cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Future projected changes in moisture index over Canada

Abstract As a consequence of global warming, buildings in Canada and around the globe are expected to face unprecedented climate over their design lives. The Moisture Index (MI) is a climate-based indicator currently used in the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) to guide the design of wall assemblies for acceptable durability performance. In this study, future changes in MI are calculated across Canada under 2 and 3.5 °C of future global warming. Results indicate that the coastal and great lakes regions of Canada will have increased MI, whereas prairies and northern regions will in the future have decreased values of MI. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that drastically different projected future MI changes can be obtained with different values of drying potential normalization factor, and it is suggested that this value is chosen by carefully analyzing the historical and future projected drying potential values. Finally, our analysis shows that wall assemblies at an increased number of reference locations given in the NBCC, importantly those falling in the densely populated south-western Ontario region, will need to be designed with additional safety measures such as a capillary break in the future for them to achieve satisfactory moisture performance over their design lives.
High School Band Directors’ Perceptions and Applications of Democratic Rehearsal Procedures in Concert Band Rehearsals:

The purpose of this study was to examine inservice high school band directors’ perceptions and applications of democratic rehearsal procedures in concert band rehearsals. Respondents (N = 216) were...
Systematic growth asymmetry in the Eurozone? Evidence from a natural experiment

Abstract The purpose of the study is to determine whether the euro has caused a systematic growth asymmetry within the Eurozone; namely, between Eurozone's core and Eurozone's southern periphery. The overall growth effect of the euro on the entire Eurozone is also evaluated. The model specification is based on the neoclassical growth model extended to include human capital accumulation. The empirical analysis is organized in terms of a natural experiment where several counterfactual control groups are utilized to simulate growth in the absence of the euro. Estimation is based on a balanced panel of annual observations from twenty-one countries for the period from 1980 to 2017. The study finds that the euro has caused a systematic growth asymmetry within the Eurozone. The euro has been a growth stimulant for Eurozone's core but growth inhibitor for Eurozone's southern periphery, thus, yielding a dual speed Eurozone. This result is robust to the choice of counterfactual control group and to the 2008 global financial crisis. The study also finds that remarkable growth performance is possible for European economies outside the EU structure, thus, without the euro.
Impact of demographic change on stock prices

Abstract Focusing on the relationship between the demographic structure of population and stock prices, we find that stock prices are positively affected by the proportion of population in their prime earning age and negatively affected by the proportion of retirees. The empirical analysis identifies a structural break coinciding with the first wave of baby boomers reaching their prime earning age in the early 1990s. In addition, the results show that both budget deficit and inflation have a negative effect on stock prices.
Novel opioid cyclic tetrapeptides: Trp isomers of CJ-15,208 exhibit distinct opioid receptor agonism and short-acting κ opioid receptor antagonism

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The κ opioid receptor antagonists demonstrate potential for maintaining abstinence from psychostimulant abuse, but existing non-peptide κ-receptor selective antagonists show exceptionally long activity. We hypothesized that the L- and D-Trp isomers of CJ-15,208, a natural cyclic tetrapeptide reported to be a κ-receptor antagonist in vitro, would demonstrate short-acting, dose-dependent antagonism in vivo, preventing reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Affinity, selectivity and efficacy of the L-Trp and D-Trp isomers for opioid receptors were assessed in vitro in radioligand and GTPγS binding assays. Opioid receptor agonist and antagonist activities were characterized in vivo following i.c.v. administration with the 55°C warm water tail-withdrawal assay. The D-Trp isomer, which demonstrated primarily κ-receptor selective antagonist activity, was further evaluated for its prevention of stress- and drug-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). KEY RESULTS The two isomers showed similar affinity and selectivity for κ receptors (Ki 30–35 nM) as well as κ receptor antagonism in vitro. As expected, the D-Trp cyclic tetrapeptide exhibited minimal agonist activity and induced dose-dependent κ-receptor selective antagonism lasting less than 18 h in vivo. Pretreatment with this peptide prevented stress-, but not cocaine-induced, reinstatement of extinguished cocaine CPP. In contrast, the L-Trp cyclic tetrapeptide unexpectedly demonstrated mixed opioid agonist/antagonist activity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The L-Trp and the D-Trp isomers of CJ-15,208 demonstrate stereospecific opioid activity in vivo. The relatively brief κ opioid receptor antagonism, coupled with the prevention of stress-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking behaviour, suggests the D-Trp isomer could be used therapeutically to maintain abstinence from psychostimulant abuse.
DualVisor: redundant hypervisor execution for achieving hardware error resilience in datacenters

