminal groups of DSPE-PEG. We encapsulated model chemotherapy drug, hydrophilic cisplatin (DDP) or hydrophobic DDP prodrug, in the NPs and showed high encapsulation efficiency, excellent stability, specific FA targeting recognition for MCF-7 cells with over FA receptors expression and pretty cytotoxicity. Such PLGA–lecithin–PEG core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) were proved to be a promising drug delivery nanocarrier for cancer-targeted therapy.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL NANOCOMPOSITE SCAFFOLDS FOR BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING: FROM DESIGN TO APPLICATION
Authors: DUAN BIN , WANG MIN , LU WILLIAM W.
Published: November 2011

Selective laser sintering (SLS), a rapid prototyping technology, was investigated for producing bone tissue engineering scaffolds. Completely biodegradable osteoconductive calcium phosphate (Ca-P)/poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) scaffolds were successfully fabricated via SLS using Ca-P/PHBV nanocomposite microspheres. In the SLS manufacturing route, the architecture of tissue engineering scaffolds (pore shape, size, interconnectivity, etc.) can be designed and the sintering process can be optimized for obtaining scaffolds with desirable porous structures and mechanical properties. SLS was also shown to be very effective in producing highly complex porous structures using nanocomposite microspheres. To render SLS-formed Ca-P/PHBV scaffolds osteoinductive, recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) could be loaded onto the scaffolds. For achieving a controlled release of rhBMP-2 from scaffolds, surface modification of Ca-P/PHBV scaffolds by gelatin entrapment and heparin immobilization was needed. The immobilized heparin provided binding affinity for rhBMP-2. Surface modified Ca-P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds loaded with rhBMP-2 enhanced the proliferation of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and also their alkaline phosphatase activity. In in vivo experiments using a rabbit model, surface modified Ca-P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds loaded with rhBMP-2 promoted ectopic bone formation, exhibiting their osteoinductivity. The strategy of combining advanced scaffold fabrication, nanocomposite material, and controlled growth factor delivery is promising for bone tissue regeneration.
EFFECT OF ALENDRONATE-CONTAINING COATINGS ON OSTEOINTEGRATION INTO POROUS TANTALUM IN A CORTICAL BONE MODEL
Authors: DUAN KE , HU YOUXIN , LONG KAREN , TOMS ANDREW , BURT HELEN M. , OXLAND THOMAS R. , MASRI BAS A. , DUNCAN CLIVE P. , GARBUZ DONALD S. , WANG RIZHI
Published: November 2011

Hip replacement is extensively performed in hips with serious damages. The clinical outcomes of hip implants remain to be improved. Local delivery of bisphosphonates may improve implant fixation by positively affecting local bone modeling. In this study, two alendronate-containing coatings were prepared on porous tantalum by electrolytic deposition. Calcium phosphate coating was deposited and adsorbed with alendronate; the resulting coating had a low drug dose and slow release rate. Solid calcium alendronate coating was also deposited on tantalum; the resulting coating had high drug dose and faster release rate. The effects of the two coatings on new bone formation and implant fixation were studied in the rabbit tibial cortex. Four weeks after implantation, the implants with adsorbed alendronate showed the highest total new bone formation and mechanical fixation, whereas the implants with solid drug coating showed slightly lower fixation and total new bone formation than control bare implants. The improvement by the alendronate-adsorbed calcium phosphate coating provides potentials of enhancing early fixation of porous implants. The solid drug coating warranted further studies to exploit its high drug dose for inhibiting future osteolysis.
THE BIOMECHANICS OF DRUG-TREATED LEUKEMIA CELLS INVESTIGATED USING OPTICAL TWEEZERS
Authors: ZHOU ZHUO L. , TANG BIN , NGAN ALFONSO H. W.
Published: November 2011

