cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Contributions of Rational Choice: A Defense of Pluralism

In “Rigor or Rigor Mortis? Rational Choice and Security Studies,” Stephen Walt warns of the dangers to the aeld of security studies that are in store “if formal theory were to dominate security studies as it has other areas of political science.”1 He backs up these warnings by evaluating published formal work in the aeld according to seemingly reasonable criteria, anding that the gain in rigor inherent in formal work is not sufacient to offset its empirical, creative, and policy-relevance weaknesses. Although Walt ends with a plea for diversity (p. 48), the overall structure of his argument puts rational choice on trial, ands it lacking yet threatening to become dominant, and does little to serve the purpose of encouraging pluralism. As a consumer rather than producer of sophisticated formal theory, I and Walt’s critique of formal work off target and his worries about its imminent hegemony unfounded. My own work, as well as that of many other scholars, has beneated enormously from the theorizing of those who have better technical skills and the ability to work through complex mathematical models. The aeld of security studies would be severely impoverished if formal work were discouraged. In this response, I make three arguments. The arst is to highlight a signal strength of formal work that Walt neglects: its ability to generate linked, coherent sets of propositions and insights. Walt’s analysis focuses entirely on individual, isolated hypotheses, anding them lacking in originality, empirical support, or policy relevance. This approach misses the importance of theory in providing insights that are logically connected to one another in an integrated analytical framework, a necessary condition for progress in social science. Second, I address the beneats of formalizing the insights of informal
The choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis karyotype revealed by the genome sequence: Telomere-linked helicase genes resemble those of some fungi

The ∼42 Mbp assembled genome sequence for the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis reveals that most of the large scaffolds of 300–2,600 kb represent entire chromosomes or chromosome arms. Telomeres are partially assembled at the termini of 37 scaffolds, while another 43 scaffolds end in telomere-associated regions containing distinctive gene sets. Potential centromeric regions were identified on 39 scaffolds. Together, these observations suggest a karyotype of ∼40 metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes averaging 1 Mbp in size. Genes encoding RecQ family DNA helicases, along with ankyrin-domain proteins and serine/threonine kinases, are associated with most telomeres, a feature shared with some fungi. This telomere-linked helicase gene arrangement might be ancestral to both fungi and choanoflagellates in the super-kingdom Opisthokonta; however, the great lability of telomere architecture suggests that it could also be a convergent feature.
Long Bone Articular and Diaphyseal Structure in Old World Monkeys and Apes. II: Estimation of Body Mass

Body mass estimation equations are gen- erated from long bone cross-sectional diaphyseal and ar- ticular surface dimensions in 176 individuals and 12 spe- cies of hominoids and cercopithecoids. A series of comparisons is carried out to determine the best body mass predictors for each of several taxonomic/locomotor groupings. Articular breadths are better predictors than articular surface areas, while cross-sectional shaft strengths are better predictors than shaft external breadths. Percent standard errors of estimate (%SEEs) and percent prediction errors for most of the better pre- dictors range between 10 -20%. Confidence intervals of equations using sex/species means are fairly representa- tive of those calculated using individual data, except for sex/species means equations with very low %SEEs (under about 10%), where confidence intervals (CIs) based on individuals are likely to be larger. Given individual vari- ability, or biological "error," this may represent a lower limit of precision in estimating individual body masses. In general, it is much more preferable to determine at least broad locomotor affinities, and thus appropriate modern reference groups, before applying body mass estimation equations. However, some structural dimensions are less sensitive to locomotor distinctions than others; for exam- ple, proximal tibial articular M-L breadth is apparently "locomotor blind" regarding body mass estimation within the present study sample. In other cases where locomotor affiliation is uncertain, mean estimates from different ref- erence groups can be used, while for some dimensions no estimation should be attempted. The techniques are illus- trated by estimating the body masses of four fossil anthro- poid specimens of Proconsul nyanzae, Proconsul heseloni, Morotopithecus bishopi, and Theropithecus oswaldi .A m J Phys Anthropol 120:16 -37, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
One cigarette is one too many: evaluating a light smoker-targeted media campaign

