pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Molecular basis of allergen cross-reactivity: Non-specific lipid transfer proteins from wheat flour and peach fruit as models

Peach non-specific lipid transfer protein (Pru p 3; nsLTP) has been characterized as the major food allergen in the adult Mediterranean population. Its wheat homologous protein, Tri a 14 has a relevant inhalant allergen in occupational baker's asthma. Different sensitization patterns to these allergens have been found in patients with this latter disorder. The objective of the present study was to characterize IgE epitopes of Tri a 14 and to compare them with those of Pru p 3 using three complementary strategies: the analysis of IgE-binding capacity of decapeptides bound to membrane, the identification of mimotopes using a phage display random peptide library, and the analysis of the surface electrostatic potential of both allergens. Thus, synthetic overlapping decapeptides, covering the Pru p 3 and Tri a 14 amino acid sequences, were used to identify sequential regions involved in recognition of IgE from baker's asthma patients sensitized to both nsLTPs. A phage display library was screened with total IgE from the same patients, and positive clones sequentially selected using the purified allergens, allowed to identify mimotopes (conformational epitopes) of Tri a 14 and Pru p 3. Both sequential regions and mimotopes were localized in the corresponding 3D molecular surface and their electrostatic properties were analyzed. Common sequential regions with strong IgE-binding capacity (residues 31–40 and 71–80) were identified in Tri a 14 and Pru p 3, whereas regions Tri a 1451–60 and Pru p 311–20 were found specific of each allergen. A major conformational epitope (mimotope), L34H35N36R39S40S42D43G74V75L77P78Y79T80, which comprised the two common sequential epitopes, was located in Tri a 14, and a very similar one in Pru p 3. However, differences were detected on the surface electrostatic potential of both mimotopes: a first part (around residues 31–45) showed similar positive features in both allergens, whereas a second part (around residues 74–80) was markedly negative in Tri a 14 but neutral-positive in Pru p 3. Tri a 14 and Pru p 3 have a similar conformational region involved in IgE-binding, although their electrostatic features are different. Additionally, common and specific sequential IgE-binding regions were mapped in both allergens. These findings could be instrumental in understanding the cross-reactivity and specificity of sensitization to both homologous allergens
Nearly inviscid Faraday waves

Many powerful techniques from Hamiltonian mechanics are available for the study of ideal hydrodynamics. This article explores some of the consequences of including small viscosity in a study of surface gravity-capillary waves excited by the vertical vibration of a container. It is shown that in this system, as in others, the addition of small viscosity provides a singular perturbation of the ideal fluid system, and that as a result its effects are nontrivial. The relevance of existing studies of ideal fluid problems is discussed from this point of view
UV laser-induced high resolution cleaving of Si wafers for micro-nano devices and polymeric waveguide characterization

In this work we propose a method for cleaving silicon-based photonic chips by using a laser based micromachining system, consisting of a ND:YVO4laser emitting at 355 nm in nanosecond pulse regime and a micropositioning system. The laser makes grooved marks placed at the desired locations and directions where cleaves have to be initiated, and after several processing steps, a crack appears and propagate along the crystallographic planes of the silicon wafer. This allows cleavage of the chips automatically and with high positioning accuracy, and provides polished vertical facets with better quality than the obtained with other cleaving process, which eases the optical characterization of photonic devices.\ud
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This method has been found to be particularly useful when cleaving small-sized chips, where manual cleaving is hard to perform; and also for polymeric waveguides, whose facets get damaged or even destroyed with polishing or manual cleaving processing. Influence of length of the grooved line and speed of processing is studied for a variety of silicon chips. An application for cleaving and characterizing sol–gel waveguides is presented. The total amount of light coupled is higher than when using any other procedure
WCSPH viscosity diffusion processes in vortex flows

The aim of this paper is to clarify the role played by the most commonly used viscous terms in simulating viscous laminar flows using the weakly compressible approach in the context of smooth particle hydrodynamics (WCSPH). To achieve this, Takeda et al. (Prog. Theor. Phys. 1994; 92(5):939–960), Morris et al. (J. Comput. Phys. 1997; 136:214–226) and Monaghan–Cleary–Gingold's (Appl. Math. Model. 1998; 22(12):981–993; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2005; 365:199–213) viscous terms will be analysed, discussing their origins, structures and conservation properties. Their performance will be monitored with canonical flows of which related viscosity phenomena are well understood, and in which boundary effects are not relevant. Following the validation process of three previously published examples, two vortex flows of engineering importance have been studied. First, an isolated Lamb–Oseen vortex evolution where viscous effects are dominant and second, a pair of co-rotating vortices in which viscous effects are combined with transport phenomena. The corresponding SPH solutions have been compared to finite-element numerical solutions. The SPH viscosity model's behaviour in modelling the viscosity related effects for these canonical flows is adequat
The Outer Chloroplast Envelope Protein OEP16-1 for Plastid Import of NADPH:Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase A in Arabidopsis thaliana