Virtualization technology as the foundation of cloud computing provides many benefits in cost, security, and management, but all of them rely on the reliability of the underlying virtualization software - the hypervisor (or virtual machine monitor). Cloud data centers are built upon 10Ks to 100Ks commodity servers. Hardware errors in these large scale computer systems are not rare events. When hardware errors occur during the hypervisor execution, they may cause failures or data corruptions in co-located VMs, undermining the whole system reliability. In this paper, we propose DualVisor, that uses a software redundancy based fault tolerance technique to protect the hypervisor from hardware errors. DualVisor replicates hypervisor executions and data structures for error detection and recovery. In this work, we first study the need for a hardware error-resilient hypervisor. Then, we discuss the design considerations in detail. We implement a prototype in the hypervisor to demonstrate the feasibility and evaluate the performance overhead. Our preliminary results show that the performance overhead of DualVisor is fairly small (less than 6%) for tested applications.
Reducing the risk of cancer through worksite intervention

This chapter examines existing activities reported in the literature in the areas of smoking, nutrition, and screening; explores the prominent theories of behavior change that have guided some of these activities; and presents a model for worksite cancer prevention programs that is currently being tested in a large trial. A major theme of this chapter is the need for simultaneous changes in individual behaviors and the worksite environment. For each factor (smoking, nutrition, and screening) the discussion is divided into interventions for individuals and those for the environment or organization.
Computing the Motion of the Moon Accurately

The difficulties which one encounters in calculating the motion of the moon are typical for an entire class of problems where the solution is found approximately with the help of Poisson series. On the one side these difficulties are of a practical nature and have to do with the large number of terms which one has to manipulate. On the other side these difficulties also have to do with theoretical issues concerning the convergence of these series.
A global view of equivariant vector bundles and Dirac operators on some compact homogeneous spaces

In order to facilitate the comparison of Riemannian homogeneous spaces of compact Lie groups with noncommutative geometries ("quantizations") that approximate them, we develop here the basic facts concerning equivariant vector bundles and Dirac operators over them in a way that uses only global constructions and arguments. Our approach is quite algebraic, using primarily the modules of cross-sections of vector bundles. We carry the development through the construction of Hodge--Dirac operators. The inducing construction is ubiquitous.
Global Competitiveness of the U.S. Pork Sector

What countries will have a competitive advantage in producing pork for international customers in the next decades? We briefly examine the changing competitive structure, emphasizing costs of production and processing, for four major pork exporting countries the United States, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Canada. Several productivity and cost differences, and their causes are profiled for pork producers and processors in each country. Changing environmental constraints and differences likely to play an important role in affecting exports from each country are summarized. After considering each of the changes occurring and the relative costs in each country’s pork sector individually, we conclude that western Canada could develop a competitive advantage if it develops a more competitive processing industry, that the United States’ very efficient processing industry and the lower cost hog production should help expand its market share, but Denmark is likely to remain the leading exporter despite their higher cost system. Copyright © 1998 by Marvin L. Hayenga. All rights reserved. Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided this copyright notice appears on all such copies. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
Public Subsidization Versus Private Donations: A Study of Incentives and Operational Performance

This study uses a hospital setting to explore incentives and performance in organizations that are subsidized by taxes and governed by elected boards of directors. This governance system introduces incentives to over-monitor CEO performance, constraining administrative decision-making and leading to poor performance. Using data from California Hospitals for the period 1980-1998, we compare municipal district hospitals to a sample of non-profit hospitals. While district hospitals' charges are lower, their subsidies and donations are larger. Overall, we find that district hospitals have lower operating margins that deteriorate more rapidly in a difficult business environment and lower compensation for CEOs.
Transcription of germ line V alpha segments correlates with ongoing T-cell receptor alpha-chain rearrangement.

Abstract M14T is a virally transformed immature T-cell line which continues to rearrange its T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha-chain genes in vitro and thus represents a dynamic system for studying TCR assembly. In an effort to investigate whether the TCR alpha locus is accessible for V(D)J rearrangement events, we examined M14T cells for the presence of germ line TCR alpha transcripts. Several unrearranged V alpha segments were found to be transcriptionally active in M14T cells. By comparison, germ line V alpha transcripts are absent in nonlymphoid and pro-T-cell lines and barely detectable in mature T-cell lines, suggesting that this phenomenon is likely stage and tissue specific. We demonstrate a perfect correlation between transcriptionally active V alpha segments and their involvement in ongoing V alpha-to-J alpha rearrangements. In addition, data suggesting that the unrearranged J alpha locus is also transcriptionally active in the M14T line are presented. Furthermore, the recombination-activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2 are differentially expressed, with RAG-2 detectable only by polymerase chain reaction, implying that very low levels of one of these gene products are sufficient to complement the other to facilitate VJ rearrangements. These findings provide the first direct evidence for an accessibility model of antigen receptor rearrangement in T cells.
A relation of inclusion for implicit linear systems

