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The Southwestern United States experiences active deformation, seismicity, and magmatism, remarkable in an intraplate setting. The Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau (CP) are inferred to differ in lithospheric thickness, but modeling geophysical properties of the lithosphere, in particular the depth of the Lithosphere‐Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB), across the entirety of the region, has proved challenging. Here, we introduce a new model of 1‐D depth profiles in shear wavespeed, determined through a probabilistic joint inversion of information from Sp receiver functions and Rayleigh wave phase velocity. From these profiles we quantify the locations and Vs contrast of wavespeed gradients that represent boundaries such as the Moho, the LAB, and intralithospheric discontinuities. We infer a lithosphere that is thinner and lower in Vs in the Basin and Range. In the CP and farther north, the LAB is more gradual, deeper, and intermittently observed. We also observe Mid‐Lithospheric Discontinuities (MLDs) near the boundaries between the CP, Wyoming Craton, and Northern Basin and Range, as well as within the Craton. When both an MLD and LAB are observed, the Vs gradient associated with the LAB is narrower than expected. Finally, we image Positive Velocity Gradients beneath areas of thinner lithosphere, which are consistent with recent global observations that have been attributed to the base of a partially molten zone below the lithosphere. Overall, the picture of the lithosphere‐asthenosphere system that emerges is one of considerable structural complexity with a strong dependency on tectonic regime and geological history. Plain Language Summary: We examine the properties of, and processes that shape, the lithosphere—the rigid outermost layer of the Earth, which participates in plate tectonics. Our focus is the southwestern United States where in fact the lithosphere does not behave like a simple, homogeneous, plate. Instead, in the Basin and Range Province, widespread deformation, frequent earthquakes, and recent volcanic activity are observed, all of which are rare for a location removed from plate boundaries. In the neighboring Colorado Plateau and the regions north and west of it, the lithosphere behaves more rigidly but volcanism is also observed. To understand how the lithosphere and mantle below vary, we produce a model of seismic wavespeed using data from surface waves, which travel along the Earth's surface, and converted body waves, which interact with interior boundaries such as the bottom of the lithosphere. This model enables us to find the depths of major boundaries and understand how the speed of seismic waves changes across them. We consistently observe decreases in seismic wavespeed that we associate with the bottom of the lithosphere or structures within the lithosphere. We also note wavespeed increases below the lithosphere that might indicate partial melting of rocks deep within the Earth. Key Points: We perform a joint inversion for Vs in the upper mantle of the Southwestern U.S., using data from body wave scattering and surface wavesThe lithosphere varies regionally: it is flat and thin in the Basin and Range, thicker in the Colorado Plateau, and complex in cratonic regionsMid‐Lithospheric Discontinuities are observed in cratonic regions, associated with sharp Vs gradients at the base of the lithosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of our knowledge of the North American lithosphere comes from imaging seismic velocities. Additional constraints on the subsurface can be gained by studying seismic attenuation, which has different sensitivity to physical properties. We produce a model of lateral variations in attenuation across the conterminous U.S. by analyzing data recorded by the EarthScope Transportable Array. We divide the study area into 12 overlapping tiles and differential attenuation is measured in each tile independently; and twice for four of the tiles. Measurements are combined into a smooth map using a set of linear inversions. Comparing results for adjacent tiles and for repeated tiles shows that the imaged features are robust. The final map shows generally higher attenuation west of the Rocky Mountain Front than east of it, with significant small length scale variations superimposed on that broad pattern. In general, there is a strong anticorrelation between differential attenuation and shear wave velocities at depths of 80–250 km. However, a given change in velocity may correspond to a large or small change in attenuation, depending on the area; suggesting that different physical mechanisms are operating. In the western and south‐central U.S., as well as the Appalachians, velocity variations are large compared to attenuation changes, while the opposite is true in the north‐central and southeastern U.S. Calculations with the Very Broadband Rheology calculator show that these results are consistent with the main source of heterogeneity being temperature and melt fraction in the former regions and grain size variability in the latter ones. Plain Language Summary: Seismic waves in the mantle propagate at lower speeds when temperatures are higher, rocks have higher water content, and small amounts of melt are present. These conditions also affect how much energy