cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interior-point methods for reduced Hessian successive quadratic programming

Typical chemical process optimization problems have a large number of equations, but relatively few degrees of freedom. A reduced Hessian successive quadratic programming (rSQP) algorithm has been shown to be successful in solving these types of models efficiently. While the rSQP algorithm reduces the dimension of the QP subproblem solved at each iteration, the number of inequality constraints could still become quite large. As a result, there is still a potentially large combinatorial expense to solving large NLPs with rSQP, as the solution of the QP subproblem is the bottle-neck of the SQP algorithm. To overcome this combinatorial expense, interior-point (IP) methods have been shown to solve large linear programs much faster than the standard simplex method. These interior-point techniques have also been extended to solve quadratic programming problems. For these reasons, we describe an IP method to solve the QP subproblem for rSQP at each iteration. The primal-dual interior-point method is described as well as some higher-order strategies designed to improve convergence. These higher order strategies are evaluated, and also a comparison of several linear equation solvers is made, since the solution of a linear system is required for each interior-point iteration. Finally, we evaluate and compare the new interior-point QP formulation with two standard active-set solvers, QPKWIK and QPOPT, on some industrial-strength NLP problems.
TOWARD A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF INTERCULTURAL ACCOUNT‐GIVING AND ACCOUNT EVALUATION

The past two decades have seen an increase in personal mobility; people are often transferred by their companies to divisions in other countries. As a result, interactions between members of different cultures are prevalent in organizations; such interactions can cause miscommunication and conflict unless people understand the meaning and assumptions underlying communicative behavior such as account‐giving. Unfortunately, there has been little conceptual or empirical work examining effective account‐giving and account evaluation in intercultural situations. In an attempt to fill this gap in the literature, this paper presents a literature review and develops a theoretical model of the relationships among culture, face concerns, account‐giving, and evaluation of accounts.
Chemical transformations in the quassinoid series: Construction of the sensitive hydroxy enone functionality present in the ring A of quassimarin and related quassinoids

Abstract A facile three-step sequence, featuring the tautomerism of 1-oxo-2α-hydroxy-4-methyl-17β-( tert -butyldimethylsilyloxy)-Δ3-5α-androstene (9) into 1β-hydroxy-2-oxo-4-methyl-17β-( tert -butyldimethylsilyloxy)-Δ3-5α-androstene (6), has been developed for elaboration of the sensitive ring A hydroxy enone functionality common to many naturally occurring quassinoids.
Highly reproducible chronoamperometric analysis in microdroplets.

Here we report a method for highly reproducible chronoamperometric analysis of the contents of microdroplets. Aqueous microdroplets having volumes on the order of 1 nL and separated by a fluorocarbon solvent are generated within a microfluidic device using a T-shaped junction. The key finding is that stable and reproducible quasi-steady-state currents are observed if the electrochemical measurements are made in a narrowed segment of a microchannel. Under these conditions, the microdroplets are stretched, here by a factor of 10, leading to desirable intradroplet mass transfer characteristics. Microdroplet frequencies up to 0.67 s−1 are accessible using this method. The quasi-steady-state currents resulting from chronoamperometric analysis of microdroplets containing 1.0 mM Ru(NH3)63+ have relative standard deviations of just 1.8% and 2.8% at flow rates of 30 nL min−1 and 60 nL min−1, respectively. Importantly, the design of the microelectrochemical device ensures direct contact between intradroplet redox molecules and the electrode surface. That is, the fluorocarbon between microdroplets does interfere with inner-sphere electrocatalytic processes such as the oxygen reduction reaction. Finite-element simulations are presented that are in accord with the experimental findings.
Viral and host RNA synthesis in BSMV-infected barley.

Abstract BSMV (barley stripe mosaic virus) nucleoprotein, BSMV-RNA (ribonucleic acid), and host RNA synthesis were characterized in the mature, inoculated leaf one and the systemically infected leaf two at 24-hr intervals from 1–8 days after inoculation. BSMV-RNA synthesis preceded virion appearance by approximately 24 hr in either leaf. In leaf one, viral RNA synthesis was occurring by 24 hr after inoculation. An excess of up to 150-fold of viral RNA was apparent during early stages of virion accumulation. During periods of rapid viral RNA accumulation, the in vivo rate of 32 P incorporation into viral RNA was much higher than into host RNA in infected tissue or in comparable healthy tissue. Host RNA synthesis was reduced during or after periods of rapid viral RNA accumulation, as determined by 32 P-labeling. The quantity of sedimenting host RNA was also reduced. The maximum level of viral RNA was comparable in either leaf, but the systemically infected leaf two produced about three times the amount of viral nucleoprotein as did leaf one. The severe inhibition of host RNA synthesis in leaf one may be one of the factors which results in the low “efficiency of encapsidation” in leaf one.
Impacts of ocean acidification on marine seafood

