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Abstract The Irpinia Fault, also known as the Monte Marzano Fault System, located in the Southern Apennines (Italy), is one of the most seismically active structures in the Mediterranean. It is the source of the 1980, Ms 6.9, multi-segment rupture earthquake that caused significant damage and nearly 3,000 casualties. Paleoseismological surveys indicate that this structure has generated at least four Mw ~ 7 surface-rupturing earthquakes in the past 2 ka. This paper presents a comprehensive, high-resolution geophysical investigation focused on the southernmost fault segment of the Monte Marzano Fault System, i.e., the Pantano-Ripa Rossa Fault, outcropping within the Pantano di San Gregorio Magno intramontane basin. The project, named TEst Site IRpinia fAult (TESIRA), was supported by the University of Napoli Federico II to study the near-surface structure of this intra-basin fault splay that repeatedly ruptured co-seismically in the past thousands of years. Our imaging approach included 2D and 3D electrical and seismic surveys, gravimetry, 3D FullWaver electrical tomography, drone-borne GPR and magnetic surveys, and CO2 soil flux assessment across the surface rupture. This multidisciplinary investigation improved our understanding of the basin shallow structure, providing an image of a rather complex subsurface fault and basin geometry. Seismic data suggest that fault activity at the Pantano segment of MMFS is characterized by a near-surface cumulative displacement greater than previous estimations, calling into question earlier assumptions about the timing of its activation. Despite some challenges with our drone-mounted survey equipment, the integrated dataset provides a comprehensive and reliable image of the subsurface structure. This work demonstrates the utility of developing an integrated approach at high-resolution geophysical imaging and interpretation of fault zones with weak morphological expressions.

Author(s): The STAR Collaboration; L. Adamczyk [1]; J. K. Adkins [2]; G. Agakishiev [3]; M. M. Aggarwal [4]; Z. Ahammed [5]; N. N. Ajitanand [6]; I. Alekseev [7, 8]; D. [...]

Motivation Pangenomes provide novel insights for population and quantitative genetics, genomics and breeding not available from studying a single reference genome. Instead, a species is better represented by a pangenome or collection of genomes. Unfortunately, managing and using pangenomes for genomically diverse species is computationally and practically challenging. We developed a trellis graph representation anchored to the reference genome that represents most pangenomes well and can be used to impute complete genomes from low density sequence or variant data. Results The Practical Haplotype Graph (PHG) is a pangenome pipeline, database (PostGRES & SQLite), data model (Java, Kotlin or R) and Breeding API (BrAPI) web service. The PHG has already been able to accurately represent diversity in four major crops including maize, one of the most genomically diverse species, with up to 1000-fold data compression. Using simulated data, we show that, at even 0.1× coverage, with appropriate reads and sequence alignment, imputation results in extremely accurate haplotype reconstruction. The PHG is a platform and environment for the understanding and application of genomic diversity. Availability and implementation All resources listed here are freely available. The PHG Docker used to generate the simulation results is https://hub.docker.com/ as maizegenetics/phg:0.0.27. PHG source code is at https://bitbucket.org/bucklerlab/practicalhaplotypegraph/src/master/. The code used for the analysis of simulated data is at https://bitbucket.org/bucklerlab/phg-manuscript/src/master/. The PHG database of NAM parent haplotypes is in the CyVerse data store (https://de.cyverse.org/de/) and named/iplant/home/shared/panzea/panGenome/PHG_db_maize/phg_v5Assemblies_20200608.db. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Decades of neuroscientific findings have elucidated the highly specialized brain areas involved in reading, especially along the ventral occipitotemporal stream where the critical step of recognizing words occurs. We report on a 14-year-old female with temporary dyslexia after a left ventral occipitotemporal ischemic stroke. Our longitudinal multimodal findings show that the resolution of the reading impairment was associated with heightened activity in the left posterior superior and inferior temporal gyri. Our findings highlight the role of the left inferior temporal gyrus in reading and the importance of perilesional and ipsilateral cortical areas for functional recovery after childhood stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas science fiction has no identity, no necessary conditions, no essence, and no timeless and universal attributes, we should not be able to recognize it. We do. Something must allow it. This article will show how recognition and learning outweigh contingent feature-based academic projects on science fiction as ends, thereby revealing the socio-cognitive frames that buttress such recognition and proposes that we consider semio-cognitive models to refine our understanding of the genre. To that end, this article shows how science fiction is a creative mode recognizable by its prototypes and the theories built thereon. Ultimately, this article promotes a means-based socio-cognitive understanding of science fiction where it is free, in a new way, from retrospective academic projects to define it by ends.