the wave loses as it passes through, which we call seismic attenuation. In this study we produce a map of seismic attenuation for the conterminous United States. We find that, in most places, where seismic velocities are low, attenuation is high, and vice versa. This is what we expect. Interestingly, the size of the change in attenuation that corresponds to a given change in velocity varies by region. In places with thicker lithosphere and without recent tectonic activity attenuation anomalies are large compared to velocity anomalies, the opposite is true in places with thin lithosphere and recent tectonic activity. Considering the results of lab experiments on velocity and attenuation, this suggests that in the regions with thick lithosphere and without recent tectonic activity the main cause of the anomalies is changes in the size of the mineral grains in the mantle, whereas in the regions with thin lithosphere and recent tectonic activity the main cause of the anomalies is changes in temperature and the amount of melt. Key Points: Teleseismic P attenuation is largely anti‐correlated with upper mantle seismic velocitySignificant lateral variations in attenuation are observed in the tectonically quiescent regionsThe ratio of attenuation to velocity anomaly amplitudes may be indicative of mantle conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent seismic results from the Cascadia Initiative indicate that heterogeneity in the oceanic asthenosphere affects subduction dynamics. Accurate characterization of the oceanic upper mantle is thus necessary to fully understand subduction processes, including the behavioral segmentation of the megathrust. A key challenge is integrating onshore and offshore datasets, which span large variations in near‐surface features that teleseismic body wave tomography is ill‐posed to resolve. Here, we perform a series of P and S forward modeling predictions to better understand the relative contribution of elevation, crustal thickness, offshore sedimentation, and near‐surface velocity structure to teleseismic delay times. Crustal thickness and elevation variations dominate the signal, contributing ∼1 s of delay time difference for P‐waves (roughly double for S). We test several inversion strategies to account for near‐surface features, identifying potential artifacts and causes of imaging errors. Undamped station statics are found to absorb mantle structures and introduce low‐velocity artifacts beneath the forearc. Our preferred inversion strategy utilizes a three‐dimensional starting model (including elevation) of the upper 50 km and heavily damped station statics, which we find leads to better resolution of mantle structure, particularly at asthenospheric depths. These insights guide inversions of observed delay times from the Cascadia subduction zone and Juan de Fuca plate system. We present a new onshore‐offshore S model and an updated P model. Major features are common to both models, including localized subslab low‐velocity anomalies, along‐strike variations in slab structure, and offshore heterogeneity, while regional differences may reflect changes in Vp/Vs. Key Points: Isotropic onshore‐offshore teleseismic body wave tomography of the Cascadia subduction zone; Updated P‐ and new S‐wave modelsForward modeling quantifies the effects of crustal thickness, elevation, sediments, and velocity variations on the shore‐crossing datasetWe explore the impacts of inversion strategy choices, identify imaging artifacts, and outline a preferred methodology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their importance as a fundamental constraint on Earth properties, regional-scale measurements of body-wave seismic attenuation are scarce. This is partially a result of the difficulty in producing robust estimates of attenuation. In this paper, we focus on measuring differential attenuation on records of teleseismic P waves. We examine a unique data set of five records of the North Korean nuclear test of 2017 measured at five broad-band seismic stations deployed within a few metres of each other but using different installation procedures. Given their extreme proximity, we expect zero differential intrinsic attenuation between the different records. However, we find that different attenuation measurement methods and implementation parameters in fact produce significant apparent differential attenuation (Δ t *). Frequency-domain methods yield a wide range of Δ t * estimates between stations, depending on measurement bandwidth and nuances of signal processing. This measurement instability increases for longer time windows. Time domain methods are largely insensitive to the frequency band being considered but are sensitive to the time window that is chosen. We determine that signal-generated noise can affect measurements in both the frequency and time domain. In some cases, the range of results amounts to a significant fraction of the range of differential attenuation across the conterminous United States as determined by a recent study. We suggest some approaches to manage the inherent instability in these measurements and recommend best practices to confidently estimate body wave attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal chalcogenides have delivered the highest efficiencies among thermoelectric materials. Although the thermal stability of thermoelectric