Leukemia is a very common cancer worldwide, and different drugs have been applied to treat the disease. However, the influence of the drugs on the biomechanical properties of leukemia cells, which are related to the risk of leukostasis, is still unknown. Moreover, accurate measurement of biomechanical properties of leukemia cells is still a challenging task because of their non-adherent nature and high sensitivity to the surrounding physiological conditions. In this study, a protocol to measure the biomechanical properties of leukemia cells by performing indentation tests using optical tweezers is proposed. The biomechanical properties of normal leukemia cells and cells treated with various cancer drugs, including phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), all-trans retinoic acid (ATRa), Cytoxan (CTX), and Dexamethasone (DEX), were measured. The adhesion between the cells and certain proteins existing in the extracellular matrix, i.e., fibronetin and collagen I, was also characterized with the help of a static adhesion assay. It was found that after treatment by ATRa, CTX, and DEX, the cells became softer, and the adhesion between the cells and the proteins became weaker. PMA treatment caused no change in the stiffness of the HL60 cells, but increased the stiffness of the K562 cells, and increased the cell–protein adhesion of both K562 cells and HL60 cells.
Noncontact Laser Modulation Calorimetry for High-Purity Liquid Iron
Authors: Sugie Kazutoshi , Kobatake Hidekazu , Uchikoshi Masahito , Isshiki Minoru , Sugioka Ken-ichi , Tsukada Takao , Fukuyama Hiroyuki
Published: November 2011

The heat capacity and thermal conductivity of liquid iron were measured the using recently developed method of noncontact laser modulation calorimetry. An iron sample was levitated using an electromagnetic levitator. Then the convection in the levitated droplet was suppressed to measure the thermal conductivity by the application of a dc magnetic field. High-purity iron (99.9972 mass %) prepared using an ion exchange method was used for measurements. The molar heat capacity of liquid iron at constant pressure was measured to be 45.4 ±3.2 J·mol-1·K-1(1848–1992 K) in low dc magnetic fields because a semi-adiabatic condition was achieved, assisted by the remaining convection in the liquid. The apparent thermal conductivity of liquid iron decreased concomitantly with the increasing dc magnetic field. It finally converged to 39.1 ±2.5 W·m-1·K-1(1794–2050 K) at 9 T or higher. The experimental uncertainties in the molar heat capacity and thermal conductivity are double the standard deviation.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Coherent Phonon Generation and Its Spectral Characterization in a Nanoribbon upon Localized Pulse Heating
Authors: Zolotoukhina Tatiana
Published: November 2011

The generation and thermal transport of coherent phonons during instantaneous pulse heating in the presence of diffusion is studied by a molecular dynamics (MD) method. Coherent phonon formation and propagation characteristics are obtained and compared for different shapes of the heating pulse, such as a half-period square, a Gaussian, and a triangle, using the Lennard-Jones (LJ) nanoribbon model. Heating energy exceeding the equilibrium energy distribution of a heated region relaxes by emitting a train of (3 to 5) coherent phonons. As shown in the MD model, the equations of heat flux can resolve coherent phonon motion with high resolution when flux through the boundaries is evaluated with sampling regions of the same size as a single phonon vibration period in the direction of propagation. In the presence of diffusion, the dependence of the generation and decay of phonons on the energy density of the heating pulse is studied for different heating times of the nanoribbon sample. Heating pulses of different duration with a Gaussian profile lead to a higher percentage of heating energy being converted into coherent phonons relative to other pulse shapes. The number of generated phonons and their amplitudes are shown to vary with the pulse duration and shape owing to differences in the energy density of the heating pulses. In the phonon propagation sampling regions, the density of states (DOS) is used to identify coherent phonon frequencies, which are shown to correspond, in terms of the number of identified phonons, to the shape of the thermal envelope for the different pulse shapes and heating times of the nanoribbon sample.
Development of Network Database System for Thermophysical Property Data of Thin Films
Authors: Yamashita Yuichiro , Yagi Takashi , Baba Tetsuya
Published: November 2011

The database system for thermophysical property data, which has been developed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), is evolved to store comprehensive information on thin films. Since a thin film is identified by not only its constituent elements, phases, or compositions but also its method of synthesis, a strategy for storing all thin-film specimens is adopted when the data are measured by NMIJ. In addition, new criteria of material classification in our database are introduced to systematically manage material information on multilayer thin-film specimens. For example, when a multi layered film is measured by an ultrafast laser flash method, the database stores not only analyzed results but also data at various measurement stages, which can follow analysis steps from an observed signal data to derived results: thermal diffusivity and boundary thermal resistance of the film. In order to store new data items, the database system has been updated. The updated database system is demonstrated in terms of its storage of record items and its user interface using a set of thermophysical property data of a “TiN single-layer thin film on a synthesized quartz substrate”, “Al2O3coated with Mo three-layer thin films on a fused silica substrate”, and “ITO coated with Mo three-layer thin films on a fused silica substrate”. This database system is available at http://riodb.ibase.aist.go.jp/TPDB/DBGVsupport/index_en.html.
Improvement of Light Extraction Efficiency for AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Inazu Tetsuhiko , Fukahori Shinya , Pernot Cyril , Kim Myung Hee , Fujita Takehiko , Nagasawa Yosuke , Hirano Akira , Ippommatsu Masamichi , Iwaya Motoaki , Takeuchi Tetsuya , Kamiyama Satoshi , Yamaguchi Masahito , Honda Yoshio , Amano Hiroshi , Akasaki Isamu
Published: November 2011

AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with aluminum reflective electrodes deposited to cover both p- and n-mesh contact electrodes have been fabricated. A 1.55-fold increase in light extraction efficiency has been demonstrated. Despite their reduced contact area, the LEDs exhibited only a slight increase in forward voltage of 0.45 V at 20 mA. Also, their 50% lifetime was estimated to be about 10,000 h at 20 mA DC at room temperature by extrapolation. Owing to the reflective electrodes, a 288 nm LED with external quantum efficiency as high as 5.4% was achieved. The light output power was 4.6 mW at 20 mA.
Numerical Analysis of Magnetic Field Distribution of Magnetic Micro-barcodes for Suspension Assay Technology
Authors: Son Vo Thanh , Anandakumar S. , Kim CheolGi , Jeong Jong-Ruyl
Published: November 2011

In this study, we have investigated real-time decoding feasibility of magnetic micro-barcodes in a microfluidic channel by using numerical analysis of magnetic field distribution of the micro-barcodes. The vector potential model based on a molecular current has been used to obtain magnetic stray field distribution of ferromagnetic bars which consisting of the micro-barcodes. It reveals that the stray field distribution of the micro-barcodes strongly depends on the geometries of the ferromagnetic bar. Interestingly enough, we have found that one can avoide the miniaturization process of a magnetic sensor device needed to increase the sensitivity by optimizing the geometries of micro-barcodes. We also estimate a magnetic sensor response depending on flying height and lateral misalignment of the micro-barcodes over the sensor position and found that control of the flying height is crucial factor to enhance the detection sensitivity and reproducibility of a magnetic sensor signal in the suspension assay technology.
Lessons learned in prototyping systems in developing-world contexts
Authors: Allen Sena Lee
Published: November 2011

This forum looks at how the fields of interaction design and HCI can extend to cover "developing" communities around the world, ones that are gaining access to digital technology for the first time.

Gary Marsden, Editor
Conferences and video lectures; scientific educational games
Authors: Langford John , Robertson Judy
Published: November 2011

The
Communications
Web site, http://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

twitter

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM

http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm

John Langford analyzes whether conferences should offer video lectures. Judy Robertson discusses the merits of the Game Design Through Mentoring and Collaboration project.
The rise of molecular machines
Authors: Kroeker Kirk L.
Published: November 2011

The field of molecular computing is achieving new levels of control over biochemical processes and fostering sophisticated connections between computer science and the biological sciences.
Activism vs. slacktivism
Authors: McCafferty Dennis
Published: November 2011

Today's activists are highly plugged into social media, mobile apps, and other digital tools. But does this make a difference where it matters most?
CSEdWeek takes hold
Authors: Greengard Samuel
Published: November 2011

Groups in more than 130 countries will participate in Computer Science Education Week this year.
The legacy of Steve Jobs
Authors: Cusumano Michael A.
Published: November 2011

Reflecting on the career and contributions of the Apple cofounder.
Debugging on live systems
Authors: Neville-Neil George V.
Published: November 2011

It is more of a social than a technical problem.
Coding guidelines
Authors: Green Robert , Ledgard Henry
Published: November 2011

What separates good code from great code?
Visual crowd surveillance through a hydrodynamics lens
Authors: Moore Brian E. , Ali Saad , Mehran Ramin , Shah Mubarak
Published: November 2011

People in high-density crowds appear to move with the flow of the crowd, like particles in a liquid.
License risks from ad hoc reuse of code from the internet
Authors: Sojer Manuel , Henkel Joachim
Published: November 2011

Software developers' reuse of code from the Internet bears legal and economic risks for their employers.
Dennis Ritchie, 1941--2011
Authors: Hyman Paul
Published: November 2011