Introducción: La humanidad esta incrementado su esperanza de vida de manera manifiesta: 30 años desde 1950. Lo anterior implica un incremento notorio de los adultos mayores. Indagar acerca del bienestar de tal población se convierte en una necesidad mundial. En Colombia se espera que en la década del 2020 al 2030 se doble el número de adultos mayores, y desafortunadamente no en las mejores condiciones socioeconómicas. Por lo anterior se hace necesario promover investigaciones sobre los adultos mayores, extendiendo el rango más allá de lo biológico y abordando aspectos psicosociales en particular relacionados con el bienestar. Esta investigación eso pretende Objetivos: Estimar la relación entre la percepción de felicidad y los apoyos familiares, sociales e individuales de una población de adultos mayores en Bogotá, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: Tipo de estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Población: 3.166 adultos de 60 o más años encuestados en Bogotá entre 2012 y 2018. Variables: Se aplicó encuesta autodiligenciada, se escogieron las variables ¿En el momento actual usted se siente? Feliz, normal o triste versus “sociodemográficas, estructura y función familiar, apoyos a través de ¿Cuándo tiene problemas sabe que puede contar? (casi siempre, a veces y casi nunca) de miembros familiares, apoyos sociales, y apoyos propios. Resultados: El 60% (n 1891) se sienten felices, y 12% (n 379) tristes. El 38% (n=1199) viven en hogares nucleares y 18% (n 76%) viven solos. El 76% (n= 1860) perciben una buena función familiar y 3% (n 260) perciben una disfunción familiar severa). La función familiar resulto ser la relación más poderosa (Buena función familiar severa versus disfunción familiar severa con OR de 15 (IC 95% 9,8-23,7). Un profesor como apoyo mostró OR de 4,7 (IC 95% 1,8-12,4), mama con OR 3,5 (IC 95% 1,5-8,6), organizaciones comunitarias OR 2,3 (IC 95% 1,3-4,1), hogar nuclear OR 2 (IC 95% 1,4-2,9). Conclusión: La buena función familiar es la relación más poderosa relacionada con la felicidad y relacionarse con un profesor aparece de forma prometedora.

Plants alter soil biota which subsequently modifies plant growth, plant-plant interactions and plant community dynamics. While much research has been conducted on the magnitude and importance of soil biota effects ( SBEs) in natural systems, little is known in agro-ecosystems. We investigated whether agricultural management systems could affect SBEs impacts on crop growth and crop-weed competition. Utilising soil collected from eight paired farms, we evaluated the extent to which SBEs differed between conventional and organic farming systems. Soils were conditioned by growing two common annual weeds: Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed) or Avena fatua (wild oat). Soil biota effects were measured in wheat ( Triticum aestivum) growth and crop-weed competition, with SBEs calculated as the natural log of plant biomass in pots inoculated with living soil divided by the plant biomass in pots inoculated with sterilised soil. SBEs were generally more positive when soil inoculum was collected from organic farms compared with conventional farms, suggesting that cropping systems modify the relative abundance of mutualistic and pathogenic organisms responsible for the observed SBEs. Also, as feedbacks became more positive, crop-weed competition decreased and facilitation increased. In annual cropping systems, SBEs can alter plant growth and crop-weed competition. By identifying the management practices that promote positive SBEs, producers can minimise the impacts of crop-weed competition and decrease their reliance on off-farm chemical and mechanical inputs to control weeds, enhancing agroecosystem sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how weed communities assemble as a function of biotic and abiotic filters and transform through time has important implications for the sustainable management of agronomic systems. In a three-year study, we evaluated weed community responses to lucerne (Medicago sativa, perennial) vs. continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, annual, CSW) and weed management practices where weeds in the CSW system were managed with three contrasting approaches (herbicide, tillage or sheep grazing). Our results indicated no differences in weed diversity between the perennial and annual crops or across the different management practices in CSW. However, there were differences in weed community composition. Lucerne, with the exception of the establishing year, impeded the growth and reproduction of several annual weeds, including