Ocean acidification is a series of chemical reactions due to increased CO2 emissions. The resulting lower pH impairs the senses of reef fishes and reduces their survival, and might similarly impact commercially targeted fishes that produce most of the seafood eaten by humans. Shelled molluscs will also be negatively affected, whereas cephalopods and crustaceans will remain largely unscathed. Habitat changes will reduce seafood production from coral reefs, but increase production from seagrass and seaweed. Overall effects of ocean acidification on primary productivity and, hence, on food webs will result in hard-to-predict winners and losers. Although adaptation, parental effects, and evolution can mitigate some effects of ocean acidification, future seafood platters will look rather different unless CO2 emissions are curbed.
The Russian Industry in November 2014

According to the business surveys of the Gaidar Institute, the first data of December on the Russian industry has no (pre)crisis evidence. Demand demonstrated the dynamics which is typical of the end of the year; sales volumes suit most enterprises and there is no concern about stocks of finished products, pricing policy, terms of lending and investment plans are adequate to actions of the Central bank of the Russian Federation.
Site-Isolation and Recycling of PdCl2 using PDMS Thimbles

Macroscopic thimbles composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were used to site-isolate PdCl2 from the products of Wacker−Tsuji oxidations and Pd-mediated homocouplings. The reactions were completed on the interior of hollow thimbles, and the organic products were isolated by their selective flux to the exterior of the thimbles. Although organic molecules had high flux through the walls of the thimbles, PdCl2 remained encapsulated as a result of its polar structure that rendered it insoluble in PDMS. In two examples, less than 0.002% of the PdCl2 added to the interior of the thimble partitioned to the exterior; thus, over 99.998% remained encapsulated on the interior of the thimble. Because it was encapsulated, this catalyst was readily recycled five times for the Wacker−Tsuji oxidation of styrene. A sequential reaction was also completed where p-methylstyrene was oxidized to 4′-methyl-acetophenone by PdCl2 on the interior of a thimble and then fluxed to the exterior to react with phenylmagnesium bromide t...
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY AND EURO-AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS '

Little is known about the relations of environmental characteristics and physical activity of college students, especially students from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. Associations were examined between environmental characteristics and moderate and vigorous activity in racial or ethnic minority (n = 418; M age = 24.3 +/- 4.5 yr.; 54.2% women) and Euro-American (n = 297; M age = 23.5 +/- 4.4 yr.; 49.7% women) college students. Participants completed questionnaires assessing demographic measures, physical activity, exercise equipment at home, neighborhood characteristics, and convenient places for physical activity. Moderate and vigorous activity participation was similar between the two groups even though racial or ethnic minorities had less supportive home and neighborhood environments for activity and fewer convenient facilities. Greater moderate and vigorous activity were related with more convenient facilities in racial or ethnic minorities. Vigorous activity was associated with better neighborhood characteristics for Euro-Americans. The findings can inform the design and implementation of environmental approaches to promoting activity of college students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
A Job Assignment Scheme Based on Auction and Immune Optimization for Grid Computing

In this paper, a job assignment scheme in grid is proposed. It determines the resource trading price between the buyer and the provider based on the auction, finding the optimal job assignment solution based on the immune optimization. Simulation results have shown that it is both feasible and effective.
Immunocytochemical localisation of caspase-3 in pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetic subjects.

Aims: Caspase-3 has been recognised as a main effector caspase of the apoptotic cascade. Involvement of caspase-3 has been implicated in a β-cell cloned cell line from type 1 diabetic subjects and in isolated islets from type 2 diabetic subjects. This study aimed to immunocytochemically identify cleaved caspase-3 positive islet cells in type 2 diabetic subjects compared with control subjects.Methods: Using commercially available rabbit anti-cleaved caspase-3 antibody, immunocytochemical staining was performed on 16 cases of pancreatic tissues from type 2 diabetic subjects compared with age-matched controls.Results: Control islets revealed cleaved caspase-3 positive cells in about 4.7% in total islet cells with large and small islets positive at 4.1% and 7.0%, respectively. Islets from type 2 diabetic subjects showed higher immunostaining percentage at 8.7% in total islets with large and small islets positive for cleaved caspase-3 at 7.7% and 12%, respectively, at about twice that of the control values. Is...
Constructing Portable Compiled Instruction-set Simulators-An ADL-driven Approach

