Potential Recognition of Accretionary Lapilli in Distal Impact Deposits on Mars: A Facies Analog Provided by the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Impact Deposit

Our understanding of the significance and abundance of sedimentary strata on Mars has increased considerably during the last decade. The highly cratered surface of Mars leads to the prediction that impact ejecta deposits, possibly containing accretionary lapilli, should be part of the sediment record. While no impact-induced base surge deposits have been confirmed on Mars, it is likely that they will one day be discovered, and it is important to establish criteria for their recognition in the rock record. The recognition of ejecta deposits containing accretionary lapilli on Mars requires reliable facies models developed from known impact-generated strata on Earth. Sections through ejecta layers formed by the 1850 Ma Sudbury impact event provide data to begin development of such models. These deposits are laterally variable but generally show a vertical decrease in lithic clast size and, where present, an upward fining in accretionary lapilli. In thicker deposits, the accretionary lapilli–bearing portion of sections generally progresses upward from decimeter-scale beds of clast-supported lapilli interlayered with centimeter-scale sandstone beds, to parallel and undulatory laminated lapilli, and sandstones. These are overlain by lapilli stringers and isolated lapilli in parallel-laminated to cross-stratified sandstone. Both grain size and sedimentary structures indicate a succession deposited by an impact-generated base surge during decelerating flow. Thinner deposits of ejecta, possibly laid down on topographic highs, are commonly massive with reverse and normal grading. We compare the accretionary lapilli–bearing strata in the Sudbury ejecta deposits to proposed impact-generated base surge deposits in the Burns formation at Meridian Planum, Mars. Units comprising the Burns formation do not have the internal organization of spherule-bearing layers exhibited by the Sudbury ejecta deposits. Comparison with Sudbury ejecta layers and theoretical considerations indicate that the spherules developed in the Burns formation do not represent grains deposited by a base surge and are most likely diagenetic in origin. However, impact ejecta layers should be present in the sedimentary successions on Mars, and comparison with similar strata on Earth may lead to their eventual identification

Plasma Soluble Human Elastin Fragments as an Intra-Aneurysmal Localized Biomarker for Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm

Background—Fragmentation of the tunica media is a hallmark of intracranial aneurysm formation, often leading to aneurysmal progression and subsequent rupture. The objective of this study is to determine the plasma level of elastin fragments in the lumen of ruptured versus unruptured human intracranial aneurysms. Methods and Results—One hundred consecutive patients with/without ruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms undergoing endovascular coiling or stent-assisted coiling were recruited. Blood samples were collected from the lumen of intracranial aneurysm using a microcatheter. The tip of the microcatheter was placed inside the aneurysm’s sac in close proximity to the inner wall of the dome. Plasma levels of elastin fragments were measured using an ELISA-based method. Mean plasma level of soluble human elastin fragments was significantly greater in ruptured aneurysms when compared with nonruptured aneurysms (102.0±15.5 versus 39.3±9.6 ng/mL; P\u3c0.001). Mean plasma level of soluble human elastin fragments did not have significant correlation with age, sex, size, or aneurysm location. Conclusions—The present study revealed that a significantly higher concentration of soluble human elastin fragments in the lumen of ruptured intracranial aneurysms when compared with nonruptured ones. © 2018 The Authors

Are Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Validated for Spanish Language and Culture?

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been adopted as a way to measure patient self-rated physical function and health status for patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Although multiple PROMs exist and have been translated into various languages, the cross-cultural adaptation and validity of these PROMs for Spanish-speaking patients is unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate the adaptation quality and psychometric properties of Spanish-language adaptations of PROMs for patients with ACL injuries. STUDY DESIGN: Scoping review; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Under PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we reviewed published studies related to adaptation quality and psychometric properties of Spanish PROMs in patients with ACL injuries. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Reported Measures, the Quality Criteria for Psychometric Properties of Health Status Questionnaires, and the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. The level of evidence for each PROM was determined based on the number of studies, methodological quality, consistency of results, and sample size. RESULTS: The initial search strategy identified 5687 articles. After removal of duplicates, 1882 titles were screened, and 114 articles were assessed for eligibility. Six articles were selected for final review, comprising 4 PROMs: the Lysholm knee score, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI), the Lower Extremity Functional Scale, and the Lower Limb Functional Index. Three studies followed all 6 processes for cross-cultural adaptation. None of the studies demonstrated all 14 domains required for cross-cultural validity (eg, description of translator expertise). The ACL-RSI achieved the highest level of evidence, with 3 of 9 domains demonstrating moderate evidence. CONCLUSION: This review identified 4 instruments that have been translated for Spanish-speaking patients with ACL injuries, none of which demonstrated appropriate adaptation or robust psychometric properties. The study highlights the need for improvement in PROMs for Spanish-speaking patients and the potential for mismeasurement and inappropriate application of PROM results in patients with ACL injuries

