cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties of resin-ceramic CAD/CAM restorative materials

Abstract Statement of problem The recent development of polymer-based computer-aided design and computer-aided manufactured (CAD/CAM) milling blocks and the limited availability of independent studies on these materials make it pertinent to evaluate their properties and identify potential strengths and limitations. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine and compare mechanical properties (flexural strength, flexural modulus, modulus of resilience) and compare the margin edge quality of recently introduced polymer-based CAD/CAM materials with some of their commercially available composite resin and ceramic counterparts. Material and methods The materials studied were Lava Ultimate Restorative (LVU; 3M ESPE), Enamic (ENA; Vita Zahnfabrik), Cerasmart (CES; GC Dental Products), IPS Empress CAD (EMP; Ivoclar Vivadent AG), Vitablocs Mark II (VM2; Vita Zahnfabrik), and Paradigm MZ100 Block (MZ1; 3M ESPE). Polished 4×1×13.5 mm bars (n=25) were prepared from standard-sized milling blocks of each tested material. The bars were subjected to a 3-point flexural test on a 10-mm span with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. In addition, 42 conventional monolithic crowns (7 per material) were milled. Margin edge quality was observed by means of macrophotography and optical microscopy, providing a qualitative visual assessment and a measurement of existing roughness. The results were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Tukey HSD test (α=.05). Results The mean flexural strength of the tested materials ranged from 105 ±9 MPa (VM2) to 219 ±20 MPa (CES). The mean flexural modulus ranged from 8 ±0.25 GPa (CES) to 32 ±1.9 GPa (EMP). The mean modulus of resilience ranged from 0.21 ±0.02 MPa (VM2) to 3.07 ±0.45 MPa (CES). The qualitative assessment of margin edge roughness revealed visible differences among the tested materials, with mean roughness measurements ranging from 60 ±16 μm (CES) to 190 ±15 μm (EMP). The material factor had a significant effect on the mean flexural strength ( P P P P Conclusions The new-generation polymer-based materials tested in this study exhibited significantly higher flexural strength and modulus of resilience, along with lower flexural modulus values compared with the tested ceramic or hybrid materials. Crowns milled from the new resin-based blocks seemed to exhibit visibly smoother margins compared with the ceramic materials studied.
Investigation of Flow Maldistribution in a Concentric-Tube, Counterflow, Laminar Heat Exchanger

Abstract An analysis is made to quantify the effect of flow maldistribution on the performance of a laminar, counterflow, high-effectiveness heat exchanger. An investigation of the ability of thermally connected fins in one passage (screen mesh) to correct the uneven heat transfer distribution from the maldistributed mass flow in the other passage is made. A heat transfer model is developed for both passages. A parametric study presents the effect of adding thermal paths to correct the uneven heat transfer. A redefined fin efficiency is proposed to incorporate the fins' ability to correct uneven heat transfer. Data are compared to the model.
SURVIVAL AND SPROUTING RESPONSES OF CHIHUAHUA PINE AFTER THE RODEO-CHEDISKI FIRE ON THE MOGOLLON RIM, ARIZONA

Chihuahua pines (Pinus leiophylla Schiede and Deppe var. chihuahuana Engelmann) were surveyed on 11 study plots on the Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona to compare characteristics of trees that sprouted from the base or root collar after the Rodeo-Chediski fire with those of trees that did not sprout. The differences in trees killed and top-killed by the fire versus those that survived were also assessed. Trees that sprouted were significantly smaller in height and diameter at breast height; they also experienced lower fire intensities than trees that did not sprout. Smaller trees had higher incidences of mortality than larger trees. These results indicate that, even though Chihuahua pine has fire resiliency, sprouting rates after fire are related to size of trees, age of trees, and burn intensity. Since Chihuahua pine is a rare species in the area studied, its ability to recover from and tolerate fire could prove advantageous for sustainability.
Incentive Compatible Contracting of Thermostats Control for Renewable Energy Integration

This paper explores the flexibility of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) as a way of absorbing the intermittent and variable renewable energy resources. We propose an innovative mechanism, which allows load serving entities (LSEs) to pay incentive rates to customers for the control of thermostats. We apply a game-theoretic framework to model the interactive behavior between LSEs and customers in the contract design and subscription process. As a result, LSEs are able to manipulate subscribers’ thermostat set-points in a certain way that the aggregated TCLs are managed to follow the renewable energy output as close as possible. This is formulated as a linear-quadratic (LQ) tracking problem with inequality constraints and is solved by model predictive control approach. We also study the sensitivity of contract design parameters to the maximum tracking error and total cost.
Nereid Has Complex Large-Amplitude Photometric Variability

Abstract We report on 224 photometric measurements of Nereid, a small outer satellite of Neptune with a 360-day orbit of high eccentricity (0.751). Our photometry covers 64 nights from 1987 to 1997 and is primarily in the V-band, although we also have 20 measurements in the U, B, R, and I bands. (1) Nereid displays large-amplitude brightness variations with a total amplitude of 1.83 mag on time scales ranging from a few hours to roughly a year. (2) During the 12 days of the Voyager encounter with Neptune, Nereid did not display any short-term variations; however, large-amplitude long-term variations could easily be hidden by the large phase effects and the short duration of observation. (3) Nereid's variability is caused by high contrast albedo features, i.e., a dark hemisphere, along with rotational modulation. (4) The character of the brightness variations changed around 1991 from fast and large-amplitude to comparatively slow and low-amplitude. This demonstrates that the direction and magnitude of Nereid's rotational angular momentum vector is changing on time scales comparable to its orbital period. (5) Large changes in the magnitude and direction of Nereid's angular momentum vector are predicted to arise from chaotic rotation during every periapse passage provided that Nereid is more than ∼1% nonspherical and is spinning slowly. The match between prediction and observation could be taken as strong evidence for chaotic rotation of Nereid. However, the intranight variability cannot be readily explained by chaotic rotation. (6) The colors of Nereid are U-V=0.84±0.05, B-V=0.71±0.04, V-R=0.44±0.03, V-I=0.72±0.05, and V-K=1.6, indicating a nearly flat reflectance spectrum from 0.36 to 2.2 μm. We identify asteroids, inner satellites, and centaurs with similar spectra. (7) Nereid is likely either an inner moon of Neptune kicked to its current orbit or a captured Kuiper Belt object or centaur, with the latter possibility being strongly preferred.
Prevalence of Microvolt T-Wave Alternans in Patients With Long QT Syndrome and Its Association With Torsade de Pointes

Background— Prevalence of microvolt T-wave alternans (TWA) and the strength of its association with torsade de pointes (TdP) history have not been fully investigated in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). Methods and Results— Twenty-four–hour continuous 12-lead ECGs were recorded in 10 healthy subjects (5 men; median age, 21.5 years) and 32 patients (13 men; median age, 13 years) with LQTS types 1 (n=18), 2 (n=4), 3 (n=4), and unidentified (n=6). Peak TWA was determined by the Modified Moving Average method. None of the healthy subjects had TWA ≥42 µV. All 8 (100%) LQTS patients with a history of TdP exhibited TWA ≥42 µV, whereas only 14 (58.3%) of the 24 LQTS patients without TdP history reached ≥42 µV (p=0.04). Thus, the 42-µV cut point provided 100% sensitivity and 41.7% specificity for an association with TdP history. In the 22 (68.8%) LQTS patients with TWA ≥42 µV, only 2 (median; interquartile range, 1–3) leads exhibited TWA ≥42 µV. Highest TWA levels were recorded in precordial leads (V1–V6) in 30 (93.8%) patients, most frequently in lead V2 (43.8%). A single ECG lead detected only ≤63.6% of TWA ≥42 µV episodes, whereas the combined leads V2 to V5 detected 100% of TWA ≥42 µV. Conclusions— Microvolt TWA is far more prevalent in LQTS patients than previously reported and is strongly associated with TdP history. TWA should be monitored from precordial leads in LQTS patients. The use of a limited set of ECG leads in conventional monitoring has led to underestimation of TWA and its association with TdP.
Governance Without Government

Governance without government identifies the possibilities for social order without government institutions, bureaucracies, and representative leaders that forcefully mandate acceptable behavior within society. Governance without government does not identify a post-political society where the need to talk and discuss arising social problems does not occur, but rather a post-government society where the mechanisms for social order are embedded throughout society, in the means of production, processes of gifting and exchange, educational systems, and communications apparatus’. Government, if it can still be labeled as such, is stripped of all authority and power, becoming a table for social discussion, rather than a building, an actor separate from society, dictating the present and future of society.
Crystal-Templated Colloidal Clusters Exhibit Directional DNA Interactions

Spherical colloids covered with grafted DNA have been used in the directed self-assembly of a number of distinct crystal and gel structures. Simulation suggests that the use of anisotropic building blocks greatly augments the variety of potential colloidal assemblies that can be formed. Here, we form five distinct symmetries of colloidal clusters from DNA-functionalized spheres using a single type of colloidal crystal as a template. The crystals are formed by simple sedimentation of a binary mixture containing a majority "host" species that forms close-packed crystals with the minority "impurity" species occupying substitutional or interstitial defect sites. After the DNA strands between the two species are hybridized and enzymatically ligated, the results are colloidal clusters, one for each impurity particle, with a symmetry determined by the nearest neighbors in the original crystal template. By adjusting the size ratio of the two spheres and the timing of the ligation, we are able to generate clusters having the symmetry of tetrahedra, octahedra, cuboctahedra, triangular orthobicupola, and icosahedra, which can be readily separated from defective clusters and leftover spheres by centrifugation. We further demonstrate that these clusters, which are uniformly covered in DNA strands, display directional binding with spheres bearing complementary DNA strands, acting in a manner similar to patchy particles or proteins having multiple binding sites. The scalable nature of the fabrication process, along with the reprogrammability and directional nature of their resulting DNA interactions, makes these clusters suitable building blocks for use in further rounds of directed self-assembly.
Erasure networks

Consider a network of links where each link is erased intermittently with probability of erasure /spl alpha/. Erasures are independent of the transmitted information, and when a link is not erased it is characterized by p(y|x). We show for a certain family of networks that the capacity C/spl tilde/ for the erasure network is given by C/spl tilde/ = /spl alpha/~C, where C is the capacity of the network without erasures.
ON CASTE RATIOS IN ANT COLONIES: POPULATION RESPONSES TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS.

The phenomenon of worker polymorphism observed for numerous ant species represents an evolved colony trait which allows for short-term response to environmental change (Oster and Wilson, 1978). When workers of a species vary dramatically in their body proportions, the pattern of allometric growth resulting in morphological differentiation of individuals is, with rare exceptions, environmentally regulated. Recent work on the physiology of caste differentiation (see reviews in Wilson, 197 1; Schmidt, 1974) has shown that worker polymorphism in most ant species has no genetic basis. Rather, factors such as nest temperature and larval nutrition determine adult body proportions. These biasing factors can be manipulated to a certain extent through the behavior of nurse workers to the brood. Consequently, a colony may vary the proportions of morphological castes in its worker population by such manipulation of the eggs and larvae. For most ant species, the proportions among the worker castes directly affect colony efficiency, since the division of labor is morphologically based (Oster and Wilson, 1978). Wilson (1968) first proposed that natural selection has shaped the caste ratios in mature colonies to maximize ergonomic efficiency. If caste proportions reflect environmental parameters, it should be possible to effect changes in the caste ratios by altering the contingencies encountered by the colonies. While evolutionary pressures may have resulted in proportions of morphotypes approximating an optimum,
Constant risk differences in the analysis of animal tumorigenicity data.

In a typical tumorigenicity study, most tumors are not observable in live animals and only a single (terminal) sacrifice is performed. This paper proposes a nonparametric, survival-adjusted analysis for these data that focuses on tumor incidence and yet does not require data on cause of death or assumptions about the tumor's lethality. The tumor onset/death process is most naturally characterized in terms of the tumor incidence rate and the death rates for tumor-free and tumor-bearing animals. The proposed approach, however, reparameterizes the problem in terms of the incidence rate, the death rate for tumor-free animals, and the difference between the death rates for tumor-free and tumor-bearing animals (i.e., the risk difference). The advantage of this alternative formulation is that a full likelihood analysis is possible with as few as one sacrifice time if the risk difference is assumed to be constant with respect to time. Data from the large ED01 study suggest that reasonable results can be obtained under the assumption of constant risk differences.
Reversal of GABA Actions by Neuronal Trauma

GABA is the most prevalent inhibitory transmitter in the adult brain where it reduces neuronal activity mainly by opening chloride channels and hyperpolarizing the membrane potential. Surprisingly, after some types of neuronal trauma, GABA exerts a different action, depolarizing the membrane potential, raising cytoplasmic calcium levels, and increasing neuronal activity. After trauma, GABA can generate cytoplasmic calcium rises even larger than those elicited by the excitatory transmitter glutamate. Large GABA-mediated increases in intracellular calcium could be toxic. Furthermore, if inhibitory neuronal circuits switched to excitatory actions, maladaptive signaling may be generated in affected pathways. These depolarizing actions of GABA after injury are similar to GABA's function in early neuronal development. Neuronal injury, thus, may generate a recapitulation of GABA's role in ontogeny. NEUROSCIENTIST 3:281–286, 1997
Optimization of GC Conditions on determination of methanol and fusel oil in the distilled liquors

Objective:To evaluate the influence of different GC conditions on determination of methanol and fusel oil in the distilled liquors,identify the substances interfering the determination of methanol and optimize the GC conditions.Methods:Compare the separation efficiency of different columns and discuss the influence of various GC conditions on the determination of methanol and fusel oil.Use double column qualitative and standard addition method to identify the interfering substance.Results:Methanol was interfered by acetaldehyde and could not be separated by WAX/FFAP capillary column.The difference in retention time is only 10 seconds between acetaldehyde and methanol.The packed column GDX-102 can separate them by optimizing GC conditions.Conclusion:The packed column GDX-102 can eliminate the disturbance of acetaldehyde to methanol and separate these two substances completely.Meanwhile,the change of chromatographic conditions does not obviously affect the determination of fusel oil.
Analysis of STD/AIDS related knowledge among migrant workers in different working place of Kunshan

Objective:To investigate the awareness status of preventing and treating STD/AIDS、behavior characteristic and the status of HIV infection for migrant workers,in order to offer reference for making further health education strategy and prevention of STD /AIDS for migrant workers.Methods: 613 migrant workers were surveyed by random sampling in the physical examination location and the Results of investigation were analyzed.Results: Three types of AIDS transmission(sexual transmission,blood transmission,maternal way) awareness rateswere 90.5%,92.4%,83.2%,awareness rate as 59.3% of non-transmission,66.2% willing to lectures by experts,watch the video,the Internet and other forms of access to the STD / AIDS prevention knowledge and HIV antibodies were not detected in the survey.Conclusion: We should take appropriate control action and behavioral intervention to improve their level of knowledge of AIDS and reduce the spread of it.
Saving Tiny Tim — Pediatrics and Childhood Poverty in the United States

The detrimental effects of extreme poverty on children's lives are serious, and they lack simple storybook resolutions. The American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement on poverty and child health represents an honorable step toward addressing this problem.
Safety and Feasibility of Induction Immunosuppression When Driveline Infection Is an Indication for Cardiac Transplantation.

Background There is a paucity of data on the use of induction immunosuppression in patients with active infections undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). We hypothesized that induction immunosuppression in patients with ventricular assist device (VAD) undergoing OHT with localized active driveline infection (DLI) does not lead to worse outcomes. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed our database for bridge-to-transplant VAD patients who underwent OHT and received induction therapy. Patients were stratified into those with and without active DLI at the time of OHT and followed up till death or at least 30 months after OHT. Posttransplant length of stay (LOS), frequency of infections, and mortality were compared between the two groups. Results Thirty-eight patients (30 males) with mean age of 57.5 ± 13 years with VAD underwent OHT during the study period. Twelve had active DLI. Mean follow-up was 46.4 ± 23.1 months. In the DLI versus non-DLI group, there was no difference in mortality (17 vs. 23%, p = NS), LOS (16.3 ± 5.4 vs. 17.2 ± 13.7, p = NS), postoperative renal function, incidence of hyperacute or late rejection or infection either in the first month (25 vs. 23%, p = NS) or during entire follow-up (92 vs. 88%, p = NS). No patient in the DLI group had infections attributable to the same organism responsible for pretransplant DLI. Conclusion In patients with active DLI, induction immunosuppression after OHT did not increase LOS, infections, or mortality after at least 30 months of follow-up and therefore it appears to be a safe and feasible therapeutic option.
Overview of the progress on haploidentical hematopoietic transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) remains the only potentially curative option for variety of hematologic disorders. Lack of a suitable fully HLA-matched donor limits this option for many patients. Without a suitable related or unrelated HLA-matched donor, umbilical cord blood and haploidentical family members provide a potential source of stem cells. Timely donor availability makes haploidentical donors an attractive alternative donor source. Initial attempts at haploidentical HSCT was associated with significantly increased mortality owing to high rates of graft rejection and severe graft-versus-host disease caused by major donor-recipient HLA-disparity. However, over the past decade, outcomes of haploidentical HSCT have improved significantly. Here, we review the advantages and challenges of haploidentical transplantation. We also discuss new developments to attempt to overcome the challenges to a successful haploidentical transplantation.
MicroRNA Mir-125b Causes Leukemia

Abstract Abstract 3158 MicroRNA miR-125b has been shown to be involved in different kind of leukemia. Indeed, the chromosomal translocation t(2;11)(p21;q23) found in patients with myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukemia leads to an overexpression of miR-125b up to 90 fold. Moreover, miR-125b is also upregulated in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia carrying the t(11;14)(q24;q32) translocation. To decipher the presumed oncogenic mechanism of miR-125b, we used transplantation experiments in mice. All of the mice transplanted with fetal liver cells ectopically expressing miR-125b showed an increase in white blood cell count, in particular in neutrophils and monocytes, associated with a macrocytic anemia. Among these mice, half of them died of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or a myeloproliferative disorder, suggesting an important role of miR-125b in myeloid and lymphoid lineages. Co-expression of miR-125b and the BCR-ABL fusion gene in transplanted cells accelerated the development of leukemia in mice, compared to control mice expressing only BCR-ABL, suggesting that miR-125b confers a proliferative advantage to the leukemic cells. Thus we showed that the overexpression of miR-125b is sufficient to induce leukemia in vivo and decrease the latency of BCR-ABL -induced leukemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Genetic analysis of a mouse cross implicates an anti-inflammatory gene in control of atherosclerosis susceptibility

Nearly all genetic crosses generated from Apoe−/− or Lldlr−/− mice for genetic analysis of atherosclerosis have used C57BL/6 J (B6) mice as one parental strain, thus limiting their mapping power and coverage of allelic diversity. SM/J-Apoe −/− and BALB/cJ-Apoe −/− mice differ significantly in atherosclerosis susceptibility. 224 male F2 mice were generated from the two Apoe −/− strains to perform quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of atherosclerosis. F2 mice were fed 5 weeks of Western diet and analyzed for atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root. Genome-wide scans with 144 informative SNP markers identified a significant locus near 20.2 Mb on chromosome 10 (LOD score: 6.03), named Ath48, and a suggestive locus near 49.5 Mb on chromosome 9 (LOD: 2.29; Ath29) affecting atherosclerotic lesion sizes. Using bioinformatics tools, we prioritized 12 candidate genes for Ath48. Of them, Tnfaip3, an anti-inflammatory gene, is located precisely underneath the linkage peak and contains two non-synonymous SNPs leading to conservative amino acid substitutions. Thus, this study demonstrates the power of forward genetics involving the use of a different susceptible strain and bioinformatics tools in finding atherosclerosis susceptibility genes.
A critical thinking activity for communication classrooms

