cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of glycidate, an inhibitor of glycolate synthesis in leaves, on the activity of some enzymes of the glycolate pathway.

Under conditions where glycolate synthesis was inhibited at least 50% in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaf discs treated with glycidate (2,3-epoxypropionate), the ribulose diphosphate carboxylase activity in extracts and the inhibition of the activity by 100% oxygen were unaffected by the glycidate treatment. [1-(14)C]Glycidate was readily taken into leaf discs and was bound to leaf proteins, but the binding occurred preferentially with proteins of molecular weight lower than ribulose diphosphate carboxylase. Glycidate added to the isolated enzyme did not inhibit ribulose diphosphate carboxylase activity or affect its inhibition by 100% O(2). Thus, glycidate did not inhibit glycolate synthesis by a direct effect on ribulose diphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.NADH-glyoxylate reductase and phosphoglycolate phosphatase activities were also unaffected in extracts of leaf discs supplied with glycidate, but NADPH-glyoxylate reductase was inhibited about 35% in such extracts. Addition of 10 mm glycidate to isolated NADPH-glyoxylate reductase inhibited the activity about 25% after 15 minutes of reaction.The small inhibition of NADPH-glyoxylate reductase by glycidate may help to explain the increase in glyoxylate concentration found in glycidate-treated leaf discs. Increasing the glyoxylate pool size in leaf discs has been shown to effectively block glycolate synthesis and photorespiration and increase net photosynthesis. Thus, the similar effects brought about by glycidate in leaf discs can be attributed to indirect effects of metabolic regulation.
Rate-Power-Range Design Tradeoffs in IEEE 802.11 based Ad Hoc Wireless Networks

In this paper, we study cross-layer design tradeoffs between settings of the transmission data rate, the transmission power and the forwarding range in both single hop and multihop IEEE 802.11 based ad hoc wireless networks while taking the effect of capture into account. We perform the study by developing an approximate mathematical model for calculating throughput and delay in the underlying network, and validating our results via simulation. Using data rate and power level settings that are present in commercially available IEEE 802.11b radios, we show that in networks with lower nodal spatial density, operations that select higher power values along with higher data rate level settings, using relatively longer distance forwarding ranges, tend to exhibit enhanced delay-throughput performance characteristics. For other networking configurations, our analytical methods can be employed to determine the effective settings of the transmit power, data rate and forwarding range levels. We also note that the optimal value of the transmit power, the forwarding range and the operating data rate is highly dependent on the propagation model used as well as on the network's topology and congestion levels
Keeping It "R-E-A-L" with Authentic Assessment.

The inclusion of young children with disabilities has remained a function of the Head Start program since its inception in the 1960s when the United States Congress mandated that children with disabilities comprise 10% of the Head Start enrollment (Zigler & Styfco, 2000). Standardized, norm-referenced tests used to identify children with delays are problematic because (a) they have low treatment validity, (b) they are not universally designed or adaptable, (c) it is difficult to capture the real life behaviors/skills of young children, (d) they do little to facilitate collaboration with parents, (e) they lack sensitivity to changes in the child's development and learning, and (f) children with disabilities are often excluded from group data. This study examined the use of an alternative approach that uses early childhood authentic assessment to determine a young child's eligibility for special services. Results of this study have implications for adopting authentic assessment practices.
Slip and jump coefficients for rarefied gas flows: variational results for Lennard-Jones and n(r)-6 potentials

Slip and jump coefficients are fundamental to the description of departures of gas flows from the continuum limit. Here we evaluate previously reported variational expressions for the Lennard-Jones, and n(r)-6 potentials, and we give best-estimate values corresponding to several monatomic gases (helium, neon, argon, xenon). The results show the weak dependence of the velocity slip and temperature jump, and the comparatively strong dependence of the creep slip on the intermolecular potential. The creep slip results compare well with the data of Weber and Annis. The present compilation of numerical values for several gases should be useful in computation of near continuum rarefied gas flows.
Effect of Cross-Sectional Shape on Free-Surface Instability

The effect of cross sectional shape on free-surface hydrodynamic instability has been analyzed. The characterizing parameter is the dimensionless relative kinematic wave celerity c drk = β - 1, in which p is the exponent of the normal discharge-flow area rating. Two generic types of cross-sectional shapes are identified: (1) those of constant c drk , and (2) those of variable c drk . Three cross-sectional shapes of constant c drk are: (1) hydraulically wide, with c drkM = 2/3, (2) triangular, with c drkM = 1/3, and (3) inherently stable, with c drk = 0 (Manning or Chezy). (The subscript M refers to Manning friction). Cross-sectional shapes of variable c drk include trapezoidal, rectangular, and circular shapes. Two asymptotic cross-sectional shapes are identified: (1) hydraulically wide, and (2) hydraulically narrow. These theoretical cross-sections set limits to the range of variation of c drk for trapezoidal and rectangular shapes. The hydraulically wide channel sets the upper limit, with c drkM → 2/3; the hydraulically narrow channel sets the lower limit, with c drk → 0. Two types of stable channels are identified: (1) inherently stable, and (2) stable. An inherently stable cross section is such that the Vedernikov number V is identically zero for all Froude numbers. A stable cross section is such that V ≤ 1 for Froude numbers in the range F ≤ F ns , in which F ns is a design neutral-stability Froude number. A stable cross-sectional shape is designed by setting c drk and the related cross-sectional parameter δ to match a certain choice of F ns . The resulting stable cross-sectional shape is much narrower that the comparable inherently stable shape.
Reactions toward an unexpected or counternormative favor-giver: Does it matter if we think we can reciprocate?☆

