cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Source parameters and effects of bandwidth and local geology on high-frequency ground motions observed for aftershocks of the northeastern Ohio earthquake of 31 January 1986

Abstract A 10-station array (GEOS) yielded recordings of exceptional bandwidth (400 sps) and resolution (up to 96 dB) for the aftershocks of the moderate ( m b ≈ 4.9) earthquake that occurred on 31 January 1986 near Painesville, Ohio. Nine aftershocks were recorded with seismic moments ranging between 9 × 10 16 and 3 × 10 19 dyne-cm ( M w : 0.6 to 2.3). The two largest aftershocks (depth 5.3, 5.6 km; oblique right slip, rake ≈30°, strike ≈N25°E) yielded seismic signals above background noise at frequencies as high as 130 Hz at epicentral distances up to 17 km. The aftershock recordings at a site underlain by ≈8 m of lakeshore sediments show significant levels of high-frequency soil amplification of vertical motion at frequencies near 8, 20, and 70 Hz. Viscoelastic models for P and SV waves incident at the base of the sediments yield estimates of vertical P -wave response consistent with the observed high-frequency site resonances, but suggest additional detailed shear-wave logs are needed to account for observed S -wave response. Peak acceleration values obtained from the broadband recordings are about two and four times as large as those that would be recorded on strong-motion recorders or short-period networks with upper bandwidth limits of 30 and 15 Hz, respectively. Attenuation-corrected acceleration spectra are used to reduce the influence of high-frequency (up to 100 Hz) local site effects on corner frequency estimates. The moment versus source radius trend inferred for events with moments as small as 9 × 10 16 dyne-cm, based on the Brune source model, extends previous relations inferred for the central United States, shows little evidence for a minimum source radius, and suggests that stress drops for the smaller events ( M 0 19 dyne-cm) decrease with decreasing moment.
Focal Encephalitis Following Varicella-Zoster Virus Reactivation without Rash

Staff members at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and University of Iowa Children's Hospital, Iowa City, report a healthy 22-year-old man with a focal encephalitis following varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation without rash, triggered by varicella vaccination required for employment in a hospital
Brief Amicus Curiae of Professor Timothy R. Holbrook in Support of Petitioner, No. 14-1538, Life Techs. Corp. v. Promega Corp., U.S. Supreme Court

This Court has made clear that, absent a clear expression from Congress, U.S. laws do not apply extraterritorially. The Court has noted that the presumption against extraterritoriality has particular force in the context of patent law. The Federal Circuit has given short shrift to this argument. This case presents the opportunity for the Court to strike the appropriate extraterritorial reach for a U.S. patent under 35 U.S.C. § 271(f) and to signal to the Federal Circuit to take the presumption against extraterritoriality seriously.
When Tax Treaty Derivative Benefits Provisions Don't Apply

This article discusses tax treaty limitation on benefits (LOB) clauses, with special emphasis on derivative benefits and "equivalent beneficiaries."
Exchange interaction, entanglement, and quantum noise due to a thermal bosonic field

We analyze the indirect exchange interaction between two two-state systems, e.g., spins $1∕2$, subject to a common finite-temperature environment modeled by bosonic modes. The environmental modes, e.g., phonons or cavity photons, are also a source of quantum noise. We analyze the coherent vs noise-induced features of the two-spin dynamics and predict that for low enough temperatures the induced interaction is coherent over time scales sufficient to create entanglement. A nonperturbative approach is utilized to obtain an exact solution for the onset of the induced interaction, whereas for large times, a Markovian scheme is used. We identify the time scales for which the spins develop entanglement for various spatial separations. For large enough times, the initially created entanglement is erased by quantum noise. Estimates for the interaction and the level of quantum noise for localized impurity electron spins in Si-Ge type semiconductors are given.
Potentiation of Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vascular Relaxation by SC52608, a Superoxide Dismutase Mimic

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by the vascular endothelium is an endogenous contributor to the regulation of vascular relaxation and the maintenance of blood pressure. The effective half-life of NO and the relaxation of aortic rings by NO is enhanced by a reduction in the concentration of superoxide radicals with superoxide dismutase (SOD). In the current study, SC52608, a newly synthesized SOD mimic with a manganese core, was tested for its ability to potentiate the activity of NO both in vitro and in vivo. SC52608 relaxation of rat aortic segments was endothelium dependent as well as concentration dependent. The maximum relaxation following KCl contraction was 44% with 300 microM SC52608. Cyclic GMP concentrations in the segments were increased 1.6- and 3.2-fold with 5 and 300 microM SC52608, respectively. N-monomethyl-I-arginine pretreatment of aortic rings abolished the relaxation and cyclic GMP accumulation mediated by SC52608. In a smooth muscle cell reporter system of nitric oxide synthase activity, SC52608 potentiated the increase in cyclic GMP elicited by NO in a concentration-dependent manner with a maximum increase of 5.2-fold at 100 microM. Injection of SC52608 into conscious, restrained rats resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of blood pressure. Therefore, the data suggest that SC52608 potentiates the actions of nitric oxide on vascular tone, cyclic GMP, and blood pressure by enhancing the half-life of NO through a mechanism that mimics the action of SOD.
Study of Electronic Waste Management Legislation