In [2] a relation of covering for implicit systems has been introduced and studied. It has been shown that this notion is useful when studying the problems of minimal left inverse and minimal observer design. In the present paper we study a slightly more general notion: a relation of inclusion for implicit systems that enjoy the outputuniqueness property. We are chiefly interested in systems of a minimal size including a given system. A particular application we have in mind is a minimal order observer or a minimal left inverse construction. We show that study of including systems may allow us in some cases to reduce the size of an observer or an inverse beyond the one given by minimization under external equivalence. A similar approach has been applied in [2] to minimal covering systems. However, including systems have an important advantage over the covering ones: since they constitute a broader class, they offer us more freedom in picking a minimal one of a desired sort.
Micro determination of water by the Penfield method

ThePenfield method can be applied successfully on a micro scale for the determination of water in hydrates or in hydroxyl minerals if the expelled water is weighed in a closed tube and a small correction is applied for water loss. For unknown reasons, the micro method gives higher results for water in silicate rocks than does the customary macro method.
Unconventional Approaches to Conflict Resolution: Erikson and Sharp on Nonviolence

We discuss various approaches to nonviolent conflict resolution and specifically the views of Gene Sharp and Erik Erikson as developed in their recent books on the subject. Both authors have in common a concern with the sources of obedience and the processes by which people come to question authority and the use of force. We explore the insights and limits of each approach and suggest aspects that need further clarification in the discussion of nonviolence. Sharp's encyclopedic effort draws together much material and is a valuable source. Erikson develops a set of poetic and telling conclusions from Gandhi's career that provide a deeper sense of how nonviolent campaigns can be waged and what they are all about.
Electric field responsive origami structures using electrostriction-based active materials

The objective of origami engineering is to combine origami principles with advanced materials to yield active origami shapes, which fold and unfold in response to external stimuli. We are investigating the use of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE), a relaxor ferroelectric terpolymer, to realize origami-inspired folding and unfolding of structures and to actuate so-called action origami structures. To accomplish these two objectives, we have explored different approaches to the P(VDF-TrFECTFE) polymer actuator construction, ranging from unimorph to multilayered stacks. Electromechanical characterization of the terpolymer-based actuators is conducted with a focus on free strain, force-displacement and blocked force. Moreover dynamic thickness strains of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer at different frequencies ranging from 0.1Hz to 10Hz is also measured. Quantifying the performance of terpolymer-based actuators is important to the design of action origami structures. Following these studies, action origami prototypes based on catapult, flapping butterfly wings and barking fox are actuated and characterization of these prototypes are conducted by studying impact of various parameters such as electric field magnitude and frequency, number of active layers, and actuator dimensions.
Approaches that use seismic hazard results to address topics of nuclear power plant seismic safety, with application to the Charleston earthquake issue

Abstract Plant seismic safety indicators include seismic hazard at the SSE (safe shut-down earthquake) acceleration, seismic margin, reliability against core damage, and reliability against offsite consequences. This work examines the key role of hazard analysis in evaluating these indicators and in making rational decisions regarding plant safety. The paper outlines approaches that use seismic hazard results as a basis for plant seismic safety evaluation and applies one of these approaches to the Charleston earthquake issue. This approach compares seismic hazard results that account for the Charleston tectonic interpretation, using the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)–Seismicity Owners Group (SOG) methodology, with hazard results that are consistent with historical tectonic interpretations accepted in regulation. Based on hazard results for a set of 21 eastern U.S. nuclear power plant sites, the comparison shows that no systematic “plant-to-plant” increase in hazard accompanies the Charleston hypothesis; differences in mean hazards for the two interpretations are generally insignificant relative to current uncertainties in seismic hazard.
Utilizing PCFGs for Modeling and Learning Service Compositions in Sensor Networks

Service composition in sensor networks combines elementary services with a specific functionality to create a service with higher level functionality. The previous efforts in automating composition were sending full information about all services across the entire sensor network, creating a security risk and imposing significant communication overhead. Furthermore, learning based composition or error detection methods do not consider global information, leading to inefficiencies in the generated composition graphs. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic context-free grammar (PCFG) based modeling technique to construct service compositions. The successful compositions created for the given application are treated as statements belonging to an efficient composition PCFG of this application. The given set of such compositions is used to derive this PCFG automatically. Future composition could be then easily constructed with the help of such PCFG. We present our methodology for achieving such modeling and provide examples of its use to demonstrate its advantage over previous work. We also evaluate the resulting improvements in performance of compositions and in the costs of their creation.
Microvasculature of the foal metacarpus.

