cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modulation of matrix metabolism by ATP-citrate lyase in articular chondrocytes

Certain dysregulated chondrocyte metabolic adaptive responses such as decreased activity of the master regulator of energy metabolism AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) promote osteoarthritis (OA). Metabolism intersects with epigenetic and transcriptional responses. Hence, we studied chondrocyte ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), which generates acetyl-CoA from mitochondrial-derived citrate, and modulates acetylation of histones and transcription factors. We assessed ACLY in normal and OA human knee chondrocytes and cartilages by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and quantified acetyl-CoA fluorometrically. We examined histone and transcription factor lysine acetylation by Western blotting, and assessed histone H3K9 and H3K27 occupancy of iNOS, MMP3, and MMP13 promoters by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). We analyzed iNOS, MMP3, MMP13, aggrecan (ACAN), and Col2a1 gene expression by RT-qPCR. Glucose availability regulated ACLY expression and function, nucleocytosolic acetyl-CoA, and histone acetylation. Human knee OA chondrocytes exhibited increased ACLY activation (assessed by Ser-455 phosphorylation), associated with increased H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation. Inhibition of ACLY attenuated IL-1β–induced transcription of iNOS, MMP3, and MMP13 by suppressing acetylation of p65 NF-κB, H3K9, and H3K27, blunted release of NO, MMP3, and MMP13, and also reduced SOX9 acetylation that promoted SOX9 nuclear translocation, leading to increased aggrecan and Col2a1 mRNA expression. ACLY is a novel player involved in regulation of cartilage matrix metabolism. Increased ACLY activity in OA chondrocytes increased nucleocytosolic acetyl-CoA, leading to increased matrix catabolism via dysregulated histone and transcription factor acetylation. Pharmacologic ACLY inhibition in OA chondrocytes globally reverses these changes and stimulates matrix gene expression and AMPK activation, supporting translational investigation in OA.
How Drugs Including Recreational Drugs Affect Asthma

Various drug and chemical exposures are associated with adverse effects on airways. These effects may induce or worsen the symptoms of asthma. The mechanisms of these airway changes vary from direct effects on receptors to immunologically mediated alterations.
TCT-602 Gender Based Differences In Outcomes Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting For Multivessel Disease. A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Women are known to have increased risk of adverse events after cardiac procedures when compared to men. Data on the impact of gender on the choice of optimal revascularization modality for patients with multivessel disease are limited. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate by meta-
Association of Diagnosis of Leukodystrophy With Race and Ethnicity Among Pediatric and Adolescent Patients

Importance Inherited leukodystrophies are a group of neurological diseases affecting myelin that cause significant morbidities and death. Timely and correct diagnosis is important for initiating treatment, designing disease screening, and offering care and guidance to patients and families. Objective To determine whether there are disparities in leukodystrophy diagnosis in different racial backgrounds. Design, Setting, and Participants This case-control study involved a retrospective review of patients aged 18 years or younger who were diagnosed with 1 of 4 leukodystrophies (metachromatic leukodystrophy, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, Krabbe disease, and Hurler disease) in the US Children’s Hospital Association’s Pediatric Health Information System database from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Leukodystrophy diagnosis and racial background of the patients were analyzed. Adjusted prevalence estimates of leukodystrophies were obtained by controlling for sex, insurance type, urban or rural status, 2010 median household income for patient zip code, number of inpatient days, and age at first visit. Pathogenic leukodystrophy gene allele frequencies in different racial backgrounds forABCD1,ARSA,GALC, andIDUAwere determined using the gnomAD database. Results Of the 557 patients identified with a leukodystrophy (221 [40%] female; 321 [58%] white non-Hispanic, 54 [10%] black non-Hispanic, and 51 [9%] white Hispanic; median [range] age, 7 [0-18] years), nonwhite race, including black non-Hispanic, black Hispanic, and white Hispanic, was associated with not having a leukodystrophy diagnosis. The adjusted prevalence for a leukodystrophy diagnosis in white non-Hispanic patients was 13.8 (95% CI, 10.6-17.9) per 100 000 patients, compared with 5.8 (95% CI, 3.8-8.9), 2.4 (95% CI, 1.1-5.2), and 7.4 (95% CI, 5.2-10.4) per 100 000 in black non-Hispanic, black Hispanic, and white Hispanic patients, respectively. This reduced rate of diagnosis was out of proportion to the frequency of the different races in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Similar or higher frequencies of missense or loss-of-function alleles were measured in populations of Latino and African descent for the pathogenic leukodystrophy gene alleles. For example, forABCD1, allele frequencies in those of Latino or African descent were 2.1 × 10−5and 2.2 × 10−5, as compared with 1.4 × 10−5for those of European non-Finnish descent. Conclusions and Relevance Patients of racial/ethnic minorities, including those from black, black Hispanic, and white Hispanic backgrounds, were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with a leukodystrophy. Leukodystrophy disease–associated allele frequencies were the same or higher in populations of Latino or African descent, arguing against a genetic founder effect being responsible for the lower diagnosis rates. This underdiagnosis has implications for newborn screening programs and treatment access and may reflect a more widespread problem in pediatric neurological and orphan diseases.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Adhesive Contact Formation and Friction

