cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enzymatic assay for measurement of zidovudine triphosphate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

In this report, we describe a new method to measure intracellular zidovudine triphosphate (ZDV-TP) levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients treated with ZDV by utilizing inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase activity by ZDV-TP. Intracellular levels of ZDV-TP were determined with our enzymatic assay in PBMCs isolated from the blood of healthy individuals incubated with different concentrations of labeled ZDV and were validated by high-performance liquid chromatography separation and liquid scintillation counting of the radioactive ZDV-TP. These methods gave virtually identical results over a range of ZDV-TP concentrations from 150 to 900 fmol. ZDV-TP recoveries were over 90%, and the limit of quantitation of ZDV-TP by this method was 20 to 50 fmol. To demonstrate the utility of the method, plasma ZDV and intracellular ZDV-TP concentrations were measured at serial time points over 6 h in 12 human immunodeficiency virus-infected volunteers following a single 100- or 500-mg oral dose of ZDV. Systemic oral clearance rates were similar to those in previous studies with adults but were highly variable (range, 0.86 to 2.75 liters/h/kg of body weight). The area under the plasma concentration versus time curve increased significantly (P < 0.0005) with the dose from a median value of 1.2 mg.h/liter at the lower dose to 4.2 mg.h/liter at the higher dose. Median intracellular ZDV-TP levels ranged from 5 to 57 and 42 to 92 fmol/10(6) cells in volunteers administered 100 and 500 mg of ZDV, respectively. Intracellular ZDV-TP levels rose to a plateau value by 2 h and remained consistent to 6 h. Although the higher dose and higher areas under the curve yielded consistently higher intracellular ZDV-TP levels, systemic pharmacokinetics explains only a modest proportion of the variability in cellular pharmacokinetic. The ZDV-TP bioassay should prove useful in further studies of ZDV metabolism in patient-derived PBMCs at the doses of ZDV currently administered.
Dynamic changes in spatial competition for the nitrogen fertilizer industry in the United States

Abstract Changes in crops, increased demand, reductions in natural gas prices, and spatial competition among producers and imports are affecting the nitrogen fertilizer industry. A spatial competition model of the US nitrogen fertilizer industry was developed to determine the likely future spatial distribution of production and flows for nitrogen. The model minimizes production and shipping costs from plants and imports to consuming regions. A base model of 2010–2012 was developed and a future case was modeled representative of 2018. The most valuable (lowest cost) origins for US processing are primarily in Louisiana, followed by other states with low natural gas prices. Shadow prices indicate locations in Wyoming, Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, and North Dakota would be positive. Not all of proposed plants would be viable and if forced to operate at 75% of capacity or more only a few of the new plants including those located in Louisiana, Iowa and North Dakota would be viable.
Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance President's page

The year 2009 has been a busy one for the SCMR. With health care reform in the headlines, SCMR is committed to expanding the use of CMR in clinical practice and research. Progress is being made quickly as the U.S. moves towards approval of payment for flow and in Europe, publication of the CMR registry is nigh. The impact factor of JCMR jumped up and the program for the 2010 meeting in Phoenix looks outstanding. All in all, SCMR is making advancements in many fronts.
Spatial polymorphism of bacteriocins and other allelopathic traits

Many bacterial species carry plasmids that encode both the production of a highly specific toxin (bacteriocin) that kills competitors of the same species and immunity to that toxin. A great diversity of bacteriocins is produced within a single species. I present a model for the dynamics of competition between allelopathic and susceptible types. The model applies to most kinds of allelopathic competition. My primary goal is, however, to explain the widespread genetic polymorphism for bacteriocins. The model includes competition for scarce resources, competition through toxin production, spatial diffusion of individuals and toxins at varying rates and spatial variation in habitat quality. I draw three main conclusions from this ‘reaction—diffusion’ model. (1) Polymorphism of toxin producers and susceptibles cannot be maintained within a single spatial location when individuals and the toxin mix randomly. (2) Susceptibles are generally favoured in poor habitats, where the rate of resource competition per interaction increases relative to the resource-independent rate of toxic killing. By contrast, toxic producers are generally favoured in good habitats, where the rate of resource competition is lower. (3) Spatial variation in habitat quality can lead to spatial polymorphism; susceptibles tend to win in poor habitats and producers tend to win in good habitats.
Delirium in patients with head and neck cancer in the outpatient treatment setting.

Purpose Delirium is a common neurocognitive disorder among patients with cancer. In patients with head and neck cancer, delirium has been examined in the postoperative setting. Because no studies have reported on delirium during outpatient cancer treatment, we conducted a prospective study in 69 patients with head and neck cancer to examine neurocognitive function before, during, and after outpatient treatment. We also conducted a retrospective study in a subset of caregivers. In this paper, we report the prevalence and incidence of delirium and subsyndromal delirium (SSD) during outpatient treatment.
Cysteine sulfoxide derivatives in Petiveria alliacea

Two diastereomers of S-benzyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide have been isolated from fresh roots of Petiveria alliacea. Their structures and absolute configurations have been determined by NMR, MALDI-HRMS, IR and CD spectroscopy and confirmed by comparison with authentic compounds. Both the RS and SS diastereomers of the sulfoxide are present in all parts of the plant (root, stem, and leaves) with the latter diastereomer being predominant. Their total content greatly varied in different parts of the plant between 0.07 and 2.97 mg g � 1 fr. wt, being by far the highest in the root. S-Benzylcysteine has also been detected in trace amounts (< 10 m gg � 1 fr. wt) in all parts of the plant. This represents the first report of the presence of S-benzylcysteine derivatives in nature. # 2001 Elsevier
Effect of ovarian aging on androgen biosynthesis in a cynomolgus macaque model.

AbstractObjective The role of androgens in chronic disease pathogenesis, cognitive function and libido during menopause is of increasing interest. The aim of this study was to characterize the distribution and expression of androgenic proteins in the macaque ovary and to investigate the relationship between serum androgen concentrations, follicle number, and the persistence of androgenesis in the aging macaque ovary.Methods The subjects were 26 adult female cynomolgus macaques. Ovaries were immunostained for cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17–20 lyase (P450c17), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD), and cytochrome b5 (cytb5). Based on primordial follicle counts, animals were divided into tertiles (low (≤200), intermediate (226–1232), and high (2372–4356)) to evaluate differences in androgen staining and changes in serum androgen concentrations following ovariectomy.Results Positive immunostaining for P450c17 and cytb5 within the theca interna layer of growing follicles persisted in advanced atretic fol...
Mycofloral distribution associated with an abrupt vegetational change

The frequency of occurrence of typical field species declines rapidly about 1.5 m from an abrupt boundary between a forest and field, whereas the decline of typical forest species occurs 0.75 m from it.
In defense of social responsibility

Abstract Recent journalistic criticism of the concept of corporate social responsibility rests on the assertion that social responsibility adds nothing to corporate profits. Hence, inclusion of the motion in the business vocabulary amounts to nothing more than “double talk.” The author of an influential 1953 book on the topic took another look at social responsibility twenty-five years later and found “few gains in the quality of business stewardship over that time.” The idea “remains peripheral to the mainstream of economic thought.” Corporate social responsibility involves more than simply being a law-abiding corporate citizen. It reaches into these decision-making areas where perfectly legal choices may have harmful social consequences. As evidence of social harm amounts, society has to define and defend the ground on which it requires an appropriate response from the business corporation. Society will get the response it demands.
Beyond Boundaries: An Assessment of the Yosemite National Park Geotourism Initiative

Based on key actor interviews, attendance at local meetings, and analysis of pertinent planning documents and other relevant literatures, this project investigates the recently initiated geotourism project in Yosemite National Park. Geotourism, a concept promoted by National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations, involves local stakeholders in the development of regional interactive maps and seeks to support sustainable regional economies and develop an appreciation for regional “sense of place” among park visitors. At a more practical level, park managers see the initiative as a way to cope with Yosemite's intense summer traffic congestion and move beyond the litigious history that has plagued efforts to balance wilderness preservation with visitor access. Yosemite's geotourism initiative, at least over the short term, has enhanced collaboration among formerly litigious stakeholders. Its potential for ameliorating traffic congestion is very limited, at least in the near term. Sustainable regio...
Uterine catecholamines and prostaglandins during the estrous cycle of the rat.

The uterine contents of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and prostaglandins F and E were determined on each day of the rat estrous cycle. Catecholamines were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC) as well as by a radioenzymatic technique; prostaglandins were quantitated by RIA. The norepinephrine and dopamine values obtained by the radioenzymatic assay were approximately 1.5 times as high as the values obtained by HPLC-EC (norepinephrine, 285 vs. 188 ng/g; dopamine, 11.0 vs. 7.5 ng/g). Despite this difference in levels, both analytic techniques showed a decline in uterine norepinephrine from diestrus to estrus, followed by a significant (P < 0.01) increase in norepinephrine on the day of metestrus. A cyclic pattern was also revealed for uterine dopamine concentration. There was a decline in dopamine concentration from diestrus to proestrus (radioenzymatic, P < 0.01), followed by a return to high levels at metestrus (HPLC-EC). Epinephrine levels ...
An optically coupled sampling system for transient electromagnetic measurements

An optically coupled sampling system (OCSS) for use in free-field transient electromagnetic environments was constructed. The system utilizes fiber-optic data links between a remote sampling head and a mainframe sampling oscilloscope and was designed to operate with a standard 7000-series Tektronix sampling oscilloscope. The primary goal of the research was to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating a system with a bandwidth on the order of 1 GHz that was also suitable for packaging in scale-model structures. To this end, the remote sampling head can be packaged within a cylindrical shield, excluding power supplies, that measures 18-in length by 2-in diam. A bandwidth of 1 GHz was obtained consistently, with maximum values exceeding 2 GHz. This paper first provides a description of the measurement problem. An overview of the optically coupled sampling system is then presented, followed by a summary of system performance. Recommendations are made for further development.
Effects of testosterone administration on cognitive function in hysterectomized women with low testosterone levels: a dose–response randomized trial

Purpose To determine the dose-dependent effects of testosterone administration on cognition in women with low testosterone levels.
Design, synthesis, and evaluation of analogues of 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-phenyl-propionamide as orally available general anesthetics.

