cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and molecular regulation of bone matrix proteins

The organic matrix of bone contains several protein families, including collagens, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins, all of which may be extensively modified by posttranslational events, such as phosphorylation and sulfation. Many of the glycoproteins contain Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), the integrin-binding sequence, within their structure, whereas other constituent proteins contain gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. The deposition of bone matrix by cells in the osteoblastic lineage is regulated by extrinsic factors, such as systemic and local growth factors and physical forces, and factors that are intrinsic to the cell, such as position in the cell cycle, maturational stage, and developmental age of the donor. Recent studies of several bone matrix gene promoters have identified cis- and trans-acting elements that are responsible for gene activity, although the precise sequence of regulatory events is not known. Development of in vitro assays, coupled with studies of the appearance of these proteins during development in vivo, provides insight into the functions of these proteins during the various stages of bone metabolism. Potential roles for these proteins include proliferation and maturation of stem cells, formation of matrix scaffolding elaborated by bone-forming cells, modeling, and remodeling. Changes in the functional properties of the extracellular matrix may be involved in a variety of disease processes, including osteoporosis and oral bone loss.
A 14bit digitally self-calibrated pipelined ADC with adaptive bias optimization for arbitrary speeds up to 40MS/s

A 14bit digitally self-calibrated pipelined ADC featuring the adaptive bias optimization is fabricated in a 0.18/spl mu/m dual-gate CMOS and consumes 19.2, 33.7, 50.5 and 72.8mW respectively when operating at 10, 20, 30 and 40MS/s. In all the operating speeds with temperature variation up to 80/spl deg/C, DNL is kept between /spl plusmn/0.60LSB. When operating at 20MS/s, it achieves 73.2dB SNR and 70.4dB SNDR.
Artificial Neural Networks in Control Applications

Publisher Summary In this chapter, a thumbnail sketch of the field of artificial neural networks is presented. This chapter discusses the relevance of ANN technology to practical control problems, with a slight emphasis toward problems arising in robotics. Models of ANNs are specified by three basic entities: models of the neurons themselves—that is, the node characteristics; models of synaptic interconnections and structures—that is, net topology and weights; and training or learning rules—that is, the method of adjusting the weights or the way the network interprets the information it is receiving. The nodes themselves can be characterized by analog (continuous) or digital (discrete) summing elements exhibiting either linear or nonlinear behavior. The back propagation method appears to have a dominant role in the modeling and identification areas. Control problems fall into two broad categories. In regulation and tracking problems, the objective is to follow a reference trajectory. Self-tuning regulators and model reference controllers belong to this class. In optimum control problems, the objective is to optimize some aspect of the system's behavior without recourse to any reference trajectory. When a detailed model of the plant being controlled is not available, adaptive control techniques can be used to solve either the tracking problem or the optimum control problem. The examples of Neural Controllers selected in the chapter are biased toward robotics. There are a number of other application areas, such as process control and optimization, where the potential of ANNs are being explored. With the advent of VLSI technology on the one hand and supercomputers on the other, it is now possible to routinely simulate large neural networks with relative ease. The time is now ripe to exploit the parallel, distributed nature of neural architectures.
Experimental analysis model of an active cooling method for 3D-ICs utilizing a multidimensional configured thermoelectric

Presently, stack-dice are used widely as low-power memory applications because thermal management of such 3D architecture as high-power processors inherits many thermal challenges. Inadequate thermal management of 3D-ICs leads to reduction in performance, reliability, and ultimately system catastrophic failure. Heat dissipation of 3D systems is highly non-uniform and non-unidirectional due to many factors such as power architectures, transistors packing density, and real estate available on the chip and on the motherboard. In this study, the development of an experimental model of an active cooling method to cool a 0.4 W/mm2 stack-dice to 13°C utilizing a multi-dimensional configured thermoelectric will be presented.
8 Memory Interventions in Aging Populations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the memory interventions in aging populations. Given the ubiquity of memory complaints and actual deficits associated with aging and disorders commonly found in elderly adults, it appears that there is a great need for techniques that can improve the elderly person's memory functioning in everyday life. However, it might also seem that such techniques would be doomed to fail, given the number of aspects of memory functioning and processes related to memory functioning that appear to be impaired in older adults. Many factors need to be taken into consideration in devising effective memory interventions for elderly individuals. When designing a memory intervention for an elderly individual, it is first necessary to determine if the change in memory ability reported by the older adult represents a true functional deficit in memory or is due to some other factor. Multimodal, comprehensive assessment of physical, cognitive, and affective functioning through subjective and objective measures is necessary.
Distributed control of a network of single integrators with limited angular fields of view