Courses: This semester long activity can be employed in any communication classroom and is designed particularly to provide first-time graduate student instructors (GSIs) with a theory-based assessment tool. As such, the article is appropriate for graduate-level pedagogy classes.Objective: To introduce a theory-based, critical thinking activity that can be applied in communication classes to enhance students’ mastery of course content at a basic level while also deepening understanding of the learning process promoted through higher levels of cognition.
Dimensionality-Dependent Electrochemical Kinetics at the Single-Layer Graphene–Electrolyte Interface

The theories to describe the rate at which electrochemical reactions proceed, to date, do not consider explicitly the dimensionality or the discreteness and occupancy of the energy levels of the electrodes. We show experimentally that such quantum mechanical aspects are important for dimensionally confined nanostructured materials and yield unusual variation of the kinetic rate constants with applied voltage in single-layer graphene. The observed divergence from conventional electrokinetics was ascribed to the linear energy dispersion as well as a nonzero density of states at the Dirac point in the graphene. The obtained results justify the use of density of states-based rate constants and considerably add to Marcus–Hush–Chidsey kinetics.
Nanoelectronics and Hardware Security

In recent years, the field of nanoelectronics has yielded several nanoscale device families that exhibit the high device densities and energy-efficient operation required for emerging integrated circuit applications. For example, the memristor (or “memory resistor”) is a two-terminal nanoelectronic switch particularly well suited for applications such as high-density reconfigurable computing and neuromorphic hardware. In addition to increased device densities and energy-efficient operation, nanoelectronic systems are also subject to a high degree of variability, often seen as a negative for conventional circuit designs. However, in terms of implementing certain security primitives, variability is a feature that can be harnessed to improve security and trust in integrated circuits. The focus of this chapter is the utilization of nanoelectronic hardware for improved hardware security in emerging nanoelectronic and hybrid CMOS-nanoelectronic processors. Specifically, features such as variability and low power dissipation can be harnessed for side-channel attack mitigation, improved encryption/decryption and anti-tamper design. Furthermore, the novel behavior of nanoelectronic devices can be harnessed for novel computer architectures that are naturally immune to many conventional cyber attacks. For example, chaos computing utilizes chaotic oscillators in the hardware implementation of a computing system such that operations are inherently chaotic and thus difficult to decipher.
The immunohistology of follicle lysis in lymph node biopsies from homosexual men

Follicle lysis is a characteristic alteration of B cell follicles described recently in lymph node biopsies from homosexual men. It consists of disruption of germinal centers by aggregates of small mature lymphocytes variably associated with erythrocyte extravasation. We studied the immunohistology of follicle lysis identified in lymph node biopsies from 11 homosexual men. The results indicate that follicle lysis has two principal immunohistologic features: (1) intrafollicular aggregates of small lymphocytes predominantly of polytypic mantle B cell phenotype (T015+/Leu-8+/mu+/delta+/k+ or lambda+), and (2) disruption of the normal, unified follicular meshwork of R4/23+ dendritic reticulum cells by these B cell aggregates. These structural alterations may affect the functional integrity of the germinal center as it pertains to the abnormal B cell effector function and the increased prevalence of B cell lymphoma recently documented in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and related disorders. Because dendritic reticulum cells weakly express the Leu-3 (T4) antigen, which is known to be an essential component of the receptor for human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) retrovirus infection, it is possible that retroviral infection of dendritic reticulum cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of follicle lysis.
Comparison of experimental and simulation results on interior subchannels of a 61-pin wire-wrapped hexagonal fuel bundle

Abstract As part of a joint U.S. Department of Energy project, Framatome, Argonne National Laboratory, Terrapower, and Texas A&M University have collaborated to produce experimental data and computational results to characterize the flow behavior of a 61-pin wire-wrapped hexagonal fuel bundle. In this paper, comparisons are made between Texas A&M’s experimental particle image velocimetry velocity field measurements and Argonne National Laboratory’s large-eddy simulation results in an interior subchannel for a Reynolds number of 19,000. It can be concluded that the shape and magnitude of the mean vertical velocity component is in excellent agreement for the selected horizontal line plots. Maximum relative errors are less than 10% until the subchannel walls are approached. The shape and, to a lesser extent, magnitude of the mean horizontal velocity component is in satisfactory agreement between the particle image velocimetry and large-eddy simulation results.
Proceedings of the 2012 ACM workshop on Medical communication systems