Background Light smokers represent an increasing share of adult smokers in various parts of the world including New York City (NYC). Since 2007, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has aired hard-hitting antitobacco media campaigns paired with time-limited nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) giveaways. We evaluated an original antitobacco media campaign, developed to increase awareness of smoking risks and encourage cessation service use among light smokers in NYC. Methods We compared cessation service request volume during the campaign to historical periods without ads targeting light smokers. We used a cross-sectional online panel survey to assess the ad9s perceived effectiveness and its impact on learning something new, quit intentions and concern for smoking-related health risks among non-daily, light daily and heavy daily smokers. Results The proportion of light smokers among smokers requesting cessation services increased 50% (from 13% to 20%) relative to previous time-limited NRT giveaways. Compared to heavy daily smokers, non-daily (aOR: 1.95, p Conclusions This study provides evidence that light smokers were receptive to a targeted antitobacco message encouraging use of cessation services. The campaign appears to have been particularly effective in increasing smoking-related health concerns in this group. The lack of difference in perceived ad effectiveness by smoker type suggests the potential to develop such ads without sacrificing broad impact.
Complications Following Injection of Soft-Tissue Fillers

Background: Soft-tissue filler injection is a very common procedure in the United States. Although the safety profile is favorable, adverse events (AE) can occur, ranging from mild to severe in intensity. Objectives: The authors performed a literature search to identify the facial sites most prone to severe complications. They review the course of these complications and discuss preventive measures. Methods: The National Library of Medicine, the Cochrane Library, and Ovid MEDLINE were searched, and relevant articles (published through August 2012) were retrieved based on prespecified inclusion criteria. The complications reviewed were limited to “severe” events, such as soft-tissue necrosis, filler embolization, visual impairment, and anaphylaxis. The filler materials included were those approved by the US Food and Drug Administration at the time of this study. Results: Forty-one articles, representing 61 patients with severe complications, were identified. Data collected from these case reports included filler type, injection site, complication site, symptom interval, symptom of complication, time to therapy, modality of treatment, and outcome. The most common injection site for necrosis was the nose (33.3%), followed by the nasolabial fold (31.2%). Blindness was most often associated with injection of the glabella (50%). An estimated incidence of 0.0001% for developing a severe complication was calculated by reviewing society-based filler data and case reports within same time period. Conclusions: Although soft-tissue fillers are a popular choice for minimally invasive rejuvenation of the face, physicians should be aware of the serious potential adverse effects, recognize their presentations, and have appropriate treatments readily available.
New thiol-responsive mono-cleavable block copolymer micelles labeled with single disulfides

Thiol-responsive symmetric triblock copolymers having single disulfide linkages in the middle blocks (called mono-cleavable block copolymers, ss-ABP(2)) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of a disulfide-labeled difunctional Br-initiator. These brush-like triblock copolymers consist of a hydrophobic polyacrylate block having pendent oligo(propylene oxide) and a hydrophilic polymethacrylate block having pendent oligo(ethylene oxide). Gel permeation chromatography and (1)H NMR results confirmed the synthesis of well-defined mono-cleavable block copolymers and revealed that polymerizations were well controlled. Because of amphiphilic nature, these copolymers self-assembled to form colloidally stable micelles above critical micellar concentration of 0.032 mg · mL(-1). In response to reductive reactions, disulfides in thiol-responsive micelles were cleaved. Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis suggested that the cleavage of disulfides caused dissociation of micelles to smaller-sized assembled structures in water. Moreover, in a biomedical perspective, the mono-cleavable block copolymer micelles are not cytotoxic and thus biocompatible.
Optimization of the peaking current source

An integrated-current reference is presented which is extremely simple but can be designed for enhanced supply voltage independence or temperature independence. The conditions for optimum circuit biasing are developed and presented in a way to enable the circuit designer to optimize the circuit for supply voltage independence, temperature independence, or both under a certain condition. The circuit is simulated using SPICE and experimental data is taken from an operating prototype. This circuit provides a reasonably stable current reference with very little penalty in the circuit layout area over a simple mirror-type current source which has no regulation capability.
Association of impaired functional status at hospital discharge and subsequent rehospitalization.

Federally mandated pay-for-performance initiatives promote minimizing 30-day hospital readmissions to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs. Although the reasons for readmissions are multifactorial, many patients are readmitted for a condition other than their initial hospital admitting diagnosis.1 Impairments in functional status experienced during acute care hospitalization contribute to patients being discharged in a debilitated state and being vulnerable to postdischarge complications and potentially hospital read-mission.2 As such, decreased functional status may be an important and potentially modifiable risk factor for acute care hospital readmission.3 Previous studies have suggested that impaired functional status may be an important predictor of rehospitalization.4–7 However, inferences from existing studies are limited because they did not consider functional status as their primary focus, they only considered specific patient populations (eg, stroke) or readmissions occurring well beyond the 30-day period defined by federal pay-for-performance standards.4–6,8–10 Our objective was to evaluate the association between functional status near the time of discharge from acute care hospital and 30-day readmission for patients admitted to an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility. As a secondary objective, we sought to investigate the relationship between functional status and readmission by diagnostic category (medical, neurologic, or orthopedic).
A multi-band antenna for potential 700 MHz handheld device applications

This paper presents a single feed small size multi-frequency band antenna. The antenna is composed of several folded conducting strips and an L-shaped ground plane. Simulated and measured results show that in addition to a lower frequency band for 700 MHz band wireless applications, the antenna can operate at higher frequency bands of GSM/800/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 and the antenna feature high radiation efficiency with compact size.
Sex differences in the incidence of certain congenital malformations: a review of the literature and some new data.

