cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A unique Coxiella burnetii lipoprotein involved in metal binding (LimB)

Coxiella burnetii is the bacterial agent of Q fever in humans. Here, we describe a unique, ∼7.2 kDa, surface-exposed lipoprotein involved in metal binding which we have termed LimB. LimB was initially identified as a potential metal-binding protein on far-Western (FW) blots containing whole-cell lysate proteins when probed with nickel-coated horseradish peroxidase (Ni-HRP) and developed with a chemiluminescent HRP substrate. The corresponding identity of LimB as CBU1224a was established by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. blast analyses with CBU1224a showed no significant similarity to sequences outside strains of C. burnetii. Additional in silico analyses revealed a putative 20 residue signal sequence with the carboxyl end demarcated by a potential lipobox (LSGC) whose Cys residue is predicted to serve as the N-terminal, lipidated Cys of mature LimB. The second residue of mature LimB is predicted to be Ala, an uncharged envelope localization residue. These features suggest that CBU1224a is synthesized as a prolipoprotein which is subsequently lipidated, secreted and anchored in the outer membrane. Mature LimB is predicted to contain 45 aa, of which there are 10 His and 5 Cys; both amino acids are frequently involved in binding transition metal cations. Recombinant LimB (rLimB) was generated and its Ni-HRP-binding activity demonstrated on FW blots. Ni-HRP binding by rLimB was inhibited by >95 % on FW blots done in the presence of EDTA, imidazole, Ni2+ or Zn2+, and roughly halved in the presence of Co2+ or Fe3+. The limB gene was maximally expressed at 3–7 days post-infection in Coxiella-infected Vero cells, coinciding with exponential phase growth. Two isoforms of LimB were detected on FW and Western blots, including a smaller (∼7.2 kDa) species that was the predominant form in small cell variants and a larger isoform (∼8.7 kDa) in large cell variants. LimB is Sarkosyl-insoluble, like many omps. The predicted surface location of LimB was verified by immunoelectron and immunofluorescence microscopy using anti-rLimB antibodies. Overall, the results suggest that LimB is a unique Coxiella lipoprotein that serves as a surface receptor for divalent metal cations and may play a role in acquiring at least one of these metals during intracellular growth.
Bone development and repair

Although bone development during embryogenesis and bone repair after injury have a number of features which appear similar, they are distinctly different processes which involve separate controlling elements and cuing parameters. Repair of bone is influenced by bioactive factors which reside in bone itself; some of these factors are not present when embryonic mesenchymal cells first differentiate. For example, a bone protein which induces the conversion of mesenchymal cells into cartilage cells is not present in the embryo at the site where cartilage first differentiates into the anlagen for future bone. Ultimately, the sequence of cellular and molecular events which controls the success of bone repair is dependent on the prior embryologic and developmental packaging of bioactive factors into bone and the release of these factors at a bone break site. The success of the reparative events depends not only upon the release of these bone-derived factors but also on systemic factors and the identity and numbers of responding cells at the repair site.
Use of survey information to develop a hospital-based medication teaching program.

Abstract As the volume of prescribed medications and complexity of regimen continue to rise, medication instruction is imperative, particularly for patients with chronic illness who must care for themselves without direct supervision of health care professionals. However, as hospital acuity levels increase and lengths of stay decrease, limited opportunity exists to adequately prepare hospitalized patients who are to be discharged with new prescriptions. Hospital-based medication teaching programs must be designed so that they encourage patient-professional interaction, yet also conserve nursing staff time. In this project, members of a hospital-based, interdisciplinary committee used survey information to develop a basic medication instruction program that emphasized ‘need to know’ content. The program was designed to involve patients and also to encourage them to seek additional information from other providers. Potential for successful implementation was enhanced by participation of nurse managers who developed the pilot implementation procedure.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Human Papillomavirus Infection of the Anal Canal in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Positive and HIV-Negative Homosexual Men

One of the groups at highest risk of anal cancer is homosexual and bisexual men. Like cervical cancer, anal cancer is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Anal HPV infection was characterized in a study of 346 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ‐ positive and 262 HIVnegative homosexual and bisexual men. Anal HPV DNA was detected in 93% of HIV-positive and 61% of HIV-negative men by polymerase chain reaction. The spectrum of HPV types was similar in HIV-positive and HIV-negative men, with HPV-16 the most common type. Infection with multiple HPV types was found in 73% of HIV-positive and 23% of HIV-negative men. Among HIV-positive men who were positive by hybrid capture for group B HPV types (16/18/31/33/35/39/45/51/52/56/ 58) or group A types (6/11/42/43/44), lower CD4 cell levels were associated with higher levels of group B DNA (P A .004) but not group A DNA. These data suggest increased replication of the more oncogenic HPV types with more advanced immunosuppression.
On the Vertical Decay Rate of the Maximum Tangential Winds in Tropical Cyclones