The consensus and containment problems in a multi-agent system consisting of single integrators with angular field of view (FOV) constraints in their sensing capabilities are investigated in this paper. First, it is assumed that all FOVs are half-planes and an impulsive switching strategy is developed such that the underlying sensing graph of the network remains uniformly quasi-strongly connected (UQSC) throughout the system evolution. The control schemes are designed in the framework of switched interconnected systems in such a way that the objectives of consensus and containment are achieved over the entire network. Then, the problem is extended to address a network of single-integrator agents with limited heterogeneous angular FOVs. The FOV of all sensing devices are assumed to rotate with sufficiently large angular velocities, which are controlled independently along with the translational motion of all agents. The velocity vector and the lower bound on the magnitude of the angular velocity of the FOVs are designed such that the agents converge to an arbitrarily small ball, and reach consensus. The convergence of the moving followers to the convex hull of static leaders is addressed for the containment problem as well. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies.
60th Anniversary Essay Ruminations on How We Became a Mystery House and How We Might Get Out

This essay responds to, largely concurs with, and extends the concerns Jerry Davis expressed in his June 2015 editorial essay in ASQ about the state of research in organizational theory. In particu...
A Statistical Profile of Physical Therapists, 1980 and 1990

Background and Purpose. To plan for future needs, human resource analysts require demographic data. In this research, US census data were used to develop a profile of physical therapists. Subjects. Data were extracted from the Public Use Microdata Samples of the US censuses of population from 1980 and 1990. Samples of 3,112 physical therapists from 1990 and 1,530 therapists from 1980 were obtained. Methods. A profile was generated by use of descriptive statistics to examine geographic distribution, social characteristics, employment characteristics, and income. Linear regression was used to determine factors that influence income. Results. During the 1980s, physical therapy demonstrated remarkable growth, with trends in physical therapist location, gender, age, and place of employment. Even as the profession aged, it stayed an occupation composed predominantly of women, but one less concentrated in hospitals. Geographically, physical therapists remained clustered in the Northeast and along the Pacific Coast. Income generated by physical therapists was predicted by social and geographic characteristics. Conclusion and Discussion. This study presents a new data source to examine physical therapist characteristics. It provides information necessary for health care planners and analysts to better understand the nature of the profession and those who practice.
Rotavirus-Associated Encephalopathy and SUD

Investigators at Fujita University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan, performed a nation-wide survey to determine the incidence and clinical features of rotavirus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy (RV-AE) and sudden unexpected death (SUD) in Japan.
Critical O2 delivery to skeletal muscle at high and low PO2 in endotoxemic dogs

An ischemic canine limb model was used to determine whether endotoxin reduces the ability of resting skeletal muscle to extract O2 and whether increasing the arterial PO2 would increase its O2 extraction. Isolated limbs were pump perfused via an extracorporeal circuit with membrane oxygenator at three progressively lower flows and PO2 of both 60 and 200 Torr, whereas the rest of the body remained normoxic and normotensive. Six anesthetized, paralyzed dogs were injected with endotoxin (4 mg/kg, ENDO), and another six were controls (CONT). Limb critical O2 delivery was higher (P less than 0.05) in ENDO than CONT (8.3 vs. 6.1 ml.kg-1.min-1). Critical venous PO2 was also higher (P less than 0.05) in ENDO than CONT (38 vs. 30 Torr). Critical O2 extraction ratio was lower (P less than 0.05) in ENDO than CONT (0.60 vs. 0.73). There were no differences in these variables between low and high arterial PO2. We concluded that 1) endotoxin can cause a small but significant O2 extraction defect in skeletal muscle, 2) increasing arterial PO2 did not correct such a defect, nor did it improve O2 uptake in ischemic, but otherwise healthy, muscle, and 3) skeletal muscle may contribute to the peripheral O2 extraction defect in adult respiratory distress syndrome insofar as endotoxin effects model those found in adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Parasites and predators of the face fly in east-central South Dakota.

A 2-year study was conducted in east-central South Dakota to determine natural insect and nematode para-sites and predators of Musca autumnalis De Geer. The insects A phaereta pallipes (Say) and Aleochara bimaculata Gravenhorst were parasites, but their rates of parasitism were low-7.59 and 1.08%, respectively. A nematode. Heterotylenchus autumnalis Nickle, parasitized 5.01% of the flies dissected in 1969 and 6.62% in 1970. Results of predation experiments indicated that adult Spaeridium spp, were not predators of the face fly under the conditions of this study. The staphylinids Philonthus cruentatus Gmelin, P. rectangularis Sharp. and A. bimaculata were predators of larval face flies. The histerid Hister abbreviatus F., while not numerous enough in bovine manure to be considered a major natural enemy, was an efficient predator of face flies under laboratory conditions.
Streptozotocin-induced renal hemodynamic changes in isogenic Lewis rats: a kidney transplant study

Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased renal clearances of inulin and p-aminohippurate (PAH). The present experiments were designed to determine whether STZ-induced renal hemodynamic changes are due to the drug per se, rather than to the diabetic state that it induces. Isogenic Lewis rats with native right and transplanted left kidneys were studied. In one group, kidney donors received 50 mg STZ/kg body wt on day 1 and transplantation was performed on day 4 (untreated recipients). On day 29, the inulin and PAH clearances of these nondiabetic recipients were, respectively, 0.94 +/- 0.04 and 2.58 +/- 0.11 ml.min-1 x g-1 for the transplanted left kidney (previously exposed to STZ) and 0.95 +/- 0.07 and 2.54 +/- 0.14 ml.min-1 x g-1 for the native right kidney (never exposed to STZ). In another group, recipients received STZ on day 1 and transplantation was performed on day 4 (untreated donors). On day 29, the inulin and PAH clearances of these diabetic recipients were, res...
History of Nasal Polyposis

Polyps were first reported about 4,000 years ago. Reported across several civilizations. Diagnosis and treatment revolutionized at the end of the twentieth century with the development of computerized tomography scans and endoscopy. Corticosteroids are the most commonly used agents for treatment.
Autism Spectrum Disorders and Metabolic Complications of Obesity.

Objectives To assess for an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Additionally, to determine the rates of prescribed treatment for obesity-related metabolic disorders and to determine whether treatment with psychotropic medications is associated with the development of obesity for children with ASD. Study design A retrospective 1:5 case-control study was performed by use of the Military Health System database from October 2000 to September 2013. For children with ASD and matched controls, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes for obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and prescriptions were obtained. Conditional logistic regression determined ORs and 95% CIs. Results A total of 48 762 individuals with ASD and 243 810 matched controls were identified. Children with ASD had significantly greater odds of having obesity (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.78-1.92), having obesity-related disorders, and being prescribed a medication when they had these diseases. In children with ASD, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antiepileptic drugs, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were associated with obesity. Conclusions Children with ASD have an increased risk of obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders. They are more likely to be prescribed medications to treat these complications, suggesting they may have more severe disease. There is a significant association between the use of some psychotropic categories and a diagnosis of obesity, suggesting that obesity in children with ASD may be partially iatrogenic.
Meta-modeling the Cultural Behavior Using Timed Influence Nets

A process that can be used to assist analysts in developing domain specific Timed Influence Nets (TIN) is presented. The process can be used to represent knowledge about a situation that includes descriptions of cultural behaviors and actions that may influence such behaviors. One of the main challenges in using TINs has been the difficulty in formulating them. Many Subject Matter Experts have difficulty in expressing their knowledge in the TIN representation. The ontology based meta modeling approach described in this paper provides potential assistance to these modelers so that they can quickly create new models for new situations and thus can spend more time doing analysis. The paper describes the theoretic concepts used and a process that leads to an automated TIN generation. A simple example is provided to illustrate the technique.
Contemporary Diagnosis: Imaging Modalities – Overview

Congenital vascular malformations (CVMs) represent complex group of vascular lesions caused by embryologic dysmorphogenesis with normal rate of endothelial proliferation that can lead to anomalies of the vascular system characterized by wide range of presenting symptoms and often unpredictable clinical course [1–5]. Clinical evaluation often underestimates the involvement of deep structures such as muscles, bones, joints, or abdominal viscera and is not sufficient to differentiate high-flow from low-flow lesions and malformations from tumors in some of the more complex cases [6–9]. Limitations in diagnosis and treatment resulted from inadequate classification schema and diagnostic algorithms that traditionally characterized management of these vascular lesions [10, 11]. A relatively recent advancement in the diagnostic and treatment modalities have resulted in a better understanding of the pathophysiology and natural history of CVMs and improved management of these lesions.
Recurrence quantification analysis applied to fetal heart rate variability with fetal magnetocardiography

