cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic Conduction Mechanism in Polycarbazole Iodine Complexes

Abstract Recently we have made iodine complexes of nitrobenzene soluble polycarbazoles which are indefinitely stable in air at room temperature and have conductivities as high as 6 ohm−l cm−1. GPC analysis reveals that more than a three fold increase in molecular weight occurs upon complexing the solvent cast film with iodine gas. However, some crosslinking is suspected at the highest levels of iodine. The most rapid rise in the conductivity is coincident with the development of significant IR absorption. The increased positive charge that XPS shows developing on the carbazole nitrogen with iodine complexation is consistent with the presence of the type cations which are known to exist in model dicarbazolyl complexes. The mechanism of postpolymerization and conductivity will be discussed in the context of these cations.
Incremental Line Compaction

Raster devices, such as digital plotters, CRT or plasma panel displays, and matrix or ink jet printers, represent 'straight' lines in quantized fashion as a sequence of unit axial and unit diagonal steps. Dichotomons run lengths and periodic repetitive patterns in these incremental or digital lines provide a basis by which the step sequences for quantized lines can be treated in compressed form for storage or transmission. Earnshaw recently published a paper describing an investigation of two compaction alternatives encoding either run lengths or repeated patterns. This paper describes a simple algorithm to incorporate both run length and repeated pattern encoding for step sequence compaction. Also illustrated is the similarity in form of the repetitive loop used to generate either runs or single steps and either full lines or periodic patterns; initial parameter values differ, but the subsequent iterative process is identical.
Incidental Thyroid Nodules on CT or MRI: Discordance Between What We Report and What Receives Workup.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of incidental thyroid nodules (ITNs) reported on CT or MRI that receive additional workup and the factors that influence workup. A secondary aim was to evaluate the effect of the American College of Radiology (ACR) white paper recommendations for reporting of ITNs. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively reviewed patients with ITNs reported on CT or MRI studies over 12 months. We identified patients with ITNs that underwent workup and the factors associated with workup. The ACR white paper recommendations were retrospectively applied to estimate how their use would have changed the number of nodules reported in the impression section of radiology reports and the number of cancers diagnosed. The recommendations are based on suspicious imaging features, patient age, and nodule size. RESULTS. A total of 375 patients had ITNs reported. For 138 of these patients (37%), ITNs were reported by radiologists in the impression section of their ...
Beta-Layering in Foam-Lined Surrogate IFE Targets

Solid deuterium-tritium (the symbol DT is used here to represent the equilibrium mixture of 50% deuterium and 50% tritium, having the molecular composition: 25% D 2 , 50% deuterium tritide molecules, and 25% T 2 ) (DT) is nucleated from DT-wettedfoam and subsequently forms a uniform layer by the beta-layering phenomenon. Compared to DT frozen on smooth metal surfaces, the surface roughness of the inner-lying pure DT solid-vapor interface is substantially lower at all modal values higher than ∼10, possibly due to the small-grain-size polycrystalline nature of the solid. For thick layers, deleterious effects are observed, notably the formation of DT-rich vapor voids in the foam matrix and the subsequent propagation of these voids into the pure solid DT layer.
A multiscale model for predicting the viscoelastic properties of asphalt concrete

It is well known that the accurate prediction of long term performance of asphalt concrete pavement requires modeling to account for viscoelasticity within the mastic. However, accounting for viscoelasticity can be costly when the material properties are measured at the scale of asphalt concrete. This is due to the fact that the material testing protocols must be performed recursively for each mixture considered for use in the final design. In this paper, a four level multiscale computational micromechanics methodology is utilized to determine the accuracy of micromechanics versus directly measured viscoelastic properties of asphalt concrete pavement. This is accomplished by first measuring the viscoelastic dynamic modulus of asphalt binder, as well as the elastic properties of the constituents, and this comprised the first scale analysis. In the second scale analysis, the finite element method is utilized to predict the effect of mineral fillers on the dynamic modulus. In the third scale analysis, the finite element method is again utilized to predict the effect of fine aggregates on the dynamic modulus. In the fourth and final scale analysis, the finite element method is utilized to predict the effect of large aggregates on the dynamic modulus of asphalt concrete. This final predicted result is then compared to the experimentally measured dynamic modulus of two different asphalt concretes for various volume fractions of the constituents. Results reveal that the errors in predictions are on the order of 60 %, while the ranking of the mixtures was consistent with experimental results. It should be noted that differences between the “final predicted results” and the experimental results can provide fruitful ground for understanding the effect of interactions not considered in the multiscale approach, most importantly, chemical interactions.
Effect of organic self-assembled monolayers on the deposition and adhesion of hydroxyapatite coatings on titanium