Based on an examination of related foreign legislations and especially an analysis of different liable models,the author comes to the conclusion that extended producer liability is better than the other models and is a suitable model for China,and puts for forward some key elements for special electronic waste legislation of extended producer liability principles.
Investigation on smoking status and smoking-harm cognitive degree among adults in Jilin province

Objective To investigate the situation of smoking,passive smoking and quitting smoking,and the cognitive and the attitudes towards tobacco-related harm among adults in Jilin province,and to provide basis for formulatting tobacco control policies in Jilin province.Methods By multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling methods,a total of 21 435adults aged 18-79years old were enrolled in the questionnaire survey and physical examination.After being weighted according to the complex sampling scheme and post-stratification,the sample was used to estimate the prevalence rates of smoking,quitting smoking and passive smoking,and the cognitive of tobacco-related knowledge and attitudes towards smoking control of adults in Jilin province.Results The prevalence rate of smoking was 31.8%,and it was higher in the male than the female(52.9% vs 9.4%,P0.001),and it was higher in rural area than urban area(33.2% vs 30.7%,P0.01).The prevalence rates of smoking were significantly different among the adults with different ages,educations,marriages,occupations and month incomes per family(P0.001).The prevalence rate of quitting smoking of the adults in Jilin province was18.6%,and the rates were significantly different among the adults with different ages,marriages,occupations and month incomes per family(P0.001).The passive smoking rate of the adults in Jilin province was 60.5%.People encountered passive smoking mostly at home and workplace(33.4% and 21.7%).The percentages of supportting non-smoking in public places and restaurants and increasing the efforts of government's tobacco control were 93.4%,92.0%,and 93.9%,respectively.The cognitive rate of tobacco-related knowledge of the female was higher than the male(P0.001),and the cognitive rate of the people in rural was less than that in cities(P0.05).The cognitive rate of"the harm of low-tar content cigarettes being similar to common cigarettes"was low,which was only 15.3%.Conclusion The prevalence rates of smoking and passive smoking are higher than those in2002,and the cognitive rate of tobacco-related knowledge is low,and the rate of supporting tabocco control of the adults in Jilin province is high.
Assessing Social Isolation: Pilot Testing Different Methods

Social isolation is a significant public health problem among many older adults; however, most of the empirical knowledge about isolation derives from community-based samples. There has been less attention given to isolation in senior housing communities. The objectives of this pilot study were to test two methods to identify socially isolated residents in low-income senior housing and compare findings about the extent of isolation from these two methods. The first method, self-report by residents, included 47 out of 135 residents who completed in-person interviews. To determine self-report isolation, residents completed the Lubben Social Network Scale 6 (LSNS-6). The second method involved a staff member who reported the extent of isolation on all 135 residents via an online survey. Results indicated that 26% of residents who were interviewed were deemed socially isolated by the LSNS-6. Staff members rated 12% of residents as having some or a lot of isolation. In comparing the two methods, staff members rated 2% of interviewed residents as having a lot of isolation. The combination of self-report and staff report could be more informative than just self-report alone, particularly when participation rates are low. However, researchers should be aware of the potential discrepancy between these two methods.
Towards Globally Optimal Crowdsourcing Quality Management: The Uniform Worker Setting

We study crowdsourcing quality management, that is, given worker responses to a set of tasks, our goal is to jointly estimate the true answers for the tasks, as well as the quality of the workers. Prior work on this problem relies primarily on applying Expectation-Maximization (EM) on the underlying maximum likelihood problem to estimate true answers as well as worker quality. Unfortunately, EM only provides a locally optimal solution rather than a globally optimal one. Other solutions to the problem (that do not leverage EM) fail to provide global optimality guarantees as well. In this paper, we focus on filtering, where tasks require the evaluation of a yes/no predicate, and rating, where tasks elicit integer scores from a finite domain. We design algorithms for finding the global optimal estimates of correct task answers and worker quality for the underlying maximum likelihood problem, and characterize the complexity of these algorithms. Our algorithms conceptually consider all mappings from tasks to true answers (typically a very large number), leveraging two key ideas to reduce, by several orders of magnitude, the number of mappings under consideration, while preserving optimality. We also demonstrate that these algorithms often find more accurate estimates than EM-based algorithms. This paper makes an important contribution towards understanding the inherent complexity of globally optimal crowdsourcing quality management.
Computer Simulations of the Flow of Deformable Particles

