cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion by the isolated perfused rat stomach

The purpose of this present study was to develop a method for stimulation of acid secretion by the isolated perfused rat stomach. Rat stomachs were perfused in situ via the abdominal aorta and celiac axis with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer in the presence or absence of 10% ovine erythrocytes. The gastric lumen was perfused with distilled water and gastric contents were collected at frequent intervals through a catheter at the pylorus. Sixty minute gastric acid output in response to various concentrations of pentagastrin was determined by titration of gastric contents with 0.01 N NaOH to pH 7.0. During arterial perfusion with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer in the absence of ovine erythrocytes gastric acid output was 2.50 +/- 0.58 SEM microEq H+/h, which did not increase in response to perfusion with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing pentagastrin. However, inclusion of 10% ovine erythrocytes in the arterial perfusate resulted in substantial stimulation of gastric acid by pentagastrin: maximal acid output, achieved with a pentagastrin dose of 0.6 microgram/kg/h, was 23.5 +/- 3.73 microEq H+/h (p less than 0.01). The results of the present study demonstrate the capacity of the isolated vascularly perfused rat stomach to secrete acid and provide a model for studying interactions of gastrointestinal regulatory peptides and their physiologic roles in the regulation of gastric acid secretion.
EFFECTS OF EMULSIFYING SALTS AND CARRAGEENAN ON RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CHEESE-LIKE PRODUCTS PREPARED BY DIRECT ACIDIFICATION

The effects of five emulsifying salts and a blend of carrageenan on the rheological properties of cheese-like products produced by direct acidification were evaluated. The tested salts included: trisodiurn phosphate, disodium phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium aluminum phosphate (kasal) and a blend of sodium metaphosphate and trisodium phosphate (kasomet). Among the evaluated rheological properties, emphasis was given to “meltability” as measured by the standard L.D. Schreiber test. Trisodium and disodium phosphate were found to produce the most pronounced melting effects, while kasal and kasomet produced no melting effect at all. Carrageenan (mainly of kappa-type) at levels up to 1.0% improved the “body,”“texture,” and mouth-feel of the products but countered the improved melting characteristics produced by the salts. Through proper selection of the kind and level of emulsifying salt and concentration of carrageenan, relative control of the rheological properties was shown to be feasible.
On the growth of an intermediate phase in coherently stressed thin plates

Abstract Cahn–Hilliard type equations are derived to study the competitive growth of three isostructural phases in a binary, stressed, thin-plate diffusion couple when the lattice parameter depends either linearly or quadratically on the composition. Compositional stresses change qualitatively and quantitatively the evolution of the intermediate phase with respect to the stress-free case. Growth kinetics depend critically on whether the plate is free to bend or is affixed to a rigid substrate. The thickness of the intermediate phase is proportional to the square root of time for the rigid substrate case, but can depend on plate thickness and exceed a linear dependence on time for other conditions. Compositional strains can stabilize a non-equilibrium phase, prevent the growth of an equilibrium phase, and give rise to the stable coexistence of three coherent phases, in contradiction to the Gibbs phase rule for hydrostatically stressed systems.
An algorithm for computing estimators that optimize step functions

The average of a large number of random step functions produces a discontinuous surface with a large number of local optima although it may converge to a smooth surface with a unique optimum as the number of step functions tends to infinity. Such a function arises when certain types of econometric estimators are used, including variants of the maximum score estimator. I propose an algorithm for computing the optimum of such a surface, where standard gradient-based optimization methods are inapplicable. This algorithm replaces the discontinuous surface with a sequence of easily optimized continuous surfaces that converge to it. Sufficient conditions for the algorithm to converge to a global optimum are given and the algorithm's performance is evaluated in a simple but relevant application.
Signal Processing Oriented Approach for Big Data Privacy

This paper addresses the challenge of big data security by exploiting signal processing theories. We propose a new big data privacy protocol that scrambles data via artificial noise and secret transform matrices. The utility of the scrambled data is maintained, as demonstrated by a cyber-physical system application. We further outline the proof of the proposed protocol's privacy by considering the limitations of blind source separation and compressive sensing.
Sampling + DMR: practical and low-overhead permanent fault detection

With technology scaling, manufacture-time and in-field permanent faults are becoming a fundamental problem. Multi-core architectures with spares can tolerate them by detecting and isolating faulty cores, but the required fault detection coverage becomes effectively 100% as the number of permanent faults increases. Dual-modular redundancy(DMR) can provide 100% coverage without assuming device-level fault models, but its overhead is excessive. In this paper, we explore a simple and low-overhead mechanism we call Sampling-DMR: run in DMR mode for a small percentage (1% of the time for example) of each periodic execution window (5 million cycles for example). Although Sampling-DMR can leave some errors undetected, we argue the permanent fault coverage is 100% because it can detect all faults eventually. Sampling-DMR thus introduces a system paradigm of restricting all permanent faults' effects to small finite windows of error occurrence. We prove an ultimate upper bound exists on total missed errors and develop a probabilistic model to analyze the distribution of the number of undetected errors and detection latency. The model is validated using full gate-level fault injection experiments for an actual processor running full application software. Sampling-DMR outperforms conventional techniques in terms of fault coverage, sustains similar detection latency guarantees, and limits energy and performance overheads to less than 2%.
Altered inflammatory activity associated with reduced hippocampal volume and more severe posttraumatic stress symptoms in Gulf War veterans.

