cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coincident Time-of-Flight Measurements of the Velocities of Cf 252 Fission Fragments

The primary object of the experiment was to improve the absolute accuracy of the determination of the mean values of the distributions in fragment velocity, mass, and kinetic energy. Absolute uncertainties attained are estimated to be about plus or minus 0.5% for the velocity measurements ( approximates plus or minus 1% for the energy measurements); statistical uncertainties on the distribution mean values are considerably smaller. Mean velocities of 1.036 and 1.375 cm/nsec, mean mass numbers of 143.61 and 108.39 amu, and mean kinetic energies of 80.01 and 105.71 Mev, respectively, were obtained for the heavy- and light-fragment groups. The mean total-fragment kinetic energy was found to be 185.7 Mev, and the mean mass ratio, 1.334. Perturbations, suggesting fine structure, are found in the primary mass yields. Associated perturbations are observed in the average total-fragment kinetic energy (E /sub K/(R /sub A/)) for the corresponding mass divisions. A decrease in (E/sub K/(R/sub A/)) near symmetric mass division, extending over five or six mass pairs and reaching about 20 Mev at a mean mass ratio of 1.0, was observed; but the absolute uncertainty is large. (auth)
Effects of asbestos on epithelioid cell lines.

Abstract The in vitro effects of asbestos fibers on the growth and viability of CHO cells, an epithelioid cell line derived from Chinese hamster ovary, and on K-22 cells, an epithelial cell line derived from rat liver, have been studied. Relatively low concentrations of asbestos (10 μg/ml) were quite cytotoxic to both cell types. A sample of chrysotile asbestos was more toxic than samples of crocidolite or amosite. The toxic factor could not be extracted from the asbestos and toxicity occurred only if there was physical contact between the fibers and the cells. Although the phorbol ester class of tumor promoters induces the synthesis of plasminogen activator in various cell cultures, asbestos did not induce this protease in epithelioid or fibroblast cell cultures. The results obtained are compared to previous in vitro results obtained with fibroblast or macrophage cultures and are discussed in terms of their possible relevance to asbestos-induced fibrosis and tumorigenesis.
The GEF1 Proton-Chloride Exchanger Affects Tombusvirus Replication via Regulation of Copper Metabolism in Yeast

Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses [(+)RNA viruses] is performed by viral replicases, whose function is affected by many cellular factors in infected cells. In this paper, we demonstrate a surprising role for Gef1p proton-chloride exchanger in replication of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) model (+)RNA virus. A genetic approach revealed that Gef1p, which is the only proton-chloride exchanger in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is required for TBSV replication in the yeast model host. We also show that the in vitro activity of the purified tombusvirus replicase from gef1Δ yeast was low and that the in vitro assembly of the viral replicase in a cell extract was inhibited by the cytosolic fraction obtained from gef1Δ yeast. Altogether, our data reveal that Gef1p modulates TBSV replication via regulating Cu2+ metabolism in the cell. This conclusion is supported by several lines of evidence, including the direct inhibitory effect of Cu2+ ions on the in vitro assembly of the viral replicase, on the activity of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and an inhibitory effect of deletion of CCC2 copper pump on TBSV replication in yeast, while altered iron metabolism did not reduce TBSV replication. In addition, applying a chloride channel blocker impeded TBSV replication in Nicotiana benthamiana protoplasts or in whole plants. Overall, blocking Gef1p function seems to inhibit TBSV replication through altering Cu2+ ion metabolism in the cytosol, which then inhibits the normal functions of the viral replicase.
ESD Protection Reliability in 1μM CMOS Technologies

The use of graded drains and silicided diffusions are shown to severely degrade Electrostatic Protection circuits when compared to their performance with traditional processing technology. The impact of each of these process options on the protection circuit sizing and the particular failure modes observed are reported here.
SCALING IN MULTI-TRIPLET QUARK MODELS.

Asymptotic bounds for the ratio $\frac{{F}_{2}^{\mathrm{en}}}{{F}_{2}^{\mathrm{ep}}}$, found in the three-triplet quark model, are not obeyed by the SLAC data. In the model, this observation implies the breaking of scaling behavior in the transition from present energies to extremely high ones. Such possible breaking in multi-triplet quark models is discussed.
Statistical Characterization of Environmental Error Sources Affecting Electronically Scanned Pressure Transducers

Minimization of uncertainty is essential to extend the usable range of the 15-psid Electronically Scanned Pressure (ESP) transducer measurements to the low free-stream static pressures found in hypersonic wind tunnels. Statistical characterization of environmental error sources inducing much of this uncertainty requires a well defined and controlled calibration method. Employing such a controlled calibration system, several studies were conducted that provide quantitative information detailing the required controls needed to minimize environmental and human induced error sources. Results of temperature, environmental pressure, over-pressurization, and set point randomization studies for the 15-psid transducers are presented along with a comparison of two regression methods using data acquired with both 0.36-psid and 15-psid transducers. Together these results provide insight into procedural and environmental controls required for long term high-accuracy pressure measurements near 0.01 psia in the hypersonic testing environment using 15-psid ESP transducers.
Changes in strawberry phenolics, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity in response to high oxygen treatments