Abstract People may experience two opposing motivations after receiving unexpected or counternormative favors: an obligation to reciprocate and psychological reactance. We investigated whether awareness of a future opportunity to reciprocate might affect which reaction would ultimately guide reciprocity behavior. Participants received a generous payment from a “supervisor.” This favor was either expected or unexpected and either normative or counternormative. Recipients were either aware or unaware of a future chance to reciprocate. As predicted, unaware participants demonstrated reactance by reciprocating less when the favor was unexpected or counternormative, whereas aware participants demonstrated obligation by reciprocating more under those circumstances. Participants’ evaluations of the supervisor suggested that people have mixed impressions of someone whose favors violate expectancies or norms.
A general and efficient cantilever functionalization technique for AFM molecular recognition studies.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a versatile technique for the investigation of noncovalent molecular associations between ligand–substrate pairs. Surface modification of silicon nitride AFM cantilevers is most commonly achieved using organic trialkoxysilanes. However, susceptibility of the SiO bond to hydrolysis and formation of polymeric aggregates diminishes attractiveness of this method for AFM studies. Attachment techniques that facilitate immobilization of a wide variety of organic and biological molecules via the stable SiC bond on silicon nitride cantilevers would be of great value to the field of molecular recognition force spectroscopy. Here, we report (1) the formation of stable, highly oriented monolayers on the tip of silicon nitride cantilevers and (2) demonstrate their utility in the investigation of noncovalent protein–ligand interactions using molecular recognition force spectroscopy. The monolayers are formed through hydrosilylation of hydrogen-terminated silicon nitride AFM probes using a protected α-amino-ω-alkene. This approach facilitates the subsequent conjugation of biomolecules. The resulting biomolecules are bound to the tip by a strong SiC bond, completely uniform with regard to both epitope density and substrate orientation, and highly suitable for force microscopy studies. We show that this attachment technique can be used to measure the unbinding profiles of tip-immobilized lactose and surface-immobilized galectin-3. Overall, the proposed technique is general, operationally simple, and can be expanded to anchor a wide variety of epitopes to a silicon nitride cantilever using a stable SiC bond. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97: 761–765, 2012.
Estimating spatial cattle and swine inventories from limited data

Abstract Scientists and regulators interested in the environmental implications of agricultural systems wish to estimate spatial balances of the important plant nutrients N and P. For single farm studies data are often collected expressly for the research at hand. For regional or watershed studies, however, analysts must rely on available public data resources. The main source of these data in the USA is the ongoing survey work of the Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service and its state affiliates. These data are generally instantaneous counts, which require interpretation to use for calculating flows and stores of animals and their products. Procedures for these interpretations are developed and demonstrated. For example, the practice of replacing milk cows at a rate of 0.3 or more of the herd per year creates a significant flux of nutrients in cull cow carcasses and requires maintenance of replacement animals. Replacement rate can be calculated from statewide values of cows and replacement heifers, and knowledge of the time required for a heifer to mature and give birth. Use of the methods described here for interpreting the limited public data available on livestock inventories will improve modeling of landscape nutrient balances.
Topical Metal Chelation Therapy Ameliorates Oxidation-Induced Toxicity in Diabetic Cataract

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in cataractogenesis, the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Since transition metals generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, metal chelation therapy has been proposed for treatment of cataracts. However, the effectiveness of most chelators is limited by low tissue penetrability. This study is the first to demonstrate that the topically applied divalent metal chelator ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) combined with the carrier and permeability enhancer methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) ameliorates both oxidation-induced lens opacification and the associated toxic accumulation of protein-4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) adducts. Both in vitro (rat lens culture) and in vivo (diabetic rats), EDTA-MSM (1) significantly reduced lens opacification by about 40-50%, (2) significantly diminished lens epithelial cell proliferation and fiber cell swelling in early stages of cataract formation in vivo, and (3) notably decreased the levels of protein-HNE adducts. These findings have important implications specifically for the treatment of cataract and generally for other diseases in which oxidative stress plays a key pathogenic role.
Porphyrin-containing molecular squares: Design and applications