AbstractOrganic self-assembled monolayers with nitrogen-containing surface functionalities (amine or alkylammonium) were deposited on acid-etched titanium substrates. These were then coated with apatite deposited from 150% simulated body fluid at 37°C and pH = 7.6 for 2, 4, and 6days (after a 2-day “nucleation” step in contact with bioactive glass in 100% simulated body fluid). Scanning electron microscopy showed that precipitates were numerous on amine- and alkylammonium-modified titanium surfaces after nucleation for 2 days. X-ray diffraction at grazing incidence detected crystalline hydroxyapatite on the modified and unmodified substrates after growth for 2days. Tape peel tests followed by surface chemical analysis showed that the adhesion of the hydroxyapatite coating to the substrates was improved by amine and by alkylammonium modification of the etched titanium surfaces.
“Where the Common People Could Speculate”: The Ticker, Bucket Shops, and the Origins of Popular Participation in Financial Markets, 1880–1920

On the morning of August 29, 1887, Abner Wright, president of the Chicago Board of Trade, forcibly removed the instruments of the Postal Telegraph and the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph companies from the floor of the exchange, literally throwing their equipment out of the building. A few months later, on the night of December 15, Wright discovered some mysterious electrical cables leading out of the basement of the exchange building. Thinking that they were telegraph lines, he ordered them cut with an axe. Instead, they were cables connecting the building to the police and fire departments.' His desire to sever the Board of Trade's telegraph connections might seem surprising, since the telegraph network was indispensable to the operations of the major stock and commodity exchanges. Wright's forceful actions were part of a long struggle over control of financial information and of a broader effort to remove the taint of gambling from the nation's financial markets. That struggle, which pitted the nation's stock and commodity exchanges against thousands of bucket shops, began with the widespread adoption of the ticker, a low-cost and low-maintenance printing telegraph, in the late 1870s and lasted until about 1915. Bucket shops were places where customers wagered small sums on the price movements of stocks and commodities. The term "bucket shop" apparently originated in early nineteenth-century England. Poor youths drained beer kegs thrown out by pubs and sold the collected dregs in abandoned shops. In the late 1870s the term was applied to shops where customers could wager on the price movements of stocks and commodities.2 Bucket shops leased tickers from telegraph companies on the same terms as brokers did and used real-time quotations from exchange floors as the basis for customers' wagers. However, bucket shops did not place customers' transactions on any of the stock and commodity exchanges, nor did bucket shop transactions affect the actual prices of stock shares or agricultural products. Such transactions were fictitious and did not result in delivery of stock certificates or commodities to their patrons. Indeed, by the 1880s nearly every state had outlawed bucket shops as gambling dens. Unlike brokers, who acted as customers' agents
Analysis of laboratory surveillance on measles and rubella in Dalian during 2007-2009

Objective:To analyze the serological monitoring the situation and epidemiological characteristics of measles and rubella in Dalian from 2007 to 2009,in order to schedule the goal of eliminating measles,and promote the development of the immune planning to provide a scientific basis.Methods:The method of ELISA was adopted to examine the IgM in the serum of suspected cases.Results:There were 115 positive cases of measles and 216 of rubella′s in 465 serums.The positive rate was 24.73% and 46.45%,respectively.Conclusion:There was outbreak of rubella in some counties and districts in Dalian.The epidemic of rubella was sporadic.It suggested that buster should be given to the target children.
An Architecture of Cloud-Assisted Information Dissemination in Vehicular Networks

Vehicular network technology allows vehicles to exchange real-time information between each other, which plays a vital role in the development of future intelligent transportation systems Existing research on vehicular networks assumes that each vehicle broadcasts collected information to neighboring vehicles, so that information is shared among vehicles. The fundamental problem of what information is delivered with which vehicle(s), however, has not been adequately studied. We propose an innovative cloud-assisted architecture to facilitate intelligent information dissemination among vehicles. Within the novel architecture, virtual social connections between vehicles are created and maintained on the cloud. Vehicles with similar driving histories are considered friends in a vehicular social network (VSN). The closeness of the relation between two vehicles in a VSN is then modeled by the three-valued subjective logic model. Based on the closeness between vehicles, only relevant information will be delivered to vehicles that are likely interested in it. The cloud-assisted architecture coordinates vehicular social connection construction, VSN maintenance, vehicle closeness assessment, and information dissemination.
A Feminist Virtual Agent for Breastfeeding Promotion

The design of a conversational virtual agent that plays the role of a lactation educator promoting breastfeeding is described, along with a manipulation to make the agent appear more or less feminist. Results from a randomized pilot study indicate that study participants were aware of the manipulation and participants who were more feminist preferred the feminist agent, while those who were non-feminist preferred the non-feminist agent. This work demonstrates one way that feminism can be incorporated into agent design, and a methodology for identifying users who will be most receptive to it.
Mechanical Action on Samples

Often one of the best ways to produce an atomically clean surface is to expose an inner cleavage plane by cleaving the crystal in ultrahigh vacuum.
The First World War, 1914–1918

