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At least 1,207 records · Page 67

Single Cell RNA-Seq and Machine Learning Reveal Novel Subpopulations in Low-Grade Inflammatory Monocytes With Unique Regulatory Circuits

Subclinical doses of LPS (SD-LPS) are known to cause low-grade inflammatory activation of monocytes, which could lead to inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate is a potential therapeutic compound which can reduce the inflammation caused by SD-LPS. To understand the gene regulatory networks of these processes, we have generated scRNA-seq data from mouse monocytes treated with these compounds and identified 11 novel cell clusters. We have developed a machine learning method to integrate scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and binding motifs to characterize gene regulatory networks underlying these cell clusters. Using guided regularized random forest and feature selection, our method achieved high performance and outperformed a traditional enrichment-based method in selecting candidate regulatory genes. Our method is particularly efficient in selecting a few candidate genes to explain observed expression pattern. In particular, among 531 candidate TFs, our method achieves an auROC of 0.961 with only 10 motifs. Finally, we found two novel subpopulations of monocyte cells in response to SD-LPS and we confirmed our analysis using independent flow cytometry experiments. Our results suggest that our new machine learning method can select candidate regulatory genes as potential targets for developing new therapeutics against low grade inflammation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

High-level coupled-cluster energetics by Monte Carlo sampling and moment expansions: Further details and comparisons

We recently proposed a novel approach to converging electronic energies equivalent to high-level coupled-cluster (CC) computations by combining the deterministic CC(P;Q) formalism with the stochastic configuration interaction (CI) and CC Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) propagations. This article extends our initial study [J. E. Deustua, J. Shen, and P. Piecuch, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 223003 (2017)], which focused on recovering the energies obtained with the CC method with singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) using the information extracted from full CI QMC and CCSDT-MC, to the CIQMC approaches truncated at triples and quadruples. It also reports our first semi-stochastic CC(P;Q) calculations aimed at converging the energies that correspond to the CC method with singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ). The ability of the semi-stochastic CC(P;Q) formalism to recover the CCSDT and CCSDTQ energies, even when electronic quasi-degeneracies and triply and quadruply excited clusters become substantial, is illustrated by a few numerical examples, including the F–F bond breaking in F 2 , the automerization of cyclobutadiene, and the double dissociation of the water molecule.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Temporal Methods to Detect Content-Based Anomalies in Social Media

Here, we develop a method for time-dependent topic tracking and meme trending in social media. Our objective is to identify time periods whose content differs signifcantly from normal, and we utilize two techniques to do so. The first is an information-theoretic analysis of the distributions of terms emitted during different periods of time. In the second, we cluster documents from each time period and analyze the tightness of each clustering. We also discuss a method of combining the scores created by each technique, and we provide ample empirical analysis of our methodology on various Twitter datasets.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A Cocatalytic System for Electrooxidation of Primary, Secondary, and Benzyl Alcohols Based on a Triruthenium Oxo-Centered Cluster and NHPI

Increasing interest in alternative methods for fuel generation and chemical synthesis has resulted in an increased focus on the development of electrocatalysts for energy relevant small molecule transformations, such as the oxidation of methanol. Partial methanol oxidation is a crucial step in the generation of the commodity chemical formaldehyde, and its complete oxidation to carbon dioxide can also serve as the anodic reaction in direct methanol fuel cells. We report a coelectrocatalytic system comprised of an oxo-centered triruthenium cluster (Ru 3 O) as the catalyst, with the electro-generated N-phthalimido-N-oxyl (PINO) radical species acting as a redox mediator. Only a mild Brønsted base, 2,6-lutidine, is required to achieve an electrocatalytic response. The cocatalytic system demonstrates remarkable cooperativity, shifting the oxidation potential of MeOH (Ep) less positive by ca. 0.5 V compared to the intrinsic response of the Ru 3 O complex. Controlled potential electrolysis on a model substrate, 4-trifluoromethylbenzyl alcohol, demonstrates selective production of the two-electron, two-proton aldehyde product with a Faradaic efficiency of 79 ± 11% at a rate of 3.14 s –1 . The rate of cocatalysis is 50-fold greater than the intrinsic activity of Ru3O and 26-fold greater than that of PINO alone under otherwise identical conditions. Mechanistic studies reveal the oxidation of a Ru 3 O–alkoxide species as the potential-determining step, while two possible rate-determining steps are identified depending on the substrate. A preference for sterically uninhibited electron-rich benzyl alcohol substrates suggests that a H atom transfer from the Ru 3 O–alkoxide adduct to PINO is rate-determining, while the lack of an observed kinetic isotope effect using deuterated MeOH suggests the oxidation of the Ru 3 O–alkoxide species is both rate- and potential-determining for cocatalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Water transport and clustering behavior in homopolymer and graft copolymer polylactide