Summary The developing vascular architecture of the metacarpus of the foal was studied by a bone-clearing technique. For this technique Microfil was used to demonstrate the periosteal, cortical and medullary vessel distribution. Superficial and deep periosteal vessels were observed. A stratified arrangement of cortical vessels, derived from medullary vessels was shown. Ascending and descending medullary arteries originated from the nutrient artery and traversed the bone medulla towards the epiphyses. Along their course through the medulla, smaller vessels were given off that ran towards the metaphyses and gave rise to numerous sinusoids. Vessels were observed crossing the growth plate in the distal metacarpus. By using the information obtained from this investigation further studies can be initiated that could determine the periosteal contribution to cortical blood flow as it relates to sequestration of bone.
Optimal Interpolation and Smoothing of Bilinear Systems

It is shown in this paper that for bilinear systems with a stable drift term the natural space of input-output models is that of Bochner-integrable causal Fock functionals, the latter being a causal version of the states of non-self-interacting quanta fields. Moreover, the functional spline interpolators or smoothers thereby obtained are found to have time-varying but asymptotically stable and decoupled bilinear realizations, with dimension equal to the number of test signals used for model matching. Motivation is given by the need for order reduction and input-output analysis of Carleman bilinearization, but the results apply to general bilinear systems.
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice? Teacher Perceptions of Black Girls in the Classroom

This paper uses national data on eighth grade female students and their English, math and science teachers to examine teacher perceptions of student behavior, such as attentiveness and disruptiveness. Particular attention is paid to differences in perception by student race and socioeconomic status. I find that black female students are perceived as less attentive and more disruptive than their white, Hispanic, and Asian counterparts. Controlling for academic performance and socioeconomic status mitigates the differences in perceptions of attentiveness but not disruptiveness. Further, the perceptions of attentiveness are significantly related to the probability that a teacher recommends a student for honors courses. I discuss the implications of these findings for the educational outcomes of black female students.
Hipponax Fragment 128W: Epic Parody or Expulsive Incantation?

Abstract Scholars have traditionally interpreted Hipponax fragment 128 (West) as an epic parody designed to belittle the grand pretensions and gluttonous habits of his enemy. I suggest, however, that this traditional reading ultimately falls short because of two unexamined assumptions: (1) that the meter and diction of the fragment are exclusively meant to recall epic narrative and not any other early hexametrical genre, and (2) that the descriptive epithets in lines 2 and 3 are the ad hoc comic creations of the poet and simply refer to the table manners of a glutton or a parasite. I argue instead that this fragment in several ways reflects the language, the meter and the performative goal of hexametrical chants or incantations designed to expel harmful famine demons or to escort human scapegoats from the city. I also suggest that the vivid and somewhat comic descriptions of the enemy in fragment 128 probably do not aim at his personal eating disorders, but rather they are drawn from two interrelated and generic features of archaic Greek thought: a tradition of describing famine-demons as insatiable eaters, and a popular theme in Greek invective which demonizes political enemies as rapacious pests who threaten to gobble up the commonwealth of the city and who therefore must be expelled from the community, precisely like a famine-demon.
Matrix elements for configuration d4s in a weak octahedral field using Racah methods

Abstract The general formula for matrix elements of configuration d4s in a weak crystalline field have been derived by means of Racah algebra. These have been explicitly applied to the case of d4s. The tabulated reduced matrix elements should be of assistance in the analysis of spectra of d4s, and perhaps d5, complexes having cubic or near-cubic symmetry.
Hormonal Evaluation of Testicular Function: Species Variation

Many hormones are involved in regulation of the testis. Some of these act directly on the testis itself, while others act indirectly by influencing secretion or clearance of those that may act on the testis. Methods are not yet available for easily quantifying some of the hormones that affect testicular function, such as growth factors. Most hormones are secreted as pulses rather than in a constant, continuous manner. This necessitates appropriate sampling regimens to define the amplitude and frequency of the pulses. Factors such a stress, changes in environmental conditions, level of nutrition, and disease may alter the pattern and rate of secretion of hormones that regulate testicular function. All of these factors must be considered when designing experiments to determine how drugs affect the function of the testis.
Who Needs the Nation? Interrogating ‘British’ History

This paper pursues the question ‘who needs the nation?’ which was first posed by Kobena Mercer, the Black British cultural critic, in Welcome to the Jungle (1994). It interrogates not just the proposition of who needs the nation as a fixed referent, but who can afford to be content to be contained by its disciplinary boundaries. These are questions of interest to practitioners committed to understanding what the ramifications are for national histories in the wake of postcolonial studies and work around diasporic communities and subjects. Who writes—who even sees—the histories of subjects exiled from the ‘national body’, those refugees (deliberate or otherwise) from national history and its disciplinary regimes—before the 20th century, in the European context? Who questions the apparent naturalness of the nation as an analytical framework in western histories? And, finally, what does this question mean for the sovereignty of Greater Britain, whose historiography has traditionally been one of the technologies of the national state and which is in the process of being challenged and refigured through the analytics of culture, postcolonialism and feminism?
Bilateral phrenic neuropathy as a presenting feature of multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block.