We have recently discovered a novel class of compounds that have oral general anesthetic activity, potent anticonvulsant activity, and minimal hemodynamic effects. The 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-phenyl-propionamide (1) demonstrated potent ability to reduce the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane, with no effects on heart rate or blood pressure at therapeutic concentrations. Analogue 1 also had potent oral anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous metrazol (scMET) models with a therapeutic index of 10 for MES activity. In this study, we further synthesized nine new racemic analogues and evaluated these compounds for effects on isoflurane MAC reduction and blood pressure. Preliminary data demonstrate potent reduction in the isoflurane MAC for two new compounds. Current mechanistic studies were unrevealing for effects on voltage-gated ion channels as a putative mechanism. Liposomal partitioning studies using 19F NMR reveal that the aromatic region partitions ...
Efficient syntheses of clofarabine and gemcitabine from 2-deoxyribonolactone.

The development of a new methodology to achieve electrophilic fluorination of triisopropylsilyl-protected 2-deoxyribonolactone has been employed to synthesize clofarabine and gemcitabine with improved synthetic efficiency versus prior synthetic methods. These studies highlight the versatility of this new methodology to obtain medically relevant 2′-fluoronucleosides.
Unregulated ARF6 Activation in Epithelial Cysts Generates Hyperactive Signaling Endosomes and Disrupts Morphogenesis

This study shows that constitutive ARF6 activation during epithelial cyst morphogenesis promotes the formation of signaling endosomes that serve as platforms for hyperactive receptor signaling and ...
Creating Bulk QCD Matter at RHIC

The combined results from RHIC depict formation of a dense system at an energy density greater than 5GeV/fm3, well above that where hadrons exist. Statistical models reproduce the RHIC produced particle ratios indicating a temperature and baryo-chemical potential at the deconfinement phase transition boundary predicted by lattice QCD calculations. The anisotropic collective flow observed in collisions at RHIC provides direct evidence of the existence of strong pressure gradients in the highly interacting early stages of the dense medium. Hard-scattering, suppression of hadrons at large transverse momentum, and quenching of di-jets are observed in central Au + Au collisions and not in d + Au collisions, providing evidence for extreme energy loss of partons traversing the dense QCD medium created at RHIC.
Motherhood and the Politics of Family Decisions in Early Modern Italy

This article explores the negotiations that occurred in patrician households over the fate of children in early modern Italian society. The decision between marriage and convent life for daughters ...
A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of deer, elk, and moose, initially recognized in Colorado mule deer. The discovery of CWD beyond the borders of Colorado and Wyoming, in Canada and as far east as New York, has led to its emergence as a prion disease of international importance. Epidemiological studies indicate that CWD is horizontally transmitted among free-ranging animals, potentially indirectly by prion-containing secreta or excreta contaminating the environment. Experimental CWD transmission attempts to other wild and domestic mammals and to transgenic mice expressing the prion protein of cattle, sheep, and humans have shed light on CWD species barriers. Transgenic mice expressing the cervid prion protein have proven useful for assessing the genetic influences of Prnp polymorphisms on CWD susceptibility. Accumulating evidence of CWD pathogenesis indicates that the misfolded prion protein or prion infectivity seems to be widely disseminated in many nonneural organs and in blood. This review highlights contemporary research findings in this prion disease of free-ranging wildlife.
Integration of security services into the NORAD/USSPACECOM technical infrastructure: a case study

There is a growing trend to describe information system architectures in terms of reference models. This paper is a case study of how security services and mechanisms were integrated into one specific reference model, the NORAD/USSPACECOM Technical Infrastructure (N/U TI). The identification of security services and their placement in the N/U TI was motivated by a preliminary set of N/U security policy objectives. Issues arising from the integration of security into open systems standards are also identified. >
Scheduling and hardware sharing in pipelined data paths

A scheduling and hardware sharing algorithm is presented. This algorithm is generic and can be used for synthesizing both nonpipelined and pipelined data paths. The scheduling algorithm tries to distribute operations equally among partitions to maximize hardware sharing. Multiplexer delays are explicitly considered to produce a more accurate scheduling. In hardware sharing, structural parameters such as the size of multiplexers, interconnect overhead, the size of the smallest sharable operator etc. are used to control the amount of sharing globally and produce a heuristically optimized RTL structure. The scheduling algorithm is iterated until a satisfactory structure is obtained. The algorithm also can be used for partitioning a large system into implementable pieces. The algorithm has been used successfully for synthesizing a pipelined data path from a graphics processing description that contains about 1000 components. >
Effect of gas evolution on mixing and conversion in a flow‐through electrochemical reactor

