A SYSTEM-WIDE APPROACH FOR ANALYZING JAPANESE WHEAT IMPORT ALLOCATION DECISIONS

This paper develops and implements an import allocation model based on Theil's system-wide approach to demand and tests the assumption of blockwise dependence and uniform substitutability among different sources and types of wheat imported by Japan.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Surf Sled 2.0

This Preliminary Design Review documents the complete detail of our final design and justifies that our specifications were met. For our senior project though California Polytechnic University, we were assigned a design and build challenge from the company AmpSurf. The project was sponsored by the Founder of AmpSurf, Dana Cummings, and involved designing and manufacturing a fully functional Surf Sled. The objective was to safely carry a physically impaired AmpSurf client across the sand on a surfboard and launch them into the ocean. The goal for our team was to improve upon a previous design, Surf Sled 1.0, to be given feedback from Mr. Cummings and the volunteers who operated it. This document highlights our new design and the critical components that allow for smoother and more efficient operation than the previous version. This includes a new turning system, frame design, bunk design, and wheel system. The manufacturing processes used have been discussed in great detail, along with our testing results. Overall we were very pleased to present a successful verification prototype to our sponsor following our senior expo. This report also details what we have learned throughout the design and manufacturing processes and how we plan to apply it to future projects

THE IMPACT OF THE EXPORT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM ON INTERNATIONAL FEED BARLEY MARKETS

A "hybrid" spatial price equilibrium model is developed to evaluate differences in trade flows and equilibrium prices for feed and malting barley exports from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and European Union, caused by the U.S. Export Enhancement Program (EEP). The analysis incorporates the relationships among several policy instruments.Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade,

Uncertainty and the Market for Patents

Modern societies regard knowledge as a production factor in its own right. The market is the prevailing governance mode of their economies, and it is supposed to be the most appropriate mode of trading and allocating knowledge assets, too. But socio-economic research has revealed that knowledge markets are far from functioning smoothly. Building on ongoing qualitative research into patent trading we suggest that the emergence of a well-functioning market for patented new technological knowledge is confronted with several obstacles, which can be characterized as different facets of uncertainty. They are included in the process of creation of innovative knowledge, in its transformation into a fictitious knowledge commodity (patent), in its uniqueness, in the strategy of transaction partners, in the estimation of the future market potential of final products (based on the patent), and generally in the problem of incomplete and asymmetric information. Also a commonly accepted method of determining a patent’s value is missing. We analyze structural and organizational responses to the problem of uncertainty. Potential traders often rely on contractual options, especially licensing agreements, and complementary procedural principles facilitating the trade of patents.Moderne Gesellschaften betrachten Wissen als einen eigenständigen Produktionsfaktor. Die Wirtschaft dieser Gesellschaften koordiniert sich in zunehmendem Maße durch den Markt, der als angemessener Modus der Allokation von und des Handels mit Wissen angesehen wird. Einschlägige sozioökonomische Studien zeigen allerdings, dass von einem Markttausch höchstens eingeschränkt die Rede sein kann. Auf der Basis einer laufenden qualitativen Untersuchung zum Patenthandel identifizieren wir unterschiedliche Facetten umfassender Unsicherheit, mit denen die Akteure in diesem Feld konfrontiert sind. Die Quellen der Unsicherheit liegen im Prozess der Entwicklung innovativen Wissens und dessen Transformation in eine fiktive Ware (Patent) ebenso wie in der Einzigartigkeit des patentierten Wissens. Aber auch die Schwierigkeiten, das Marktpotenzial eines auf dem Patent basierenden Endprodukts einzuschätzen, die Strategien der Transaktionspartner und generell die Probleme unvollständiger und asymmetrischer Information verursachen Unsicherheit. Zudem gibt es keine allgemein akzeptierte Methode, den Wert eines Patents zu bestimmen. Wir analysieren strukturelle, organisatorische und prozedurale Reaktionen auf das Problem der Unsicherheit und zeigen, dass potenzielle Handelspartner auf vertragliche Vereinbarungen, insbesondere Lizenzverträge setzen, um Patente zu handeln.1 Introduction 2 Creating Property and ownership of technological knowledge 3 Transactions and markets 4 Uncertainty 5 Sources of uncertainty 6 Coping with uncertainty 7 A market for patents? Reference

A Survey for Federally Listed Grassland Birds at First Nations Reserves

We surveyed native and non-native grassland for federally listed grassland bird species at Reserves and/or Treaty Land Entitlements (TLE) belonging to five First Nations in the prairie ecozone of Canada. Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis – of special concern), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus – threatened), and Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus – of special concern) were observed at five of 335, three of 361, and five of 329 survey points within their respective geographic ranges. Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii – threatened) was observed at 69 of 361 survey points and accounted for 84% of sites with listed birds. Estimates of proportions of native and non-native grassland within 400 m of survey points indicated that Sprague’s Pipit preferred native grassland. Despite special effort, the Burrowing Owl (Athene culicularia – endangered) was not observed, although a nest from a previous year was encountered. We recorded the greatest number of species and individuals on reserves located in mixed and moist-mixed grasslands that contained large portions of native grassland. In many instances, field assessments revealed unsuitable habitat at sites that remote-sensing data classified as suitable