Summary Background: Inflammation may reduce hippocampal volume by blocking neurogenesis and promoting neurodegeneration. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked with both elevated inflammation and reduced hippocampal volume. However, few studies have examined associations between inflammatory markers and hippocampal volume, and none have examined these associations in the context of PTSD. Methods: We measured levels of the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble receptor II for tumor necrosis factor (sTNF-RII) as well as hippocampal volume in 246 Gulf War veterans with and without current and past PTSD as assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure inflammatory markers, and 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Freesurfer version 4.5 were used to quantify hippocampal volume. Hierarchical linear regression and analysis of covariance models were used to examine if hippocampal volume and PTSD status would be associated with elevated levels of IL-6 and sTNF-RII.
Lys-34, dispensable for integrase catalysis, is required for preintegration complex function and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication.

Retroviral integrases (INs) function in the context of preintegration complexes (PICs). Two conserved Lys residues in the N-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) IN were analyzed here for their roles in integration and virus replication. Whereas HIV-1K46A grew like the wild type, HIV-1K34A was dead. Yet recombinant INK34A protein functioned in in vitro integration assays, and Vpr-INK34A efficiently transcomplemented the infectivity defect of an IN active site mutant virus in cells. HIV-1K34A was therefore similar to a number of previously characterized mutant viruses that failed to replicate despite encoding catalytically competent IN. To directly analyze mutant PIC function, a sensitive PCR-based integration assay was developed. HIV-1K34A and related mutants failed to support detectable levels (<1% of wild type) of integration. We therefore concluded that mutations like K34A disrupted higher-order interactions important for PIC function/maturation compared to the innate catalytic activity of IN enzyme.
PENNSYLVANIA WIC EDUCATORS AFFIRM NEED FOR FOLIC ACID EDUCATION OF LOW-INCOME, SNAP-ED ELIGIBLE WOMEN

Background: Nutrition education research typically focuses on the program’s acceptance and usefulness with the target audience, but sustainable programs must be valued by the nutrition educator for its positive impact on their work. Everyone Needs Folic Acid is a colorful, simple nutrition education program delivered by digital photo frame platform or video intended to help low-income persons appreciate the role of folic acid for all age groups. Objective: To describe Women Infant and Children (WIC) educator practices related to folic acid prior to impact assessment of Everyone Needs Folic Acid on WIC educator practices. Methods: Face-to-Face (n=8) or telephone (n=13) interviews with nutrition educators (n=21) from WIC clinics serving Western (n=6) and Central (n=6) Pennsylvania. Results: Using a 5-point scale, educators reported strong interest in folic acid (mean=3.88, SD=0.93), and rated it highly important during pregnancy (mean=4.95, SD=0.22). Handouts and/or discussion were the sole method(s) of education reported. Only 43% received client-initiated folic acid questions/requests and they rated WIC participant interest as low (mean=2.88/5.00, SD=0.89). Conclusions: WIC educators affirmed the need for nutrition education focused on folic acid, but findings suggest that novel delivery methods are needed to enhance client interest.
Topics in Real Estate Research, 1973-2010: A Latent Semantic Analysis

With the development and evolution of real estate literature a number of studies, primarily qualitative, have attempted to build structure into the body of published research. This research uses La...
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: ASSOCIATIONS WITH FKBP5.

BACKGROUND: The integrity of connections between the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is critical for adaptive cognitive and emotional processing; these connections may be compromised in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is a lack of PTSD research that combines structural and functional connectivity data, and no studies have examined whether abnormal ACC-hippocampal connectivity is associated with genetic variability, particularly for polymorphisms of a gene that has been previously associated with PTSD, FKBP5. This was the goal of the present study. METHODS: Fifty-four women with and without PTSD underwent diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state MRI. Probabilistic tractography was used to examine ACC-hippocampal structural connectivity; mean fractional anisotropy (FA) values were extracted from connectivity streamlines, which represent the cingulum bundle. Genotype data were collected for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of FKBP5, rs1360780. RESULTS: Participants with PTSD demonstrated poorer structural connectivity (lower cingulum FA) compared to traumatized controls (F1, 50 = 6.77, P CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with PTSD demonstrated compromised structural connectivity of the hippocampus-ACC pathway. Altered hippocampus-ACC connectivity may represent a highly salient intermediate neural phenotype for PTSD.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Erythrocytes decrease myocardial hydrogen peroxide levels and reperfusion injury