Potential Recognition of Accretionary Lapilli in Distal Impact Deposits on Mars: A Facies Analog Provided by the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Impact Deposit

Our understanding of the significance and abundance of sedimentary strata on Mars has increased considerably during the last decade. The highly cratered surface of Mars leads to the prediction that impact ejecta deposits, possibly containing accretionary lapilli, should be part of the sediment record. While no impact-induced base surge deposits have been confirmed on Mars, it is likely that they will one day be discovered, and it is important to establish criteria for their recognition in the rock record. The recognition of ejecta deposits containing accretionary lapilli on Mars requires reliable facies models developed from known impact-generated strata on Earth. Sections through ejecta layers formed by the 1850 Ma Sudbury impact event provide data to begin development of such models. These deposits are laterally variable but generally show a vertical decrease in lithic clast size and, where present, an upward fining in accretionary lapilli. In thicker deposits, the accretionary lapilli–bearing portion of sections generally progresses upward from decimeter-scale beds of clast-supported lapilli interlayered with centimeter-scale sandstone beds, to parallel and undulatory laminated lapilli, and sandstones. These are overlain by lapilli stringers and isolated lapilli in parallel-laminated to cross-stratified sandstone. Both grain size and sedimentary structures indicate a succession deposited by an impact-generated base surge during decelerating flow. Thinner deposits of ejecta, possibly laid down on topographic highs, are commonly massive with reverse and normal grading. We compare the accretionary lapilli–bearing strata in the Sudbury ejecta deposits to proposed impact-generated base surge deposits in the Burns formation at Meridian Planum, Mars. Units comprising the Burns formation do not have the internal organization of spherule-bearing layers exhibited by the Sudbury ejecta deposits. Comparison with Sudbury ejecta layers and theoretical considerations indicate that the spherules developed in the Burns formation do not represent grains deposited by a base surge and are most likely diagenetic in origin. However, impact ejecta layers should be present in the sedimentary successions on Mars, and comparison with similar strata on Earth may lead to their eventual identification

Speciation in Western North America: Lomatium as an Example of Diversification and Convergent Evolution

Species delimitations and understanding the processes that drive speciation are essential to nearly all aspects of human endeavor. Determining species boundaries traditionally used morphology. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequence data provide a means to resolve species boundaries, as well as test hypotheses regarding the evolutionary processes. Numerous species radiations have occurred in Western North America. Among these are several plant groups such as Astragalus, Artemisia, and Lomatium. Recent phylogenetic analyses of Lomatium and related genera have demonstrated that many of the morphological characters used to delimit taxa have arisen multiple times and that most taxa are para- or polyphyletic. Here we examine one of the clades recovered in the Lomatium group of taxa that includes Lomatium triternatum and L. grayi. The several subspecific taxa of L. triternatum have not been recovered as monophyletic and L. grayi has a widespread habitat distribution that may indicate cryptic speciation. Previous analyses have not fully resolved phylogenetic relationships with strong support. In the present study we sample an additional four loci (three chloroplast and one nuclear ribosomal) to improve the support for evolutionary relationships across this clade, resolve species boundaries, and test hypotheses on the evolution of morphological traits

Crisis on Tap: Seeking Solutions for Safe Water for Indigenous Peoples

Water which is safe to drink straight from the tap is taken for granted by many Canadians, despite the fact that access to safe drinking water is far from universal. Across the country, many communities endure conditions unimaginable to most Canadians: water accessed through pipe systems causes gastrointestinal illness, must be boiled prior to consumption or not used at all, and these drinking water advisories can last anywhere from a few days to several years. First Nations are over-represented in both the number and severity of drinking water advisories, and face considerable barriers in (re-)establishing clean drinking water in their communities. These challenges have been increasingly recognized by all levels of government – this recognition led to the development of the First Nations Drinking Water Safety Programme and to new legislation creating enforceable drinking water standards on First Nations reserves. Last year’s World Water Day also marked the midpoint of the United Nations Decade for Indigenous Peoples, and honouring the importance of water to the health of Indigenous communities, the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research and partners held the Consensus Conference on Small Water Systems Management for the Promotion of Indigenous Health, March 21-23, 2010. This three day event brought together community members, researchers, policy makers, and health and water services professionals to discuss pathways to achieving universal safe drinking water in Canada and abroad. Two themes emerged from the discussions as important to addressing safe drinking water in Canada: collaboration across disciplinary boundaries and greater self-determination among First Nations. In the months following the conference, the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research initiated a workshop series exploring economic and social barriers to safe drinking water experienced by First Nations in British Columbia. Working in partnership with six communities, CAHR delivered workshops on topics specific to local needs. The book that follows shares the proceedings of the conference and a report summarizing the process and findings of the workshop series. On the Centre’s website (www.cahr.uvic.ca) you can also access the video recordings of the conference presentations, as well as a trailer video and a full documentary produced as a result of the conference. It is my hope that these materials open a door to interdisciplinary exploration of the issue and support ‘two-eyed seeing’ where water is concerned