Percentages of males with selected congenital malformations reported in a large number of studies have been tabulated and analyzed. Males more often than females have been reported to have congenital hydrocephalus, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, esophageal defects, omphalocele, anorectal defects, polydactyly, syndactyly, reduction deformities, and plantar flexion foot defects. More females have been reported to have anencephaly, spina bifida, cleft palate, simple umbilical hernia, and dorsal flexion and inward rotational foot defects. Down's syndrome has been reported more frequently in males in studies that included older patients and more frequently in females in studies restricted to newborn populations. Sources of data also appear to be related to interstudy variations in sex ratios of anencephaly, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and isolated cleft palate. It is suggested that unequal sex-specific risks of death (prenatal in the case of anencephaly) account for the observed variations in the reported sex ratios of these malformations.
Design Tradeoffs for Embedded Network Processors

Demands for flexible processing have moved general-purpose processing into the data path of networks. With the development of System-On-a-Chip technology, it is possible to put a number of processors with memory and I/O components on a single ASIC. We present a performance model of such a system and show how the number of processors, cache sizes, and the tradeoffs between the use of on-chip SRAM and DRAM can be optimized in terms of computation per unit chip area for a given workload. Based on a telecommunications benchmark the results of such an optimization are presented and design tradeoffs for Systems-on-a-Chip are identified and discussed.
High-accuracy attitude control of satellites in elliptic orbits

A class of feedback attitude-control systems which efficiently result in high-accuracy (≲10−4 radians), Earth-pointing motions of satellites of different configurations in elliptic orbits is developed. Gas jets provide the control torque. The state of the attitude motion is assumed to be completely known. Linear differential equations, which have time-varying coefficients and include terms for the gravity torque due to an oblate Earth and terms for the aerodynamic torque, are used to describe the attitude motion when the satellite is practically Earth-pointing. Pontryagin's maximum principle, the necessary conditions for exact solutions of optimal bounded-phase-coordinate problems, and guidelines obtained from the minimum-fuel attitude controls devised for single-axis systems are used in the development. The motions of somestable and someunstable satellites with the developed attitude-control systems are simulated on an analog computer. The overall control system, which is reliable as well as efficient, is simple to realize.
Revisiting search task difficulty: Behavioral and individual difference measures

Search task characteristics are recognized as important factors that affect search process and its outcomes. We examine the relationships among operational measures of searcher's behavior, individual cognitive differences, subjective task difficulty and mental effort assessed by dual-task performance. A web-based information study was conduced in a controlled experimental setting. Forty eight study participants performed six search tasks of varying type and structure. Subjective task difficulty was found to be influenced by the searcher's effort measured as the number of result pages and individual documents visited, the number of documents marked as relevant, as well as by individual cognitive differences, and mental effort assessed by performance on the secondary task. In contrast to previous studies, no strong effects of user navigation graph structure were found.
Empirical Reflections on Academic Training Programs in Counseling Psychology Contexts and Commitments

The three main articles in the Major Contribution of the September issue of The Counseling Psychologist address academic training programs in counseling psychology, focusing on their institutional contexts and commitments. Each article examines one key issue, provides empirical data concerning this issue, and traces the practical implications of these data for future research, training, or policymaking in the field of counseling psychology.
A resolution-reconfigurable 5-to-10b 0.4-to-1V power scalable SAR ADC

Applications such as sensor networks and medical monitoring often require ADCs that can digitize signals with varying bandwidth and dynamic range requirements. In energy-constrained systems, it is beneficial to adapt the ADC performance to the signal to avoid consuming power on unnecessary bandwidth or accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents a single reconfigurable SAR ADC whose power scales with resolution and sample rate to improve energy efficiency, while reducing system complexity and cost.
Calibration and applications of polarization-correlating radiometers

