cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vein Preservation: An Algorithmic Approach to Vascular Access Placement in Patients With Compromised Renal Function

Abstract Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have become ubiquitous in the current management of chronic inpatient and outpatient conditions. Many hospitals have developed practice patterns that allow placement ofPICC lines by teams of nurses at the bedside. This practice has led to a proliferation of these central venous access devices, and their use has expanded. One of the consequences of a nurse-based placement team is the decrease in physician involvement in decisions regarding the placement of PICC lines. In some settings, PICC placement can become so routine that the type of access needed or the other clinical conditions affecting an individual patient may be overlooked. One example of this problem is the situation in which a patient with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease needs venous access for a nondialysis reason, such as antibiotics, cancer therapy, or total parenteral nutrition. The author discusses ramifications of this problem as well as ways to reduce the chances of mistakes.
Computer aided stress analysis of long bones utilizing computed tomography

A computer aided analysis method has been developed which utilizes computed tomography (CT) and a finite element (FE) computer program to determine the stress-displacement pattern in a long bone section. The CT data file provides the geometry, the apparent density and the elastic properties for the three-dimensional FE model. A developed pre-processor generates the FE model of a human diaphyseal tibia section which is then analyzed by the SAP IV finite element program. The results obtained are sorted and displayed by a developed post-processor and compared with stresses and deformations from the literature. The model generation method was verified by applying it to a model of simple geometry and boundary conditions, then comparing the results with the analytical solution of the same problem. The convergence behavior of nodal displacements was tested as a function of mesh refinement. This method provides an automatic, versatile, non-invasive and accurate tool of long bone modeling for finite element stress analysis.
Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students: An Investigation of Factor Structure:

Teacher selection of gifted children is a frequently used but inadequately evaluated identification method, often appreciated for its apparent relevance to children's educational functioning but criticized for its ineffectiveness in identifying the gifted. As an attempt to improve teachers' identification of giftedness, more objective and empirical instruments such as the Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Children (SRBCSS) (Renzulli, Hartman, & Callahan, 1971) have been developed. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the factor-analytic structure of the SRBCSS to determine whether the factors found are similar to the behavioral dimensions (i.e., Learning, Motivation, Creativity, and Leadership) that the SRBCSS purports to assess. The results suggest that there are 5 dimensions being assessed by the SRBCSS. The significance of these results, descriptions of each factor, and recommended research are discussed.
Neuropsychology of Alcoholism

Numerous cognitive deficits characterize individuals who have a history of chronic alcohol abuse. Impairments in memory, abstracting ability, motor efficiency, visuospatial integration, and learning capacity are reported frequently in such individuals.1–3 Within the population of “social” drinkers, neuropsychologic capacity correlates negatively with alcohol consumption variables,4,5 suggesting that the threshold for neurologic disruption may be lower than is commonly realized. These findings, coupled with the fact that society is becoming progressively more complex and hence requires increasingly more sophisticated functions to be performed by its constitutents, indicates that the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages not only has an adverse influence on the individual’s potential for adjustment, but also hinders the general welfare and progress of society.
On scheduling of peer-to-peer video services

Peer-to-peer (P2P) video systems provide a cost-effective way for a large number of hosts to collaborate for video sharing. Two features characterize such a system: 1) a video is usually available on many participating hosts, and 2) different hosts typically have different sets of videos, though some may partially overlap. From a client's perspective, it can be served by any host having the video it requests. From a server's perspective, it be used to serve any client requesting the videos it has. Thus, an important question is, which servers should be used to serve which clients in the system? In this paper, we refer to this problem as service scheduling and show that different matches between clients and servers can result in significantly different system performance. Finding a right server for each client is challenging not only because a client can choose only the servers that are within its limited search scope, but also because clients arrive at different times, which are not known a priori. In this paper, we address these challenges with a novel technique called Shaking. While the proposed technique makes it possible for a client to be served by a server that is beyond the client's own search scope, it is able to dynamically adjust the match between the servers and their pending requests as new requests arrive. Our performance study shows that our new technique can dynamically balance the system workload and significantly improve the overall system performance
Properties of Signature Change Patterns

Understanding function signature change properties and evolution patterns is important for researchers concerned with alleviating signature change impacts, understanding software evolution, and predicting future evolution patterns. We provide detailed signature change properties by analyzing seven software project histories to reveal multiple properties of signature changes, including their kind, frequency, correlation with other changes, number of parameter changes, and evolution patterns of signature change kinds. We show that signature changes can be used as measurement aid for software evolution analysis.
Ethnic and Racial Health Disparities Research: Issues and Problems

Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care are pervasive. A number of research and policy issues have been raised in the examination of disparities. This article analyzes some methodological, conceptual, and political issues that underlie disparities research. Specifically examined are the research challenges posed by the different ways of defining disparities, heterogeneity within racial or ethnic groups, measurement issues, conceptual levels of analyses, and financial/political factors. It is suggested that research funding for disparities research be substantially supported and encouraged and that researchers more adequately address methodological and conceptual difficulties that are associated with disparities research.
Determination of RAPD markers in rice and their conversion into sequence tagged sites (STSs) and STS-specific primers.