Amaranthus retroflexus, Thlaspi arvense, Lamium amplexicaule and Chenopodium album, but favoured perennial broad-leaved weeds such as Taraxacum officinale and Cirsium arvense. The replacement of herbicide treatments in pre-plant and post-harvest in CSW with soil tillage or sheep grazing selected for different weed communities beyond the second year of establishment. The weed species driving the differences in CSW systems were Androsace occidentalis, more common in CSW managed chemically; Asperugo procumbens, more common in CSW managed with tillage; and T. officinale and Lactuca serriola, more common in CSW managed with sheep grazing. Understanding how cropping systems modify weed communities is a necessary step to shift from reactive weed control programmes to predictive management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic variations in river form are often estimated using the framework of downstream hydraulic geometry (DHG), which links spatial changes in discharge to channel width, depth, and velocity through power-law models. These empirical relationships are developed from limited in situ data and do not capture the full variability in channel form. Here, we present a data set of 1:2 x 106 river widths in the Mississippi Basin measured from the Landsat-derived National Land Cover Dataset that characterizes width variability observationally. We construct DHG for the Mississippi drainage by linking digital elevation model (DEM)- estimated discharge values to each width measurement. Well-developed DHG exists over the entire Mississippi Basin, though individual sub-basins vary substantially from existing width-discharge scaling. Comparison of depth predictions from traditional depth-discharge relationships with a new model incorporating width into the DHG framework shows that including width improves depth estimates by, on average, 24 %. Results suggest that channel geometry derived from remotely sensed imagery better characterizes variability in river form than do estimates based on DHG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant genotype, age, size, and environmental factors can modify susceptibility and tolerance to disease. Understanding the individual and combined impacts of these factors is needed to define improved disease management strategies. In the case of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) in winter wheat, yield losses and plant susceptibility have been found to be greatest when the crop is exposed to the virus in the fall in the central and southern Great Plains. However, the seasonal dynamics of disease risk may be different in the northern Great Plains, a region characterized by a relatively cooler fall conditions, because temperature is known to modify plant-virus interactions. In a 2-year field study conducted in south-central Montana, we compared the impact of fall and spring WSMV inoculations on the susceptibility, tolerance, yield, and grain quality of 10 winter wheat varieties. Contrary to previous studies, resistance and yields were lower in the spring than in the fall inoculation. In all, 5 to 7% of fall-inoculated wheat plants were infected with WSMV and yields were often similar to uninoculated controls. Spring inoculation resulted in 45 to 57% infection and yields that were 15 to 32% lower than controls. Although all varieties were similarly susceptible to WSMV, variations in tolerance (i.e., yield losses following exposure to the virus) were observed. These results support observations that disease risk and impacts differ across the Great Plains. Possible mechanisms include variation in climate and in the genetic composition of winter wheat and WSMV across the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weed seeds in and on the soil are the primary cause of weed infestations in arable fields. Previous studies have documented reductions in weed seedbanks due to cropping system diversification through extended rotation sequences, but the impacts of different rotation systems on additions to and losses from weed seedbanks remain poorly understood. We conducted an experiment in Iowa, USA, to determine the fates of Setaria faberi and Abutilon theophrasti seeds in 2-, 3- and 4-year crop rotation systems when seed additions to the soil seedbank were restricted to a single pulse at the initiation of the study. Over the course of the experiment, seedlings were removed as they emerged and prevented from producing new seeds. After 41 months, seed population densities dropped >85% for S. faberi and >65% for A. theophrasti, but differences between rotation systems in the magnitude of seedbank reductions were