Hardware and associated software for nonmechanical rotation of the polarization basis of a dual linearly polarized cross-correlating radiometer are demonstrated. The technique requires precise measurement of two orthogonal-mode antenna temperatures along with cross-correlation of the two orthogonal-mode field amplitudes. Collectively, these are the first three Stokes parameters. A polarized blackbody load was developed for accurate calibration of the orthogonal-mode and cross-correlating channels. Using the hardware, rotation of the radiometer antenna's polarization basis by a matrix transformation was demonstrated by 91.65 GHz near-Brewster-angle scans of a polarizing water surface. The experimental results demonstrate the viability of the rotation technique and suggest practical calibration schemes for airborne and spaceborne polarimetric radiometers. Application of the rotation technique in mechanically scanned polarization-sensitive imaging radiometers will eliminate polarization coupling inherent in conventional fixed-feed dual-polarization scanner designs. >
Uncompensated Care Burden May Mean Financial Vulnerability For Rural Hospitals In States That Did Not Expand Medicaid

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act has led to a large decrease in the number of uninsured people. Yet uncompensated care will still occur, particularly in states where eligibility for Medicaid is not expanded. We compared rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states in terms of the amount of uncompensated care they provided and their profitability and market characteristics in 2013. We found that rural hospitals in expansion states provided more dollars of uncompensated care than those in nonexpansion states and that the difference was at least partly driven by greater uncompensated costs associated with public programs such as Medicaid. We found higher dollar values of unrecoverable debt and charity care among non-critical access rural hospitals in nonexpansion states than among those in expansion states. Compared to hospitals in expansion states, those in nonexpansion states provided greater amounts of uncompensated care as a percentage of revenues and appeared to be more financially vulnerable; thus, these hospitals may be more likely to experience financial pressure or losses. Policy makers need to formulate strategies for maintaining access to care for rural populations residing in nonexpansion states.
Mixed-initiative visual analytics using task-driven recommendations

Visual data analysis is composed of a collection of cognitive actions and tasks to decompose, internalize, and recombine data to produce knowledge and insight. Visual analytic tools provide interactive visual interfaces to data to support discovery and sensemaking tasks, including forming hypotheses, asking questions, and evaluating and organizing evidence. Myriad analytic models can be incorporated into visual analytic systems at the cost of increasing complexity in the analytic discourse between user and system. Techniques exist to increase the usability of interacting with analytic models, such as inferring data models from user interactions to steer the underlying models of the system via semantic interaction, shielding users from having to do so explicitly. Such approaches are often also referred to as mixed-initiative systems. Sensemaking researchers have called for development of tools that facilitate analytic sensemaking through a combination of human and automated activities. However, design guidelines do not exist for mixed-initiative visual analytic systems to support iterative sensemaking. In this paper, we present candidate design guidelines and introduce the Active Data Environment (ADE) prototype, a spatial workspace supporting the analytic process via task recommendations invoked by inferences about user interactions within the workspace. ADE recommends data and relationships based on a task model, enabling users to co-reason with the system about their data in a single, spatial workspace. This paper provides an illustrative use case, a technical description of ADE, and a discussion of the strengths and limitations of the approach.
Buffalo Creek Prevents Legal Writing Class Disaster

Legal writing professors have the constant challenge of narrowing the gap between the study of law and the practice of law. Using The Buffalo Creek Disaster or a similar work is an excellent way to address this challenge.
Multifaceted Material Substitution: The Case of NdFeB Magnets, 2010–2015

Substitution is an important response for material users when faced with disruption to the availability or price of an essential material. In economic terms, substitution refers to the ability of firms to alter their patterns of material use in response to exogenous market shocks. Substitution comes in different forms which vary from situation to situation. This paper uses expert opinion to identify the specific forms of substitution that occurred in permanent magnets, specifically neodymium–iron–boron magnets, following the significant increase in rare earth prices in 2010–2011. The paper provides a framework for understanding the multifaceted nature of substitution and assesses the relative importance of five different types of substitution. Technology-for-element, grade-for-grade, and system-for-system substitution appear to have been more important than element-for-element and magnet-for-magnet substitution. Cost pass-through and absorption were also important responses.
Trends in Off-Label Use of Second-Generation Antipsychotics in the Medicare Population From 2006 to 2012

Objective:The study evaluated trends in the off-label use of second-generation antipsychotics in the Medicare population, a practice that has been identified as lacking adequate supporting evidence for many indications.Methods:Medicare claims data from 2006 to 2012 were used to identify beneficiaries who filled at least one prescription for any second-generation antipsychotic. Any use that was not associated with a medical claim for an approved indication in a given year was classified as off-label use. Rates of off-label use and of diagnoses associated with off-label use were compared over time. Fill counts standardized for 30-day supply and costs were compared by type of use.Results:On the basis of a sample of 490,314 patient-years, the rate of off-label use among beneficiaries prescribed a second-generation antipsychotic declined from 51% to 45%. Fill counts were 16% lower for off-label users compared with on-label users. Off-label users had higher out-of-pocket costs but lower total costs for second-g...
Controlled Study on Laparoscopy and Open Surgery Repair for Gastroduodenal Ulcer Perforation