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2012 ACM Workshop on Medical Communication Systems -- MedCOMM 2012. This goal of MedCOMM is to introduce SIGCOMM researchers to challenging open research problems in medical communication systems and to spark ideas for wireless communication, software radios, and networking. There is an increasing trend toward the convergence of wireless communication, Internet connectivity, and medicine. Devices with advanced computer communication range from bodyworn health monitors to implantable medical devices to remote robotic medical devices in the battlefield. A growing list of such devices includes artificial vision, brain-computer interfaces for prosthetics, cardiac monitors, defibrillators, digital mammography, glucose monitors, infusion pumps, insulin pumps, neurostimulators, pacemakers, radiological electronic picture archiving and communication systems, and smart stents. All these systems depend on the safe, effective, reliable, and secure communication and computer networking. Advanced research on medical communication systems will help innovators of next-generation medical technologies that aim to improve public health in the digital age. The program includes eight invited talks and two workshop papers. Our distinguished speakers are leaders in their respective fields ranging from electromagnetic interference to biomedical engineering.
Expanding Coverage of an Intelligent Transit Bus Monitoring System via ZigBee Radio Network

Public transportation around midsize college towns has become increasingly vital as residential, and commuter populations continue to grow every year. Our research team proposes a cyber-physical system that monitors the quality of service of the transit bus system around James Madison University. By using the power of Internet of Things (IoT), it is possible to create a network of smart nodes that collect data on the bus routing efficiency and ridership. Using Big-Data gathered, improvements can be made to bus route efficiency and traffic congestion in Harrisonburg, as well as similar college towns in the future. This paper concentrates on the steps taken to improve and expand upon our current system’s network infrastructure to allow the collection of data to take place outside the range of campus WiFi. Additionally, the security of passenger data during transmission and storage from smart nodes is also addressed.
Fever After Influenza, Diphtheria-Tetanus-Acellular Pertussis, and Pneumococcal Vaccinations

BACKGROUND: Administering inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV), 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine together has been associated with increased risk for febrile seizure after vaccination. We assessed the effect of administering IIV at a separate visit from PCV13 and DTaP on postvaccination fever. METHODS: In 2017–2018, children aged 12 to 16 months were randomly assigned to receive study vaccines simultaneously or sequentially. They had 2 study visits 2 weeks apart; nonstudy vaccines were permitted at visit 1. The simultaneous group received PCV13, DTaP, and quadrivalent IIV (IIV4) at visit 1 and no vaccines at visit 2. The sequential group received PCV13 and DTaP at visit 1 and IIV4 at visit 2. Participants were monitored for fever (≥38°C) and antipyretic use during the 8 days after visits. RESULTS: There were 110 children randomly assigned to the simultaneous group and 111 children to the sequential group; 90% received ≥1 nonstudy vaccine at visit 1. Similar proportions of children experienced fever on days 1 to 2 after visits 1 and 2 combined (simultaneous [8.1%] versus sequential [9.3%]; adjusted relative risk = 0.87 [95% confidence interval 0.36–2.10]). During days 1 to 2 after visit 1, more children in the simultaneous group received antipyretics (37.4% vs 22.4%; P = .020). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, delaying IIV4 administration by 2 weeks in children receiving DTaP and PCV13 did not reduce fever occurrence after vaccination. Reevaluating this strategy to prevent fever using an IIV4 with a different composition in a future influenza season may be considered.
Foreign Aid and Long Term Prospects of Recipients

The central role of institutions in economic growth and international disparities has been recognized in the last two decades. This paper examines the effect of foreign aid in the form of grants and concessional loans on economic institutions. It uses a sample of 127 recipient countries. Institutional data from Doing Business database are employed. Three alternative control variables, including a per capita income variable, are used. We show foreign aid worsens institutions, though this effect is small. Donor countries will be well-advised to design their aid programs to focus on institutions while recipients need to improve their institutions so that foreigners’ charity is not wasted.
Effects of Tranexamic Acid in Reducing Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Systematic Review

Abstract Tranexamic acid is a medication typically used to prevent excessive blood loss in the setting of trauma, surgery, and menstrual cycles. Administration of tranexamic acid within the first three hours of trauma has been shown to reduce blood loss and mortality in patients. [1] Tranexamic acid is also commonly used during heavy menstrual bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage cases in which administration has been shown to reduce bleeding in patients. [2] Although there have been studies conducted on the effects of tranexamic acid on blood loss during various surgeries, this systematic review aims to understand the effects specifically on patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a common procedure known to have significant blood loss. A systematic review using the PubMed database on the use of tranexamic acid in blood loss for patients undergoing CABG was conducted with the hypothesis that tranexamic acid administration reduces perioperative and postoperative blood loss. This systematic review includes 8 papers from the years 1997-2018 which report on a total of 712 patients. Although significant large, randomized, control studies on the topic are still pending, this systematic review of studies conducted thus far can conclude that tranexamic acid has a positive effect on reducing blood loss in patients undergoing CABG.
None of the Above: Nonreligious Identity in the US and Canada. Joel Thiessen and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme. New York University Press, 2020

