cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4765: A drill-down approach to identifying an ER negative-specific gene signature

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA There has been relatively little advancement in changing the management of women with ER negative (ER-) breast cancer (BC). Our objective is to examine the contribution of aberrantly methylated genes to the pathogenesis of ER- BC, determine their utility in refining classification of ER- subtypes [basal-like (BL) and Her2-enriched], in differentiating ER- BC in African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) women, and as new prognostic and therapeutic targets for better management of ER- BC. The methylation status of 40 ER- and 40 ER positive (ER+) breast cancer samples was assessed using the Illumina 450K. A 3-tiered approach was used to call out genes most differentially methylated between ER- and ER+. The top 70 genes were further downsized using the TaqMan low-density array expression assays, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to assess their biologic significance, followed by targeted sequencing (Illumina Miseq). Further assessment of the genes in the 450K TCGA data sets (UCSC Brower 2015) was used for final downsizing. Of the 70 highly ranked differentially methylated genes, 56 were hypermethylated and 14 hypomethylated, with positive correlation with gene expression for the majority of genes. Expression verification and significant rankings in canonical pathways and bionetworks resulted in further downsizing to 41 genes upon confirmation by targeted sequencing. Further filtering of the 41 genes with 450K TCGA data sets provided additional refinement to a 10 gene candidate panel currently being vetted in a retrospective cohort of over 1000 ER negative BC (with 40% AA). Our iterative approach to identify an ER negative-specific gene signature has the potential to offer predictive and prognostic markers of improved classification for ER- BC in AA and CA women. Confirmation and validation of these methylation profiles in independent cohorts of BL BC defined by cDNA microarrays should further stratify poor prognosis breast cancers subgroups and serve as targets for epigenetic-modifying agents individualized to AA and CA women with ER- BC. Human therapeutic intervention trials to reverse deleterious epigenetic changes have shown promise in halting tumor growth by reactivation of the tumor suppressor genes or by reversing DNA hypomethylation. Support: Komen Foundation: KG110218 Citation Format: Maria J. Worsham, Dhananjay Chitale, Kang Mei Chen, Indrani Datta, Josena K. Stephen, George Divine. A drill-down approach to identifying an ER negative-specific gene signature. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4765. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4765
Identifying common elements in late-diagnosed late-onset MADD patients by using graphs

Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenation deficiency (MADD), or commonly referred to as glutaric acidemia type 2 (GA2), is a genetic metabolic disorder affecting amino acid, fatty acid, and choline mechanisms. It is passed on in an autosomal-recessive manner. While most cases present themselves at birth or at an early age, it is also quite possible to get a diagnosis well into adulthood. For these late-onset patients, the road to diagnosis is often long, painful, and frustrating. In addition, due to late diagnosis they can also suffer from long-lasting effects of their worsening symptoms. The goal of this work is to identify the common symptoms among patients who are diagnosed very late after the onset of their symptoms. We take a graphical approach and present a new way to look at data with the hope that, in the future, this might help to detect any patterns and facilitate early diagnosis. Data related to age at the onset of symptoms, age at diagnosis, gender, and various common symptoms are studied.
The Epistle of Enoch: Genre and Authorial Presentation

To the extent that a writing openly presents itself as the result of authorial activity, discussions of genre cannot dispense with the question of how, formally, communication occurs. Taking the Epistle of Enoch and Apocalypse of Weeks in 1 Enoch as the points of departure, the present essay attempts to show that a discussion of what a document declares about its own writtenness opens up a way of understanding it in comparison to other documents that do the same along analogous lines, whether sapiential or apocalyptic.
Relationship of hemoglobin, fatigue, and quality of life in anemic cancer patients

Anemia is an abnormal reduction in red blood cells (RBC) caused by difficulties in RBC production, recycling, and/or regulation. The resultant decrease in hemoglobin (Hb) leads to a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. In turn, this leads to patient weakness, pallor, dyspnea, and most commonly, fatigue. Given their somewhat nonspecific nature, the symptoms of anemia are often difficult to attribute directly to the anemia itself. However, the impact of low Hb can be far-reaching (Beghe et al. 2004; Pujade-Lauraine and Gascon 2004). Important heath-related outcomes, such as quality of life (QOL) can be enhanced with proper evaluation and treatment of fatigue and other anemia-related symptoms.
The Rise of Smart Machines: The Unique Peril of Intelligent Software Agents in Defense and Intelligence

As computer processing power and cyber connectivity has increased, states have turned to intelligent software agents (ISA) as a potential means to extend the reach of their militaries and the analytical capacity of their intelligence agencies. Intelligent software agents (ISA) are computer programs that have the ability to learn, cooperate, and act independently of humans. The development of technologies that can operate autonomously has generated nearly as much anxiety as it has excitement, often to the detriment of clear eyed analysis. The path to acquiring and fully implementing ISA is farther away, and more complex than its advocates and detractors will admit. In addition to this, while ISAs could afford new capabilities for information analysis and battlefield risk reduction, they simultaneously introduce their own unique risks in implementation.
Abstract 315: Stromal Cell-derived Factor 1 Protects From Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