Polylactide is a bio-based and biodegradable polymer well-known for its renewable origins. Water sorption and clustering behavior in both a homopolymer polylactide and a graft copolymer of polylactide was studied using the quartz crystal microbalance/heat conduction calorimetry (QCM/HCC) technique. The graft copolymer, poly(1,5-cyclooctadiene-co-5-norbornene-2-methanol-graft-D,L-lactide), contained polylactide chains (95 wt.%) grafted onto a hydrophobic rubbery backbone (5 wt.%). Clustering is an important phenomenon in the study of water transport properties in polymers since the presence of water clusters can affect the water diffusivity. The HCC method using the thermal power signals and Van't Hoff's law were both employed to estimate the water sorption enthalpy. Sorption enthalpy of water in both polymers was determined to be approximately -40 kJ/mol for all water activity levels. Zimm-Lundberg analysis showed that water clusters start to form at a water activity of 0.4. The engaged species induced clustering (ENSIC) model was used to curve fit sorption isotherms and showed that the affinity among water molecules is higher than that between water molecules and polymer chains. All the methods used indicate that clustering of water molecules exists in both polymers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: Exploring halo assembly bias with X-ray-selected superclusters

Numerical simulations indicate that the clustering of dark matter halos is not only dependent on the halo masses but has a secondary dependence on other properties, such as the assembly history of the halo. This phenomenon, known as the halo assembly bias (HAB), has been found mostly on galaxy scales; observational evidence on larger scales is scarce. In this work, we propose a novel method for exploring HAB on cluster scales using large samples of superclusters. Leveraging the largest-ever X-ray galaxy cluster and supercluster samples obtained from the first SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey, we constructed two subsamples of galaxy clusters that consist of supercluster members and isolated clusters, respectively. After correcting for the selection effects on redshift, mass, and survey depth, we computed the excess in the concentration of the intracluster gas of isolated clusters with respect to supercluster members, defined as δc gas ≡ c gas , ISO /c gas , SC –1 , to investigate the environmental effect on the concentration of clusters, a sign of HAB on cluster scales. We find that the average gas mass concentration of isolated clusters is a few percent higher than that of supercluster members, with a maximum significance of 2.8σ. The result for δc gas varies with the overdensity ratio, f, in supercluster identification, cluster mass proxies, and mass and redshift ranges but remains positive in almost all the measurements. We measure slightly larger δc gas when adopting a higher f for supercluster identification. The δc gas is also higher for low-mass and low-redshift clusters. We performed weak lensing analyses to compare the total mass concentration of the two classes and find a similar trend in total mass concentration as obtained from the gas mass concentration. Our results are consistent with the prediction of HAB on cluster scales, where halos located in denser environments are less concentrated; this trend is stronger for halos with lower masses and at lower redshifts. These phenomena can be explained by the fact that clusters in denser environments, such as superclusters, have experienced more mergers than isolated clusters in their assembling history. This work paves the way to explore HAB with X-ray superclusters and demonstrates that large samples of superclusters with X-ray and weak-lensing data can advance our understanding of the evolution of the large-scale structure.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Rank reduced coupled cluster theory. II. Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles

Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) is a reliable and popular approach to the determination of electronic excitation energies. Recently, we have developed a rank-reduced CCSD (RR-CCSD) method that allows the ground-state coupled-cluster energy to be determined with low-rank cluster amplitudes. Here, we extend this approach to excited-state energies through a RR-EOM-CCSD method. We start from the EOM-CCSD energy functional and insert low-rank approximations to the doubles amplitudes. The result is an approximate EOM-CCSD method with only a quadratic number (in the molecular size) of free parameters in the wavefunction. Importantly, our formulation of RR-EOM-CCSD preserves the size intensivity of the excitation energy and size extensivity of the total energy. Numerical tests of the method suggest that accuracy on the order of 0.05–0.01 eV in the excitation energy is possible with 1% or less of the original number of wavefunction coefficients; accuracy of better than 0.01 eV can be achieved with about 4% or less of the free parameters. The amount of compression at a given accuracy level is expected to increase with the size of the molecule. The RR-EOM-CCSD method is a new path toward the efficient determination of accurate electronic excitation energies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Photographic stellar photometry with the PDS microdensitometer

A technique for photographic stellar photometry with the PDS microdensitometer is described. It employs a least-squares fit to a model density profile to derive an instrumental magnitude index, an image-abnormality index, and the local value of the background density for each image. The instrumental magnitude index is calibrated in terms of true magnitude by the same methods as for iris photometry. A preliminary test of the method using plates of the open cluster NGC 188 indicates that a precision comparable to or slightly better than that of conventional iris photometry or other methods of PDS reduction may easily be attained. Possibilities for the future elaboration of the technique are mentioned.

