Sample records for inversion recovery sequences

  1. Physics for clinicians: Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and double inversion recovery (DIR) Imaging.

    PubMed

    Saranathan, Manojkumar; Worters, Pauline W; Rettmann, Dan W; Winegar, Blair; Becker, Jennifer

    2017-12-01

    A pedagogical review of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and double inversion recovery (DIR) imaging is conducted in this article. The basics of the two pulse sequences are first described, including the details of the inversion preparation and imaging sequences with accompanying mathematical formulae for choosing the inversion time in a variety of scenarios for use on clinical MRI scanners. Magnetization preparation (or T2prep), a strategy for improving image signal-to-noise ratio and contrast and reducing T 1 weighting at high field strengths, is also described. Lastly, image artifacts commonly associated with FLAIR and DIR are described with clinical examples, to help avoid misdiagnosis. 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1590-1600. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  2. UTE imaging with simultaneous water and fat signal suppression using a time-efficient multispoke inversion recovery pulse sequence.

    PubMed

    Carl, Michael; Bydder, Graeme M; Du, Jiang

    2016-08-01

    The long repetition time and inversion time with inversion recovery preparation ultrashort echo time (UTE) often causes prohibitively long scan times. We present an optimized method for long T2 signal suppression in which several k-space spokes are acquired after each inversion preparation. Using Bloch equations the sequence parameters such as TI and flip angle were optimized to suppress the long T2 water and fat signals and to maximize short T2 contrast. Volunteer imaging was performed on a healthy male volunteer. Inversion recovery preparation was performed using a Silver-Hoult adiabatic inversion pulse together with a three-dimensional (3D) UTE (3D Cones) acquisition. The theoretical signal curves generally agreed with the experimentally measured region of interest curves. The multispoke inversion recovery method showed good muscle and fatty bone marrow suppression, and highlighted short T2 signals such as these from the femoral and tibial cortex. Inversion recovery 3D UTE imaging with multiple spoke acquisitions can be used to effectively suppress long T2 signals and highlight short T2 signals within clinical scan times. Theoretical modeling can be used to determine sequence parameters to optimize long T2 signal suppression and maximize short T2 signals. Experimental results on a volunteer confirmed the theoretical predictions. Magn Reson Med 76:577-582, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Saturation-inversion-recovery: A method for T1 measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hongzhi; Zhao, Ming; Ackerman, Jerome L.; Song, Yiqiao

    2017-01-01

    Spin-lattice relaxation (T1) has always been measured by inversion-recovery (IR), saturation-recovery (SR), or related methods. These existing methods share a common behavior in that the function describing T1 sensitivity is the exponential, e.g., exp(- τ /T1), where τ is the recovery time. In this paper, we describe a saturation-inversion-recovery (SIR) sequence for T1 measurement with considerably sharper T1-dependence than those of the IR and SR sequences, and demonstrate it experimentally. The SIR method could be useful in improving the contrast between regions of differing T1 in T1-weighted MRI.

  4. Magnetic resonance separation imaging using a divided inversion recovery technique (DIRT).

    PubMed

    Goldfarb, James W

    2010-04-01

    The divided inversion recovery technique is an MRI separation method based on tissue T(1) relaxation differences. When tissue T(1) relaxation times are longer than the time between inversion pulses in a segmented inversion recovery pulse sequence, longitudinal magnetization does not pass through the null point. Prior to additional inversion pulses, longitudinal magnetization may have an opposite polarity. Spatial displacement of tissues in inversion recovery balanced steady-state free-precession imaging has been shown to be due to this magnetization phase change resulting from incomplete magnetization recovery. In this paper, it is shown how this phase change can be used to provide image separation. A pulse sequence parameter, the time between inversion pulses (T180), can be adjusted to provide water-fat or fluid separation. Example water-fat and fluid separation images of the head, heart, and abdomen are presented. The water-fat separation performance was investigated by comparing image intensities in short-axis divided inversion recovery technique images of the heart. Fat, blood, and fluid signal was suppressed to the background noise level. Additionally, the separation performance was not affected by main magnetic field inhomogeneities.