Colleagues recall the creator of C and codeveloper Unix, an unassuming but brilliant man who enjoyed playing practical jokes on his coworkers.
TLRO based modeling of alternative commands and its application to generalized distributed resource allocation problem
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Anup Kumar
Published: November 2011

There are systems where alternative constructs need to be used for its description. In weakest precondition calculus disjunction of the post conditions of constituent guarded commands is used as the post condition of an alternative construct. Such representation is not suitable because it does not express a one to one correspondence between a guard and the relevant component of the characterized post condition. In this paper Temporal Logic Related to Observation (TLRO) is used to solve this problem. Each guarded command is expressed as a TLRO rule by using its strongest post condition and the corresponding precondition. List of these representations for all the constituent guarded commands is the required model. Technique is illustrated by considering a common sense scenario. The scheme is then applied to a generalized resource allocation algorithm which is a weaker version of Drinking Philosophers problem.
Empirical analysis of object-oriented design metrics for predicting high, medium and low severity faults using mallows
C
p
Authors: Chhillar Rajender Singh , Nisha
Published: November 2011

An object-oriented approach has become a commonly-used method in software-related activities. Many design metrics for object-oriented systems have been proposed and also employed for predicting and managing the quality of processes and products. To enhance the practical utility of object-oriented metrics in software industry, various researchers have tried to find relations between these metrics and fault proneness, but very few focus on relating them with the number-offaults in different levels as per their severity rating. In this study, empirical validation is carried out on object-oriented design metrics (i.e. Chidamber and Kemerer CK-metrics suite and source lines of codes) for predicting number-of-faults in different severity levels. Different statistical methods are used to analyze the data, including correlation.
Measuring software reliability
Authors: Kumar Ravinder , Khatter Kiran , Kalia Arvind
Published: November 2011

Software reliability is an essential part of software engineering to ensure the quality of a system. There are various techniques, which can be used in building models for predicting quality attributes. This paper presents a Fuzzy model for software reliability prediction. We have proposed three parameters Availability, Failure Probability and Recoverability as an integrated measure of software reliability. Fuzzy Model provides a way to arrive at a discrete Reliability Non-functional requirement (NFR) in contrast to imprecise, vague and ambiguous. This model will help us to evolve intermediate stages between reliable state and unreliable state of a system. Results obtained by proposed model show that this is suitable for predicting software reliability of the software.
Using static analysis tools to detect and correct non-compliant cryptography
Authors: Langsworth Anthony
Published: November 2011

Security is an increasing concern for application developers, whether they are targeting internal customers, organizations or the general public. Particularly for the US public sector with requirements like FIPS 140, developers need to identify and remove superseded cryptography in both legacy applications and new development. This paper outlines a mechanism using static analysis tools to find outdated or improper cryptography and suggest corrections or correct code. This prevents the need for manual inspection and correction by developers familiar with cryptography and is more accurate than text searches.
Survey on agile metrics and their inter-relationship with other traditional development metrics
Authors: Misra Sanjay , Omorodion Martha
Published: November 2011

In our civilized world today, measurement is very important in every aspect of our lives as a means of quantifying our success or progress in whatever activity we involve ourselves in. Consequently, this paper outlines the various metrics that are utilized in the Agile development process and compares them with the ones used in time past to measure success and progress.
Do-178c
Authors: Brosgol Benjamin
Published: November 2011

The commercial avionics community's DO-178B software safety certification requirements document is being updated to take into account twenty years of experience, and the new version (DO-178C) is close to completion. This half-day tutorial covers the core of the DO-178C standard, including the new treatment of tool qualification, as well the supplements on Object-Oriented and Other Technologies, Model-Based Design, and Formal Methods.
Designing and checking coding standards for ada
Authors: Rosen Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2011

Most companies have developed coding standards (often because having one is a requirement for certification), but few have conducted a real analysis of the value, consistency, and efficiency of the coding standard. This tutorial presents the challenges of establishing a coding standard, not just for the sake of having one, but with the goal of actually improving the quality of software. This implies not only having "good" rules, but also having rules that are understood, accepted, and adhered to by the programming team. The issues of automatically checking the rules is also fundamental: experience shows that no manual checking can cover the programming rules to a satisfactory extent. The tutorial presents the tools available, then goes into deeper details using AdaControl, a free rules checking tool.
Building embedded real-time applications
Authors: McCormick John W. , Singhoff Frank
Published: November 2011