Investigations using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of atomistic mechanisms of adhesive contact formation, friction, and wear processes occurring as a consequence of interactions between material tips and substrate surfaces reveal the energetics and dynamics of jump-to-contact, elastic, plastic and yield processes, connective neck formation, wetting, reconstruction, atomic scale stick-slip, and materials transfer and wear phenomena. Results are presented for several tip and substrate materials, including metallic (nickel and gold), ionic (CaF2), covalent (Si), and thin alkane (n-hexadecane) films adsorbed on a metal (gold) surface and interacting with a metal (nickel) tip.
Mitral Annular Calcification and Calcific Mitral Stenosis: Therapeutic Challenges and Considerations

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) and associated calcific mitral stenosis (MS) are frequent in the aging population, although optimal management remains debated and outcomes are poor. This article summarizes challenges in the diagnosis and therapy of calcific MS, the indications for valve intervention, procedural concerns, and emerging treatment options. Surgical mitral valve replacement is the procedure of choice in symptomatic patients at acceptable surgical risk, with transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) being evaluated in clinical trials as an alternative for patients at prohibitive surgical risk. Significant challenges exist with the currently available technology and outcomes have been suboptimal. Optimizing the patient-selection process by using multimodality imaging tools has proven to be essential. MAC and calcific MS is an increasingly prevalent, challenging issue with poor outcomes. While surgical valve replacement can be performed in patients with acceptable surgical risk, TMVR can be considered for patients at higher risk. Clinical trials are underway to optimize outcomes. Dedicated device designs and techniques to minimize risk of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, paravalvular leakage, and device embolization are to be awaited.
Leveraging Minority Identities at Work: An Individual-Level Framework of the Identity Mobilization Process

Research on the business case for diversity suggests that organizations may gain important advantages by employing individuals from minority identity groups—those that are historically underreprese...
Abstract 4325: 5-hydroxymethylation captures the heterogeneity in keratinization and cytoskeletal rearrangement processes in head & neck cancers

Infection with high-risk HPV, or human papillomavirus, has been shown to be a risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) development in addition to the classical risk factors of tobacco and alcohol usage. Previous studies have identified epigenetic differences between these two classes of HNSCC, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs. 5-hydroxymethylation (5hmC) is an oxidative derivative of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and is depleted in human cancers of many different origins. However, the roles of 5hmC in HNSCC is still unknown. Our study is the first to characterize 5hmC in HNSCC, which we profiled in 18 HPV(+) and 18 HPV(-) HNSCC tumors. Since previous studies found higher levels of 5hmC in more differentiated cells and lower levels in stem-like cells, we hypothesized an overall higher 5hmC level in HPV(-) tumors, which tend to be more differentiated in nature. Consistent with our hypothesis, results showed significant hyper-hydroxymethylation in HPV(-) tumors, and detected multiple cancer-related genes with hyper-hydroxymethylation in either HPV(+) and HPV(-) tumors. For example, CDKN2A (p16) and MTAP were the most hyper-methylated genes in HPV(+) tumors, while 5hmC levels of HPV(-) tumors were particularly high in CDH13, TIMP2, and BCAR1. We found that the two HPV(+) subtypes defined by Zhang et al., IMU (heightened immune response, more mesenchymal differentiation) and KRT (more keratinization, more likely viral integration), explained a high level of heterogeneity in 5hmC levels at promoter and enhancer regions. By testing for genes and pathways that demonstrate concordant changes in gene expression and 5hmC levels, we found that keratinocyte differentiation, cell-cell adhesion and adherens junction pathways are both up-regulated and have hyper-hydroxymethylation in HPV(-) tumors. Using predicted enhancers of epidermal keratinocytes, we found a much higher portion of hydroxymethylated regions fall in enhancer regions for HPV(-) samples compared with HPV(+) samples. The higher differential 5hmC in enhancer regions was further validated by stronger histone marks of H3K4me1 and H3K27ac in HPV(-) tumors. Since some of these enhancers can be linked to differentially expressed target genes, this result indicates that the enhancer hydryoxymethylation in HNSCC could also play an important role in downstream gene regulation. We hope that this study could partially explain the different mechanisms and cast light on potential targeted therapies in HNSCC both based on HPV status and different HPV(+) subtypes. Citation Format: Siyu Liu, Katie Zarins, Evan Fernandez, Laura Rozek, Maureen Sartor. 5-hydroxymethylation captures the heterogeneity in keratinization and cytoskeletal rearrangement processes in head & neck cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4325.
Examining Cranial Morphology of Asian and Hispanic Populations Using Geometric Morphometrics for Ancestry Estimation

