Grant Program Research Articles

Abstract 2358: NR0B2 re-educates myeloid cells within the tumor microenvironment: Potential novel strategy for breast cancer immunotherapy

Abstract Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. In recent years, immunotherapy has been tremendously successful in some metastatic cancers such as melanoma. However, a majority of breast cancer patients do not benefit from existing immunotherapy treatments, leaving many with an unmet need. Although undoubtedly multifactorial, one major obstacle to anti-cancer therapies, is the highly immunosuppressive breast tumor microenvironment. This phenomenon is strongly maintained by myeloid immune cells and immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs), which hinder anti-tumor immunosurveillance and promote tumor progression. Thus, strategies to ‘re-educate’ myeloid cells to inhibit Tregs is a potentially promising anti-cancer strategy. Mining clinical data, we have found that elevated mRNA expression of the nuclear receptor, NR0B2 within breast tumors is associated with an increased time to recurrence. Single cell RNA-sequencing indicates that NR0B2 is expressed within the macrophage populations of normal breast tissue, and various dendritic cell (DC) types in PBMCs. Overexpression of NR0B2 or activation with a small molecule agonist in murine bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) or DCs resulted in a dichotomous T cell expansion - away from Tregs. Conversely, Treg expansion increased when NR0B2 was knocked-down. Tumor growth was markedly increased in mice lacking myeloid specific NR0B2 expression. We further investigated the downstream targets of NR0B2 mediating this anti-tumor phenotype and identified that NLRP3 inflammasome-IL1β activity is a likely modulator in re-educating myeloid cell-Treg function. Importantly, a putative small molecule agonist decreased established metastatic lesions and increased the efficacy of αPD-L1. Subsequent medicinal chemistry was used to develop a novel NR0B2 agonist with strong anti-metastatic properties when used as a single agent in a preclinical mouse model. Collectively, our data implicates NR0B2 within myeloid cells as a modulator of Tregs, a cell population that has thus far been therapeutically intractable. Therefore, NR0B2 may prove to be a promising therapeutic target to reshape the tumor microenvironment and improve breast cancer immunotherapy. This work was supported by the Era of Hope Scholar Award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program grant (BC200206), National Cancer Institute (R01CA234025), and NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Grant (T32-GM136629). Citation Format: Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage, Sayyed Hamed Shahoei, Tiffany Nguyen, Rachel Farmer, Samuel Albright, Erin Weisser, Rafael O. Bautista, Claire P. Schane, Yu Wang, Adam Nelczyk, Liqian Ma, Srishti Tiwari, Anasuya Das Gupta, Shruti Bendre, Lionel Apetoh, Paul J. Hergenrother, Erik R. Nelson. NR0B2 re-educates myeloid cells within the tumor microenvironment: Potential novel strategy for breast cancer immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2358.

Turning around schools (and neighborhoods?): School improvement grants and gentrification

Most funding intended to close gaps in K-12 education targets schools, rather than students directly. We investigate whether household sorting in response to changes in K-12 school funding inhibits spending from reaching targeted students with a case study in Metro-Nashville Public Schools of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, which invested $7 billion in the nation’s lowest-achieving schools between 2009 and 2016. Using a boundary-discontinuity difference-in-differences design and home sales data, we estimate that households were willing to pay more than three times the average per-pupil grant award to live in SIG school zones. Neighborhoods zoned for SIG schools experienced moderate income and racial integration following funding receipt. However, evictions in these neighborhoods increased by 35%, and non-white enrollment at SIG schools declined by 15%. Our findings illustrate a major limitation of place-based public good provision: sorting may displace the initially targeted population.

Hypothalamic neuroglial plasticity is regulated by anti-Müllerian hormone and disrupted in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive-endocrine disorder affecting between 5 and 18% of women worldwide. An elevated frequency of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and higher serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) are frequently observed in women with PCOS. The origin of these abnormalities is, however, not well understood. We studied brain structure and function in women with and without PCOS using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion tensor imaging combined with fiber tractography. Then, using a mouse model of PCOS, we investigated by electron microscopy whether AMH played a role on the regulation of hypothalamic structural plasticity. Increased AMH serum levels are associated with increased hypothalamic activity/axonal-glial signalling in PCOS patients. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AMH promotes profound micro-structural changes in the murine hypothalamic median eminence (ME), creating a permissive environment for GnRH secretion. These include the retraction of the processes of specialized AMH-sensitive ependymo-glial cells called tanycytes, allowing more GnRH neuron terminals to approach ME blood capillaries both during the run-up to ovulation and in a mouse model of PCOS. We uncovered a central function for AMH in the regulation of fertility by remodeling GnRH terminals and their tanycytic sheaths, and provided insights into the pivotal role of the brain in the establishment and maintenance of neuroendocrine dysfunction in PCOS. INSERM (U1172), European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement n° 725149), CHU de Lille, France (Bonus H).