In this study, it is shown that the maximumtangential winds within tropicalcyclones decrease with height at a percentage rate that is nearly independent of both the maximum wind speed and the radius of maximum winds (RMW). This can be seen by normalizing the profiles of maximum tangential winds Vmax by their respective values at 2-km height. From Doppler radar analyses, profiles of maximum normalized tangential wind Vmaxnorm are found to share a common shape, despite spanning a great range of intensities. There is a systematic dependence of Vmaxnorm on intensity and size, but it is shown to be small, and the mean profile of Vmaxnorm can be used to accurately ‘‘predict’’ the individual profiles of Vmax. Using Emanuel’s steady-state analytical vortex model, it is shown that Vmaxnorm is essentially independent of the size of the RMW. It is shown mathematically that the near independence of Vmaxnorm from size is due to the facts that the RMW is nearly a surface of constant absolute angular momentum M and that its outward slope increases linearly with radius. As the slope of the RMW is not a function of intensity,Vmaxnormis also nearly independent of intensity in theory, and this is confirmed using Emanuel’s simple time-dependent model. In contrast to intensity, it is shown that Vmaxnorm increases with potential intensity. A suite of idealized simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) are used to further examine the manner in which the maximum winds change with height. Above 2-km height, vertical profiles of Vmaxnorm are nearly independent of both intensity and size. Occasional deviations from this near-universal profile in these simulations are due to unbalanced winds, and it is proposed that this is the cause of occasional observations of maximum winds that are nearly constant with height through the midtroposphere, as in Hurricane Gloria (1985) and Hurricane Dennis (2005).
Space–time structure of mesoscale motions in the stable boundary layer

In this article, we examine the stochastic characteristics of non-turbulent motions in the stable boundary layer. The behaviour of mesoscale motions in the atmospheric stable boundary layer is poorly understood beyond case studies of unusually well-defined events or monotonic waves. Eight networks of wind observations are analysed in order to examine stochastically the space–time characteristics of such motions in the stable boundary layer. The networks include a variety of surface conditions and network configurations, although none of the networks is optimal for our studies. Collectively, the networks allow examination of scales from tens of metres to tens of kilometres. A variety of analysis tools reveal the complexity of mesoscale motions near the surface in stratified flow. For the data as a whole, the horizontal scale of coherence increases systematically with time-scale, albeit with large scatter between records. The relationship between spatial coherence and time-scale is posed in terms of a velocity scale, which is found to be unrelated to the wind speed. The time variability of the flow decreases systematically with increasing spatial averaging, suggesting that comparison of model winds (with implied spatial averaging over the grid area) with observations requires suitable spatial averaging of the observations. Additional characteristics are discussed in terms of non-dimensional ratios of velocity scales. Necessary improvements of network measurements are also noted. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
High-level vulnerability over space and time to insidious soft errors

The integrity of computational results is being increasingly threatened by soft errors, especially for computations that are large-scale or performed under harsh conditions. Existing methods for soft error estimation do not clearly characterize the vulnerability associated with a particular result. 1) We propose a metric which captures the intrinsic vulnerability over space and time (VST) to soft errors that corrupt computational results. The method of VST estimation bridges the gap between the inherently low-level faults and the high-level computational failures that they eventually cause. 2) We define a model of an insidious soft error and try to clear up confusion around the concept of silent data corruption. 3) We present experimental results from three vulnerability studies involving floating-point addition, CORDIC, and FFT computations. The results show that traditional vulnerability metrics can be confounded by seemingly reliable but inefficient implementations which actually incur high vulnerability per computation. The VST method characterizes vulnerability accurately, provides a figure-of-merit for comparing alternative implementations of an algorithm, and in some cases uncovers pronounced and unexpected fluctuations in vulnerability.
The Role of Microtubules in Rapid Hyphal Tip Growth of Aspergillus nidulans

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans grows by polarized extension of hyphal tips. The actin cytoskeleton is essential for polarized growth, but the role of microtubules has been controversial. To define the role of microtubules in tip growth, we used time-lapse microscopy to measure tip growth rates in germlings of A. nidulans and in multinucleate hyphal tip cells, and we used a green fluorescent protein-alpha-tubulin fusion to observe the effects of the antimicrotubule agent benomyl. Hyphal tip cells grew approximately 5 times faster than binucleate germlings. In germlings, cytoplasmic microtubules disassembled completely in mitosis. In hyphal tip cells, however, microtubules disassembled through most of the cytoplasm in mitosis but persisted in a region near the hyphal tip. The growth rate of hyphal tip cells did not change significantly in mitosis. Benomyl caused rapid disassembly of microtubules in tip cells and a 10x reduction in growth rate. When benomyl was washed out, microtubules assembled quickly and rapid tip growth resumed. These results demonstrate that although microtubules are not strictly required for polarized growth, they are rate-limiting for the growth of hyphal tip cells. These data also reveal that A. nidulans exhibits a remarkable spatial regulation of microtubule disassembly within hyphal tip cells.
Spatial power combining for millimeter-wave solid state amplifiers