Diaphragmatic paralysis has previously been reported as a result of diverse pathologic processes involving the peripheral nervous system. We report the clinical history, physical findings, and antibody profile of an atypical case of multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block initially presenting with respiratory failure secondary to bilateral phrenic neuropathy.
Segregation of developmental abilities in neural-crest-derived cells: Identification of partially restricted intermediate cell types in the branchial arches of avian embryos

Abstract The neural crest of early vertebrate embryos gives rise to a wide variety of cell types. One way in which phenotypic diversity may be generated in neural-crest-derived cells is by a series of partial developmental restrictions. In order to test the possibility that the crest-derived mesenchymal cells of the branchial arches (BAs) of avian embryos are partially restricted intermediates during this segregation of developmental fates, we examined some of their phenotypic and developmental properties. We found that the mesenchymal cells of the posterior BAs differ from those of the anterior BAs in that the posterior BA cells express the neuron-specific antigen NAPA-73, whereas the anterior BA cells do not. This phenotypic difference first appears in the different populations of migrating neural crest cells which populate the different BAs. Anterior and posterior BA cells also differ in their abilities to give rise to various crest derivatives in heterospecific grafting experiments. Whereas anterior BA cells only produce connective tissue derivatives, posterior BA cells give rise to neurons, glial cells, and glandular tissue, in addition to the connective tissues. However, neither anterior nor posterior BA grafts give rise to melanocytes—another neural crest derivative. This developmental restriction of melanogenic potential occurs either during crest migration, or shortly after colonization of the BAs. These results are consistent with the notion that the mesenchyme of both anterior and posterior BAs contain different partially restricted intermediate cell types derived from the neural crest.
The influence of the invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii , on leaf decomposition and microbial community dynamics

Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is an exotic invasive shrub that is rapidly expanding into forests of eastern North America. This species forms a dense forest understory, alters tree regeneration, negatively affects herb-layer biodiversity, and alters ecosystem function. In a second-growth forest in central Kentucky, we examined the timing and production of leaf litter and compared litter chemistry, decay rates, and microbial community colonization of Amur honeysuckle to that of two native trees, white ash (Fraxinus americana) and hickory (Carya spp.). The distribution of Amur honeysuckle was clumped, allowing us to compare differences in decomposition under and away from Amur honeysuckle shrubs. Amur honeysuckle leaf litter had significantly higher nitrogen, lower C:N, and lower lignin than the other species, and decomposition rates were greater than 5× faster. Despite the much higher rate of Amur honeysuckle decomposition compared with the native species (p < 0.0001), decomposition of all species was significantly slower (p = 0.0489) in sites located under Amur honeysuckle shrubs. Nitrogen concentration increased through time in decomposing Amur honeysuckle litter; however, total mass of N rapidly declined. We found the initial microbial community on leaf litter of Amur honeysuckle was distinct from two native species and although all microbial communities changed through time, the microbial community of Amur honeysuckle remained distinct from native communities. In summary, a distinct microbial community that may originate on Amur honeysuckle leaves prior to senescence could explain the rapid decay rates.
Short message communications: users, topics, and in-language processing

This paper investigates three dimensions of cross-domain analysis for humanitarian information processing: citizen reporting vs organizational reporting; Twitter vs SMS; and English vs non-English communications. Short messages sent during the response to the recent earthquake in Haiti and floods in Pakistan are analyzed. It is clear that SMS and Twitter were used very differently at the time, by different groups of people. SMS was primarily used by individuals on the ground while Twitter was primarily used by the international community. Turning to semi-automated strategies that employ natural language processing, it is found that English-optimal strategies do not carry over to Urdu or Kreyol, especially with regards to subword variation. Looking at machine-learning models that attempt to combine both Twitter and SMS, it is found that the cross-domain prediction accuracy is very poor, but some loss in accuracy can be overcome by learning prior distributions over the sources. It is concluded that there is only limited utility in treating SMS and Twitter as equivalent information sources -- perhaps much less than the relatively large number of recent Twitter-focused papers would indicate.
Extended topology and systems

In this paper is indicated the possible utility of isotonic spaces as a background language for discussing systems. In isotonic spaces the basic duality between “neighborhood” and “convergent” first achieves a proper background permitting applications beyond the scope of topological spaces. A generalization of continuity of mappings based on ancestral relations is presented and this definition is applied to establish a necessary and sufficient condition that mappings preserve connectedness. Fortunately for systems theory, it is not necessary to have infinite sets or infinitary operators to apply definitions of neighborhood, convergents, continuity and connectedness.
TGF-β1 suppresses T cell infiltration and VP2 puff B mutation enhances apoptosis in acute polioencephalitis induced by Theiler's virus