Publisher Summary An illustration of the wide range of detailed rheological behavior in the subject area of food colloids can be found in specialist volumes but the fundamental question of how to understand these phenomena, in terms of the microscopic character of the materials, remains largely unanswered. One approach toward the interpretation of this complex behavior introduces the concept of fluctuations of the internal structure of the droplets, floes, or particles, which form the fundamental constituents of the dispersion. The droplet shape, the droplet orientation, and the floe connectivity—all are perpetually changing and they are able to respond to external driving forces through their interaction with the suspending fluid. The evolution of particle shapes is, therefore, an essential part of understanding complex suspension rheology. As a first step toward understanding the dynamics of suspensions of deformable droplets, this chapter adopts a computational method in which the deformational and hydrodynamical problems are partially decoupled. It applies the free draining approximation, commonly employed in polymer physics, for the interaction between the moving particles and the surrounding fluid. It presents a model of droplets in the form of aggregates of beads to perform non-equilibrium simulations. The droplets described by the model most clearly resemble the free-flowing floe structures found in many colloidal materials. However, because of the approximations that have been introduced to facilitate an efficient implementation, the simulations are not valid as a model of one particular substance or of one specific phenomenon. The model overcomes the serious problems associated with the complete parameterization of flexible shapes, while remaining sufficiently economic to allow and follow the detailed dynamics.
Pathology and Molecular Pathology of Pancreatic Cancer

In this chapter, we discuss pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. As in the prior chapter, the discussion is centered on pancreatic adenocarcinoma given that it is synonymous with pancreatic cancer. This chapter reviews the clinical presentation and management of the disease before introducing the reader to the embryological development, the normal anatomy, and the normal histology of the pancreas. The histopathologic features of invasive disease and its precursors are subsequently described. The remainder of the chapter focuses on the molecular alterations in pancreatic cancer, discussing the most common somatic alterations that lead to carcinogenesis, and reviewing the majority of germline alterations implicated in the disease. An understanding of the genetic and molecular alterations underlying pancreatic cancer is crucial in guiding future molecular studies and in determining the subtypes that may respond to novel therapeutics.
Identification of driver mutations in gastrointestinal tract cancer

B179 Recent large-scale sequencing studies have identified an average of 81 somatic mutations in a typical human colorectal tumor. The next step must be to distinguish passenger from driver mutations in carcinogenesis. In this study we employ a synthetic DNA transposon, called Sleeping Beauty (SB), to create random somatic mutations in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of mice, leading to carcinoma development. Tumor tissue is collected and transposon insertions are mapped. Due to the small number of insertions generated relative to genome size, a common insertion site (CIS) in three or more independent tumors likely represents a bona fide oncogenic mutation. This approach utilizes somatic transposition of an SB transposon vector, called T2/Onc, which can induce gain-of-function or loss-of-function mutations upon insertion within or near genes. Thus, T2/Onc is capable of activating oncogenes or disrupting tumor suppressors. In this study, T2/Onc mutations were directed to the GI tract using a Cre controlled SB transposase knock-in allele, in combination with a Cre recombinase transgene driven by the Villin promoter, plus the T2/Onc transposon transgene array. A cohort of 45 mice containing all three transgenes along with 81 control mice containing two of the three transgenes were aged for 18 months and monitored for tumor development. Greater than 55% of experimental animals became moribund before 18 months compared to 16% of control mice. Triple transgenic mice had an average of 14 GI tract polyps per mouse while control mice had no detectable GI tract tumors. In addition to adenomas, multiple foci of gastrointestinal intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN) were identified by H&E staining. Nine experimental animals also had liver tumors in addition to GI tract neoplasia. Linker-mediated PCR was performed on tumor DNA from 63 individual GI tract tumors from 16 mice to determine SB insertion sites. Preliminary analysis of roughly 6,000 mappable insertions identified approximately 350 common insertion sites, each site representing a candidate cancer locus. The most commonly disrupted site was the APC locus, harboring 42 non-redundant insertions. Other known colorectal tumor suppressor genes were identified as a CIS, including Smad4, p53, and PTEN, indicating that this approach can effectively uncover driver mutations in an epithelial cancer. Most of the candidate genes identified have not previously been associated with GI tract tumor formation. We will be testing a subset of identified genes using human cell lines and transgenic mouse models to validate their oncogenic potential. In addition, we will analyze the list of identified genes to find cooperating mutations/pathways present within the same tumor.
Proton conductance through phospholipid bilayers: water wires or weak acids?