Instruction set simulators are common tools used for the development of new architectures and embedded software among countless other functions. This paper presents a framework that quickly generates fast and flexible instruction-set simulators from a specification based on a C-like architecture-description language. The framework provides a consistent platform for constructing and evaluating different classes of simulators, including interpreters, static-compiled simulators, and dynamic-compiled simulators. The framework also features a new construction method for dynamic-compiled simulator that involves no low-level programming. It profiles and translates frequently executed regions of simulated binary to C++ code and invokes GCC to compile such code into dynamically loaded libraries, which are then loaded into the simulator at run time to accelerate simulation. Our experimental results based on the MIPS architecture and the SPEC CPU2000 benchmarks show that our dynamic-compiled simulator is capable of achieving up to 11 times speedup compared to our fast interpreter. Compared to other dynamic-compiled simulators requiring significant system programming expertise to construct, the proposed approach is simpler to implement and more portable.
Software-Change Prediction: Estimated+Actual

The authors advocate that combining the estimated change sets computed from impact analysis techniques with the actual change sets that can be recovered from version histories will result in improved software-change prediction. An overview of both impact analysis (IA) and mining software repositories (MSR) is given. These are compared and a discussion of their expressiveness and effectiveness is presented. A framework is proposed to integrate these two approaches for software-change prediction.
Ground-Dwelling Arthropod Distribution and Movement Across a Fragmented Riparian Forest

Abstract The ability to predict patterns of species dispersal across habitat edges takes on increasing conservation relevance as land-scapes become more fragmented. We assessed edge responses for four ground-dwelling arthropod taxa by measuring their distribution and movement patterns across a forest edge associated with a forested riparian buffer and an adjacent upslope clearcut at a single site. We used Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices to describe the spatial distribution of arthropods, habitat variables, and the associations between them across a 49 × 63 m pitfall trapping grid with 80 trapping stations. We used mark-release-recapture techniques to measure the distance, rate, and direction of arthropod movement within and between habitat types. Scaphinotus angusticollis (Coleoptera; Carabidae) was restricted to the cool, moist portion of the riparian buffer and was not observed to cross the forest edge. The carabids Pterostichus lattini and Scaphinotus marginatus had more eurytopic distributions ac...
Highway Investment and Regional Economic Development: Decision Methods and Empirical Foundations:

Federal and state highway programmes have been established to stimulate economic development in lagging US regions. In many instances, highway route location was influenced by regional development theory. Regional development theory argues that regional policy effectiveness depends upon the existence of certain socio-economic, spatial, resource and institutional 'triggering forces'. This paper reviews criteria used in US development highway corridor selection and variables identified by various regional development theories. A synthesis of highway empirical research suggests that geographical region, urbanisation, development and public infrastructure may be important 'triggering forces' in the US. However, further rigorous empirical research is needed in order to assess the various regional development theories and highway planning practice.
In vivo biodistribution and highly efficient tumour targeting of carbon nanotubes in mice

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit unique size, shape and physical properties1,2,3 that make them promising candidates for biological applications. Here, we investigate the biodistribution of radio-labelled SWNTs in mice by in vivo positron emission tomography (PET), ex vivo biodistribution and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that SWNTs that are functionalized with phospholipids bearing polyethylene-glycol (PEG) are surprisingly stable in vivo. The effect of PEG chain length on the biodistribution and circulation of the SWNTs is studied. Effectively PEGylated SWNTs exhibit relatively long blood circulation times and low uptake by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Efficient targeting of integrin positive tumour in mice is achieved with SWNTs coated with PEG chains linked to an arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptide. A high tumour accumulation is attributed to the multivalent effect of the SWNTs. The Raman signatures of SWNTs are used to directly probe the presence of nanotubes in mice tissues and confirm the radio-label-based results.
Identification of hibernating myocardium with quantitative intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography: comparison with dobutamine echocardiography and thallium-201 scintigraphy.

Background— There are currently no data on the accuracy of intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in detecting myocardial hibernation in man and its comparative accuracy to dobutamine echocardiography (DE) or thallium 201 (Tl201) scintigraphy. Methods and Results— Twenty patients with coronary artery disease and ventricular dysfunction underwent MCE 1 to 5 days before bypass surgery and repeat echocardiography at 3 to 4 months. Patients also underwent DE (n=18) and rest-redistribution Tl201 tomography (n=16) before revascularization. MCE was performed using continuous Optison infusion (12 to 16 cc/h) with intermittent pulse inversion harmonics and incremental triggering (1:1 to 1:8). Myocardial contrast intensity (MCI) replenishment curves were constructed to derive quantitative MCE indices of blood velocity and flow. Recovery of function occurred in 38% of dysfunctional segments. MCE parameters of perfusion in hibernating myocardium were similar to segments with normal function and higher...
Ontogenetic immune challenges shape adult personality in mallard ducks