A novel method for obtaining high power amplification at millimeter-wave frequencies using spatial power combining is being developed. The method uses orthogonally polarized fields to isolate the input and output waves of a two-dimensional array of solid-state amplifiers. To demonstrate this technique, a proof-of-concept model was developed using a 69-element array of orthogonally polarized elements at 17 GHz. The proposed approach eliminates many of the problems associated with the feedthrough spatial power combiner because all the RF power is confined to just one side of the array. This allows the backside of the array to be used for heat sinking and bias connections. It also reduces the size to half that of the feedthrough combiner. The proposed spatial power combining technique holds the potential for producing high power amplification for communication and radar applications at millimeter-wave bands from solid-state transistor devices. >
Extracting Flow Structures Using Sparse Particles

In recent years, Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) have been characterized using the Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponent, following the advection of a dense set of particles into a corresponding flow field. The large amount of particles needed to sufficiently map a flow field has been a non-trivial computational burden in the application of LCS. By seeding a minimal amount of particles into the flow field, Moving Least Squares, combined with FTLE, will extrapolate the important feature locations at which further refinement is desired. Following the refinement procedure, MLS produces a continuous function reconstruction allowing the characterization of Lagrangian Coherent Structures with a lower number of particles. Through multiple data sets, we show that given a sparse and refined sampling, MLS will reproduce FTLE fields exhibiting a nominal error while maintaining a performance increase when compared to the standard, dense finite difference approach.
Mapping the mating type locus of Tetrahymena thermophila: meiotic linkage of mat to the ribosomal RNA gene.

Tetrahymena thermophila has a multiple mating type system. While a sexually mature cell usually expresses only one mating type, its germline (micronucleus) carries the genetic potential for 5 to 7 mating types. The set of allowed mating types is specified by the mat locus. The choice of which particular mating type is expressed by a cell reflects a somatically inherited, developmentally programmed differentiation of the somatic nucleus (macronucleus). In this work we report that the mat locus maps to the left arm of chromosome 2, as determined by nullisomic deletion mapping. We also report a distance of 29 cM between the mat locus and the ribosomal RNA gene, previously mapped to chromosome 2L. This represents another (rare) case of meiotic linkage in Tetrahymena. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
High-performance InP Gunn devices for fundamental-mode operation in D-band (110-170 GHz)

InP Gunn devices with an n/sup +/nn/sup +/ structure and a graded doping profile in the active region were designed, fabricated, and tested for fundamental-mode operation at D-band frequencies. Improved heat dissipation significantly increased the available RF output power and power levels of more than 90 mW up to frequencies around 135 GHz, more than 130 mW at 131.7 GHz, and more than 60 mW at 151 GHz are achieved in fundamental-mode operation. These are the highest RF power levels reported to date from any Gunn devices. These InP Gunn devices with dc-to-RF conversion efficiencies up to 2.5% around 132 GHz also exhibit excellent noise performance and the typical phase noise up to the highest RF power levels is well below -100 dBc/Hz, measured at a frequency off-carrier of 500 kHz. >
Exosomes in neurologic and psychiatric disorders.

Abstract Purposes The purposes of this review were to discuss the role of exosomes in neurologic and psychiatric diseases and to propose future therapeutic approaches. Methods PubMed was searched (2000–2014) using the terms exosomes, microvesicles, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, multivesicular bodies, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, prion disease, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, glioblastoma multiforme, and flavonoids. Findings Many cells of the nervous system have been reported to release exosomes that could have an active role in the function, development, and diseases of the CNS, such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, prion diseases, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and schizophrenia. In all of these diseases, exosomes are involved in the spread of “toxic” proteins that are mutated or “misfolded” and serve as templates for the formation of disease-producing oligomers. Implications Exosomes’ simple structure and abilities to be incorporated into plasma membrane and to cross the blood–brain barrier allow for the opportunity to utilize them as delivery vehicles of drugs and genetic elements in the treatment of immune, psychiatric, and neurologic disorders. Flavonoids have emerged as unique, natural molecules with antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. It would, therefore, be of interest to design flavonoid-containing exosomes.
Sequence-Specific Alteration of the Ribosome–Membrane Junction Exposes Nascent Secretory Proteins to the Cytosol

Tight docking of the ribosome at the translocation channel ensures that nascent secretory proteins are shielded from the cytoplasm during transfer into the endoplasmic reticulum. Discrete pause transfer sequences mediate the transient stopping of translocation in certain proteins. Here we show that during a translocational pause, the junction between the ribosome and translocation channel is opened, exposing the nascent chain to the cytosol. While transient, this opening is sufficient to demonstrate macromolecular interactions between the translocating chain and molecules added to the cytosol, such as antibodies and site-specific proteases. Moreover, this opening is accompanied by alterations in the proteins that neighbor the nascent chain. These results demonstrate that specific sequences within a translocating nascent chain can elicit dramatic and reversible structural changes in the translocation machinery. Thus, the translocon is dynamic and can be regulated.
Regional Wave Propagation in New England and New York