We produced 102 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers mapped on all 12 chromosomes of rice using DNAs of cultivars Nipponbare (japonica) and Kasalath (indica) and of F2 population generated by a single cross of these parents. Sixty random primers 10 nucleotides long were used both singly and in random pairs and about 1,400 primer-pairs were tested. Using both agarose gel and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis enabled us to detect polymorphisms appearing in the range from <100 bp to 2 kb. The loci of the RAPD markers were determined onto the framework of our RFLP linkage map and some of these markers were mapped to regions with few markers. Out of the 102 RAPD markers, 20 STSs (sequence-tagged sites) and STS-specific primer pairs were determined by cloning, identifying and sequencing of the mapped polymorphic fragments.
Abstract 158: Role of Prorenin Receptor in the Enhancement of Renin Activity in the Urine of Diabetic Patients

High prorenin levels in the circulation are associated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy and microvascular changes in diabetes. In spite of high plasma prorenin, the urine of diabetes mellitus patients exhibits very low pH and contains high levels of “active” renin, but low levels of prorenin. Prorenin binding to the prorenin receptor (PRR) results in non-proteolytic activation of prorenin and stimulation of intracellular synthesis of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). Furthermore, the PRR cytosolic domain is associated with the vacuolar H+-ATPase, which is involved in acid-base homeostasis by renal intercalated cells. In diabetes, the collecting duct is the major source of prorenin and PRR is upregulated in the kidneys of diabetic rats. We examined the relationships among urine levels of renin (uRen), prorenin (uPro), soluble PRR (sPRR) and TGF-β (uTGF-β) in 93 subjects, including non-diabetes mellitus (Non-DM: n=64); and type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM; n=29) patients. Urine albumin (uAlb), creatinine (uCr) and pH were also assessed. DM patients showed higher uRen levels (DM: 81±21 vs Non-DM: 29±4.5 ng AngI/mL/hr; p
Agricultural Economics in the Decade Ahead

In this article the author outlines the challenges and opportunities facing agricultural economists in the next 10 years. He first specifies the scope of the field of agricultural economics, then presents data on the distribution of experiment station and USDA research among 12 subfields within agricultural economics. This is followed by suggested five-year increases in agricultural economics research in the USDA; these increases are based on discussions of the Committee on Agricultural Sciences and of USDA agencies. The author expresses the belief that too much of our research in the past has been of a nonadditive nature. For the decade ahead, he presents a plea for us to visualize and plan research so that the various components can in fact be joined together into useful analyses of complex problems.
Where the Engineers Are

Although there is widespread concern in the United States about the growing technological capacity of India and China, the nation actually has little reliable information about the future engineering workforce in these countries. U.S. political leaders prescribe remedies such as increasing U.S. engineering graduation rates to match the self-proclaimed rates of emerging competitors. Many leaders attribute the increasing momentum in outsourcing by U.S. companies to shortages of skilled workers and to weaknesses in the nation's education systems, without fully understanding why companies outsource. Many people within and beyond government also do not seem to look ahead and realize that what could be outsourced next is research and design, and the United States stands to lose its ability to "invent" the next big technologies. At the Pratt School of Engineering of Duke University, we have been studying the impact of globalization on the engineering profession. Among our efforts, we have sought to assess the comparative engineering education of the United States and its major new competitors, India and China; identify the sources of current U.S. global advantages; explore the factors driving the U.S. trend towards outsourcing; and learn what the United States can do to keep its economic edge. We believe that the data we have obtained, through not exhaustive represent the best information available and can help U.S. policymakers, business leaders, and educators chart future actions.
Capillary Index Score in acute ischemic stroke: interobserver reliability and correlation with neurological outcomes.

BACKGROUND Collateral blood flow has been identified as a possible factor to evaluate when predicting neurological outcomes or selecting patients for endovascular therapy in acute ischemic stroke. The Capillary Index Score (CIS) has recently been proposed as a tool to select patients with sufficient collateral blood flow for vascularization and to predict good neurological outcomes. We investigated the inter-rater agreement among reviewers of CIS and compared consensus scores to neurological outcomes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of 29 randomly selected patients undergoing endovascular therapy for an occlusion in the middle cerebral artery or intracranial internal carotid artery. Patients' angiograms were reviewed by four reviewers of varying experience levels and given a CIS ranging from 0-3. A favorable CIS was 2 or 3 and an unfavorable CIS was 0 or 1. The inter-agreement of the reviewers was calculated using the κ statistic. A consensus CIS was compared with good neurological outcome, defined as modified Rankin Scale scores (mRS≤2) at 90 days. RESULTS The agreement between reviewers for the CIS ranged from κ=0.66-0.97, indicating good to very good agreement. 92% of patients with favorable CIS had a positive neurological outcome compared to only 14% of unfavorable CIS patients. The number of patients with a favorable neurological outcome (mRS≤2) at 90 days was higher in the favorable CIS group (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS CIS was a reproducible metric among physicians of varying experiences. Favorable CIS scores were a predictor of good neurological outcome and lower rates of intracranial hemorrhage. We believe that the Capillary Index Score can be used alongside other tools to improve patient selection for endovascular treatment.
Time Course of Potassium Nitrate Penetration into the Pulp Cavity and the Effect of Penetration Levels on Tooth Whitening Efficacy.

Objectives To establish time-course of potassium nitrate (PN) penetration into the pulp cavity, and determine whether PN pretreatment would affect whitening efficacy. Materials and Methods Extracted teeth (n = 100) were randomized into five groups of 20 specimens each. Relief ACP (Philips Oral Healthcare, Los Angeles, CA, USA) was applied for 0, 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes for groups 15, respectively. A nitrate/nitrite assay kit was used for colorimetric detection of nitrate. Whitening was performed using a Zoom White Speed system (Philips Oral Healthcare) for 60 minutes. Tooth color was measured with a spectrophotometer at baseline (T0), 1-day post PN application (T1), 1-day post-whitening (T2), and 1-month post-whitening (T3). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess group differences in PN penetration and tooth color change. Results PN penetration differed among all groups except 2 and 3. There were no differences among groups for any baseline color parameters (p > 0.30). At T2 there was no change relative to baseline for individual components L*, a*, and b*. At T3 and T4 there was significant change relative to baseline for ΔL*, Δb*, and ΔE*, for all groups. Conclusions PN penetration is time dependent and pretreatment with PN does not affect whitening efficacy. Clinical Significance Postassium nitrate penetration into the pulp cavity occurred as early as 5 minutes after application, and pretreatment with potassium nitrate containing desensitizers did not adversely affect tooth whitening efficacy. (J Esthet Restor Dent, 2016)
The Effectiveness of Guided Induction versus Deductive Instruction on the Development of Complex Spanish "Gustar" Structures: An Analysis of Learning Outcomes and Processes.

Meta-analytic research suggests an edge of explicit over implicit instruction for the development of complex L2 grammatical structures, but the jury is still out as to which type of explicit instruction—deductive or inductive, where rules are respectively provided or elicited—proves more effective. Avoiding this dichotomy, accumulating research shows superior results for guided induction, in which teachers help learners co-construct rules by directing their attention to relevant aspects in the input and asking guiding questions. However, no study has jointly investigated the effects of guided induction on both learning outcomes and processes, or whether guided induction can prove effective outside classroom settings where teacher mediation is not possible. In this study, which targeted the complex Spanish gustar structures, 70 English-speaking learners of beginning Spanish received either guided induction via a videogame, deductive instruction in a traditional classroom setting, or no instruction. Learning outcomes were measured via one receptive and two controlled production tasks (oral and written) with old and new items. Results revealed that while both instruction groups improved across time, outperforming the control group, the guided induction group achieved higher learning outcomes on all productive posttests (except immediate oral production) and experienced greater retention. Additionally, the think-aloud protocols of the guided induction group revealed high levels of awareness of the L2 structure and a conspicuous activation of recently learned knowledge, which are posited to have contributed to this group’s superior performance. These findings thus illustrate, quantitatively and qualitatively, the potential of guided induction for the development of complex L2 grammar in online learning environments.
How Firm a Foundation—The Clinician’s Knowledge of Basic Medical Science

1. Lawrence F. Nazarian, MD Associate Editor As medical students, we soak up the elements of physiology eagerly as we try to understand the marvelous dynamics of human biology. Fresh from learning the basic sciences, we move into the next stage of understanding with comfort. When the long-anticipated entrance into the clinical arena becomes reality, that scientific foundation allows us to understand why patients have become ill and how we can help them. The situation is a bit different when we have been out of school for a number of years (or decades). Basic medical science has continued to advance while we have been busy treating patients. In the process of keeping up with clinical medicine, we have been exposed naturally to much of the newer physiology, but this understanding of the foundations of what we are doing has not been acquired in the systematic and thorough fashion typical of the formal training of medical school. It is …
Depressed mood in spinal cord injured patients: staff perceptions and patient realities.