Stetson, P. B.↗

Combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical method for metal–organic frameworks: proton topologies of NU-1000

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are materials with applications in catalysis, gas separations, and storage. Quantum mechanical (QM) calculations can provide valuable guidance to understand and predict their properties. In order to make the calculations faster, rather than modeling these materials as periodic (infinite) systems, it is useful to construct finite models (called cluster models) and use subsystem methods such as fragment methods or combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods. Here we employ a QM/MM methodology to study one particular MOF that has been of widespread interest because of its wide pores and good solvent and thermal stability, namely NU-1000, which contains hexanuclear zirconium nodes and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(p-benzoic acid)pyrene (TBAPy 4- ) linkers. A modified version of the Bristow–Tiana–Walsh transferable force field has been developed to allow QM/MM calculations on NU-1000; we call the new parametrization the NU1T force field. We consider isomeric structures corresponding to various proton topologies of the [Zr 6 (μ 3 -O) 8 O 8 H 16 ] 8+ node of NU-1000, and we compute their relative energies using a QM/MM scheme designed for the present kind of problem. We compared the results to full quantum mechanical (QM) energy calculations and found that the QM/MM models can reproduce the full QM relative energetics (which span a range of 334 kJ mol -1 ) with a mean unsigned deviation (MUD) of only 2 kJ mol-1. Furthermore, we found that the structures optimized by QM/MM are nearly identical to their full QM optimized counterparts.

Wu, Xin-Ping↗

A Generalizable Evaluated Approach, Applying Advanced Geospatial Statistical Methods, to Identify High Lead Exposure Locations at Census Tract Scale: Michigan Case Study

BACKGROUND: Despite great progress in reducing environmental lead (Pb) levels, many children in the United States are still being exposed. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to develop a generalizable approach for systematically identifying, verifying, and analyzing locations with high prevalence of children’s elevated blood Pb levels (EBLLs) and to assess available Pb models/indices as surrogates, using a Michigan case study. METHODS: We obtained ~1:9 million BLL test results of children <6 years of age in Michigan from 2006–2016; we then evaluated them for data representativeness by comparing two percentage EBLL (%EBLL) rates (number of children tested with EBLL divided by both number of children tested and total population). We analyzed %EBLLs across census tracts over three time periods and between two EBLL reference values (≥5 vs. ≥10 μg/dL) to evaluate consistency. Locations with high %EBLLs were identified by a top 20 percentile method and a Getis-Ord Gi* geospatial cluster “hotspot” analysis. For the locations identified, we analyzed convergences with three available Pb exposure models/indices based on old housing and sociodemographics. RESULTS: Analyses of 2014–2016 %EBLL data identified 11 Michigan locations via cluster analysis and 80 additional locations via the top 20 percentile method and their associated census tracts. Data representativeness and consistency were supported by a 0.93 correlation coefficient between the two EBLL rates over 11 y, and a Kappa score of ~0:8 of %EBLL hotspots across the time periods (2014–2016) and reference values. Many EBLL hotspot locations converge with current Pb exposure models/indices; others diverge, suggesting additional Pb sources for targeted interventions. DISCUSSION: This analysis confirmed known Pb hotspot locations and revealed new ones at a finer geographic resolution than previously available, using advanced geospatial statistical methods and mapping/visualization. It also assessed the utility of surrogates in the absence of blood Pb data. This approach could be applied to other states to inform Pb mitigation and prevention efforts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9705

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Effects of center offset and noise on weak-lensing derived concentration-mass relation of dark matter halos