Repurposing picropodophyllin as a potential thyroid eye disease treatment via delaying mitotic clonal expansion through a patient‐derived preclinical platform

Repurposing picropodophyllin as a potential thyroid eye disease treatment via delaying mitotic clonal expansion through a patient‐derived preclinical platform

Leaf spot on Alocasia macrorrhizos caused by Fusarium asiaticum in Sichuan, China.

Alocasia macrorrhizos (Giant elephant's ear), a perennial herb in the Araceae family, is native to South Asia and the Asia-Pacific (Takano, et al. 2012). It is cultivated as a medicinal and ornamental plant, and has a considerable economic importance in China. In September 2020, a severe infection of unknown leaf spot disease was observed on these plants at the Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, China. The leaf spots first appeared as yellow dots. As these lesions expanded, they became circular to oval and light brown with darker brown edges. Around the lesions, the leaf tissue was chlorotic, thereby creating a yellow halo. When the infection became severe, spots merged into larger irregular lesions. Eventually, the diseased leaves senesced and dried. To identify the pathogen, five leaf samples of diseased plants were collected, and symptomatic tissues were surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s followed by 3% NaCl solution for 30 s. Samples were rinsed three times in sterilized water, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C ± 1°C in the dark. The colony grown on PDA was white (3 days), the center was brown (5 days), turned pink to dark red (8 days) with fluffy aerial mycelium and pigmentation with age. Ten pure cultures were inoculated into carnation leaf agar (CLA) medium and incubated at 25°C in an incubator (12 h for one light-dark cycle). In CLA medium, pathogen produced hyaline, sickle-shaped, macroconidia with 3 to 5 septa, and an average size of 30 to 50 × 4 to 5 µm (n = 30) macroconidia but no microconidia in 10 days. Chlamydospores were spherical to subspherical (5.4 to 13.8 µm). Morphological characteristics of the all isolates were consistent with the description of the Fusarium asiaticum (Leslie and Summerell 2006). To validate this identification, RNA polymerase II (RPB2) (Liu et al. 1999), translation elongation factor (EF-1) (Geiser et al. 2004), and β-tubulin (TUB2) gene region of five isolates were amplified and sequenced (O' Donnell et al. 2015; White et al. 1990). The sequence of one representative isolate (ZL10) sequence was submitted to GenBank (ON215729, ON215730, and ON215731). The NCBI BLAST identified the top hits, 100%, 100%, and 99.87% for RPB2, EF, and TUB gene sequences, respectively, all indicating to Fusarium asiaticum. Pairwise matched of RPB2 and EF genes by MycoBank Fusarium MSIL showed the top hit rate of 100% for F. asiaticum (MH582120 and MH582249). For Koch's postulate and pathogenicity test, spore suspensions (1 × 10^7 conidia/ml) collected from PDA and CLA cultures with 0.05% Tween 80 buffer were used to inoculate with a spray bottle on leaves of a one year old A. macrorrhizos plants. Two leaves of each plant (20 pots in total) were inoculated with the spore suspension (approximately 2000 µl per leaf). An equal number of control leaves were applied with water and 0.05% Tween 80 buffer. Twenty days later, the inoculated plants showed similar symptoms to those of the original diseased plants while the controls remained asymptomatic. Fusarium asiaticum was reisolated from the infected leaves and confirmed using morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analysis. The pathogenicity test was repeated three times with similar results. This first report raises awareness of a new leaf spot disease infecting a commercial A. macrorrhizos in China. It provides an insight for a need of systematic survey identifying current spread, disease origin, and ultimately developing disease management strategies. Funding: Funding was provided by Sichuan Agricultural University Subject Dual Support Program (Grant No. 2121993055). Funding was provided by Deyang Science and Technology Bureau (Sichuan Province) for key R&D projects in agriculture and rural areas (Grant No. 2021NZ048). Funding was provided by the Sichuan Provincial Department of science and technology for the Sichuan Provincial Science and technology project for connecting and Promoting Rural Revitalization (Grant No, 2022ZHXC0007) References： Geiser, D. M., et al. 2004. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:473. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EJPP.0000032386.75915.a0 Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar Leslie, J. F., and Summerall, B. A., eds. 2006. Page 176 in The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470278376 Liu, Y. J., et al. 1999. Mol. Biol. Evol. 16:1799. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026092 O'Donnell, K., and Cigelnik, E. 1997. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 7:103. https://doi.org/10.1006/mpev.1996.0376 Takano K T, et al. 2012, Plant Bio., 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00541.x.