Poor classification trends of Hispanic individuals have been shown when using the statistical software Fordisc 3.1 (FD3), which is commonly used by practitioners to estimate ancestry for unidentified skeletal cases (Jantz & Ousley 2005; Ousley & Jantz 2012). Similarities in craniometric dimensions were identified between Asian and Hispanic groups when performing discriminant function and canonical variate analysis using FD3 (Dudzik & Jantz 2016; Jantz & Ousley 2005). Hispanic cases were shown to often classify as Asian and showed a particularly close relationship with Japanese individuals, as illustrated by small Mahalanobis distances. This study further explores these misclassification trend findings by comparing craniometric analyses with geometric morphometric approaches to better identify morphological overlap between Asian and Hispanic populations. Geometric morphometric analyses have become increasingly useful for studies of cranial shape, and inter-landmark distances have been shown to more accurately estimate population affinity than standard cranial measurements (Spradley & Jantz 2016). Based on this evidence, a more detailed analysis of the morphological similarities between Asian and Hispanic craniometrics is warranted using geometric morphometric approaches. Data sets used include coordinate data of a subset of the Hispanic sample included in FD3 as well as individuals from Japan, Thailand, Korea, and China. Results show that variation among samples can be better identified to describe which dimensions of the cranium exhibit the most overlap across populations. Specifically, comparisons between the Asian and Hispanic data showed that the position of landmarks mainly representing dimensions of the neurocranium are useful for accurately predicting group membership.
Oleic acid emitted from frozen Trogoderma spp. larvae causes conspecific behavioral aversion

Accumulating evidence in the literature suggests that oleic acid functions as a necromone across widely divergent insect taxa. The prevelance of this phenomenon has not been fully explored, and its application to pest management remains underdeveloped. Khapra beetle (KB), Trogoderma granarium, is a pest of stored grains, with larvae that can enter facultative diapause and remain cryptic in warehouses. Here, we examine how death affects oleic acid content of Trogoderma spp. cuticular extracts, and whether the compound causes a behavioral response. To assess the generalizability of patterns, many experiments were repeated with warehouse beetle (WB), Trogoderma variabile, and larger cabinet beetle (LCB), Trogoderma inclusum. Extracts of larvae that were first killed by being frozen had greater oleic acid content than those derived from live insects. Two-choice behavioral assays compared responses of solvent controls to these extracts, at both low (~ 2 µg) and high (68–131 µg) oleic acid content. The natural extracts also contained cuticular hydrocarbons and other unidentified chemicals. High oleic acid in the extracts repelled the larvae of all three species. Lower levels of oleic acid did not affect KB and LCB movement, but were attractive to WB. We also performed the assay using a large range of doses of oleic acid alone. At the lower doses, oleic acid had no effect on movement, but it became strongly repellant at higher doses, beginning at 100 µg. These results indicate that necromones may be an overlooked aspect of stored product insect biology, which if further researched could improve pest management.
Precarious Work and Precarious Welfare: How the Pandemic Reveals Fundamental Flaws of the U.S. Social Safety Net

Almost all forms of social insurance in the United States are tied to employment. The employment link to social insurance has proven to be a catastrophe during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, in which almost twenty percent of the American workforce lost their jobs. The linking of social insurance to employment is an institutional design choice as the system evolved during and since the New Deal. It was to ensure that social insurance would not provide a disincentive to take low-wage jobs, and would therefore not destabilize racialized labor regimes (especially in agriculture), traditional family structures, or labor relations in industry. As a result, however, only about half of all unemployed workers receive unemployment insurance benefits (UI) when they lose their jobs, and just twelve percent of part-time workers receive UI. In July 2020, the percentage of uninsured adults nearly doubled, to sixteen percent, on account of job losses and states' failures to expand eligibility for Medicaid. These systemic weaknesses exist because the interests and voices of workers were largely absent from the program design and legislative debates. In this Article, we explain how the pandemic brought into sharp focus the institutional design flaws in tying the American social welfare system to employment. We show that, in contrast to experiences in other industrialized countries, these design flaws have magnified hardship for the least privileged members of American society and amplified inequalities of race, class, immigration status, and gender. After describing the major achievements of the March 2020 federal legislation, we propose solutions to help complete the unfinished work of the New Deal, and to remedy the failings built into the system. We explore the necessity of broadening eligibility and the tax base to fund social insurance by eliminating the distinction between employees and independent contractors. More specifically, we consider the comparative approaches of (1) building on the model of Old Age and Disability Insurance (known popularly as Social Security), (2) Universal Basic Income;and (3) Flexsecurity, a European social insurance program intended to preserve employment during recessions and life events.
Efficient Online Tracking-by-Detection With Kalman Filter