Reperfusion with untreated, carbon monoxide-treated, or glutaraldehyde-fixed human erythrocytes (RBC) increased ventricular function and decreased myocardial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels [assessed by H2O2-dependent aminotriazole (AMT) inactivation of myocardial catalase activities] of ischemic, isolated rat hearts. In contrast, reperfusion with RBC that lacked catalase (AMT treated) and/or glutathione (N-ethylmaleimide treated) did not increase ventricular function or decrease myocardial H2O2 levels as much as reperfusion with untreated RBC. By comparison, reperfusion with superoxide dismutase-depleted (diethyldithiocarbamate-treated) or anion channel-inhibited (diisothiocyanodisulfonic acid stilbene-treated) RBC increased ventricular function and decreased myocardial H2O2 levels the same as untreated RBC. The results suggest that catalase and/or glutathione in intact RBC can decrease endogenously generated H2O2 and related reperfusion injury in ischemic, isolated perfused hearts.
Epidemic analysis of notifiable infectious diseases in Yan'an City from 2005-2010.

[Objective]To understand the incidence trends and epidemic features of infectious diseases inYan'an City,and provide a scientific basis for developing infectious diseases strategies.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiology was adopted to analyze the reported data of notifiable infectious diseases in Yan'an City from 2005-2010.[Results] A total of 26 kinds of notifiable infectious diseases were reported from 2005 to 2010,with 40 619 cases,34 death cases,the average annual incidence rate of 315.45/ 100 000,the mortality rate of 0.26/ 100 000,the fatality rate of 0.08%.The annual incidence showed downward tendency from 2005-2007,and then upward.No class A infectious disease case was reported.Major infectious diseases were viral hepatitis,tuberculosis,dysentery,mumps,syphilis,viral hepatitis,syphilis,with upward incidence.The peak incidence of respiratory diseases appeared between March to August,the ratio of male to female was 1.55∶1,most patients aged 15-54 years.Occupational distribution showed farmers and students were the major patients.[Conclusion]The incidence trends of notifiable infectious disease fluctuates in Yan'an City,the prevention situation is not optimistic and still need further strengthened,especially on monitoring and control of respiratory diseases,blood and sexually transmitted diseases and emerging infectious diseases.
The feasibility of implementing a pay-for-performance program in the treatment of alcohol/drug addiction: Implementation and initial results

Background: This paper discusses the design and implementation of a pay-for-performance (P4P) initiative within the context of alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Though the use of P4P programs to enhance the quality of health care services has been increasing for certain chronic health conditions, these programs have been underutilized by providers of addiction treatment. Methods: Recently, as part of a new contractual agreement for patient care, a nationally-based alcohol/drug treatment provider collaborated with a major insurance payer to identify a set of metrics related to the quality of care. Selection of the metrics was guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)’s Triple Aim, with measures representing the patient experience, patient engagement with services, and readmission to treatment services. Prior to the beginning of each contract year, targets for each metric were set based on historic baseline data, and the treatment provider was financially incentivized by the insurance payer to achieve the targets. Results: A higher number of metrics targets were achieved in the second year of the contract compared to the first. Conclusions: The experience of both organizations thus far demonstrates that implementation of P4P initiatives within addiction treatment is feasible, provided that both parties are committed to the success of the endeavor. Future studies should examine the efficacy of these programs with a research-based methodology.
Dynamic routing of energy-aware vehicles with Temporal Logic Constraints

This paper addresses a persistent vehicle routing problem, where a team of vehicles is required to achieve a task repetitively. The task is given as a Time-Window Temporal Logic (TWTL) formula defined over the environment. The fuel consumption of each vehicle is explicitly captured as a stochastic model. As vehicles leave the mission area for refueling, the number of vehicles may not always be sufficient to achieve the task. We propose a decoupled and efficient control policy to achieve the task or its minimal relaxation. We quantify the temporal relaxation of a TWTL formula and present an algorithm to minimize it. The proposed policy has two layers: 1) each vehicle decides when to refuel based on its remaining fuel, 2) a central authority plans the joint trajectories of the available vehicles to achieve a minimally relaxed task. We demonstrate the proposed approach via simulations and experiments involving a team of quadrotors that conduct persistent surveillance.
Design study of a high-resolution breast-dedicated PET system built from cadmium zinc telluride detectors