Abstract Changes in fruit quality, decay, phenolic and anthocyanin content, and antioxidant capacity of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. cv. Allstar) stored under air and high oxygen atmospheres at 5 °C were investigated. Freshly harvested strawberries were placed in jars and ventilated continuously with air or with 40, 60, 80, or 100 kPa O2 at 5 °C for up to 14 days. Samples were taken initially, and after 3, 7, 10 and 14 days of storage. While fruit quality parameters such as titratable acidity, total soluble solids and surface color were only slightly affected by differing levels of O2, the higher oxygen concentration treatments significantly reduced decay. Oxygen concentrations higher than 60 kPa also promoted increases in ORAC values, total phenolics and total anthocyanins as well as individual phenolic compounds analysed by HPLC during the initial 7 days of storage. However, this effect diminished with prolonged storage. No significant differences in ORAC values, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, or the individual phenolic compounds were observed among the high O2 and air-stored fruits after 14 days of storage. These results indicate that high oxygen treatments exert the most effects on fruit quality and antioxidant capacity of strawberry fruit in the first 7 days of storage.
Loss of clonogenicity in agar by differentiating erythroleukemic cells.

Abstract Inclusion of DMSO in the culture media of Friend erythroleukemia cells temporarily interferes with the initiation of DNA synthesis which occurs when these cells are seeded in fresh growth medium. By 48 hours of culture more than 90% of the cells in the DMSO-containing cultures have initiated DNA synthesis. As a result of the increasing proportion of differentiating cells in the culture, colony-forming efficiency in soft agar by these erythroleukemic cells declines by 99% during 4 days of culture in the presence of DMSO.
Catcher Bearing Life Prediction Using a Rainflow Counting Approach

Catcher bearings (CB) are an essential component for rotating machine with active magnetic bearings (AMBs) suspensions. The CB’s role is to protect the magnetic bearing and other close clearance component in the event of an AMB failure. The contact load, the Hertzian stress, and the sub/surface shear stress between rotor, races, and balls are calculated, using a nonlinear ball bearing model with thermal growth, during the rotor drop event. Fatigue life of the CB in terms of the number of drop events prior to failure is calculated by applying the Rainflow Counting Algorithm to the sub/surface shear stress-time history. The numerical simulations show that CB life is dramatically reduced when high-speed backward whirl occurs. The life of the CB is seen to be extended by reducing the CB clearances, and by applying static sideloads to the rotor.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Response-to-Complaint Letter as a Rhetorical Genre

Standard in many professional communications classrooms is the teaching of the general business letter and sometimes, more specifically, the complaint letter. This tutorial draws upon the scholarly research from professional communication, education, and business to address the methods of how to teach a response-to-complaint letter. I recommend a theory-based tutorial for the undergraduate professional communication classroom. This tutorial complements existing teachings on standard form-letter writing and could serve as a supplemental component to a marketing or management course.
Thermoelectric Power of Single Crystal Bismuth Near the Melting Point

By investigating directly the thermoelectric power of bismuth single crystals near the melting point a transition region is found in which the thermoelectric power changes gradually from that characteristic of the solid to that characteristic of the final liquid state. The region extends from the melting point to about 8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} above it. As an explanation it is supposed that a definite crystal structure persists into the liquid state.
Schrödinger equation and oscillatory Hilbert transforms of second degree

Let $$h(t,x): = p.v. \sum\limits_{n \in Z\backslash \left| 0 \right|} {\frac{{e^{\pi i(tn^2 + 2xn)} }}{{2\pi in}}} = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{N \to \infty } \sum\limits_{0< \left| n \right| \leqslant N} {\frac{{e^{\pi i(tn^2 + 2xn)} }}{{2\pi in}}} $$ (\((i = \sqrt { - 1;} t,x\)-real variables). It is proved that in the rectangle\(D: = \left\{ {(t,x):0< t< 1,\left| x \right| \leqslant \frac{1}{2}} \right\}\), the function h satisfies the followingfunctional inequality: $$\left| {h(t,x)} \right| \leqslant \sqrt t \left| {h\left( {\frac{1}{t},\frac{x}{t}} \right)} \right| + c,$$ where c is an absolute positive constant. Iterations of this relation provide another, more elementary, proof of the known global boundedness result $$\left\| {h; L^\infty (E^2 )} \right\| : = ess sup \left| {h(t,x)} \right|< \infty .$$ The above functional inequality is derived from a general duality relation, of theta-function type, for solutions of the Cauchy initial value problem for Schrodinger equation of a free particle.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Identification and Assessment of Auditory Processing Disorders