Coordinative directed assembly has been used by a number of research groups to obtain molecular squares featuring porphyrin components. The syntheses and functional behavior of these compounds are reviewed.
Effect of Shear Deformation and Continuity on Delamination Modelling with Plate Elements

The effects of several critical assumptions and parameters on the computation of strain energy release rates for delamination and debond configurations modeled with plate elements have been quantified. The method of calculation is based on the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), and models that model the upper and lower surface of the delamination or debond with two-dimensional (2D) plate elements rather than three-dimensional (3D) solid elements. The major advantages of the plate element modeling technique are a smaller model size and simpler geometric modeling. Specific issues that are discussed include: constraint of translational degrees of freedom, rotational degrees of freedom or both in the neighborhood of the crack tip; element order and assumed shear deformation; and continuity of material properties and section stiffness in the vicinity of the debond front, Where appropriate, the plate element analyses are compared with corresponding two-dimensional plane strain analyses.
Dependence of waterflood remaining oil saturation on relative permeability, capillary pressure, and reservoir parameters in mixed-wet turbidite sands

The dependence of waterflood oil recovery on relative permeability, capillary pressure, and reservoir parameters was investigated by numerical simulation. The relative permeability and capillary pressure curves were based on laboratory measurements on unconsolidated sands. The water-wet case is based on the assumption that the system is water-wet and measurements were made with refined oil. The mixed-wet case assumed that the system is mixed-wet and restored-state measurements were made with crude oil. The reservoir model was a prototype turbidite sand with a range of thickness and permeability values. The economic oil recovery was based on an economic limit water cut of 50%. The remaining oil saturation (ROS) in the swept region for the water-wet cases was close to the residual oil saturation. The ROS of the mixed-wet cases ranged from low values near the residual oil saturation to far above the residual oil saturation. It is dependent on the reservoir parameters that govern (1) the vertical film surface drainage of oil by gravity, (2) accumulation of a high oil saturation and thus a high relative permeability under the caprock, and (3) up-dip migration of the oil that accumulated under the caprock. The dependence on the reservoir parameters can be summarized bymore » dimensionless groups. There is a dimensionless time for the vertical displacement of oil by gravity. The accumulation of a high oil saturation under the caprock is dependent on the ratio of the capillary transition zone and the sand thickness. The updip migration is dependent on a combination of the gravity number and the endpoint mobility ratio.« less
Characterization of a novel phenylalanine-specific aminopeptidase from Schizophyllum commune

An aminopeptidase (APF1) with high specificity for phenylalanine and tyrosine in the active site P 1 position was purified from mycelial extracts of the wood-decaying basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune . A two-dimensional preparative electrophoretic scheme resulted in a 60-fold purification of the enzyme, which was found to have an M r of approximately 60 kDa by size exclusion chromatography. SDS-PAGE resolved two closely migrating subunits of approximately 30 and 31 kDa. Its pi was found to be 5·5 and its activity optimum was pH 6·5. Of 11 aminoacyl- p -nitroanilide (-pNA) substrates tested, activity was found only against Phe-pNA. APF1 also showed activity against Phe-β-naphthylamide (-βNA) and Tyr-βNA; however, the activity against Tyr-βNA was less than one third of that against Phe-βNA. No other AA-βNA substrates were hydrolysed. APF1 hydrolysed a variety of dipeptides with Phe in the P 1 position; the amino acid in the P′ 1 position affected the rate. No activity was found against dipeptides where Phe was not the N-terminus nor against substrates that were N-blocked. APF1 was partially inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, and this inhibition was reversible by the addition of Zn 2+ .
Mediastinal pancreatic pseudocysts in children

Mediastinal pseudocyst is an unusual complication of pancreatitis, with only four cases previously reported in children. The extent of the pseudocyst can be defined by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan and preoperative aspiration of cyst fluid for amylase level can establish the diagnosis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to define ductal anatomy can help plan the appropriate drainage procedure. Although exceedingly rare, the diagnosis of pseudocyst should be considered for any cystic mass in the abdomen or thorax, even in the absence of elevated amylase or history suggesting pancreatitis.
ON THE LACK OF A UNIFORM SPECIFICITY OF AMINOACYL RIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHETASES FROM DIFFERENT ORGANISMS.