We are developing a dual-panel cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector positron emission tomography (PET) system dedicated to breast imaging. The proposed system consists of two 4 cm thick 12 x 15 cm2 area CZT panels with adjustable separation, which can be put in close-proximity to breasts and/or axillary nodes and results in high photon sensitivity. In this project, the performance of the proposed CZT dual panel PET system was investigated using Monte-Carlo simulation. Expected system performance is predicted due to CZT's superior energy resolution, the high photon sensitivity, and the uniform spatial resolution throughout field-of-view (FOV). The dependency of system reconstructed resolution on depth-of-interaction (DOI) resolution was also studied.
MicroRNA-155 Promotes Myeloid Proliferation and Is Overexpressed in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Recent discoveries have implicated microRNAs, which are small 22–24 nucleotide long RNA molecules, as important regulators of many cellular processes, including differentiation and development. The microRNA-155 (miR-155) is known to be overexpressed in subsets of B-cell neoplasms and is thought to be important in the activation and function of B-lymphocytes. Here, we show that miR-155 is signficantly overexpressed in human acute myeloid leukemia and that its overexpression is most consistently seen in acute myelomonocytic leukemia. These findings led us to investigate the effects of overexpression of miR-155 in hematopoietic cells. By utilizing retroviral infection and transfer of murine bone marrow, we introduced miR-155 overexpressing hematopoietic stem cells into lethally irradiated recipient mice. Following reconstitution of hematopoietic organs, the mice demonstrated a profound myeloproliferative condition in the bone marrow characterized by replacement of the marrow by proliferating and dysplastic myelomonocytic cells. In addition, extramedullary hematopoiesis was observed in the spleen and examination of the peripheral blood revealed anemia and thrombocytopenia. To begin to explore the mechanisms whereby miR-155 overexpression results in this myeloproliferative phenotype, we utilized computational methods to identify targets predicted to be regulated by miR-155. This revealed several genes that have previously been implicated in myeloid development and neoplasia, which were confirmed to be targets of miR-155 by reverse-transcription/quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT/QPCR) and by downregulation of luciferase protein upon fusion of the luc gene with the respective 3′ untranslated regions. These studies show a hitherto uncharacterized role of miR-155 in myeloid development and proliferation. Importantly, these findings lay the groundwork for understanding the complex regulatory networks underlying myeloid development in the context of microRNAs, and may point to new therapeutic opportunities in the treatment of myeloid malignancies.
Evaluation of Exotically-Derived Soybean Breeding Lines for Seed Yield, Germination, Damage, and Composition under Dryland Production in the Midsouthern USA.

Although the Early Soybean Production System (ESPS) in the Midsouthern USA increased seed yield under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, heat stress and drought still lead to poor seed quality in heat sensitive soybean cultivars. Our breeding goal was to identify breeding lines that possess high germination, nutritional quality, and yield potential under high heat and dryland production conditions. Our hypothesis was that breeding lines derived from exotic germplasm might possess physiological and genetic traits allowing for higher seed germinability under high heat conditions. In a two-year field experiment, breeding lines derived from exotic soybean accessions, previously selected for adaptability to the ESPS in maturity groups (MG) III and IV, were grown under non-irrigated conditions. Results showed that three exotic breeding lines had consistently superior germination across two years. These lines had a mean germination percentage of greater than 80%. Two (25-1-1-4-1-1 and 34-3-1-2-4-1) out of the three lines with ≥80% germination in both years maintained high seed protein, oleic acid, N, P, K, B, Cu, and Mo in both years. Significant (P < 0.05) positive correlations were found between germination and oleic acid and with K and Cu in both years. Significant negative correlations were found between germination and linoleic acid, Ca, and hard seed in both years. There were positive correlations between germination and N, P, B, Mo, and palmitic acids only in 2013. A negative correlation was found between germination and green seed damage and linolenic acid in 2013 only. Seed wrinkling was significantly negatively correlated with germination in 2012 only. A lower content of Ca in the seed of high germinability genotypes may explain the lower rates of hard seed in those lines, which could lead to higher germination. Many of the differences in yield, germination, diseases, and seed composition between years are likely due to heat and rainfall differences between years. The results also showed the potential roles of seed minerals, especially K, Ca, B, Cu, and Mo, in maintaining high seed quality. The knowledge gained from this research will help breeders to select for soybean with high seed nutritional qualities and high germinability.
Lattice thermal transport in L a 3 C u 3 X 4 compounds ( X = P , As , Sb , Bi ) : Interplay of anharmonicity and scattering phase space

Thermal conductivities of $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{a}}_{3}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}{X}_{4}(X=\mathrm{P},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{As},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Sb},\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Bi})$ compounds are examined using first-principles density functional theory and Boltzmann transport methods. We observe a trend of increasing lattice thermal conductivity (${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{l}$) with increasing atomic mass, challenging our expectations, as lighter mass systems typically have larger sound speeds and weaker intrinsic scattering. In particular, we find that $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{a}}_{3}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}{\mathrm{P}}_{4}$ has the lowest ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{l}$, despite having larger sound speed and the most restricted available phase space for phonon-phonon scattering, an important criterion for estimating and comparing ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{l}$ among like systems. The origin of this unusual behavior lies in the strength of the individual anharmonic phonon scattering matrix elements, which are much larger in $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{a}}_{3}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}{\mathrm{P}}_{4}$ than in the heavier $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{a}}_{3}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{i}}_{4}$ system. Our finding provides insights into the interplay of harmonic and anharmonic properties of complex, low-thermal-conductivity compounds, of potential use for thermoelectric and thermal barrier coating applications.
Evaluation of New Pharmaceuticals Using In Vivo Neutron Inelastic Scattering and Neutron Activation Analysis