The identification and assessment of children with possible auditory disorders present the speech language pathologist with a set of problems that are quite familiar. The problems revolve around a ...
Molecular pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by abnormal expansions of a trinucleotide CAG repeat in exon 47 of the CACNA1A gene, which encodes the cdA subunit of the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel. The CAG repeat expansion is translated into an elongated polyglutamine tract in the carboxyl terminus of the α1A subunit. The α1A sub unit is the main pore-forming subunit of the P/Q-type calcium channel. Patients with SCA6 suffer from a severe form of progressive ataxia and cerebellar dysfunction. Design of treatments for this disorder will depend on better definition of the mechanism of disease. As a disease arising from a mutation in an ion channel gene, SCA6 may behave as an ion channelopathy, and may respond to attempts to modulate or correct ion channel function. Alternatively, as a disease in which the mutant protein contains an expanded polyglutamine tract, SCA6 may respond to the targets of drug therapies developed for Huntington’s disease and other polyglutamine disorders. In this review we will compare SCA6 to other polyglutamine diseases and channelopathies, and we will highlight recent advances in our understanding of α1A subunits and SCA6 pathology. We also propose a mechanism for how two seemingly divergent hypotheses can be combined into a cohesive model for disease progression.
Recent rainfall trends on the margins of the subtropical deserts: A comparison of selected northern hemisphere regions

Abstract An analysis of recent (1898–1972) seasonal rainfall data from California (winter) and Mexico (summer) provides no evidence of an inverse relationship such as has been reported by Winstanley for climatically analogous areas of Eurasia and Africa. However, California and Old World winter rain trends have been remarkably similar during this time period. Also, summer rain in northwestern Mexico (Mazatlan) correlates highly with winter rainfall in southern California (San Diego) when allowance is made for a 7-year lag. Winstanley suggested that the expansion and contraction of the circumpolar vortex is a primary control of rainfall trends on the margins of the subtropical deserts. The alternative proposed here is that, at least on this time scale, variations in the longitudinal position of troughs and ridges in the upper air westerlies are more important.
Dislocation morphology and nucleation within compressed Si nanospheres: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract Large scale molecular dynamics simulations of the compression of silicon nanospheres were performed with the Stillinger–Weber potential. Several defects were observed to cause the yielding, including dislocations, stacking faults and phase transformations. To better investigate dislocation interactions, spheres of increasing size comprised of up to one million atoms were simulated. The morphologies of the defects and the conditions under which they are formed are explored. A new and interesting route to dislocation formation is identified and examined in which perfect dislocations form on {1 1 0} planes as opposed to the expected {1 1 1} planes. The dislocations on {1 1 0} planes are observed to form through a pathway with an intermediate metastable state corresponding to a change in the atomic bonding. Density Functional based Tight Binding calculations reveal the feasibility of this pathway although the appearance of dislocations on the {1 1 0} plane in the molecular dynamics simulations is specific to the Stillinger–Weber potential.
Cardiac valve replacement for congenital mitral valvular disease in children

Abstract Certain congenital defects of the mitral valve causing severe disability during childhood can be managed only by valve excision and prosthetic substitution. Mitral valve replacement was performed in 21 children for correction of congenital mitral stenosis in 6, isolated congenital mitral insufficiency in 10, and complete atrioventricular canal defects in 5. Three patients underwent concomitant aortic valvulotomy. Fourteen patients had pulmonary hypertension and 3 had undergone previous repair of coarctation. Nine patients were in congestive heart failure. Three hospital deaths occurred in patients operated upon for intractable failure; one had associated endocardial fibroelastosis, another acute mitral insufficiency from Marfan's syndrome, and another complete atrioventricular canal. Two late deaths occurred; one due to recurrent thrombus formation on the prosthesis, and the other from bacterial endocarditis and cardiac failure. The low-profile discoid valve with minimal protrusion into the left ventricle is particularly suited for mitral replacement in children. Small adult-sized prostheses were used permitting growth and development of the children. Cloth covering of the seating ring permits incorporation by ingrowth of autologous tissue and decreased thromboembolic complications. Although the long-term fate of prosthetic heart valves is uncertain, the management of severe congenital mitral deformities by valve replacement has provided remarkable clinical improvement in these children.
Sensory discriminability in monkeys and humans: Direct comparisons by signal detection theory

Abstract Signal detection theory (TSD) was used to analyze choice probabilities and choice latencies in monkeys and humans engaged in the same two-choice discrimination task. Discriminative choices were considered to be yes-no binary decisions and choice latencies were assumed to reflect “subjective certainty” of decisions. We found that (1) sensory discriminability estimates d' (based on binary decision probabilities) and d'e (derived from choice latencies) were virtually identical, (2) sensory discriminability was similar within and between the two species, and (3) features of relative operating characteristic functions derived from choice latencies were similar for all subjects. Thus, in this experiment, a TSD analysis of discrimination performance provided a similar description of the underlying sensory discrimination process in both monkeys and humans.
EFFICIENCY AND THE NEW DIFFERENTIAL PROCESSING