Visual tracking of multiple objects in videos has a promisingly broad application in manufacturing, construction, traffic, logistics, etc., especially in large-scale applications where it is not feasible to attach markers to many objects for traditional, marker-enabled tracking methods. This paper presents a new approach, Kalman-intersection-over-union (KIOU) tracker, for multi-object tracking in videos that integrates a Kalman filter with IOU-based track association methods. The performance of the proposed KIOU tracker is quantitatively evaluated with UA-DETRAC, an open real-world multi-object detection and tracking benchmark. Experimental results show that the KIOU tracker outperforms the leading tracking methods. Additionally, the KIOU tracker has speed comparable to simple area overlap-based track association and quality close to methods with much higher computational costs, demonstrating its potential for online, real-time multi-object tracking.
Chronological changes in stone artefact resource utilisation at Magnificent Gallery, southeast Cape York Peninsula, northern Queensland

This Master of Letters thesis presents a technological analysis of stone artefacts from Magnificent Gallery, a Pleistocene rockshelter in southeast Cape York Peninsula. Changes in artefact technology were linked to changes in Aboriginal stone working behaviour. It is concluded that people were implementing more efficient knapping techniques in the past 1000 years BP probably in response to significant population increases. The site was excavated in 1989 by Morwood (1989a, 1989b). The deposits contain archaeological material consisting of charcoal, grindstones, stone artefacts, bone, ochre, xanthorrhoea and items of worked wood. Art is also present at the site. 'Cultural Layers' were used as the primary unit of the analysis. Three technological artefact classes were examined within those cultural layers: cores, flakes and flaked pieces which established that: 1. People increased their use of fine-grained materials (eg chert). 2. More efficient flaking techniques were applied in knapping stone. 3. The sequence in which those knapping techniques were applied became more sophisticated. For the first time retouch flaking was introduced. Indexes of site use were also applied to the stone artefact assemblage. A comparative index of trampling intensity was devised so as to take into account the inter-related processes of flake breakage and sedimentation. This demonstrated that a decrease in the proportions of broken flakes, especially in the uppermost layer, largely reflected associated increases in sedimentation rates, rather than decreased occupational intensity. It is therefore concluded that not only did artefact discard rate increase late in the sequence, but also that people may have visited the site more frequently and/or for longer periods.
Restructuring Navigator Gas Transport Plc.

SUBJECT AREAS: Bankruptcy, Capital structure, International finance, Restructuring. How should creditors pursue their claims in a multi-jurisdiction bankruptcy? David Butters, Managing Director at Lehman Brothers, negotiates a restructuring of Navigator Gas Transport, a shipping company that is headquartered in Switzerland, incorporated in the Isle of Man, and operates ships that travel around the world. In analyzing the choices he faces, students must consider how the initial capitalization of Navigator contributed to its financial distress, evaluate several restructuring plans from a variety of perspectives, and assess how Butters might resolve the legal inconsistencies that arise in a multi-jurisdiction bankruptcy. In addition, they must determine if Butters has sufficient information about, and control over, operations at Navigator to be confident engaging in a lengthy set of legal proceedings.
AutoPod: Unscheduled System Updates with Zero Data Loss

Patching, upgrading, and maintaining operating system software is a growing management complexity problem that can result in unacceptable system downtime. We introduce AutoPod, a system that enables unscheduled operating system updates while preserving application service availability. AutoPod provides a group of processes and associated users with an isolated machine-independent virtualized environment that is decoupled from the underlying operating system instance. This virtualized environment is integrated with a novel checkpoint-restart mechanism which allows processes to be suspended, resumed, and migrated across operating system kernel versions with different security and maintenance patches. AutoPod incorporates a system status service to determine when operating system patches need to be applied to the current host, then automatically migrates application services to another host to preserve their availability while the current host is updated and rebooted
Terrorism and Propaganda: Problem and Response

Propaganda and terrorism are identical insofar as they both seek to influence a mass audience in a way that is intended to benefit the sponsor. Terrorism is, as the nineteenth century anarchists claimed, 'propaganda by deed'; in Brian Jenkins more recent formulation, it is theatre. The direct and obvious link between terrorism and propaganda is merely the visible tip of an iceberg. Terrorism, as a sub-species of revolution or as a component, also relies on these essential ingredients; it too elevates the cultural-spiritual element to pride of place. Whether terrorism is a component of a wider revolutionary strategy or stands on its own, the themes aimed at the general public seem fairly constant. Media coverage of terrorism, while a subject for separate study, is closely linked to propaganda. Political, spiritual and cultural leadership are in the end even more important than intelligence, response teams and firepower.
The order of binary quadratic forms from representation numbers

We investigate the relationship between the numbers of representations of certain integers by a primitive integral binary quadratic form f of discriminant D and the order of the class of f in the form class group of discriminant D, in the case when this order is even. The explicit form of the solutions obtained is used to give a partial answer to a question regarding which multiples of f can be parameterized in a particular way.
Chemistry of vent fluids and its implications for subsurface conditions at Sea Cliff hydrothermal field, Gorda Ridge