Nutritional status of patients can be evaluated by monitoring changes in body composition, including depletion of protein and muscle, adipose tissue distribution and changes in hydration status, bone or cell mass. Fast neutron activation (for N and P) and neutron inelastic scattering (for C and O) are used to assess in vivo elements characteristic of specific body compartments. The fast neutrons are produced with a sealed deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator. This method provides the most direct assessment of body composition. Non-bone phosphorus for muscle is measured by the 31P(n,α)28Al reaction, and nitrogen for protein via the (n,2n) fast neutron reaction. Inelastic neutron scattering is used for the measurement of total body carbon and oxygen. Carbon is used to derive body fat, after subtracting carbon contributions due to protein, bone and glycogen. Carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio is used to measure distribution of fat and lean tissue in the body and to monitor small changes of lean mass and its quality. In addition to evaluating the efficacy of new treatments, the system is used to study the mechanisms of lean tissue depletion with aging and to investigate methods for preserving function and quality of life in the elderly.
Extremal Properties of Polynomials

This article focuses on those problems about extremal properties of polynomials that were considered by the Hungarian mathematicians Lipot Fejer, Mihaly Fekete, Marcel Riesz, Alfred Renyi, Gyorgy Polya, Gabor Szegő, Pal Erdős, Pal Turan, Geza Freud, Gabor Somorjai, and their associates, who lived and died mostly in the twentieth century. It reflects my personal taste and is far from complete even within the subdomains we focus on most, namely inequalities for polynomials with constraints, Muntz polynomials, and the geometry of polynomials. There are separate chapters of this book devoted to orthogonal polynomials, interpolation, and function series, so here we touch these issues only marginally.
Transplantation of human intestinal organoids into the mouse mesentery: A more physiologic and anatomic engraftment site.

Abstract Background We previously described the development of human intestinal organoids from pluripotent stem cells, as well as their in vivo maturation when transplanted into the mouse kidney capsule. While sufficient for certain aspects of study, this model has limitations. Herein, we describe an alternative model of human intestinal organoids transplantation into the mouse mesentery. We hypothesize that efficient engraftment and marked differentiation of human intestinal organoids will be similar to our kidney model yet in a more anatomically appropriate location allowing for improved in vivo modeling. Methods Human intestinal organoids were generated by directed differentiation of H1 embryonic stem cells. Human intestinal organoids were then transplanted into the mesentery of immunosuppressed mice. Gross and histologic analysis of tissue was performed. Results Human intestinal organoids were transplanted into the mouse mesentery and allowed to grow for 10 weeks. Mouse survival was 85%, and among the surviving mice, 82% of transplanted human intestinal organoids successfully engrafted. Upon graft harvest, transplanted HIOs were larger than in vitro human intestinal organoids (1.75 mm vs 6.27 mm, P Conclusions The mouse mesentery is a viable location for the transplantation of human intestinal organoids, yielding grafts of reproducible size and quality. This improved model serves to advance functional and translational studies of human intestinal organoids.
Are Profile Hidden Markov Models Identifiable

Profile Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are graphical models that can be used to produce finite length sequences from a distribution. In fact, although they were only introduced for bioinformatics 25 years ago (by Haussler et al., Hawaii International Conference on Systems Science 1993), they are arguably the most commonly used statistical model in bioinformatics, with multiple applications, including protein structure and function prediction, classifications of novel proteins into existing protein families and superfamilies, metagenomics, and multiple sequence alignment. The standard use of profile HMMs in bioinformatics has two steps: first a profile HMM is built for a collection of molecular sequences (which may not be in a multiple sequence alignment), and then the profile HMM is used in some subsequent analysis of new molecular sequences. The construction of the profile thus is itself a statistical estimation problem, since any given set of sequences might potentially fit more than one model well. Hence a basic question about profile HMMs is whether they are \em statistically identifiable, which means that no two profile HMMs can produce the same distribution on finite length sequences. Indeed, statistical identifiability is a fundamental aspect of any statistical model, and yet it is not known whether profile HMMs are statistically identifiable. In this paper, we report on preliminary results towards characterizing the statistical identifiability of profile HMMs in one of the standard forms used in bioinformatics.
Conceptualizing Cyber Deterrence by Entanglement