ABSTRACT Differences in official crime rates by race, class, and gender are usually explained by the differences in offending behavior and/or the differences in official processing, where differential processing usually is interpreted as resulting from prejudice by criminal justice officials. In recent decades there have been large reductions in prejudice-based differential processing, but we argue that in the same time period new criminal justice policies aimed at the efficient use of scarce resources have produced a new form of differential processing. These policies concentrate scarce criminal justice resources on high crime rate groups and divert them from low crime rate groups. The result is that individuals in high and low crime rate groups may be processed differently even when they engage in identical offending behavior. As with differential processing that may actually be motivated by prejudice, the impact of any particular policy is small, but these impacts accumulate as the person moves through...
The Receptor-like Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase, RPTPα, Is Phosphorylated by Protein Kinase C on Two Serines Close to the Inner Face of the Plasma Membrane *

Abstract To determine whether the receptor-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase, RPTPα, which is widely expressed in both the developing and adult mouse, is regulated by phosphorylation, we raised antiserum against a C-terminal peptide. This antiserum precipitated a 140-kDa protein from metabolically S-labeled NIH3T3 cells. Using this antiserum, we showed that endogenous RPTPα is constitutively phosphorylated in NIH3T3 cells, predominantly on two serines, which we identified as Ser-180 and Ser-204, lying in the juxtamembrane domain. 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulation of quiescent NIH3T3 cells rapidly increased phosphorylation of Ser-180 and Ser-204. Purified protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylated bacterially expressed RPTPα at Ser-180 and Ser-204. When wild type and S180A/S204A double mutant RPTPαs were transiently expressed in 293 human embryonic kidney cells, TPA stimulated phosphorylation of wild type but not of double mutant RPTPα. PKC down-regulation following prolonged exposure to TPA diminished TPA-stimulated RPTPα phosphorylation. Taken together, these results indicate that RPTPα is a direct substrate for (PKC). Examination of 293 cells expressing exogenous RPTPα using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showed that RPTPα exists predominantly in two subcellular compartments: in dense intracellular granules or dispersed within the plasma membrane. TPA treatment caused redistribution of some intracellular RPTPα to the cell surface, but this did not require direct phosphorylation of RPTPα at Ser-180/Ser-204. Our results suggest that activation of PKC by cytokines modulates RPTPα function in several different ways.
Dose rate and repair effects on cell damage in earth orbit

Radiobiology experiments performed in space will encounter continuous exposures to the cosmic rays and fractionated exposures to trapped protons which accumulate to several hundred dose fractions in a few weeks. Using models of track structure and cellular kinetics combined with models of the radiation environment and radiation transport, we consider calculations of damage rates for cell cultures. Analysis of the role of repair mechanisms for space exposures for the endpoints of survival and transformation is emphasized.
Free Electrons with Thermal Energy: their Generation for Chemical Use

FREE electrons with thermal energy react readily with the molecules of many chemical substances; since the free electron may be regarded as the simplest free radical, an unattached valence bond, and indeed as an ultimate chemical particle, this reaction is clearly of interest and importance in chemistry. The lack of a source of uncontaminated free electrons at thermal energy has restricted the observation of free electron reactions to systems where the free electrons were present simultaneously with other reactive species such as free radicals, positive ions, excited atoms and molecules, and ionizing radiation. Some or all of these reactive contaminants are present in the reactions of radiation and electro-chemistry.
Water Based Silicone Elastomer Controlled Release Tablet Film Coating IV Process Evaluation

AbstractThe processing conditions in an air suspension column were found to be critical in producing controlled release polyethylene glycol-silicone elastomer tablet film coatings. The coating equipment used was also shown to play a major role in determining the permeability of the resultant tablet coatings. This pronounced process dependent phenomenon was explained by the film layering mechanism involved in the formation of the polyethylene glycol containing silicone elastomer coating on tablets.
Mitochondrial transformation in yeast by bombardment with microprojectiles

The genetic transformation of mitochondria and chloroplasts has been an intractable problem. The newly developed "biolistic" (biological ballistic) process was used to deliver DNA into yeast cells to stably transform their mitochondria. A nonreverting strain, which is respiratory deficient because of a deletion in the mitochondrial oxi3 gene, was bombarded with tungsten microprojectiles coated with DNA bearing sequences that could correct the oxi3 deletion. Respiratory-competent transformants were obtained in which the introduced oxi3 DNA is integrated at the homologous site in the mitochondrial genome. Organelle genomes can now be manipulated by molecular genetic techniques in the same way as nuclear genomes.
Inconsistencies in a criticism of the flood-grjotheim treatment of slag equilibria