Consistent individual differences in behaviour are widespread in animals, but the proximate mechanisms driving these differences remain largely unresolved. Parasitism and immune challenges are hypothesized to shape the expression of animal personality traits, but few studies have examined the influence of neonatal immune status on the development of adult personality. We examined how non-pathogenic immune challenges, administered at different stages of development, affected two common measures of personality, activity and exploratory behaviour, as well as colour-dependent novel object exploration in adult male mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). We found that individuals that were immune-challenged during the middle (immediately following the completion of somatic growth) and late (during the acquisition of nuptial plumage) stages of development were more active in novel environments as adults relative to developmentally unchallenged birds or those challenged at an earlier developmental time point. Additionally, individuals challenged during the middle stage of development preferred orange and avoided red objects more than those that were not immune-challenged during development. Our results demonstrate that, in accordance with our predictions, early-life immune system perturbations alter the expression of personality traits later in life, emphasizing the role that developmental plasticity plays in shaping adult personality, and lending support to recent theoretical models that suggest that parasite pressure may play an important role in animal personality development.
A 31.3-dBm Bulk CMOS T/R Switch Using Stacked Transistors With Sub-Design-Rule Channel Length in Floated p-Wells

A 31.3-dBm 900-MHz bulk CMOS T/R switch with transmit (TX) and receive (RX) insertion losses of 0.5 and 1.0 dB and isolation of 29 dB is demonstrated. The switch utilizes a floating-body technique, feed-forward capacitors, and 3-stack 3.3-V MOSFETs with 0.26-mum sub-design-rule (SDR) channel length. Using these, a 28-dBm 2.4-GHz T/R switch with TX and RX insertion losses of 0.8 and 1.2 dB, and isolation of 24 dB is also demonstrated. The power handling capability is limited by an abrupt output power drop before reaching the normal 1-dB compression point. The circuits are implemented in the UMC 130-nm mixed-mode triple-well CMOS process.
Wild barley accumulates distinct sets of transcripts in response to pathogens of different trophic lifestyles

Wild barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) accession 'Shechem 12-32' is resistant to multiple pathogens, including Puccinia hordei and Cochliobolus sativus, causal agents of leaf rust and spot blotch, respectively. Both pathogens begin the infection process as biotrophs, but C. sativus switches to necrotrophism after colonization. It is generally considered that plants require distinct arsenals of genes to successfully respond to either biotrophic or necrotrophic pathogens. To characterize the defense responses initiated by resistant wild barley accession 'Shechem', a temporal survey of transcript abun- dance after inoculation with P. hordei and C. sativus was conducted using the Barley1 GeneChip. A total of 95 and 299 gene transcripts exhibited significant (p < 0.0001) differential accumulation in response to P. hordei and C. sativus, respectively, compared to mock-inoculated controls, with 21 transcripts (6 defense-related) in common. Quantities of differentially accumulated gene transcripts in response to P. hordei were evenly distributed across examined time points, while over one-half (183) of the differ- entially accumulating gene transcripts in response to C. sativus were identified at 24 h after infection, the approximate time when the pathogen changes trophic lifestyles. Our results indicate that resistant wild barley exhibits a different host response to biotrophic and hemibiotrophic pathogens, with genes related to oxidative stress having a particularly important role in defense against hemibiotrophs.
Very high energy cosmic ray events

Abstract High energy cosmic rays are reviewed in terms of our present understanding of prominent features in the primary energy spectrum. The spectral change observed around 10 15 eV can be explained either by a change in the primary chemical composition or by a change in the nuclear interaction characteristics. Anomalous interactions are prevalent at about the same energy where galactic propagation effects are expected to lead to the dominance of iron nuclei.
Will it crystallise? Predicting crystallinity of molecular materials

Predicting and controlling crystallinity of molecular materials has applications in a crystal engineering context, as well as process control and formulation in the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we present a machine learning approach to this problem which uses a large input training set which is classified on a single measurable outcome: does a substance have a reasonable probability of forming good quality crystals. While the related problem of crystal structure prediction requires reliable calculation of three dimensional molecular conformations, the method employed here for predicting crystallisation propensity uses only “two dimensional” information consisting of atom types and connectivity. We show that an error rate lower than 10% can be achieved against unseen test data. The predictive model was also tested in a blind screen of a set of compounds which do not have crystal structures reported in the literature, and we found it to have a 79% classification accuracy. Analysis of the most significant descriptors used in the classification shows that the number of rotatable bonds and a molecular connectivity index are key in determining crystallisation propensity and using these two measures alone can give 80% accurate classification of unseen test data.
On Dworkin’s brute-luck–option-luck distinction and the consistency of brute-luck egalitarianism

Egalitarian thinkers have adopted Ronald Dworkin’s distinction between brute and option luck in their attempts to construct theories that better respect our intuitions about what it is that egalitarian justice should equalize. I argue that when there is no risk-free choice available, it is less straightforward than commonly assumed to draw this distinction in a way that makes brute-luck egalitarianism plausible. I propose an extension of the brute-luck–option-luck distinction to this more general case. The generalized distinction, called the ‘least risky prospect view’ of brute luck, implies more redistribution than Dworkin’s own solution (although less than called for by some of his other critics). Moreover, the generalized brute-luck–option-luck distinction must be parasitical on an underlying non-egalitarian theory of which sets of options are reasonable. The presupposed prior theory may be inimical to the claim that justice requires equality rather than some other distributive pattern.
Power electronics for alternative energy sources