materials at device operating temperatures has been of concern, recent studies have reported the efficiencies of materials prepared with different fabrication techniques. Here, we have fabricated a p-type, multiphase lead chalcogenide compound of (PbTe)0.55(PbS)0.35(PbSe)0.1, with three common fabrication techniques of quenched, quenched–annealed and furnace cooled followed by spark plasma sintering. The compound contains PbS-rich precipitates within a PbTe-rich matrix. The achieved samples from various fabrication procedures demonstrate distinct microstructures that evolve with thermal cycling. We have shown that the thermoelectric efficiency of metastable compound is irreversible during thermal cycling, and changes by only three thermal cycles during measurements. Our findings highlight the importance of the choice of fabrication and post-processing techniques for thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are under evaluation as a therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Both autologous and allogeneic MSC therapies are possible; however, their safety and efficacy have not been compared.Objective: To test whether allogeneic MSCs are as safe and effective as autologous MSCs in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to ICM.Design, Setting, and Patients: A phase 1/2 randomized comparison (POSEIDON study) in a US tertiary-care referral hospital of allogeneic and autologous MSCs in 30 patients with LV dysfunction due to ICM between April 2, 2010, and September 14, 2011, with 13-month follow-up.Intervention: Twenty million, 100 million, or 200 million cells (5 patients in each cell type per dose level) were delivered by transendocardial stem cell injection into 10 LV sites.Main Outcome Measures: Thirty-day postcatheterization incidence of predefined treatment-emergent serious adverse events (SAEs). Efficacy assessments included 6-minute walk test, exercise peak VO2, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), New York Heart Association class, LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), early enhancement defect (EED; infarct size), and sphericity index.Results: Within 30 days, 1 patient in each group (treatment-emergent SAE rate, 6.7%) was hospitalized for heart failure, less than the prespecified stopping event rate of 25%. The 1-year incidence of SAEs was 33.3% (n = 5) in the allogeneic group and 53.3% (n = 8) in the autologous group (P = .46). At 1 year, there were no ventricular arrhythmia SAEs observed among allogeneic recipients compared with 4 patients (26.7%) in the autologous group (P = .10). Relative to baseline, autologous but not allogeneic MSC therapy was associated with an improvement in the 6-minute walk test and the MLHFQ score, but neither improved exercise VO2 max. Allogeneic and autologous MSCs reduced mean EED by −33.21% (95% CI, −43.61% to −22.81%; P < .001) and sphericity index but did not increase EF. Allogeneic MSCs reduced LV end-diastolic volumes. Low-dose concentration MSCs (20 million cells) produced greatest reductions in LV volumes and increased EF. Allogeneic MSCs did not stimulate significant donor-specific alloimmune reactions.Conclusions: In this early-stage study of patients with ICM, transendocardial injection of allogeneic and autologous MSCs without a placebo control were both associated with low rates of treatment-emergent SAEs, including immunologic reactions. In aggregate, MSC injection favorably affected patient functional capacity, quality of life, and ventricular remodeling.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01087996. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: In a longitudinal population-based dataset of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), we have previously observed a substantial increase in the female to male sex ratio in Canada over the last 50 years. Here, we aimed to determine whether this change in sex ratio is related to the clinical course of MS. Methods: We calculated sex ratios by birth year in 11 868 patients with relapsing–remitting (RR) MS and 2825 patients with primary progressive (PP) MS identified as part of the Canadian Collaborative Project on the Genetic Susceptibility to MS. Results: Year of birth was a significant predictor for sex ratio in RR MS ( P < 0.0001, χ2 = 21.2; Spearman’s rank correlation r = 0.67), but not for PP MS ( P = 0.44, χ2 = 0.6; Spearman’s rank correlation r = 0.11). Conclusions: An increase in the number of female RR MS patients over time accounts for the increasing sex ratio of MS. This has implications for pathogenesis, for assessment of clinical trial results and for disease prevention. The factors underlying the selective increase in MS in females need to be uncovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous SCT has become standard of care for patients with relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). To improve safety and efficacy of this treatment, new conditioning regimens are being developed. We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of patients with relapsed NHL treated at our institution with i.v. BU and CY (BU/CY) as conditioning regimen for autologous SCT between January 2000 and April 2005. We identified 43 patients (24 men, 19 women, median age 50) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=28), follicular lymphoma (n=8), mantle cell lymphoma (n=4) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n=3). Following salvage chemotherapy, there were 26 complete responses, 13 partial responses and 4 stable diseases. Median time to neutrophil and platelet recovery was 11 and 13.5 days, respectively. Treatment-related toxicities included nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and mucositis. The 100-day mortality was 9%: sepsis (n=1), pneumonia (n=1) and hepatic veno-occlusive disease (n=2). Twenty-one patients were followed until death and twenty-one surviving patients were followed for a median of 29 months (range 0.4–76). Three-year estimates of event-free survival, progression-free survival and overall survival were 35, 39 and 43%, respectively. We conclude that i.v. BU/CY is a safe and effective conditioning regimen for autologous SCT in relapsed NHL.Bone Marrow Transplantation (2009) 44, 89–96; doi:10.1038/bmt.2008.429; published online 26 January 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexities of contemporary local governance in Australia and other advanced democracies provide social scientists with significant theoretical and empirical challenges. Drawing on recent developments, including public choice theory, economists have sought to develop taxonomic systems of government failure specifically tailored to local government circumstances. This paper seeks to extend the Dollery and Wallis (2001b) taxonomy of local government failure by invoking Olson’s (1965) concept of political entrepreneurship. The paper then attempts to determine the empirical validity of the augmented taxonomy by examining it in the context of NSW local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PONStm is a basis which satisfies all of the fundamental properties of the Walsh functions (each element is piecewise constant, takes on only the values ±1, and can be efficiently computed via a fast transform) plus three additional properties that are false for the Walsh functions: PONS is optimal with respect to a global uncertainty principle; all PONS elements have uniformly bounded crest factors; and all PONS elements are QMF’s. In 1991, Ingrid Daubechies asked whether there exists a smooth basis satisfying the global uncertainty principle property. In this article we show how to transform any basis into another basis by applying the PONS construction, thereby providing an affirmative answer to this question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic field experiment on WIND will provide data for studies of a broad range of scales of structures and fluctuation characteristics of the interplanetary magnetic field throughout the mission, and, where appropriate, relate them to the statics and dynamics of the magnetosphere. The basic instrument of the Magnetic Field Investigation (MFI) is a boom-mounted dual triaxial fluxgate magnetometer and associated electronics. The dual configuration provides redundancy and also permits accurate removal of the dipolar portion of the spacecraft magnetic field. The instrument provides (1) near real-time data at nominally one vector per 92 s as key parameter data for broad dissemination, (2) rapid data at 10.9 vectors s for standard analysis, and (3) occasionally, snapshot (SS) memory data and Fast Fourier Transform data (FFT), both based on 44 vectors s. These measurements will be precise (0.025%), accurate, ultra-sensitive (0.008 nT/step quantization), and where the sensor noise level is <0.006 nT r.m.s. for 0-10 Hz. The digital processing unit utilizes a 12-bit microprocessor controlled analogue-to-digital converter. The instrument features a very wide dynamic range of measurement capability, from ±4 nT up to ±65 536 nT per axis in eight discrete ranges. (The upper range permits complete testing in the Earth's field.) In the FTT mode power spectral density elements are transmitted to the ground as fast as once every 23 s (high rate), and 2.7 min of SS memory time series data, triggered automatically by pre-set command, requires typically about 5.1 hours for transmission. Standard data products are expected to be the following vector field averages: 0.0227-s (detail data from SS), 0.092 s ('detail' in standard mode), 3 s, 1 min, and 1 hour, in both GSE and GSM coordinates, as well as the FFT spectral elements. As has been our team's tradition, high instrument reliability is obtained by the use of fully redundant systems and extremely conservative designs. We plan studies of the solar wind: (1) as a collisionless plasma laboratory, at all time scales, macro, meso and micro, but concentrating on the kinetic scale, the highest time resolution of the instrument (=0.022 s), (2) as a consequence of solar energy and mass output, (3) as an external source of plasma that can couple mass, momentum, and energy to the Earth's magnetosphere, and (4) as it is modified as a consequence of its imbedded field interacting with the moon. Since the GEOTAIL Inboard Magnetometer (GIM), which is similar to the MFI instrument, was developed by members of our team, we provide a brief discussion of GIM related science objectives, along with MFI related science goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses several issues related to economics. Problems related to the working hours of longshoremen; Information on price fixing and production cost; Details on the book 'Principles of Political Economy.'