  5. Optimization of a double inversion recovery sequence for noninvasive synovium imaging of joint effusion in the knee.

    PubMed

    Jahng, Geon-Ho; Jin, Wook; Yang, Dal Mo; Ryu, Kyung Nam

    2011-05-01

    We wanted to optimize a double inversion recovery (DIR) sequence to image joint effusion regions of the knee, especially intracapsular or intrasynovial imaging in the suprapatellar bursa and patellofemoral joint space. Computer simulations were performed to determine the optimum inversion times (TI) for suppressing both fat and water signals, and a DIR sequence was optimized based on the simulations for distinguishing synovitis from fluid. In vivo studies were also performed on individuals who showed joint effusion on routine knee MR images to demonstrate the feasibility of using the DIR sequence with a 3T whole-body MR scanner. To compare intracapsular or intrasynovial signals on the DIR images, intermediate density-weighted images and/or post-enhanced T1-weighted images were acquired. The timings to enhance the synovial contrast from the fluid components were TI1 = 2830 ms and TI2 = 254 ms for suppressing the water and fat signals, respectively. Improved contrast for the intrasynovial area in the knees was observed with the DIR turbo spin-echo pulse sequence compared to the intermediate density-weighted sequence. Imaging contrast obtained noninvasively with the DIR sequence was similar to that of the post-enhanced T1-weighted sequence. The DIR sequence may be useful for delineating synovium without using contrast materials.

  6. Sodium inversion recovery MRI of the knee joint in vivo at 7T.

    PubMed

    Madelin, Guillaume; Lee, Jae-Seung; Inati, Souheil; Jerschow, Alexej; Regatte, Ravinder R

    2010-11-01

    The loss of proteoglycans (PG) in the articular cartilage is an early signature of osteoarthritis (OA). The ensuing changes in the fixed charge density in the cartilage can be directly linked to sodium concentration via charge balance. Sodium ions in the knee joint appear in two pools: in the synovial fluids or joint effusion where the ions are in free motion and bound within the cartilage tissue where the Na(+) ions have a restricted motion. The ions in these two compartments have therefore different T₁ and T₂ relaxation times. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a fluid-suppressed 3D ultrashort TE radial sodium sequence by implementing an inversion recovery (IR) preparation of the magnetization at 7T. This method could allow a more accurate and more sensitive quantification of loss of PG in patients with OA. It is shown that adiabatic pulses offer significantly improved performance in terms of robustness to B₁ and B₀ inhomogeneities when compared to the hard pulse sequence. Power deposition considerations further pose a limit to the RF inversion power, and we demonstrate in simulations and experiments how a practical compromise can be struck between clean suppression of fluid signals and power deposition levels. Two IR sequences with different types of inversion pulses (a rectangular pulse and an adiabatic pulse) were tested on a liquid phantom, ex vivo on a human knee cadaver and then in vivo on five healthy volunteers, with a (Nyquist) resolution of ∼3.6 mm and a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼30 in cartilage without IR and ∼20 with IR. Due to specific absorption rate limitations, the total acquisition time was ∼17 min for the 3D radial sequence without inversion or with the rectangular IR, and 24:30 min for the adiabatic IR sequence. It is shown that the adiabatic IR sequence generates a more uniform fluid suppression over the whole sample than the rectangular IR sequence. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  7. Sodium inversion recovery MRI of the knee joint in vivo at 7T

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madelin, Guillaume; Lee, Jae-Seung; Inati, Souheil; Jerschow, Alexej; Regatte, Ravinder R.