Abstract 11 Aminoacyl RNA's of Escherichia coli were prepared using the homologous ( E. coli ) aminoacyl RNA synthetases (amino acid-RNA ligases). Their chromatographic behavior was compared to those aminoacyl RNA's prepared using three heterologous (mouse liver, maize, Neurospora crassa ) synthetases. In some cases the products of two enzyme preparations with a single amino acid and a single s-RNA mixture are chromatographically separable, indicating a chemical difference in the s-RNA molecules selected by the enzymes from different sources. The relative order of chromatographic mobilities of the 11 aminoacyl RNA's from each organism, homologously aminoacylated, were shown to vary.
Brefeldin A activates CHOP promoter at the AARE, ERSE and AP-1 elements

Brefeldin A induces apoptosis in PC-3 and MCF-7 cells at a concentration of 30 ng/ml. RT-PCR analyses showed up-regulation of CHOP/GADD153 and splicing of XBP-1 mRNA in brefeldin A-treated cells. CHOP promoter-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated activation of AARE, ERSE, and AP-1 elements of CHOP promoter by brefeldin A treatment. The activation of these elements was not affected by preincubation of cells with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), l-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125), suggesting that activation of CHOP promoter by brefeldin A may not involve oxidative stress or JNK signaling pathway. On the other hand, brefeldin A-induced apoptosis was not affected by NAC and BSO pretreatment, but was completely suppressed by JNK inhibitor pretreatment. Our results suggest that although CHOP is up-regulated by brefeldin A, it is not a major mediator of brefeldin A-induced apoptosis.
The Simulation of Three-Dimensional Convective Storm Dynamics

Abstract A new three-dimensional cloud model has been developed for investigating the dynamic character of convective storms. This model solves the compressible equations of motion using a splitting procedure which provides numerical efficiency by treating the sound wave modes separately. For the subgrid turbulence processes, a time-dependent turbulence energy equation is solved which depends on local buoyancy, shear and dissipation. First-order closure is applied to nearly conservative variables with eddy coefficients based on the computed turbulence energy. Open lateral boundaries are incorporated in the model that respond to internal forcing and permit gravity waves to propagate out of the integration domain with little apparent reflection. Microphysical processes are included in the model using a Kessler-type parameterization. Simulations conducted for an unsheared environment reveal that the updraft temperatures follow a moist adiabatic lapse rate and that the convection is dissipated by water loadin...
Non-additive genetic variance governs resistance to fusarium dry rot in a diploid hybrid potato population

Fusarium dry rot, caused by severalFusarium species, is a major storage disease of potatoes for which there is no fungicidal control. Levels of resistance in commercial potato germplasm are inadequate. The purpose of this study was to determine the inheritance of resistance to Fusarium dry rot in a diploid hybridSolanum phureja-Solanum stenotomum population. Three tubers from each of four half-sibs from each of 38 diploid families were inoculated with a mixture of two isolates ofFusarium sambucinum and one isolate of Fusarium solani four times in both 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Tubers were then incubated for 40 days at 15 C and 90% relative humidity. The surface diameter and depth of infected tissue were measured in two directions, at right angles to each other. Depth of infected tissue was determined by cutting the tuber in half through the inoculation point. Mean depth and diameter of infected tissue were analyzed. There were significant differences among clones. The experiment x clone interaction was also significant. Broad-sense heritabilities and their 95% confidence intervals for resistance to Fusarium dry rot in this population were estimated as 0.63 (0.50, 0.71) and 0.81 (0.76, 0.86) in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, respectively, for mean diameter; and as 0.68 (0.57, 0.75) and 0.81 (0.75, 0.86) in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, respectively, for mean depth. Narrow-sense heri-tabilities for mean diameter and depth were not significantly different from zero either year. Although there is genetic variation for resistance to Fusarium dry rot in this population, these results indicate that additive genetic variance is lacking or minimal, and therefore little or no genetic gain in resistance will be realized. A few highly resistant clones could, via 4x-2x crosses, theoretically transfer much of the dominance and epistatic variance governing resistance in this population to the tetraploid level.
Detection of multiple toxic agents using a planar array immunosensor

A planar array immunosensor, equipped with a charge-coupled device (CCD) as a detector, was used to simultaneously detect 3 toxic analytes. Wells approximately 2 mm in diameter were formed on glass slides using a photoactivated optical adhesive. Antibodies against staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), ricin, and Yersinia pestis were covalently attached to the bottoms of the circular wells to form the sensing surface. Rectangular wells containing chicken immunoglobulin were used as alignment markers and to generate control signals. After removing the optical adhesive, the slides were mounted over a scientific grade CCD operating at ambient temperature in inverted (multipin phasing) mode. A two-dimensional graded index of refraction lens array was used to focus the sensing surface onto the CCD. Solutions of toxins were then placed on the slide. After rinsing, Cy5-labeled antibodies were introduced. The identity and amount of toxin bound at each location on the slide were determined by quantitative image analysis. Concentrations as low as 25 ng/mL of ricin, 15 ng/mL of pestis F1 antigen, and 5 ng/mL of SEB could be routinely measured.
What Design and Material Factors Impact the Wear and Corrosion Performance in Total Elbow Arthroplasties

Background The survivorship of total elbow arthroplasties is lower than surgeons and patients would like it to be, especially in patients with posttraumatic arthritis of the elbow. To improve durability, it is important to understand the failure modes of existing implants. Total elbow arthroplasties were designed primarily for low-demand rheumatoid patients. As surgical indications have extended to more active patient populations, the mechanical performance of current designs must meet an increased mechanical burden. Evaluating the degree to which they do this will guide conclusions about which contemporary devices might still meet the need and, as importantly, what design and material changes might be needed to improve performance.
Patient-reported outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer

Background Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivers high doses of radiation to the prostate while minimizing radiation to adjacent normal tissues. Large fraction sizes may increase the risk of functional decrements. Treatment-related bother may be more important to a patient than treatment-related dysfunction. This study reports on patient-reported outcomes following SBRT for clinically localized prostate cancer.
The Role of Sequential Dependence in Creative Semantic Search.