This study examined the correspondence between staff ratings and patient ratings of depressed mood for 102 newly spinal cord injured persons admitted to two regional spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers. Patients rated their mood by using the Depression Adjective Check List (DACL). Treatment staff also rated each patient by completing the DACL as they thought the patient would have on the same day. Ratings were made every three weeks during a patient's stay. Results indicate that patients were generally similar to the general population in terms of self-rated depressed mood. Staff members typically overestimated levels of patients' depressed moods. Staff members' ratings did correlate significantly, although modestly, with patients' self-ratings (r = .34, p less than .001). However, staff's accuracy in estimating patient mood did not increase as a function of increased exposure to the patient or years of experience in rehabilitation.
Capillary Gas Chromatography–Atomic Emission Detection Method for the Determination of Pentylated Organotin Compounds: Interlaboratory Study

A capillary gas chromatography-atomic emission detection (GC-AED) method was developed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory in Las Vegas, NV, for determination of selected organotin compounds. Here we report on an interlaboratory study to establish whether these compounds can reliably be detected and quantitated by this method and to establish the interlaboratory precision and accuracy with currently available instrumentation. A blind, balanced-replicate design was selected for this study, based on a recommendation of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Ten laboratories volunteered for this study. Each laboratory received 5 calibration standards (pentylated organotin compounds), 3 pentylated soil or sediment extracts (prepared in our laboratory by an in situ complexation/supercritical fluid extraction method), and 1 pentylation blank. The participating laboratories analyzed the extracts according to our instructions and submitted the data to us for statistical analysis. Of 720 individual sample results, the number of outliers identified with the Cochran test was 60 (8.3%). Two laboratories accounted for most of the outliers. Results indicate that good chromatographic performance was achieved regardless of the type of injection inlet ; however, electronic pressure control was needed to achieve acceptable chromatography for tetracyclohexyltin and tetraphenyltin. The intralaboratory precisions of the GC-AED method ranged from 1.3 to 22% relative standard deviation (RSD), depending on the compound. The interlaboratory method precisions ranged from 11 to 40% RSD over the concentration range tested.
The Politics of Protest in Hybrid Regimes: Protest and Regimes

“Yeltsin-schmeltsin. What do I care so long as they don't go smashing my face against a table.” Viktor Pelevin, Generation P . The main subject of this book is political protest: a range of actions, including strikes, hunger strikes, sit-ins, blockades, occupations, marches, and other actions used by groups of people from time to time to make demands on the state or on other private people whose behavior can be influenced by the state. These are the kinds of actions known to social scientists as contentious politics . As Charles Tilly (2004) and others have shown, what kinds of contention we see in a given place depends to a significant extent on the nature of the political regime in which protest takes place, and in particular on whether the country in question is democratic and provides a high degree of legal protection for protest, or is authoritarian and does not. Protest in turn often has significant effects on the nature of the broader political regime and usually plays a major role in both transitions to democracy and in transitions away from democracy (Collier 1999, Bermeo 2003). However, in the contemporary world, many political regimes do not fit neatly within this picture of democracies that permit protest and autocracies that repress it. Instead, there are a great many countries that possess some attributes of democracy and some of autocracy; places in which protest is often allowed, but in which the state goes to considerable lengths to control, manipulate, and channel it in ways not consistent with democratic principles.
A spectroscopic case for SPSi detection: The third-row in a single molecule

In moving beyond the second row of the periodic table for molecules of astronomical and atmospheric significance, the exploration of sulfur and phosphorus chemistry is essential. Additionally, silicon is abundant in most astrophysical environments and is a major component of most rocky bodies. The triatomic molecule composed of each of these atoms is therefore a tantalizing candidate for spectroscopic characterization for astrophysical reasons as well as gaining further understanding into the chemical physics of molecules that are not carbon-based. The current work employs high-level quantum chemical techniques to provide new insights into this simplest of heterogeneous third-row atom systems. The fundamental vibrational frequencies are all within the 350-600 cm-1 range and do not demonstrate strong anharmonicities. These frequencies, rotational constants, vibrationally excited state spectroscopic data, and related isotopic substitution information produced will aid in laboratory experimentation and, even potentially, telescopic observation since modern instruments possess the power to resolve extremely fine details.
Ukrainian Schools for the Gifted

The former Soviet state of Ukraine has implemented innovative schools for the gifted, ranging from high schools and medical schools to institutions focusing on humanities and languages, with progra...
Psychometric Approaches to Cognitive Abilities and Processes