In their new book, None of the Above, Joel Thiessen and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme provide detailed descriptions and comparisons of individuals with no religious affiliation (i.e., “nones”) in both the US and Canada. Scholars who are familiar with the increasingly robust literature on nonreligion will find that this book reinforces much of we know while adding important nuance and a comparative perspective between the US and Canada. For researchers who are less familiar with the literature on nonreligion, None of the Above provides a cutting edge overview of the current state of this area of research.
Topological protection of photonic mid-gap defect modes

Defect modes in two-dimensional periodic photonic structures have found use in diverse optical devices. For example, photonic crystal cavities confine optical modes to subwavelength volumes and can be used for enhancement of nonlinearity, lasing and cavity quantum electrodynamics. Defect-core photonic crystal fibres allow for supercontinuum generation and endlessly single-mode fibres with large cores. However, these modes are notoriously fragile: small structural change leads to significant detuning of resonance frequency and mode volume. Here, we show that photonic topological crystalline insulator structures can be used to topologically protect the mode frequency at mid-gap and minimize the volume of a photonic defect mode. We experimentally demonstrate this in a femtosecond-laser-written waveguide array by observing the presence of a topological zero mode confined to the corner of the array. The robustness of this mode is guaranteed by a topological invariant that protects zero-dimensional states embedded in a two-dimensional environment—a novel form of topological protection that has not been previously demonstrated. Eigenmodes of photonic crystal defects have now been topologically protected in an experimental demonstration that also shows how to minimize the mode volume.
Physical mapping of complex genomes

The polymerase chain reaction can be used to create probes for specific regions of the Drosophila genome and for chromosome walking in a library of yeast artificial chromosomes.
Romantic Acts of Generation

In this chapter, Holland explores the broad spectrum of German romantic thinking about generation, one which extends from the organic realm to the intellectual, and even the technological. This chapter also closely examines the topography of a discursive landscape whose primary characteristic is change and raises the question: what implications does a state of constant change have for creative subjects, their products, and the very instruments of production? Through a focus on the writings of Friedrich Schlegel and Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), Holland argues that the multitude of perspectives on generation suggests an alternative to a conventional, centralized model of the self: one that allows for all manner of creative extensions, projections, and dislocations, all under the auspices of generation.
Automatic Student Writing Evaluation: Investigating the Impact of Individual Differences on Source-Based Writing

Automated Writing Evaluation systems have been developed to help students improve their writing skills through the automated delivery of both summative and formative feedback. These systems have demonstrated strong potential in a variety of educational contexts; however, they remain limited in their personalization and scope. The purpose of the current study was to begin to address this gap by examining whether individual differences could be modeled in a source-based writing context. Undergraduate students (n=106) wrote essays in response to multiple sources and then completed an assessment of their vocabulary knowledge. Natural language processing tools were used to characterize the linguistic properties of the source-based essays at four levels: descriptive, lexical, syntax, and cohesion. Finally, machine learning models were used to predict students’ vocabulary scores from these linguistic features. The models accounted for approximately 29% of the variance in vocabulary scores, suggesting that the linguistic features of source-based essays are reflective of individual differences in vocabulary knowledge. Overall, this work suggests that automated text analyses can help to understand the role of individual differences in the writing process, which may ultimately help to improve personalization in computer-based learning environments.
Seeing beyond the target: Leveraging off-target reads in targeted clinical tumor sequencing to identify prognostic biomarkers

Clinical tumor sequencing is rapidly becoming a standard component of clinical care, providing essential information for selecting amongst treatment options and providing prognostic value. Here we develop a robust and scalable software platform (SBT: Seeing Beyond the Target) that mines discarded components of clinical sequences to produce estimates of a rich set of omics features including rDNA and mtDNA copy number, microbial species abundance, and T and B cell receptor sequences. We validate the accuracy of SBT via comparison to multimodal data from the TCGA and apply SBT to a tumor panel cohort of 2,920 lung adenocarcinomas to identify associations of clinical value. We replicated known associations of somatic events in TP53 with changes in rDNA (p=0.012); as well as diversity of BCR and TCR repertoires with the biopsy site (p=2.5x10-6, p<10-20). We observed striking differences in EGFR mutant lung cancers versus wild-type, including higher rDNA copy number and lower immune repertoire diversity. Integrating clinical outcomes, we identified significant prognostic associations with overall survival, including SBT estimates of 5S rDNA (p=1.9x10-4, hazard ratio = 1.22) and TCR diversity (p=2.7x10-3, hazard ratio=1.77). Both novel survival associations replicated in 1,302 breast carcinoma and 1,651 colorectal cancer tumors. We anticipate that feature estimates derived by SBT will yield novel biomarker hypotheses and open research opportunities in existing and emerging clinical tumor sequencing cohorts.
Restoring Federal Takings Claims