A criticism of the Flood-Grjotheim ionic treatment by Elliottet al is reexamined in the light of well-established theories of reciprocal systems. The criticism is shown to be unjustified and the equations derived by Elliottet al appear to be a restatement of the Flood-Grjotheim equation.
Allergoprints in Horse Allergic Children

In order to determine the allergenic activity of five purified horse allergens, 22 children allergic to horses according to history, skin test, and leukocyte histamine release were evaluated. Washed leukocytes from all patients were tested for allergen-induced histamine release utilizing four epidermal horse allergens (Ags 6, 9, 11, and 15) and horse serum albumin. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis was carried out with a standard horse dander extract and serum from each patient. The results showed considerable variation in the individual allergoprints. Ag 11 had the highest mean allergenic activity. Sensitivity to horse serum albumin was demonstrated three times. Our data show that the amount of serum IgE antibodies bound by horse allergens correlates significantly with the capacity of the allergens to induce histamine release from washed leukocytes.
Employee reactions to corporate social responsibility: an organizational justice framework

Summary We seek to bridge the macro concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with micro research in organizational justice. A theoretical model is presented whereby employees’ perceptions of CSR impact their subsequent emotions, attitudes, and behaviors, mediated by instrumental, relational, and deontic motives/needs, as well as moderated by organizations’ social accounts. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Commitment to Self-Identification: A Sociopsychological Approach to Personality

This paper describes a self-systemic approach to the study of personality structure and process. Personality is conceptualized as organized around the ways one is committed to identifying oneself. Central to personality structure are those social roles the person is committed to performing. These role identities are the fundamental criteria by which goals, activities, and situations are selected by the person. Associated with role identities are identity goals, self-attributed characteristics that the person is motivated to exemplify when he or she is performing a particular role identity. Normative expectations are the person's beliefs as to which behaviors will express his or her identity goals. Data from a longitudinal and a cross-sectional sample of students supported this conceptualization. The theory is contrasted with the traditional self-concept approach, and is applied to an analysis of personality consistency; development, and adaptability.
Class-based access control for distributed video-on-demand systems

The focus of this paper is the analysis of threshold-based admission control policies for distributed video-on-demand (VoD) systems. Traditionally, admission control methods control access to a resource based on the resource capacity. We have extended that concept to include the significance of an arriving request to the VoD system by enforcing additional threshold restrictions in the admission control process on request classes deemed less significant. We present an analytical model for computing blocking performance of the VoD system under threshold-based admission control. Extending the same methodology to a distributed VoD architecture we show through simulation that the threshold performance conforms to the analytical model. We also show that threshold-based analysis can work in conjunction with other request handling policies and are useful for manipulating the VoD performance since we are able to distinguish between different request classes based on their merit. Enforcing threshold restrictions with the option of downgrading blocked requests in a multirate service environment results in improved performance at the same time providing different levels of quality of service (QoS). In fact, we show that the downgrade option combined with threshold restrictions is a powerful tool for manipulating an incoming request mix over which we have no control into a workload that the VoD system can handle.
C-peptide, a novel inhibitor of lung inflammation following hemorrhagic shock

C-peptide is a 31-amino acid peptide cleaved from proinsulin during insulin synthesis. Initially thought to be inert, C-peptide may modulate the inflammatory response in the setting of endotoxemia ...
On functional cup-products and the transgression operator

Abstract : Let g be a map from a topological space X to a topological space Y. Suppose that X and Y are the total spaces of respective proper triads and that g is a triad map. It is then possible, in certain cases, to express the functional cupproduct in terms of an ordinary cup-product. This is applied to obtain a classical result about the Hopf invariant and to obtain some new information about the cohomology rings of certain classifying spaces. (Author)
Social Text Normalization using Contextual Graph Random Walks

We introduce a social media text normalization system that can be deployed as a preprocessing step for Machine Translation and various NLP applications to handle social media text. The proposed system is based on unsupervised learning of the normalization equivalences from unlabeled text. The proposed approach uses Random Walks on a contextual similarity bipartite graph constructed from n-gram sequences on large unlabeled text corpus. We show that the proposed approach has a very high precision of (92.43) and a reasonable recall of (56.4). When used as a preprocessing step for a state-of-the-art machine translation system, the translation quality on social media text improved by 6%. The proposed approach is domain and language independent and can be deployed as a preprocessing step for any NLP application to handle social media text.
Two new dolichoderine ant genera from Madagascar: Aptinoma gen. n. and Ravavy gen. n . (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The Malagasy dolichoderine ant genera Aptinoma and Ravavy and the following species are newly described: Aptinoma mangabe sp. n. (type species), Aptinoma antongil sp. n., and Ravavy miafina sp. n. (type species). A key to the five dolichoderine genera of the Malagasy region based on workers is presented.
Peanut allergy: a growing phenomenon