In formulating an approach to the study of intelligence and cognitive abilities that will be in harmony with present theoretical and empirical trends, I believe it is essential to build upon what has been said and done on this topic in the past. In the 80 years since Spearman’s (1904) introduction of a truly psychometric approach to intelligence, there has been much activity — an almost overwhelming outpouring of empirical findings, theory, and speculation. It would be foolhardy and indeed agio to regard all this as being for naught; surely there is much that can be depended on, much to savour and reconsider, much to guide our current efforts. But there is also the need to re-evaluate the work of the past, to consider it in the light of methodologies that have become refined and much advanced over those utilized in former days. I begin with a reassessment of past work, based largely on a series of reanalyses of previously reported studies. That is followed by an exposition of a test analysis procedure that I believe has promise for bridging the gap that has often been recognized between purely psychometric approaches and approaches from experimental cognitive psychology.
Immunoglobulin Free Light Chain Levels Predict Survival in Primary Myelofibrosis and De Novo Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Abstract 1756 Background: We hypothesized that surrogate markers of host immune response to clonal myeloproliferation predict survival in myeloid malignancies. Because of immediate applicability to current practice, we chose plasma immunoglobulin free light chain (FLC) concentration (B-cell activation marker) as the biomarker of interest. Patients and Methods: Two independent cohorts of patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) were studied. Both groups were fully annotated for karyotype. Kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) FLC were measured by a quantitative nephelometric assay. Patients with monoclonal FLC were excluded. Results: Above upper normal-limit values for κ or λ FLC was documented in 33% of 240 study patients with PMF and 46% of 74 patients with MDS. Multivariable analysis revealed significant associations between increased FLC and elevated creatinine, as well as advanced age in PMF (p=0.0004) and hemoglobin Conclusions: Elevated plasma FLC concentration predicts inferior survival in both PMF and MDS. Its lack of correlation with leukemia-free survival and tumor-specific genetic markers suggests a primarily host-driven biological phenomenon that might be applicable to other malignant and non-malignant conditions. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Students' Use of Languaging in Rewriting Events from The Things They Carried

This article describes high school students’ responses to events in the novel, The Things They Carried, leading to their collaborative rewriting to create their own narrative versions of these events. It draws on “enactivist” theory of languaging, an approach to language that focuses on its use as social actions to enact and build relationships with others (Cowley, 2011; Linell, 2009). The focus is on “in-between” meanings constituted by “shared intentionality” (Di Paolo & De Jaegher, 2012) in readers’ transactions with authors’ portrayals of events in texts as well as in responding to uses of languaging in characters’ interactions. Analysis of four students’ rewriting events from the novel indicated that they drew on their responses to the novel to portray tensions in their characters’ interactions as well as their own experiences of coping with these tensions. Students also benefitted from collaboratively creating their narratives through sharing their different perspectives on events in the texts, suggesting the value of using collaborative rewriting activities to enhance students’ literary responses and awareness of how languaging functions to enact relationships.
Why do trials for Alzheimer's disease drugs keep failing? A discontinued drug perspective for 2010-2015.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: There are dozens of drugs in development for AD with billions of dollars invested. Despite the massive investment in AD drugs and a burgeoning pipeline, there have been more setbacks and failures than treatment successes.Areas covered: The classes of drugs that have failed to date include the monoclonal antibodies, the gamma secretase inhibitors, dimebon, neurochemical enhancers, and one tau drug. Data for these compounds were sought through a PubMed search and a clinicaltrials.gov search.Expert opinion: The obvious question to be posed is: Why are they failing? Is the treatment of symptomatic dementia too late? Are the therapeutic targets incorrect? Are the clinical methodologies imprecise, misleading, or inaccurate? This review summarizes the drugs that have failed during 2010–2015 and offers possible theories as to why they have failed.
Strategic deployment of CHO expression platforms to deliver Pfizer's Monoclonal Antibody Portfolio

Development of stable cell lines for expression of large-molecule therapeutics represents a significant portion of the time and effort required to advance a molecule to enabling regulatory toxicology studies and clinical evaluation. Our development strategy employs two different approaches for cell line development based on the needs of a particular project: a random integration approach for projects where high-level expression is critical, and a site-specific integration approach for projects in which speed and reduced employee time spend is a necessity. Here we describe both our random integration and site-specific integration platforms and their applications in support of monoclonal antibody development and production. We also compare product quality attributes of monoclonal antibodies produced with a nonclonal cell pool or clonal cell lines derived from the two platforms. Our data suggests that material source (pools vs. clones) does not significantly alter the examined product quality attributes. Our current practice is to leverage this observation with our site-specific integration platform, where material generated from cell pools is used for an early molecular assessment of a given candidate to make informed decisions around development strategy. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1463-1467, 2017.
Layer dependence of the electronic band alignment of few-layer Mo S 2 on Si O 2 measured using photoemission electron microscopy