Objective To compare the clinical effect of laparoscopic and open surgery repair in the treatment of gastroduodenal ulcer perforation. Methods The clinical data of 32 cases with gastroduodenal ulcer perforation receiving laparoscopic repair(laparoscopy group) and 39 cases receiving open surgery repair(open surgery group) were retrospectively controlled and analyzed. Results Compared with open surgery group,the laparoscopy group had smaller intraoperative blood loss,less postoperative time of the recovery of intestinal peristalsis,shorter hospitalization time and fewer incidence of complications,but higher hospitalization payment(all P 0.01) . The operation time had no significant difference between two groups(P 0.05) . Conclusions Laparoscopic repair for gastroduodenal ulcer perforation has the advantages of less trauma,faster postoperative recovery,fewer postoperative complications etc.,it can be used as the first choice in most patients with gastroduodenal ulcer perforation.
Experiment with hydration and hardening of mixture of slag-fly ash and cementitious materials

Hydration products, microstructure and strength of slag-fly ash mixed with cementitious materials were measured and analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy etc. Composition and microstructure of hydration products were determined. Hydration and strength characteristics of slag-fly ash mixed cementitious materials were revealed. Results indicated that under the action of excitation agent, surface hydrolysis took place on the glass body firstly and hydration reaction of slag occurred. Then pozzolanic reaction of fly ash took place. Main compositions of hydration products for slag-fly ash mixed with cementitious materials were gelationous hydrated calcium silicate. Net-shaped microstructure in cementitious stone was similar to oil well cement stone. With the increase of curing time, the strength of cementitious stone increases continually in later period.
Isoelectric focusing of tyrosine hydroxylase

Tyrosine hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.2), catalyzes the conversion of L-tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), which is generally regarded as the rate limiting reaction in catecholamine synthesis. The activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is regulated by cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation processes both in vitro (Weiner, et al., 1977; Ames, et al., 1978; Yamauchi and Fujisawa, 1979) and in situ (Harris, et al., 1974; Goldstein, et al., 1976; Patrick and Barchas, 1976; Weiner, et al., 1977; Waymire, et al., 1979). In addition, results from a variety of biochemical studies indicate that total TH activity may be determined by the relative catalytic activities of different molecular forms of the enzyme (Musacchio, et al., 1971; Kuczenski, 1973; Joh and Reis, 1975; Raese, et al., 1977; Weiner, et al., 1977; Nagatsu, et al., 1978). Furthermore, the relative proportions of the less active and more active forms of TH may determine the potential degree of TH activation which can be elicited during studies of stress. For example, Masserano and Weiner (1979) found that the adrenal supernatant of non-stressed rats contains two components of TH activity which exhibit distinct kinetic properties, a component with a high affinity for cofactor and a component with a lower affinity for cofactor.
Measurements of three-dimensional, local subcooled flow boiling heat flux and related critical heat flux for PFCs

The optimized design of one-side-heated plasma-facing components (PFC) is dependent on knowing the local distribution of inside wall heat flux in the flow channels. The local inside wall heat flux can be obtained from selectively chosen local PFC wall temperatures close to the inside boundary of the flow channel. To this end, three-dimensional thermal measurements for a one-side-heated monoblock were made and show: (1) the three-dimensional variation of the wall temperature close to both the heated and fluid-solid surface boundaries, (2) the resultant effects of local subcooled flow boiling on the 3-D wall temperature/outside heat flux relationship --one of which is the 3-D wall temperature profile is almost unchanged in the vicinity for incident heat flux levels between the onset to fully developed boiling and CHF, and (3) the occurrence of local CHF and local post-CHF. The monoblock has a 180.0 mm heated length, has a 10.0 mm inside diameter, and has a circular-like cross-section with a 30.0 mm nominal outside diameter.
Stream of Variation Modeling and Analysis for Multistage Manufacturing Processes

Variability arises in multistage manufacturing processes (MMPs) from a variety of sources. Variation reduction demands data fusion from product/process design, manufacturing process data, and quality measurement. Statistical process control (SPC), with a focus on quality data alone, only tells half of the story and is a passive method, taking corre
Mitigating (and exploiting) test reduction slippage