Peanut allergy is one of the most serious of the immediate hypersensitivity reactions to foods in terms of persistence and severity and appears to be a growing problem (1). The prevalence of food hypersensitivity in adults is reportedly less common, but a recent survey in the US found that 1.3% of adults are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts (2). Recently, in a cohort of American children referred for the evaluation of atopic dermatitis, the prevalence of allergic reactivity to peanuts was nearly twice as high as that in a similar group evaluated a decade earlier (3). In spite of increased recognition and understanding of food allergies, food is the single most common cause of anaphylaxis seen in hospital emergency departments (4), accounting for about one-third of anaphylaxis cases seen. It is estimated that about 30,000 food-induced anaphylactic events are seen in American emergency departments each year, 200 of which are fatal (5). Either peanuts or tree nuts cause more than 80% of these reactions. Due to the persistence of the reaction and the lack of effective treatment, peanut-specific immunotherapy is currently being examined as a treatment option. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms is vital to ensure the eventual, effective treatment of peanut-allergic patients.
On generators of bounded ratios of minors for totally positive matrices

Abstract We provide a method for factoring all bounded ratios of the form det A ( I 1 | I 1 ′ ) det A ( I 2 | I 2 ′ ) / det A ( J 1 | J 1 ′ ) det A ( J 2 | J 2 ′ ) where A is a totally positive matrix, into a product of more elementary ratios each of which is bounded by 1, thus giving a new proof of Skandera’s result. The approach we use generalizes the one employed by Fallat et al. in their work on principal minors. We also obtain a new necessary condition for a ratio to be bounded for the case of non-principal minors.
Genetics of Lipoprotein(a) in Relation to Coronary Heart Disease

Lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), a complex between a low-density lipoprotein-like lipid moiety containing apolipoprotein (apo) B, and apo(a), a plasminogen-derived, carbohydrate-rich, hydrophilic protein, is one of the most genetically regulated cardiovascular risk factors. For any given population, Lp(a) levels are distributed in a skewed fashion and are strongly impacted by polymorphisms of the LPA gene. The quantitatively most impactful polymorphism results in a variable number of kringle 4 (K4) units, a key motif of apo(a) that predicts Lp(a) levels and has been associated with cardiovascular risk. In addition, other LPA genetic variants impact Lp(a) levels and may contribute to interethnic Lp(a) level variability. Further, it has been suggested that genetic variants beyond the LPA gene may affect Lp(a) levels. Recent studies using Mendelian randomisation approaches have documented an association between Lp(a) and cardiovascular disease and are indicative of a causal relationship. Key Concepts Lp(a) is a type of plasma lipoprotein synthesised in the liver, and consists of a cholesteryl-ester-rich lipid core and one molecule each of two different apolipoproteins, apoB-100 and apo(a). LPA, the gene encoding apo(a) located on chromosome 6, is evolved from the plasminogen gene during primate evolution, and has repeated triloop structures called kringles (K). Lp(a) levels differ significantly between individuals and ethnicities, and are regulated to a major extent by genetics through the LPA gene. A copy number variation (i.e. apo(a) size polymorphism) in the LPA gene plays an important role in Lp(a) regulation, and smaller apo(a) sizes with fewer K repeats, in general, are associated with higher Lp(a) levels. Additionally, some other single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LPA gene, as well as in some other non-LPA genes, have been shown to influence Lp(a) levels. Although the physiological function of Lp(a) is not well understood, its role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is increasingly well documented, and is recognised in clinical guidelines. Lp(a) levels are not appreciably affected by lifestyle improvements (diet, exercise, etc.); however, some nongenetic factors such as hormones, menopausal status, inflammatory burden and immune status have been shown to impact Lp(a) levels. Currently, no drug can specifically and effectively lower high Lp(a) levels, but development of this type of treatment is in progress. Keywords: LPA gene; polymorphism; apo(a) isoform; kringle; K4 repeats; genetic variants; cardiovascular disease; lipids; risk factors
Calcification. XIV. Investigation of the role of chondroitin sulfate in the calcifying mechanism.

Summary1. Toluidine blue and protamine, like inorganic cations, produce a reversible inactivation of the mechanism of calcification. This inactivation is a function of the inhibitor to calcium ratio. 2. Up to a concentration of about 15 meq/L, calcium ion in the dye solution increases the intensity of metachromatic staining. Above this concentration there is a gradual decrease of metachromasia. 3. Under certain conditions, the calcifiability of bone sections parallels metachromasia. But it is possible, by raising the calcium ion concentration, to destroy metachromasia while increasing calcifiability, or by treatment with certain protein denaturants, to destroy calcifiability while enhancing metachromasia. 4. Synthetic chondroitin sulfate-collagen complexes have been found to exhibit behavior similar to that of rachitic bone cartilage with regard to metachromasia and calcifiability.
Toward large-area mosaicing for underwater scientific applications