The Russian Empire entered what became known as the First World War in the summer of 1914 as a Great Power on the Eurasian continent. During the first months of the war, the eastern front formed north-south from the East Prussian marshes to the Carpathian Mountains. The army's admission that 500,000 soldiers had deserted during the first year of war, most of them into German and Austrian prisoner-of-war camps, effectively surrendering to the enemy, raised alarm among the military and political elite. The wartime propaganda was one factor in the polarisation of large parts of the imperial population along ethnic or national lines. The war shaped a dramatic transformation of political life in the Russian Empire. Under the cover of the Russian occupation, several politically engaged hierarchs of the Orthodox Church, notably Archbishop Evlogii, launched a new campaign for the reconversion of the Galician population to its traditional Orthodox faith from its Greek-Catholic apostasy.
The Impact of Caregiving on Physical and Mental Health: Implications for Research, Practice, Education, and Policy

Family caregivers have played a significant role in our society since the beginning of time. Each year, the demand for caregiving affects millions of American families from all socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds . Today, family caregivers play an essential role in our system of care by providing a significant proportion of our health and long-term care for the chronically ill, disabled, and aging . Feinberg et al. (Valuing the invaluable: 2011 update—the growing contributions and costs of family caregiving, http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/ppi/ltc/i51-caregiving.pdf, 2011) estimated that the economic value of services provided by family caregivers was US$ 450 billion in 2009.
Contractual Agreement Design for Enforcing Honesty in Cloud Outsourcing

To save time and money, businesses and individuals have begun outsourcing their data and computations to cloud computing services. These entities would, however, like to ensure that the queries they request from the cloud services are being computed correctly. In this paper, we use the principles of economics and competition to vastly reduce the complexity of query verification on outsourced data. Instead of building a specialized computation system for verifying the result of a single outsourced query, we rely on a second, non-colluding data outsourcing entity, whose services are required only a miniscule fraction of the time. Using a game theoretic model, we show that given the proper incentive structure, we can effectively deter dishonest behavior on the part of the data outsourcing services with a very small expected cost increase. We then prove that the incentive for an outsourcing service to cheat can be reduced to zero under this structure.
Chemomechanically engineered 3D organotypic platforms of bladder cancer dormancy and reactivation

Abstract Tumors undergo periods of dormancy followed by reactivation leading to metastatic disease. Arrest in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs are key hallmarks of dormant tumor cells. Here, we describe a 3D platform of bladder cancer cell dormancy and reactivation facilitated by a novel aminoglycoside-derived hydrogel, Amikagel. These 3D dormant tumor microenvironments (3D-DTMs) were arrested in the G0/G1 phase and were highly resistant to anti-proliferative drugs. Inhibition of targets in the cellular protein production machinery led to induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and complete ablation of 3D-DTMs. Nanoparticle-mediated calcium delivery significantly accelerated ER stress-mediated 3D-DTM death. Transfer of 3D-DTMs onto weaker and adhesive Amikagels resulted in selective reactivation of a sub-population of N-cadherin deficient cells from dormancy. Whole-transcriptome analyses further indicated key biochemical differences between dormant and proliferative cancer cells. Taken together, our results indicate that 3D bladder cancer microenvironments of dormancy and reactivation can facilitate fundamental advances and novel drug discovery in cancer.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Survival for Lung Cancer With Chest Wall Invasion

Background The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for patients with completely resected (R0) pT3N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chest wall invasion. There is minimal evidence to support this recommendation. We aimed to determine whether there is a survival benefit with AC and if so whether it depends on tumor size. Methods Patients who had undergone R0 resection for pT3N0M0 NSCLC with chest wall invasion were identified in the National Cancer Data Base from 2008 to 2012. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to determine independent predictors of overall mortality. Results Of 247 patients, 92 (37.3%) received AC. The median tumor size without AC was 42 mm (interquartile range [IQR], 30 to 60 mm) and with AC was 56 mm (IQR, 40 to 70 mm; p = 0.003). Median follow-up was 21.7 months (IQR, 10.6 to 29.1 months). There was no difference in AC based on tumor grade, but the 3-year overall survival for those with well-differentiated or moderately differentiated tumors was 68% versus 55% in those with poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumors. Three-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 59%. There was no difference in overall survival between those who received AC and those who did not. The only significant predictor of mortality in both univariable and multivariable analyses was poorly or undifferentiated tumor grade. Conclusions For patients with pT3N0M0 NSCLC with chest wall invasion there is no survival benefit with AC, regardless of tumor size or grade, after R0 resection. Poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumor grade is an independent predictor of mortality.
A perspective on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Composite Score for evaluating esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) Task Force has proposed a composite performance measure to evaluate quality of care delivered to patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (1). The Task Force summarized clinical data from GTSD version 2.2 between January 01, 2012 to December 31, 2014 for the participating programs, and compared them to the National Inpatient Sample (NIS).
Stochastic model-based source identification