We report here the first compositional data for fluids from the Sea Cliff hydrothermal field, northern Gorda Ridge, collected in 2000, 2002, and 2004. An unusual aspect of this site is its location ∼2.6 km east of the axis of spreading, leading to speculation since its discovery in 1988 that this may be an “older” hydrothermal field, as it occurs on crust that the spreading rate would predict to be ∼100,000 years old. Our results suggest this hydrothermal system is being driven by subsurface magma, as evidenced by (1) elevated 3He/heat ratios, (2) relatively high concentrations of He, and (3) chloride contents less than seawater in the hydrothermal fluids. The measured fluid temperatures were ≤308°C, but we infer they were >400°C at depth. In spite of these elevated temperatures, the fluids exiting from these vents are clear, a consequence of extremely low transition metal concentrations. We attribute the low transition metal contents to loss of these metals below the seafloor, most likely as a result of the slightly elevated pH of the fluids. Neither the fluid compositions nor the setting provides evidence that buried sediments and/or organic matter are responsible for raising the fluid pH. Our favored explanation for the elevated pH is that calcite, deposited as a vein-filling mineral at this site, perhaps when it was closer to the axis and a hydrothermal downflow zone, is currently being dissolved by the hydrothermal fluids. This hypothesis is supported by our geochemical modeling results that suggest the fluids are close to saturation with calcite at in situ conditions. Elevated fluid pH is observed at a number of hydrothermal sites on the global mid-ocean ridge system, and the reason for this has not been well understood. Dissolution of previously deposited calcite may be a heretofore unrecognized mechanism that can explain these observations. Finally, our data suggest the compositions of these fluids are unchanged from 2002 to 2004 and are consistent with water column observations first made at this site in 1985. We therefore interpret the Sea Cliff site to be another hydrothermal area marked by long-term stability in fluid compositions and temperatures.
2015 Award Winning Novels in Verse: Family Love, Loyalty, and Loss

J. Woodson. (2014). Brown Girl Dreaming (Newbery Honor Book). New York, NY: Penguin Group. 336 pages, $8.90 (hardcover). ISBN: 9780399252618.K. Alexander. (2014). The Crossover. New York, NY: Hough...
Plasma S-adenosylhomocysteine is a more sensitive indicator of cardiovascular disease than plasma homocysteine

BACKGROUND Although plasma total homocysteine has been identified as an independent risk factor for vascular disease in a multitude of studies, there is a considerable overlap in values between patients at risk and control subjects. The difference in values can be used to distinguish statistically between the 2 groups, provided each group is large enough; however, discriminating between individual patients at risk and control subjects is difficult. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether the precursor of homocysteine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, is a more sensitive indicator of risk. DESIGN We measured plasma total homocysteine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine, creatinine, folate, and vitamin B-12 in 30 patients with proven cardiovascular disease and 29 age- and sex-matched control subjects. RESULTS The homocysteine values (+/-SD) were 12.8 +/- 4.9 (95% CI: 11.0, 14.7) micromol/L for patients and 11.0 +/- 3.2 (9.8, 12.2) micromol/L for control subjects. The S-adenosylhomocysteine values were 40.0 +/- 20.6 (32.3, 47.7) nmol/L for patients and 27.0 +/- 6.7 (24.5, 30.0) nmol/L for control subjects (P = 0.0021). The S-adenosylmethionine values were 121.8 +/- 42.9 (105.8, 137.8) nmol/L for patients and 103.9 +/- 21.8 (95.6, 112.2) nmol/L for control subjects (P = 0.0493). The creatinine values were 110 +/- 27 (97, 120) micromol/L for patients and 97 +/- 9 (80, 100) micromol/L for control subjects (P = 0.0025). Values for folate and vitamin B-12 did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS Plasma S-adenosylhomocysteine appears to be a much more sensitive indicator of the difference between patients with cardiovascular disease and control subjects than is homocysteine. Both plasma total homocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine are significantly correlated with plasma creatinine in patients.
Realization and operation of modular 3-D optical nanocircuits