Flow-through electrolytic reactors (FTER) emplaced below the subsurface may be used to control the migration of groundwater contamination away from source zones. During prior studies with FTERs, water electrolysis and associated gas generation have occurred concurrently with contaminant degradation. Gas evolution-induced mixing within the electrode assembly has the potential to impact system performance. A mathematical model of the system was developed to capture the impact of mixing on transport processes in the system. Corresponding transient and steady-state tracer experiments using ferricyanide as a model contaminant were conducted to quantify mixing-dependent parameters and verify modeling results. Over a range of relevant groundwater flowrates, Peclet numbers were between 0.1 and 10, indicating that mixing was a important process under low-flow conditions. Comparison of experiments and model calculations demonstrated that incorporating gas evolution into the model was necessary for accurate performance prediction. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Probabilistic inference and ranking of gene regulatory pathways as a shortest-path problem

Since the advent of microarray technology, numerous methods have been devised to infer gene regulatory relationships from gene expression data. Many approaches that infer entire regulatory networks. This produces results that are rich in information and yet so complex that they are often of limited usefulness for researchers. One alternative unit of regulatory interactions is a linear path between genes. Linear paths are more comprehensible than networks and still contain important information. Such paths can be extracted from inferred regulatory networks or inferred directly. Since criteria for inferring networks generally differs from criteria for inferring paths, indirect and direct inference of paths may achieve different results. This paper explores a strategy to infer linear pathways by converting the path inference problem into a shortest-path problem. The edge weights used are the negative log-transformed probabilities of directness derived from the posterior joint distributions of pairwise mutual information between gene expression levels. Directness is inferred using the data processing inequality. The method was designed with two goals. One is to achieve better accuracy in path inference than extraction of paths from inferred networks. The other is to facilitate priorization of interactions for laboratory validation. A method is proposed for achieving this by ranking paths according to the joint probability of directness of each path's edges. The algorithm is evaluated using simulated expression data and is compared to extraction of shortest paths from networks inferred by two alternative methods, ARACNe and a minimum spanning tree algorithm. Direct path inference appears to achieve accuracy competitive with that obtained by extracting paths from networks inferred by the other methods. Preliminary exploration of the use of joint edge probabilities to rank paths is largely inconclusive. Suggestions for a better framework for such comparisons are discussed.
Diagnosing a firm's internal environment for corporate entrepreneurship

Abstract Apple, 3M, Procter & Gamble, and Google know the importance of an internal environment supportive of innovative activity. But how is that environment identified or measured? As research on corporate entrepreneurial activity has evolved, numerous researchers have acknowledged the importance of internal organizational dimensions to promoting and supporting an environment for innovation. This research has identified five specific dimensions that are important determinants of an environment conducive to entrepreneurial behavior: (1) top management support, (2) work discretion/autonomy, (3) rewards/reinforcement, (4) time availability, and (5) organizational boundaries . If an organization is serious about developing an internal environment conducive to entrepreneurial activity, then it must seek to measure the specific dimensions associated with an innovative environment. In this article we introduce an instrument, the Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI), as a diagnostic tool used for assessing managers’ perceptions of the five major dimensions critical to creating an entrepreneurial/innovative environment. This instrument provides an indication of a firm's likelihood of being able to successfully implement an innovative strategy, and highlights areas of the internal work environment that should be the focus of ongoing development efforts.
Blind source separation with perceptual post processing

In an environment with multiple audio sources, blind source separation (BSS) makes use of multiple microphone signals to estimate the respective source signals. Under normal circumstances, it is not possible to completely “unmix” the audio sources. One technique to further improve the system performance is to use all BSS outputs to generate a Wiener filter that is then applied to the desired output. The Wiener post processing improves the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) but we show that it does not necessarily improve the perceptual quality of the BSS output. By using a perceptually inspired signal enhancement method on the BSS output signals, a significant improvement in quality can be achieved. Results are shown for recordings made in a noisy office environment using two microphones mounted on a cell phone.
Function of the Sperm Nuclear Matrix

Mammalian spermatozoa contain some of the most highly compact chromatin. This is due to the DNA binding proteins, the protamines, which replace most of the histones during spermiogenesis. This chromatin, however, shares some features with somatic cell chromatin. One of these is the organization of DNA into loop domains attached at their bases to a proteinaceous nuclear matrix. Several groups have shown that the sites at which DNA associates with the sperm nuclear matrix contain chromatin structures that are linked with specific functions. Recent data also suggest that the sperm nuclear matrix plays essential roles in the paternal pronucleus of the newly fertilized oocyte, suggesting that the sperm cell provides more information to the new embryo than solely the genetic material it delivers. Here, we will review these data which together give insight into the functional significance and requirements of sperm nuclear structure.
The multiple determinants of symbolic development: evidence from preterm children.