Abstract GDVII and DA strains of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) differ in VP2 puff B. One week after GDVII virus infection, SJL/J mice had large numbers of TUNEL + apoptotic cells with a relative lack of T cell infiltration in the brain. DA viruses with mutation in puff B induced higher levels of apoptosis than wild-type DA virus, but levels of inflammation in brains were similar between DA and DA virus mutants. The difference in inflammation among TMEVs could be due to TGF-β1 expression that was seen only in GDVII virus infection and negatively correlated with CD3 + T cell infiltration.
Purification of Recombinant Peanut Allergen Ara h 1 and Comparison of IgE Binding to the Natural Protein

Allergic reactions to food are on the rise worldwide and there is a corresponding increase in interest to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible. Peanut allergies are the most problematic because the reaction often persists into adulthood and can be as severe as anaphylaxis and death. The purpose of the work presented here was to develop a reproducible method to produce large quantities of pure recombinant Ara h 1(rAra h 1) that will enable standardization of immunological tests for patients and allow structural and immunological studies on the wild type and mutagenized forms of the protein. Ara h 1 is initially a pre-pro-protein which, following two endoproteolytic cleavages, becomes the mature form found in peanut. The mature form however has flexible regions that make it refractory to some structural studies including crystallography. Therefore, independent purification of the mature and core regions was desirable. Expression constructs were synthesized cDNA clones for each in a pET plasmid vector without tags. Codons were optimized for expression in E. coli. High-level expression was achieved in BL21 strains. Purification to near homogeneity was achieved by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. The purified rAra h 1 was then compared with natural Ara h 1 for IgE binding. All patients recognized both the folded natural and rAra h 1, but the IgE binding to the rArah1 was significantly reduced in comparison to the natural allergen, which could potentially make it useful for immunotherapeutic purposes.
The use of generalized estimating equations in the analysis of motor vehicle crash data

The purpose of this study was to determine if it is necessary to use generalized estimating equations (GEEs) in the analysis of seat belt effectiveness in preventing injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The 1992 Utah crash dataset was used, excluding crash participants where seat belt use was not appropriate (n=93,633). The model used in the 1996 Report to Congress [Report to congress on benefits of safety belts and motorcycle helmets, based on data from the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES). National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, Washington, DC, February 1996] was analyzed for all occupants with logistic regression, one level of nesting (occupants within crashes), and two levels of nesting (occupants within vehicles within crashes) to compare the use of GEEs with logistic regression. When using one level of nesting compared to logistic regression, 13 of 16 variance estimates changed more than 10%, and eight of 16 parameter estimates changed more than 10%. In addition, three of the independent variables changed from significant to insignificant (alpha=0.05). With the use of two levels of nesting, two of 16 variance estimates and three of 16 parameter estimates changed more than 10% from the variance and parameter estimates in one level of nesting. One of the independent variables changed from insignificant to significant (alpha=0.05) in the two levels of nesting model; therefore, only two of the independent variables changed from significant to insignificant when the logistic regression model was compared to the two levels of nesting model. The odds ratio of seat belt effectiveness in preventing injuries was 12% lower when a one-level nested model was used. Based on these results, we stress the need to use a nested model and GEEs when analyzing motor vehicle crash data.
Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the presence of multiple renal arteries.

OBJECTIVES As experience with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) expands, inevitably tumor-bearing kidneys with anomalous renal vasculature will be subjected to LPN. We evaluated LPN in kidneys with multiple arteries and compared those outcomes with the LPN outcomes in patients with conventional renal arterial anatomy. METHODS Since September 1999, we have performed LPN for tumors in 333 patients. From this prospectively maintained database, we identified 60 patients with multiple renal arteries and 273 patients with a single renal artery to the operated kidney. All patients underwent three-dimensional computed tomography preoperatively for accurate delineation of the tumor and renal vascular anatomy. The clinical and operative data were reviewed to assess critical outcomes. RESULTS The baseline parameters, including tumor size (P = 0.87), were similar in the two groups. Intraoperatively, the method of vascular control, tumor parenchymal extension depth (P = 0.40), number requiring pelvicaliceal repair (P = 0.62), and specimen weight (P = 0.49) were similar between the two groups. Similarly, the warm ischemia time (P = 0.60), operative time (P = 0.15), blood loss (P = 0.37), and intraoperative (P = 0.52), postoperative (P = 0.48), and late complication (P = 0.64) rates were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS LPN can be efficaciously performed in the presence of multiple renal vessels. Preoperative evaluation with three-dimensional computed tomography is recommended to have preoperative knowledge of the renal vasculature and thereby minimize iatrogenic injury.
Exotic vortex states in layered superconductors created by tilted magnetic field: Josephson vortices, solitons, vortex chains…