not detected. Most of the reductions in seedbank densities took place from autumn through early spring in the first 5 months following seed deposition, before seedling emergence occurred, suggesting that seed predation and/or seed decay was important. For S. faberi, total cumulative seedling emergence and total seed mortality did not differ between rotation systems. In contrast, for A. theophrasti, seedling emergence was 71% lower and seed mortality was 83% greater in the 3- and 4-year rotation systems than in the 2-year system. Results of this study indicate that for certain weed species, such as A. theophrasti, crop rotation systems can strongly affect life-history processes associated with soil seedbanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In winter wheat systems in the Northern Great Plains of the United States, Bromus tectorum and wheat streak mosaic virus ( WSMV) commonly co-occur. While independent effects of these pests on wheat yields have been well documented, to our knowledge, no study has investigated whether WSMV modifies interactions between wheat and B. tectorum. Furthermore, the impact that environmental stressors such as nutrient availability have on these interactions has not been addressed. We conducted a randomised split-plot field study over 2 years to investigate the effects of WSMV and nitrate (N) availability on winter wheat suppression of Bromus tectorum. The study included four N treatments (10-19, 20-31, 31-84, and 85-207 kg ha−1) and two WSMV treatments (mechanically inoculated or control). Increasing soil N increased the susceptibility of wheat to WSMV infection. In 2009, wheat in the lowest and highest N levels had 24% and 65% of plants infected respectively. However, regression analysis indicated that interactive effects of wheat competition, N and WSMV did not play a consistent role in B. tectorum growth. Specifically, the effect of both wheat density and distance from row on B. tectorum biomass remained constant across inoculation treatments, suggesting that wheat inoculated with WSMV suppressed B. tectorum as effectively as healthy wheat. Furthermore, wheat had a greater impact on B. tectorum growth in higher N environments, even though incidence of WSMV infection in wheat was highest. Overall, our results suggest that WSMV infection may not change the ability of wheat to suppress B. tectorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over-winter mortality, that is, winterkill, reduces cereal crop competitive ability and yield. While management and environmental variables are known to affect winterkill, the extent to which weeds contribute to increased winterkill is largely unknown. Winter annual weeds may increase winterkill through resource competition and by increasing incidence of and damage from plant pathogens that cause winterkill. We evaluated the impact of summer annual ( Avena fatua) and winter annual ( Bromus tectorum) weeds on the over-winter survival rate of winter wheat over three winters, during which plots were covered with snow. Pink snow mould ( Microdochium nivale), a winterkill pathogen known to infect B. tectorum and winter wheat, was common in wheat stands. In weed-free treatments, mortality rates were initially near zero, but increased by nearly 45% in each subsequent winter, presumably due to an increase in snow mould disease in continuously cropped winter wheat. Whereas A. fatua infestation had no impact on crop survival rates, winter wheat survival in B. tectorum-infested plots was 50% less than the weed-free control in the second and third years of this study. Among B. tectorum-infested plots, winter wheat over-winter survival declined with increasing weed seed produced in the previous summer. Overall, this study demonstrated that winter annual weed infestations can reduce crop stand densities below replanting thresholds by reducing fall-sown cereal winter survival. The effects of winter annual weeds on winter wheat may be meditated by increased proliferation of snow mould disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild grasses, crops, and grassy weeds are known to host Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and its vector, the wheat curl mite (WCM). Their relative importance as a source of WSMV was evaluated. A survey of small-grain fields throughout Montana was conducted between 2008 and 2009. Cheatgrass was the most prevalent grassy weed and the most frequent viral host, with 6% infection by WSMV in 2008 (n = 125) and 15% in 2009 (n = 358). By mechanically inoculating plants with WSMV in the greenhouse, the highest susceptibility was found in rye brome (52.1%), jointed