How do we search through our vast stores of knowledge to retrieve information demanded by the context and task at hand? Davelaar (this issue) finds that the words people report while searching for one word that is meaningfully associated with three cues (e.g., cues: comb, moon, dew; answer: honey; the Remote Associates Test, RAT) seem to be drawn from a superadditive combination of the semantic associations of the three cues, rather than “clustered” in pre-existing patches as expected by previous theories of semantic search (e.g., Troyer, Moscovitch, & Winocur, 1997). Although we found similar behavior in the same paradigm (Smith, Huber, & Vul, 2013), our interpretation hinged on a different property of search: There is sequential dependence between words reported during the search process. We believe that this sequential dependence is a fundamental feature of semantic search that gives rise to apparent clustering in previous work as well as providing further insights into Davelaar’s current results. When people list words that come to mind while solving RAT problems, responses that are closer in the sequence are more similar to one another than would be expected based solely on independent word selection, given the cue constraints (Smith et al., 2013). This holds both for words from the same semantic patch and those in different patches, indicating that semantic search is not simply sampling from sets of words or patches constrained by the cues, but that instead, the current state of the search process influences what will be retrieved next. This sequential dependence has recently provided new explanations of behavioral phenomena in semantic search with a single cue. For instance, it has been well established that in the process of free recall—producing as many words as possible that relate to a given category—peoples’ responses “cluster” (e.g., when listing animals, they might list several farm animals then some aquatic animals, etc.; Bousfield, 1953; Bousfield &
Instrumental error in chromotomosynthetic hyperspectral imaging

Chromotomosynthetic imaging (CTI) is a method of convolving spatial and spectral information that can be reconstructed into a hyperspectral image cube using the same transforms employed in medical tomosynthesis. A direct vision prism instrument operating in the visible (400–725 nm) with 0.6 mrad instantaneous field of view (IFOV) and 0.6–10 nm spectral resolution has been constructed and characterized. Reconstruction of hyperspectral data cubes requires an estimation of the instrument component properties that define the forward transform. We analyze the systematic instrumental error in collected projection data resulting from prism spectral dispersion, prism alignment, detector array position, and prism rotation angle. The shifting and broadening of both the spectral lineshape function and the spatial point spread function in the reconstructed hyperspectral imagery is compared with experimental results for monochromatic point sources. The shorter wavelength (λ 600 nm) suffer mostly from a shift of the spectral peaks. The quality of the reconstructed hyperspectral imagery is most sensitive to the misalignment of the prism rotation mount. With less than 1° total angular error in the two axes of freedom, spectral resolution was degraded by as much as a factor of 2 in the blue spectral region. For larger errors than this, spectral peaks begin to split into bimodal distributions, and spatial point response functions are reconstructed in rings with radii proportional to wavelength and spatial resolution.
TLM synthesis of microwave structures using time reversal

Presents a novel numerical synthesis technique based on the reversal of the transmission line matrix (TLM) method process in time. It allows the designer to generate the geometry of a passive circuit from its desired frequency response using alternate forward and backward time domain simulation. The essential steps of the procedure are explained and validated using, as an example, the synthesis of an inductive obstacle in a waveguide. >
Revisiting Satiation: Evidence for an Equalization Response Strategy

This reply revisits the topic of syntactic satiation as first discussed in Snyder 2000. I argue that the satiation effect reported in Snyder 2000 is the result of a response strategy in which participants attempt to equalize the number of yes and no responses, a strategy enabled by the design features of Snyder's original experiment. Four predictions differentiate the response strategy from a true satiation effect. Nine experiments are presented to test these predictions. The results are discussed with respect to the nature of satiation, the stability of acceptability judgments, and the consequences for linguistic methodology.
Performance of teeth of lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus, over ontogeny.