The arrival and popularity of multi-core processors has sparked a renewed interest in the development of parallel programs. Similarly, the availability of low cost microprocessors and sensors has generated a great interest in embedded real-time programs. Ada is arguably the most appropriate language for development of parallel and real-time applications. This tutorial provides an introduction to the features of Ada that makes it appropriate in these domains including:

The Ada type model

High level support for low level programming

The task

Communication and synchronization based on shared objects

Communication and synchronization based on direct interaction

Real-time systems and scheduling concepts

Real-Time programming with Ada

We encourage tutorial participants to bring a laptop on which they can install Cheddar for hands on exercises.
Stack safe parallel recursion with paraffin
Authors: Moore Bradley J.
Published: November 2011

Recursion is a programming technique in which a solution can be expressed by a subroutine invoking itself either directly or indirectly. Many problems can be expressed simply using a recursive approach, however one of the drawbacks of using recursion is that it requires a stack, and often one does not know how much stack space is needed to obtain a recursive result. Stack overflow often results in spectacular failure with strange, often unrepeatable behaviour. Paraffin is a suite of generic units that can add parallelism to iterative and recursive problems. Some of the generics involve a load balancing technique described as "work-seeking". It was found that the recursive work seeking algorithm could be extended to also provide stack safety whereby the generics monitor the amount of remaining stack space and avoid stack overflow using a technique similar to load balancing. The stack safety feature also makes it attractive to consider Paraffin for use with code destined for execution on a single core. This paper describes how the recursive work-seeking algorithm was extended to provide the stack-safety feature, and then goes on to report some performance results using the generics.
How to make ada go 'viral'
Authors: Rosen Jean-Pierre , Moore Brad , Taft Tucker
Published: November 2011

Every Ada user wonders why Ada doesn't not enjoy the popularity it deserves. Experience shows that once people have been properly trained to it, they generally don't want to return to other languages -- but getting the word to the public-at-large -- marketing - has always been a weak point of Ada. Can we change this situation? Recent indicators, like the ?? language popularity rating, shows some positive indication, with Ada's popularity fast rising. This panel brings together experts with various backgrounds to share their views on how to make Ada more mainstream.
An Ada design pattern recognition tool for AADL performance analysis
Authors: Gaudel Vincent , Singhoff Frank , Plantec Alain , Rubini Stephane , Dissaux Pierre , Legrand Jerome
Published: November 2011

This article deals with performance verification of architecture models of real-time embedded systems. Although real-time scheduling theory provides numerous analytical methods called feasibility tests for scheduling analysis, their use is a complicated task. In order to assist an architecture model designer in early verification, we provide an approach, based on real-time specific design patterns, enabling an automatic schedulability analysis. This analysis is based on existing feasibility tests, whose selection is deduced from the compliance of the system to a design pattern and other system's properties. Those conformity verifications are integrated into a schedulability tool called Cheddar. We show how to model the relationships between design patterns and feasibility tests and design patterns themselves. Based on these models, we apply a model-based engineering process to generate, in Ada, a feasibility test selection tool. The tool is able to detect from an architecture model which are the feasibility tests that the designer can apply. We explain a method for a designer willing to use this approach. We also describe the design patterns defined and the selection algorithm.
Language choice for safety critical applications
Authors: Rogers James S.
Published: November 2011

The programming languages currently most popular among software engineers for writing safety critical applications are C and, more recently, C++. The Ada language has been designed with software safety in mind. Although Ada is not perfect concerning safety critical programming, it is far better than C or C++. There have been definitions of subsets of C for safety critical applications, such as MISRA C. Similarly, there are several attempts at defining a safe subset of C++, including MISRA C++ and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Avionics C++ coding standards. The most commonly used safety critical subset of Ada is SPARK. SPARK provides a statically provable fully deterministic subset of Ada. The C and C++ safety critical subsets attempt to achieve a level of safety similar to the full Ada language. That attempt generally fails. This paper concentrates on a comparing the C++ language, including portions of the JSF C++ standard and those features inherited from C, with the full Ada language.
The database Wiki project
Authors: Buneman Peter , Cheney James , Lindley Sam , Mueller Heiko
Published: November 2011