The outer plastid envelope protein OEP16-1 was previously identiﬁed as an amino acid-selective channel protein and translocation pore for NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase A (PORA). Reverse genetic approaches used to dissect these mutually not exclusive functions of OEP16-1 in planta have led to descriptions of different phenotypes resulting from the presence of several mutant lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock. In addition to the T-DNA insertion in the AtOEP16-1 gene, lines were puriﬁed that contain two additional T-DNA insertions and as yet unidentiﬁed point mutations. In a ﬁrst attempt to resolve the genetic basis of four different lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock, we used genetic transformation with the OEP16-1 cDNA and segregation analyses after crossing out presumed point mutations. We show that AtOEP16-1 is involved in PORA precursor import and by virtue of this activity confers photoprotection onto etiolated seedlings during greenin
Efficient methodologies for system matrix modelling in iterative image reconstruction for rotating high-resolution PET

A fully 3D iterative image reconstruction algorithm has been developed for high-resolution PET cameras composed of pixelated scintillator crystal arrays and rotating planar detectors, based on the ordered subsets approach. The associated system matrix is precalculated with Monte Carlo methods that incorporate physical effects not included in analytical models, such as positron range effects and interaction of the incident gammas with the scintillator material. Custom Monte Carlo methodologies have been developed and optimized for modelling of system matrices for fast iterative image reconstruction adapted to specific scanner geometries, without redundant calculations. According to the methodology proposed here, only one-eighth of the voxels within two central transaxial slices need to be modelled in detail. The rest of the system matrix elements can be obtained with the aid of axial symmetries and redundancies, as well as in-plane symmetries within transaxial slices. Sparse matrix techniques for the non-zero system matrix elements are employed, allowing for fast execution of the image reconstruction process. This 3D image reconstruction scheme has been compared in terms of image quality to a 2D fast implementation of the OSEM algorithm combined with Fourier rebinning approaches. This work confirms the superiority of fully 3D OSEM in terms of spatial resolution, contrast recovery and noise reduction as compared to conventional 2D approaches based on rebinning schemes. At the same time it demonstrates that fully 3D methodologies can be efficiently applied to the image reconstruction problem for high-resolution rotational PET cameras by applying accurate pre-calculated system models and taking advantage of the system's symmetries
Score optimization and template updating in a biometric technique for authentication in mobiles based on gestures

This article focuses on the evaluation of a biometric technique based on the performance of an identifying gesture by holding a telephone with an embedded accelerometer in his/her hand. The acceleration signals obtained when users perform gestures are analyzed following a mathematical method based on global sequence alignment. In this article, eight different scores are proposed and evaluated in order to quantify the differences between gestures, obtaining an optimal EER result of 3.42% when analyzing a random set of 40 users of a database made up of 80 users with real attempts of falsification. Moreover, a temporal study of the technique is presented leeding to the need to update the template to adapt the manner in which users modify how they perform their identifying gesture over time. Six updating schemes have been assessed within a database of 22 users repeating their identifying gesture in 20 sessions over 4 months, concluding that the more often the template is updated the better and more stable performance the technique presents
Political instability and economic growth: Evidence from two decades of transition in CEE

This paper examines the nexus between political instability and economic growth in 10 CEE countries in
transition in the period 1990-2009. Our results support the contention that political instability defined as a
propensity for government change had a negative impact on growth. On the other hand, there was no causality
in the opposite direction. A sensitivity analysis based on the application of a few hundred different variants of
the initial econometric model confirmed the abovementioned findings only in the case where major
government changes were applied to the definition of political instability.
Risks in urban rooftop agriculture: assessing stakeholders’ perceptions to ensure efficient policy-making

Rooftop agriculture (RA) is an innovative form of urban agriculture that takes advantage of unused urban spaces while promoting local food production. However, the implementation of RA projects is limited due to stakeholders’ perceived risks. Such risks should be addressed and minimized in policymaking processes to ensure the sustainable deployment of RA initiatives. This paper evaluates the risks that stakeholders perceive in RA and compares these perceptions with the currently available knowledge, including scientific literature, practices and market trends. Qualitative interviews with 56 stakeholders from Berlin and Barcelona were analyzed for this purpose. The results show that perceived risks can be grouped into five main categories: i) risks associated with urban integration (e.g., conflicts with images of “agriculture”), ii) risks associated with the production system (e.g., gentrification potential), iii) risks associated with food products (e.g., soil-less growing techniques are “unnatural”), iv) environmental risks (e.g., limited organic certification) and v) economic risks (e.g., competition with other rooftop uses). These risks are primarily related to a lack of (scientific) knowledge, insufficient communication and non-integrative policymaking. We offer recommendations for efficient project design and policymaking processes. In particular, demonstration and dissemination activities as well as participatory policymaking can narrow the communication gap between RA developers and citizens
Analysis of tribological parameters during machining