Fish teeth can play several roles during feeding; capture, retention, and processing. In many fish lineages teeth may be present on non-jaw cranial bones that lack opposing teeth, such as the vomer and palatine. We hypothesized that teeth on different bones have different functions, and that the function of a set of teeth may vary over ontogeny. In this study, puncture, and draw performance of in situ vomerine teeth are compared to premaxillary teeth of the piscivorous lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus. The force required to pierce prey and to draw prey out of the mouth once the teeth were embedded was measured in ten individuals ranging from 205 to 836 mm SL to test for ontogenetic effects. Vomerine teeth in juvenile lingcod required proportionally less force to puncture prey items than adult lingcod, while premaxillary teeth showed the opposite trend. Draw force required to remove prey from the grasp of both toothed bones show the same shift with ontogeny. These results suggest that there is a shift in tooth function from vomerine to premaxillary teeth over ontogeny of lingcods. In juvenile lingcod, vomerine teeth function more effectively during initial puncture. In contrast, the premaxillary teeth pierce more effectively in adults. Juvenile lingcod are expected to use the premaxillary teeth while adult lingcod are expected to use the vomerine teeth to retain prey due to the larger force required for the prey to escape. The curvature of vomerine teeth increases over ontogeny suggesting increasing functional performance in retaining prey.
Reversible oropharyngeal dysphagia secondary to cricopharyngeal sphincter achalasia in a patient with myasthenia gravis: a case report

Bulbar weakness and fatigue resulting in dysphagia and dysarthria is common in myasthenia gravis. In chronic MG it is often assumed that these symptoms herald an exacerbation of the patient's disease and doses of cholinergic agents and immunomodulatory therapies may be increased, along with initiation of plasma exchange. A case is presented in which dysphagia was refractory to standard MG therapy, leading to the subsequent discovery of cricopharyngeal sphincter achalasia as the primary cause of the patient's symptoms rather than an assumed myasthenia gravis exacerbation. The patient's dysphagia resolved after esophageal dilatation. Cricopharyngeal sphincter achalasia is a common disorder producing dysphagia in the elderly and needs to be considered in the evaluation of a myasthenic patient with worsening dysphagia when standard myasthenia gravis therapy fails. Discussion of myasthenia gravis, cholinergic therapy and cricopharyngeal sphincter achalasia is undertaken. Clinicians are encouraged to consider non-neurologic causes of worsening dysphagia in the myasthenic patient.
Cross-Border Trade Networks in Nigeria-Niger-Benin

The aim of this paper is to show how network analysis may be applied to the study of cross-border trade in West Africa. We start by discussing how recent developments in regional trade in West Africa have contributed to challenging the social structure of traders. We then discuss the changes that have affected the spatiality of regional trade by looking at the influence of spatial location and geographic scale on traders’ abilities to trade. In both cases, we argue that the value of social network analysis in exploring how traders have progressively adapted to social and spatial changes in economic activities has been greatly underestimated. Our discussion is illustrated with the case of two business networks located between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.
Roles for the Sarco-/Endoplasmic Reticulum in Cardiac Myocyte Contraction, Protein Synthesis, and Protein Quality Control

Although the function of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) in cardiac contractile calcium handling is well established, its roles in protein synthesis, folding, and quality control in cardiac myocytes are not as clear. This review explores evidence suggesting that, in cardiac myocytes, protein synthesis and contractile calcium handling may be physically and functionally integrated.
A conceptual design for an LMF accelerator module

The US Department of Energy has initiated a design study of a Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF) that will be used to develop high-gain ICF (inertial confinement fusion) targets. A conceptual design for a light ion beam accelerator, has been developed for a multimodule LMF system based on technology demonstrated on Sandia's Hermes-III accelerator. The LMF accelerator module incorporates 32 linear induction cavities, each operating at 1 MV, to produce an output voltage pulse that ramps from 27 to 32 MV with a peak current of 1.2 MA. The power for the accelerator module is derived from 16 Marx generators that drive 128 4- Omega , 54-ns pulse forming lines (PFLs). Four PFL pulses are combined in each inductive cavity. Nanosecond synchronization of the PFL output pulses is accomplished using KrF-laser-triggered output gas switches and low jitter, self-breakdown water switches. The outputs of the cavities are added in a magnetically insulated transmission line and then delivered to an extraction ion diode. Singly ionized lithium ions are accelerated in the diode. Voltage ramping is used to achieve power compression of the ion beam when ballistically drifted to the ICF target. An equivalent circuit has been developed to model the module from the Marx generator to the ion diode. The timing performance of the gas and water switches has been included in the model to calculate the resulting output waveform and system jitter. >
Variability of the body surface distributions of QRS, ST-T and QRST deflection areas with varied activation sequence in dogs

Distributions of QRS, ST-T and QRST areas of 192 lead body surface ECG's were measured in dogs for multiple activation orders. Qualitatively, the distributions of QRST area were found to be strikingly similar over all activation orders in contrast to the distributions of QRS or ST-T areas. Quantitative results showed that variability of the QRST areas over all activation orders was consistently less than those of either QRS or ST-T. The factor responsible for the QRS deflection is ventricular activation sequence while those responsible for the ST-T deflection are both activation sequence and ventricular recovery properties. Since the total QRST deflection area was largely independent of activation sequence it is likely the quantity is an index of ventricular recovery properties. The significance of this relation is that QRST deflection area may permit evaluation of intrinsic ventricular recovery properties in the presence of abnormal ventricular activation as occurs with intraventricular conduction disorders and ectopic origin of excitation. Evaluation of intrinsic ventricular recovery properties may also permit recognition of states at risk of ventricular arrhythmias due to increased disparity of these properties.
Performance and resource considerations of Li-ion battery electrode materials