This work presents the application of recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) for fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) data. RQA is non-linear tool that has several advantage compared with the preferred analysis based on time and frequency domain. Fetal cardiac signals were measured with fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) which is a technique with high temporal resolution that enables precise detection of the R-R intervals. We applied the tool to 20 fMCG recordings from pregnant women between 29 to 38 weeks gestation. We calculated different parameters of the RQA (REC, DET, LAM, Lm, ax, Vmax, and MDL). We performed an analysis to determinate the appropriate values of the embedding dimension (m), time delay (τ) and cut-off distance (e) based on all recordings. We demonstrated the applicability of the RQA for a clinical case of a fetus with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and found higher values on Lmax and Vmax metrics compared with a normal fetus. We suggested that m = 2, τ = 20, e = 10% are appropriate settings for RQA, but validity of those settings by comparing the RQA measures of randomly shuffled data may be required. In future, we plan to expand this approach to recordings with cardiac anomalies and perform a comparison with the values obtained from the preferred analysis of FHRV.
How I manage monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is, in many ways, a unique hematologic entity. Unlike most hematologic conditions in which the diagnosis is intentional and credited to hematologists, the discovery of MGUS is most often incidental and made by nonhematologists. MGUS is considered an obligate precursor to several lymphoplasmacytic malignancies, including immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis, multiple myeloma, and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Therefore, long-term follow-up is generally recommended. Despite its high prevalence, there is surprisingly limited evidence to inform best clinical practice both at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up. We present 7 vignettes to illustrate common clinical management questions that arise during the course of MGUS. Where evidence is present, we provide a concise summary of the literature and clear recommendations on management. Where evidence is lacking, we describe how we practice and provide a rationale for our approach. We also discuss the potential harms associated with MGUS diagnosis, a topic that is rarely, if ever, broached between patients and providers, or even considered in academic debate.
Autism and the University Experience: Narratives from Students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Relatively limited research has been devoted to understanding the postsecondary experience from the students’ perspectives. In the current study, individual interviews were conducted with university students with autism spectrum disorder (n = 13) and students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (n = 18) to investigate likely factors impeding meaningful postsecondary experiences. Through an iterative coding process, nine themes were identified, and direct narratives exemplifying each are included. Overall, both diagnostic groups reported significant social, emotional, and academic challenges within the university setting, although there were distinctions. Findings have direct applications to higher education initiatives, such as the development of programs to increase faculty awareness and to target the efforts of university disability centers in meeting the needs of students with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Differences Between Latino-Owned Businesses and White-, Black-, or Asian-Owned Businesses: Evidence From Census Microdata:

Growth of the U.S. Latino population translates into policy interest of how business owner, firm, and local characteristics may be different for Latinos. To explore ethnicity and business ownership...
The Effectiveness of Freedom of Information Legislation in East Europe

By 2006 all of the post-communist states of East and Central Europe (ECE) had adopted laws on Freedom of Information (FOI). This is intriguing considering that it took most “traditional” democracies much longer to pass such laws. The paper asks why the laws were adopted so quickly and, more importantly, whether they are effective. The study argues that the processes that led to the adoption of the laws have impacted their effectiveness. A set of plausibility probes are set up to test the main hypotheses across three states from the region: Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania.
The Nature of Stromatolites: 3,500 Million Years of History and a Century of Research

Stromatolites are widely regarded as layered, early lithified, authigenic microbial structures – often domical or columnar in form – that developed at the sediment water interface in freshwater, marine and evaporitic environments
A phase II study of combined therapy with vemurafenib (vem) and high-dose interleukin-2 (aldesleukin; HD IL-2) in patients with metastatic melanoma.

e20074 Background: There is growing evidence of potential synergy of BRAF-targeted therapy and immunotherapy. This phase II trial was conducted to determine the progression-free (PFS) and overall s...
Machine Learning Classification and Structure–Functional Analysis of Cancer Mutations Reveal Unique Dynamic and Network Signatures of Driver Sites in Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes

In this study, we developed two cancer-specific machine learning classifiers for prediction of driver mutations in cancer-associated genes that were validated on canonical data sets of functionally validated mutations and applied to a large cancer genomics data set. By examining sequence, structure, and ensemble-based integrated features, we have shown that evolutionary conservation scores play a critical role in classification of cancer drivers and provide the strongest signal in the machine learning prediction. Through extensive comparative analysis with structure-functional experiments and multicenter mutational calling data from Pan Cancer Atlas studies, we have demonstrated the robustness of our models and addressed the validity of computational predictions. To address the interpretability of cancer-specific classification models and obtain novel insights about molecular signatures of driver mutations, we have complemented machine learning predictions with structure-functional analysis of cancer driver mutations in several important oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. By examining structural and dynamic signatures of known mutational hotspots and the predicted driver mutations, we have shown that the greater flexibility of specific functional regions targeted by driver mutations in oncogenes may facilitate activating conformational changes, while loss-of-function driver mutations in tumor suppressor genes can preferentially target structurally rigid positions that mediate allosteric communications in residue interaction networks and modulate protein binding interfaces. By revealing molecular signatures of cancer driver mutations, our results highlighted limitations of the binary driver/passenger classification, suggesting that functionally relevant cancer mutations may span a continuum spectrum of driverlike effects. Based on this analysis, we propose for experimental testing a group of novel potential driver mutations that can act by altering structure, global dynamics, and allosteric interaction networks in important cancer genes.
Canine CD4+ T-cell lymphoma identified by flow cytometry exhibits a consistent histomorphology and gene expression profile.