We validate and improve 1D velocity models of the two main crustal provinces in the northeastern United States (NEUS), using seismograms from the 20 April 2002 M 5 Au Sable Forks earthquake, which is the largest earthquake in the region to be recorded by multiple, recently deployed, good-quality, regional broad- band stations. To predict and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes in the north- eastern United States, more information is needed regarding both the local earthquake sources and how seismic waves travel through the region. We investigate the source and regional wave propagation for the Au Sable Forks earthquake. The earthquake epicenter is located near the boundary of two distinct geological provinces, the Appalachian (New England) and Grenville (New York). We use a forward-modeling approach to study the waveforms recorded at 16 stations located within 400 km of the epicenter. We generate synthetic seismograms using the frequency-wavenumber method, testing several published models for the two provinces. Several models per- form well at low frequencies (<0:1 Hz). We refine these models and generate two alternative 1D crustal models for intermediate frequencies (<1 Hz) of engineering interest. Our new Grenville model performs better than previously published models for all six source-station paths modeled in that province according to goodness of fit statistics: variance reduction and correlation coefficient. Our alternative Appalachian model improves the fit of synthetics to data for five of the ten paths modeled in that province. From the results, we identify two specific sources of wave-field complex- ities that should be investigated in future studies of earthquake ground motions in NEUS: 3% azimuthal anisotropy in the Appalachian Province and complex wave paths along the boundary between the two provinces.
Young infants’ perception of liquid coarticulatory influences on following stop consonants

Phonetic segments are coarticulated in speech. Accordingly, the articulatory and acoustic properties of the speech signal during the time frame traditionally identified with a given phoneme are highly context-sensitive. For example, due to carryover coarticulation, the front tongue-tip position for /1/ results in more fronted tongue-body contact for a /g/ preceded by /1/ than for a /g/ preceded by /r/. Perception by mature listeners shows a complementary sensitivity--when a synthetic /da/-/ga/ continuum is preceded by either /al/ or /ar/, adults hear more /g/s following /l/ rather than /r/. That is, some of the fronting information in the temporal domain of the stop is perceptually attributed to /l/ (Mann, 1980). We replicated this finding and extended it to a signal-detection test of discrimination with adults, using triads of disyllables. Three equidistant items from a /da/-/ga/ continuum were used preceded by /al/ and /ar/. In the identification test, adults had identified item ga5 as "ga,' and dal as "da,' following both /al/ and /ar/, whereas they identified the crucial item d/ga3 predominantly as "ga' after /al/ but as "da' after /ar/. In the discrimination test, they discriminated d/ga3 from da1 preceded by /al/ but not /ar/; compatibly, they discriminated d/ga3 readily from ga5 preceded by /ar/ but poorly preceded by /al/. We obtained similar results with 4-month-old infants. Following habituation to either ald/ga3 or ard/ga3, infants heard either the corresponding ga5 or da1 disyllable. As predicted, the infants discriminated d/ga3 from da1 following /al/ but not /ar/; conversely, they discriminated d/ga3 from ga5 following /ar/ but not /al/. The results suggest that prelinguistic infants disentangle consonant-consonant coarticulatory influences in speech in an adult-like fashion.
Expressions for the interpretation of circular intensity differential scattering of chiral aggregates.

The derivation of compact expressions of the circular intensity differential scattering (CIDS) of chiral molecules is presented in the first Born approximation of the fields. The expressions derived are valid for a suspension of scattering chiral particles free to adopt any orientation in solution. The connection is established between the preferential scattering cross section for right- vs left-circularly polarized light for a given scattering angle and the geometrical parameters of the molecule. As observed experimentally, the equations predict that the circular differential scattering patterns must show as a function of the scattering angle a series of lobes of alternating sign. In between these lobes, zeros in the differential scattering cross section occur. For the case of two dipole moments arranged in chiral fashion, an expression is derived that shows how the relative arrangement of the dipoles and their separation relative to the wavelength of light control the number and the position of the zeros. A compact expression predicting the CIDS of a sample for very small angles of scattering is derived for a system of helices whose dimensions are small compared with the wavelength of light. Finally, the presence of CIDS in a sample is related to the appearance of anomalous signals in the CD spectrum of chiral systems. Expressions and computations of the magnitudes and sign of the anomalies are presented. The expressions obtained confirm the main features of the experimental CIDS patterns of chiral molecules previously published.
Simple Models of Influenza Progression Within a Heterogeneous Population

