3-5-man chess: Maximals and mzugs

This article reports the combined results of several initiatives in creating and surveying complete suites of endgame tables (EGTs) to the Depth to Mate (DTM) and Depth to Conversion (DTC) metrics. Data on percentage results, maximals and mutual zugzwangs, mzugs, has been filed and made available on the web, as have the DTM EGTs

The Relative Importance of Search versus Credence Product Attributes: Organic and Locally Grown

Organic foods and local foods have come to the forefront of consumer issues, due to concerns about nutrition, health, sustainability, and food safety. A conjoint analysis experiment quantified the relative importance of, and trade-offs between, apple search and experience attributes (quality/blemishes, size, flavor), credence attributes (conventional vs. organic production method, local origin vs. product of USA vs. imported), and purchase price when buying apples. Quality is the most important apple attribute. Production method—organic versus conventional—had no significant impact on preferences.conjoint analysis, organic, locally grown, credence attributes, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

Single-channel measurements of an N-acetylneuraminic acid-inducible outer membrane channel in Escherichia coli

NanC is an Escherichia coli outer membrane protein involved in sialic acid (Neu5Ac, i.e., N-acetylneuraminic acid) uptake. Expression of the NanC gene is induced and controlled by Neu5Ac. The transport mechanism of Neu5Ac is not known. The structure of NanC was recently solved (PDB code: 2WJQ) and includes a unique arrangement of positively charged (basic) side chains consistent with a role in acidic sugar transport. However, initial functional measurements of NanC failed to find its role in the transport of sialic acids, perhaps because of the ionic conditions used in the experiments. We show here that the ionic conditions generally preferred for measuring the function of outer-membrane porins are not appropriate for NanC. Single channels of NanC at pH 7.0 have: (1) conductance 100 pS to 800 pS in 100 mM: KCl to 3 M: KCl), (2) anion over cation selectivity (V (reversal) = +16 mV in 250 mM: KCl || 1 M: KCl), and (3) two forms of voltage-dependent gating (channel closures above ±200 mV). Single-channel conductance decreases by 50% when HEPES concentration is increased from 100 ?M: to 100 mM: in 250 mM: KCl at pH 7.4, consistent with the two HEPES binding sites observed in the crystal structure. Studying alternative buffers, we find that phosphate interferes with the channel conductance. Single-channel conductance decreases by 19% when phosphate concentration is increased from 0 mM: to 5 mM: in 250 mM: KCl at pH 8.0. Surprisingly, TRIS in the baths reacts with Ag|AgCl electrodes, producing artifacts even when the electrodes are on the far side of agar-KCl bridges. A suitable baseline solution for NanC is 250 mM: KCl adjusted to pH 7.0 without buffer

Combustion synthesis of ceramic and metal-matrix composites

Combustion synthesis or self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) is effected by heating a reactant mixture, to above the ignition temperature (Tig) whereupon an exothermic reaction is initiated which produces a maximum or combustion temperature, Tc. These SHS reactions are being used to produce ceramics, intermetallics, and composite materials. One of the major limitations of this process is that relatively high levels of porosity, e.g., 50 percent, remain in the product. Conducting these SHS reactions under adiabatic conditions, the maximum temperature is the adiabatic temperature, Tad, and delta H (Tad) = 0, Tad = Tc. If the reactants or products go through a phase change, the latent heat of transformation needs to be taken into account

Facial misidentifications arise from the erroneous activation of visual face memory

Misidentifications are a common phenomenon in unfamiliar face processing, but little is known about the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms. We used the face identity-sensitive N250r component of the event-related brain potential as a measure of identity-sensitive face matching process in visual working memory. Two face images were presented in rapid succession, and participants had to judge whether they showed the same or two different individuals. Identity match and mismatch trials were presented in random sequence. On similar mismatch trials, perceptually similar faces of two different individuals were shown, while two physically distinct faces were presented on dissimilar mismatch trials. Misidentification errors occurred on 40% of all similar mismatch trials. N250r components were elicited not only in response to an identity match, but also on trials with misidentification errors. This misidentification N250r was smaller and emerged later than the N250r to correctly detected identity repetitions. Importantly, N250r components were entirely eliminated on similar mismatch trials where participants correctly reported two different facial identities. Results show that misidentification errors are not primarily a post-perceptual decision-related phenomenon, but are generated during early visual stages of identity-related face processing. Misidentification errors occur when stored representations of a particular individual face in visual working memory are incorrectly activated by a perceptual match with a different face