Databases and wikis have complementary strengths and weaknesses for use in collaborative data management and data curation. Relational databases, for example, offer advantages such as scalability, query optimization and concurrency control, but are not easy to use and lack other features needed for collaboration. Wikis have proved enormously successful as a means to collaborate because they are easy to use, encourage sharing, and provide built-in support for archiving, history-tracking and annotation. However, wikis lack support for structured data, efficiently querying data at scale, and localized provenance and annotation. To achieve the best of both worlds, we are developing a general-purpose platform for collaborative data management, called DBWIKI. Our system not only facilitates the collaborative creation of structured data; it also provides features not usually provided by database technology such as annotation, citability, versioning, and provenance tracking. This paper describes the technical details behind DBWIKI that make it easy to create, correct, discuss, and query structured data, placing more power in the hands of users while managing tedious details of data curation automatically.
Conservative Management of a Congenital Seminal Vesicle Cyst Associated with Ipsilateral Renal Agenesis Revealed by Cystitis: One Case Report
Authors: Ahallal Youness , Tazi Mohammed Fadl , Khallouk Abdelhak , Elammari Jalaleddine , Elfassi Mohammed Jamal , Farih Moulay Hassan
Published: November 2011

Seminal vesicle cyst is an extremely rare disease. Its association with ipsilateral renal agenesis is even more exceptional. We present herein one case of a 16-year-old male who presented with a four-month history of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) and micturition pain. The digital rectal examination revealed a small mass arising from the prostate. The urine culture showed thatE. coliis sensitive to all antibiotics tested. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) revealed a cystic mass in the outer prostate. Seminal vesicle cyst and left renal agenesis were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Maximum flow (Qmax) at uroflow was greater than 15 mL/sec. We therefore decided to manage this disease conservatively with alpha blockers and antibiotics. After 6-month' followup the patient did not report any complain and the uroflow test was similar to a normal urination. From one case report and literature review, the authors suggest a diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for the management of this rare condition.
Maternal Diabetes in Pregnancy: Early and Long-Term Outcomes on the Offspring and the Concept of “Metabolic Memory”
Authors: Yessoufou Akadiri , Moutairou Kabirou
Published: November 2011

The adverse outcomes on the offspring from maternal diabetes in pregnancy are substantially documented. In this paper, we report main knowledge on impacts of maternal diabetes on early and long-term health of the offspring, with specific comments on maternal obesity. The main adverse outcome on progenies from pregnancy complicated with maternal diabetes appears to be macrosomia, as it is commonly known that intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia increases the risk and programs the offspring to develop diabetes and/or obesity at adulthood. This “fetal programming”, due to intrauterine diabetic milieu, is termed as “metabolic memory”. In gestational diabetes as well as in macrosomia, the complications include metabolic abnormalities, degraded antioxidant status, disrupted immune system and potential metabolic syndrome in adult offspring. Furthermore, there is evidence that maternal obesity may also increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in offspring. However, women with GDM possibly exhibit greater macrosomia than obese women. Obesity and diabetes in pregnancy have independent and additive effects on obstetric complications, and both require proper management. Management of gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal obesity is essential for maternal and offspring's good health. Increasing physical activity, preventing gestational weight gain, and having some qualitative nutritional habits may be beneficial during both the pregnancy and offspring's future life.
Theoretical Investigation on the Solubilization in Water of Functionalized Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Mananghaya Michael , Rodulfo Emmanuel , Santos Gil Nonato , Villagracia Al Rey
Published: November 2011

An important technique to increase the solubility and reactivity of carbon nanotube is through functionalization. In this study, the effects of functionalization of some single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were investigated with the aid of density functional theory. The SWCNT model used in the study consists of a finite, (5, 0) zigzag nanotube segment containing 60 C atoms with hydrogen atoms added to the dangling bonds of the perimeter carbons. There are three water-dispersible SWCNTs used in this study that were functionalized with (a) formic acid, as a model of carboxylic acid, (b) isophthalic acid, as a model aromatic dicarboxylic acid, and (c) benzenesulfonic acid, as a model aromatic sulfonic acid. Binding energies of the organic radicals to the nanotubes are calculated, as well as the HOMO-LUMO gaps and dipole moments of both nanotubes and functionalized nanotubes. Binding was found out to be thermodynamically favorable. The functionalization increases the electrical dipole moments and results in an enhancement in the solubility of the nanotubes in water manifested through favorable changes in the free energies of solvation. This should lower the toxicity of nanotubes and improve their biocompatibility.