    2010-11-01

    The loss of proteoglycans (PG) in the articular cartilage is an early signature of osteoarthritis (OA). The ensuing changes in the fixed charge density in the cartilage can be directly linked to sodium concentration via charge balance. Sodium ions in the knee joint appear in two pools: in the synovial fluids or joint effusion where the ions are in free motion and bound within the cartilage tissue where the Na+ ions have a restricted motion. The ions in these two compartments have therefore different T1 and T2 relaxation times. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a fluid-suppressed 3D ultrashort TE radial sodium sequence by implementing an inversion recovery (IR) preparation of the magnetization at 7T. This method could allow a more accurate and more sensitive quantification of loss of PG in patients with OA. It is shown that adiabatic pulses offer significantly improved performance in terms of robustness to B1 and B0 inhomogeneities when compared to the hard pulse sequence. Power deposition considerations further pose a limit to the RF inversion power, and we demonstrate in simulations and experiments how a practical compromise can be struck between clean suppression of fluid signals and power deposition levels. Two IR sequences with different types of inversion pulses (a rectangular pulse and an adiabatic pulse) were tested on a liquid phantom, ex vivo on a human knee cadaver and then in vivo on five healthy volunteers, with a (Nyquist) resolution of ∼3.6 mm and a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼30 in cartilage without IR and ∼20 with IR. Due to specific absorption rate limitations, the total acquisition time was ∼17 min for the 3D radial sequence without inversion or with the rectangular IR, and 24:30 min for the adiabatic IR sequence. It is shown that the adiabatic IR sequence generates a more uniform fluid suppression over the whole sample than the rectangular IR sequence.

  8. Magnetic resonance imaging of focal cortical dysplasia: Comparison of 3D and 2D fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences at 3T.

    PubMed

    Tschampa, Henriette J; Urbach, Horst; Malter, Michael; Surges, Rainer; Greschus, Susanne; Gieseke, Jürgen

    2015-10-01

    Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a frequent finding in drug resistant epilepsy. The aim of our study was to evaluate an isotropic high-resolution 3-dimensional Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence (3D FLAIR) at 3T in comparison to standard 2D FLAIR in the diagnosis of FCD. In a prospective study, 19 epilepsy patients with the MR diagnosis of FCD were examined with a sagittal 3D FLAIR sequence with modulated refocusing flip angle (slice thickness 1.10mm) and a 2D FLAIR in the coronal (thk. 3mm) and axial planes (thk. 2mm). Manually placed regions of interest were used for quantitative analysis. Qualitative image analysis was performed by two neuroradiologists in consensus. Contrast between gray and white matter (p ≤ 0.02), the lesion (p ≤ 0.031) or hyperintense extension to the ventricle (p ≤ 0.021) and white matter was significantly higher in 2D than in 3D FLAIR sequences. In the visual analysis there was no difference between 2D and 3D sequences. Conventional 2D FLAIR sequences yield a higher image contrast compared to the employed 3D FLAIR sequence in patients with FCDs. Potential advantages of 3D imaging using surface rendering or automated techniques for lesion detection have to be further elucidated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. An Inversion Recovery NMR Kinetics Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Travis J.; Kershaw, Allan D.; Li, Vincent; Wu, Xinping

    2011-01-01

    A convenient laboratory experiment is described in which NMR magnetization transfer by inversion recovery is used to measure the kinetics and thermochemistry of amide bond rotation. The experiment utilizes Varian spectrometers with the VNMRJ 2.3 software, but can be easily adapted to any NMR platform. The procedures and sample data sets in this…

  10. Chondral lesions in the patellofemoral joint in MRI: Intra-individual comparison of short-tau inversion recovery sequence (STIR) with 2D multiple-echo data image combination sequence (MEDIC).

    PubMed

    Bodelle, Boris; Luboldt, Wolfgang; Wichmann, Julian L; Fischer, Sebastian; Vogl, Thomas J; Beeres, Martin

    2016-01-01

    To determine the value of the 2D multiple-echo data image combination (MEDIC) sequence relative to the short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence regarding the depiction of chondral lesions in the patellofemoral joint. During a period of 6 month patients with acute pain at the anterior aspect of the knee, joint effusion and suspected chondral lesion defect in the patellofemoral joint underwent MRI including axial MEDIC and STIR imaging. Patients with chondral lesions in the patellofemoral joint on at least one sequence were included. The MEDIC and STIR sequence were quantitatively compared regarding the patella cartilage-to-effusion contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and qualitatively regarding the depiction of chondral lesions independently scored by two radiologists on a 3-point scale (1 = not depicted; 2 = blurred depicted; 3 = clearly depicted) using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Test. For the analysis of inter-observer agreement the Cohen's Weighted Kappa test was used. 30 of 58 patients (male: female, 21:9; age: 44 ± 12 yrs) revealed cartilage lesions (fissures, n = 5 including fibrillation; gaps, n = 15; delamination, n = 7; osteoarthritis, n = 3) and were included in this study. The STIR-sequence was significantly (p < 0.001) superior to the MEDIC-sequence regarding both, the patella cartilage-to-effusion CNR (mean CNR: 232 ± 61 vs. 40 ± 16) as well as the depiction of chondral lesion (mean score: 2.83 ± 0.4 vs. 1.75 ± 0.7) with substantial inter-observer agreement in the rating of both sequences (κ = 0.76-0.89). For the depiction of chondral lesions in the patellofemoral joint, the axial STIR-sequence should be chosen in preference to the axial MEDIC-sequence.