The demand for the development of environmentally clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies has prompted renewed interest in renewable energy systems worldwide. Many renewable energy technologies today are well developed, reliable, and cost competitive with the conventional fuel generators. The renewable energy sources are generally converted to dc or ac electric voltages or currents. Many renewable energy technologies today are well developed, reliable, and cost competitive with the conventional fuel generators [1-4]. The power electronics is finding increasing applications in renewable energy technologies to process efficiently and produce a flexible ac or dc output to match a variable or fixed load demand.
Canadian (Early Ordovician) El Paso Group, Southern Franklin Mountains, El Paso County, Texas: ABSTRACT

The El Paso Group and at least the upper part of the underlying Bliss Sandstone at their type sections in the southeastern Franklin Mountains probably is the most complete Canadian section exposed in northern Chihuahua, New Mexico, and west Texas. The El Paso Group represents deposits of a general, but complex, west-to-east transgression of the Cambrian and Early Ordovician seas across Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. The group thins to a feather-edge in central New Mexico as a result of post-Canadian erosion of the upper part of the sequence. Flower (1964) has given 10 formational names for the El Paso Group that represent not only rock-stratigraphic units, but also distinct sequential biostratigraphic units. Seven of these El Paso Group units are regional in extent and recognizable in the southern Franklin Mountains. They are (in order from oldest to youngest): the early Canadian Sierrite Formation; the middle Canadian Cooks, Victorio Hills, and Jose Formations; and the late Canadian McKelligon Canyon, Scenic Drive, and Florida Mountains Formations. The basal middle Canadian Big Hatchet Formation may be present and unrecognized because of facies changes in the southern Franklin Mountains area. The uppermost middle Canadian Mud Springs Mountain and Snake Hills Formations are believed to be absent because of nondeposition or erosion. The El Paso Group overlies the Bliss Sandstone disconformably. The Late Ordovician Montoya Group overlies the El Paso Group with a regional angular unconformity in the west Texas-New Mexico area. The End_Page 208------------------------------ Middle Ordovician Simpson equivalents are not present because of nondeposition or erosion. The nearshore to supratidal El Paso Group section faunal zones have been correlated tentatively with the deeper water, miogeosynclinal, western standard section (Ibex and Garden City, Utah composite sections) of Hintze (1951, 1952) and Ross (1951). Paleoecological studies of the sabkhas to nearshore sediments of the El Paso Group strata show excellent examples of digitate algae, stromatolithic algae, and cyclic reefoid mound structures. Recent sedimentation in the Khor al Bozam (Persian Gulf) and Shark's Bay (Australia) probably are modern analogues. End_of_Article - Last_Page 209------------
Traditional and Nontraditional Bullying Among Youth: A Test of General Strain Theory

Bullying at school is a common problem facing youth, school officials, and parents. A significant body of research has detailed the serious consequences associated with bullying victimization. Recently, however, a new permutation has arisen and arguably become even more problematic. Cyberbullying, as it has been termed, occurs when youth use technology as an instrument to harass their peers--via email, in chat rooms, on social networking Web sites, and with text messaging through their computer or cell phone. The current study seeks to shed light on the potential causes of both variants of adolescent aggression by employing the arguments of Agnew's (1992) general strain theory as a guiding framework. Results suggest that those who experience strain are more likely to participate in both traditional and nontraditional forms of bullying. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research in this growing area of study are also discussed.
Spectroscopic analysis of 1MA x-pinch implosions at the Nevada Terawatt Facility

An overview of the detailed spectroscopic analysis of more than fifty z-pinch shots at the Nevada Terawatt Facility is presented. Experimental x-ray spectra generated by Ti, Fe, Mo, W, and Pt z-pinches have been collected in wire implosions driven by a 0.7–1 MA current. Different configurations and masses of z-pinch loads are studied. In x-pinch experiments, pinhole images and damage to the anodes after shots evidence the presence of electron beams. Non-LTE collisional-radiative atomic kinetics models that include hot electrons have been developed and applied to interpret experimental x-ray spectra. In particular, diagnostics for K-shell spectra of Ti ions and L-shell spectra of Mo ions are presented.
Images of religion in America

In recent years, it has become fashionable in scholarly and journalistic circles to employ the image concept as a means of describing and interpreting historical, political, or social realities. A number of attempts have been made recently to sketch the picture or to present the image of America. It is both interesting and puzzling that the image concept should be so widely employed; yet it is, in some sense, understandable. We live in an era of communications through images. We are confronted by them on all sides through the media of mass communication such as television, press, billboards, and radio. Professor Daniel Boorstin recently pointed out that our age is dominated not by ideas but by images. This has had already and will have increasingly momentous consequences both for our national self-understanding and for our stance before the world.
Urinary Enzyme Evaluation of Nephrotoxicity in the Dog