The proton/hydroxide (H+/OH−) permeability of phospholipid bilayer membranes at neutral pH is at least five orders of magnitude higher than the alkali or halide ion permeability, but the mechanism(s) of H+/OH− transport are unknown. This review describes the characteristics of H+/OH− permeability and conductance through several types of planar phospholipid bilayer membranes. At pH7, the H+/OH− conductances (GH/OH) range from 2–6 nS cm−2, corresponding to net H+/OH− permeabilities of (0.4–1.7)×10−5 cm sec−1. Inhibitors ofGH/OH include serum albumin, phloretin, glycerol, and low pH. Enhancers ofGH/OH include chlorodecane, fatty acids, gramicidin, and voltages >80 mV. Water permeability andGH/OH are not correlated. The characteristics ofGH/OH in fatty acid (weak acid) containing membranes are qualitatively similar to the controls in at least eight different respects. The characteristics ofGH/OH in gramicidin (water wire) containing membranes are qualitatively different from the controls in at least four different respects. Thus, the simplest explanation for the data is thatGH/OH in unmodified bilayers is due primarily to weakly acidic contaminants which act as proton carriers at physiological pH. However, at low pH or in the presence of inhibitors, a residualGH/OH remains which may be due to water wires, “hydrated defects,” or other mechanisms.
Algebraic reasoning and bat-and-ball problem variants: Solving isomorphic algebra first facilitates problem solving later

The classic bat-and-ball problem is used widely to measure biased and correct reasoning in decision-making. University students overwhelmingly tend to provide the biased answer to this problem. To what extent might reasoners be led to modify their judgement, and, more specifically, is it possible to facilitate problem solution by prompting participants to consider the problem from an algebraic perspective? One hundred ninety-seven participants were recruited to investigate the effect of algebraic cueing as a debiasing strategy on variants of the bat-and-ball problem. Participants who were cued to consider the problem algebraically were significantly more likely to answer correctly relative to control participants. Most of this cueing effect was confined to a condition that required participants to solve isomorphic algebra equations corresponding to the structure of bat-and-ball question types. On a subsequent critical question with differing item and dollar amounts presented without a cue, participants were able to generalize the learned information to significantly reduce overall bias. Math anxiety was also found to be significantly related to bat-and-ball problem accuracy. These results suggest that, under specific conditions, algebraic reasoning is an effective debiasing strategy on bat-and-ball problem variants, and provide the first documented evidence for the influence of math anxiety on Cognitive Reflection Test performance.
Real-time monitoring of arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead concentrations in workplace smelter particulates using a TSI 8520 DustTrak

Exposure to particulates containing metals and metal fumes (PCMMF) is a potential concern in ore refining and smelting. Some metals of primary interest are arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead, which have been linked to various adverse health effects. The current National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sampling method for metals in particulates requires the use of a filter, precision airflow pump and laboratory analysis. A major concern with this method is the one-to-two weeks’ wait before laboratory results are available for use in determining if additional controls are needed to assure adequate exposure protection for workers. Particulates containing these metals were sampled during sixteen sampling events at a copper smelter using the traditional NIOSH methods. Monitoring of particulates was simultaneously conducted using a TSI 8520 DustTrak real-time aerosol monitor with a 10-μm-cutpoint sampling inlet. NIOSH analytical methods related to particulates and metals (methods 0500, 0600 and 7300) were used to determine particulate mass and individual mass contributions of metals on sample filters. Linear regressions with y-intercepts forced to zero were developed to determine the relationship between the PM10 measurements recorded by the DustTrak and laboratory-reported total particulate mass, PM10 and respirable arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead concentrations. These linear regressions yielded correction factors that can be applied to DustTrak readings to obtain total particulate mass, PM10 and respirable concentration estimates for each of the four metals. The R2 (coefficient of determination) values from the linear regressions ranged from 0.65 for total lead to 0.91 for total copper. These results suggest that the DustTrak may produce real-time data useful in providing estimates for airborne concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead in copper smelter particulates.
Rationing Health Care at the End of Life

This paper discusses the main arguments for and against rationing health care at the end of life in the United States. It was published in 2010 in connection with a National Debate and Discussion Series by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center on End-of-Life Care. The perspectives discussed in the paper against rationing health care at the end of life include the following: (a) there is nothing wrong with spending large amounts of money on health care, including at the end of life; (b) cost-savings at the end of life can be achieved by “rational care” rather than by rationing care; and (c) targeting end-of-life care for rationing would be unethical and result in only small cost savings. The primary argument in favor of rationing at the end of life is that rationing health care in some way is unavoidable and inevitable and that rationing at the end of life is far preferable to our current system of rationing. “End of life” may mean the end of a particular individual’s life, no matter the person’s age or cause of dying. Under a second meaning, “end of life” refers to old age, or the end of a natural life span. Arguments in favor of rationing at the end of life in both senses is explored.
Query optimization for dynamic imputation