With the halo catalog from the Millennium Simulation, we analyze the weak-lensing measured density profiles for clusters of galaxies, paying attention to the determination of the concentration-mass (c-M) relation, which can be biased by the center offset, selection effect, and shape noise from intrinsic ellipticities of background galaxies. Several different methods of locating the center of a cluster from weak-lensing effects alone are explored. We find that, for intermediate redshift clusters, the highest peak from our newly proposed two-scale smoothing method applied to the reconstructed convergence field, first with a smoothing scale of 2' and then 0.'5, corresponds best to the true center. Assuming the parameterized Navarro-Frenk-White profile, we fit the reduced tangential shear signals around different centers identified by different methods. It is shown that, for the ensemble median values, a center offset larger than one scale radius r{sub s} can bias the derived mass and concentration significantly lower than the true values, especially for low-mass halos. However, the existence of noise can compensate for the offset effect and reduce the systematic bias, although the scatter of mass and concentration becomes considerably larger. Statistically, the bias effect of center offset on the c-M relation is insignificant if an appropriate center finding method is adopted. On the other hand, noise from intrinsic ellipticities can bias the c-M relation derived from a sample of weak-lensing analyzed clusters if a simple χ{sup 2} fitting method is used. To properly account for the scatter and covariance between c and M, we apply a Bayesian method to improve the statistical analysis of the c-M relation. It is shown that this new method allows us to derive the c-M relation with significantly reduced biases.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Cluster formation in precompound nuclei in the time-dependent framework

Background: Modern applications of nuclear time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) are often capable of providing quantitative description of heavy ion reactions. However, the structures of precompound (preequilibrium, prefission) states produced in heavy ion reactions are difficult to assess theoretically in TDDFT as the single-particle density alone is a weak indicator of shell structure and cluster states. Purpose: We employ the time-dependent nucleon localization function (NLF) to reveal the structure of precompound states in nuclear reactions involving light and medium-mass ions. We primarily focus on spin saturated systems with N = Z . Furthermore, we study reactions with oxygen and carbon ions, for which some experimental evidence for α clustering in precompound states exists. Method: We utilize the symmetry-free TDDFT approach with the Skyrme energy density functional UNEDF1 and compute the time-dependent NLFs to describe 16 O + 16 O, 40 Ca + 16 O, 40 Ca + 40 Ca , and 16,18 O + 12 C collisions at energies above the Coulomb barrier. Results: We show that NLFs reveal a variety of time-dependent modes involving cluster structures. For instance, the 16 O + 16 O collision results in a vibrational mode of a quasimolecular α - 12 C - 12 C- α state. For heavier ions, a variety of cluster configurations are predicted. For the collision of 16,18 O + 12 C, we showed that the precompound system has a tendency to form α clusters. This result supports the experimental findings that the presence of cluster structures in the projectile and target nuclei gives rise to strong entrance channel effects and enhanced α emission. Conclusion: The time-dependent nucleon localization measure is a very good indicator of cluster structures in complex precompound states formed in heavy-ion fusion reactions. Finally, the localization reveals the presence of collective vibrations involving cluster structures, which dominate the initial dynamics of the fusing system.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Bridging single and multireference coupled cluster theories with universal state selective formalism

The universal state selective (USS) multireference approach is used to construct new energy functionals which offers a unique possibility of bridging single and multireference coupled cluster theories (SR/MRCC). These functionals, which can be used to develop iterative and non-iterative approaches, utilize a special form of the trial wavefunctions, which assure additive separability (or size-consistency) of the USS energies in the non-interacting subsystem limit. When the USS formalism is combined with approximate SRCC theories, the resulting formalism can be viewed as a size-consistent version of the method of moments of coupled cluster equations (MMCC) employing a MRCC trial wavefunction. Special cases of the USS formulations, which utilize single reference state specific CC (V.V. Ivanov, D.I. Lyakh, L. Adamowicz, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 11, 2355 (2009)) and tailored CC (T. Kinoshita, O. Hino, R.J. Bartlett, J. Chem. Phys. 123, 074106 (2005)) expansions are also discussed.