T-cell lymphomas (TCL) are a diverse group of neoplasms with variable diagnostic features, pathophysiologies, therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes. In dogs, TCL includes indolent and aggressive tumours such as T-zone lymphoma (TZL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), respectively. Delineation of molecular subtypes and investigation into underlying pathophysiologies of aggressive TCLs remains inadequate. We investigate the correlations between flow cytometry and histopathology of 73 cases of nodal TCL. The majority of cases (82.2%) were characterized as CD4+ TCL by flow cytometry. Fewer cases were classified as CD8+ TCL (6.8%) or CD4- CD8- TCL (11.0%). All cases, regardless of immunophenotype, exhibited conserved histologic features consistent with the WHO classification of PTCL. Histologic subsets of PTCL corresponding to immunophenotypic features were not identified. Neoplastic cell size determined by flow cytometry correlated significantly with mitotic rate. RNA-seq was performed on a subset of CD4+ PTCL cases (n = 6) and compared with sorted control CD4+ T-cells. The gene expression pattern of CD4+ PTCL was similar between all cases regardless of breed. PTCL was enriched in pathways representing G-coupled protein receptor signalling, extracellular matrix remodelling and vascular development, immune signalling and mitotic activity. Furthermore, global gene expression changes were consistent with downregulation of PTEN signalling and upregulation of the MTOR-PI3K-ATK axis. In this study, we evaluated the correlations between flow cytometry, histopathology and gene expression within a large cohort of nodal TCLs. We further demonstrate the ability of flow cytometry to identify a subtype of T-cell lymphoma, CD4+ PTCL, with a uniform histomorphology and gene expression profile.
High Sensitivity Profiling of Chromatin Structure by MNase-SSP

Summary A complete view of eukaryotic gene regulation requires that we accurately delineate how transcription factors (TFs) and nucleosomes are arranged along linear DNA in a sensitive, unbiased manner. Here we introduce MNase-SSP, a single-stranded sequencing library preparation method for nuclease-digested chromatin that enables simultaneous mapping of TF and nucleosome positions. As a proof of concept, we apply MNase-SSP toward the genome-wide, high-resolution mapping of nucleosome and TF occupancy in murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Compared with existing MNase-seq protocols, MNase-SSP markedly enriches for short DNA fragments, enabling detection of binding by subnucleosomal particles and TFs, in addition to nucleosomes. From these same data, we identify multiple, sequence-dependent binding modes of the architectural TF Ctcf and extend this analysis to the TF Nrsf/Rest. Looking forward, we anticipate that single stranded protocol (SSP) adaptations of any protein-DNA interaction mapping technique (e.g., ChIP-exo and CUT&RUN) will enhance the information content of the resulting data.
Tributyrin Inhibits Ethanol-Induced Epigenetic Repression of CPT-1A and Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis and Injury.

Ethanol-mediated down-regulation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1A) gene expression plays a major role in the development of hepatic steatosis; however, the underlying mechanisms are not completely elucidated. Tributyrin, a butyrate prodrug that can inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, attenuates hepatic steatosis and injury. The present study examined the beneficial effect of tributyrin/butyrate in attenuating ethanol-induced pathogenic epigenetic mechanisms affecting CPT-1A promoter–histone modifications and gene expression and hepatic steatosis/injury. Methods Mice were fed a liquid Lieber-DeCarli diet (Research Diet Inc, New Brunswick, NJ) with or without ethanol for 4 weeks. In a subset of mice, tributyrin (2 g/kg) was administered orally by gavage. Primary rat hepatocytes were treated with 50 mmol/L ethanol and/or 2 mmol/L butyrate. Gene expression and epigenetic modifications at the CPT-1A promoter were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. Results In vivo, ethanol induced hepatic CPT-1A promoter histone H3K9 deacetylation, which is indicative of a repressive chromatin state, and decreased CPT-1A gene expression. Our data identified HDAC1 as the predominant HDAC causing CPT-1A promoter histone H3K9 deacetylation and epigenetic down-regulation of gene expression. Significantly, Specificity Protein 1 (SP1) and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 Alpha (HNF4α) participated in the recruitment of HDAC1 to the proximal and distal regions of CPT-1A promoter, respectively, and mediated transcriptional repression. Importantly, butyrate, a dietary HDAC inhibitor, attenuated ethanol-induced recruitment of HDAC1 and facilitated p300-HAT binding by enabling SP1/p300 interaction at the proximal region and HNF4α/peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α/p300 interactions at the distal region, leading to promoter histone acetylation and enhanced CPT-1A transcription. Conclusions This study identifies HDAC1-mediated repressive epigenetic mechanisms that underlie an ethanol-mediated decrease in CPT-1A expression. Importantly, tributyrin/butyrate inhibits HDAC1, rescues CPT-1A expression, and attenuates ethanol-mediated hepatic steatosis and injury, suggesting its potential use in therapeutic strategies for alcoholic liver disease.
Facilitating active learning with inexpensive mobile robots