Missing values are common in data analysis and present a usability challenge. Users are forced to pick between removing tuples with missing values or creating a cleaned version of their data by applying a relatively expensive imputation strategy. Our system, ImputeDB, incorporates imputation into a cost-based query optimizer, performing necessary imputations on-the-fly for each query. This allows users to immediately explore their data, while the system picks the optimal placement of imputation operations. We evaluate this approach on three real-world survey-based datasets. Our experiments show that our query plans execute between 10 and 140 times faster than first imputing the base tables. Furthermore, we show that the query results from on-the-fly imputation differ from the traditional base-table imputation approach by 0--8%. Finally, we show that while dropping tuples with missing values that fail query constraints discards 6--78% of the data, on-the-fly imputation loses only 0--21%.
NEUROTRANSMITTER FUNCTION | Synaptic Activities and Transmitter Function: Receptor Trafficking

After 30 min of seizure activity, status epilepticus becomes self-sustaining and pharmacoresistant to GABAergic agents such as benzodiazepines. Relocation of GABAA receptors away from synapses towards the interior of hippocampal principal cells causes a loss of synaptic inhibition and a reduction in the number of postsynaptic GABAA receptors available for pharmacological action. Conversely, the postsynaptic sites associated with glutamatergic synapses show an upregulation – of both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors. The trafficking of GABAergic and glutamatergic receptors in opposite directions may lead to a critical imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory influences with pathophysiological effects that sustain status epilepticus and render seizures refractory to many standard medical therapies.
Association of Standardized Tracheostomy Care Protocol Implementation and Reinforcement With the Prevention of Life-Threatening Respiratory Events

Importance Mucus plugging after tracheostomy is a preventable cause of respiratory distress. Implementation of standardized tracheostomy care guidelines may reduce the occurrence of fatal respiratory compromise. Objective To determine the effect of implementing and reinforcing a standardized tracheostomy care protocol on the occurrence of acute life-threatening respiratory events. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study of adult patients who received a tracheostomy between May 2014 and August 2016 at a tertiary care center. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient demographics, tracheostomy indication, rapid response for mucus plugging and other acute events, duration of hospital stay, and levels of care that the patients received were recorded through examination of clinical logs. Statistical analysis was conducted between patients before protocol implementation and patients after protocol implementation in terms of rapid-response use, and intragroup comparison of the mean length of stay in various hospital units was also analyzed. Results A total of 247 patients (89 women [36%]; mean [SD] age, 58.5 [12.3] years), 117 preprotocol and 130 postprotocol, met inclusion criteria. Of the 130 patients in the postprotocol cohort, 123 (93%) were on the new tracheostomy care protocol. Preprotocol rapid-response rate was 21 of 117 patients (17.9%) and postprotocol response rate was 12 of 130 patients (9.2%) for a difference of 8.7% (95% CI, 0.2%-18.0%). In terms of mucus plugging, preprotocol rate was 8 of 117 patients (6.8%) and the postprotocol rate was 1 of 130 patients (0.8%) for a difference of 6.0% (95% CI, 1.3%-12.2%). Intragroup difference of the mean time spent (days) in various care units between patients in the no rapid-response group vs rapid-response group demonstrated clinically meaningful longer stay for rapid responses in both preprotocol and postprotocol groups for the intensive care unit (preprotocol, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.03-3.03 vs postprotocol, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.49-4.45) and step down units (preprotocol, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.77-2.02 vs postprotocol, 2.11; 95% CI, 0.78 to 3.44). Conclusions and Relevance Implementation and reinforcement of a standardized tracheostomy care protocol was associated with a reduction in the occurrences of rapid-response calls for life-threatening mucus plugging and is recommended for clinical practice. In addition, length of stay in the intensive care unit and intermediate surgical care unit was increased in a clinically meaningful way for patients who experienced a rapid-response event.
Shigatoxin-1 binding and receptor expression in human kidneys do not change with age

Postdiarrheal hemolytic-uremic syndrome (D+HUS) occurs predominantly in young children. The rarity of D+HUS in adults has been ascribed to aging-associated loss of glomerular globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) expression, the major cognate receptor for shigatoxin. This belief, however, is based on relatively little data. The current study was undertaken to examine renal shigatoxin-1 (Stx-1) binding and Gb3 expression by human kidneys from varying aged subjects. Immunofluorescent staining and thin layer chromatography of neutral lipid extracts were performed. Abundant Stx-1 binding to both glomeruli and tubules was observed in frozen renal sections from all subjects of all ages (6 months to 85 years). The pattern of Stx-1 binding was identical between adults and children, with glomerular endothelial cells and cortical tubules being strongly labeled. Stx-1 binding affinity was similar between pediatric and adult kidneys. Antibodies to Gb3 showed a similar pattern and degree of staining regardless of donor age. In addition, Gb3 levels in glomeruli and tubules isolated from fresh kidney tissue were comparable between different aged donors. These data demonstrate that intrinsic renal binding of Stx-1 does not vary with age. It is suggested that factors other than basal renal Gb3 expression account for the age-related incidence of acute renal failure in D+HUS.
Characterization of Plasma-Sprayed Zirconium Coatings on Uranium Alloy Using Neutron Diffraction