The focus of this “OR framing paper” is to introduce the operations research (OR) community to the need for new mathematical modeling of an influenza pandemic and its control. By reviewing relevant history and literature, one key concern that emerges relates to how a population's heterogeneity may affect disease progression. Another is to explore within a modeling framework “social distancing” as a disease progression control method, where social distancing refers to steps aimed at reducing the frequency and intensity of daily human-to-human contacts. To depict social contact behavior of a heterogeneous population susceptible to infection, a nonhomogeneous probabilistic mixing model is developed. Partitioning the population of susceptibles into subgroups, based on frequency of daily human contacts and infection propensities, a stylistic difference equation model is then developed depicting the day-to-day evolution of the disease. This simple model is then used to develop a preliminary set of results. Two key findings are (1) early exponential growth of the disease may be dominated by susceptibles with high human contact frequencies and may not be indicative of the general population's susceptibility to the disease, and (2) social distancing may be an effective nonmedical way to limit and perhaps even eradicate the disease. Much more decision-focused research needs to be done before any of these preliminary findings may be used in practice.
Total Hip Arthroplasty for the Treatment of an Acute Fracture of the Femoral Neck. Long-term Results*

We reviewed the long-term results of 126 consecutive total hip arthroplasties performed with cement in eighteen men and 108 women who had an acute fracture of the femoral neck. The patients had a mean age of seventy-five years (range, thirty-nine to eighty-nine years) at the time of the operation and were followed for a minimum of 10.1 years (or until the patient died or had a revision operation) and a maximum of 20.4 years. The median duration of follow-up was 8.8 years for all patients and 15.7 years for the twenty-two patients who were alive at the end of the study period. Six hips (5 per cent) were revised because of aseptic loosening. Survivorship analysis revealed that the probability of survival of the prosthesis without revision (with 95 per cent confidence intervals) was 95 per cent (91 to 99 per cent) at five years, 94 per cent (88 to 98 per cent) at ten years, 89 per cent (79 to 97 per cent) at fifteen years, and 84 per cent (66 to 97 per cent) at twenty years. Of the 118 patients who were alive at the one-year postoperative examination, 117 (99 per cent) had no pain or mild pain and eighty-one (69 per cent) had regained or had an improvement in the preoperative level of function. At the latest follow-up examination, eighty-seven (86 per cent) of the 102 patients who were available still had no pain or only mild pain. Twenty-six patients (21 per cent) had had perioperative medical complications, and twenty-one patients (17 per cent) had had operative complications, including thirteen patients (10 per cent) who had had a dislocation of the hip. Total hip arthroplasty performed in elderly patients for the treatment of an acute fracture of the femoral neck was associated with a higher rate of complications than usually is reported for hemiarthroplasty in such patients. However, the total hip arthroplasty provided good clinical results and was associated with long-term survival of the prosthesis.
Experimental investigation of galloping piezoelectric energy harvesters with square bluff bodies

In this paper, both a baseline galloping piezoelectric energy harvester (GPEH) with a square bluff body and an improved GPEH with an impact bump stop are tested in a wind tunnel in order to determine the system damping, electrical response and limit cycle oscillation (LCO) amplitude. In the baseline GPEH, harvested voltage, LCO amplitude and damping ratio vary with wind velocity and electrical load. They all increase with increasing wind velocity under the same electrical load. Under each wind velocity, the damping ratio increases from the short circuit load, reaches a peak value at the electrical load resulting in a maximum voltage, and reduces the value at the open circuit load. The LCO amplitude shows the opposite trend compared to the damping case. It decreases as the electrical resistance load increases and reaches the minimum value when the damping ratio is highest. A resistance load of 100 kΩ yields a maximum peak power output. The impact stop is introduced to reduce bending stresses and improve the fatigue life of the baseline GPEH. The performance of the improved GPEH depends on the stop design parameters such as gap size, stop location and contact area. Comprehensive tests were conducted to investigate the effect of each parameter on the performance of the improved GPEH and an optimal bump stop configuration was determined. Compared to the expected proportional reduction in both electrical and structural responses, a maximum 70% reduction in LCO amplitude and only a maximum 20% reduction in harvested voltage are achieved in our optimal improved GPEH. The time variable and motion dependent aerodynamic forces acting on the bluff body could contribute to this. In summary, comprehensive experimental evaluations were conducted to characterize the performance of both baseline GPEHs and improved GPEHs. The baseline GPEH service life can be significantly improved by incorporating an impact bump stop. The improved GPEH design provides a practical solution to harvest electricity from wind-induced vibration.
Working the Boundaries: Race, Space, and "Illegality" in Mexican Chicago