goatgrass (80.9%), and wild oat (53.9%). Quackgrass, not previously reported as a host, was susceptible to WSMV (12.7%). Mite transmission efficiency from susceptible grass species was lower than from wheat, and grass species must be a host for both WSMV and the WCM to serve as a virus source. WCM transmission was more efficient than mechanical transmission. Overall, results indicate that grass species can serve as a viral reservoir, regional variation in a weed species' susceptibility to WSMV cannot explain geographic variation in epidemic intensity, and crop species and closely related weeds (e.g., jointed goatgrass) remain the best reservoirs for both WSMV and the WCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damping-off disease can cause severe stand loss and reduce seedling vigour of kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). While Pythium spp. are thought to be the primary cause of damping-off in chickpea, diversity and pathogenicity of other genera have not been widely explored. In surveys of three Montana fields of chickpea affected by damping-off, Fusarium spp. were isolated from 83% of the seeds tested, and were more common than the other taxa recovered, namely Pythium and Rhizopus. Fusarium spp. were identified to species using morphological characters and sequence analysis of two loci, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA and the translation elongation factor (TEF) 1-α gene. Consistently identified species were F. oxysporum Schltdl. and F. redolens Wollenw. While discrepancies between identification methods made the identity of other isolates unclear, Fusaria infecting chickpea were diverse and varied across sites. The pathogenicity of eight isolates to kabuli chickpea was tested across a gradient of soil moisture and initial propagule density. All isolates were able to cause disease on kabuli chickpea seeds and seedlings. Effects of soil moisture levels on disease incidence varied among isolates, even isolates whose TEF 1-α sequences were 100% identical. This indicates that strains within a species can vary in pathogenicity. Additionally, most isolates caused more severe disease symptoms on cotyledons than roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a single-center retrospective study of all cases of transplant renal artery angioplasty/stenting from 2015-19. Angioplasty/stenting is a safe and effective treatment for transplant renal arterial anastomotic stenosis, which significantly improves blood flow and renal function. [Extracted from the article]

To evaluate the efficacy and quality of life (QOL) impact of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) for prostates size < 50 g. PAE achieved a clinically and statistically significant reduction in prostate size, IPSS score and improved QOL in patients with prostates < 50 g. These findings support PAE as an efficacious treatment option for BPH in patients with smaller prostates with a favorable safety profile compared to conventional surgical options. [Extracted from the article]

The textural and geometrical properties of the pore networks (i.e., such as pore size distribution, pore shape, connectivity, and tortuosity) provides a primary control on the fluid storage and migration of geofluids within porous carbonate reservoirs. These properties are highly variable because of primary depositional conditions, diagenetic processes and deformation. This issue represents an important challenge for the characterization and exploitation plan in this type of reservoirs. In this study, the complementary properties of neutrons and X-ray experiments are carried out to better understand the effects of pore network properties on the hydraulic behavior of porous carbonates. Neutrons have unique properties and are particularly suitable for this study due to the sensitivity of neutrons to hydrogen-based fluids. The used methodology combines dynamic neutron radiography (NR), integrated X-ray and neutron tomography (XCT, NCT), and computational fluid dynamics simulations (lattice-Boltzmann method) of porous carbonate reservoir analogs from central and southern Italy. Dynamic 2D NR images provide information regarding the fluid transport and the wetting front dynamics related to the effect of heterogeneities (e.g., fractures and deformation bands) at the microscale. The combination of NCT (dry and wet samples) and XCT (dry), generates more information regarding the effective pore space contribution to fluid flow. The fluid flow simulations generate information about the connected pore network and the permeability evaluated rock sample at saturated condition.