  11. Grading of inflammatory disease activity in the sacroiliac joints with magnetic resonance imaging: comparison between short-tau inversion recovery and gadolinium contrast-enhanced sequences.

    PubMed

    Madsen, Karen Berenth; Egund, Niels; Jurik, Anne Grethe

    2010-02-01

    We investigated the potential concordance of 2 different magnetic resonance (MR) sequences - short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) and fat-saturated T1-weighted spin-echo after application of gadolinium (Gd) contrast medium to detect active bone marrow abnormalities at the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Blinded and using the Danish scoring method, we evaluated transaxial MR images of the 2 sequences in 40 patients with SpA with disease duration of 3-14 years. Both the cartilaginous and ligamentous portions of the SIJ were analyzed. There was a significant positive correlation between the activity scores obtained by STIR and Gd-enhanced sequences (p < 0.0001). Agreement in the detection of bone marrow abnormalities occurred in 60 of the 80 joints, 35 with and 25 without signs of active disease. Discordance with STIR-positive marrow activity scores occurred in only 11 joints; Gd-enhanced positive scores in 9 joints. The STIR sequence detected remnants of marrow activity in the periphery of chronic fatty replacement not seen or partly obscured on the Gd sequence. Small subchondral enhancing lesions may not be scored on the STIR sequence, mostly because of reduced image resolution. Active bone marrow abnormalities were detected nearly equally well with STIR and Gd-enhanced fat-suppressed T1 sequences in patients with SpA, with STIR being most sensitive to visualize active abnormalities in the periphery of chronic changes.

  12. Imaging gray matter with concomitant null point imaging from the phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence.

    PubMed

    Mougin, Olivier; Abdel-Fahim, Rasha; Dineen, Robert; Pitiot, Alain; Evangelou, Nikos; Gowland, Penny

    2016-11-01

    To present an improved three-dimensional (3D) interleaved phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) sequence including a concomitantly acquired new contrast, null point imaging (NPI), to help detect and classify abnormalities in cortical gray matter. The 3D gradient echo PSIR images were acquired at 0.6 mm isotropic resolution on 11 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 9 controls subjects using a 7 Tesla (T) MRI scanner, and 2 MS patients at 3T. Cortical abnormalities were delineated on the NPI/PSIR data and later classified according to position in the cortex. The NPI helped detect cortical lesions within the cortical ribbon with increased, positive contrast compared with the PSIR. It also provided improved intrinsic delineation of the ribbon, increasing confidence in classifying the lesions' locations. The proposed PSIR facilitates the classification of cortical lesions by providing two T 1 -weighted 3D datasets with isotropic resolution, including the NPI showing cortical lesions with clear delineation of the gray/white matter boundary and minimal partial volume effects. Magn Reson Med 76:1512-1516, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  13. Jump-and-return sandwiches: A new family of binomial-like selective inversion sequences with improved performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brenner, Tom; Chen, Johnny; Stait-Gardner, Tim; Zheng, Gang; Matsukawa, Shingo; Price, William S.

    2018-03-01

    A new family of binomial-like inversion sequences, named jump-and-return sandwiches (JRS), has been developed by inserting a binomial-like sequence into a standard jump-and-return sequence, discovered through use of a stochastic Genetic Algorithm optimisation. Compared to currently used binomial-like inversion sequences (e.g., 3-9-19 and W5), the new sequences afford wider inversion bands and narrower non-inversion bands with an equal number of pulses. As an example, two jump-and-return sandwich 10-pulse sequences achieved 95% inversion at offsets corresponding to 9.4% and 10.3% of the non-inversion band spacing, compared to 14.7% for the binomial-like W5 inversion sequence, i.e., they afforded non-inversion bands about two thirds the width of the W5 non-inversion band.