In this paper, a hybrid analytical-numerical approach is performed for the orthogonal cutting process. The modelling of the thermomechanical material flow in the primary shear zone, the tool-chip contact length and the sliding-sticking zones are obtained from an analytical approach. In addition, the Finite Element method is used to solve the non linear thermal problem in the chip. Our aim is to propose an approach which can easily be used to identify the main parameters governing tool wear and to explain the experimental trends. The effects of cutting conditions and material behaviour on the sliding-sticking zones and on the temperature distribution along the tool-chip interface can be evaluated from this approach. It has been found that the sliding-sticking zones at the tool-chip interface strongly control the local conditions of stress, velocity and temperatur
Rubber Impact on 3D Textile Composites

A low velocity impact study of aircraft tire rubber on 3D textile-reinforced
composite plates was performed experimentally and numerically. In contrast to regular unidirectional composite laminates, no delaminations occur in such a 3D textile composite.
Yarn decohesions, matrix cracks and yarn ruptures have been identified as the major damage mechanisms under impact load. An increase in the number of 3D warp yarns is proposed to improve the impact damage resistance. The characteristic of a rubber impact is the high amount of elastic energy stored in the impactor during impact, which was more than 90% of the initial kinetic energy. This large geometrical deformation of the rubber during impact leads to a less localised loading of the target structure and poses great
challenges for the numerical modelling. A hyperelastic Mooney-Rivlin constitutive law was used in Abaqus/Explicit based on a step-by-step validation with static rubber compression tests and low velocity impact tests on aluminium plates. Simulation models of the textile weave were developed on the meso- and macro-scale. The final correlation between impact
simulation results on 3D textile-reinforced composite plates and impact test data was promising, highlighting the potential of such numerical simulation tools
Explicit inverse of a tridiagonal k-Toeplitz matrix

Summary We obtain explicit formulas for the entries of the inverse of a nonsingular and irreducible tridiagonal k-Toeplitz matrix A. The proof is based on results from the theory of orthogonal polynomials and it is shown that the entries of the inverse of such a matrix are given in terms of Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind. We also compute the characteristic polynomial of A which enables us to state some conditions for the existence of A-1. Our results also extend known results for the case when the residue mod k of the order of A is equal to 0 or k-1 (Numer. Math., 10 (1967), pp. 153–161.).http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00211-005-0596-
Planck early results. X. Statistical analysis of Sunyaev-Zeldovich scaling relations for X-ray galaxy clusters

All-sky data from the Planck survey and the Meta-Catalogue of X-ray detected Clusters of galaxies (MCXC) are combined to investigate the relationship between the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) signal and X-ray luminosity. The sample comprises similar to 1600 X-ray clusters with redshifts up to similar to 1 and spans a wide range in X-ray luminosity. The SZ signal is extracted for each object individually, and the statistical significance of the measurement is maximised by averaging the SZ signal in bins of X-ray luminosity, total mass, or redshift. The SZ signal is detected at very high significance over more than two decades in X-ray luminosity (10(43) erg s(-1) less than or similar to L500E(z)(-7/3) less than or similar to 2 x 10(45) erg s(-1)). The relation between intrinsic SZ signal and X-ray luminosity is investigated and the measured SZ signal is compared to values predicted from X-ray data. Planck measurements and X-ray based predictions are found to be in excellent agreement over the whole explored luminosity range. No significant deviation from standard evolution of the scaling relations is detected. For the first time the intrinsic scatter in the scaling relation between SZ signal and X-ray luminosity is measured and found to be consistent with the one in the luminosity - mass relation from X-ray studies. There is no evidence of any deficit in SZ signal strength in Planck data relative to expectations from the X-ray properties of clusters, underlining the robustness and consistency of our overall view of intra-cluster medium properties
Strategic transformations in large Irish-owned businesses

This research explores resistance to a universal business organisation by analysing large firms in Ireland. Drawing on our dataset of large Irish firms, an SSOP informed study identifies strategic transformations such as increased internationalisation and changes in ownership regime across three benchmark years of 1978, 1990 and 2010. However large Irish firms are not characterised by convergence to a universal business organisation. This study contributes to the SSOP project by extending it to a new geographic context and, by including sector of activity, by providing a contextually sensitive explanation for the absence of a universally applicable business organisation
Analysis of the impact of dislocation distribution on the breakdown voltage of GaAs-based power varactor diodes