We have demonstrated that stromal cell-derived factor 1(SDF-1) protects against palmitate-induced cardiac apoptosis, which is mediated by NOX-activated nitrosative damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress, via CXCR7, to activate AMPK/p38 MAPK-mediated IL-6 generation (Diabetes 62:2545-2558, 2013). Whether SDF-1 prevents diabetic cardiomyopathy has not been addressed. Here we evaluated the preventive effects of SDF-1 from diabetic cardiomyopathy in a high fat diet plus streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic model in C57BL/6J mice. After 1 month on HFD, cardiac function was assayed by echocardiography, and then HFD-fed mice were injected with one low dose STZ (100mg/kg body weight, ip). Five days after STZ injection, mice with blood glucose levels ≥250 mg/dl were defined as diabetic. In parallel, the age-matched normal diet-fed mice injected with a same volume of citrate buffer (pH4.5) were used as control. After onset of diabetes, the mice were maintained on HFD or normal diet for another 4 months with or without SDF-1 treatment. Then cardiac function was assayed again, and the mice were sacrificed and cardiac tissue collected for cardiomyopathic index assay. We found that 1 month HFD feeding induced a significant insulin resistance without effect on cardiac function, but continued HFD feeding after STZ injection significantly impaired cardiac function, which were accompanied by increased insulin resistance and blood glucose, as well as blood insulin, triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Treatment with SDF-1 dose-dependently prevented diabetes-induced cardiac dysfunction but without significant effects on the above mentioned other pathophysiological parameters. These results indicate that SDF-1 possibly prevents diabetic cardiomyopathy via a direct cardiomyocyte action, which needs to be further defined in future study.
Sea Urchin Behavior in a Southern California Kelp Forest: Food, Fear, Behavioral Niches, and Scaling Up Individual Behavior

ABSTRACT Red and purple sea urchins (Mesocentrotus francisanus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) cohabit the west coast of North America and exhibit behavioral switching between sheltering, when food is abundant, and emergence and overgrazing, when food is scarce. To better understand individual urchin foraging behavior, we conducted a series of time-lapse behavioral studies within and at the edge of a resilient sea urchin barren. Photographs were taken at 15-min intervals for weeklong periods to observe behavior (1) in different microtopographic settings, (2) in response to food additions, and (3) along a spatial gradient from the leading edge of a sea urchin grazing front to ∼100 m behind it. Movement was limited for both species when crowded or in complex microtopography. Consistent differences in sheltering behaviors and diel movement patterns were observed between species in the presence and absence of food indicating behavioral niche differentiation. Red sea urchins responded to food falls at dista...
Family Functioning, Medical Self-Management, and Health Outcomes Among School-Aged Children With Sickle Cell Disease: A Mediation Model

Background Informed by the Pediatric Self-Management Model, the present study tested relationships between parent and family functioning, sickle cell disease (SCD) self-management, and health outcomes for children with SCD. Method 83 children with SCD and a parent completed baseline data as part of a larger investigation of a family-based, problem-solving intervention for children with SCD (M age = 8.47). Youth and parents completed a measure of child health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and parents completed measures of family efficacy, parenting stress, and SCD self-management. SCD pain episodes and urgent health utilization information over the past year were obtained via medical chart review. Results SCD self-management mediated the relationship between parent-reported family efficacy and parent proxy HRQOL, as well as the relationship between parenting stress and child and parent proxy HRQOL. Mediation models were nonsignificant for outcomes beyond HRQOL, including SCD pain episodes and urgent health utilization. Conclusion Fostering family efficacy and reducing parenting stress may be meaningful intervention targets for improving SCD self-management and child HRQOL among school-aged children. Although findings were consistent with the Pediatric Self-Management Model in terms of HRQOL, the model was not supported for pain episodes or urgent health utilization, highlighting the need for multi-method, longitudinal research on the SCD self-management behaviors that are linked to preventable health outcomes.
Serial transplantation of methotrexate-resistant bone marrow: protection of murine recipients from drug toxicity by progeny of transduced stem cells

Recombinant retroviral vectors have been used to transfer a variety of genetic sequences into hematopoietic stem cells. Although transfer and expression of foreign genetic sequences into reconstituting stem cells is one approach to somatic gene therapy, few studies have shown long lasting phenotypic changes in recipient mice in vivo. In this study, we show successful transfer of a methotrexate-resistant cDNA (DHFRr) into reconstituting hematopoietic stem cells using a retroviral vector, FrDHFRr, in which the DHFR cDNA is expressed off a hybrid Friend/Moloney long term repeat. Both primary and secondary recipients transplanted with bone marrow cells infected with this recombinant retrovirus show improved survival and protection from methotrexate-induced marrow toxicity when compared with control animals. These data suggest that retroviral-mediated gene transfer of DHFRr cDNA leads to a stable change in the phenotype of hematopoietic stem cells and progeny derived from those cells in vivo after bone marrow transplantation. Gene transfer using recombinant retroviral vectors seems to be one rational approach to establishing chemotherapy-resistant bone marrow cells.
The Best Constant in the Davis Inequality for the Expectation of the Martingale Square Function