Over the past 20 yr, increased attention has been directed toward evaluation of urinary enzymes as markers of nephrotoxicity in dogs because the technique is noninvasive and considered to be more sensitive than the more commonly used conventional tests of renal function. Urinary enzymes also have the potential of determining the primary site of renal damage because different sections of the nephron have a characteristic complement of enzymes. In dogs, increases in brush border enzymes, including gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase, have been associated with renal proximal tubular damage, while increases in N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase have been observed in the early stage of renal papillary necrosis. Urinary enzymes have been particularly useful in detection of acute renal damage in dogs, specifically tubular damage: however, their corresponding value in providing information about chronic renal damage remains to be established. Although elevation of certain enzymes appears to be a relatively sensitive measure of nephrotoxicity in the dog, there is no current agreement regarding which enzyme assays are the most appropriate for routine use in safety assessment studies. In addition, elevation of a single enzyme is of limited diagnostic value in detection of renal damage because spurious increases in urinary enzymes sometimes occur in normal dogs. Therefore, if one wishes to conduct special assessment of nephrotoxicity in dogs, evaluation of several enzymes at multiple time points is needed to compensate for normal enzyme variation and to identify potential anatomic site selectivity of the toxin.
The Effect of Inter-firm Ties on Performance in Financial Markets

The present study examines the effect of the information obtained through close inter-firm ties on the investor’s risk-adjusted returns. We suggest that there is a closely connected tie between an investor and an entrepreneurial firm if the investor is a limited partner of the entrepreneurial firm’s lead venture capital (VC) fund. We hypothesize that such closely connected ties convey credible, timely, and precise information regarding the underlying value of the entrepreneurial firm, which is especially valuable when market conditions are unfavorable and when the investor faces higher information asymmetry. Supporting our hypotheses, we show that investors with closely connected ties to entrepreneurial firms receive higher returns on their investments, and their returns are particularly high when investor sentiment is low (unfavorable market conditions) and when there is higher information asymmetry due to greater geographical distance.
My Career Path for Developing Gene Therapy for Blinding Diseases: The Importance of Mentors, Collaborators, and Opportunities

I would like to thank the members of the selection committee of the Human Gene Therapy Pioneer Award for this honor. Truly, the experiences I have had in science are reward enough. I never could have dreamed of having such a gratifying career. As I talk to students and mentees about their career plans, I am aware of how seemingly unpredictable—but also how fun—my own career path has been.
State-Mandated Principal Preparation Program Redesign: Impetus for Reform or Invitation to Chaos?

Increasing criticism of practicing educational leaders has led to additional critiques of the university programs in which they are prepared. In response, many states have mandated statewide university preparation program redesign. The articles in this special issue describe five unique cases of principal preparation program redesign—including both process and product—presented through the chronology of state-level policy development and local implementation. These five case studies establish a literature base that examines the following research questions: (a) Whether and to what degree did externally imposed redesign mandates influence substantive program changes, (b) How did university program faculty respond to the state mandates, and (c) To what degree did program redesign efforts reflect emerging empirical research guidelines on the characteristics of quality educational leadership programs?
The Effect of Culture and Cultural Distance on Plant-Level Process Compliance

Firms often perform operations in locations with a national culture different from that of the firm headquarters. In this study, we examine whether the tendency of an operation to operate at a high...
Oil in the Environment: Legacies and Lessons of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

John A. Wiens, ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013. xxvii and 458 pp., maps, illustrations, diagrams, bibliography, index. $49.00 paper (ISBN 9781107614697); $40.00 electronic (ISBN...
Lymphatic Vascular Malformations of the Limbs: Treatment of Extratruncular Malformations

The development of the Hamburg classification, along with a better understanding of congenital vascular malformations (CVMs), has allowed a more concise description of the lymphatic malformation (LM). The management of LM has become clear: “lymphangioma” should no longer be considered a single LM lesion but rather one of two different LM lesions belonging to an extratruncular lesion, even though the management of lymphangioma is different from its “truncular” LM lesion counterpart that clinically presents as primary lymphedema. Although they often present as discrete clinical entities, the lesions can occur together, making clinical management confusing.
Application on Forward and Backward Substitution Method in Distribution Network Flow Calculation

The forward and backward substitution method has the characteristics of simple data processing, occupied memory small, was commonly used in distribution network flow calculation. For the inherent operation structure of distribution network, the problem of how to better use the forward and backward substitution method in distribution network fl ow calculation was researched, and the two improved methods were developed and the example was given.
SYNTHESIS AND VISIBLE RESPONSE ACTIVITY OF Fe~(3+)/TiO)2 COMPOSITE NANOPARTICLES