Reducing the size of tests, typically by delta debugging or a related algorithm, is a critical component of effective automated testing and debugging. Automatically generated or user-submitted tests are often far longer than required, full of unnecessary components that make debugging difficult. Test reduction algorithms automatically remove components of such tests, while preserving the property that the test fails. Unfortunately, reduction can sometimes transform a failing test that detects a subtle, critical, and previously unknown fault into a test that detects a trivial-to-find, unimportant, and already known fault. When reducing a test detecting fault(s) F produces a test that does not detect the same F, this is known as slippage. In the case where an interesting fault slips to an uninteresting fault, slippage is a problem, and must be avoided. However, slippage can also be beneficial, when a long test can be reduced to detect a fault that has not otherwise been detected (including by the original test). While traditional delta debugging only produces one reduced test, the concept of slippage suggests an alternative approach, where the output of reduction is a set of reduced tests, in order to avoid problematic slippage and induce beneficial slippage. In this paper, we present preliminary efforts to understand slippage, and compare two approaches to slippage mitigation.
Genetic differentiation and adaptive evolution at reproductive loci in incipient Drosophila species

Accessory gland proteins (Acps) are part of the seminal fluid of male Drosophila flies. Some Acps have exceptionally high evolutionary rates and evolve under positive selection. Proper interactions between Acps and female reproductive molecules are essential for fertilization. These observations lead to suggestions that fast evolving Acps could be involved in speciation by promoting reproductive incompatibilities between emerging species. To test this hypothesis, we used population genetics data for three sibling species: D. mayaguana, D. parisiena, and D. straubae. The latter two species are morphologically very similar and show only incipient reproductive isolation. This system allowed us to examine Acp evolution at different time frames in respect to speciation and reproductive isolation. Comparing data of 14 Acp loci with data obtained for other genomic regions, we found that some Acps show extraordinarily high levels of divergence between D. mayaguana and its two sister species D. parisiena, and D. straubae. This divergence was likely driven by adaptive evolution at several loci. No fixed nucleotide differences were found between D. parisiena and D. straubae, however. Nevertheless, some Acp loci did show significant differentiation between these species associated with signs of positive selection; these loci may be involved in this early phase of the speciation process. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Abstract 2592: Anti-tumor activity of icotinib (BPI-2009H) and BPI-403B in the BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cell line

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to investigate the anti-tumor effect of BPI-2009H and BPI-403B, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in the human pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and Panc-1, in vitro and in vivo and determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the compound in mouse. Experimental Design: In vitro, human pancreatic cancer cell lines, BxPC-3 and Panc-1 were exposed to varying concentrations of BPI-2009H and BPI-403B, the concentration of compound required to inhibit growth by fifty percent (IC50) was estimated. In vivo, tumor growth inhibition of low dose BPI-2009H was tested in xenografted nude mice with BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer tumors. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was established via oral administration of low, mid and high doses to Harlan mice of both BPI-2009H and BPI-403B. Upon determination of the MTD, the in vivo efficacy of high dose BPI-2009H was evaluated via tumor growth inhibition study on xenografted nude mice with BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer tumors. Results: BPI-2009H, as a single agent, inhibited the growth of BxPC-3 cells in a dose dependent manner, with a relative IC50 value of 25.8 μM. BPI-403B, as a single agent, inhibited growth of BxPC-3 cells in a dose dependent manner as well, with a relative IC50 value of 2.7 μM. BPI-2009H and BPI-403B were tested up to 50μM in Panc-1 cells with no apparent effect at the upper limit of the study for either of the compounds. In vivo, the mice treated with BPI-403B demonstrated a statistically significant tumor growth delay, 14.3 days. 20% of the mice experienced tumor regression. The compound was well tolerated with minimal body weight loss. At low doses, BPI-2009H did not show any statistically significant tumor growth delay, but upon increasing the dose to the MTD, significant signs of anticancer activity was demonstrated, with an increase in tumor growth delay. Conclusions: The in vitro and in vivo findings show that both BPI-2009H and BPI-403B have antiproliferative effects against BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells. These compounds are both well tolerated and may prove to be an alternative option of EGFR-TKI to erlotinib treatment in pancreatic cancer cases. Citation Format: Victoria Lynn Wilde, Don Zhang, Jirong Peng, Michael A. Green, Michael N. Greco, Michael Costanzo. Anti-tumor activity of icotinib (BPI-2009H) and BPI-403B in the BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cell line. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2592. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2592
Speech-language pathologists' preferences for patient-centeredness.