Our educational system must nurture a student's ability to acquire knowledge. Research has proven that active learning, learning promoted by interacting with one's environment, as opposed to lectures, is most effective in developing a students ability to acquire knowledge. In the computer science domain, active learning can be facilitated by using mobile robots in a collaborative setting. We believe that a context-based, collaborative approach, combined with the excitement, motivation, and real-world experiences provided by a robot, provide a nearly optimal method of teaching students how to acquire knowledge about computer science. However, this methodology has not seen wide acceptance. In order to facilitate the use of robots we have developed an inexpensive wheeled robot that uses common parts and requires only a simple set of tools for assembly. An abstracted Java interface allows students to interact with the robot from any desktop computer using the simple commands provided. Additionally, students can develop sophisticated distributed software solutions that require only simple changes to the interface, and development of software for both the embedded microcontroller and desktop machine. Our approach makes a wide variety of robot-based projects accessible to all level of courses, and for even the smallest computer science departments.
Contact-to-Silicide Probing Attacks on Integrated Circuits and Countermeasures

Sensitive data contained and processed in integrated circuits (ICs), such as secret keys and encrypted firmware, can be extracted with focused ion beam (FIB) based probing attacks. Due to the unprotected structure on the backside of the die, the threat of backside probing attacks is particularly grim. In this study, we develop a quantitative model for backside probing attacks and apply it to three latest technology nodes 7, 10 and 14 nm with 3, 5, 8 and 10 FIB aspect ratios. The probed opening is modeled to have shape of conical frustum, which allows FIB beam diameter, in range of 10nm to 33.3nm, to produce the opening with diameter in range of 22nm to 57.3nm. We also propose a novel backside shield design structure with an estimated 16% area overhead that terminates the die operations as a result of probing to prevent malicious data extraction. Proposed backside countermeasure increases the complexity of the attack performed on protected die.
FDXR regulates TP73 tumor suppressor via IRP2 to modulate aging and tumor suppression

Ferredoxin reductase (FDXR) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that initiates electron transport from NADPH to several cytochromes P450 via two electron carriers, ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) and FDX2. FDXR is the sole ferredoxin reductase in humans and plays a critical role in steroidogenesis and biosynthesis of heme and iron-sulfur clusters. However, much less is known about the role of FDXR in cancer. Here, we show that FDXR plays a role in tumorigenesis by modulating expression of the tumor suppressor p73. By using genetically modified mouse models, we recently showed that mice deficient in either Fdxr or Trp73 had a shorter lifespan and were prone to spontaneous tumors as compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, compound Trp73 +/- ;Fdxr +/- mice lived longer and developed fewer tumors when compared with Fdxr +/- or Trp73 +/- mice. Moreover, we found that cellular senescence was increased in Trp73 +/- and Fdxr +/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which was further increased in Trp73 +/- ;Fdxr +/- MEFs, as compared with that in WT MEFs. As FDXR is regulated by p73, we examined whether there was a feedback regulation between p73 and FDXR. Indeed, we found that Trp73 expression was decreased by loss of Fdxr in MEFs and that FDXR is required for p73 expression in multiple human cancer cell lines independent of p53. Mechanistically, we found that loss of FDXR, via FDX2, increased expression of iron-binding protein 2 (IRP2), which subsequently repressed TP73 mRNA stability. We also showed that TP73 transcript contained an iron response element in its 3'UTR, which was required for IRP2 to destabilize TP73 mRNA. Together, these data reveal a novel regulation of p73 by FDXR via IRP2 and that the FDXR-p73 axis plays a critical role in aging and tumor suppression. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chapter e51 – SAN Security

One thing to consider is that the most probable avenue of attack in a SAN is through the hosts connected to the SAN. There are potentially thousands of host, application, and operating system-specific security considerations that are beyond the scope of this chapter but should be followed as your systems and application administrators properly configure their owned devices. Information security, that aspect of security that seeks to protect data confidentiality, data integrity, and access to the data, is an established commercial sector with a wide variety of vendors marketing mature products and technologies, such as VPNs, firewalls, antivirus, and content management. Recently there has been a subtle development in security. Organizations are expanding their security perspectives to secure not only end-user data access and the perimeter of the organization but also the data within the datacenter. Several factors drive these recent developments. The continuing expansion of the network and the continued shrinking of the perimeter expose datacenter resources and the storage infrastructure to new vulnerabilities. Data aggregation increases the impact of a security breach. IP-based storage networking potentially exposes storage resources to traditional network vulnerabilities. Recently the delineation between a back-end datacenter and front-end network perimeter is less clear. Storage resources are potentially becoming exposed to unauthorized users inside and outside the enterprise. In addition, as the plethora of compliance regulations continues to expand and become more complicated, IT managers are faced with addressing the threat of security breaches from both within and outside the organization. Complex international regulations require a greater focus on protecting not only the network but the data itself. This chapter describes best practices for enhancing and applying security of SANs.
Automated assessment and tracking of COVID-19 pulmonary disease severity on chest radiographs using convolutional siamese neural networks