A method is introduced for the simultaneous study of the square function and the maximal function of a martingale that can yield sharp norm inequalities between the two. One application is that the expectation of the square function of a martingale is not greater than \(\sqrt {3}\) times the expectation of the maximal function. This gives the best constant for one side of the Davis two-sided inequality. The martingale may take its values in any real or complex Hilbert space. The elementary discrete-time case leads quickly to the analogous results for local martingales M indexed by [0, ∞). Some earlier inequalities are also improved and, closely related, the Levy martingale is embedded in a large family of submartingales.
DivNet: Estimating diversity in networked communities

Diversity is a marker of ecosystem health in ecology, microbiology and immunology, with implications for disease diagnosis and infection resistance. However, accurately comparing diversity across environmental gradients is challenging, especially when number of different taxonomic groups in the community is large. Furthermore, existing approaches to estimating diversity do not perform well when the taxonomic groups in the community interact via an ecological network, such as by competing within their niche, or with mutualistic relationships. To address this, we propose DivNet, a method for estimating within- and between-community diversity in ecosystems where taxa interact via an ecological network. In particular, accounting for network structure permits more accurate estimates of alpha- and beta-diversity, even in settings with a large number of taxa and a small number of samples. DivNet is fast, accurate, precise, performs well with large numbers of taxa, and is robust to both weakly and strongly networked communities. We show that the advantages of incorporating taxon interactions into diversity estimation are especially clear in analyzing microbiomes and other high-diversity, strongly networked ecosystems. To illustrate the method, we analyze the microbiome of seafloor basalts based on a 16S amplicon sequencing dataset with 1490 taxa and 13 samples.
Response by Lee et al to Letter Regarding Article, “Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Relation to All-Cause Mortality: The Women’s Health Study”

We thank Yang et al for the comments they made about our published article1 and agree with the points raised. First, concerning follow-up time, the article published was based on follow-up time accrued after accelerometer assessments in the Women’s Health Study, and thus, follow-up time was short for this particular analysis (although follow-up for the parent study2–4 is currently >20 years). Participants continue to be followed up for various health outcomes, and in the future, …
An integrated approach to computer-based decision support at the point of care.

Information needs that arise when clinicians use clinical information systems often go unresolved, forcing clinicians to defer decisions or make them with incomplete knowledge. My research characterizes these needs in order to build information systems that can help clinicians get timely answers to their questions. My colleagues and I have developed “Infobuttons”, which are links between clinical information systems and on-line knowledge resources, and have developed an “Infobutton Manager” (IM) that attempts to determine the information need based on the context of what the user is doing. The IM presents users with a set of questions, each of which is a link to an online information resource that will answer the question. The Infobutton Manager has been successfully deployed in five systems at four institutions and provides users with over 1,000 accesses to on-line health information each month, with a positive impact on patient care.
Operating Room Setup and General Techniques in Minimal Invasive Colorectal Surgery

Minimally invasive techniques have demonstrated tangible benefits to patients in terms of diminished postoperative pain, reduction in postoperative ileus, earlier tolerance of a diet, diminished hospital stay, earlier return to normal activities, and improved cosmesis. These benefits, however, are offset partially by the presence of an established learning curve (>20 cases) ascribed to obtaining proficiency in minimally invasive colon and rectal surgery. Additionally, laparoscopic and robotic operations are associated with increased operating room times and requisite operating room costs. These disadvantages are most evident early in a surgeon’s minimally invasive practice, namely, until one has attained efficiency and an adequate case volume in laparoscopic and robotic surgery to employ minimally invasive techniques proficiently. Despite these drawbacks, minimally invasive colon and rectal operations have been shown to be cost-effective and clearly offer numerous patient-centered benefits when compared to open operations. Central to attaining proficiency in minimally invasive colon and rectum surgery is obtaining an understanding of the proper operating room setup, necessary specialized equipment and instrumentation, as well as a basic understanding of patient positioning for these operations. As such, these topics form the basis of this chapter.
Being in the World Manifests Dasein’s Original Transcendence