Conventional models of deterrence focus on the ability to deter adversaries through ex-ante threats that impose ex-post costs or through the elevation of ex-ante costs through strategies that deny. The imposition of costs on adversaries in cyberspace is extremely complex and the establishment deterrence by threat or denial is constrained by problems associated with resource asymmetries, attribution, and a diverse set of actors with overlapping capabilities. Due to these challenges, conventional models of deterrence have seen limited success in cyberspace. Rather than building more robust defenses or threatening retaliatory actions technical entanglement within cyberspace offers an alternative approach that might affect the decision-matrix of adversary states. This paper examines the concept of technical entanglement as a way of altering how states conceptualize offensive actions cyberspace and works towards building mutual inter-dependencies to make actions that disrupt, degrade or deny within cyberspace undesirable.
Pope John Paul II and the Apparently Non-acting Person

From philosophical studies in his native Poland to Church-wide ecclesial writings, the legacy of Karol Wojtyla/Pope John Paul II (JP II) will not soon fade from Catholic memory. Pia Matthews identi...
Mental Health and Happiness: Evidence From the U.S. Data:

The current study examines the role of poor mental health characterized by depression in the determination of an individual’s happiness measured by self-satisfaction and job satisfaction. Using two...
Design Considerations for High Voltage SiC Power Devices: An Experimental Investigation into Channel Pinching of 10kV SiC Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) Diodes

This paper reports on the design, fabrication and electrical characteristics of 10kV 4H-SiC JBS diodes. Both Ni and Ti JBS diodes were fabricated on $7\times 10^{14}\ \mathbf{cm}^{-3}$ doped, $95\boldsymbol{\mu} \mathbf{m}$ -thick n-type epi on 6-inch 4H-SiC n+ substrates. SEM imaging and SIMS profiling were conducted to investigate the unexpected high knee voltages from Ti JBS diodes. The “extensive” straggle by implanted ions was discovered from this investigation, which was attributed from the low background doping concentration in the drift layer.
Structural analysis of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase bound to high density lipoprotein particles.

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) catalyzes a critical step of reverse cholesterol transport by esterifying cholesterol in high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. LCAT is activated by apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), which forms a double belt around HDL, however the manner in which LCAT engages its lipidic substrates and ApoA-I in HDL is poorly understood. Here, we used negative stain electron microscopy, crosslinking, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange studies to refine the molecular details of the LCAT–HDL complex. Our data are consistent with LCAT preferentially binding to the edge of discoidal HDL near the boundary between helix 5 and 6 of ApoA-I in a manner that creates a path from the lipid bilayer to the active site of LCAT. Our results provide not only an explanation why LCAT activity diminishes as HDL particles mature, but also direct support for the anti-parallel double belt model of HDL, with LCAT binding preferentially to the helix 4/6 region. Manthei et al. use negative stain electron microscopy, crosslinking, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange to better define the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)-high density lipoprotein (HDL) complex. They provide a rationale for why LCAT activity diminishes as HDL particles mature into a spherical shape.
Mapping the Future? Contemporary German-Language Techno Thrillers

Contemporary German-language techno thrillers by Tom Hillenbrand and Marc Elsberg invite readers to imagine a future marked by constant surveillance and predictive technology. New models of data mi...
Genomic characterization of the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis associated transcriptome and regulome

Abstract Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a sideways curvature of the spine, is the most common pediatric musculoskeletal disorder, affecting ∼3% of the population worldwide. However, its genetic bases and tissues of origin remain largely unknown. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated nucleotide variants in noncoding sequences that control genes with important roles in cartilage, muscle, bone, connective tissue and intervertebral discs (IVDs) as drivers of AIS susceptibility. Here, we set out to define the expression of AIS-associated genes and active regulatory elements by performing RNA-seq and ChIP-seq against H3K27ac in these tissues in mouse and human. Our study highlights genetic pathways involving AIS-associated loci that regulate chondrogenesis, IVD development and connective tissue maintenance and homeostasis. In addition, we identify thousands of putative AIS-associated regulatory elements which may orchestrate tissue-specific expression in musculoskeletal tissues of the spine. Quantification of enhancer activity of several candidate regulatory elements from our study identifies three functional enhancers carrying AIS-associated GWAS SNPs at the ADGRG6 and BNC2 loci. Our findings provide a novel genome-wide catalog of AIS-relevant genes and regulatory elements and aid in the identification of novel targets for AIS causality and treatment.
Chapter 1 – Avian Genomics