In this talk, we review our recent work on the realization and operation of optical nanocircuits, and on their application for signal manipulation, filtering, and antenna loading. We discuss theoretical advances and experimental realizations of 3-D optical nanocircuits to realize relatively complex filtering functionalities at the nanoscale. In the first configuration [N. Liu*, F. Wen*, Y. Zhao*, et al., Nano Letters 13, 142 (2013)], together with our colleagues at Rice University, we realized basic parallel and series combinations of lumped optical nanocircuit elements, and we used them as loads of optical antennas sitting on a dielectric substrate, in order to efficiently tailor their radiation properties. In a second setup [J. Shi*, S. Elias*, F. Monticone*, et al., Nature Communications 5, 3896 (2014)], together with our colleagues at UT Austin, we demonstrated the modular assembly of nano-clusters of optical nanocircuit elements using atomic-force-microscope tips, realizing nanofilters of different order. We were able to observe suitable filtering of the scattered light, in line with basic circuit rules governing filters of up to fourth order. Finally, following a similar approach, we tailored a subwavelength cluster of nanoparticles supporting strong circulating displacement current [F. Shafiei*, F. Monticone*, et al., Nature Nanotechnology 8, 95 (2013)], capable of enhancing the local magnetic response to impinging light. During our talk, we will discuss physical insights and new directions in the area of metatronics and optical nanocircuits, aiming to contribute to the possibility of tailoring signals at the nanoscale in much the same way we do today with radio-frequency circuits, but with significantly enhanced bandwidths and much reduced time delays.
Thermal conductivity of organic bulk heterojunction solar cells: an unusual binary mixing effect

[6,6]-Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), a fullerene derivative, is the most widely used electron acceptor in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaics, and its concentration is usually tuned to achieve optimal device performance. However, PCBM loading can significantly impair the thermal transport performance of the BHJs due to its ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.03–0.07 W m−1 K−1). In this work, we study the thermal conductivity of BHJs as a function of the PCBM concentration using time domain thermoreflectance. The thermal conductivities of BHJs composed of PCBM blended with donor polymers from the PBDTTT family with different side chains systematically deviate from those predicted by effective medium theory. Evidence presented in this work indicates that for these copolymers, only when the polymer concentration reaches a threshold value (∼30 to 35% volumetric fraction), does the thermal conductivity BHJ film start to increase, possibly due to the formation of high thermal conductivity percolation pathways.
Solid‐phase microextraction for predicting the bioavailability of 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene and its primary transformation products in sediment and water

Disposable solid-phase microextraction fibers (SPMEs) were used to measure the availability of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its two primary transformation products, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2ADNT) and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4ADNT). The SPMEs (85-μm polyacrylate) and sediment-dwelling oligochaetes (Tubifex tubifex) were exposed to TNT-spiked sediment, to TNT-spiked sediment amended with activated carbon, and to TNT-, 2ADNT-, and 4ADNT-spiked water. Sediment concentration was a poor predictor of bioavailability in unamended and carbon-amended sediments (r2 = 0.14–0.73) The activated carbon amendment reduced the bioavailability of compounds in carbon-amended sediment, causing the relationships between Tubifex concentrations and sediment concentrations to differ significantly between unamended and carbon-amended sediment for all compounds. In contrast, SPME TNT concentrations predicted Tubifex TNT concentrations (r2 = 0.54–0.79), and regression models did not differ significantly among the three TNT-spiked matrices. The SPME 2ADNT and 4ADNT concentrations also were predictive of Tubifex 2ADNT and 4ADNT concentrations (r2 = 0.44–0.90). Relationships between Tubifex concentrations and SPME concentrations were the same between unamended and carbon-amended TNT-spiked sediments for 2ADNT and 4ADNT; however, the relationship in sediment (pooled data) differed from the relationship found in 2ADNT- and 4-ADNT-spiked water. The SPMEs provided carbon amendment-independent measures of ADNT availability in sediment and matrix-independent measures of TNT availability among the three matrices. The SPMEs show promise for predicting bioavailable organic compounds in sediment and water.
Molecular Basis of the Apparent Near Ideality of Urea Solutions

Activity coefficients of urea solutions are calculated to explore the mechanism of its solution properties, which form the basis for its well-known use as a strong protein denaturant. We perform free energy simulations of urea solutions in different urea concentrations using two urea models (OPLS and KBFF models) to calculate and decompose the activity coefficients. For the case of urea, we clarify the concept of the ideal solution in different concentration scales and standard states and its effect on our subsequent analysis. The analytical form of activity coefficients depends on the concentration units and standard states. For both models studied, urea displays a weak concentration dependence for excess chemical potential. However, for the OPLS force-field model, this results from contributions that are independent of concentration to the van der Waals and electrostatic components whereas for the KBFF model those components are nontrivial but oppose each other. The strong ideality of urea solutions in some concentration scales (incidentally implying a lack of water perturbation) is discussed in terms of recent data and ideas on the mechanism of urea denaturation of proteins.
A small-scale comparison of the equivalence of paper-and-pencil and computerized versions of student end-of-course evaluations

Abstract This study compared responses to two versions of an end-of-course evaluation instrument completed by graduate students: the traditional printed form completed using pencil and paper, and a microcomputer-based form that presented equivalent items and accepted student responses. A finding of no significant difference in favorableness of composite ratings between the two versions prompted the researcher to perform item-by-item analyses of the two instruments. These analyses revealed that ratings of the individual items on one instrument were highly correlated with the ratings of their matched corresponding items on the other instrument. The paper-and-pencil and computerized evaluation instruments were found to be of almost identically high reliability. Possible limitations of the findings and areas for future research are discussed.
Interleukin-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha differentially regulate enkephalin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neurotensin, and substance P biosynthesis in chromaffin cells.