Geofluid reservoirs located in heterolithic successions (e.g., turbidites) can be affected by vertical and lateral compartmentalization due to interbedded fine-grained facies (i.e., shale, siltstones) and the presence of faults, respectively. A fault can behave as a conduit or barrier to fluid flow depending on its architecture and the individual hydraulic behavior of its components (i.e., fault core, damage zone). The fault core, normally composed by fault rock or smeared clay material, commonly acts as a flow inhibitor across the fault. Fault-related fractures (macro- and microscopic) in the damage zone generally increase the permeability parallel to the fault, except when they are cemented or filled with gouge material. Although macrofractures (which define the fracture porosity) dominate fluid flow, the matrix porosity (including microfractures) begins to have a more important role in fluid flow as the aperture of macrofractures is occluded, particularly at greater depth. This study investigates the variation in matrix permeability in fault zones hosted in heterolithic successions due to fault architecture and stratigraphy of host rock (i.e., sand-rich turbidites). Two key areas of well-exposed, faulted Miocene turbidites located in central and southern Italy were selected. For this study, six separate fault zones of varying offset were chosen. Each impacts heterolithic successions that formed under similar tectonic conditions and burial depths. Across the selected fault zones, an extensive petrophysical analysis was done in the field and laboratory, through air permeameter measurements, thin section, and synchrotron analysis in both host rock, damage zone, and fault core. Results suggest that the amount and distribution of clay layers in a heterolithic sequence affects fluid flow across the fault, regardless of fault offset.

Fluid flow through a single fracture is traditionally described by the cubic law, which is derived from the Navier-Stokes equation for the flow of an incompressible fluid between two smooth-parallel plates. Thus, the permeability of a single fracture depends only on the so-called hydraulic aperture which differs from the mechanical aperture (separation between the two fracture wall surfaces). This difference is mainly related to the roughness of the fracture walls, which has been evaluated in previous works by including a friction factor in the permeability equation or directly deriving the hydraulic aperture. However, these methodologies may lack adequate precision to provide valid results. This work presents a complete protocol for fracture surface mapping, roughness evaluation, fracture modeling, fluid flow simulation, and permeability estimation of individual fracture (open or sheared joint/pressure solution seam). The methodology includes laboratory-based high-resolution structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry of fracture surfaces, power spectral density (PSD) surface evaluation, synthetic fracture modeling, and fluid flow simulation using the Lattice-Boltzmann method. This work evaluates the respective controls on permeability exerted by the fracture displacement (perpendicular and parallel to the fracture walls), surface roughness, and surface pair mismatch. The results may contribute to defining a more accurate equation of hydraulic aperture and permeability of single fractures, which represents a pillar for the modeling and upscaling of the hydraulic properties of a geofluid reservoir.

Outside the HEP computing ecosystem, it is vanishingly rare to encounter user X509 certificate authentication (and proxy certificates are even more rare). The web never widely adopted the user certificate model, but increasingly sees the need for federated identity services and distributed authorization. For example, Dropbox, Google and Box instead use bearer tokens issued via the OAuth2 protocol to authorize actions on their services. Thus, the HEP ecosystem has the opportunity to reuse recent work in industry that now covers our needs. We present a token-based ecosystem for authorization tailored for use by CMS. We base the tokens on the SciTokens profile for the standardized JSON Web Token (JWT) format. The token embeds a signed description of what capabilities the VO grants the bearer; the site-level service can verify the VO’s signature without contacting a central service. In this paper, we describe the modifications done to enable token-based authorization in various software packages used by CMS, including XRootD, CVMFS, and HTCondor. We describe the token-issuing workflows that would be used to get tokens to running jobs in order to authorize data access and file stageout, and explain the advantages for hosted web services. Finally, we outline what the transition would look like for an experiment like CMS.

There have been very few measurements of the total cross section for np scattering below 500 keV. To differentiate among NN potential models, improved cross section data between 20 and 600 keV are required. We measured the np and nC total cross sections in this energy region by transmission; a collimated neutron beam was passed through CH2 and C samples and transmitted neutrons were detected by a BC-501A liquid scintillator. Cross sections were obtained with a precision of 1.1-2.0% between 150 and 800 keV using ratios of normalized neutron yields measured with and without the scattering samples in the beam. In energy regions where they overlap, the present results are consistent with existing precision measurements and fill in a significant gap in the data between En = 150 and 500 keV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]