Avian genomics currently is focused on applications of whole genome sequences to the understanding of avian biology. Beyond being a table of contents of genes, transposons, and other elements, the genome sequence is the central foundation for transcriptomics, proteomics, linkage maps and other tools of molecular biology. Together, these domains provide a critical genetic reference text for all aspects of avian physiology. The first draft chicken genome sequence appeared nearly ten years ago, but only recently, through the advent of next generation sequencing technology, have the genome sequences of several other birds been elucidated, with the expectation of many more soon to appear. Avian genomes tend to be fairly small (∼1.2 billion base pairs) by vertebrate standards, typically containing about 20,000 or fewer protein-coding genes. They often contain numerous small microchromosomes that exhibit characteristic properties of gene density and recombination rate that distinguish them from the macrochromosomes that are more typical of those found in mammalian genomes. All avian genome sequences currently are incomplete drafts, with particular deficiencies on the microchromosomes. In addition to completing these assemblies and properly aligning them along all the chromosomes, a major task remains to accurately annotate the various genome components that contribute to gene expression and its regulation. To date, most annotation of avian genomes derives from information from other species, and this necessarily misses lineage-specific characteristics that define what it is to be a bird. In addition, sequence diversity between and within avian species needs to be associated with its physiological, evolutionary and ecological consequences. Several specific examples of mutations or polymorphisms responsible for major phenotypic changes now have been elucidated, but enormous gaps remain in our ability to link genotype to phenotype, especially for those traits that are uniquely avian.
Late Surgical Start Time and the Effect on Rates of Complications in a Neurosurgical Population: A Prospective Longitudinal Analysis.

Objective The after-hours effect on postoperative complications has been poorly studied in the neurosurgical literature. A recent retrospective analysis showed that patients with a surgical start time (SST) between 09:01 pm and 07:00 am had a greater risk of complications. This study used a prospective registry to examine the relationship between SST and postoperative complications in a large neurosurgical population. Methods We performed a prospective longitudinal cohort analysis of all consecutive adult patients admitted to our neurosurgery service between October 1, 2018 and May 1, 2019. Complications were prospectively recorded and classified as surgical or medical. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze these data. Results Eighty-five surgical complications (6.6%) and 110 medical complications (8.6%) resulted from 1285 operations on 1145 patients. Later SST was predictive of complications in the emergent population (odds ratio [OR], 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–5.15; P = 0.048) but not in the elective population. Extubation in the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) versus the operating room strongly predicted medical complications (OR, 6.91; 95% CI, 3.33–14.34; P Conclusions Patients undergoing emergent operations with a later SST were significantly more likely to have a postoperative complication. Patients who were extubated in the NICU versus the operating room were significantly more likely to have a medical complication. Patients were more likely to be extubated in the NICU if they had a later SST; therefore, SST may indirectly be associated with an increase in medical complications.
COVID-19 and Geriatric Dentistry: What will be the new-normal?

Older adults may face many barriers when accessing oral health care. The most vulnerable groups are people living in long term care institutions and the homebound. These barriers are related but not limited to socio-economic issues, medical and oral health problems. Some socio-economic problems are lack of finances, absence of dental insurance, lack of social support networks, and being institutionalized. Some general health problems are multiple co-morbidities, polypharmacy, dementia, and reduced autonomy. Some oral health problems are having heavily restored dentitions, dry mouth, root caries, and inability to maintain adequate oral hygiene independently. In addition to these existing barriers, many new barriers have arisen which are expected to further reduce access to oral health care for older adults due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults are at greater risk of fatal outcomes from COVID-19 infection and many dental procedures have an increased risk of creating aerosols, thereby spreading COVID-19 infection. Consequently, older adults due to fear are less likely to seek or receive oral health care until a treatment or vaccine is developed for COVID-19 infections. In this article, the authors discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic to the practice of geriatric dentistry, and what is expected to be the “new normal” in this field of dentistry. KeywordsAged; COVID-19; Geriatric dentistry; Older adults,;Oral health; SARS-CoV-2.
Positive Beliefs and the Likelihood of Successful Community Discharge From Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Abstract Objectives To examine the association of patient and direct-care staff beliefs about patients' capability to increase independence with activities of daily living (ADL) and the probability of successful discharge to the community after a skilled nursing facility (SNF) stay. Design Retrospective cohort study of SNF patients using 100% Medicare inpatient claims and Minimum Data Set resident assessment data. Linear probability models were used to estimate the probability of successful discharge based on patient and staff beliefs about the patient's ability to improve in function, as well as patient and staff beliefs together. Estimates were adjusted for demographics, health status, functional characteristics, and SNF fixed effects. Participants Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (N=526,432) aged 66 years or older who were discharged to an SNF after hospitalization for stroke, hip fracture, or traumatic brain injury. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Successful community discharge (discharged alive within 90d of SNF admission and remaining in the community for ≥30d without dying or health care facility readmission). Results Patients with positive beliefs about their capability to increase independence with ADLs had a higher adjusted probability of successful discharge than patients with negative beliefs (positive, 63.8%; negative, 57.8%; difference, 6.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4-6.6). This remained true regardless of staff beliefs, but the difference in successful discharge probability between patients with positive and negative beliefs was larger when staff had positive beliefs. Conversely, the association between staff beliefs and successful discharge varied based on patient beliefs. If patients had positive beliefs, the difference in the probability of successful discharge between positive and negative staff beliefs was 2.5% (95% CI, 1.0-4.0). If patients had negative beliefs, the difference between positive and negative staff beliefs was –4.6% (95% CI, –6.0 to –3.2). Conclusions Patients' beliefs have a significant association with the probability of successful discharge. Understanding patients' beliefs is critical to appropriate goal-setting, discharge planning, and quality SNF care.
A novel decision aid for acute myeloid leukemia: a feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis but also a paradoxical possibility of cure. This renders decision-making complex and imminent. Unfortunately, many patients with AML misestimate their prognosis and treatment risk. While decision aids can improve illness understanding and reduce decisional conflict, there are no validated decision aids for AML. We developed and tested a novel AML decision aid (NCT03442452). Patients (n = 20) were recruited at Duke University from May 2018 to February 2019. Participants completed assessments of AML knowledge and decisional conflict, before and after using the electronic decision aid. The primary endpoint was feasibility (endpoint met if > 80% of study participants completed all study components). Secondary analyses of efficacy were conducted using paired t tests for dependent pre-/post-samples. The primary endpoint of feasibility was met (100% of participants completed all study components). Secondary analyses showed improved knowledge and reduced decisional conflict after using the decision aid. Knowledge scores improved from a mean of 11.8 (out of 18) correct items at baseline to 15.1 correct items after using the decision aid (mean difference 3.35; p < 0.0001). Decisional conflict scores reduced significantly from baseline to post-test as well (mean difference − 6.5; p = 0.02). These findings suggest that our AML decision aid is a useful tool to improve the patient experience and promote shared decision-making in AML. A randomized efficacy trial is planned.
Microsurgical resection of foramen magnum meningioma: multi-institutional retrospective case series and proposed surgical risk scoring system