Abstract Purpose Preferences for patient-centeredness is an important indicator in healthcare service delivery. However, it remains largely unexplored in the field of communication science and disorders. This study investigated speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) preferences for patient-centeredness Method The study involved a cross-sectional survey design. SLPs (n = 102) fully completed the modified Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS; Krupat et al, 2000) and also provided demographic details. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression methods. Results Mean PPOS scores indicated that SLPs value patient-centeredness. There was a strong positive correlation among sharing and caring subscales with the full-scale. Results from the linear regression modeling suggested no relationship between demographic factors and preferences for patient-centeredness. Conclusions SLPs value patient-centeredness, although there may be regional and cultural variations. Qualitative investigations may help uncover dimensions of patient-centeredness that were not captured in the PPOS scale. In addition, further research should explore congruence in preferences for patient-centeredness among SLPs and patients.
Whole Foods Market: The Deutsche Bank Report

This case follows the financial-statement forecasting decisions of a Deutsche Bank research analyst for the natural and organic retailer Whole Foods Market in May 2014. Students evaluate the associated financial ratios with the forecast to ascertain whether the industry dynamics and company strategy are consistent with the forecast. The case expressly focuses on the asset side of the balance sheet as a preview for other cases using free cash flow forecasting. The forecast exercise exposes students to the mechanics of financial statement modeling and sensitivity analysis. Using a supplementary exhibit, the case can also be used to explore techniques in firm valuation with students debating whether the analyst should recommend a “buy” or a “sell." Excerpt UVA-F-1776 Rev. Sept. 24, 2018 Whole Foods Market: The Deutsche Bank Report The latest numbers coming out of Whole Foods Market, Inc. (Whole Foods), in May 2014 took Deutsche Bank research analyst Karen Short and her team by surprise. On May 6, Whole Foods reported just $ 0.38 per share in its quarterly earnings report, missing Wall Street's consensus of $ 0.41 and cutting earnings guidance for the remainder of the year. The company's share price fell 19% to $ 38.93 the next day as Whole Foods' management acknowledged that it faced an increasingly competitive environment that could compress margins and slow expansion. The only upbeat news was the 20% increase in the company's quarterly dividend, up from $ 0.10 to $ 0.12 per share. Short and her team knew this was not the first time the market believed Whole Foods had gone stale. In 2006, Whole Foods' stock had also declined 20% over fears of slowing growth and increasing competition, but had since bounced back and outperformed both its competition and the broader market (see Exhibit1 for stock price performance). Nevertheless, it was time for Short and her team to discuss how the news altered their outlook for the company in a revised analyst report. The main point of discussion would certainly be whether Whole Foods still had a recipe for success. . . .
Opportunities for Promoting Physical Activity in Rural Communities by Understanding the Interests and Values of Community Members.

Purpose. Physical activity (PA) has well-established health benefits, but most Americans do not meet national guidelines. In southeastern Missouri, trails have been developed to increase rates of PA. Although this has had success, broad-scale interventions will be needed to improve rates further. In this study, we surveyed residents of southeastern Missouri to identify ways to improve rates of PA. Methods. We conducted a telephone survey in 2015 of adults ( ) from eight rural Missouri towns that had walking trails, regarding their activities and interests. Findings. Forty percent of respondents reported both walking and meeting PA recommendations, 29% reported walking but not meeting PA recommendations, and the remainder did not walk or did not answer. Respondents who used the trails were significantly more likely to meet PA recommendations (odds ratio = 2.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.7, 4.5). Certain values and interests that may encourage PA or draw people to trails were common. Conclusions. The group that walked but did not meet PA recommendations would be the ideal group to target for intervention, which could focus on their reported values and interests (e.g., personal relationships, being outdoors). Use of walking trails was associated with meeting PA recommendations.
Task-Specific and Functional Effects of Speed-Focused Elliptical or Motor-Assisted Cycle Training in Children With Bilateral Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background. Locomotor training using treadmills or robotic devices is commonly utilized to improve gait in cerebral palsy (CP); however, effects are inconsistent and fail to exceed those of equally...
Estimation of electric field effects on the adsorption of molecular superoxide species on Au based on density functional theory