The variability among premature infants illuminates the interaction of biological and environmental factors in determining the course of symbolic development and illustrates the multifaceted nature of that development.
Controls on valley spacing in landscapes subject to rapid base-level fall

What controls the architecture of drainage networks is a fundamental question in geomorphology. Recent work has elucidated the mechanisms of drainage network development in steadily uplifting landscapes, but the controls on drainage-network morphology in transient landscapes are relatively unknown. In this paper we exploit natural experiments in drainage network development in incised Plio-Quaternary alluvial fan surfaces in order to understand and quantify drainage network development in highly transient landscapes, i.e. initially unincised low-relief surfaces that experience a pulse of rapid base-level drop followed by relative base-level stasis. Parallel drainage networks formed on incised alluvial-fan surfaces tend to have a drainage spacing that is approximately proportional to the magnitude of the base-level drop. Numerical experiments suggest that this observed relationship between the magnitude of base-level drop and mean drainage spacing is the result of feedbacks among the depth of valley incision, mass wasting and nonlinear increases in the rate of colluvial sediment transport with slope gradient on steep valley side slopes that lead to increasingly wide valleys in cases of larger base-level drop. We identify a threshold magnitude of base-level drop above which side slopes lengthen sufficiently to promote increases in contributing area and fluvial incision rates that lead to branching and encourage drainage networks to transition from systems of first-order valleys to systems of higher-order, branching valleys. The headward growth of these branching tributaries prevents the development of adjacent, ephemeral drainages and promotes a higher mean valley spacing relative to cases in which tributaries do not form. Model results offer additional insights into the response of initially unincised landscapes to rapid base-level drop and provide a preliminary basis for understanding how varying amounts of base-level change influence valley network morphology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Explaining the Small Employment Effects of the Minimum Wage in the United States

This paper reviews the most recent wave of research—roughly since 2000—on the employment effects of the U.S. minimum wage and concludes that the weight of evidence points to little or no employment response to modest increases. The paper then examines eleven possible adjustments to minimum-wage increases that may explain why the measured employment effects are consistently small. Given the relatively low cost to employers of modest increases in the minimum wage, these adjustment mechanisms appear to be sufficient to avoid employment losses, even for employers with a large share of low-wage workers
Determination of reflector antennas from the intensity distribution data in the geometric optics approximation

Two inverse problems are discussed. The first one, the reflector mapping problem, consists in recovering a reflector surface such that for a given source of light the directions of reflected rays cover a prescribed region of the far sphere and the density of the distribution of reflected rays is a function of the reflected directions prescribed in advance. The other problem concerns a reflector antenna system consisting of a point light source O, a reflecting surface F, and a target surface T in space to be illuminated in this system. Under the assumptions of the geometric optics theory it is desired to construct the surface F, given the positions of the light source and surface T and the light intensity distribution as a function on T. In addition, the aperture of the incidence ray cone is also prescribed. Situations in which questions of existence and uniqueness of reflector surfaces with required properties can be satisfactorily resolved are examined. >
Giving Shelter: Who Protects the Internally Displaced?

The International Protection of Internally Displaced Persons. By Catherine Phuong. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 318 pp., $95.00 (ISBN: 0-521-82686-1), $76.00 eBook (ISBN: 0-511-07953-2). Around 25 million persons are internally displaced; nearly double the number of refugees the United Nations (UN) assists. Given the significantly higher numbers, one might expect states and international organizations to have well-developed laws, norms, and procedures governing internally displaced persons (IDPs). That expectation would be wrong. In her well written and thoroughly researched book, The International Protection of Internally Displaced Persons , Catherine Phuong, a lecturer in law at the University of Newcastle, demonstrates that although internally displaced persons have always existed, only recently has the concept and debate on legal rights for such people emerged. The end of the Cold War and the usefulness of refugees as pawns accounts for the sudden interest in internally displaced persons, Phuong argues. States now fear refugees flowing across their borders and thus wish to keep displaced persons “internal” to their native states. Not wanting to be overwhelmed by asylum seekers or to be castigated for refusing asylum to desperate people, political leaders now prefer that would-be refugees stay home. Having established the cause of new interest in the internally displaced, Phuong next defines internally displaced persons and evaluates their legal status in the international system. Simplistically, a refugee and an internally displaced person differ only in that the former has crossed an international border. When considering why a person becomes internally displaced, however, the definition becomes more complex. In the 1998 Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, offers the United Nation's (UN's) formal definition of internally displaced persons as: persons or …
Conflict management of riparian disputes