The pattern of expression of at least four neuropeptides contained in adrenomedullary chromaffin cells is altered by exposure to the cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), alone or in combination with stimulation of other second messenger pathways. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was elevated 2- to 3-fold by 1 nM IL-1 alpha within 48 h of exposure, while neurotensin and substance P synthesis were unaffected, and met-enkephalin levels were decreased 25-35%. Stimulation of VIP and substance P biosynthesis by forskolin was markedly enhanced by IL-1 alpha, while forskolin stimulation of enkephalin and neurotensin biosynthesis was unaffected. IL-1 alpha amplified the effect of phorbol myristate acetate to increase the VIP content of chromaffin cells, but antagonized phorbol ester-induced elevation of neurotensin levels. TNF alpha also demonstrated a neuropeptide-specific pattern of modulation of second-messenger effects on chromaffin cell neuropeptide le...
Directional correlations in 124Te

Abstract Directional correlations for the 1690-603 keV cacade in 124Te have been measured. The results are A2(γ-γ) = −0.074±0.004; A2(γ-e−K) = −0.121±0.022; A2(γ-e−LM) = −0.104±0.060. The K shell particle parameter for the 603 keV transition as determined from these correlations is in good agreement with the theoretical point-nucleus prediction for a pure E2 transition.
Bounds to bending frequencies of a rotating beam

Abstract Two lower bound methods are applied to obtain bounds to frequencies of bending vibration of a rotating uniform beam simply supported at one end, free at the other. These methods, in conjunction with the well-known Rayleigh–Ritz procedure, can also be used to provide rigorous upper and lower bounds to a wide variety of vibration problems. The virtues of the methods are discussed and numerical results are given.
Wheeler's current sheet concept and Munk's wideband arrays

About 60 years ago, Wheeler proposed the current sheet as a means to study (infinite) array impedance variations during scanning. The current sheet, viewed as the limiting case of an array of very small and closely spaced dipoles, was proposed by Wheeler as a way to model the array's scanning properties and matching issues. Much later, Ben Munk noted that realization of the current sheet in presence of a ground plane was critical to developing conformal wideband arrays. Wheeler's 1965 paper therefore provided vital inspiration that influenced future wideband antenna designers.
The ATLAS-1 mission

Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS)-1 was launched on March 24, 1992, carrying an international payload of 14 investigations, and conducted a successful series of experiments and observations over the subsequent 9 days. The objectives included: measuring the solar irradiance at high precision; remote sensing of the composition of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere using techniques for wavelengths from 300 A to 5 mm; and inducing auroras by means of 1.2 amp electron beams. A subset of these instruments will subsequently be flown in a series of shuttle missions at roughly 1-year intervals over an 11-year solar cycle. The frequent recalibration opportunities afforded by such a program allows the transfer of calibrations to longer duration orbiting observatories. The ATLAS-1 mission occurred at the same time as the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), TIROS-N, and ERB satellites were in operation, and correlative measurements were conducted with these. In all, the mission was most successful in achieving its objectives and a unique and important database was acquired, with many scientific firsts accomplished. This paper provides the mission overview for the series of papers that follow.
The truncated normal–gamma mixture as a distribution for lead time demand

A central problem in inventory control concerns the statistical description of total demand during the lead time between placement and receipt of an order. Since both the demand per unit time and the lead time are random variables, the distribution of lead time demand is formulated as a mixture. In application, one or both components of the mixture are often assumed to be normally distributed despite their nonnegativity. In practice, this assumption is taken to imply that a normal curve, truncated at zero, is a valid description. Several approximations to the true tail area probabilities (given truncation) are examined. In turn, this leads to an improved and simpler expression for the normal–gamma mixture. Some numerical results are also presented.
Actual and projected incidence rates for chronic subdural hematomas in United States Veterans Administration and civilian populations

OBJECT Chronic subdural hematomas (SDHs) are more common among veterans and elderly persons than among members of the general population; however, precise incidence rates are unknown. The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the current incidence of chronic SDH in a US Veterans Administration (VA) population and 2) to create a mathematical model for determining the current and future incidence of chronic SDH as a function of population age, sex, and comorbidity in the United States VA and civilian populations. METHODS To determine the actual number of veterans who received a radiographic diagnosis and surgical treatment for SDH during 2000–2012, the authors used the VISN03 VA database. On the basis of this result and data from outside the United States, they then created a mathematical model accounting for age, sex, and alcohol consumption to predict the incidence of SDH in the VA and civilian populations during 2012–2040. RESULTS Of 875,842 unique (different patient) visits to a VA hospital during...
DASH and Mediterranean-type Dietary Patterns to Maintain Cognitive Health.