A convolutional Siamese neural network–based algorithm can calculate a continuous radiographic pulmonary disease severity score in patients with COVID-19, which can be used for longitudinal disease...
FirmUSB: Vetting USB Device Firmware using Domain Informed Symbolic Execution

The USB protocol has become ubiquitous, supporting devices from high-powered computing devices to small embedded devices and control systems. USB's greatest feature, its openness and expandability, is also its weakness, and attacks such as BadUSB exploit the unconstrained functionality afforded to these devices as a vector for compromise. Fundamentally, it is virtually impossible to know whether a USB device is benign or malicious. This work introduces FirmUSB, a USB-specific firmware analysis framework that uses domain knowledge of the USB protocol to examine firmware images and determine the activity that they can produce. Embedded USB devices use microcontrollers that have not been well studied by the binary analysis community, and our work demonstrates how lifters into popular intermediate representations for analysis can be built, as well as the challenges of doing so. We develop targeting algorithms and use domain knowledge to speed up these processes by a factor of 7 compared to unconstrained fully symbolic execution. We also successfully find malicious activity in embedded 8051 firmwares without the use of source code. Finally, we provide insights into the challenges of symbolic analysis on embedded architectures and provide guidance on improving tools to better handle this important class of devices.
Cell Migration Guided by Cell–Cell Contacts in Innate Immunity

The directed migration of leukocytes to sites of damage or infection is necessary for a productive immune response. There is substantial evidence supporting a key role for chemoattractants in directed migration, however, less is known about how cell–cell contacts affect the migratory behavior of leukocytes in innate immunity. Here, we explore how cell–cell contacts can affect the directed migration of innate immune cells, including their role in attracting, repelling, or stopping cell motility. Further investigation of cell contact dynamics as guidance cues may yield new insights into the regulation of innate immunity.
Maternal Childhood Adversity Associates With Frontoamygdala Connectivity in Neonates.

Abstract Background It is well established that exposure to adversity, especially during sensitive periods of development such as childhood, has both behavioral (e.g., increasing one’s risk for psychiatric illnesses) and neurobiological consequences. But could these effects of early-life exposure to adversity also be transmitted across generations? We directly address this question, investigating the associations between maternal exposure to adversity during her own childhood and neural connectivity in her neonate. Methods Mothers from a sample of Black mother–neonate dyads (n = 48)—a group that is disproportionately affected by early-life adversity—completed questionnaires assessing their current distress (i.e., a composite measure of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and retrospectively reported on their own childhood experiences of abuse and neglect. At 1 month postpartum, neonatal offspring of these women underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan during natural sleep. Results Greater maternal exposure to emotional neglect during her own childhood correlated with stronger functional connectivity of two different frontoamygdala circuits in these neonates, as early as 1 month after birth. This effect was specific to early experiences of emotional neglect and was not explained by maternal exposure to other forms of childhood maltreatment or by maternal distress during pregnancy. Conclusions These results provide novel evidence that the absence of emotional support early in a mother’s life, years before conception, are associated with neural changes—namely, in functional connectivity between the amygdala and medial prefrontal regions—in her offspring shortly after birth.
A Knowledge Graph Approach to Mashup Tag Recommendation

Tags have been extensively used to organize and index mashup services. However, the selection of relevant tags that depict functionality of mashups has remained a daunting task. This is because mashups have different functionalities than their constituent web APIs. Some existing tag recommendation methods usually follow a manual approach, which is time consuming and prone to errors. Others propose some means of automatic tag recommendation that use a similarity measure which has to be re-computed for every new mashup against the entire mashup and web API database. Such methods are also time consuming, inefficient and therefore not practical. In this paper, we present an automatic tag recommendation method for mashups, using knowledge graphs (KG). The method uses as entry points (seeds) into the KG, topics from mashup description, its primary category, and its constituent web APIs. From the seeds, we walk the graph to extract candidate tags based on node cosine similarity. We finally employ word similarity as a scoring function to explore and rank the candidate tags. Top-ranked candidate tags are subsequently recommended. We conduct experiments, with a real world dataset from programmable web1, and compare our results to existing baselines. Our results show that our model outperforms the baselines in all cases.
The Impact of Payment Reform on Pediatric Craniofacial Fracture Care in Maryland