Fe~(3+)/TiO_2 composite nanoparticles were synthesized by adding Fe~(3+) and surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB)into the sol-gel process of tetrabutyl titanate(TBOT). The composite particles,which absorption maximum appears at about 530 nm in the adsorption curve, show the photocatalytical activity toward Rhodamine B.The effects of Fe~(3+) amount on the structure and properties of composite materials are systematically studied by TEM,XRD,TG-DTA and UV- Vis.The results show that the Fe~(3+) ion is doped in the crystal lattice of TiO_2 and a new band width (Eg=1.37 eV)appears,the spectral response property of TiO_2 composite materials is changed into visible light range.
Discussion on the Functions of Forest Park Development in New Countryside Construction——With the Example of Qiandaohu National Forest Park

Take the Qiandaohu National Forest Park as example,discussing the development of forest park is closely linked with the construction of new countryside.The evolution of Qiandaohu forest tourism has driven the growth of countryside junketing.The expanding forest park industry has accelerated the income increase of farmers.Project construction has led the way for developing the zoological economy in countryside.Future Qiandaohu National Forest Park will exert important functions in pushing the construction of new countryside,such as bringing along countryside tourism featured with farmhouse happy,fishing happy,hillside residence,transforming primary products into junketing commodities,serving the building of virescence network system in countryside etc.
Suppression of rainfall by fires in African drylands

Fire is a widespread agent of disturbance in African drylands, but the impact of fire on local precipitation remains poorly understood and large-scale observational evidence has been lacking. Here we link fire to a reduction in precipitation across African drylands. Using 15 years of satellite observations over continental sub-Saharan Africa, we find that more extensive and later dry season fires lead to wet season rainfall deficits of up to 30 mm (~10%). The effect is stronger in the Southern Hemisphere, a signal we attribute to the later timing of fires in the dry season. Given the coupling between rainfall, fuel loads, and fire in African drylands, a negative interannual feedback may arise between fire and precipitation, whereby fires suppress precipitation, thereby reducing fuel load and fire in the subsequent season. The reduced fuel load would, in turn, increase precipitation, completing the feedback loop. This feedback may contribute to a pervasive negative autocorrelation observed in Southern Hemisphere annual rainfall.
Simón Bolívar’s Rome

The article focuses on the impact of Rome on Venezuelan military leader Simon Bolivar. It refers to the reflection of an abstract and powerful idea of a patently imprecise conflation of republic and empire and a set of valuable tangible political models in Bolivar's behavior. It highlights the description of a civilization blowing in from the East in the book Oath.
Foreign Automakers in Independent Slovakia

This chapter offers an overview of Post-Socialist Slovakia’s three existing and one planned car factories. This begins by tracing the origins of today’s VW factory in Bratislava under Socialist Czechoslovakia through the German automaker’s takeover and subsequent numerous expansions of the complex. This is followed by sections on PSA Peugeot Citroen’s (PSA) Trnava complex, Kia’s Zilina plant, and Tata Motors’ under construction Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) facility in Nitra. Its conclusion brief summarizes the now independent nation’s rise to become the most prolific vehicle producer per capita in the world.
Evaluation of Taterapox Virus in Small Animals

Taterapox virus (TATV), which was isolated from an African gerbil (Tatera kempi) in 1975, is the most closely related virus to variola; however, only the original report has examined its virology. We have evaluated the tropism of TATV in vivo in small animals. We found that TATV does not infect Graphiurus kelleni, a species of African dormouse, but does induce seroconversion in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) and in mice; however, in wild-type mice and gerbils, the virus produces an unapparent infection. Following intranasal and footpad inoculations with 1 × 106 plaque forming units (PFU) of TATV, immunocompromised stat1−/− mice showed signs of disease but did not die; however, SCID mice were susceptible to intranasal and footpad infections with 100% mortality observed by Day 35 and Day 54, respectively. We show that death is unlikely to be a result of the virus mutating to have increased virulence and that SCID mice are capable of transmitting TATV to C57BL/6 and C57BL/6 stat1−/− animals; however, transmission did not occur from TATV inoculated wild-type or stat1−/− mice. Comparisons with ectromelia (the etiological agent of mousepox) suggest that TATV behaves differently both at the site of inoculation and in the immune response that it triggers.
Comparison of the characteristics of retinal hemorrhages in abusive head trauma versus normal vaginal delivery.