According to Heidegger, “being-in-the-world is the basic composition (Grundverfassung) of Dasein” (MFL, 169/217). As such, it belongs to the essence (Wesen) of Dasein that insofar as “Dasein factically (faktisch) exists, then its existence has the structure of being-in-the-world” (MFL, 169/217). This means that being-in-the-world is not something which structures Dasein’s existence only on certain occasions, but rather that “it must always already have been ontically experienced” (BT, 86/59). The pertinent question that Heidegger asks with respect to this structure is whether knowing (erkennen) the world, in the sense of the perception of natural entities, is phenomenally sufficient to establish being-in-the-world as the basic composition of Dasein? More precisely put, the question is one of whether the “already being-alongside-theworld (Schon-bei-der-Welt)” (BT, 88/61) constitutive of Dasein’s Being is phenomenally manifested as “just a fixed staring at something that is purely present-at-hand” (Ibid)?
GENETIC CONTROL AND ISOZYMIC COMPOSITION OF DRUG ACETYLATING ENZYMES

ABSTRACT . Observations in families of slow and rapid isoniazid acetylator rabbits indicate the existence of a new drug acetylating polymorphism in this species. Crosses between rabbits of both isoniazid acetylator phenotypes show that the variation in p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) Nacetyltransferase (NAT) activity in peripheral blood is genetically determined and controlled by a pair of allelic autosomal genes. The regulatory systems controlling the enzymes for PABA acetylation in blood and isoniazid acetylation in liver are interdependent since the highest blood PABA NAT activities are associated with the lowest liver isoniazid NAT activities, and vice versa. Comparisons of isozyme patterns and other biochemical properties of partially purified NAT'S from blood and liver indicate that NAT from slow isoniazid acetylator liver and NAT's from blood of both acetylator phenotypes may possess certain structural features in common. The isozyme pattern and biochemical characteristics of NAT from rapid isoniazid acetylator liver differ from those of either slow isoniazid acetylator NAT or blood NAT. The possible significance of these findings to the evolutionary origin of drug acetylating enzymes in rabbit blood and liver is discussed.
Small Groups and Leader Personal Development

This chapter reveals aspect of small group leadership development—detailing the results minded through sociorhetorical analysis—specifically the leadership values and practices of Moses through Exodus 18. The chapter focuses on the leadership principles of Moses, leadership development, and the decision-making of leaders at every level of an organization. The section implements organizational behavior theories on decision-making toward the leader’s spiritual formation and practice of embracing Biblical principles. The focus of this chapter concerns the betterment of the reader, and leader involving seven values from Scripture toward the spiritual formation of organizational leaders involving decision-making. The seven values concern, (a) confidence in Christ, (b) serving others, (c) integrity (d) teachable, (e) humility, (f) ready to empower, and (g) altruistic.
Survival trends of metastatic small intestinal neuroendocrine tumor: a population-based analysis of SEER database.

Background: Incidence of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SNETs) is increasing and they now comprise the most common types of small intestinal cancer. SNETs frequently present with distant metastasis. Significant uncertainty prevails with regards to the surgical management strategies in metastatic SNETs. Therefore, we aim to analyze survival trends in metastatic SNET patients stratified by type of surgical treatment. Methods: We analyzed the data from the SEER database: Incidence − SEER 18 Regs Research Data + Hurricane Katrina Impacted Louisiana Cases, Nov 2016 Sub (1973−2014 varying). Relative survival rates (RSRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were measured for patients diagnosed with metastatic SNET between 2000 and 2014. Treatment received was divided into two broad categories; surgical resection and no surgery and further subcategorized into local resection (LR) (surgery of the primary tumor only) and radical resection (RR) (surgery for primary tumor and metastasectomy). Results: We identified 1,138 metastatic SNET cases. Median age was 61 years. Median survival was 41 months and 5 year RSR was 72%. Age >50 years (HR 2.10, P 2 cm (HR 1.27, P=0.07), showed poor outcome. The group which did not receive any tumor directed surgery showed the worst survival (5 years RSR 45.30% vs . 76%, respectively for no surgery vs . surgery group, P 50 years (HR 0.37), and for primary tumor location in the duodenum (HR 0.13). Conclusions: Surgery for the primary tumor (LR or RR) significantly improved 5-year survival even in the presence of distant metastasis irrespective of primary tumor size, grade, or histology. Poor prognostic factors include, age >50 years, duodenal primary, tumor size >2 cm, and poorly differentiated histology.
Administration of Sub-anesthetic Dose of Ketamine and Electroconvulsive Treatment on Alternate Week Days in Patients with Treatment Resistant Depression: A Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial.

Introduction and Background Patients with depression who fail to respond to at least two antidepressants in their current episode are considered to have Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD). ECT is an effective treatment of TRD but cognitive side effects limit its use. Ketamine elicits a rapid antidepressant response in sub-anesthetic repeated doses. ECT and ketamine may be modulating the glutamate system, therefore when administered in an interleaved fashion, they could have a synergistic effect. Methods 15 TRD patients were recruited and 12 were included in the analysis. Patients were randomly assigned to an ECT + iv. ketamine or ECT + iv. placebo (midazolam). At baseline and before each infusion, depression severity scales were administered. At baseline, halfway through and at the end of the study, cognitive tests were administered. Results There was no difference between the ketamine and placebo arms, per change in 17-item Hamilton Depression Scores (HAM-D), Young Mania Rating Scores or cognitive tests. Per HAMD scores, 3 ECT +ketamine subjects (42%) showed early remission (HAMD < 8) and maintained euthymia for 3 additional visits. None of the ECT +midazolam subjects (0%) achieved early remission. This difference showed a trend level significance (Chi square P-Value = 0.0910). Conclusion The results of the study were limited due to the small sample size. However, a trend level difference in rates of early remission was seen, suggesting that ketamine + ECT may lead to a faster symptom relief. A larger sample size is needed for statistical confirmation.
A Novel High-Speed Photon Counting System with Programmed Dead Time