In this paper we investigate the use of Stochastic Reduced Order Models (SROMs) for solving Stochastic Source Identification (SSI) problems in steady-state transport phenomena given statistics of the system state at a small number of locations. We capture the physics of the transport phenomenon by a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) which we discretize using the finite element method. The SSI problem is then formulated as a stochastic optimization problem constrained by the PDE, and then transformed into a deterministic one after representing the random quantities with a low-dimensional discrete SROM. The small number of samples given by SROMs requires only a small number of PDE solves at each optimization iteration in order to obtain a solution to the SSI problem, defined as a distribution of possible source locations and intensities. We provide simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of SROMs in capturing uncertainty. We also demonstrate the ability of SROMs to capture multiple independent sources of uncertainty, in particular, we consider uncertainty in the location of the measurements which has practical implications in robotics applications.
Energy and mobility benefits from connected ecodriving for electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) have great potential in reducing traffic related fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, due to the use of onboard batteries as the only energy source. On the other hand, recent research shows that additional energy savings can be achieved with the aid of ecodriving assistance systems in a connected vehicle environment, such as Eco-approach/departure (EAD) at signalized intersections. In this work, a connected ecodriving system for EVs is designed and evaluated with real-world test driving data. It is implemented in two stages: 1) driving assistance where the recommended instantaneous speed is presented to the driver via an on-board display; and 2) automatic longitudinal control where a model predictive controller (MPC) is developed to control the vehicle's longitudinal speed by following the trajectory reference. The system performance (in terms of energy and mobility) for both stages is compared with the baseline stage where no EAD assistance is provided. The results show that the proposed MPC-based EAD system can help EVs save 22% energy on average, while the driving assistance with EAD system can achieve 12% energy savings on average.
Fellowship training in extracorporeal life support: Characterization and educational needs assessment.

Abstract Purpose Adult Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) use is rapidly increasing. The structure of fellowship ECLS education is unknown. We sought to define current ECLS education and identify curricular needs. Materials and methods An anonymous survey with Likert, binary and free response questions was sent to Critical Care Program Directors (CCPDs). Results A total of 103 CCPDs responded, a response rate of 31. ECLS training was provided by 64% (66/103) of fellowships. Importantly, 50% (52/103) of CCPDs agreed or strongly agreed that fellows should be competent in ECLS and 70% (72/103) agreed or strongly agreed that ECLS will be an important part of critical care in the next 10 years. Only 28% (29/103) and 37% (38/103) of CCPDs agreed or strongly agreed their fellows could independently manage veno-arterial or veno-venous ECLS, respectively. Formal ECLS education was 5 h or less in 85% (88/103) of programs. Desired curricular improvements were: simulation 50% (51/103), patient volume 47% (48/103), and didactics 44% (45/103). Conclusions CCPDs identified ECLS as a critical care skill, but believe that a minority of fellows are prepared for independent practice. Simulation, formal didactics and clinical volume are key needs. These data will guide the development of ECLS curriculum.
Lessons for Teacher Education: The Role of Critical Professional Development in Teacher of Color Retention:

With disproportionately high attrition rates for teachers of Color, there are many lessons to be learned from veteran teacher leaders that can inform how we train teachers. In this article, I share...
Comparison of Rates and Outcomes of Readmission to Index vs Nonindex Hospitals After Major Cancer Surgery.

Importance Increasing regionalization of cancer surgery has the inadvertent potential to lead to fragmentation of care if readmissions occur at a facility other than the index hospital. The magnitude and adverse effects of readmission to a facility other than the one where the surgery was performed are unclear. Objectives To assess rates of readmission to nonindex hospitals after major cancer surgery and to compare outcomes between index and nonindex hospital readmissions. Design, Setting, and Participants In this multicenter, population-based, nationally representative study of adult patients undergoing a major cancer operation (defined as esophagectomies or gastrectomies, hepaticobiliary resections, pancreatectomies, colorectal resections, or cystectomies), retrospective analyses were performed using the Nationwide Readmissions Database (admissions from January 1 through September 30, 2013). Descriptive analyses were performed to determine 90-day readmission characteristics, including timing, cost, and outcomes. Adjusting for clustering by facility, the study used multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with nonindex vs index readmissions. The study also used regression models to identify differences in mortality, major complications, and subsequent readmissions between the 2 groups. Data analysis was performed from January 1 through December 31, 2013. Exposures Readmission to index vs nonindex hospitals (defined as any hospital other than the hospital where the major cancer operation was performed). Main Outcomes and Measures Proportion of 90-day readmissions and nonindex readmissions after major cancer surgery, factors associated with nonindex readmissions, and difference between in-hospital mortality, hospital costs, and subsequent readmissions for patients admitted to index vs nonindex hospitals. Results A total of 60 970 patients were included in the study (mean [SD] age, 67 [13] years; 7619 [55.6%] male and 6075 [44.4%] female). The 90-day readmission rate was 23.0%. Of the 13 695 first readmissions, 20.1% were to a nonindex hospital. Independent factors associated with readmission to a nonindex hospital included type of procedure, comorbidities (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.15-1.70), elective admission (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.37), discharge to a nursing facility (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.36), and surgery at a teaching hospital (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.00-1.34) (allP Conclusions and Relevance Approximately one-fifth of readmissions were to a nonindex hospital and were associated with higher mortality and morbidity than readmission to index hospitals. Factors that influence nonindex readmissions have been identified to target interventions.
Patient-Centered Medical Home and Receipt of Part C Early Intervention Among Young CSHCN and Developmental Disabilities Versus Delays: NS-CSHCN 2009-2010.