Plasma-sprayed zirconium (Zr) metal coatings onto uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) alloy nuclear reactor fuel foils act as a diffusion barrier between the fuel and the aluminum fuel cladding. Neutron diffraction was performed to investigate the crystallographic phase composition, crystal orientations, and lattice parameters of the plasma-sprayed Zr and the U-Mo substrate. The neutron diffraction results show that the plasma-sprayed Zr coating is crystalline, is phase pure (alpha-Zr), and has preferred crystalline orientation due to directional solidification influenced by the substrate crystalline orientation. Also, there is a slight (~ 0.01 A for a direction and ~ 0.016 A for c direction) increase in the plasma-sprayed Zr lattice parameter indicating oxygen in the lattice and some residual thermo-mechanical strain. There is little or no modification of the underlying U-Mo following plasma spraying. In particular, there is no detectable allotropic transformation of the starting gamma-U (body-centered cubic) to alpha-U (orthorhombic). The unique neutron diffraction capabilities at LANL are well suited for nuclear fuel characterization offering distinct advantages over conventional x-ray diffraction and destructive metallography.
Biology and Therapy of Dominant Fusion Oncoproteins Involving Transcription Factor and Chromatin Regulators in Sarcomas

A third of soft tissue sarcomas have been shown to carry recurrent, characteristic chromosomal translocations, many of which generate fusion proteins that act as dominant transcription factors or a...
Neighborhood Characteristics and Frailty: A Scoping Review.

Background and objectives Frailty is highly prevalent in later life and associated with early mortality and adverse health outcomes. The neighborhood has been identified as an important contributor to individual health, and neighborhood characteristics may contribute to frailty development. A scoping review was conducted of the peer-reviewed literature to better understand how physical and social neighborhood characteristics contribute to frailty. Research design and methods Following an established scoping review methodology, we searched four peer-reviewed databases for relevant studies published from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018. Data extracted from studies included study characteristics, operationalization of neighborhood, the conceptual model of the neighborhood-frailty relationship, operationalization of frailty, and study findings for associations among neighborhood variables and frailty indicators. Results A total of 522 articles were identified and 13 articles were included in the final data charting. Existing studies suggest that neighborhood characteristics are associated with frailty in later life. Few studies articulated a conceptual model identifying exact mechanisms through which neighborhood factors affected frailty. Studies designs were mostly cross-sectional. Longitudinal studies did not measure neighborhood characteristics over time. Studies varied considerably in how they operationalized the neighborhood. Frailty was most commonly assessed using a 5-point phenotype or a frailty index approach. Discussion and implications Findings indicate that research on the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and frailty is an emerging area of inquiry. Additional studies are needed to more definitely explicate mechanisms through which neighborhoods contribute to, or protect older adults from, frailty.
Comparing Apples to Apples: Estimating Fiscal Need in the United States with a Regression-Based Representative Expenditure Approach

State fiscal governance requires both raising revenue and spending on government services. The literature on fiscal equalization and horizontal equity has established that measures of fiscal capacity, or the revenue-raising ability of a sub-national government, should be complemented by measures of fiscal need, the ability of a sub-national government to provide services given an average level of revenue. The representative tax system is an established method for measuring fiscal capacity, but the measurement of fiscal need has received less attention, with economically significant consequences. This paper provides the first regression-based estimates of state-level fiscal need in the United States, introducing a novel, data-intensive extension of the representative expenditure system that estimates fiscal need in the United States using regression methods rather than the current workload-based approach. Data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia were used, including actual expenditure by spending category as well as a large set of potential determinants of both capacity and need, to estimate the level of spending required for each state to provide a national average level of public services. Three regression approaches are considered: the most data-intensive, least data-intensive, and an intermediate method to determine the robustness of the estimates to methodological changes. Regression-based results indicate that prior workload-based approaches provide estimates at odds with both theory and actual state expenditure behavior. Among regression-based approaches, even the least data-intensive approach appears to offer improvements on existing methods. This paper estimates that 1.3% of gross domestic product may be misallocated.
SDF-1 Acutely Promotes the Physical Association of Megakaryocytes with Vascular Endothelium in the Bone Marrow and Increases the Number of Circulating Platelets.