Abstract This paper builds on a large literature that explores the linkages between resource scarcity and interstate conflict. Focusing on competing claims over cross-border rivers, we analyze peaceful and militarized techniques used by states to manage river claims, and compare the success of these techniques for resolving the issues under contention. We focus on two key factors to account for variance in the use and effectiveness of conflict management strategies: water scarcity and institutions. We argue that high levels of water scarcity increase the frequency of explicit claims over fresh water, increase the chances of militarized conflict over these claims, and make it more difficult for conflict management institutions to be created or to be effective. We also examine the role of peace-promoting institutions, both river-specific and general institutions, arguing that institutional membership should promote peaceful attempts to resolve river claims. Analyzing data on river claims (1900–2001) from the Issue Correlates of War (ICOW) Project, we find that greater water scarcity increases the likelihood of both militarized conflict and peaceful third party settlement attempts, while river-specific institutions reduce militarized conflict and increase the effectiveness of peaceful settlement attempts.
Resource Specialization in Puddling Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera feed at mud puddles, dung, and carrion in a behavior known as puddling. Sodium and sometimes protein are feeding cues, are actively collected, and play a potentially important role in lepidopteran nutritional and mating ecology. We showed that montane butterfly species have feeding preferences among mud, herbivore dung, and carnivore dung, and that these preferences differed among butterfly species. The puddling substrates varied in soluble sodium content, with mud having the lowest concentrations and carnivore dung having the highest. Within one species, Pieris napi L., visit frequencies to mud versus dung matched visit frequencies to sand trays filled with sodium solutions matching the concentrations seen in mud or dung. This suggests that the preference hierarchy of this species is driven by soluble sodium concentration. Overall, the results indicate that lepidopteran species specialize on different puddling substrates, likely obtaining different arrays of nutrients. This suggests that there are species- or family-specific roles for puddling nutrients in the overall nutrient budget of the insects.
Advances in hepatectomy technique: Toward zero transfusions in the modern era of liver surgery.

Background Perioperative blood transfusions suppress immunity and increase hospital costs. Despite multiple improvements in perioperative care, rates of transfusion during/after hepatectomy are reported to range from 25 to 50%. The purpose of this study was to determine the current risk factors for perihepatectomy transfusion by assessing the impact of recent technical advances in liver surgery on transfusion rates. Methods Using our prospectively maintained hepatobiliary tumor database from a high-volume center, a modern cohort of 2,249 hepatectomies (2004–2013) were identified. Patient and operative characteristics were compared between 2 time periods, 2004–2008 (n = 1,139) and 2009–2013 (n = 1,110). Throughout the study interval, transfusions were given based on clinical assessment and not triggered by laboratory thresholds. Results Compared with the early cohort, the recent cohort had more patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of ≥3 (79 vs 74%), preoperative chemotherapy (73 vs 68%), and a lesser median preoperative hemoglobin (12.9 vs 13.1 mg/dL) and platelet (215,000 vs 243,000) values (all P 350 mL of blood loss. The only independent factor associated with less transfusion was use of the 2-surgeon technique for hepatic parenchymal transection. Conclusion With the exception of patients with moderate to severe preoperative anemia requiring major hepatectomy, recent technical advances have decreased significantly the need for transfusion in liver surgery.
Evidence that nephrocalcin and urine inhibit nucleation of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals.

Human urine, and nephrocalcin (NC), a glycoprotein of probable kidney cell origin, greatly reduce consumption of calcium and oxalate from metastably supersaturated solutions seeded with calcium oxa...
Assessing the effects of changes in British counterterrorism policy on radical Islamist networks in the UK, 1999–2008

Despite the exponential growth in research on domestic counterterrorism over the past decade, relatively little is known about the actual effectiveness of specific counterterrorism policies in disrupting targeted terrorist networks. Using an original data set of network ties among British Islamists in the UK between 1999 and 2008, this study employs dynamic network analysis to assess the impact of the changes in UK counterterrorism policy on the network of radical Islamists operating in the UK. This research has significance for current and future domestic counterterrorism policy in the UK and other countries with populations at risk of violent radicalization.
Branch, Cut, and Price: Sequential and Parallel