Response to Stewart E. Sterk & Michael C. Pollack, A Knock on Knick‘s Revival of Federal Takings Litigation. As Professors Sterk and Pollack noted, “many have cheered” the United States Supreme Court’s holding in Knick v. Township of Scott that overruled the second prong of Williamson County’s ripeness test. Litigants challenging state or local action as a taking were required to first seek compensation under state inverse condemnation provisions. Indeed, I am one of those cheerleaders who has always struggled to understand this ripeness requirement that has kept so many takings claims from being litigated in federal court. It should be noted that the Knick Court left in place the first prong of Williamson County’s ripeness requirement that litigants obtain a final decision from local and state officials before filing their challenges. Obtaining finality before filing has always made sense to me given that determining whether a regulation has gone “too far” (as in Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon parlance) requires us to understand the extent of its impact on the property interest. I strongly disagree with the characterization of the Knick decision as resting on a “shaky theoretical foundation.” The disagreement is based on both the merits of the decision and the Court’s willingness to overrule precedent. However, rather than rehashing arguments about the decision’s theoretical strength, the focus of this Response is instead directed to Professors Sterk and Pollack’s practical concerns about whether the decision “threatens to open the doors of federal courts to a variety of claims that the Court does not appear to have anticipated and that federal courts are ill-equipped to address.”
Chapter 19 – A Route from Biomass to Hydrocarbons via Depolymerization and Decarboxylation of Microbially Produced Polyhydroxybutyrate

Abstract There are many potential chemical intermediates that can be made by fermentation of sugars, and a variety of chemicals that could be made by growing organisms, such as fungi, on biomass. Virtually all of these intermediates require some form of chemical transformation before they are ready to be used as infrastructure-compatible transportation fuels. The route that has been examined in this work is the conversion of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) to propene that would be an intermediate to hydrocarbon fuels. This route appears promising, because there are several microorganisms that can be grown on sugars or even biomass that incorporate high levels of PHB (up to 80% of dry cell mass) as a form of energy storage molecule. Thermal breakdown of PHB proceeds via an intermediate carboxylic acid, which can then be decarboxylated to an alkene. Oligomerization of the alkene by well-known patented technologies would permit production of a range of hydrocarbon fuels from a carbohydrate derived intermediate. 2-Butenoic acid (crotonic acid (CA)), the depolymerization product from PHB, can be effectively decarboxylated to propene at molar yields approaching 80% using a relatively simple thermal treatment at 400 °C for 15 min. This objective has been accomplished by direct treatment of solid CA, without use of water or another solvent and without use of a catalyst. The pressures generated (about 180 psi at the reaction temperature) are just due to the formation of the product gases, propene and CO2. Furthermore, PHB can be directly converted under the same conditions to propene in similar yields. In addition, Cupriavidus necator-containing PHB has been produced and used to test the direct conversion of PHB in bacterial cells. The yields (60–70 molar %) of propene from whole cells were slightly lower than from CA or pure PHB, but still acceptable. Importantly, propene was obtained from whole cells, demonstrating that an expensive process step to isolate PHB from the cells was unnecessary for this process.
Reducing Treatment-Related Mortality Did Not Improve Outcomes of Allogeneic Myeloablative Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Multiple Myeloma: A University of Michigan Prospective Series

Abstract Despite the ongoing advent of more effective immunomodulators and proteasome inhibitors, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable and no effective therapy is available for advanced aggressive disease. Although allogeneic (Allo) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has a curative potential, the outcomes remain poor because of high treatment-related mortality (TRM), mostly due to regimen-related toxicities and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in case of myeloablative conditionings, high relapse rate in case of reduced-intensity or nonmyeloablative regimens, and possibly other unknown MM-specific issues. In an attempt to improve TRM, without compromising conditioning intensity, we prospectively explored the feasibility and efficacy of a myeloablative but reduced-toxicity conditioning regimen, consisting of fludarabine and busulfan (FluBu4; fludarabine 40 mg/m2/day and busulfan 3.2 mg/kg/day i.v. × 4 days) in 22 patients with high-risk or advanced refractory MM. The majority (14 of 22, 64%) had prior autologous HCT. The median HCT-specific comorbidity index score was 3 (range, 0 to 6), with 46% having a Karnofsky performance score 3. With a median follow-up of 58.7 (range, 39 to 82) months, the cumulative incidences of relapse at 1 and 3 years were 37% (95% CI, 20% to 61%) and 50% (95% CI, 29% to 75%); those for 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) were 58% (95% CI, 40% to 83%) and 29% (95% CI, 15% to 57%), respectively, and those for the 1-year and 3-year progression-free survivals (PFS) were 40% (95% CI, 23% to 67%) and 15% (95% CI, 5% to 42%), respectively. In summary, the use of the myeloablative FluBu4 conditioning Allo-HCT for high-risk MM resulted in decreased TRM, compared with that of Allo-HCT using conventional myeloablative regimens; however, the relapse rate was high, including in those developing moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD. This suggested a less robust graft-versus-myeloma effect against high-risk MM, thus resulting in poor PFS and OS. Nonetheless, the FluBu4 regimen may be used as a lower-TRM platform to combine with other strategies, eg, addition of an MM-targeted agent and/or maintenance therapy with these agents, to decrease relapse or progression in patients with high-risk MM.