coupled cluster theories↗

Filaments in and between galaxy clusters at low and mid-frequency with the SKA

Context. Understanding the magnetised Universe is a major challenge in modern astrophysics, and cosmic magnetism has been acknowledged as one of the key scientific drivers of the most ambitious radio instrument ever planned, the Square Kilometre Array. Aims. With this work, we aim to investigate the potential of the Square Kilometre Array and its precursors and pathfinders in the study of magnetic fields in galaxy clusters and filaments through diffuse synchrotron radio emission. Galaxy clusters and filaments of the cosmic web are indeed unique laboratories in which to investigate turbulent fluid motions and large-scale magnetic fields in action, and much of what is known about magnetic fields in galaxy clusters comes from sensitive radio observations. Methods. Based on cosmological magneto-hydrodynamic simulations, we predict radio properties (total intensity and polarisation) of a pair of galaxy clusters connected by a cosmic-web filament. Results. We use our theoretical expectations to explore the potential of polarimetric observations to study large-scale structure magnetic fields in the frequency ranges 50–350 MHz and 950–1760 MHz. We also present predictions for galaxy cluster polarimetric observations with the Square Kilometre Array precursors and pathfinders, such as the LOw frequency ARray 2.0 and the MeerKAT+ telescope. Conclusions. Our findings point out that polarisation observations are particularly powerful for the study of large-scale magnetic fields, since they are not significantly affected by confusion noise. The unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution of the intermediatefrequency radio telescopes make them the favourite instruments for the study of these sources through polarimetric data, potentially allowing us to understand if the energy density of relativistic electrons is in equipartition with the magnetic field or rather coupled with the thermal gas density. Our results show that low-frequency instruments also represent a precious tool to study diffuse synchrotron emission in total intensity and polarisation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Effect of Splashback on Weak Lensing Mass Estimates of Galaxy Clusters and Groups

The splashback radius of a dark matter halo, which corresponds to the first apocenter radius reached by infalling matter and substructures, has been detected around galaxy clusters using a multitude of observational methods, including weak lensing measurements. In this manuscript, we present how the splashback feature in the halo density profile affects galaxy cluster masses derived through weak lensing measurements if it is not accounted for. We find that the splashback radius has an increasingly large effect on group-sized halos towards $M_{200m} \sim 10^{13.5} \mathrm{M_\odot}$. Depending on the model and the radial scale used, the cluster/group masses can be biased low by more than 0.1 dex. This bias, in turn, would result in a slightly lower $\Omega_m$ value if propagated into a cluster cosmology analysis. The splashback effect with group-sized dark matter halos may become important to consider, given the increasingly stringent cosmological constraints coming from optical wide-field surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Joining X-Ray to Lensing: An Accurate Combined Analysis of MACS J0416.1–2403

We present a novel approach for a combined analysis of X-ray and gravitational lensing data and apply this technique to the merging galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403. The method exploits the information on the intracluster gas distribution that comes from a fit of the X-ray surface brightness and then includes the hot gas as a fixed mass component in the strong-lensing analysis. With our new technique, we can separate the collisional from the collision-less diffuse mass components, thus obtaining a more accurate reconstruction of the dark matter distribution in the core of a cluster. We introduce an analytical description of the X-ray emission coming from a set of dual pseudo-isothermal elliptical mass distributions, which can be directly used in most lensing softwares. By combining Chandra observations with Hubble Frontier Fields imaging and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer spectroscopy in MACS J0416.1–2403, we measure a projected gas-to-total mass fraction of approximately 10% at 350 kpc from the cluster center. Compared to the results of a more traditional cluster mass model (diffuse halos plus member galaxies), we find a significant difference in the cumulative projected mass profile of the dark matter component and that the dark matter over total mass fraction is almost constant, out to more than 350 kpc. In the coming era of large surveys, these results show the need of multiprobe analyses for detailed dark matter studies in galaxy clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A New Fokker–Planck Approach for the Relaxation-driven Evolution of Galactic Nuclei

We present an approach for simulating the collisional evolution of spherical isotropic stellar systems based on the one-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation. A novel aspect is that we use the phase volume as the argument of the distribution function instead of the traditionally used energy, which facilitates the solution. The publicly available code PhaseFlow implements a high-accuracy finite-element method for the Fokker–Planck equation, and can handle multiple-component systems, optionally with the central black hole and taking into account loss-cone effects and star formation. We discuss the energy balance in the general setting, and in application to the Bahcall–Wolf cusp around a central black hole, for which we derive a perturbative solution. We stress that the cusp is not a steady-state structure, but rather evolves in amplitude while retaining an approximately ρ∝r{sup −7/4} density profile. Finally, we apply the method to the nuclear star cluster of the milky Way, and illustrate a possible evolutionary scenario in which a two-component system of lighter main-sequence stars and stellar-mass black holes develops a Bahcall–Wolf cusp in the heavier component and a weaker ρ∝r{sup −3/2} cusp in the lighter, visible component, over the period of several Gyr. The present-day density profile is consistent with the recently detected mild cusp inside the central parsec, and is weakly sensitive to initial conditions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