While Chicago has the second-largest Mexican population among U.S. cities, relatively little ethnographic attention has focused on its Mexican community. This much-needed ethnography of Mexicans living and working in Chicago examines processes of racialization, labor subordination, and class formation; the politics of nativism; and the structures of citizenship and immigration law. Nicholas De Genova develops a theory of “Mexican Chicago” as a transnational social and geographic space that joins Chicago to innumerable communities throughout Mexico. “Mexican Chicago” is a powerful analytical tool, a challenge to the way that social scientists have thought about immigration and pluralism in the United States, and the basis for a wide-ranging critique of U.S. notions of race, national identity, and citizenship. De Genova worked for two and a half years as a teacher of English in ten industrial workplaces (primarily metal-fabricating factories) throughout Chicago and its suburbs. In Working the Boundaries he draws on fieldwork conducted in these factories, in community centers, and in the homes and neighborhoods of Mexican migrants. He describes how the meaning of “Mexican” is refigured and racialized in relation to a U.S. social order dominated by a black-white binary. Delving into immigration law, he contends that immigration policies have worked over time to produce Mexicans as the U.S. nation-state’s iconic “illegal aliens.” He explains how the constant threat of deportation is used to keep Mexican workers in line. Working the Boundaries is a major contribution to theories of race and transnationalism and a scathing indictment of U.S. labor and citizenship policies.
Modeling software evolution defects: a time series approach

The Department of Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science, prediction of software defects and defect patterns is and will continue to be a critically important software evolution research topic. This study presents a time series analysis of multi-organizational multi-project defects reported during ongoing software evolution efforts. Using data from monthly defect reports for eight open source software projects over five years, this study builds and tests time series models for each sampled project. The resulting model accounts for the ripple effects of defect detection and correction by modeling the autocorrelation of code defect data. The autoregressive integrated moving average model (0,1,1) was found to hold for all sampled projects and thus provide a basis for both descriptive and predictive software defect analysis that is computationally efficient, comprehensible, and easy to apply. The model may be used to evaluate and compare the reliability of candidate software solutions, and to facilitate planning for software evolution budget and time allocation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population genetics of Scirtothrips perseae: tracing the origin of a recently introduced exotic pest of Californian avocado orchards, using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers.

The Californian avocado industry has recently been impacted by the establishment of three exotic arthropod pests that are native to Mexico and Central America. Establishment of all three pests is thought to have resulted from illegal movement of host plants (avocado) into California. To identify likely sources and routes of entry of such pest invasions, we examined the population genetics of the most recent invader, avocado thrips [Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)], using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite markers. The mtDNA sequences revealed three geographically distinct and divergent lineages, of which the mtDNA haplotypes of Californian individuals were most closely related to populations in the center of the pest's native range. Analysis of allele frequencies at four microsatellite loci added resolution, indicating Coatepec Harinas, Mexico, as the most likely source of the Californian population. Statistically, we did not detect any bottleneck in population size associated with the invasion of California. However, estimates of the effective population size of the invading population suggest that a severe bottleneck occurred, indicating that the quantity of host-plant material entering California was small. Our findings implicate Coatepec Harinas, a large avocado germplasm and breeding center, as the most likely source of the introduced Californian population of S. perseae and as a likely source of previous and future avocado pest introductions. Efforts to identify natural enemies of S. perseae for biological control should focus on Coatepec Harinas and immediate surrounds. Moreover, identification of the source of invasive pests enables the establishment and enforcement of plant quarantine and free-trade protocols.
Radiofrequency bipolar hemostatic sealer reduces blood loss, transfusion requirements, and cost for patients undergoing multilevel spinal fusion surgery: A case control study

Background: A relatively new method of electrocautery, the radiofrequency bipolar hemostatic sealer (RBHS), uses saline-cooled delivery of energy, which seals blood vessels rather than burning them. We assessed the benefits of RBHS as a blood conservation strategy in adult patients undergoing multilevel spinal fusion surgery. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we compared blood utilization in 36 patients undergoing multilevel spinal fusion surgery with RBHS (Aquamantys®, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) to that of a historical control group (n=38) matched for variables related to blood loss. Transfusion-related costs were calculated by two methods. Results: Patient characteristics in the two groups were similar. Intraoperatively, blood loss was 55% less in the RBHS group than in the control group (810 ± 530 vs. 1,800 ± 1,600 mL; p = 0.002), and over the entire hospital stay, red cell utilization was 51% less (2.4 ± 3.4 vs. 4.9 ± 4.5 units/patient; p = 0.01) and plasma use was 56% less (1.1 ± 2.4 vs. 2.5 ± 3.4 units/patient; p = 0.03) in the RBHS group. Platelet use was 0.1 ± 0.5 and 0.3 ± 0.6 units/patient in the RBHS and control groups, respectively (p = 0.07). The perioperative decrease in hemoglobin was less in the RBHS group than in the control group (�2.0±2.2 vs. –3.2±2.1 g/dL; p=0.04), and hemoglobin at discharge was higher in the RBHS group (10.5±1.4 vs. 9.7± 0.9 g/dL; p=0.01). The estimated transfusion-related cost savings were $745/case by acquisition cost and approximately 3- to 5-fold this amount by activity-based cost. Conclusions: The use of RBHS in patients undergoing multilevel spine fusion surgery can conserve blood, promote higher hemoglobin levels, and reduce transfusion-related costs.
Physical characterisation of the replication region of the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pAMβ1

Abstract The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of a 5.1-κb Eco RI ONA restriction fragment carrying the replication region of the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pAMβ1 has been determined. Ofthe seven major open reading frames (ORF A-G) identified within this fragment, two (C and E) were shown to be encoding by in vitro transcription/translation assays. Evidence was obtained that synthesis of the polypeptide (M, 57380) encoded by the largest ORF (E) was essential for replication. Deletion analysis indicated that the minimum unit of DNA required for replication resided on a 2.59-κb AccI- HpaI subfragment. ORF C resided outside of this fragment and encompassed an extensive region of directly repeated nt sequence. The encoded polypeptide (Mr, 30471) was therefore composed oflarge tracts of reiterated amino acid sequence (11 × VDP and 35 × TEP tripeptides) which probably caused the observed anomalous electrophoretic mobility of the synthesised protein (equivalent to 61 κDa). Deletion of a 416-bp segment of DNA between unique KpnI and StyI sites caused an increase in copy number, which correlated with the in vitro production of higher levels of 0 RF E polypeptide. Although homology was detected between the sequenced DNA, and the replicon of a closely related streptococcal plasmid (pSM19035),none was evident to any other characterised Gram+ plasmid.
A Call to Action for Medical Student Mentoring by Young Radiologists

The diagnostic radiology match process has become less competitive over the past 5 years, and fewer U.S. medical students are choosing to pursue careers in diagnostic radiology. The current composition of the diagnostic radiology residency applicant pool reflects this change. Although many possible explanations exist for the decreased interest in radiology, all radiologists should have a vested interest in ensuring that radiology continues to attract the best and brightest medical students. Young and early career radiologists are in a particularly unique position to connect with medical students, and can have substantial effect on recruiting the brightest medical students into radiology. The purpose of this article is to review why young radiologists are vital to this recruitment and mentoring process, and provide multiple simple ways to advocate for radiology and share our passion for radiology with medical students.
Population Dynamics of Maladera matrida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Peanut Fields in Israel

The place of origin, time of occurrence, direction of invasion, and maturation status of Maladera matrida Argaman immigrating into peanut fields were determined. The timing of massive invasion of beetles was correlated with that of the wheat harvest in nearby fields. More than 80 beetles per trap were collected in the margin of peanut fields adjacent to wheat fields during the night after wheat harvest. Wheat fields rotated with peanuts and the citrus grove supported the highest population of immature stages during the winter months, even though all sites rotated with peanuts and adjacent winter crops had a similar population size at the 1st sampling date (a3 grubs per soil sample). Almost all females trapped at the first 2 wk of trapping (immigrants) were pre-oogenic, with undeveloped ovaries, indicating a high reproductive potential. The life cycle of M. matrida consisted of 2 generations per year, with overwintering grubs emerging in April, 1st instars appeared in the soil sample 21 d later and 1st instars of the 2nd generation were observed in the soil sample 57–70 d after the appearance of 1st instars of the 1st generation. Grub populations in the center of the field observed 6 wk after 1st grubs observed in the soil samples in the margin of the fields. The sex ratio of trapped beetles was female-biased (63%), whereas a 1:1 sex ratio was found for active beetles on host-plant foliage. This inconsistency of the adult sex ratio is a result of the differences in the behavior of males and females. Females are attracted to males and fly for longer times and distances than males, therefore more females were caught in traps but 1:1 sex ratio was observed on foliage. The results of this study strongly recommend placing food-baited traps on the periphery of peanut fields at sprouting before wheat harvest for monitoring the population size. At the same time a control means should be applied only at the field margins.
Bisphosphonates and atypical femoral fractures.

on the epidemiol-ogy of subtrochanteric fractures of the femoral shaft in more than 14,000 participants from ran -domized, controlled trials. In our view, the article has two major limitations. The literature suggests that these fractures are seen in some patients who have used bisphosphonates for a long time. How -ever, only about 1000 patients in the Black study had taken bisphosphonates for more than 4.5 years, and 40% of the fractures occurred within this group. Second, the literature suggests that in patients taking bisphosphonates, these fractures have a characteristic radiographic pattern. The au -thors did not have access to radiographs that could confirm whether the fractures had the spiral ap -pearance of traumatic or typical osteoporotic frac -tures or the characteristic appearance seen in as -sociation with prolonged use of bisphosphonates: cortical thickening (lateral greater than medial), cortical beaking in the upper third and middle third of the femoral shaft, and transverse to oblique fracture — all often evident in both legs. We agree with the authors that further studies are needed.Stuart L. Silverman, M.D.
Type II Dislocation Loops and their Effect on Strain in Ion Implanted Silicon as Studied by High Resolution X-ray Diffraction