Background Retinal hemorrhage (RH) is one of the hallmarks of abusive head trauma (AHT); however, RH is also encountered with normal vaginal deliveries (NVD) and thus presents the clinician with a diagnostic dilemma. The purpose of this study was to compare RHs in AHT with those of NVD. Methods Records of with AHT and NVD infants with RH evaluated from 2013 to 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Pattern, size, extent, and severity were compared using RetCam images. Severities were calculated using the RH grading scale. Results A total of 20 patients with AHT and 200 NVD infants were included. RH size was significantly larger in AHT patients compared to the NVD group (3.1 ± 0.512 vs 0.96 ± 0.046 disk diameters, resp.). The AHT group also demonstrated a higher RH incidence involving all three retinal layers compared to the NVD group (60% vs 0.6%, resp. [P Conclusions AHT and NVD share similar retinal findings, but they also have unique differentiators. In our subjects, AHT presented with more severe retinal findings than NVD, including larger RH size, a higher percentage involving all three retinal layers, a higher percentage of vitreous hemorrhages, and higher RH grading scale scores. Also, NVD retinal hemorrhages resolved quickly, within 4 weeks of birth in 95% of the patients.
Contrast-enhanced US Assessment of Focal Liver Lesions in Children

The authors review the composition, physiologic properties, and safety profile of US contrast agents; describe their technique for performing contrast-enhanced US; and highlight the advantages of using this modality to assess common focal liver lesions in children.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver biomarkers and stroke risk: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort.

Background and purpose Liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but little is known about its relationship with ischemic stroke. Methods In the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort of 30,239 American black and white adults, we assessed baseline NAFLD as fatty liver index (FLI) >60, and assessed liver biomarkers aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and the AST/ALT ratio and risk of incident ischemic stroke over 5.8 years using a case-cohort study design. Results Considering 572 strokes and a 1,017-person cohort sample, NAFLD was inversely associated with stroke risk in men (HR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.96), as was being in the highest ALT quintile versus the lowest (HR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.78) and the highest versus lowest GGT quintile (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.85), but not in women. Conversely, FLI score above the 90th percentile was associated with increased stroke risk among women (HR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.14–4.47), but not men. AST was not associated with stroke risk in either sex. AST/ALT ratio >2 was strongly associated with increased stroke risk in whites, but not blacks (HRs: 3.64; 95% CI: 1.42–9.35 and 0.97; 95% CI: 0.45–1.99, respectively; p for interaction = 0.03). Conclusions The relationships between NAFLD, liver biomarkers, and ischemic stroke are complex, and sex and race differences we observed require further study and confirmation.
Measuring the Global Substrate Specificity of Mycobacterial Serine Hydrolases Using a Library of Fluorogenic Ester Substrates.

Among the proteins required for lipid metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis are a significant number of uncharacterized serine hydrolases, especially lipases and esterases. Using a streamlined synthetic method, a library of immolative fluorogenic ester substrates was expanded to better represent the natural lipidomic diversity of Mycobacterium. This expanded fluorogenic library was then used to rapidly characterize the global structure activity relationship (SAR) of mycobacterial serine hydrolases in M. smegmatis under different growth conditions. Confirmation of fluorogenic substrate activation by mycobacterial serine hydrolases was performed using nonspecific serine hydrolase inhibitors and reinforced the biological significance of the SAR. The hydrolases responsible for the global SAR were then assigned using gel-resolved activity measurements, and these assignments were used to rapidly identify the relative substrate specificity of previously uncharacterized mycobacterial hydrolases. These measurem...
Therapeutic lithium-related cardiac conduction disturbance in a previously healthy patient: a case report.

A case is presented in which a 37-year-old female with bipolar affective disorder, no known cardiac problem, and treated successfully with lithium for over 1 year developed significant sinoatrial node block, which resolved in less than 24 hours upon discontinuation of lithium
Terror-Stricken Yogi as a Commissar (1919)

The present chapter aims to give a short account of the Hungarian Commune. A cursory examination of what caused it and what brought Bela Kun to power is followed by a discussion of Lenin’s hopes and disappointments about the event which reveals, incidentally, what Lenin actually thought about the nature of his own regime. Finally, Lukacs’ role in this historic enterprise is described.
Religion of Doubt

A review of Ian Buruma, "Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents," (Princeton, 2010).Liberal democracy and religion enjoy a strained relationship, Ian Buruma writes in "Taming the Gods," because democracy is about "resolving conflicting interests through negotiation and compromise," while religion claims to represent "absolute or divine truth" and therefore cannot compromise. Democracies, he says, must find a way "to stop irrational passions from turning violent" and to prevent "religious irrationality from interfering with rational inquiry." Because Buruma regards the claim to absolute truth as the quintessential characteristic of any religion, the main opposition one finds in his book is not really between religion and democracy but between certainty and doubt. At the outset of the book, Buruma compares some political ideologies to religious beliefs and notes the danger that arises when "the state claims to be the source of absolute truth." Such claims, he writes, "are always lethal, whether they are enforced by commissars or by priests." Democracy is different: "It is not the task of a liberal democratic state to provide answers to the deeper questions about life, let alone impose metaphysical beliefs on its citizens." Well, yes — and no.