Objective To determine, among a sample of young CSHCN with developmental conditions, (1) characteristics associated with receipt of both patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and Part C early intervention, (2) the association between each PCMH criterion and receipt of Part C generally, and (3) for CSHCN with disabilities versus delays. Methods Secondary data analysis of the 2009/10 National Survey of CSHCN. Sample included CSHCN (n = 755) birth to 3 years with a developmental disability or delay that affected their function. Adjusted ordinal regression analysis examined characteristics associated with receiving both PCMH and Part C. Stratified adjusted logistic regression examined the association between PCMH criteria and Part C, by disabilities versus delays. Results 19% of our sample received both PCMH and Part C. Black, non-Hispanic children had lower odds [OR 0.44, 95% CI (0.20, 0.97)] and CSHCN with more severe developmental conditions had higher odds [OR 2.13, 95% CI (1.22, 3.17)] of receiving both services. CSHCN with a PCMH were no more likely to be receiving Part C than those without a PCMH [OR 0.85, 95% CI (0.49, 1.49)]. Receiving any one of the PCMH criterion was not associated with receiving Part C, with one exception. Among CSHCN with delays, effective care coordination was associated with lower odds of Part C [OR 0.46, 95% CI (0.21, 0.97)]. Conclusion Concurrent PCMH and Part C access was low for young CSHCN with developmental conditions affecting their function. Given the overlapping mandates for PCMH and Part C, integrated efforts are warranted to identify if lack of concurrent services in fact reflects unmet service needs.
Multi-Armed Bandit Algorithms for Crowdsourcing Systems with Online Estimation of Workers' Ability

Crowdsourcing systems have become a valuable solution for various organizations to outsource work on a temporary basis. Quality assurance in these systems remains a key issue due to the distributed setup of the crowdsourcing platforms and the absence of a priori information about the workers. Our work develops a notion of Limited-information Crowdsourcing Systems (LCS), where the task master can assign the work based on some knowledge of the workers' ability acquired over time. The key challenges in this new setup are determining an efficient workers' selection policy and estimating the abilities of the workers. To address the first challenge, we reduce the problem to an arm-limited, budget limited, multi-armed bandit (MAB) set-up, and use the simplified bounded KUBE (B-KUBE) algorithm as a solution. This algorithm has previously only been experimentally evaluated, and we provide provable performance guarantees, showing that it is order optimal, namely the expected regret of B-KUBE is $O(log(B))$ where B is the total budget of the task master. The second challenge is solved by formalizing the notion of workers' ability mathematically, and proposing a strategy for its estimation. We experimentally evaluate B-KUBE in conjunction with this strategy, showing that it outperforms other state-of- the-art MAB algorithms when applied in the same setting.
Predictors of the performance of breast and cervical cancer early detection by public health nurses.

Introduction Public health nurses (PHNs) often serve as primary care providers, yet few studies have examined their practice patterns in the early detection of breast and cervical cancer. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of all PHNs (N = 1,894) employed by the county health departments of North Carolina in July 1993 to describe the predictors of their performance of breast and cervical cancer early detection. The main outcome measures were self-report of cancer prevention and screening services provided for their adult clients, nursing self-confidence for counseling clients about cancer prevention, and training experience. Self-confidence for counseling clients about cancer prevention was measured by asking whether a nurse had sufficient knowledge to educate clients about cancer prevention as well as by obtaining nursing perception of the quality of their clinical skills. Results The response rate was 78%. Final sample consisted of 1,369 PHNs, after exclusion of 101 nurse practitioners. Nurses reported high performance rates of cancer screening, although self-rating of the quality of their clinical skills was often low. However, nurses who reported having higher quality clinical skills or who reported having sufficient knowledge to educate clients were significantly more likely to report a greater frequency of performing cancer screening and counseling. This self-confidence and performance association was independent of nursing certification to perform screening, job classification, education, knowledge, or continuing education coursework. Conclusions Self-confidence is a significant predictor of PHNs’ reported performance of cancer screening and counseling. Further studies to verify whether self-report predicts actual performance of cancer early detection are needed.
System Analysis of High Speed Designs with Strong Nonlinearity