168 Community Engagement, One Mile High: Developing a pipeline for training in community-based participatory research for investigators in Colorado

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Describe the pipeline of training, coaching, and council opportunities through the Partnerships of Academicians and Communities for Translation (PACT) and how it enhances Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) practices and increases community participation and capacity. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We conceptualized a pipeline for building capacity for community-based participatory research (CBPR). Key components include Colorado Immersion Training in Community Engagement which introduces academic investigators to specific geographic and demographic communities in Colorado, Partnership Development grants that fund time to building relationships between research and community, Joint Pilot Grants to provide subsequent funding for collaborative research, and the PACT, consisting of Community Research Liaisons (CRLs) and Community and Academic Council Members. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The pilot grants program was created in 2008; to date has awarded 138 partnerships. In response to academic and community needs, our core developed CIT in 2010. 16 CIT Participants received Partnership Development pilot grant funding, six of whom went on to receive Joint Pilot funding, and an additional 8 who started with a Joint Pilot award. There have been 24 Partnership Development awardees who received subsequent Joint Pilot funding. Ten CIT participants have either become a PACT council member, pilot grants reviewer, or PACT trainer or coach. There has been one person to complete the entire pipeline from CIT, pilot grant awardee, to PACT council member. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The pipeline is a strong foundation for engaging with academic and community researchers who aim to improve CBPR in Colorado. Our signature programs, CIT and Pilot Grants, are unique opportunities to increase community engagement across sectors and improve research practices.

99 Grant Writing Program to Enhance Junior Faculty Research Funding Success

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The grant writing process provides investigators with critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, crucial for personal and professional development. However, opportunities for junior faculty to learn these skills are highly variable. Thus, we developed a grant writing program to assist in the preparation of an NIH R proposal. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The R Club Grant Program was implemented in 2021 for junior faculty of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine and Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST). The program consists of a series of workshops (e.g., How to Craft a Specific Aims Page, How to Construct a Competitive R01 Proposal) utilizing examples of successful proposals and grant review criteria to demonstrate how to translate a conceptual framework into a research proposal (level 1). All participants can receive constructive feedback on a Specific Aims page from an experienced grant writer (level 2), and for a select cohort, the program provides comprehensive scientific content edits and iterative feedback on a full research proposal, with a focus on grantsmanship, presentation, and overall competitiveness (level 3). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Over three NIH grant cycles, the program to date has provided 38 early-career investigators with multi-level grant writing support. All participants attended the workshops and received supporting documents, 21 received feedback on a Specific Aims page, and 6 received one-on-one writing assistance on their full research proposal. Of the 6 investigators who received the greatest level of support, 3 have received NIH scientific review, with a 66.6% funding success rate for either an original (R01, n=1) or subsequent overlapping (R35, n=1) proposal. In a survey sent to workshop attendees, 100% of respondents (n=23) reported ( Strongly Agreed or Agreed ) that the training was a worthwhile investment in their professional development and 96% stated that they will be able to apply the knowledge and skills learned. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Initial evaluation measures suggest that grant writing support programs have great potential to enhance funding success rates. As the program evolves it will be crucial to evaluate both qualitative and quantitative feedback measures to ensure efforts are directed to the appropriate level(s) of service to maximize the funding success of our faculty.