Branch, cut, and price (BCP) is an LP-based branch and bound technique for solving large-scale discrete optimization problems (DOPs). In BCP, both cuts and variables can be generated dynamically throughout the search tree. The ability to handle constantly changing sets of cuts and variables allows these algorithms to undertake the solution of very large-scale DOPs; however, it also leads to interesting implementational challenges. These lecture notes, based on our experience over the last six years with implementing a generic framework for BCP called SYMPHONY (Single- or Multi-Process Optimization over Networks), address these challenges. They are an attempt to summarize some of what we and others have learned about implementing BCP, both sequential and parallel, and to provide a useful reference for those who wish to use BCP techniques in their own research.SYMPHONY, the software from which we have drawn most of our experience, is a powerful, state-of-the-art library that implements the generic framework of a BCP algorithm. The library's modular design makes it easy to use in a variety of problem settings and on a variety of hardware platforms. All library subroutines are generic--their implementation does not depend on the problem-setting. To develop a full-scale BCP algorithm, the user has only to specify a few problem-specific methods such as cut generation. The vast majority of the computation takes place within a "black box," of which the user need have no knowledge. Within the black box, SYMPHONY performs all the normal functions of branch and cut--tree management, LP solution, cut pool management, as well as inter-process communication (if parallelism is used). Source code and documentation for SYMPHONY are available at http://branchandcut.org/SYMPHONY.
Adult carboxypeptidase E-deficient fat/fat mice have a near-total depletion of brain CCK 8 accompanied by a massive accumulation of glycine and arginine extended CCK: identification of CCK 8 Gly as the immediate precursor of CCK 8 in rodent brain.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) amide concentrations were reduced over 85% in all the major brain regions of carboxypeptidase E (Cpe) fat /Cpe fat mice in comparison to control mice. Using an radioimmunoassay (RIA) specific for glycine-extended CCK (CCK Gly), low levels of CCK Gly were detected in control (0.65 ng/g tissue) and were even lower in Cpe fat /Cpe fat (0.246 ng/g mice brain extracts. After treatment with carboxypeptidase B, the level of CCK Gly in Cpe fat /Cpe fat in these brain extracts was elevated to 33.5 ng/g, about 51-fold higher than in control. On gel-filtration chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), this material coeluted with CCK 8 Gly. These results demonstrate that CPE is required for the correct processing of arginine- and glycine-extended CCK in all major regions of the mouse brain. These results support the hypothesis that CCK 8 Gly is the immediate precursor of CCK 8 amide in mouse brain, not larger amidated forms like CCK 22 or CCK 33.
Effect of Music on Interictal Epileptiform Spikes

The effect of listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos (K448) on the frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in the EEGs of four children, ages 5 – 9 years, with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) was studied in a prospective, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
Systematic review of patient-centered outcomes following lower extremity flap reconstruction in comorbid patients.

Background Lower extremity soft tissue defects pose a challenging problem to patients with comorbidities. Reconstruction with tissue transfer offers an effective alternative to amputation in this population. Although abundant with data on success and complication rates, the literature has not focused on assessing patient-centered outcomes of these reconstructive procedures. Methods A systematic review was performed by searching an electronic database for relevant studies. The full text of relevant articles was retrieved and the reference lists of those articles reviewed. Single case reports or articles reporting data on wounds sustained from trauma were excluded. Results In total, 318 articles were identified. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 50 articles reporting data on 1,079 flaps remained for inclusion in this review. Ambulation outcomes were reported by 35 articles with a weighted mean rate of postoperative ambulation of 77.4%. Postoperative time to ambulation ranged from an average of 9 months to 22 months. Quality of life and patient satisfaction outcomes were infrequently and inconsistently reported in the literature. Conclusion There is a dearth of patient-centered outcomes for lower extremity flap reconstruction currently in the literature. A standardized method to assessing patient-centered outcomes should be employed to better understand the effectiveness of these procedures. Level of Evidence III Therapeutic
“The Terrible Genius of Literature”: Reassessing Reconciliation in Nadine Gordimer’s The House Gun:

During the three years in which Gordimer drafted The House Gun (1998), she relied heavily on South African case law, international jurisprudence, and the discerning editorial eye of Nelson Mandela’s lawyer, George Bizos. As such, my reading of The House Gun brings new attention to the novel’s engagement with the reconciliatory efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the juridical work of the South African Constitutional Court to redefine the terms of reconciliation in the country. Through language in a fictional courtroom, Gordimer’s novel turns the process of repair into one that is always immediate and ongoing. It shifts the primarily retributive focus of the law into a reparative and open-ended endeavor. Justice no longer is something that “is done,” Gordimer explains, but rather is a process equally conceived by law and literature. The novel depicts harm in terms of the interpersonal, spatial, and legal fractures it creates. In this way, it expresses reconciliation in the Commission’s l...
Atomic Structure of Interfaces in Mazed Au Bicrystals

Thin films of {111} Au have been grown on {111} Ge substrates. The film grows epitaxially in two crystallographically equivalent orientations, (111) and (īīī). After annealing, the film is removed from the substrate and the resulting bicrystal appears as a maze of domains with faceted boundaries mainly of type {112}. The high density of edge-on interfaces in the films makes them well suited to electron microscopy. In the orientation, the 1.44A spacing of the {220} lattice planes tests the high resolution capabilities of the latest microscopes. The nature of the Au {111} film contrasts with that of films grown using different materials or different substrates and was found to have a three-dimensional character with the occurrence of extensive twinning on (111) in the plane of the film. Areas were found to thin considerably in the high voltage electron microscope and interfaces in these regions were analyzed and rigid body translations across the facets measured. The existence of distinct rigid body translations across neighboring facets is of particular interest.
Three-dimensional hierarchical ternary nanostructures for high-performance Li-ion battery anodes.