In this work we present a data-driven approach to the rational design of battery materials based on both resource and performance considerations. A large database of Li-ion battery material has been created by abstracting information from over 200 publications. The database consists of over 16 000 data points from various classes of materials. In addition to reference information, key parameters and variables determining the performance of batteries were collected. This work also includes resource considerations such as crustal abundance and the Herfindahl–Hirschman index, a commonly used measure of market concentration. The data is organized into a free web-based resource where battery researchers can employ a unique visualization method to plot database parameters against one another. This contribution is concerned with cathode and anode electrode materials. Cathode materials are mostly based on an intercalation mechanism, while anode materials are primarily based on conversion and alloying. Results indicate that cathode materials follow a common trend consistent with their crystal structure. On the other hand anode materials display similar behavior, based on elemental composition. Of particular interest is that high energy cathodes are scarcer than high power materials and high performance anode materials are less available. More sustainable materials for both electrodes based on alternative compositions are identified.
Detection of Chlamydial Antibodies in Animal Sera by Double Diffusion in Gel

Postinoculation sera collected from pigeons, turkeys, guinea pigs, sheep, a calf, a rabbit, and a horse experimentally infected with various strains of Chlamydia psittaci yielded a high incidence of positive reactions when tested by double diffusion in gel. Antigen was a deoxycholate extract of SA-2 strain of C. trachomatis. Good correlation was obtained with results of complement fixation tests, whereas double diffusion in gel was less sensitive. Immunoelectrophoresis of the antigen revealed presence of two antigens in the extract.
Charge transport through a molecule driven by a high-frequency field☆

We study the current and the associated noise for the transport through a two-site molecule driven by an external oscillating field. Within a high-frequency approximation, the time-dependent Hamiltonian is mapped to a static one with effective parameters that depend on the driving amplitude and frequency. This analysis allows an intuitive physical picture explaining the nontrivial structure found in the noise properties as a function of the driving amplitude. The presence of dips in the Fano factor permits a control of the noise level by means of an appropriate external driving.
Back pain during growth.

It is wrong to believe that back pain only burdens adults: the yearly incidence during growth ranges from 10-20%, continuously increasing from childhood to adolescence. Rapid growth-related muscular dysbalance and insufficiency, poor physical condition in an increasingly sedentary adolescent community or - vice versa - high level sports activities, account for the most prevalent functional pain syndromes. In contrast to adults the correlation of radiographic findings with pain is high: the younger the patient, the higher the probability to establish a rare morphologic cause such as benign or malignant tumours, congenital malformations and infections. In children younger than 5 years old, the likelihood is more than 50%. The following red flags should lower the threshold for a quick in-depth analysis of the problem: Age of the patient 4 weeks, history of tumour, exposition to tuberculosis, night pain and fever. High level sport equals a biomechanical field test which reveals the biologic individual response of the growing spine to the sports-related forces. Symptomatic or asymptomatic inhibitory or stimulatory growth disturbances like Scheuermann disease, scoliosis or fatigue fractures represent the most frequent pathomorphologies. They usually occur at the disk-growth plate compound: intraspongious disk herniation, diminuition of anterior growth with vertebral wedging and apophyseal ring fractures often occur when the biomechanical impacts exceed the mechanical resistance of the cartilaginous endplates. Spondylolysis is a benign condition which rarely becomes symptomatic and responds well to conservative measures. Associated slippage of L5 on S1 is frequent but rarely progresses. The pubertal spinal growth spurt is the main risk factor for further slippage, whereas sports activity - even at a high level - is not. Therefore, the athlete should only be precluded from training if pain persists or in case of high grade slips. Perturbance of the sagittal profile with increase of lumbar lordosis, flattening of the thoracic spine and retroflexion of the pelvis with hamstrings contractures are strong signs for a grade IV olisthesis or spondyloptosis with subsequent lumbosacral kyphosis. Idiopathic scoliosis is not related to pain unless it is a marked (thoraco-) lumbar curve or if there is an underlying spinal cord pathology. Chronic back pain is an under recognised entity characterised by its duration (>3 months or recurrence within 3 months) and its social impacts such as isolation and absence from school or work. It represents an independent disease, uncoupled from any initial trigger. Multimodal therapeutic strategies are more successful than isolated, somatising orthopaedic treatment. Primary and secondary preventive active measures for the physically passive adolescents, regular sports medical check-up's for the young high level athletes, the awareness for the rare but potentially disastrous pathologies and the recognition of chronic pain syndromes are the cornerstones for successful treatment of back pain during growth.
Scaling of X-parameters for device modeling