P-type (100) silicon wafers were implanted with28Si+ ions at an energy of 50 keV and to doses of 1 × 1015, 5 × 1015 and 1 × 1016 cm−2, respectively, and annealed in a N2 ambient at temperatures ranging from 700°C to 1000°C for times ranging from 15 minutes to 16 hours. The resulting microstructure consisted of varying distributions of Type II end of range dislocation loops. The size distribution of these loops was quantified using plan-view transmission electron microscopy and the strain arising from these loops was investigated using high resolution x-ray diffraction. The measured strain values were found to be constant in the loop coarsening regime wherein the number of atoms bound by the loops remained a constant. Therefore, an empirical constant of 7.7 × 10−12 interstitial/ppm of strain was evaluated to relate the number of interstitials bound by these dislocation loops and the strain. This value was used successfully in estimating the number of interstitials bound by loops at the various doses studied provided the annealing conditions were such that the loop microstructure was in the coarsening or dissolution regime.
Vibrational energy transfer in reverse micelle molecular nanostructures

Vibrational energy transfer across the single molecular layer of surfactant in several reverse micelles (Aerosol OT, lecithin and polyalkyleneoxide modified polydimethylsiloxane) has been studied using ultrafast IR-Raman spectroscopy.
Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Performance with Adaptive Cruise Control in Adverse Weather

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers’ performance with adaptive cruise control (ACC) was affected by weather conditions. The study analyzed 33,000 hours of naturalistic data across 78 CMV drivers throughout the United States. It was found that drivers set their ACC speed to an average of 63 m/h, regardless of weather conditions. It was also found that users of one brand ACC allowed the system to control the headway of the vehicle for 7.4% of the time in adverse weather compared to 6.0% of the time in non-adverse conditions. Finally, the study found that the mean headway in adverse conditions was longer using ACC compared to manual driving across both brands ACC. Manufacturers of ACC systems do not recommend their use in adverse conditions, and their observed use in this study indicates their performance in adverse weather needs to be better understood.
Abstract A16: Promoting colorectal cancer screening in urban, minority populations with community health workers.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Screening prevents not only mortality but also the occurrence of CRC. Our group reaches out to and educates members of our predominantly low-income Hispanic and African American community about cancer treatment, research, and prevention by establishing partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) and training community health workers (CHWs). In 2010, we learned that relatively few CBO clients had been screened or intended to be screened for CRC, and that the CHWs also were not well informed about CRC. Methods: We developed an enhanced training program about CRC for CHWs and their clients. We renewed two of our CBO partnerships, added one more, retrained some previously trained CHWs, and recruited and trained CHWs from the new CBO. We developed a new pre- and post-training 10-question instrument to evaluate what the CHWs already knew and what they learned from our training. We compared the CHWs' average scores (proportions of correct answers) before and after the training. Further training was conducted to reinforce CHWs' knowledge. Using focus groups and community-based participatory research methods with the CHWs, we then developed two educational interventions that the CHWs will implement in the coming months. Results: Fifteen CHWs were trained or retrained. Most of the participating CHWs had previously received our training. All of them answered at least 6 of the 10 questions correctly both before and after the training, but average scores improved from 75% correct before the training to 82% correct afterwards. Next steps: Each CHW will educate 20 clients (n=300) aged 50+ years about CRC screening and attempt to schedule them for screening. In the two intervention groups, we will compare proportions of clients who receive CRC screening. Results will be disseminated to the community in our quarterly community newsletter, a report to the CBOs, and a press release to the local media. Citation Format: Martha Sanchez, Maxine Ashby-Thompson, Judith S. Jacobson, Patricia Hepburn, Victor E. Grann. Promoting colorectal cancer screening in urban, minority populations with community health workers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A16.
Hidden costs of unsupported software, obsolescence and non standards; the importance and value of a multi-mission software program

This paper will discuss approaches to address the need for software maintenance, avoiding the pitfalls of obsolescence, and the use of industry standards by applying institutional maintenance to mission systems.
Video- und Musikportale

Im Dezember 2014 gab es in China ca. 433 Millionen Nutzer von Videoportalen und uber 478 Millionen Nutzer von Musikportalen. Die Nutzerzahl steigt seit 2008 kontinuierlich an. Eine klare Fuhrungsposition innerhalb der chinesischen Videoportale nimmt Youku ein. Youku entspricht YouTube in den westlichen Landern. In diesem Kapitel wird zuerst ein Uberblick uber die Nutzung der wichtigsten Video- und Musikportale in China gegeben. Anschliesend wird das Videoportal Youku als ein Beispiel fur erfolgreiches Unternehmensmarketing vorgestellt.