Silicon is considered one of the most promising anode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries due to its 4200 mAh/g theoretical specific capacity, relative abundance, low cost, and environmental benignity. However, silicon experiences a dramatic volume change (∼300%) during full charge/discharge cycling, leading to severe capacity decay and poor cycling stability. Here, we report a three-dimensional (3D) ternary silicon nanoparticles/conducting polymer/carbon nanotubes hybrid anode material for Li-ion batteries. The hierarchical conductive hydrogel framework with carbon nanotubes as the electronic fortifier offers a continuous electron transport network and high porosity to accommodate the volume expansion of Si particles. By 3D wrapping of silicon nanoparticles/single-wall carbon nanotubes with conducting polymer nanostructures, a greatly improved cycling performance is achieved with reversible discharge capacity over 1600 mAh/g and 86% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at the current rate of 3...
Twin plane decoration of silver nanorods with palladium by galvanic exchange at a controlled rate.

Here we describe the galvanic exchange of surface-grown Ag nanorods (NRs) and nanowires (NWs) with PdCl42– as a function of the PdCl42– concentration. The morphology of the resulting AgPd alloy nanostructures depends on the galvanic exchange rate, which increases with increasing PdCl42– concentration over a specific concentration range. When the concentration of PdCl42– exceeds 7.5 × 10–5 M (or ratio of moles of PdCl42– in solution to moles of Ag on the surface > 542), rapid galvanic exchange results in Pd deposition over the entire Ag nanostructure in the early stages of exchange. When the concentration of PdCl42– is in the range of 1.0 × 10–5 to 5.0 × 10–5 M (moles of PdCl42– in solution to moles of Ag on the surface = 13–54), Pd deposition occurs preferentially at high energy twin plane defects in the form of well-spaced nanoparticles during the early stages of exchange. In later stages, the Pd deposits grow and coalescence into a rough shell, and etching of the Ag leads to a presumably hollow nanostru...
Why Prosody Matters: Surface Scope Bias in Russian Quantifier Scope

I present the results of a production experiment on the prosodic realization of doubly quantified sentences in Russian that tested the hypothesis (due to Kitagawa and Fodor 2003, Hirotani 2004) that native speakers (tacitly) impose surface scope-biasing prosody. If correct, the hypothesis could account for the rigid surface scope claims found in the literature. Target sentences were excised from contexts, evaluated for the degree of disambiguation and analized within the autosegmental-metrical framework (Pierrehumbert 1980). The results of our experiment support the main hypothesis, strongly suggesting that Russian prosody needs to be strictly controled for when eliciting quantifier scope judgements.
The pivotal role of nitric oxide for vascular health.

Lendothelium est forme d'une seule couche de cellules, qui tapisse l'interieur de tous les vaisseaux sanguins. Cette couche secrete une foule de facteurs paracrines qui tendent a maintenir l'homeostasie vasculaire. L'un d'entre eux est un puissant vasodilatateur, le monoxyde d'azote (NO) d'origine endotheliale. Le dereglement de la synthese ou de la bioactivite du NO, comme en temoigne une diminution de la vasodilatation dependante de l'endothelium, s'est revele un facteur de risque independant de troubles vasculaires graves. Le lien entre le NO d'origine endotheliale et la sante cardiovasculaire s'explique probablement par les effets pleiotropes du NO sur la paroi des vaisseaux. Ainsi, le NO empeche la proliferation de cellules musculaires lisses dans les vaisseaux, l'agregation des plaquettes, de meme que l'adhesion et l'infiltration des cellules inflammatoires. Le dereglement de la synthese ou de la bioactivite du NO diminue donc l'effet du « signal d'arret » sur les processus biologiques mis en cause dans l'atherogenese. La recherche a mis en evidence certains mecanismes perturbateurs de la bioactivite du NO. Les facteurs de risque de maladie cardiovasculaire (MCV) engendrent un stress oxydatif dans les vaisseaux, ce qui accelere la degradation du NO. De plus, le stress oxydatif entraine l'accumulation de dimethylarginine asymetrique (ADMA), un inhibiteur endogene de la synthese du NO. L'augmentation de la concentration d'ADMA semble un intermediaire frequent entre les facteurs de risque de MCV et les troubles de synthese du NO. Un lien a d'ailleurs ete etabli entre l'augmentation de la concentration plasmatique d'ADMA et la diminution de la vasodilatation dependante de l'endothelium, l'epaississement de l'intima des carotides et les accidents cardiovasculaires. De nouveaux traitements antiatherosclereux ameliorent le fonctionnement de la voie de la NO-synthase. Des medicaments ciblant cette voie en particulier ont ete mis au point et ajoutent une arme a l'arsenal therapeutique contre les MCV.