78 research outputs found
High Performance Computing for DNA Sequence Alignment and Assembly
Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have dramatically increased the scale and scope of DNA sequencing. These data are used for a wide variety of important biological analyzes, including genome sequencing, comparative genomics, transcriptome analysis, and personalized medicine but are complicated by the volume and complexity of the data involved. Given the massive size of these datasets, computational biology must draw on the advances of high performance computing.
Two fundamental computations in computational biology are read alignment and genome assembly. Read alignment maps short DNA sequences to a reference genome to discover conserved and polymorphic regions of the genome. Genome assembly computes the sequence of a genome from many short DNA sequences. Both computations benefit from recent advances in high performance computing to efficiently process the huge datasets involved, including using highly parallel graphics processing units (GPUs) as high performance desktop processors, and using the MapReduce framework coupled with cloud computing to parallelize computation to large compute grids. This dissertation demonstrates how these technologies can be used to accelerate these computations by orders of magnitude, and have the potential to make otherwise infeasible computations practical
Observing a Dynamical Skeleton of Turbulence in Taylor-Couette Flow Experiments
Recent work suggests unstable recurrent solutions of the equations governing
fluid flow can play an important role in structuring the dynamics of
turbulence. Here we present a method for detecting intervals of time where
turbulence "shadows" (spatially and temporally mimics) recurrent solutions. We
find that shadowing occurs frequently and repeatedly in both numerical and
experimental observations of counter-rotating Taylor-Couette flow, despite the
relatively small number of known recurrent solutions in this system. Our
results set the stage for experimentally-grounded dynamical descriptions of
turbulence in a variety of wall-bounded shear flows, enabling applications to
forecasting and control
Hubble Space Telescope Near-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Bright CEMP-s Stars
We present an elemental-abundance analysis, in the near-ultraviolet (NUV)
spectral range, for the bright carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars HD196944
(V = 8.40, [Fe/H] = -2.41) and HD201626 (V = 8.16, [Fe/H] = -1.51), based on
data acquired with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the
Hubble Space Telescope. Both of these stars belong to the sub-class CEMP-s, and
exhibit clear over-abundances of heavy elements associated with production by
the slow neutron-capture process. HD196944 has been well-studied in the optical
region, but we are able to add abundance results for six species (Ge, Nb, Mo,
Lu, Pt, and Au) that are only accessible in the NUV. In addition, we provide
the first determination of its orbital period, P=1325 days. HD201626 has only a
limited number of abundance results based on previous optical work -- here we
add five new species from the NUV, including Pb. We compare these results with
models of binary-system evolution and s-process element production in stars on
the asymptotic giant branch, aiming to explain their origin and evolution. Our
best-fitting models for HD 196944 (M1,i = 0.9Mo, M2,i = 0.86Mo, for
[Fe/H]=-2.2), and HD 201626 (M1,i = 0.9Mo , M2,i = 0.76Mo , for [Fe/H]=-2.2;
M1,i = 1.6Mo , M2,i = 0.59Mo, for [Fe/H]=-1.5) are consistent with the current
accepted scenario for the formation of CEMP-s stars.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in Ap
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Molecular Threading: Mechanical Extraction, Stretching and Placement of DNA Molecules from a Liquid-Air Interface
We present âmolecular threadingâ, a surface independent tip-based method for stretching and depositing single and double-stranded DNA molecules. DNA is stretched into air at a liquid-air interface, and can be subsequently deposited onto a dry substrate isolated from solution. The design of an apparatus used for molecular threading is presented, and fluorescence and electron microscopies are used to characterize the angular distribution, straightness, and reproducibility of stretched DNA deposited in arrays onto elastomeric surfaces and thin membranes. Molecular threading demonstrates high straightness and uniformity over length scales from nanometers to micrometers, and represents an alternative to existing DNA deposition and linearization methods. These results point towards scalable and high-throughput precision manipulation of single-molecule polymers
Comparative genomics of mutualistic viruses of Glyptapanteles parasitic wasps
Comparative genome analysis of two endosymbiotic polydnaviruses from Glyptapanteles parasitic wasps reveals new insights into the evolutionary arms race between host and parasite
Interleukinâ1 Blockade Inhibits the Acute Inflammatory Response in Patients With STâSegmentâElevation Myocardial Infarction
Background
STâsegmentâelevation myocardial infarction is associated with an intense acute inflammatory response and risk of heart failure. We tested whether interleukinâ1 blockade with anakinra significantly reduced the area under the curve for hsCRP (high sensitivity Câreactive protein) levels during the first 14 days in patients with STâsegmentâelevation myocardial infarction (VCUART3 [Virginia Commonwealth University Anakinra Remodeling Trial 3]).