Tailoring band alignment layer-by-layer using heterojunctions of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors is an attractive prospect for producing next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices that are ultrathin, flexible, and efficient. The 2D layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) in laboratory devices have already shown favorable characteristics for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Despite these strides, a systematic understanding of how band alignment evolves from monolayer to multilayer structures is still lacking in experimental studies, which hinders development of novel devices based on TMDs. Here, we report on the local band alignment of monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ on a 285-nm-thick $\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ substrate using an approach to probe the occupied electronic states based on photoemission electron microscopy and deep-ultraviolet light. Local measurements of the vacuum level and the valence band edge at the Brillouin zone center show that the addition of layers to monolayer $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ increases the relative work function and pushes the valence band edge toward the vacuum level. We also deduced $n$-type doping of few-layer $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ and type-I band alignment across monolayer-to-bilayer and bilayer-to-trilayer lateral junctions. Conducted in isolation from environmental effects owing to the vacuum condition of the measurement and an insulating $\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ substrate, this study shows a metrology to uncover electronic properties intrinsic to $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ semiconducting layers and emerging 2D crystals alike.
Using Integrative Medicine in Pain Management: An Evaluation of Current Evidence

Complementary medicine therapies are frequently used to treat pain conditions such as headaches and neck, back, and joint pain. Chronic pain, described as pain lasting longer than 3-6 months, can be a debilitating condition that has a significant socioeconomic impact. Pharmacologic approaches are often used for alleviating chronic pain, but recently there has been a reluctance to prescribe opioids for chronic noncancer pain because of concerns about tolerance, dependence, and addiction. As a result, there has been increased interest in integrative medicine strategies to help manage pain and to reduce reliance on prescription opioids to manage pain. This article offers a brief critical review of integrative medical therapies used to treat chronic pain, including nutritional supplements, yoga, relaxation, tai chi, massage, spinal manipulation, and acupuncture. The goal of this article is to identify those treatments that show evidence of efficacy and to identify gaps in the literature where additional studies and controlled trials are needed. An electronic search of the databases of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Science Citation Index Expanded was conducted. Overall, weak positive evidence was found for yoga, relaxation, tai chi, massage, and manipulation. Strong evidence for acupuncture as a complementary treatment for chronic pain that has been shown to decrease the usage of opioids was found. Few studies were found in which integrative medicine approaches were used to address opioid misuse and abuse among chronic pain patients. Additional controlled trials to address the use of integrative medicine approaches in pain management are needed.
The Burden of Stigma on Health and Well-Being: A Taxonomy of Concealment, Course, Disruptiveness, Aesthetics, Origin, and Peril Across 93 Stigmas:

Most individuals are stigmatized at some point. However, research often examines stigmas separately, thus underestimating the overall impact of stigma and precluding comparisons across stigmatized identities and conditions. In their classic text, Social Stigma: The Psychology of Marked Relationships, Edward Jones and colleagues laid the groundwork for unifying the study of different stigmas by considering the shared dimensional features of stigmas: aesthetics, concealability, course, disruptiveness, origin, peril. Despite the prominence of this framework, no study has documented the extent to which stigmas differ along these dimensions, and the implications of this variation for health and well-being. We reinvigorated this framework to spur a comprehensive account of stigma's impact by classifying 93 stigmas along these dimensions. With the input of expert and general public raters, we then located these stigmas in a six-dimensional space and created discrete clusters organized around these dimensions. Next, we linked this taxonomy to health and stigma-related mechanisms. This quantitative taxonomy offers parsimonious insights into the relationship among the numerous qualities of numerous stigmas and health.
A range-restricted recharging station coverage model for drone delivery service planning

Abstract Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are attracting significant interest for delivery service of small packages in urban areas. The limited flight range of electric drones powered by batteries or fuel cells requires refueling or recharging stations for extending coverage to a wider area. To develop such service, optimization methods are needed for designing a network of station locations and delivery routes. Unlike ground-transportation modes, however, UAVs do not follow a fixed network but rather can fly directly through continuous space. But, paths must avoid barriers and other obstacles. In this paper, we propose a new location model to support spatially configuring a system of recharging stations for commercial drone delivery service, drawing on literature from planar-space routing, range-restricted flow-refueling location, and maximal coverage location. We present a mixed-integer programming formulation and an efficient heuristic algorithm, along with results for a large case study of Phoenix, AZ to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the model.
Flow Migrations in Software Defined Networks: Consistency, Feasibility, and Optimality

Software defined networks always need to migrate flows to update the network configuration for a better system performance. However, the existing literature does not take flow path overlapping information into consideration when flows’ routes are re-allocated. Consequently, congestion happens, resulting in deadlocks among flows and link resources, which will block the update process and cause severe packet loss. This paper resolves deadlocks with the help of spare resources during the network update. An algorithm is proposed to determine the feasibility of the consistent flow migration. We demonstrate that even if there are multiple consistent migration plans, finding the optimal one that occupies the fewest leisure bandwidth resources is NP-hard. An approximation algorithm is proposed to sequentially migrate flows in a consistent way. Extensive simulations show that our solution achieves a much smaller traffic loss rate at the cost of an affordable spare link resource usage compared to prior methods.
MULTIPHYSICAL SIMULATIONS OF THE FREEZING EFFECTS ON SOILS

This article describes the development and implementation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model to study the soil–structure interactions under frost effects. The model incorporates unsaturated soil mechanics and governing principles to establish the thermo-hydraulic coupling schema. Simulations were conducted on soil–structure interactions under freezing. A case study is presented to compare the simulation results with testing data obtained from a road section of the Strategic Highway Research Program. The boundary and initial conditions were set from field instrumentation data. The predicted subsurface environmental field was compared against the actual measured data. The results of simulation match very well with the field measured data, including both the subsurface temperature and water content distribution. This article demonstrates the power of simulation model to investigate the complex interactions between soil and infrastructure under the freezing effects.
Iron-Sulfur Clusters in Mitochondrial Enzymes

The past decade has witnessed an explosive growth in our understanding of the structures and chemical reactivities of the various Fe-S clusters in biological material. These developments have resulted in part from the application of sophisticated physical methods such as EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure), MCD, Mossbauer, and resonance Raman spectroscopy to the problem. Another advance has come from the development of synthetic analogues of the various Fe-S clusters (Holm, 1977; Ibers and Holm, 1980; Berg and Holm, 1982), and the analysis by X-ray crystallography at high resolution of the structure of the models and of some comparatively simple, low molecular weight proteins containing corresponding clusters.
The Pesticide Paradigm

The use of natural and synthetic chemicals as pesticides is an ancient agricultural practice. In 1000 B.C., Homer wrote of the pest averting sulphur. In 470 B.C., Democritus suggested that residues from the production of olive oil could be used to cure blight. The harmful effects of salt were mentioned by Xenophon in 400 B.C. and the Romans sowed their enemies’ fields with salt as continuing punishment (Smith and Secoy 1976). Mercurous chloride was first used as a fungicide for seed treatment in 1755 and Bordeaux mixture (copper sulphate, lime and water) was discovered in France in 1865. It was used to control downy mildew on grapevines. Selective control of weeds began around 1900 in France, Germany and the US using sulphates and nitrates of heavy metals. The first synthetic organic chemicals were introduced in 1932 (2-methyl-4,6-dinitrophenol for weed control) and in 1934 the first patent on dithiocarbamates as fungicides was granted.
Neuroimaging databases as a resource for scientific discovery.

NATIONAL REVIEW OF 55 OBIOLOGY, VOL. 66 Copyright 2005, Elsevier In All rights reserve 0.1016/S0074-7742(05)66002-3 0074-7742/05 $35.0 II. E xamining Cognitive Function with fMRI III. L arge-Scale Archiving of fMRI Study Data IV. T he Emergence of ‘‘Discovery Science’’ V. D ata Sharing in Neuroscience VI. T he Role of Computation in Neuroscience VII. B rain Data Repositories as a Shared Resource for Neuroscience VIII. f MRI Data Archiving, Mining, and Visualization IX. N euroinformatics—The Nexus of Brain, Computational, and Computer Sciences X. C urrent Challenges for Neuroscience Databases XI. C onclusion R eferences
Clinical Approaches to Cancer Gene Therapy

Despite significant advances in standard therapy, many types of cancer currently have no effective treatment. The search for therapies that will be effective against tumors that are unresponsive to surgical removal, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy has led to a number of innovative approaches, including gene therapy, a form of cancer biotherapy. Many gene therapies have been designed to eliminate tumors through tumor-specific properties that are different from those targeted by conventional therapy. Thus, tumors that are resistant to conventional agents could be treatable through a separate mechanism. In addition, some types of gene therapies have been shown to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and other biotherapies such that they might serve as adjunct treatment in diseases for which no one therapy is curative. Clinical trials employing gene transfer for the treatment of cancer have been underway since 1989, when the first phase 1 trial was initiated [1].
Effectiveness of a Preexternship Hospital Orientation Program for Graduate Students in Speech-Language Pathology

Purpose A preexternship hospital orientation program was developed in response to clinical externship supervisors providing feedback that students were not well prepared when entering the medical s...
Evaluating the Usefulness of Translation Technologies for Emergency Response Communication: A Scenario-Based Study.

