Application of Large-Scale, Multi-Resolution Watershed Modeling Framework Using the Hydrologic and Water Quality System (HAWQS)

In recent years, large-scale watershed modeling has been implemented broadly in the field of water resources planning and management. Complex hydrological, sediment, and nutrient processes can be simulated by sophisticated watershed simulation models for important issues such as water resources allocation, sediment transport, and pollution control. Among commonly adopted models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been demonstrated to provide superior performance with a large amount of referencing databases. However, it is cumbersome to perform tedious initialization steps such as preparing inputs and developing a model with each changing targeted study area. In this study, the Hydrologic and Water Quality System (HAWQS) is introduced to serve as a national-scale Decision Support System (DSS) to conduct challenging watershed modeling tasks. HAWQS is a web-based DSS developed and maintained by Texas A & M University, and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Three different spatial resolutions of Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC8, HUC10, and HUC12) and three temporal scales (time steps in daily/monthly/annual) are available as alternatives for general users. In addition, users can specify preferred values of model parameters instead of using the pre-defined sets. With the aid of HAWQS, users can generate a preliminarily calibrated SWAT project within a few minutes by only providing the ending HUC number of the targeted watershed and the simulation period. In the case study, HAWQS was implemented on the Illinois River Basin, USA, with graphical demonstrations and associated analytical results. Scientists and/or decision-makers can take advantage of the HAWQS framework while conducting relevant topics or policies in the future

Code-Disjoint Circuits for Parity Codes

In this paper it is shown how a circuit, given as a netlist of gates, can be transformed into two different types of code-disjoint circuits. A new method for a joint design of the functional circuit, the output parity and the input parity is proposed. Carefully selected internal nodes of the functional circuit are utilized to reduce the necessary area overhead for the design of input and output parities. 1 Introduction The design of self-testing and self-checking circuits is of growing interest now. The outputs of the monitored circuit are elements of an error detecting code; for instance, a parity code or a Berger code [4, 5, 9, 10, 12--14, 17]. The encoded outputs of the self-testing or self-checking circuit are monitored by a (self-testing) code-checker. Internal faults of the monitored circuit or the checker can be detected by this method. To also detect faults at the input lines, code-disjoint circuits have to be used [13]. Both the inputs and the outputs of a code-disjoint circu..

Application of Large-Scale, Multi-Resolution Watershed Modeling Framework Using the Hydrologic and Water Quality System (HAWQS)

In recent years, large-scale watershed modeling has been implemented broadly in the field of water resources planning and management. Complex hydrological, sediment, and nutrient processes can be simulated by sophisticated watershed simulation models for important issues such as water resources allocation, sediment transport, and pollution control. Among commonly adopted models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been demonstrated to provide superior performance with a large amount of referencing databases. However, it is cumbersome to perform tedious initialization steps such as preparing inputs and developing a model with each changing targeted study area. In this study, the Hydrologic and Water Quality System (HAWQS) is introduced to serve as a national-scale Decision Support System (DSS) to conduct challenging watershed modeling tasks. HAWQS is a web-based DSS developed and maintained by Texas A & M University, and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Three different spatial resolutions of Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC8, HUC10, and HUC12) and three temporal scales (time steps in daily/monthly/annual) are available as alternatives for general users. In addition, users can specify preferred values of model parameters instead of using the pre-defined sets. With the aid of HAWQS, users can generate a preliminarily calibrated SWAT project within a few minutes by only providing the ending HUC number of the targeted watershed and the simulation period. In the case study, HAWQS was implemented on the Illinois River Basin, USA, with graphical demonstrations and associated analytical results. Scientists and/or decision-makers can take advantage of the HAWQS framework while conducting relevant topics or policies in the future

Retargeting of NK-92 cells against high-risk rhabdomyosarcomas by means of an ERBB2 (HER2/Neu)-specific chimeric antigen receptor

The dismal prognosis of pediatric and young adult patients with high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) underscores the need for novel treatment options for this patient group. In previous studies, the tumor-associated surface antigen ERBB2 (HER2/neu) was identified as targetable in high-risk RMS. As a proof of concept, in this study, a novel treatment approach against RMS tumors using a genetically modified natural killer (NK)-92 cell line (NK-92/5.28.z) as an off-the-shelf ERBB2-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered cell product was preclinically explored. In cytotoxicity assays, NK-92/5.28.z cells specifically recognized and efficiently eliminated RMS cell suspensions, tumor cell monolayers, and 3D tumor spheroids via the ERBB2-CAR even at effector-to-target ratios as low as 1:1. In contrast to unmodified parental NK-92 cells, which failed to lyse RMS cells, NK-92/5.28.z cells proliferated and became further activated through contact with ERBB2-positive tumor cells. Furthermore, high amounts of effector molecules, such as proinflammatory and antitumoral cytokines, were found in cocultures of NK-92/5.28.z cells with tumor cells. Taken together, our data suggest the enormous potential of this approach for improving the immunotherapy of treatment-resistant tumors, revealing the dual role of NK-92/5.28.z cells as CAR-targeted killers and modulators of endogenous adaptive immunity even in the inhibitory tumor microenvironment of high-risk RMS

Chromosome Xq23 is associated with lower atherogenic lipid concentrations and favorable cardiometabolic indices

Abstract Autosomal genetic analyses of blood lipids have yielded key insights for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, X chromosome genetic variation is understudied for blood lipids in large sample sizes. We now analyze genetic and blood lipid data in a high-coverage whole X chromosome sequencing study of 65,322 multi-ancestry participants and perform replication among 456,893 European participants. Common alleles on chromosome Xq23 are strongly associated with reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (min P = 8.5 × 10−72), with similar effects for males and females. Chromosome Xq23 lipid-lowering alleles are associated with reduced odds for CHD among 42,545 cases and 591,247 controls (P = 1.7 × 10−4), and reduced odds for diabetes mellitus type 2 among 54,095 cases and 573,885 controls (P = 1.4 × 10−5). Although we observe an association with increased BMI, waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI is reduced, bioimpedance analyses indicate increased gluteofemoral fat, and abdominal MRI analyses indicate reduced visceral adiposity. Co-localization analyses strongly correlate increased CHRDL1 gene expression, particularly in adipose tissue, with reduced concentrations of blood lipids

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/‘proxy’ AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele