Designing hollow nano gold golf balls.

Hollow/porous nanoparticles, including nanocarriers, nanoshells, and mesoporous materials have applications in catalysis, photonics, biosensing, and delivery of theranostic agents. Using a hierarchical template synthesis scheme, we have synthesized a nanocarrier mimicking a golf ball, consisting of (i) solid silica core with a pitted gold surface and (ii) a hollow/porous gold shell without silica. The template consisted of 100 nm polystyrene beads attached to a larger silica core. Selective gold plating of the core followed by removal of the polystyrene beads produced a golf ball-like nanostructure with 100 nm pits. Dissolution of the silica core produced a hollow/porous golf ball-like nanostructure

Glacier runoff influences biogeochemistry and resource availabilityin coastal temperate rainforest streams: Implications for juvenile salmon growth

Meltwater contributions to watersheds are shrinking as glaciers disappear, altering theflow, temperature, andbiogeochemistry of freshwaters. A potential consequence of this landscape change is that streamflow patternswithin glacierized watersheds will become more homogenous, potentially altering the capacity of watersheds tosupport Pacific salmon. To assess heterogeneity in stream habitat quality for juvenile salmon in a watershed inthe Alaska Coast Mountains, we collected organic matter and invertebrate drift and measured streamwater phys-ical and biogeochemical properties over the main runoff season in two adjacent tributaries, one fed mainly byrain and the other partially by glacier ice/snowmelt. We then used bioenergetic modeling to evaluate how tem-poral patterns in water temperature and invertebrate drift in each tributary influence juvenile salmon growthpotential. Across the study period, average invertebrate drift concentrations were similar in non-glacierizedMontana (0.33 mg m 3) and glacier-influenced McGinnis Creeks (0.38 mg m 3). However, seasonal patterns ofinvertebrate drift were temporally asynchronous between the two streams. Invertebrate drift and modeledfishgrowth were generally higher in McGinnis Creek in the spring and Montana Creek in the Summer. For juvenilesalmon, tracking these resource asynchronies by moving between tributaries resulted in 20% greater growththan could be obtained within either stream alone. These results suggest that hydrologic heterogeneity withinwatersheds may enhance the diversity of foraging and growth opportunities for mobile aquatic organisms,which may be essential for supporting productive and resilient natural salmon runs.Ye

Glacier runoff influences biogeochemistry and resource availabilityin coastal temperate rainforest streams: Implications for juvenile salmon growth

Meltwater contributions to watersheds are shrinking as glaciers disappear, altering theflow, temperature, andbiogeochemistry of freshwaters. A potential consequence of this landscape change is that streamflow patternswithin glacierized watersheds will become more homogenous, potentially altering the capacity of watersheds tosupport Pacific salmon. To assess heterogeneity in stream habitat quality for juvenile salmon in a watershed inthe Alaska Coast Mountains, we collected organic matter and invertebrate drift and measured streamwater phys-ical and biogeochemical properties over the main runoff season in two adjacent tributaries, one fed mainly byrain and the other partially by glacier ice/snowmelt. We then used bioenergetic modeling to evaluate how tem-poral patterns in water temperature and invertebrate drift in each tributary influence juvenile salmon growthpotential. Across the study period, average invertebrate drift concentrations were similar in non-glacierizedMontana (0.33 mg m 3) and glacier-influenced McGinnis Creeks (0.38 mg m 3). However, seasonal patterns ofinvertebrate drift were temporally asynchronous between the two streams. Invertebrate drift and modeledfishgrowth were generally higher in McGinnis Creek in the spring and Montana Creek in the Summer. For juvenilesalmon, tracking these resource asynchronies by moving between tributaries resulted in 20% greater growththan could be obtained within either stream alone. These results suggest that hydrologic heterogeneity withinwatersheds may enhance the diversity of foraging and growth opportunities for mobile aquatic organisms,which may be essential for supporting productive and resilient natural salmon runs.Ye

Infrequent HIV Testing and Late HIV Diagnosis Are Common Among a Cohort of Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in 6 US Cities

Objective: US guidelines recommend at least annual HIV testing for those at risk. This analysis assessed frequency and correlates of infrequent HIV testing and late diagnosis among black men who have sex with men (BMSM). Methods: HIV testing history was collected at enrollment from participants in HPTN 061, an HIV prevention trial for at-risk US BMSM. Two definitions of late HIV diagnosis were assessed: CD4 cell count <200 cells per cubic millimeter or <350 cells per cubic millimeter at diagnosis. Results: HPTN 061 enrolled 1553 BMSM. HIV testing questions were completed at enrollment by 1284 (98.7%) of 1301 participants with no previous HIV diagnosis; 272 (21.2%) reported no HIV test in previous 12 months (infrequent testing); 155 of whom (12.1% of the 1284 with testing data) reported never testing. Infrequent HIV testing was associated with: not seeing a medical provider in the previous 6 months (relative risk [RR]: 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03 to 1.13), being unemployed (RR: 1.04, CI: 1.01 to 1.07), and having high internalized HIV stigma (RR: 1.03, CI: 1.0 to 1.05). New HIV diagnoses were more likely among infrequent testers compared with men tested in the previous year (18.4% vs. 4.4%; odds ratio: 4.8, 95% CI: 3.2 to 7.4). Among men with newly diagnosed HIV, 33 (39.3%) had a CD4 cell count <350 cells per cubic millimeter including 17 (20.2%) with CD4 <200 cells per cubic millimeter. Conclusions: Infrequent HIV testing, undiagnosed infection, and late diagnosis were common among BMSM in this study. New HIV diagnoses were more common among infrequent testers, underscoring the need for additional HIV testing and prevention efforts among US BMSM. Infrequent HIV Testing and Late HIV Diagnosis Are Common Among a Cohort of Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in 6 US Cities. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265419180_Infrequent_HIV_Testing_and_Late_HIV_Diagnosis_Are_Common_Among_a_Cohort_of_Black_Men_Who_Have_Sex_With_Men_in_6_US_Cities [accessed Feb 4, 2016]

TBX3 promotes progression of pre-invasive breast cancer cells by inducing EMT and directly up-regulating SLUG

The acquisition of cellular invasiveness by breast epithelial cells and subsequent transition from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer is a critical step in breast cancer progression. Little is known about the molecular dynamics governing this transition. We have previously shown that overexpression of the transcriptional regulator TBX3 in DCIS-like cells increases survival, growth, and invasiveness. To explore this mechanism further and assess direct transcriptional targets of TBX3 in a high-resolution, isoform-specific context, we conducted genome-wide chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) arrays coupled with transcriptomic analysis. We show that TBX3 regulates several epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, including SLUG and TWIST1. Importantly, we demonstrate that TBX3 is a direct regulator of SLUG expression, and SLUG expression is required for TBX3-induced migration and invasion. Assessing TBX3 by immunohistochemistry in early-stage (stage 0 and stage I) breast cancers revealed high expression in low-grade lesions. Within a second independent early-stage non-high-grade cohort, we observed an association between TBX3 level in the DCIS and size of the invasive focus. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between TBX3 and SLUG, and TBX3 and TWIST1 in the invasive carcinoma. Pathway analysis revealed altered expression of several proteases and their inhibitors, consistent with the ability to degrade basement membrane in vivo. These findings strongly suggest the involvement of TBX3 in the promotion of invasiveness and progression of early-stage pre-invasive breast cancer to invasive carcinoma through the low-grade molecular pathway. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Evaluation of Scintillator Detection Materials for Application within Airborne Environmental Radiation Monitoring

In response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, there has occurred the unabated growth in the number of airborne platforms developed to perform radiation mapping—each utilising various designs of a low-altitude uncrewed aerial vehicle. Alongside the associated advancements in the airborne system transporting the radiation detection payload, from the earliest radiological analyses performed using gas-filled Geiger-Muller tube detectors, modern radiation detection and mapping platforms are now based near-exclusively on solid-state scintillator detectors. With numerous varieties of such light-emitting crystalline materials now in existence, this combined desk and computational modelling study sought to evaluate the best-available detector material compatible with the requirements for low-altitude autonomous radiation detection, localisation and subsequent high spatial-resolution mapping of both naturally occurring and anthropogenically-derived radionuclides. The ideal geometry of such detector materials is also evaluated. While NaI and CsI (both elementally doped) are (and will likely remain) the mainstays of radiation detection, LaBr3 scintillation detectors were determined to possess not only a greater sensitivity to incident gamma-ray radiation, but also a far superior spectral (energy) resolution over existing and other potentially deployable detector materials. Combined with their current competitive cost, an array of three such composition cylindrical detectors were determined to provide the best means of detecting and discriminating the various incident gamma-rays

Impulsivity-related cognition in alcohol dependence: is it moderated by DRD2/ANKK1 gene status and executive dysfunction?

Perceived impaired control over alcohol use is a key cognitive construct in alcohol dependence that has been related prospectively to treatment outcome and may mediate the risk for problem drinking conveyed by impulsivity in non-dependent drinkers. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether perceived impaired control may mediate the association between impulsivity-related measures (derived from the Short-form Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised) and alcohol-dependence severity in alcohol-dependent drinkers. Furthermore, the extent to which this hypothesized relationship was moderated by genetic risk (Taq1A polymorphism in the DRD2/ANKK1 gene cluster) and verbal fluency as an indicator of executive cognitive ability (Controlled Oral Word Association Test) was also examined. A sample of 143 alcohol-dependent inpatients provided an extensive clinical history of their alcohol use, gave 10 ml of blood for DNA analysis, and completed self-report measures relating to impulsivity, impaired control and severity of dependence. As hypothesized, perceived impaired control (partially) mediated the association between impulsivity-related measures and alcohol-dependence severity. This relationship was not moderated by the DRD2/ANICK1 polymorphism or verbal fluency. These results suggest that, in alcohol dependence, perceived impaired control is a cognitive mediator of impulsivity-related constructs that may be unaffected by DRD2/ANKK1 and neurocognitive processes underlying the retrieval of verbal information. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Architecture for the photonic integration of an optical atomic clock

Laboratory optical atomic clocks achieve remarkable accuracy (now counted to 18 digits or more), opening possibilities to explore fundamental physics and enable new measurements. However, their size and use of bulk components prevent them from being more widely adopted in applications that require precision timing. By leveraging silicon-chip photonics for integration and to reduce component size and complexity, we demonstrate a compact optical-clock architecture. Here a semiconductor laser is stabilized to an optical transition in a microfabricated rubidium vapor cell, and a pair of interlocked Kerr-microresonator frequency combs provide fully coherent optical division of the clock laser to generate an electronic 22 GHz clock signal with a fractional frequency instability of one part in 10^(13). These results demonstrate key concepts of how to use silicon-chip devices in future portable and ultraprecise optical clocks

Large-scale genome-wide association studies and meta-analyses of longitudinal change in adult lung function.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci influencing cross-sectional lung function, but less is known about genes influencing longitudinal change in lung function. METHODS: We performed GWAS of the rate of change in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in 14 longitudinal, population-based cohort studies comprising 27,249 adults of European ancestry using linear mixed effects model and combined cohort-specific results using fixed effect meta-analysis to identify novel genetic loci associated with longitudinal change in lung function. Gene expression analyses were subsequently performed for identified genetic loci. As a secondary aim, we estimated the mean rate of decline in FEV1 by smoking pattern, irrespective of genotypes, across these 14 studies using meta-analysis. RESULTS: The overall meta-analysis produced suggestive evidence for association at the novel IL16/STARD5/TMC3 locus on chromosome 15 (P  =  5.71 × 10(-7)). In addition, meta-analysis using the five cohorts with ≥3 FEV1 measurements per participant identified the novel ME3 locus on chromosome 11 (P  =  2.18 × 10(-8)) at genome-wide significance. Neither locus was associated with FEV1 decline in two additional cohort studies. We confirmed gene expression of IL16, STARD5, and ME3 in multiple lung tissues. Publicly available microarray data confirmed differential expression of all three genes in lung samples from COPD patients compared with controls. Irrespective of genotypes, the combined estimate for FEV1 decline was 26.9, 29.2 and 35.7 mL/year in never, former, and persistent smokers, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale GWAS, we identified two novel genetic loci in association with the rate of change in FEV1 that harbor candidate genes with biologically plausible functional links to lung function

Probing the Structure and Evolution of BASS AGN through Eddington Ratios

We constrain the intrinsic Eddington ratio (\lamEdd ) distribution function for local AGN in bins of low and high obscuration (log NH <= 22 and 22 < log NH < 25), using the Swift-BAT 70-month/BASS DR2 survey. We interpret the fraction of obscured AGN in terms of circum-nuclear geometry and temporal evolution. Specifically, at low Eddington ratios (log lamEdd < -2), obscured AGN outnumber unobscured ones by a factor of ~4, reflecting the covering factor of the circum-nuclear material (0.8, or a torus opening angle of ~ 34 degrees). At high Eddington ratios (\log lamEdd > -1), the trend is reversed, with < 30% of AGN having log NH > 22, which we suggest is mainly due to the small fraction of time spent in a highly obscured state. Considering the Eddington ratio distribution function of narrow-line and broad-line AGN from our prior work, we see a qualitatively similar picture. To disentangle temporal and geometric effects at high lamEdd, we explore plausible clearing scenarios such that the time-weighted covering factors agree with the observed population ratio. We find that the low fraction of obscured AGN at high lamEdd is primarily due to the fact that the covering factor drops very rapidly, with more than half the time is spent with < 10% covering factor. We also find that nearly all obscured AGN at high-lamEdd exhibit some broad-lines. We suggest that this is because the height of the depleted torus falls below the height of the broad-line region, making the latter visible from all lines of sight.Comment: Accepted by ApJ