With high sensitivity at single photon level, Geiger-Mode (GM) avalanche photodiodes (APD) are widely used in spectrum measurement, 3D imaging, astronomical observation, biomedical and other fields. In this paper, a high-speed photon counting system is proposed with an active quench and reset integrated circuit (AQR-IC) that drives a near infrared InGaAs GM-APD. The avalanche current is converted into voltage signal by utilizing parasitic capacitance of APD and circuit's input port. Multi-stage inverters detect the induced voltage, and generate an output TTL pulse indicating occurrence of avalanche event. At the same time, the active quench circuit is introduced to stop avalanche quickly. Then the active reset circuit makes APD working in Geiger mode after a programmable delay time which could be set by field programmable gate array(FPGA). The adjustable dead time enormously improve the flexibility of photon counting system applications. The proposed AQR-IC was fabricated in SMIC $\mathbf{0.18\ \mu m}$ CMOS process. Applied for InGaAs GM-APD, experimental results show that the circuit is capable of fast quenching and recovering. The system provides adjustable dead time from 64 ns up to $\mathbf{163.6\ \mu s}$ with a setting resolution of 20 ns, corresponding to a maximum counting rate of 15.6 MHz. The system can meet the application requirement of free-running mode detection.
Association between bisoprolol plasma concentration and worsening of heart failure: (CVI ARO 6)

Abstract Background Although bisoprolol has been established to prevent heart failure (HF), finding the optimal dose remains a challenge. It is crucial to understand the distribution of bisoprolol plasma concentration (Bis-PC) and association with outcomes. Methods This was a single-center observational study in 114 HF patients under once-daily bisoprolol. After obtaining trough Bis-PC, patients were followed-up for 1 year. The primary endpoint was worsening of HF. Patients were divided according to the tertiles of Bis-PC. Results In multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of high Bis-PC (1st tertile: ≥ 5.38 ng/mL) were age, eGFR, and bisoprolol dose. The cumulative incidence rates of the primary endpoint were 10.5%/13.2%/26.3% in low/middle/high Bis-PC categories, respectively (log rank test, p = 0.087). Bis-PC was independently associated with the primary endpoint (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19 [per ng/mL], 95% CI 1.03–1.36). In subgroups, high Bis-PC was independently associated with the primary endpoint in elderly (HR 6.32, 95% CI 1.34–29.83) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (HR 3.52, 95% CI 1.06–11.70). Conclusions Bis-PC was increased by age and renal dysfunction, and high Bis-PC was associated with worsening of HF in elderly and HFpEF patients. Care should be taken to avoid overdose.
Encoding subjectivity with totality: A corpus-based study of [zhengge yi (CL) + X] in Mandarin

Abstract Using three corpora of written discourse, this paper investigates the historical trajectory of the totality quantifier zheng ‘whole, entire’ and its later fusion with the general classifier ge in Mandarin Chinese. The results show that zhengge as a compound has evolved from a prenominal quantifier to a degree intensifier. As zhengge gradually lost its lexical meaning of ‘whole, entire,’ it became a degree intensifier that pushes properties up an imaginary scale from a reference point, arguably through conceptual metonymic shifts, i.e., the semanticization of an earlier pragmatic implicature or invited inference ( Traugott, 2010 ). The degree-intensifying use enables zhengge to fuse with other linguistic elements, such as a numeral yi ‘one’ plus an optional classifier (CL). Together, they form a formulaic expression zhengge yi (CL) deployed by Mandarin speakers/writers to encode their evaluative stances, as in zhengge yige xiao bawang ‘completely a little lord.’ About two-thirds of comments introduced by zhengge yi (CL) are found to have negative implications. General principles of human cognition, particularly negativity biases of humans, are proposed to account for this negative tendency.
Investigation of GNSS Jamming Incidences on Main Transport Corridors in Central Europe