"Ain't Nothing Free": Earning an Education at the Houston Junior Market Steer Auction

"Ain't Nothing Free":Earning an Education at the Houston Junior Market Steer Auction Rebecca Scofield (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution The 1943 Grand Champion steer of the Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition (now known as Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo). Lieutenant R. B. Tate (left) and Elton Barton are shown with the champion steer at the Houston Fat Stock Show. The steer was owned by Warren Barton of Sweetwater, Texas. From Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, AR406-6-1705, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, Special Collections. [End Page 494] By the mid-2010s, attendees at the junior market steer auction at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) were greeted by the "Hall of Champions," a long processional of the remains of past champion steers, namely their hides displayed with matted photographs of the living steer and its young owner. For decades, young people ranging from ages eight to eighteen in 4-H or FFA (once an acronym for Future Farmers of America) have exhibited between 1,800 and 2,500 steers in front of a 75,000-person audience. Competing first in local fairs throughout Texas, these exhibitors are selected as local winners and potential state-wide champions. Each year, roughly 450 of them are selected to go to the champion auction the following morning. The HLSR has not staged an ordinary stock auction, however; it has instead been a space that, according to HLSR publicity, "reward[ed] young Texas 4-H and FFA students for their hard work year round."1 Like other charity auctions, bidders have vied for social status by buying high—far higher than market-value for these animals. By 2019, a Grand Champion stock raiser was guaranteed $75,000 and, if the auction went well, allowed to receive up to $85,000. (By comparison, at an average 4-H auction sellers might have received between $1,500 and $5,000 for a Grand Champion steer).2 [End Page 495] Over the past century, students who raised champion animals for agricultural clubs have committed a great deal of time to raising their animals. It has been standard for them to spend up to five hours with the animal before dawn and after dark feeding, bathing, grooming, and exercising them.3 The young stockmen and women who appeared in Houston's arena have been overwhelmingly White, scrubbed clean, and dressed in appropriate western attire. For decades, they have represented an idealized version of the state's agricultural past and many Texans' desired future. After the daylong auction, champion sellers kissed their animals goodbye. The animals underwent drug testing, were butchered, and given back to buyers as premium beef packages. Simultaneously, organizers in Houston worked hard to wall off the chaos of the holding pens and provide a comfortable viewing area. Spectators need a metal star-shaped badge to gain entry, thus limiting seating to serious buyers ready to bid hundreds of thousands of dollars. For their anticipated generosity, the Steer Auction Committee created a buyers' breakfast and ensured audience members were provided with complimentary alcoholic beverages by a predominately African American and Latinx waitstaff. Since the 1990s, the audience has routinely consisted of real estate moguls, local CEOs, and oil barons dressed in white cowboy hats and shiny boots, eager to support the educational dreams of young people. Funds beyond the award limit of $85,000 were funneled into the Educational Fund to be distributed among seven-hundred smaller scholarships—including scholarships through 4-H and FFA, as well as ones dedicated to "Metropolitan" and "Opportunity" students, increasing the number of beneficiaries of the program and flagging the organization's educational orientation and dedication to diversity. Founded with the goal of teaching young men (and later young women) better agricultural practices, the HLSR expanded in the mid-century to provide educational resources and saw exponential growth in scholarship donations in the early twenty-first century. Ultimately, the HLSR created a huge business out of providing funds for individuals to pursue an education. As of 2019, the show had committed more than $25 million to various scholarships, educational program grants, and graduate assistantships annually. This auction exemplified a...

БАНКІВСЬКЕ КРЕДИТУВАННЯ БІЗНЕСУ В УКРАЇНІ В УМОВАХ ВОЄННОГО СТАНУ

The article analyzes trends in bank lending in Ukraine during the period of martial law, focusing on payments on existing loans and receiving new loans. It examines the share of non-performing loans provided to economic entities and identifies an increase in their share during martial law. The article considers the conditions for introducing "credit holidays" and investigates debt restructuring methods such as deferral of payments, writing off part of the borrower's debt, and reducing the interest rate. The article also identifies vectors of state business support, including business lending during wartime and a grant program in Ukraine. The terms of the "Available loans" 5-7-9% program are examined, as well as the number, volume, and structure of credit agreements made under the program. The article notes that businesses have actively participated in the program, demonstrating a willingness to adapt and develop. State banks have played a significant role in the program, making up more than 80% of the total number of contracts. The article also clarifies the conditions for providing state grant support in Ukraine, investigates types of grants from the Erobota program, and identifies the main problems in the field of banking lending to businesses and their consequences for the Ukrainian economy.