Severe attenuation and backscatter of light fundamentally limits our ability to image extended underwater scenes. Generating a composite view or mosaic from multiple overlapping images is usually the most practical and flexible way around this limitation. In this paper, we look at the general constraints associated with imaging from underwater vehicles for scientific applications - low overlap, nonuniform lighting, and unstructured motion $and present a methodology for dealing with these constraints toward a solution of the problem of large-area global mosaicing. Our approach assumes that the extended scene is planar and determines the homographies for each image by estimating and compensating for radial distortion, topology estimation through feature-based pairwise image registration using a multiscale Harris interest point detector coupled with a feature descriptor based on Zernike moments, and global registration across all images based on the initial registration derived from the pairwise estimates. This approach is purely image based and does not assume that navigation data is available. We demonstrate the utility of our techniques using real data obtained using the Jason remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at an archaeological site covering hundreds of square meters.
An updated basal body temperature method

Basal body temperature (BBT) readings are handicapped as fertility predictors by exogenous influences on women's temperatures, many of which could be adjusted for by the presence of a non-cycling control. We, a married, cohabiting couple, tracked our BBTs for two months. We found substantial temperature covariability. When there were difficult-to-explain changes in the female partner's temperature, similar changes in the male partner's temperature suggested that these fluctuations were not attributable to ovulation. Additionally, a clear mid-cycle widening of our temperature gap suggested that ovulation had occurred. This is a limited trial of a new method. However, the potential for substantially improving the accuracy and usefulness of a globally utilized method, coupled with its inexpensiveness, ease, and painlessness, call for a larger study.
Towards Principles and Standards for the Benefit-Cost Analysis of Safety

Benefit-cost analysis (BCA) is frequently applied to decisions involving public safety which requires analyzing risk and assessing options to manage risks. Principles and standards may assist analysts, decision-makers, and the public in developing and interpreting such BCAs. Principles and standards at best represent commonly held views among a community of practice. Such views are continually evolving with advances in the field. This paper presents a modularized format towards principles and standards that may assist in focusing discussion and decisions about whether such proposals actually reflect principles and standards within the benefit-cost analysis community of practice. Among topics covered are welfare measures, benefit or cost transfer, and valuing uncertain outcomes.
Programmable Logic Devices

In an evolutionary fashion, this chapter showed how a simple idea like the ROM have evolved into FPGA programmable chips that can be used for implementation of complete systems that include several processors, memories and even some analog parts. The first part of this chapter discussed generic structures of programmable devices, and in the second part, when describing more complex programmable devices, Altera devices were used as examples. We focused on the structures and tried to avoid very specific manufacturer’s details. This introduction familiarizes readers with the general concepts of the programmable devices and enables them to better understand specific manufacturer’s datasheets.
Probing distance-dependent plasmon-enhanced near-infrared fluorescence using polyelectrolyte multilayers as dielectric spacers

Owing to their applications in biodetection and molecular bioimaging, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes are being extensively investigated. Most of the existing NIR dyes exhibit poor quantum yield, which hinders their translation to preclinical and clinical settings. Plasmonic nanostructures are known to act as tiny antennae for efficiently focusing the electromagnetic field into nanoscale volumes. The fluorescence emission from NIR dyes can be enhanced by more than thousand times by precisely placing them in proximity to gold nanorods. We have employed polyelectrolyte multilayers fabricated using layer-by-layer assembly as dielectric spacers for precisely tuning the distance between gold nanorods and NIR dyes. The aspect ratio of the gold nanorods was tuned to match the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance wavelength with the absorption maximum of the NIR dye to maximize the plasmonically enhanced fluorescence. The design criteria derived from this study lays the groundwork for ultrabright fluorescence bullets for in vitro and in vivo molecular bioimaging.
SECESSIONS AND POLITICAL EXTREMISM: WHY REGIONAL REFERENDA DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM

This paper shows that an uninformed player can increase his bargaining power by committing to receive information from an expert more skeptical to cooperation. This general idea is applied to a model in which a regional political leader (the expert) influences voting in a referendum on independence by strategically disseminating information about the consequences of separation. I show that this motivates a moderate electorate to appoint a more extreme leader, to receive biased information that increases their bargaining power over the gains of staying unified. However, a trade-off between bargaining power and precision of information causes inefficient outcomes in equilibrium. (JEL: C73, D72, D82, H77)
Using link analysis to explore the impact of the physical environment on pharmacist tasks