In the article there are presented results of investigation on GNSS jamming incidences in different localizations on main transport corridors in Poland taking into account also traffic from neighbouring countries: Germany, Belarus and Lithuania. Localisations of the measurement sessions were carefully chosen to enable the general analysis of the GNSS jamming problem on the main transport corridors in Central Europe. Static and mobile measuring systems were designed and built in ŁUKASIEWICZ Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP based on software defined radio (SDR) platform. The system scans among all GNSS bands and seeks for the in-band interference signals. The detected and recorded jamming signals were further analysed. The analysis was done to assess the volume and types of GNSS jamming incidences. The collected data allow to estimate the scale of the problem and prepare a road map for the development of legislative documents and technical countermeasures. The research was done in the frame of “Evaluation of Galileo/EGNOS services jamming incidence in Central Europe” project founded by European Space Agency.
Characterizing the diversity of aromatics in a coflow diffusion Jet A-1 surrogate flame

Abstract Understanding the formation of soot precursors requires properly taking into account their diverse structure and chemistry. To study the extent of this variety in a realistic combustion system, we simulated the growth of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in a diffusion coflow flame using a three-component Jet A-1 surrogate (n-decane/ propylbenzene/ propylcyclohexane) as fuel. A kinetic Monte Carlo software, which generates samples of the atomistic evolution of gas-phase molecules’ growth, was used to characterize the PACs’ growth in this flame. We leveraged our simulations to identify a number of aromatic structures. In addition to aromatic hydrocarbons, we were able to reproduce the diverse array of oxygenated PACs observed experimentally between 150u and 450u, specifically a number of PACs with five-membered carbon rings and furan, hydroxl, and ketone groups. The amount of PACs with masses between 450u and 600u was slightly over-predicted, indicating that in this mass range there are possibly other mechanisms (e.g., radical-radical interactions) that reduce the concentration of these PACs. As our growth mechanism is focused mostly on aromatic growth, we did not observe the more aliphatic molecules seen in experiment. Overall, our results suggest that there is a wide range of structures with different degrees of oxygenation and aromaticity that must be accounted for when modeling PACs’ growth in combustion environments.
Manifolds and Differential Geometry

Differential geometry began as the study of curves and surfaces using the methods of calculus. In time, the notions of curve and surface were generalized along with associated notions such as length, volume, and curvature. At the same time the topic has become closely allied with developments in topology. The basic object is a smooth manifold, to which some extra structure has been attached, such as a Riemannian metric, a symplectic form, a distinguished group of symmetries, or a connection on the tangent bundle. This book is a graduate-level introduction to the tools and structures of modern differential geometry. Included are the topics usually found in a course on differentiable manifolds, such as vector bundles, tensors, differential forms, de Rham cohomology, the Frobenius theorem and basic Lie group theory. The book also contains material on the general theory of connections on vector bundles and an in-depth chapter on semi-Riemannian geometry that covers basic material about Riemannian manifolds and Lorentz manifolds. An unusual feature of the book is the inclusion of an early chapter on the differential geometry of hyper-surfaces in Euclidean space. There is also a section that derives the exterior calculus version of Maxwell's equations. The first chapters of the book are suitable for a one-semester course on manifolds. There is more than enough material for a year-long course on manifolds and geometry.
Relating Cepstral Peak Prominence to Cyclical Parameters of Vocal Fold Vibration from High-Speed Videoendoscopy Using Machine Learning: A Pilot Study.

Summary Objective Smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPs) has been shown to be an effective indicator of breathiness (Hillenbrand and Houde, 1996). High-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) is frequently being used as a complement to stroboscopy especially when asymmetric or aperiodic vocal fold vibration is present in dysphonic voices. In an HSV image data set obtained with normal (nondisordered) voice subjects, we have observed that some degree of asymmetry is present in many of the vocal fold displacement curves extracted from the HSV exam videos; therefore, we have used this data set for a pilot study to investigate the relationship of CPPs to cyclical vocal fold vibration parameters, including left-right vocal fold (LVRF) phase asymmetry, in subjects with normal (nondisordered) voices. Methods Twenty subjects with normal (nondisordered) voices produced sustained vowel phonations while undergoing a transoral HSV examination of the vocal folds with synchronized recording of the voice signal. Glottal area waveform (GAW) and cyclical parameters open quotient (OQ), closed quotient (CQ), speed quotient (SQ), and LVRF skew were extracted from the HSV exam videos, and CPPs measures were obtained from acoustic analysis of the audio recordings. Correlations among the cyclical parameters and CPPs values were investigated using machine learning with the Regression Learner application in the MATLAB© Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox (version 9.5.0.944444, R2018b, August 28, 2018, (c) 1984-2018, The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA). Results Because the sample size of the data set used for this study was small, and because there possibly was multicollinearity among the predictor variables used, the only meaningful result that was obtained with the data set of 20 normal subjects in the four predictor variables was the constant model (ie, the best prediction of CPPs was just the average value of the 20 observations), when the model validation feature of the app was turned on to protect against overfitting. In order to fully investigate the usefulness of the Regression Learner App, however, the validation feature was turned off and 48 more model types were investigated. While these were not necessarily indicative of the best regression model for the current data set, the results obtained in this manner nevertheless demonstrated the utility of the automated approach for finding a regression model for a larger data set to be collected in the future. Conclusion Further work is warranted to collect a data set from a larger sample size of disordered voice patients with breathy and/or rough voice. It is speculated that a correlation between CPPs and cyclical parameters of vocal fold vibration may be more evident with disordered voices, because there will be more asymmetry in LRVF displacement with an effect on the acoustic voice signal.
Report of the Faceted Subject Access Interest Group. American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia, January 2020

The Faceted Subject Access Interest Group (FSAIG) met on Saturday, January 25th during the American Library Association’s 2020 Midwinter meeting. Eighty-seven people were in attendance. The program...
Phenotypic heterogeneity of sarcomeric gene mutations: a matter of gain and loss?