There is growing consensus that as the U.S. population ages, nearly a third will experience stroke, dementia, or even both. Thus, interest in the role that diet may play in preserving cognitive abilities continues to grow, especially in absence of truly effective treatments for dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form. The purpose of this review is to examine whether two a priori dietary patterns influence the rate of cognitive decline or the onset of dementia. Evidence from neuropathology reports of those who have died with AD or with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or without cognitive impairment suggests that often the pathological hallmarks of AD—amyloid deposition and presence of tangles—are present along with vascular lesions. Hypertension and stroke are strongly associated with incident dementia. Thus, it is possible that lifestyle approaches designed to prevent or reduce cardiovascular risk factors, conditions, or diseases also may provide added benefits for brain health.
5-hydroxytryptophan-induced myoclonus: Increased sensitivity to serotonin after intracranial 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine in the adult rat

Abstract Systemic administration of the serotonin precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan, produced tremor and myoclonus in rats previously treated with intracisternal injections of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine and systemic desmethylimipramine, but not in their controls. The behavioural syndrome developed to a maximum at 10–14 days, and persisted at least 16 weeks following intracisternal 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. The myoclonic syndrome was potentiated by pargyline, but was blocked by d -lysergic acid diethylamide, 2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide, methysergide, and centrally active high doses of the decarboxylase inhibitor, Ro4-4602. Drugs that increase or decrease the effects of other proposed central nervous system neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and γ-aminobutyric acid) neither reproduced the syndrome nor altered the myoclonus following 5-hydroxytryptophan. Thus, myoclonus induced by 5-hydroxytryptophan following treatment with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine + desmethylimipramine appears to be specifically related to central indoleamine neurones and may reflect pre- or postsynaptically mediated supersensitivity to serotonin. This animal behavioural syndrome may be relevant to some forms of clinical myoclonus, and should be useful in testing agents that act as agonists or antagonists at serotonin receptors in the central nervous system.
Fracture toughness of columnar freshwater ice from large scale DCB tests

Abstract A series of 42 fracture toughness tests were performed on laboratory-grown S2 columnar freshwater ice at high homologous temperatures (−2 to 0° C). The floating double cantilever beam specimen used and the monitoring of the crack mouth opening displacement in addition to the applied load provided a means for obtaining an apparent fracture toughness, an effective elastic modulus, a lower-bound estimate of the crack speed, and a side-loaded flexural strength of the ice. An expression for the apparent fracture toughness as a function of the applied load, specimen geometry, and ice thickness was developed using a finite-element program. This allowed comparison with previously published values for the toughness of freshwater ice. The small range of scatter in apparent fracture toughness values as well as the ability to measure other mechanical properties of the ice indicates the usefulness of such tests.
Cold stress induces in situ phospholipid molecular species changes in cell surface membranes

Abstract The structural organization of Tetrahymena pyriformis is such that its cilia are remote from the main centers of lipid metabolism. As a result, the ciliary membrane lipid composition of cells exposed to low-temperature stress is initially unaffected by the significant metabolic changes induced in microsomal membranes. Nevertheless, changes in the ciliary membrane lipid composition can be detected during the first 4 h of cold exposure. A combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments has provided strong evidence for a substantial retailoring of ciliary phospholipid molecular species in situ in the absence of any importation of lipids from the cell interior or change in overall ciliary fatty acid composition. The mechanism responsible for the ciliary lipid changes is independent of the one(s) triggering internal acclimation responses. Our observations establish for the first time that chilling stress can simultaneously induce separate and distinctive lipid modification responses in different parts of a cell. This finding could be important in identifying the molecular ‘sensor’ capable of actuating stress-induced lipid changes.
Web Service Interfaces for Design Repositories

Reuse of design knowledge is an important goal in engineering design, and has received much attention. A substantial set of algorithms, methodology, and developed systems exist which support various aspects of this goal. However, the majority of these systems are built around a particular user interface, often some form of Web-based repository portal. The work described here presents search and other core functionality as web services rather than a monolithic repository system. These services may then be employed by a variety of applications, integrating them into interfaces familiar to the designer, extending functionality, streamlining their use, and enabling them to be employed throughout the design process. This paper demonstrates this approach by wrapping previously developed repository search algorithms as web services, and then using these within a plug-in for an existing commercial CAD environment. Based on issues encountered in developing this demonstration, this paper also discusses the challenges and potential approaches toward a more general, widespread application of web services in engineering design.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Chemical-thermodynamic properties of molecules that undergo inversion. III: The aminopyridines

Abstract Chemical-thermodynamic functions to 1500 K for the three isomers of aminopyridine in the ideal-gas state at the standard pressure p o = 101.325 kPa are presented. Vibrational contributions are based on normal-mode analysis. The barrier restricting the internal rotation of the amino substituent was assumed to be that of aniline. Observed inversion transitions were used to calculate reduced potential functions from which partition functions for inversion were computed.