High speed designs often involve transistors operating in linear region, transmission lines, voltage regulator, and other passive electromagnetic (EM) components. Therefore, linear time invariant (LTI) assumption has been prevalent in system analysis for decades. However, ever-increasing signal speed and lower power, area budget are pushing designs to strong nonlinear regimes, e.g., re-drivers (contain limiting amplifiers) have to be used to compensate for the high frequency channel loss. The nonlinear effect is further amplified when the signal is travelling across different physical mediums, resulting in multi-dimensional interaction among transistors, package, motherboard, and external devices. Such nonlinear effects deteriorate system analysis, especially for coupling between device and field. In this paper, we will present system analysis flow and a new approach to fast and accurately simulate such nonlinear high speed designs.
Performance and diversity responses of nitrifying biofilms developed on varied materials and topographies to stepwise increases of aeration.

Abstract Nitrifying biofilms were grown on 3D-printed nylon with three different surface characteristics (flat, millimeter-scale indentations, and indentations with activated carbon (AC) coating) and were subjected to sequentially increasing aeration-based shear to determine the interplay between surface, performance, and microbial populations towards improved design of wastewater treatment media. Biofilms were evaluated for nitrification, biomass detachment, and microbial composition based on Illumina 16s rRNA sequencing. Indentations provided greater stability over flat with respect to population diversity after detachment events but did not improve ammonia removal. AC-surface biofilm had significantly higher removal than uncoated surfaces at low aeration (1.0 L/min, fine) and significantly lower at high aeration (5.0 L/min, coarse). Principal component analyses of microbial communities illustrated temporal shifts over two similar cycles of growth and shear-induced biomass loss, demonstrating that biofilms grew similar consortia across all surfaces, but tended to revert to earlier individual compositions after shear events.
Bone Densitometry in Research and Practice

This symposium honors the 75th anniversary of the Department of Orthopedics at Niigata. It is a distinct pleasure to honor 75 years of achievement. The most important bone disease in the world is osteoporosis, a condition of excessive skeletal fragility. Over one half million fractures occur each year in the United States due to osteoporosis at a cost of over $10 billion. Bone density is the most important determinant of skeletal fragility, and measurement of bone density has become a basic tool in clinical practice and research in this area. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the most commonly used method of measuring bone density and is the subject of this discussion.
Bell's palsy and vestibular neuronitis.

Abstract Bell's palsy and vestibular neuritis are uncommon conditions but can be the cause of significant acute neurologic disability. Bell's palsy is the most common cause of facial weakness, whereas vestibular neuritis ranks second or third as the most frequent cause of sudden onset of dizziness and vertigo. The two conditions can occur either singly or in combination to cause facial weakness and debilitating dizziness. The disorders have been shown to be caused by a number of conditions, with the most frequent being idiopathic. The etiology of the disorders is also frequently presumed to be inflammatory and potentially related to reactivation of latent viral infection, most notably infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Bell's palsy has an incidence of 15–30 per 100 000, whereas the incidence of vestibular neuritis is less common, at 3.5 per 100 000. Men and women are equally affected, with a peak age of onset at 40 years of age. Individuals may spontaneously recover if left untreated; however, many do not fully recover from either disorder. Anatomically, connections between the facial and vestibular nerve bundles have been demonstrated, which may explain the occasional concurrent involvement of the nerves. Many histopathologic studies done for both conditions have identified the presence of latent HSV-1 infection in the geniculate ganglia as well as the vestibular ganglia, suggesting that the infection may contribute to causality of both entities, although evidence still remains circumstantial. The treatment is similar for the two conditions. Recent randomized double-blinded control studies done in both diseases using corticosteroids, antiviral agents, and the combination of both demonstrated that only the use of steroids as single therapy was effective in improving outcomes for both Bell's palsy and vestibular neuritis. The use of antiviral agents alone and in combination with steroids did not provide additional benefit.
Representations of quantum groups defined over commutative rings

In this article we study the structure of highest weight modules for quantum groups defined over a commutative ring with particular emphasis on the structure theory for invariant bilinear forms on these modules. The notion of an induced invariant form is introduced and a setting in described where all invariant forms are induced
Immunosenescence and human vaccine immune responses.