Human impact on the transport of terrigenous and anthropogenic elements to peri-alpine lakes (Switzerland) over the last decades

Terrigenous (Sc, Fe, K, Mg, Al, Ti) and anthropogenic (Pb and Cu) element fluxes were measured in a new sediment core from Lake Biel (Switzerland) and in previously well-documented cores from two upstream lakes (Lake Brienz and Lake Thun). These three large peri-alpine lakes are connected by the Aare River, which is the main tributary to the High Rhine River. Major and trace element analysis of the sediment cores by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) shows that the site of Lake Brienz receives three times more terrigenous elements than the two other studied sites, given by the role of Lake Brienz as the first major sediment sink located in the foothills of the Alps. Overall, the terrigenous fluxes reconstructed at the three studied sites suggest that the construction of sediment-trapping reservoirs during the twentieth century noticeably decreased the riverine suspended sediment load at a regional scale. In fact, the extensive river damming that occurred in the upstream watershed catchment (between ca. 1930 and 1950 and up to 2,300m a.s.l.) and that significantly modified seasonal suspended sediment loads and riverine water discharge patterns to downstream lakes noticeably diminished the long-range transport of (fine) terrigenous particles by the Aare River. Concerning the transport of anthropogenic pollutants, the lowest lead enrichment factors (EFs Pb) were measured in the upstream course of the Aare River at the site of Lake Brienz, whereas the metal pollution was highest in downstream Lake Biel, with the maximum values measured between 1940 and 1970 (EF Pb>3). The following recorded regional reduction in aquatic Pb pollution started about 15years before the actual introduction of unleaded gasoline in 1985. Furthermore, the radiometric dating of the sediment core from Lake Biel identifies three events of hydrological transport of artificial radionuclides released by the nuclear reactor of Mühleberg located at more than 15km upstream of Lake Biel for the time period 1970-200

Serum digoxin concentrations : a retrospective analysis

The use of digoxin is limited by its narrow therapeutic index. American and European guidelines for the management of heart failure and atrial fibrillation recommend targeting a serum digoxin concentration (SDC) between 0.5 and 0.9ng/ml. The aim of the study was to retrospectively analyse SDCs and to assess compliance to the SDC target range recommended in the guidelines. SDCs recorded at the hospital Pathology laboratory between January 2008 and December 2017 were analysed according to gender, age, origin of request, specialty of referring physician and reason for request, and were compared to the SDC target range. Serum potassium (K+) levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were analysed for SDCs recorded in 2017. A total of 19,065 SDCs from 6,107 patients (65% female, mean age 78 ± 11 years) were analysed. Mean SDC was 1.31 ± 1.01ng/ml (range 0.9ng/ml (66.76 ± 36.43) and ≥ 2.0ng/ml (64.39 ± 34.23) compared to patients with SDC ≤ 0.9ng/ml (73.84 ± 35.21mL/min/1.73m²). The mean SDC observed was higher than the upper limit of the recommended target SDC range. Further investigation to establish the clinical significance of the observed SDC findings on patient outcomes is warranted.peer-reviewe

Small data global existence for the semilinear wave equation with space-time dependent damping

In this paper we consider the critical exponent problem for the semilinear wave equation with space-time dependent damping. When the damping is effective, it is expected that the critical exponent agrees with that of only space dependent coefficient case. We shall prove that there exists a unique global solution for small data if the power of nonlinearity is larger than the expected exponent. Moreover, we do not assume that the data are compactly supported. However, it is still open whether there exists a blow-up solution if the power of nonlinearity is smaller than the expected exponent

Towards a framework for large business tax compliance

This was an ideas paper prepared in 1998-99 to stimulate what became an ongoing process of reinventing large business compliance policy in the Australian Taxation Office (Tax Office). Some of the ideas in the paper are becoming influential in shaping developments in Australia, others have had no influence. Both kinds of ideas deserve recording, however, for the consideration of tax authorities in other times and places