Abstract In very anisotropic layered superconductors tilted magnetic field generates two interpenetrating vortex sublattices. This set of crossing lattices contains a sublattice of Josephson vortices (JVs) and a sublattice of pancake vortex (PV) stacks. The PV sublattice modifies structure of an isolated JV. The JV phase field is composed of the regular and vortex phases. The contribution from the vortex phase smoothly takes over with increase of the magnetic field. The core structure experiences qualitative evolution with anisotropy decrease. At large anisotropies JV weakly distorts PV crystal and the JV core contains many PV rows. At smaller anisotropies the JV core shrinks to one PV row and PV stacks in this central row form a soliton-like structure. At very small c -axis field (≲1 G) the PV stacks form chains located at JVs. At certain field the crossing-lattices chains transform into the tilted-vortices chains. We present a simple criterion for this transition.
ATP-dependent calcium accumulation by non-mitochondrial organelles of axoplasm isolated from Myxicola giant axons

Abstract Axoplasm from freshly isolated Myxicola giant axons was mixed with small volumes of ‘artificial axoplasm’ containing 45Ca and either CaEGTA/EGTA or CaDTPA/DTPA buffers giving various nominal values of [Ca2+]. The axoplasm samples were centrifuged at 100000 xg for 30 min to form a pellet and the percentage of 45Ca bound to the pellet was determined. The fraction of bound calcium rose with increasing values of [Ca2+] along an S-shaped curve. Carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) was used to reveal the presence of mitochondrial Ca uptake. At physiological values of [Ca2+], around 100 nM, Ca uptake was insensitive to FCCP. As [Ca2+] was elevated, increasing sensitivity to FCCP was noted above [Ca2+] = 0.5 μM. At low values of [Ca2+], including the physiological range, Ca binding was significantly reduced by vanadate and quercetin, agents known to inhibit Ca uptake mediated by Ca2+-activated ATPase reactions. Inhibition of Ca binding by these agents was approximately 50% at physiological values of [Ca2+]. ATP depletion decreased the percentage of Ca binding by the pellet at physiological [Ca2+]. The results suggest that about 50% of the Ca buffering by particulate matter in axoplasm is via organelles requiring intact Ca2+-ATPase reaction at physiological values of [Ca2+].
Isotopic Investigation of Hydrogen Transfer Related to Cobalt-Catalyzed Free-Radical Chain Transfer

The process of cobalt porphyrin catalyzed chain transfer in methacrylate free radical polymerizations shows a deuterium kinetic isotope effect greater than 3, indicating that hydrogen atom transfer occurs in the rate-limiting step of the catalytic cycle. This step involves formation of a transient hydridocobalt(III) complex by a reversible hydrogen atom abstraction from an incoming radical; the other product is an olefin. In some cases, the resulting radical can be trapped as the alkylcobalt(III) product. The use of labeled cyclic olefins indicates that the formation of the alkylcobalt(III) species can be at least partially stereoselective in some cases, and when it is, the addition is cis. Deuterated vinylidene olefins such as methyl methacrylate-d8 were found to exchange the hydrogen of a cobalt porphyrin hydride to deuteride under free radical conditions. This exchange reaction can be used for deuterium labeling experimentsthe transient cobalt deuterides are similarly trapped by addition of protioolefi...
Close contacts between σ37-RNA polymerase and a Bacillus subtilis chromosomal promoter☆

We have identified close contacts between a novel form of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase containing a 37,000 molecular weight species of sigma factor (σ37) and a cognate chromosomal promoter spoVC. Close contacts were visualized by examining the pattern of purine methylation by dimethyl sulphate subsequent to binding by RNA polymerase. Five guanines and four adenines were identified whose methylation was enhanced or suppressed by σ37-containing RNA polymerase. These bases were clustered in two regions (centered at 35 and 10 base-pairs preceding the start-point of transcription) that corresponded in position to regions known to be important in promoter recognition by the principal forms of RNA polymerase holoenzyme in B. subtilis (containing σ55) and Escherichia coli.
Optimum illumination wavelength for fluorescence spectroscopy of atheromatous plaque

Seven illumination wavelengths from 270 to 364 nm were investigated for their ability to produce differences in the fluorescence spectra between normal aorta and atheromatous plaque. Differences in the spectra were evaluated using the Hotelling trace and ROC methods. The results indicate that large spectral differences and, therefore, good classification can be obtained with illumination in the range from about 304 to 334 nm and that the performance drops off rapidly on either end of the illumination range.
Quasiparticle effects in point contacts of niobium containing hydrogen

Abstract Experimental measurements on normal metal/superconductor point contacts of silver on niobium were made as a function of bias voltage and temperature. Inelastic scattering of quasiparticles at and near the silver/niobium interface was systematically enhanced by the introduction of hydrogen, interstitially into the niobium, by thermal diffusion. Transport data show that inelastic scattering increases and quasiparticle lifetime decreases monotonically with increased hydrogen content. These results will be compared with quasiparticle lifetime reduction caused by inelastic scattering from lattice defects and dislocations, introduced into the niobium by mechanical workhardening. A technique for quantitatively estimating both the elastic scattering intensity and inelastic scattering intensity will be demonstrated.
A native peptide ligation strategy for deciphering nucleosomal histone modifications