After several decades of intense research and various attempts at definition and classification, cardiomyopathies still remain disorders of remarkable and intriguing complexity. Once more, this aspect is elicited by the recent discovery that mutations in the cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), a
Virtually structured detection enables super-resolution ophthalmoscopy of rod and cone photoreceptors in human retina.

Background High resolution imaging is desirable for advanced study and clinical management of retinal diseases. However, spatial resolution of retinal imaging has been limited due to available numerical aperture and optical aberration of the ocular optics. This study is to develop and validate virtually structured detection (VSD) to surpass diffraction limit for resolution improvement in in vivo retinal imaging of awake human. Methods A rapid line scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) was constructed for in vivo retinal imaging. A high speed (25,000 kHz) camera was used for recording the two-dimensional (2D) light reflectance profile, corresponding to each focused line illumination. VSD was implemented to the 2D light reflectance profiles for super-resolution reconstruction. Because each 2D light reflectance profile was recorded within 40 μs, the intra-frame blur due to eye movements can be ignored. Digital registration was implemented to further compensate for inter-frame eye movements, before the VSD processing. Based on digital processing, the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the imaging system was derived for objective identification of the cut-off frequency of ocular optics, which is essential for robust VSD processing to ensure reliable super-resolution imaging. Dynamic motility analysis of the super-resolution images was implemented to further enhance the imaging contrast of retinal rod and cone photoreceptors. Results The VSD based super-resolution SLO significantly improved image quality compared with equivalent wide-field imaging. In vivo observation of individual retinal photoreceptors has been demonstrated unambiguously. Dynamic motility analysis of the super-resolution images enhanced the contrast of retinal rod and cone photoreceptors, and revealed sub-cellular structures in cone photoreceptors. Conclusions In conjunction with rapid line-scan imaging and digital registration to minimize the effect of eye movements, VSD enabled resolution improvement to observe individual retinal photoreceptors without the involvement of adaptive optics (AO). An objective method has been developed to identify MTF to enable quantitative estimation of the cut-off frequency required for robust VSD processing.
BlindTLS: Circumventing TLS-based HTTPS censorship

Governments across the globe limit which sites their citizens can visit by employing multiple kinds of censorship techniques for different types of traffic. ISPs have been able to effectively censor HTTPS traffic by inspecting the TLS handshake which leaks the domain being visited. TLS1.3 attempts to solve this with a proposed ESNI extension which encrypts the SNI (server name indication) value. Since ESNI is optional, ISPs have been known to simply drop handshakes that attempt to use it; SNI based censorship is therefore still a problem even in TLS1.3. We present BlindTLS, a technique that hides the true SNI value in TLS1.2. BlindTLS requires no server modifications and expects only minimal (existing) external infrastructure to circumvent TLS-based censorship. We evaluate and show that BlindTLS is able to successfully provide access to a majority of websites blocked by a real-world ISP with minimal performance overhead.
Routine Gadolinium Use for MRI Follow-up of Multiple Sclerosis: Point-The Role of Leptomeningeal Enhancement.

This article does not include an abstract. Please see the accompanying Counterpoint by Alex Rovira and Cristina Auger.
Atlas of radiographic features of osteoarthritis of the ankle and hindfoot

Summary Objective To develop a radiographic atlas of osteoarthritis (OA) for use as a template and guide for standardized scoring of radiographic features of OA of the ankle and hindfoot joints. Method Under Institutional Review Board approval, ankle and hindfoot images were selected from a cohort study and from among cases that underwent ankle radiography during a 6-month period at Duke University Medical Center. Missing OA pathology was obtained through supplementation of cases with the assistance of a foot and ankle specialist in Orthopaedic surgery and a musculoskeletal radiologist. Images were obtained and reviewed without patient identifying information. Images went through multiple rounds of review and final images were selected by consensus of the study team. For intra-rater and inter-rater reliability, the kappa statistic was calculated for two readings by three musculoskeletal radiologists, a minimum of two weeks apart, of ankle and hindfoot radiographs from 30 anonymized subjects. Results The atlas demonstrates individual radiographic features (osteophyte and joint space narrowing (JSN)) and Kellgren–Lawrence grade for all aspects of the talocrural (ankle joint proper) and talocalcaneal (subtalar) joints. Reliability of scoring based on the atlas was quite good to excellent for most features indicated. Additional examples of ankle joint findings are illustrated including sclerosis, os trigonum, subchondral cysts and talar tilt. Conclusions It is anticipated that this atlas will assist with standardization of scoring of ankle and hindfoot OA by basic and clinical OA researchers.
Twice in a blue moon