Abstract Abstract 2306 Thrombocytopenia complicates many diseases and can be a life-threatening consequence of genotoxic treatments including chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is well established that thrombopoiesis occurs in the bone marrow where mature megakaryocyte (MK) precursor cells associate with sinusoidal endothelial cells and extrude pro-platelets into the vasculature. There has been much interest in elucidating mechanisms that control megakaryopoiesis and in utilizing these pathways to increase platelet output. The leading paradigm of megakaryopoiesis centers on the ability of cytokines, chiefly thrombopoietin (TPO), to promote MK progenitor proliferation and MK precursor maturation. More recently, attention has been focused on the ability of the bone marrow microenvironment to promote MK maturation and platelet formation. The chemokine stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1, also known as CXCL12), signaling through its receptor CXCR4, is implicated in the chemotaxis of MKs toward sinusoidal vessels, and in vivo evidence demonstrates that sustained plasma elevation of SDF-1 can increase platelet counts (Avecilla et al. Nature Medicine, 2004). To more specifically determine the short-term effects of SDF-1, we injected mice with a single 400ng intravenous dose of SDF-1 and enumerated the progenitor, precursor, and platelet compartments of the MK lineage. At 24 hours, SDF-1 induced a 30% increase in platelets compared to vehicle control (p 0.7 and p>0.5). To quantitatively determine if SDF-1 regulates the physical interactions of MK precursors with sinusoidal endothelium, we developed a double immunohistochemistry assay using Gp1Bβ to distinguish MK precursors and MECA32 to identify vascular endothelial cells. In vehicle-treated mice, 39% of MKs in the marrow localized to the sinusoidal endothelium, and this increased to 53% 24 hours following SDF-1 treatment (p 0.4 and p>0.7). As the platelet response following SDF-1 was less robust in the setting of TBI injury, we hypothesized that SDF-1-induced thrombopoiesis may improve if the number of MK precursors available to move to the vascular niche is increased. To test this, we administered TPO and SDF-1 at 2 hours and at 4 days, respectively, following TBI. TPO treatment alone resulted in 15% more MK precursors than irradiated vehicle controls at 5 days post-TBI (p 0.2). In contrast, mice receiving both TPO and SDF-1 had over 20% more platelets than irradiated vehicle controls (p 0.9). Correcting for differences in MK precursor numbers, mice receiving TPO and SDF-1 post-TBI had 1.8-fold more MKs in the vascular niche than irradiated vehicle controls (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Confronting the ‘Climate Lehman Moment’: The Case for Macroprudential Climate Regulation

U.S. financial regulators have argued that the risks that climate change poses for large financial institutions are outside of their core regulatory mandate. This article argues that oversight of the largest financial institutions’ financing of significant amounts of fossil fuels and other carbon-intensive businesses has implications for financial stability, and is therefore a central responsibility for financial regulators. This article outlines the various financial risks of climate change. It then analyzes the case for classifying climate change as a systemic risk to the stability of the financial system. In doing so, it explores how we understand systemically risky activities, how this understanding applies to the climate financial risks created by the largest financial institutions, and the public harms created by climate financial risk, namely negative externalities and more hazard. As a result of the above examination, this article then lays out a framework for macroprudential regulation to curtail the financial risks caused by climate change, namely the funding of climate change drivers. It further identifies legal authorities available to U.S. financial regulators that provide a basis for issuing specific macroprudential regulations that could address the risks from, and role played by, large financial institutions’ financing of the industries and activities that drive climate change. This article further argues that the U.S. response to climate financial risk has been out of step with the international consensus on the magnitude of the risk. It concludes by observing that macroprudential climate regulation would, in addition to preventing a climate-driven financial crisis and mitigating the potential macroeconomic fallout from a systemic climate event, also assist in the effort to ensure an orderly transition from a carbon-based economy to an economy that is less reliant upon carbon-intensive energy sources.
Climate change perceptions and challenges to adaptation among smallholder farmers in semi-arid Ghana: A gender analysis

Abstract Gender-sensitive climate change adaptation strategies can improve gender equality and women's development in agrarian communities. This study used both qualitative and quantitative research methods (focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and household surveys) to explore the perspectives of men and women on climate change, including climate change impacts on their farming activities and household well-being, and challenges faced in mitigating climate change impacts. The empirical data showed similarities in climate change perceptions between men and women, and rising temperatures, shortened cropping season, and increasing erratic rainfall as the main climatic stressors. Lack of money and inadequate access to labor among women and inadequate access to extension and old age/poor health among men were the major constraints to mitigating climate change impacts. Integrating gender needs in climate change adaptation planning and intervention development can help build resilient farm households.
The empirical evidence on the determinants of fiscal decentralization

This paper analyzes the main determinants of fiscal decentralization in a sample of eighty-four countries. The empirical findings show that the most consistent variable affecting fiscal decentralization is the size of a country: as land size increases, the level of fiscal decentralization increases as well. Countries with higher income equality, an educated population, more democratic, more urbanized and open to trade are also more likely to be more decentralized, though the findings demonstrate that there are regional and income variations. The most important policy implication is that governments interested in deepening the devolution of fiscal responsibilities to sub-national levels may consider acting to affect those variables that have been shown to exert a positive influence on this process.
Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape

Abstract Discrete choice experiments are playing an increasingly important role in environmental valuation given their potential to characterize the implicit tradeoffs that stakeholders are willing to make among competing future conditions. Yet, most choice models focus on specific populations and policy issues rather than examining landscape-level preferences across regional spatial scales. We investigated the spatial heterogeneity of public preferences across an American Midwestern county using data from interviews, focus groups, and a mixed-mode household survey that included a discrete choice experiment. This study generated geo-located individual-specific parameter estimates to determine how a suite of land use and economic attributes were driving residents’ visions for the future of Will County, IL, including residential growth, protected grasslands, recreation, agriculture, bison reintroduction, and unemployment rates. Global and local spatial autocorrelation patterns were used to examine the landscape preferences expressed by individual respondents in relation to their neighbors. Results showed that preferences within the sample were heterogeneous across all model attributes. Local spatial autocorrelation findings also revealed local clustering of high to low preferences that was particularly pronounced for agriculture and residential growth. We provide insight on how location of residence relates to stakeholder preferences for landscape attributes to guide planning and management agencies faced with the allocation of scarce resources on the rural-urban fringe.
Cropping system partially offsets tillage-related degradation of soil organic carbon and aggregate properties in a 30-yr rainfed agroecosystem

Abstract Soil tillage increases the susceptibility of agricultural soils to erosion and organic carbon losses, but tillage effects could be mitigated through other management practices such as crop rotation. Here, we evaluated the 30-year impacts of tillage intensity and cropping system on surface soil bulk density, nutrient availability, dry aggregate size distribution, and water-stable aggregation. This study was established in 1980 in eastern Nebraska USA, and included six tillage treatments of varying intensity (no-till, ridge till, disk till, subsoil rip, chisel plow, moldboard plow) and four crop rotation treatments (continuous soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]; soybean-corn [Zea mays L.]; corn-soybean, continuous corn) in a randomized block design with six replicates. Surface soils were sampled in 2011 and soil aggregate properties assessed, including occluded particulate organic matter (oPOM) in micro/macroaggregates (0.053–0.5 mm) and mega-aggregates (>2.0 mm). Because of significant treatment differences in bulk density, soil properties were converted to an equivalent soil mass (ESM) basis to more accurately assess management effects. After 30 years, only the main effects of tillage and crop rotation were significant for most measured soil properties. Surface soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks (ESM for ∼0−30 cm soil depth) decreased with tillage intensity, and stocks were higher when corn was included in the cropping system. Dry aggregate size distributions shifted towards smaller size classes as tillage intensity increased and whenever corn was included in the cropping system. As a result, aggregate mean weight diameter (mm) followed a similar trend. Soil stocks of water-stable mega-aggregates also decreased with increasing tillage intensity. In near-surface soils (0–7.5 cm), highly-erodible aggregate oPOM was highest in no-till soils and was more sensitive to tillage disturbance (56–69% loss) than mega-aggregate oPOM (5–35% loss). Even in no-till soils, highly-erodible aggregate oPOM concentrations decreased under continuous corn compared to rotated systems likely due to greater frequency of fertility management-related soil disturbances (i.e. fertilizer injection annually vs every two years). These results suggest that cropping systems that maximize plant carbon inputs can partially mitigate soil erosion risks due to long-term tillage, but that other crop management-related soil disturbances (i.e. method of fertilizer application) could limit the mitigating effect of cropping system.
Standardized and optimized preservation, extraction and quantification techniques for detection of fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA

COVID-19 patients shed SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in their stool, sometimes well after they have cleared their respiratory infection. This feature of the disease may be significant for patient health, epidemiology, and diagnosis. However, to date, methods to preserve stool samples from COVID patients, and to extract and quantify viral RNA concentration have yet to be optimized. We sought to meet this urgent need by developing and benchmarking a standardized protocol for the fecal detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We test three preservative conditions for their ability to yield detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA: OMNIgene-GUT, Zymo DNA/RNA shield kit, and the most common condition, storage without any preservative. We test these in combination with three extraction kits: the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit, Zymo Quick-RNA Viral Kit, and MagMAX Viral/Pathogen Kit. Finally, we also test the utility of two detection methods, ddPCR and RT-qPCR, for the robust quantification of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA from stool. We identify that the Zymo DNA/RNA shield collection kit and the QiaAMP viral RNA mini kit yield more detectable RNA than the others, using both ddPCR and RT-qPCR assays. We also demonstrate key features of experimental design including the incorporation of appropriate controls and data analysis, and apply these techniques to effectively extract viral RNA from fecal samples acquired from COVID-19 outpatients enrolled in a clinical trial. Finally, we recommend a comprehensive methodology for future preservation, extraction and detection of RNA from SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses in stool.