Researches and applications of the combinatorial configurations for innovative devices and process engineering

This paper is devoted to the memory of Solomon Wolf Golomb (1932–2016) — a famous American mathematician, engineer, and professor of electrical engineering. He was interested in developing techniques for improving the quality indices of engineering devices and systems with respect to performance reliability, transmission speed, positioning precision, and resolving ability based on novel combinatorial configurations. In 1996 S. Golomb have supported the project “Researches and Applications of the Combinatorial Configurations for Innovative Devices and Process Engineering” as a scientific collaboration with the Former Soviet Union (FSU) research team from Lviv Polytechnic State University (Ukraine) under the Cooperative Grant Program by CRDF (U.S.). The underlying project to be edited by S. Golomb is presented, and short information on the development of the researches and applications of optimized systems with ring structure given.

Cost-effectiveness of federal CDBG-DR Road Home Program mitigation assistance in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the State of Louisiana received federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) assistance, administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) as the Road Home Program, to provide homeowners with the required matching funds for elevating damaged homes under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). This research evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the Road Home Program elevation mitigation assistance for a case study of homes in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, using benefit–cost analysis (BCA) based on average annual loss (AAL) prediction. We use multiple return period flood depths from FEMA RiskMAP non-regulatory flood depth and calculate flood risk reduction as the difference between pre- and post-elevation AAL. We compute benefit–cost ratio (BCR) and net benefit–cost ratio (NBCR) of the elevation mitigation investment across multiple time horizons, considering several funding scenarios. Then, we determine optimal first-floor height (FFH) by foundation type and 100-year flood depth. The analysis reveals that elevating existing homes by either 3 feet above the ground or to the base flood elevation (BFE; 100-year flood elevation), whichever is higher, reduces the median AAL by 98%. This elevation generates a BCR of 1.5 and 1.7 over a 30-year mortgage and a 70-year building lifetime, respectively, if the benefit is allocated proportionately. These results enhance understanding of cost-effectiveness of federal elevation mitigation investments, benefits of elevating homes above the minimum requirements, and most effective elevated heights for homes.

The effect of payments for ecosystem services on forest cover, land use, and capacity building in northern Mexico

The endorreic watershed of Laguna de Santiaguillo, located in Durango, Mexico, provides important ecosystem services to local communities. Due to its size and forest diversity, it is the refuge for many reptiles and migratory birds. It captures a large amount of carbon dioxide in its soil and vegetation, all while catching the water that will then be used for agriculture and aquifer recharge. To improve these ecosystem services, as well as maintain a collaborative relationship with the watershed, several community-owned properties in this area, known as ejidos, enrolled in a federally supported Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) program. This program grants economic subsidies to landowners to help protect forest resources. However, there is little information on the effect that this program has on these types of community-owned properties. Through a spatial analysis, the vegetation index was estimated, as well as the impact that this program has had on the communities and their resources. A Difference-in-Differences (DiD) method was used to test for differences in remotely sensed vegetation cover and land use between PES and non-PES ejido recipients. Socioeconomic indicators, obtained from surveys, were also evaluated. Results show that changes in vegetation cover and land use were significant in secondary forests but not in primary forests in the selected periods. The overall difference, given by the DiD model, show no significant differences in land use changes. This study can help resource managers to monitor the additionality on forest resources and internal organization of ejido participants.

Some aspects of the legal regulation of state support for the production of organic crop production