Foramen magnum meningiomas (FMMs) are a major surgical challenge, due to relevant surgical morbidity and mortality. The paper aims to review the clinical (symptomatic improvement, complication rate, length of hospital stay) and radiological outcome (completeness of resection) of microsurgical resection of FMMs, and to identify predictors of complications. A multi-institutional retrospective review of prospectively maintained database of FMMs included 51 patients (74.5% females) with a median tumor volume of 8.18 cm3 (range, 1.77–57.9 cm3) and median follow-up of 36 months (range, 0.30–180.0 months). Tumors were resected though suboccipital approach (58.8%) or posterior-lateral approaches (39.3%), including far-lateral, extreme lateral and transcondylar approaches. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 80.4% and 98% of cases did not present tumor regrowth or recurrence. Clinical symptoms improved in 34 patients (66.7%) and worsened in 5 (9.8%). The median length of hospital stay was 5 days. Mortality was null. Postoperative complications developed in 15 patients (29.4%), with cerebrospinal fluid leak (7.8%) and lower cranial nerves deficits (7.8%) as the most frequent. Craniospinal location (p = 0.03), location anterior to the dentate ligament (DL) (p = 0.02), involvement of vertebral artery (VA) (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with complication rate. These three elements allow calculating the Foramen Magnum Meningioma Risk Score (FRMMRS), to estimate the risk of post-operative complications. Microsurgical resection allows for high GTR rate and low rate of tumor regrowth or recurrence, despite complications in one third of the patients. The FMMRS allows classifying FMMs and estimating the risk of post-operative complications.
Immunomodulatory Contribution of Mast Cells to the Biomaterial Microenvironment

Immunomodulatory biomaterials have been shown to promote tissue repair and regeneration mainly through interaction with macrophages and T cells. In this study, we investigated the role of mast cells in the regulation of the immune response to decellularized biomaterial scaffolds. In mast cell-deficient mice, there was dysregulation of the expected M1 to M2 macrophage transition. Polarization progression deviated in a sex specific manner with an early transition to an M2 profile in female mice, while the male response was unable to properly transition past a pro-inflammatory M1 state. Both were reversed with adoptive mast cell transfer. Further investigation of the later stage immune response in male mice determined a sustained pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in deficient mice consisting of members from the IL-1 cytokine family, IL-6, IL-17, and related downstream pathways. These results highlight mast cells as another important cell type that influences the immune response to biomaterials.
Hepatotoxicity of Contemporary Antiretroviral Drugs: A Review and Evaluation of Published Clinical Data

Contemporary antiretroviral agents afford enhanced potency and safety for patients living with HIV. Newer antiretroviral drugs are often better tolerated than those initially approved in the early stages of the HIV epidemic. While the safety profile has improved, adverse drug reactions still occur. We have segregated the antiretroviral agents used in contemporary practice into class groupings based on their mechanism of antiviral activity (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, and entry inhibitors) while providing a review and discussion of the hepatoxicity seen in the most relevant clinical literature published to date. Clinical literature for individual agents is discussed and agent comparisons afforded within each group in tabular format. Our review will provide a summative overview of the incidence and medications associated with hepatic adverse reactions linked to the use of contemporary antiretroviral drugs.