Superoxide species are key intermediates in the oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) that occur at the cathodes of aprotic metal–air batteries. Herein we report a DFT study of the effects of an externally applied electric field (e) on the stability of various molecular superoxide species, including MO2 (M = Li, Na, K) and O2−, on gold surfaces, which shows that the stability of such species on Au electrodes can be materially affected by the presence of an electric field and solvent molecules, suggesting that such effects should be included in the first-principles modeling of cathode reactions in metal-O2 cells. In the e range of ±0.4 V A−1, the stability of MO2 species is found to vary by up to |0.4| eV on Au(111) and |0.2| eV on Au(211) in vacuo, which is larger than the field effects on the stability of O and OH, key intermediates in the ORR by hydrogen. An aprotic solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), considered here via the inclusion of explicit DMSO molecules above the Au surfaces, stabilizes all three MO2 species at zero fields and amplifies the field effects on the stability of MO2, on both Au surfaces. The variations in the stability of the molecular MO2 species with e, which have small polarizabilities, are closely approximated by the first-order Stark effect (μ0·e, where μ0 is the static surface dipole moment induced by adsorption at e = 0 V A−1). The superoxide anion (O2−) that has been identified on an under-coordinated Au site has a larger polarizability than the MOx species and a μ0 that is opposite in sign to those of the metal MO2 species, which results in larger errors by the first-order approximation, although its stability varies only moderately under positive electric fields of up to 0.4 V A−1.
Changes in adenylate cyclase activity during chondrogenesis in cultured limb mesenchyme

An in vitro assay to examine the effects of forskolin on adenylate cyclase (AC) activity and chondrogenesis in micromass cultures of mesenchymal cells derived from the distal tip of stage 25 chick limb buds is described. Forskolin activation of AC increased 6 fold in prechondrogenic cells cultured for 48 hours relative to uncultured cells at the time of cell dissociation (Day 0) and remained elevated and unchanged in differentiated cells during the remaining four days of culture. Equivalent increases occurred in cyclic AMP (cAMP) concentrations over the six day period examined. Forskolin also accelerated chondrogenesis in these cultures. Quantitative analysis of Alcian green binding to cartilage matrix showed approximately 2 fold increases in forskolin-treated cultures relative to controls on each of days 2–4 of culture. These results demonstrate that dramatic increases in the total pool of AC activity occur in prechondrogenic mesenchyme prior to overt chondrogenesis which, through increases in cAMP, may play an important role in cartilage differentiation.
Identifying Motivational Problems

This chapter covers the getting started and analysis phases of the systematic motivational design process which consist of the first five steps in the ten-step process. This overall process has wide application as evidenced by having been implemented in many different cultures and schools at all levels from kindergarten through adult continuing education and training. This process can be implemented in a highly procedural manner with detailed documentation of each step or as a general heuristic guide to thinking and planning. In formal design settings, where decisions might be reviewed, personnel assigned to the tasks might change, or modifications might be made to the instruction, it can be helpful to have documentation that explains what happened at each step. But, if you are following the process for your own course, then you might require only a few notes which will serve as reminders when you prepare to offer this course in the future. The important thing is the process represented by these steps, not the specific questions in the worksheets. As you use these worksheets, I expect that you will modify them to fit your situation. In the remainder of this chapter, each step is introduced and a detailed description of the worksheet is provided
Security: a critical quality attribute in self-adaptive systems

Self-Adaptive Systems (SAS) are revolutionizing many aspects of our society. From server clusters to autonomous vehicles, SAS are becoming more ubiquitous and essential to our world. Security is frequently a priority for these systems as many SAS conduct mission-critical operations, or work with sensitive information. Fortunately, security is being more recognized as an indispensable aspect of virtually all aspects of computing systems, in all phases of software development. Despite the growing prominence in security, from computing education to vulnerability detection systems, it is just another concern of creating good software. Despite how critical security is, it is a quality attribute like other aspects such as reliability, stability, or adaptability in a SAS.
Variability in annual temperature cycle in the urban areas of the United States as revealed by MODIS imagery

Abstract Due to its large spatial coverage and frequent revisit, satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) has been recently used to explore annual temperature cycle (ATC) variations at regional and global scales. However, variability in seasonality of LSTs has not been examined in detail, particularly in urban areas where elevated temperatures are normally observed. By assuming repetitive temperature cycles, this study aims to reveal differences in ATC parameters between urban and rural areas and the impacts of surface urban heat island (UHI) on the ATC range over the continental United States. To this end, urban areas of larger than 10 km2 (a total of 1856 urban polygons) in the continental United States were identified from the map of urban extents produced by Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) nighttime light data from 2012. The corresponding rural polygons of the same size were generated by using a buffer method. The ATC parameters were optimized using a sinusoidal function fitted with the 8-day MODIS LST composite data. Results showed that urban and rural areas exhibited a significant difference, with a p-value
Biocompatible G-Quadruplex/Hemin for Enhancing Antibacterial Activity of H2O2

The G-quadruplex/hemin (G/H) complex has been broadly used in the field of bioanalytical chemistry for peroxidase-mimicking applications. The property of the G/H complex makes it possible to cataly...