The article examines the peculiarities of the legal regulation of state support for the production of organic crop production in Ukraine. The works of domestic scientists dealing with the issues of state support for the production of organic products were studied. Conducted legal analysis of Ukrainian and European legislation in the specified area. The author concludes that the issue of state support for the production of organic crop production in Ukraine is insufficiently regulated. To date, obtaining "real" funds for organic production is possible only through participation in grant programs. Their goal is to preserve and strengthen the capacity of the organic sector of Ukraine in the medium and long term, as well as to support producers of organic products whose areas are located in the territory of Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, which were occupied during the first months of the invasion, or the territory other areas affected by active hostilities. At the state level, the necessary conditions (both legal and financial) must be created to ensure the further development of organic production of crop production, which will contribute, among other things, to ensuring food security of our country. The author considers it appropriate to amend Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine "On Basic Principles and Requirements for Organic Production, Circulation and Labeling of Organic Products" in the following version: "state support can be provided to operators within the framework of the state target program for the development of organic production and relevant regional programs." In addition, we propose to supplement Clause 17-2.9 of Article 17-2 of the Law of Ukraine "On State Support of the Agriculture of Ukraine" with a subsection to provide for specific measures of state support for such branches of crop production as the harvesting of organic plants, organic viticulture and cultivation of organic grain crops. Also, the Law should provide for other types of state support for organic production, in particular regarding personnel and informational and advisory support.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ФІНАНСОВИМИ РЕСУРСАМИ ОБ’ЄДНАНИХ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД В УМОВАХ АДАПТИВНИХ ЗМІН ЗАКОНОДАВСТВА ПІД ЧАС ВОЄННОГО СТАНУ

Реформа децентралізації створила передумови для підвищення рівня забезпечення потреб та інтересів громадян. У довоєнний період процес децентралізації завершився чітким розподілом функціональних повноважень між державним і місцевими бюджетами. Середньострокове бюджетне планування є визначальним для забезпечення програмно-цільового методу управління фінансовими ресурсами. Удосконалення бюджетного планування, виконання і звітування забезпечив процес автоматизації, зокрема, використання об’єднаними територіальними громадами інформаційно-програмного комплексу «Місцевий бюджет». Однак війна зумовила виникнення фінансових ризиків для ОТГ. Після початку повномасштабного вторгнення країни-агресорки більшість території України потребувало перерозподілу запланованих обсягів фінансових ресурсів, тому у 2022 р. відбулось удосконалення нормативно-правової бази для можливості забезпечення фінансових потреб громад у воєнний період. Розглянуто роль громадських і волонтерських організацій, благодійних фондів у вирішенні нагальних проблем громад. Насамперед, проаналізовано створені умови для участі інститутів громадянського суспільства в конкурсних пропозиціях і грантових програмах для залучення додаткових фінансових ресурсів. Вивчено правила розрахунку доходів місцевих бюджетів від акцизного податку. Проаналізовано механізм урахування необхідної суми коштів для безперебійного надання соціальних гарантій, які допомагають особам, що потребують сторонньої допомоги. Досліджено джерела фінансового забезпечення безперебійного і повноцінного функціонування пунктів незламності, можливості надання державної фінансової допомоги комунальним підприємствам, які забезпечують розміщення тимчасово переміщених осіб. Велику увагу приділено освітній субвенції. Розглянуто основні напрями і правила використання залишку освітньої субвенції для фінансування додаткового захисту членів ОТГ відповідно до нормативно-правових документів Міністерства освіти і науки України. Таким чином, швидкі зміни нормативно-правових документів, які впливають на процес управління фінансовими ресурсами ОТГ, дозволили створити умови для забезпечення потреб та інтересів громад під час дії воєнного стану.

JUE Insight: What is the impact of opportunity zones on job postings?

We study the effect of Opportunity Zones (OZs) on job postings using data comprising the near-universe of U.S. online job postings. The OZs program grants tax breaks for investment in designated distressed communities, nominated by each state’s governor based on multiple factors. We use propensity score matching to account for those factors and a difference-in-differences model over the matched sample to estimate the effect of the program. We find limited evidence of any effect of OZs on job postings on average, although we do find small positive effects in urban areas, in areas with above median Black population, and in some states.

Happy 40th, NIH Shared Instrumentation Program! The NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant Program Embraces a PromisingFuture.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers many types of funding programs and opportunities to support biomedical research. The best known of these programs, the NIH Research Project Grant Program, or R01, supports investigator-initiated research projects. Another well-known funding mechanism is the NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant Program, also known as SIG or S10. This year marks the S10's 40th anniversary. To commemorate this triumphant milestone and a successful 40years, let's first review how this legendary and highly impactful program started.