The relationships between X-parameters of a given transistor and a second transistor geometrically scaled with respect to the first are derived and presented for the first time. The different types of X-parameters scale differently. These relationships enable X-parameters measured on a fixed size of transistor, diode, or other similar test structure to be scaled to other sizes and produce X-parameter functions as continuous function of size (e.g. total gate width or area). This capability endows X-parameters with a key property of conventional scalable “compact models”, enabling an improved MMIC design capability where size/geometry is a key design degree of freedom. The scalable X-parameters for device modeling are implemented in a commercial nonlinear simulator. The theoretical predictions are validated with numerical results from simulation-based extractions and experimental nonlinear measurements taken with an NVNA on active devices of different sizes.
Improving Experts' Wine Quality Judgments: Two Heads Are Better than One*

This paper reports an analysis of data from the “Judgment of Paris,” the 1976 blind tasting of California and French wines that revolutionized the wine world. Using both empirical and analytical methods, I demonstrate that the wine quality judgments of the renowned experts who participated in the Paris tasting would have been improved simply by averaging the quality ratings of two or more of the judges. Moreover, I explore both how many of the Paris judges should be included in the average and which ones they should be. The results have implications for the practical issue of choosing judges to include in tasting panels that award prizes or provide expert advice to consumers, as well as for better understanding the variability in the price-quality association across hedonic wine pricing studies. (JEL Classification: C93)
The snows of interior Alaska

Abstract Measurements of the ionic composition of snow from interior Alaska (latitude 65°N) show clearly that the snowpack is very clean, in spite of the fact that the atmosphere is rather contaminated from general Arctic-wide air pollution known as “Arctic haze”. This dichotomy suggests a lower than world-average value for the removal rate of aged air contaminants in the Arctic. A model, based on general principles of physics, gives results consistent with the observations of lowered-rate of removal of Arctic contaminants.
Vegetation patterns resulting from spatial and temporal variability in hydrology, soils, and trampling in an isolated basin marsh, New Hampshire, USA

This study investigated the role of hydrology, soils, and trampling in determining the distribution of vegetation in an isolated wetland from 1996 to 1999. Grassy Pond, in Litchfield, New Hampshire, is a seasonally flooded basin marsh situated in sandy soils. It is a depressional wetland consisting of three connected basins; it has no surface-water inlets or outlets. This acidic, low-nutrient wetlands contains several rare species and represents an uncommon ecosystem type in New England. A network of wells and piezometers monitored from 1996 to 1999 established that the wetland receives an average of 95.4% of its growing season inputs from precipitation and the rest from shallow ground water flowing through the wetland; as a result, it experiences large fluctuations in water levels. Vegetation in the wetland fell into five major elevation zones. Variation in plant diversity within each zone, and differences between adjacent zones, result in part from differences in depth of organic layer, trampling by hikers, all-terrain vehicles, and native wildlife, and the extent of water-level fluctuations. Several of the low basin species are more likely to be found in trampled areas. Shrub invasion of the open basin areas is prevented by trampling in some areas and by high water levels in others. Variability in hydrology resulted in temporal, as well as spatial, variability in the plant community, as dry years yielded significantly greater diversity, including a large increase in tree seedlings. Both hydrologic variability and trampling are external factors that explain a significant portion of the variation in vegetation on a large scale and connect this geographically isolated wetland to the surrounding landscape. On a smaller scale, however, autogenic forces related to soil formation and plant species interactions may be more important in explaining the plant diversity in the wetland.
Channel modeling in wireless optical communications using Markov chains

Wireless optical communications is an attractive solution for the so-called ldquolast-milerdquo problem due to the ever-increasing demand for high-speed communications, and the difficulty of installing cable and optical fiber. In the presence of atmospheric phenomena such as cloud, fog, and turbulence the wireless optical communications channel happens to be time varying and dispersive, required to be accurately modeled. In most of the previous works, Monte-Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) algorithm has been used to measure channel parameters, though this algorithm needs a high computational capacity and a long execution time. We show that by modeling the photon trajectory in space by a Markov chain, angular dispersion can be calculated via matrix multiplications. We show that Markov chain model produces values that are close to MCRT algorithm results.
Regional Analysis from the Standpoint of International Trade: Is it a Useful Perspective?

This survey paper notes that in addressing many economic questions relevant in a regional context spatial factors may not be the most critical element to capture. Instead, several issues can usefully be addressed from the perspective of general equilibrium models applied in international trade theory. That approach is reviewed briefly, particularly regarding the implications of mobile factors of production. Then, it is applied to an illustrative set of topics from regional analysis: the north-south wage gap, distributional consequences of environmental controls, regional taxation policies, economic base projections, problems of lagging regions, and transportation costs as determinants of regional production patterns.
Flashback Trauma Intervention and the Hawaiian Prison Softball Community

A tropical vignette case history of flashback trauma for a Vietnam veteran beginning with a prison softball game.