A synchrotron x-ray topography analysis of the impact of the distribution of defects/dislocations on the electrical performance of GaAs power varactor diodes was carried out. Diodes fabricated on or near Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski cellular dislocation networks in the substrate, which are also known to be rich in As precipitates near these cell walls, were observed to have reduced breakdown voltages (VBR). This is consistent with the possibility that the presence of space-charge cylinders surrounding these dislocations gives rise to reduced VBR if they thread a p-n junction; it is also in accord with the possibility that the As precipitates themselves can act as sites for local field enhancement, thus promoting premature avalanche breakdown
Photo-responsive polymeric structures based on spiropyran

Spiropyrans are one of the most popular classes of photochromic compounds that change their optical and structural properties in response to external inputs such as light, protons and metal ions, making them ideal molecules for the fabrication of multifunctional stimuli-responsive materials. Nowadays, the emphasis in polymeric materials incorporating spiropyran units, focuses on the effectiveness of their reversible response to external photonic stimuli. Photo-control of a range of key characteristics for flow systems, such as wettability, permeability, photo-modulation of flow by photo-actuation of valves, photonic control of uptake and release of guests using films and coatings, and colorimetric sensing of various species, are highlighted and discussed
Towards consent-based lifelogging in sport analytic

Lifelogging is becoming widely deployed outside the scope of solipsistic self quantification. In elite sport, the ability to utilize these digital footprints of athletes for sport analytic has already become a game changer. This raises privacy concerns regarding both the individual lifelogger and the bystanders inadvertently captured by increasingly ubiquitous sensing devices. This paper describes a lifelogging model for consented use of personal data for sport analytic. The proposed model is a stepping stone towards understanding how privacy-preserving lifelogging frameworks and run-time systems can be constructed
Linear Overhead Optimally-Resilient Robust MPC Using Preprocessing

We present a new technique for robust secret reconstruction with O(n) communication complexity. By applying this technique, we achieve O( n) communication complexity per multiplication for a wide class of robust practical Multi-Party Computation (MPC) protocols. In particular our technique applies to robust threshold computationally secure protocols in the case of t < n/2 in the pre-processing model. Previously in the pre-processing model, O( n) communication complexity per multiplication was only known in the case of computationally secure non-robust protocols in the dishonest majority setting (i.e. with t < n) and in the case of perfectly-secure robust protocols with t < n/3. A similar protocol was sketched by Damgard and Nielsen, but no details were given to enable an estimate of the communication complexity. Surprisingly our robust reconstruction protocol applies for both the synchronous and asynchronous settings
Emitter discharge variability of subsurface drip irrigation in uniform soils: effect on water-application uniformity

Emitter discharge of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) decreases as a result of the overpressure in the soil water at the discharge orifice. In this paper, the variation in dripper discharge in SDI laterals is studied. First, the emitter coefficient of flow variation CVq was measured in laboratory experiments with drippers of 2 and 4 L/h that were laid both on the soil and beneath it. Additionally, the soil pressure coefficient of variation CVhs was measured in buried emitters. Then, the irrigation uniformity was simulated in SDI and surface irrigation laterals under the same operating conditions and uniform soils; sandy and loamy. CVq was similar for the compensating models of both the surface and subsurface emitters. However, CVq decreased for the 2-L/h non-compensating model in the loamy soil. This shows a possible self-regulation of non-compensating emitter discharge in SDI, due to the interaction between effects of emitter discharge and soil pressure. This resulted in the irrigation uniformity of SDI non-compensating emitters to be greater than surface drip irrigation. The uniformity with pressure-compensating emitters would be similar in both cases, provided the overpressures in SDI are less than or equal to the compensation range lower limit
Scaling laws in bacterial genomes: A side-effect of selection of mutational robustness?

In the past few years, numerous research projects have focused on identifying and understanding scaling properties in the gene content of prokaryote genomes and the intricacy of their regulation networks. Yet, and despite the increasing amount of data available, the origins of these scalings remain an open question. The RAevol model, a digital genetics model, provides us with an insight into the mechanisms involved in an evolutionary process. The results we present here show that (i) our model reproduces qualitatively these scaling laws and that (ii) these laws are not due to differences in lifestyles but to differences in the spontaneous rates of mutations and rearrangements. We argue that this is due to an indirect selective pressure for robustness that constrains the genome size
Automatic detection of crop rows in maize fields with high weeds pressure

This paper proposes a new method, oriented to crop row detection in images from maize fields with high weed pressure. The vision system is designed to be installed onboard a mobile agricultural vehicle, i.e. submitted to gyros, vibrations and undesired movements. The images are captured under image perspective, being affected by the above undesired effects. The image processing consists of three main processes: image segmentation, double thresholding, based on the Otsu’s method, and crop row detection. Image segmentation is based on the application of a vegetation index, the double thresholding achieves the separation between weeds and crops and the crop row detection applies least squares linear regression for line adjustment. Crop and weed separation becomes effective and the crop row detection can be favorably compared against the classical approach based on the Hough transform. Both gain effectiveness and accuracy thanks to the double thresholding that makes the main finding of the paper