Post-translational modifications of histones influence both chromatin structure and the binding and function of chromatin-associated proteins. A major limitation to understanding these effects has been the inability to construct nucleosomes in vitro that harbor homogeneous and site-specific histone modifications. Here, we describe a native peptide ligation strategy for generating nucleosomal arrays that can harbor a wide range of desired histone modifications. As a first test of this method, we engineered model nucleosomal arrays in which each histone H3 contains a phosphorylated serine at position 10 and performed kinetic analyses of Gcn5-dependent histone acetyltransferase activities. Recombinant Gcn5 shows increased histone acetyltransferase activity on nucleosomal arrays harboring phosphorylated H3 serine 10 and is consistent with peptide studies. However, in contrast to analyses using peptide substrates, we find that the histone acetyltransferase activity of the Gcn5-containing SAGA complex is not stimulated by H3 phosphorylation in the context of nucleosomal arrays. This difference between peptide and array substrates suggests that the ability to generate specifically modified nucleosomal arrays should provide a powerful tool for understanding the effects of post-translational histone modifications.
Aggregate and disaggregate sector forecasting using consumer confidence measures

Abstract The usefulness of the combination of Katona's “ability and willingness to buy” framework and Bayesian vector autoregression for business forecasting was examined. Models were estimated with and without a measure of consumer confidence and with either a vector autoregression model with lag structure determined by a stepwise (VAR) or a Bayesian (BVAR) approach. Additionally, Katona's framework was tested at different levels of aggregation of consumer expenditures. Unlike in past research, monthly data were used in the operationalization of the framework. It was found that the BVAR, along with the consumer confidence measure, performed the best across three forecasting horizons and three performance measures. Any degradation of model performance at lower levels of aggregation across expenditure categories was only modest. The findings suggest that the use of BVAR, with consumer confidence index as a predictor should be considered in business forecasting.
Morphological and molecular studies on Dendryphion penicillatum and Pleospora papaveracea, pathogens of Papaver somniferum

20705-2350 Abstract: Pleospora papaveracea and Dendryphion penicillatum are well-known pathogens of opium pop- py (Papaver somniferum). The asexual state of P1. pa- paveracea has generally been identified as D. penicil- latum. However, morphological observations and AFLP analysis reveal that the anamorph of PI. papa- veracea is a Dendryphiella-like fungus and that D. pen- icillatum is not the asexual state of PI. papaveracea. While PI. papaveracea forms a sexual state in culture, D. penicillatum lacks a known sexual state. These two species can be readily differentiated using both mor- phology and colony characteristics.
Risk factors and mortality associated with calciphylaxis in end-stage renal disease

Risk factors and mortality associated with calciphylaxis in end-stage renal disease. Background We conducted a case control study to determine risk factors and mortality associated with calciphylaxis in end-stage renal disease. Methods Cases of calciphylaxis diagnosed between December 1989 and January 2000 were identified. Three controls were identified for each hemodialysis patient, with calciphylaxis matched to the date of initiation of hemodialysis. Laboratory data and medication doses were recorded during the 12 months prior to the date of diagnosis and at the time of diagnosis of calciphylaxis. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for calciphylaxis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of death associated with calciphylaxis. Results Nineteen cases and 54 controls were identified. Eighteen patients were hemodialysis patients, and one had a functioning renal allograft. Diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy in 16 cases. Women were at a sixfold higher risk of developing calciphylaxis (OR = 6.04, 95% CI 1.62 to 22.6, P = 0.007). There was a 21% lower risk of calciphylaxis associated with each 0.1 g/dL increase in the mean serum albumin during the year prior to diagnosis and at the time of diagnosis of calciphylaxis (OR = 0.79, 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.99, P = 0.037, and OR=0.80, 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.96, P = 0.019, respectively). There was a 3.51-fold increase in the risk of calciphylaxis associated with each mg/dL increase in the mean serum phosphate during the year prior to diagnosis (95% CI, 0.99 to 12.5, P = 0.052). At the time of diagnosis of calciphylaxis, for each 10 IU/L increment in alkaline phosphatase, the risk of calciphylaxis increased by 19% (OR = 1.19, 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.40, P = 0.045). Body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, aluminum, and higher dosage of erythropoietin and iron dextran were not independent predictors of calciphylaxis. Calciphylaxis independently increased the risk of death by eightfold (OR = 8.58, 95% CI, 3.26 to 22.6, P Conclusions Female gender, hyperphosphatemia, high alkaline phosphatase, and low serum albumin are risk factors for calciphylaxis. Calciphylaxis is associated with a very high mortality.