Abstract Background National community pharmacy organizations have been redesigning pharmacies to better facilitate direct patient care. However, evidence suggests that changing the physical layout of a pharmacy prior to understanding how the environment impacts pharmacists' work may not achieve the desired benefits. This study describes an objective method to understanding how the physical layout of the pharmacy may affect how pharmacists perform tasks. Method Link analysis is a systems engineering method used to describe the influence of the physical environment on task completion. This study used a secondary data set of field notes collected from 9 h of direct observation in one mass-merchandise community pharmacy in the U.S. State, Wisconsin. A node is an individual location in the environment. A link is the movement between two nodes. Tasks were inventoried and task themes identified. The mean, minimum, and maximum number of links needed to complete each task were then determined and used to construct a link table. A link diagram is a graphical display showing the links in conjunction with the physical layout of the pharmacy. Results A total of 92 unique tasks were identified resulting in 221 links. Tasks were sorted into five themes: patient care activities, insurance issues, verifying prescriptions, filling prescriptions, and other. Insurance issues required the greatest number of links with a mean of 4.75. Verifying prescriptions and performing patient care were the most commonly performed tasks with 36 and 30 unique task occurrences, respectively. Conclusion Link analysis provides an objective method for identifying how a pharmacist interacts with the physical environment to complete tasks. This method provides designers with useful information to target interventions to improve the effectiveness of pharmacist work. Analysis beyond link analysis should be considered for large scale system redesign.
Homicide and the Prevalence of Handguns: Canada and the United States, 1976 to 1980

As compared with Americans, Canadians in the 1970s possessed one tenth as many handguns per capita. To assess whether this affected the total criminal homicide rate, the mean annual criminal homicide rates of Canadian provinces were compared with those of adjoining US states for the period of 1976 to 1980. No consistent differences were observed; criminal homicide rates were sometimes higher in the Canadian province, and sometimes higher in the adjoining US state. Major differences in the prevalence of handguns have not resulted in differing total criminal homicide rates in Canadian provinces and adjoining US states. The similar rates of criminal homicide are primarily attributable to underlying similar rates of aggravated assault.
Virtual Reality Supporting Psychological Health

For a country to continue its’ viable existence, it must be healthy. That is, it must not only maintain physical health but also psychological health. In fact, psychological health has a direct impact on the physiological health of people. The open literature suggests evidence-based strategies for helping individuals that suffer from psychological distress. Since technology is increasingly taking over the way humans relate with the world, virtual reality (VR) might be a great addition to psychotherapy sessions. In this chapter, the authors specifically discuss the effects of stress on one’s health and provide a short background of VR contributions to human health.
Between Reason and Power

Lawyers are trained rhetoricians. Yet, both lawyers and rhetoric are often understood as manipulative, not concerned with truth or "reason." This paper argues that the skill of the lawyer is not necessarily or essentially manipulative, but instead gives access to a special kind of truth akin to Kant's understanding of judgment. Using Kant's Critique of Judgment, the paper sketches a "sympathetic account" of rhetoric, explaining its emotional, metaphorical, and aesthetic elements as necessary ways to see how to apply abstract reason to concrete situations as judges and lawyers must.
Theoretical assessment of bonaccordite formation in pressurized water reactors

Abstract The free energy of formation of bonaccordite (Ni2FeBO5) as a function of temperature has been calculated using a technique that combines first principles calculations with experimental free energies of formation of aqueous species. The results suggest that bonaccordite formation from aqueous metal ions (Ni2+ andFe3+) and boric acid is thermodynamically favorable at elevated temperature and pH that have been predicted to exist at the CRUD-clad interface in deposits thicker than 60 μm.
Effect of cephalosporin C and various penicillin derivatives on staphylococcal penicillinase and penicillinase-producing Staphylococci.

Summary and conclusions1. Cephalosporin C is equally inhibitory to penicillinresistant and penicillin-sensitive staphylococci. However, against sensitive strains it is not nearly so effective an antibiotic as penicillin G. 2. Cephalosporin C and penicillin G apparently do not act synergistically in inhibiting the growth of penicillin-resistant staphylococci. 3. Cephalosporin C, dimethoxyphenylpenicillin and 6-aminopenicillanic acid are hydrolyzed slowly, if at all, by staphylococcal penicillinase. 4. Cephalosporin C is an active inducer of penicillinase synthesis in staphylococci, being comparable to dimethoxyphenylpenicillin in this respect but superior to penicillin G. 5. Cephalosporin C, at relatively high concentrations, does not significantly inhibit staphylococcal penicillinase.
Reformulation of the acceleration rate vector from Frenet's formulas using body axis velocities and accelerators

It has been theorized that fighter aircraft agility can be described by the acceleration rate vector of the aircraft as represented within the Frenet's formulas of differential equations. Frenet's formulas describe a curve (or in this case the aircraft's flight path) as a function of curvature and torsion. Many attempts have been made to understand the effects of curvature, torsion, and acceleration rate on fighter aircraft agility, but the acceleration rate vector and its components have been shown to be elusive terms to measure and quantify. The purpose of this paper was to reformulate Frenet's formulas with measurable terms, i.e. aircraft velocities and accelerations. Once the equations were presented in more tangible terms, it was found that in addition to the body axis acceleration rate terms, the other dominant terms are body axis forward and vertical velocity and acceleration. It was also shown that in certain maneuvers the body axis acceleration rates may be decoupled so that each component of Frenet's equations for the acceleration rate vector may be described solely by the body axis acceleration rate.