Study Design:Retrospective, quasi-experimental difference-in-differences investigation.Objective:Pediatric craniofacial fractures are often associated with substantial morbidity and consumption of ...
Estimating the reproductive number R 0 of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States and eight European countries and implications for vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread from a regional outbreak to a global pandemic in just a few months. Global research efforts have focused on developing effective vaccines against COVID-19. However, some of the basic epidemiological parameters, such as the exponential epidemic growth rate and the basic reproductive number, R0, across geographic areas are still not well quantified. Here, we developed and fit a mathematical model to case and death count data collected from the United States and eight European countries during the early epidemic period before broad control measures were implemented. Results show that the early epidemic grew exponentially at rates between 0.18 and 0.29/day (epidemic doubling times between 2.4 and 3.9 days). We found that for such rapid epidemic growth, high levels of intervention efforts are necessary, no matter the goal is mitigation or containment. We discuss the current estimates of the mean serial interval, and argue that existing evidence suggests that the interval is between 6 and 8 days in the absence of active isolation efforts. Using parameters consistent with this range, we estimated the median R0 value to be 5.8 (confidence interval: 4.7-7.3) in the United States and between 3.6 and 6.1 in the eight European countries. We further analyze how vaccination schedules depend on R0, the duration of protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2, and show that individual-level heterogeneity in vaccine induced immunity can significantly affect vaccination schedules.
Does Crowd Out Really Occur? Initial Empirical Evidence—One Time Period

Tests standard economic models of the determinants of consumer and investment spending to determine whether deficits cause a “crowd out” problem. Care is taken to ensure all other variables likely to cause fluctuations in consumption and investment are controlled for. One sample period is tested, 1960–2010. The tests confirm deficits cause crowd out of consumer and investment spending, thereby offsetting the stimulative effects of deficits.
The Modular Circuitry of Apicomplexan Cell Division Plasticity.

The close-knit group of apicomplexan parasites displays a wide variety of cell division modes, which differ between parasites as well as between different life stages within a single parasite species. The beginning and endpoint of the asexual replication cycles is a 'zoite' harboring the defining apical organelles required for host cell invasion. However, the number of zoites produced per division round varies dramatically and can unfold in several different ways. This plasticity of the cell division cycle originates from a combination of hard-wired developmental programs modulated by environmental triggers. Although the environmental triggers and sensors differ between species and developmental stages, widely conserved secondary messengers mediate the signal transduction pathways. These environmental and genetic input integrate in division-mode specific chromosome organization and chromatin modifications that set the stage for each division mode. Cell cycle progression is conveyed by a smorgasbord of positively and negatively acting transcription factors, often acting in concert with epigenetic reader complexes, that can vary dramatically between species as well as division modes. A unique set of cell cycle regulators with spatially distinct localization patterns insert discrete check points which permit individual control and can uncouple general cell cycle progression from nuclear amplification. Clusters of expressed genes are grouped into four functional modules seen in all division modes: 1. mother cytoskeleton disassembly; 2. DNA replication and segregation (DS 3. karyokinesis; 4. zoite assembly. A plug-and-play strategy results in the variety of extant division modes. The timing of mother cytoskeleton disassembly is hard-wired at the species level for asexual division modes: it is either the first step, or it is the last step. In the former scenario zoite assembly occurs at the plasma membrane (external budding), and in the latter scenario zoites are assembled in the cytoplasm (internal budding). The number of times each other module is repeated can vary regardless of this first decision, and defines the modes of cell division: schizogony, binary fission, endodyogeny, endopolygeny.
Liver tolerance as a mechanism for the development of BVDV persistent infection

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a member of the pestivirus group of the Flavivirus family that also includes hepatitis C virus. Infection of a pregnant cow with BVDV from 40 to 120 days of gestation may result in persistent infection (PI) of the fetus with BVDV. In pregnant cows, BVDV infects the cells of the placenta and crosses into fetal circulation. Persistently infected calves have been recognized as the major reservoir for BVDV; therefore, identification and removal of PI calves are the focus of BVDV eradication efforts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of the fetal liver and liver tolerance with the development of PI with BVDV.
1,3-Dinitrobenzene

1,3-Dinitrobenzene ( m -dinitrobenzene) is used primarily in the synthesis of explosives. It persists in the environment and presents an inhalation and dermal contact risk. Dinitrobenzene is slow to degrade in the environment but shows little evidence of bioaccumulation. There are effects on the male reproductive system (in rats) but no evidence of carcinogenicity.