Dispersion interactions from a local polarizability model

A local approximation for dynamic polarizability leads to a nonlocal functional for the long-range dispersion interaction energy via an imaginary-frequency integral. We analyze several local polarizability approximations and argue that the form underlying the construction of our recent van der Waals functional [O. A. Vydrov and T. Van Voorhis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 063004 (2009)] is particularly well physically justified. Using this improved formula, we compute dynamic dipole polarizabilities and van der Waals C_6 coefficients for a set of atoms and molecules. Good agreement with the benchmark values is obtained in most cases

Elevated cerebral spinal fluid biomarkers in children with mucopolysaccharidosis I-H.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type-IH is a lysosomal storage disease that results from mutations in the IDUA gene causing the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Historically, children with the severe phenotype, MPS-IH (Hurler syndrome) develop progressive neurodegeneration with death in the first decade due to cardio-pulmonary complications. New data suggest that inflammation may play a role in MPS pathophysiology. To date there is almost no information on the pathophysiologic changes within the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of these patients. We evaluated the CSF of 25 consecutive patients with MPS-IH. While CSF glucose and total protein were within the normal range, we found a significantly mean elevated CSF opening pressure at 24 cm H2O (range 14-37 cm H2O). We observed a 3-fold elevation in CSF heparan sulfate and a 3-8 fold increase in MPS-IH specific non-reducing ends, I0S0 and I0S6. Cytokine analyses in CSF of children with MPS-IH showed significantly elevated inflammatory markers including: MCP-1 SDF-1a, IL-Ra, MIP-1b, IL-8, and VEGF in comparison to unaffected children. This is the largest report of CSF characteristics in children with MPS-IH. Identification of key biomarkers may provide further insight into the inflammatory-mediated mechanisms related to MPS diseases and perhaps lead to improved targeted therapies

Ultra High-Mass Resolution Paper Spray by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Paper Spray Ionization is an atmospheric pressure ionization technique that utilizes an offline electro-osmotic flow to generate ions off a paper medium. This technique can be performed on a Bruker SolariX Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer by modifying the existing nanospray source. High-resolution paper spray spectra were obtained for both organic and biological samples to demonstrate the benefit of linking the technique with a high-resolution mass analyzer. Error values in the range 0.23 to 2.14 ppm were obtained for calf lung surfactant extract with broadband mass resolving power (m/Δm50%) above 60,000 utilizing an external calibration standard

Off-road sampling reveals a different grassland bird community than roadside sampling: implications for survey design and estimates to guide conservation

Grassland bird species continue to decline steeply across North America. Road-based surveys such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) are often used to estimate trends and population sizes and to build species distribution models for grassland birds, although roadside survey counts may introduce bias in estimates because of differences in habitats along roadsides and in off-road surveys. We tested for differences in land cover composition and in the avian community on 21 roadside-based survey routes and in an equal number of adjacent off-road walking routes in the grasslands of southern Alberta, Canada. Off-road routes (n = 225 point counts) had more native grassland and short shrubs and less fallow land and road area than the roadside routes (n = 225 point counts). Consequently, 17 of the 39 bird species differed between the two route types in frequency of occurrence and relative abundance, measured using an indicator species analysis. Six species, including five obligate grassland species, were more prevalent at off-road sites; they included four species listed under the Canadian federal Species At Risk Act or listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada: Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii), Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii), the Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus), and McCown's Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii). The six species were as much as four times more abundant on off-road sites. Species more prevalent along roadside routes included common species and those typical of farmland and other human-modified habitats, e.g., the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), the Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia), and the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Differences in avian community composition between roadside and off-road surveys suggest that the use of BBS data when generating population estimates or distribution models may overestimate certain common species and underestimate others of conservation concern. Our results highlight the need to develop appropriate corrections for bias in estimates derived from roadside sampling, and the need to design surveys that sample bird communities across a more representative cross-section of the landscape, both near and far from roads

Intrathecal enzyme replacement for Hurler syndrome: biomarker association with neurocognitive outcomes.

PurposeAbnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been reported in Hurler syndrome, a fatal neurodegenerative lysosomal disorder. While no biomarker has predicted neurocognitive response to treatment, one of these abnormalities, glycosaminoglycan nonreducing ends (NREs), holds promise to monitor therapeutic efficacy. A trial of intrathecal enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) added to standard treatment enabled tracking of CSF abnormalities, including NREs. We evaluated safety, biomarker response, and neurocognitive correlates of change.MethodsIn addition to intravenous ERT and hematopoietic cell transplantation, patients (N = 24) received intrathecal ERT at four peritransplant time points; CSF was evaluated at each point. Neurocognitive functioning was quantified at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years posttransplant. Changes in CSF biomarkers and neurocognitive function were evaluated for an association.ResultsOver treatment, there were significant decreases in CSF opening pressure, biomarkers of disease activity, and markers of inflammation. Percent decrease in NRE from pretreatment to final intrathecal dose posttransplant was positively associated with percent change in neurocognitive score from pretreatment to 2 years posttransplant.ConclusionIntrathecal ERT was safe and, in combination with standard treatment, was associated with reductions in CSF abnormalities. Critically, we report evidence of a link between a biomarker treatment response and neurocognitive outcome in Hurler syndrome