Design, Characterization, and Testing of HERT, a Miniaturized High-Energy-Resolution Relativistic Electron Telescope for CubeSats

Earth\u27s outer radiation belt is filled with relativistic electrons in the MeV energy range and above. These highly energetic electrons pose significant threats to avionics and humans in space, and understanding their dynamics has been an urgent need. As CubeSats increasingly play a more prominent role by executing missions at a far lower cost, they become ideal vehicles for conducting such scientific investigations. The miniaturized High-Energy-Resolution relativistic electron Telescope (HERT) is a compact telescope designed for a 6U CubeSat mission in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). HERT aims to provide high-energy-resolution (dE/E \u3c 12%) measurements of 1 - 7 MeV electrons at GTO. These measurements will enable a novel method to differentiate the two main acceleration mechanisms, inward radial transport and local acceleration, and solve the longstanding question of how electrons in the Earth\u27s radiation belts are accelerated to relativistic energies. Building upon the heritage of the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) instrument on the Van Allen Probes and the REPTile-2 instrument on CIRBE, HERT iS comprised of a stack of nine solid-state silicon detectors in a telescope configuration with a beryllium window to block lower energy electrons and a tantalum collimator to enforce the required FOV (33°). The instrument responses were investigated using Geant4 simulations, and the results project HERT to have a nominal energy resolution of ~5% for 1.5 - 3 Me V electrons and \u3c ~12% for other core energy channels. Radiation testing has been conducted with a Cobalt-60 source, and the results suggest that HERT electronics can sustain a total ionizing dose of ~65 krad, meeting the instrument performance requirement in a GTO. Random vibration simulations have also been conducted, which suggest that HERT\u27s reaction stresses and displacements are within a significant safety factor relative to yield strength from each component. Bench testing with muons and an SR-90/Y-90 radioactive source is ongoing to test HERT\u27s performance. With a high energy resolution and a miniaturized design, HERT will greatly advance the quantitative understanding of relativistic electron acceleration in the outer radiation belt

Multi-strategy engineering greatly enhances provitamin A carotenoid accumulation and stability in Arabidopsis seeds

Staple grains with low levels of provitamin A carotenoids contribute to the global prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and therefore are the main targets for provitamin A biofortification. However, carotenoid stability during both seed maturation and postharvest storage is a serious concern for the full benefits of carotenoid biofortified grains. In this study, we utilized Arabidopsis as a model to establish carotenoid biofortification strategies in seeds. We discovered that manipulation of carotenoid biosynthetic activity by seed-specific expression of Phytoene synthase (PSY) increases both provitamin A and total carotenoid levels but the increased carotenoids are prone to degradation during seed maturation and storage, consistent with previous studies of provitamin A biofortified grains. In contrast, stacking with Orange (ORHis), a gene that initiates chromoplast biogenesis, dramatically enhances provitamin A and total carotenoid content and stability. Up to 65- and 10-fold increases of β-carotene and total carotenoids, respectively, with provitamin A carotenoids composing over 63% were observed in the seeds containing ORHis and PSY. Co-expression of Homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase (HGGT) with ORHis and PSY further increases carotenoid accumulation and stability during seed maturation and storage. Moreover, knocking-out of β-carotene hydroxylase 2 (BCH2) by CRISPR/Cas9 not only potentially facilitates β-carotene accumulation but also minimizes the negative effect of carotenoid over production on seed germination. Our findings provide new insights into various processes on carotenoid accumulation and stability in seeds and establish a multiplexed strategy to simultaneously target carotenoid biosynthesis, turnover, and stable storage for carotenoid biofortification in crop seeds