Under the influence: The celebrity factor in policy capture

AbstractCelebrity is a form of policy influence that can occur under distinctive circumstances. This paper draws on the regulatory/policy capture literature to develop a model of celebrity capture that explains how interest groups can affect policy in the absence of economic clout or constituency mobilization. We posit that the likelihood of celebrity capture increases when several factors align: (1) a context open to change; (2) reduced oversight in decisionmaking processes; (3) organizations that have credibility and a halo effect due to their celebrity status; and (4) an uncoordinated sector with weak intermediary organizations. The analysis applies process tracing to account for the success of one celebrity‐founded and celebrity‐led organization, WE Charity, in shaping the design and being awarded sole‐source implementation of the CAD $543 million Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) program during COVID‐19. The CSSG, which proposed to pay up to 100,000 students to “volunteer” in nonprofits over the course of a summer, quickly failed and became a public ethical scandal.

UPPER CUTTING TOOL TO INCREASE SLIPPER PRODUCTION IN KOTALAMA VILLAGE, KEDUNGKANDANG DISTRICT, MALANG CITY

This community service is carried out to entrepreneurs in the slipper's home industry, precisely in Kotalama Village, Kedungkandang District, Malang City. The micro-business developing in this village manufactures slippers, which only absorbs 3 to 6 workers. IRT "Fla.Fe" was made as a partner because it has problems producing sandals, which are still very simple. Equipment not touched by science and technology has resulted in production results not being maximized, so production income has not been optimal. There still needs to be more understanding about models and variations of flip-flops. So far, cutting the upper is still using the manual method, namely with hand scissors. Through the Unisma Grant (HI-ma) program, it is expected to solve existing problems by designing and making slipper upper-cutting tools to increase production results and business profits.

Statewide Assessment of North Carolina Nurse Practitioners' Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Suicide Awareness and Prevention: Protocol for a Statewide Mixed Methods Study.

Suicide is a major public health problem, which affects people of all ages and ethnicities. Despite being preventable, the rates of suicide have steadily climbed (more than a third) over the past 2 decades. Nurse practitioners (NPs) must be responsible for recognizing suicide risk and providing appropriate treatment referrals in addition to having an important role in suicide prevention. The reasons why NPs may not pursue suicide prevention training are their lack of suicide awareness and prevention, limited experiences with suicidal patients, and the stigma associated with mental illness. Before we begin to address the gaps within suicide awareness and prevention skills, we need to first examine NPs' knowledge of and attitudes (stigma) toward suicide prevention. This study will comprise a mixed methods approach. First, quantitative data will be collected using the Suicide Knowledge and Skills Questionnaireand the Suicide Stigma Scale (Brief version) questionnaire. An email will be sent to the NPs explaining the purpose of the study. If they consent, they will click on a link to access the surveys on a secure site. In our previous research with this sample, email reminders to nonresponders after 2 and 4 weeks were sent. The quantitative component will be used to inform the qualitative interviews of this study. The Suicide Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire is a 13-item questionnaire comprising 2 subscales: suicide knowledge and suicide skills. All questions are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=completely disagree to 5=completely agree). The survey has been shown to differentiate between those with suicide training and those without and has a Cronbach α score of .84. The Suicide Stigma Scale (Brief version) is a 16-item survey that assesses stigma regarding suicide. The items are measured on a 5-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree to 5: strongly agree) and have a Cronbach α of .98. This study was funded by the Faculty Research Grants program through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Institutional review board approval was obtained in April 2022. Recruitment occurred between summer and winter 2022. Interview conduction began in December 2022 and will conclude in March 2023. Data will be analyzed during spring and summer 2023. The study results will add to the literature on NPs' knowledge of and attitudes (stigma) toward suicide prevention. It represents a first step in addressing gaps within suicide awareness and prevention skills, among NPs in their respective practice settings. PRR1-10.2196/39675.

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Grant Program: Strengthening Curricular Connections with Francophone Africa

In this article, the author describes a grant program that is designed for AATF-member educators who seek to strengthen their knowledge of Francophone Africa. The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Grant Program (GPA) is designed "to promote, improve, and develop modern foreign language training and area studies programs for all levels of American education." The GPA Program defrays all in-country costs in support of month-long seminars onsite in many countries of Francophone Africa. The author, a four-time awardee/project director of GPA seminars in Latin America and Africa, offers first-hand advice on seminar design, proposal preparation, and project execution.