Background: In the United States, language barriers pose challenges to communication in emergency response and impact emergency care delivery and quality for individuals who are limited English proficient (LEP). There is a growing interest among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in using automated translation tools to improve communications with LEP individuals in the field. However, little is known about whether automated translation software can be used successfully in EMS settings to improve communication with LEP individuals. Objective: The objective of this work is to use scenario-based methods with EMS providers and nonnative English-speaking users who identified themselves as LEP (henceforth referred to as LEP participants) to evaluate the potential of two automated translation technologies in improving emergency communication. Methods: We developed mock emergency scenarios and enacted them in simulation sessions with EMS personnel and Spanish-speaking and Chinese-speaking (Mandarin) LEP participants using two automated language translation tools: an EMS domain-specific fixed-sentence translation tool (QuickSpeak) and a statistical machine translation tool (Google Translate). At the end of the sessions, we gathered feedback from both groups through a postsession questionnaire. EMS participants also completed the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: We conducted a total of 5 group sessions (3 Chinese and 2 Spanish) with 12 Chinese-speaking LEP participants, 14 Spanish-speaking LEP participants, and 17 EMS personnel. Overall, communications between EMS and LEP participants remained limited, even with the use of the two translation tools. QuickSpeak had higher mean SUS scores than Google Translate (65.3 vs 48.4; P=.04). Although both tools were deemed less than satisfactory, LEP participants showed preference toward the domain-specific system with fixed questions (QuickSpeak) over the free-text translation tool (Google Translate) in terms of understanding the EMS personnel’s questions (Chinese 11/12, 92% vs 3/12, 25%; Spanish 12/14, 86% vs 4/14, 29%). While both EMS and LEP participants appreciated the flexibility of the free-text tool, multiple translation errors and difficulty responding to questions limited its usefulness. Conclusions: Technologies are emerging that have the potential to assist with language translation in emergency response; however, improvements in accuracy and usability are needed before these technologies can be used safely in the field.
Epidemiology of Cow’s Milk Allergy

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies in infants and young children. CMA can result in anaphylactic reactions, and has long term implications on growth and nutrition. There are several studies in diverse populations assessing the epidemiology of CMA. However, assessment is complicated by the presence of other immune-mediated reactions to cow’s milk. These include non-IgE and mixed (IgE and non-IgE) reactions and common non-immune mediated reactions, such as lactose intolerance. Estimates of prevalence and population-level patterns are further complicated by the natural history of CMA (given its relatively high rate of resolution) and variation in phenotype (with a large proportion of patients able to tolerate baked cow’s milk). Prevalence, natural history, demographic patterns, and long-term outcomes of CMA have been explored in several disparate populations over the past 30 to 40 years, with differences seen based on the method of outcome assessment, study population, time period, and geographic region. The primary aim of this review is to describe the epidemiology of CMA. The review also briefly discusses topics related to prevalence studies and specific implications of CMA, including severity, natural course, nutritional impact, and risk factors.
Knock-down of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase via virus-induced gene silencing alters the microRNA biogenesis and causes stress-related reactions in citrus plants

The δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) is an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of tetrapyrroles. Tetrapyrroles play vital roles in many biological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and light-sensing. ALA-dehydratase (ALAD) combines two molecules of δ-ALA to form porphobilinogen. In citrus, the silencing of ALAD caused discrete yellow spots and necrosis in leaves and stems. Additionally, it caused rapid death in developing new shoots. Herein, we hypothesize that the accumulation of δ-ALA results in severe stress and reduced meristem development. For that reason, we investigated the dynamic changes in the expression profiles of 23 microRNA (miRNA) identified through small RNA sequencing, from CTV-tALAD plants in comparison with healthy C. macrophylla and C. macrophylla infiltrated with CTV-wt. Furthermore, we reported the effect of ALAD silencing on the total phenolics, H2O2, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, to examine the possibilities of miRNAs involving the regulation of these pathways. Our results showed that the total phenolics content, H2O2, and O2- levels were increased in CTV-tALAD plants. Moreover, 63 conserved miRNA members belonging to 23 different miRNA families were differentially expressed in CTV-tALAD plants compared to controls. The identified miRNAs are implicated in auxin biosynthesis and signaling, axillary shoot meristem formation and leaf morphology, starch metabolism, and oxidative stress. Collectively, our findings suggested that ALAD silencing initiates stress on citrus plants. As a result, CTV-tALAD plants exhibit reduced metabolic rate, growth, and development in order to cope with the stress that resulted from the accumulation of δ-ALA. This cascade of events led to leaf, stem, and meristem necrosis and failure of new shoot development.