Methods and Results
We conducted a randomized, placeboâcontrolled, doubleâblind, clinical trial in 99 patients with STâsegmentâelevation myocardial infarction in which patients were assigned to 2 weeks treatment with anakinra once daily (N=33), anakinra twice daily (N=31), or placebo (N=35). hsCRP area under the curve was significantly lower in patients receiving anakinra versus placebo (median, 67 [interquartile range, 39â120] versus 214 [interquartile range, 131â394] mg·day/L; P\u3c0.001), without significant differences between the anakinra arms. No significant differences were found between anakinra and placebo groups in the interval changes in left ventricular endâsystolic volume (median, 1.4 [interquartile range, â9.8 to 9.8] versus â3.9 [interquartile range, â15.4 to 1.4] mL; P=0.21) or left ventricular ejection fraction (median, 3.9% [interquartile range, â1.6% to 10.2%] versus 2.7% [interquartile range, â1.8% to 9.3%]; P=0.61) at 12 months. The incidence of death or newâonset heart failure or of death and hospitalization for heart failure was significantly lower with anakinra versus placebo (9.4% versus 25.7% [P=0.046] and 0% versus 11.4% [P=0.011], respectively), without difference between the anakinra arms. The incidence of serious infection was not different between anakinra and placebo groups (14% versus 14%; P=0.98). Injection site reactions occurred more frequently in patients receiving anakinra (22%) versus placebo (3%; P=0.016).
Conclusions
In patients presenting with STâsegmentâelevation myocardial infarction, interleukinâ1 blockade with anakinra significantly reduces the systemic inflammatory response compared with placebo.
Clinical Trial Registration
URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT01950299
Artificial Intelligence and Cardiovascular Genetics
Polygenic diseases, which are genetic disorders caused by the combined action of multiple genes, pose unique and significant challenges for the diagnosis and management of affected patients. A major goal of cardiovascular medicine has been to understand how genetic variation leads to the clinical heterogeneity seen in polygenic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recent advances and emerging technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the ever-increasing availability of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, now provide researchers with unprecedented possibilities for dynamic and complex biological genomic analyses. Combining these technologies may lead to a deeper understanding of heterogeneous polygenic CVDs, better prognostic guidance, and, ultimately, greater personalized medicine. Advances will likely be achieved through increasingly frequent and robust genomic characterization of patients, as well the integration of genomic data with other clinical data, such as cardiac imaging, coronary angiography, and clinical biomarkers. This review discusses the current opportunities and limitations of genomics; provides a brief overview of AI; and identifies the current applications, limitations, and future directions of AI in genomics.</jats:p
Clonal Hematopoiesis Before, During, and After Human Spaceflight.
Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) occurs when blood cells harboring an advantageous mutation propagate faster than others. These mutations confer a risk for hematological cancers and cardiovascular disease. Here, we analyze CH in blood samples from a pair of twin astronauts over 4 years in bulk and fractionated cell populations using a targeted CH panel, linked-read whole-genome sequencing, and deep RNA sequencing. We show CH with distinct mutational profiles and increasing allelic fraction that includes a high-risk, TET2 clone in one subject and two DNMT3A mutations on distinct alleles in the other twin. These astronauts exhibit CH almost two decades prior to the mean age at which it is typically detected and show larger shifts in clone size than age-matched controls or radiotherapy patients, based on a longitudinal cohort of 157 cancer patients. As such, longitudinal monitoring of CH may serve as an important metric for overall cancer and cardiovascular risk in astronauts
Catching Element Formation In The Act
Gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic photons in nature to address
some of the most pressing puzzles in contemporary astrophysics. It encompasses
a wide range of objects and phenomena: stars, supernovae, novae, neutron stars,
stellar-mass black holes, nucleosynthesis, the interstellar medium, cosmic rays
and relativistic-particle acceleration, and the evolution of galaxies. MeV
gamma-rays provide a unique probe of nuclear processes in astronomy, directly
measuring radioactive decay, nuclear de-excitation, and positron annihilation.
The substantial information carried by gamma-ray photons allows us to see
deeper into these objects, the bulk of the power is often emitted at gamma-ray
energies, and radioactivity provides a natural physical clock that adds unique
information. New science will be driven by time-domain population studies at
gamma-ray energies. This science is enabled by next-generation gamma-ray
instruments with one to two orders of magnitude better sensitivity, larger sky
coverage, and faster cadence than all previous gamma-ray instruments. This
transformative capability permits: (a) the accurate identification of the
gamma-ray emitting objects and correlations with observations taken at other
wavelengths and with other messengers; (b) construction of new gamma-ray maps
of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies where extended regions are
distinguished from point sources; and (c) considerable serendipitous science of
scarce events -- nearby neutron star mergers, for example. Advances in
technology push the performance of new gamma-ray instruments to address a wide
set of astrophysical questions.Comment: 14 pages including 3 figure
Consensus Recommendations for the Use of Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) Technologies in Clinical Practice
International audienceThe significant and growing global prevalence of diabetes continues to challenge people with diabetes (PwD), healthcare providers and payers. While maintaining near-normal glucose levels has been shown to prevent or delay the progression of the long-term complications of diabetes, a significant proportion of PwD are not attaining their glycemic goals. During the past six years, we have seen tremendous advances in automated insulin delivery (AID) technologies. Numerous randomized controlled trials and real-world studies have shown that the use of AID systems is safe and effective in helping PwD achieve their long-term glycemic goals while reducing hypoglycemia risk. Thus, AID systems have recently become an integral part of diabetes management. However, recommendations for using AID systems in clinical settings have been lacking. Such guided recommendations are critical for AID success and acceptance. All clinicians working with PwD need to become familiar with the available systems in order to eliminate disparities in diabetes quality of care. This report provides much-needed guidance for clinicians who are interested in utilizing AIDs and presents a comprehensive listing of the evidence payers should consider when determining eligibility criteria for AID insurance coverage
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