The age-related dysregulation and decline of the immune system—collectively termed “immunosenescence”—has been generally associated with an increased susceptibility to infectious pathogens and poor vaccine responses in older adults. While numerous studies have reported on the clinical outcomes of infected or vaccinated individuals, our understanding of the mechanisms governing the onset of immunosenescence and its effects on adaptive immunity remains incomplete. Age-dependent differences in T and B lymphocyte populations and functions have been well-defined, yet studies that demonstrate direct associations between immune cell function and clinical outcomes in older individuals are lacking. Despite these knowledge gaps, research has progressed in the development of vaccine and adjuvant formulations tailored for older adults in order to boost protective immunity and overcome immunosenescence. In this review, we will discuss the development of vaccines for older adults in light of our current understanding—or lack thereof—of the aging immune system. We highlight the functional changes that are known to occur in the adaptive immune system with age, followed by a discussion of current, clinically relevant pathogens that disproportionately affect older adults and are the central focus of vaccine research efforts for the aging population. We conclude with an outlook on personalized vaccine development for older adults and areas in need of further study in order to improve our fundamental understanding of adaptive immunosenescence.
Bayesian predictive analysis for Weibull-Pareto composite model with an application to insurance data

Aminzadeh and Deng, respectively provide Bayesian predictive models for Exponential-Pareto and Inverse Gamma-Pareto composite distributions which are one-parameter models. The purpose of this artic...
ECG-DERIVED AGE AND SURVIVAL: VALIDATING THE CONCEPT OF PHYSIOLOGIC AGE DETECTED BY ECG USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Artificial intelligence interpretation of ECGs can estimate ECG Age. This can vary from chronologic age (AGE) and may reflect random error, comorbidities or physiologic age. We assessed if ECG Age minus AGE (Age-Gap) correlates with mortality, an outcome measure of physiologic aging. We developed a
Distributed Beamforming in the Presence of Adversaries

In this article, we investigate the problem of distributed coherent beamforming in wireless networks where multiple distributed transmitters adjust the phases of their signals to form a directional and targeted communication link to a client receiver. The quality-of-service (QoS) and security are key components of robust and secure wireless networks. Although the security can be improved by exploiting information about potential adversaries, such information may not be available in practical networks since the adversaries are often passive. Therefore, we introduce transmission strategies which not only send a confidential message by forming a beam towards the client but also broadcast interference with the aim of obfuscating adversaries without having any information about them. Since the interference may degrade the QoS of the client, the transmitters radiating the interference steer a null to the client to alleviate the interference. We develop two algorithms. The first assumes that a subset of the transmitters send the confidential message in the direction of the client via coherent beamforming. Then, the others transmit interference while creating a null towards the client. In the second, each node transmits both the confidential message and interference simultaneously. Two different client feedback scenarios are considered, two-bit and rich feedback. Both of the proposed algorithms can be performed in a fully distributed manner without any knowledge about potential adversaries. Numerical simulations in both microwave and low-very high frequency (low-VHF) bands validate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Ab initio calculations of the thermal properties of boron arsenide

Abstract Thermal properties of bulk zinc-blende boron arsenide (BAs) were investigated by performing ab initio calculations using both the local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange-correlation potential. Phonon dispersion relations were studied within the framework of density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) and the subsequent thermal properties were computed using the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA). We have computed the temperature dependence of lattice constant ( a o ), isothermal bulk modulus ( B o ), linear thermal expansion coefficient ( α L ), average Gruneisen parameter ( γ ), and specific heat capacity at constant pressure ( C P ) as well as at constant volume ( C V ) of BAs. The calculated LDA values at 300 K of B o (142.8 GPa), α L (4.01 × 10−1 K−1), γ (0.816), and C P (0.34 J g−1 K−1) are in excellent agreement with the reported experimental values of 148 GPa, 3.85 × 10−6 K−1, 0.82, and 0.4 J g−1 K−1 respectively in the same order. In contrast, the GGA is found to overestimate the values of thermal properties for all the temperatures when compared to LDA, except the isothermal bulk modulus. The discrepancy between the computed LDA and GGA values has been discussed in detail. Results further indicate that the discrepancy between the computed LDA and GGA values of a o , B o is found to increase with the increase in temperature. In contrast, the discrepancy in the values of C P , C V , γ and α L is found to decrease with the increase in temperature. In the subsequent calculations, the mode-Gruneisen parameter corresponding to various phonon modes has been computed. No negative thermal expansion (NTE) is observed, although, the mode-Gruneisen parameter corresponding to transverse acoustic phonons exhibits a small negative value at the zone-edge of the Brillouin Zone. Finally, the intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity ( κ l ) of BAs has been estimated using the Slack’s model. Results indicate that the Slack’s model underestimates the κ l of BAs, which is possibly due to the low acoustic Debye temperature ( θ a ) obtained for BAs.
Intergenerational Archipelagoes: Trans-Motherhood and Transing the Indonesian Family in Realita, Cinta, dan Rock n Roll and Lovely Man

Non-normative genders and sexualities were sutured into the cultural fabric at the dawn of Reformasi in Indonesia, the period of democratic renewal after the fall of General Suharto in 1998, when same-sex romance and transgender identities began to make a significant presence in the wave of counter-cultural filmmaking. Two films about transgender motherhood from this period are discussed in this chapter: the popular 2006 film Realita, Cinta, dan Rock n Roll (Reality, Love, and Rock n Roll) and the 2011 film Lovely Man. Both films demonstrate the stereotypical conventions of transgender identities onscreen—the ‘reveal’, hyperfeminine drag, and the embodiment of trans-femininity by muscular leading men. This chapter considers the ways in which trans-motherhood reconfigures the Indonesian nuclear family into a more unsettling/unsettled unit that resists fixity of boundaries. I argue that ‘archipelagic intergenerational relations’ bring into focus the ways in which the Indonesian family is transed when the transgender mother and biological child reunite after estrangement. Archipelagic intergenerational relations are intertextual and rely on the ever-shifting ways transgender characters are defined and captured in Indonesian cinema and discourse.
Intrinsic control of neuronal diversity and synaptic specificity in a proprioceptive circuit

Relay of muscle-derived sensory information to the CNS is essential for the execution of motor behavior, but how proprioceptive sensory neurons (pSNs) establish functionally appropriate connections is poorly understood. A prevailing model of sensory-motor circuit assembly is that peripheral, target-derived, cues instruct pSN identities and patterns of intraspinal connectivity. To date no known intrinsic determinants of muscle-specific pSN fates have been described in vertebrates. We show that expression of Hox transcription factors defines pSN subtypes, and these profiles are established independently of limb muscle. The Hoxc8 gene is expressed by pSNs and motor neurons (MNs) targeting distal forelimb muscles, and sensory-specific depletion of Hoxc8 in mice disrupts sensory-motor synaptic matching, without affecting pSN survival or muscle targeting. These results indicate that the diversity and central specificity of pSNs and MNs are regulated by a common set of determinants, thus linking early rostrocaudal patterning to the assembly of limb control circuits.
Thematic content of obsessive and compulsive symptoms and conversion to psychosis in a clinical high-risk cohort.

Aim We sought to explore the complex phenomenological overlap between obsessive and compulsive symptoms (OCS), and attenuated positive symptoms among 156 young people at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis. Methods In order to explore the hypothesis that OCS of an implausible nature might optimally predict future transition to syndromal psychosis, ideas associated with obsessive and compulsive experiences elicited by clinical measures were thematically categorized as "plausible" or "implausible." Results While OCS were found to be common in our CHR sample, we did not find that implausible OCS themes were predictive of conversion. Conclusion Given the absence of qualitative differences between OCS and early psychotic symptoms, we propose that clinicians encountering adolescent or young adult patients with new-onset OCD or OCS in the past year should monitor such symptoms for a minimum of 2 years to assess for the possible emergence of psychosis.
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Impact on Cervical Precancers in a Low-Vaccination Population.

Introduction Demonstrating human papillomavirus vaccine impact is critical for informing guidelines to increase vaccination and decrease human papillomavirus‒related outcomes, particularly in states with suboptimal vaccination coverage, such as Tennessee. This study examines the trends in high-grade cervical lesion incidence among Tennessee Medicaid-enrolled women aged 18–39 years and the subset of women who were screened for cervical cancer. Methods Using a validated claims-based model to identify incident cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Grades 2 or 3 or adenocarcinoma in situ events, annual age group‒specific incidence rates from Tennessee Medicaid billing data, 2008–2018, were calculated. Significant trends were determined by Joinpoint. Analyses were conducted in 2020. Results From 2008 to 2018, high-grade cervical lesion incidence significantly declined in women aged 18–20 years (average annual percentage change= −31.9, 95% CI= −38.6, −24.6), 21–24 years (average annual percentage change= −12.9, 95% CI= −22.3, −2.4), and 25–29 years (average annual percentage change= −6.4, 95% CI= −8.1, −4.6). Among screened women, rates significantly declined for ages 18–20 years (average annual percentage change= −20.3, 95% CI= −25.3, −15.0), 21–24 years (average annual percentage change= −10.2, 95% CI= −12.6, −7.8), and 25–29 years (average annual percentage change= −2.6, 95% CI= −3.9, −1.2). Trends from 2008 to 2018 were stable for older age groups (30–34 and 35–39 years). Conclusions Results show reductions in high-grade cervical lesion incidence among ages most likely to have benefited from the human papillomavirus vaccine. Declines among young, screened women suggest causes other than reduction in screening. Evidence of vaccine impact in populations with low-vaccination coverage, such as Tennessee, is promising.
Ablatively-Driven Targets Imploded with the 24 UV Beam Omega System

We describe the results of the first series of DT-filled target implosion studies performed with the new 24 beam, 2.5 kJ UV (351 nm) OMEGA laser facility. A comprehensive array of plasma, x-ray and nuclear diagnostics have been used to characterize the coupling physics, hydrodynamics, implosion uniformity, and final core conditions created in DT-gas filled glass microballoon targets. The results are compared to detailed one-dimensional and two-dimensional hydrodynamic code simulations.