Last month, two new moons were discovered orbiting Uranus. They differ from those already known, being much further from the planet, and having elongated orbits — these are ‘irregular’ moons, such as are seen around all the other giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. So the discovery makes Uranus more like the other planets, to the relief of some astrophysicists.
Pollsters’ Cell-Phone Proportions and Accuracy in 2014 U.S. Senate Races

We examine pre-election polls for what the website Real Clear Politics considered the most competitive 2014 U.S. Senate races, to test for correlation between samples’ proportions of cell-phone-only respondents (relative to a given state’s general cell-phone-only prevalence) and polls’ accuracy in predicting election outcomes. Forty-one eligible polls were identified. Our results showed that cell-phone share and poll accuracy/error were uncorrelated in the full collection of surveys. However, dividing the polls based on states’ partisan tendencies showed that in moderately and strongly Republican-leaning states, the greater a poll’s share of cell-phone-only respondents, the greater the poll’s error in a Democratic-leaning direction. Percentage of 18-29 year-olds in the sample did not explain much of this association. We recommend basing sample targets for percentages of cell-phone-only respondents on corresponding statewide estimates, with consideration also given to states’ political leanings and potential advance indicators of high or low turnout in different age groups.
The patterns produced by precipitation at a moving reaction front

Abstract Many precipitation patterns are associated with the formation of a sparingly soluble product at a moving reaction front. Liesegang band formation is an example of such a process. We describe a model which describes the transport, reaction, nucleation and droplet growth kinetics of the process involved. Solving the nonlinear equations, we observe solutions which are consistent with the experimental observations.
The Coronavirus E Protein: Assembly and Beyond

The coronavirus E protein is a small membrane protein that has an important role in the assembly of virions. Recent studies have indicated that the E protein has functions during infection beyond assembly, including in virus egress and in the host stress response. Additionally, the E protein has ion channel activity, interacts with host proteins, and may have multiple membrane topologies. The goal of this review is to highlight the properties and functions of the E protein, and speculate on how they may be related.
14-3-3γ Induces Oncogenic Transformation by Stimulating MAP Kinase and PI3K Signaling

The 14-3-3 proteins are a set of highly conserved scaffolding proteins that have been implicated in the regulation of a variety of important cellular processes such as the cell cycle, apoptosis and mitogenic signaling. Recent evidence indicates that the expression of some of the family members is elevated in human cancers suggesting that they may play a role in tumorigenesis. In the present study, the oncogenic potential of 14-3-3γ was shown by focus formation and tumor formation in SCID mice using 14-3-3γ transfected NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. In contrast, 14-3-3σ, a putative tumor suppressor, inhibited NIH3T3 transformation by H-ras and c-myc. We also report that activation of both MAP kinase and PI3K signaling pathways are essential for transformation by 14-3-3γ. In addition, we found that 14-3-3γ interacts with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and TSC2 proteins indicating that it could stimulate PI3K signaling by acting at two points in the signaling pathway. Overall, our studies establish 14-3-3γ as an oncogene and implicate MAPK and PI3K signaling as important for 14-3-3γ induced transformation.
Calculation of the potential temperature of seawater from the effect of pressure on entropy

Abstract A method of calculating the potential temperature using the pressure integral of the temperature derivative of specific volume is described. The estimation of the uncertainty due to errors in the thermal expansion and specific heat data is straightforward. A comparison is made with values found by Bryden (Deep-Sea Research, 20, 401–408, 1973) from integration of the adiabatic gradient, the same expressions for the temperature derivative and the specific heat being used in both cases. The results agree within the fitting error in Bryden's polynomial for potential temperature at 35% salinity by Bryden's estimate of the uncertainty in his values is too large. From this analysis, the uncertainty in values of potential temperature in the oceanographic range is estimated to be less than 12 m°C.
Efficiency of MHC class I antigen processing: a quantitative analysis.

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen that secretes proteins into host cell cytosol. One such protein, the murein hydrolase p60, is processed by the host cell into the nonamer peptide p60 217–225 and presented to cytotoxic T lymphocytes by the H-2K d MHC class I molecule. Using strains of L. monocytogenes that secrete different amounts of p60, we show that the rate of p60 217–225 production is proportional to the quantity of intracellular antigen. The appearance of p60 217–225 is coupled to the degradation of newly synthesized p60. By accounting for the rate of intracellular antigen secretion and degradation, we estimate that approximately 35 p60 molecules are degraded to produce one p60 217–225 epitope. These findings provide an estimate of the efficiency of antigen processing and shed light on the capacity of the MHC class I antigen processing pathway to accommodate foreign antigens.