  14. Sodium imaging of the human knee using soft inversion recovery fluid attenuation.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Rebecca E; Stobbe, Robert; Watts, Alexander; Beaulieu, Christian

    2013-09-01

    Sodium signal strength in MRI is low when compared with (1)H. Thus, image voxel volumes must be relatively large in order to produce a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The measurement of sodium in cartilage is hindered by conflation with signal from the adjacent fluid spaces. Inversion recovery can be used to null signal from fluid, but reduces SNR. The purpose of this work was to optimize inversion recovery sodium MRI to enhance cartilage SNR while nulling fluid. Sodium relaxation was first measured for knee cartilage (T1=21±1 ms, T(2 fast)(∗)=0.8±0.2 ms, T(2 slow)(∗)=19.7±0.5 ms) and fluid (T1=48±3 ms, T2(∗)=47±4 ms) in nine healthy subjects at 4.7 T. The rapid relaxation of cartilage in relation to fluid permits the use of a lengthened inversion pulse to preferentially invert the fluid components. Simulations of inversion pulse length were performed to yield a cartilage SNR enhancing combination of parameters that nulled fluid. The simulations were validated in a phantom and then in vivo. B0 inhomogeneity was measured and the effect of off-resonance during the soft inversion pulse was assessed with simulation. Soft inversion recovery yielded twice the SNR and much improved sodium images of cartilage in human knee with little confounding signal from fluid. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Sodium inversion recovery MRI on the knee joint at 7 T with an optimal control pulse.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jae-Seung; Xia, Ding; Madelin, Guillaume; Regatte, Ravinder R

    2016-01-01

    In the field of sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), inversion recovery (IR) is a convenient and popular method to select sodium in different environments. For the knee joint, IR has been used to suppress the signal from synovial fluids, which improves the correlation between the sodium signal and the concentration of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in cartilage tissues. For the better inversion of the magnetization vector under the spatial variations of the B0 and B1 fields, the IR sequence usually employ adiabatic pulses as the inversion pulse. On the other hand, it has been shown that RF shapes robust against the variations of the B0 and B1 fields can be generated by numerical optimization based on optimal control theory. In this work, we compare the performance of fluid-suppressed sodium MRI on the knee joint in vivo, between one implemented with an adiabatic pulse in the IR sequence and the other with the adiabatic pulse replaced by an optimal-control shaped pulse. While the optimal-control pulse reduces the RF power deposited to the body by 58%, the quality of fluid suppression and the signal level of sodium within cartilage are similar between two implementations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Jump-and-return sandwiches: A new family of binomial-like selective inversion sequences with improved performance.

    PubMed

    Brenner, Tom; Chen, Johnny; Stait-Gardner, Tim; Zheng, Gang; Matsukawa, Shingo; Price, William S

    2018-03-01

    A new family of binomial-like inversion sequences, named jump-and-return sandwiches (JRS), has been developed by inserting a binomial-like sequence into a standard jump-and-return sequence, discovered through use of a stochastic Genetic Algorithm optimisation. Compared to currently used binomial-like inversion sequences (e.g., 3-9-19 and W5), the new sequences afford wider inversion bands and narrower non-inversion bands with an equal number of pulses. As an example, two jump-and-return sandwich 10-pulse sequences achieved 95% inversion at offsets corresponding to 9.4% and 10.3% of the non-inversion band spacing, compared to 14.7% for the binomial-like W5 inversion sequence, i.e., they afforded non-inversion bands about two thirds the width of the W5 non-inversion band. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Identifying micro-inversions using high-throughput sequencing reads.

    PubMed

    He, Feifei; Li, Yang; Tang, Yu-Hang; Ma, Jian; Zhu, Huaiqiu

    2016-01-11

    The identification of inversions of DNA segments shorter than read length (e.g., 100 bp), defined as micro-inversions (MIs), remains challenging for next-generation sequencing reads. It is acknowledged that MIs are important genomic variation and may play roles in causing genetic disease. However, current alignment methods are generally insensitive to detect MIs. Here we develop a novel tool, MID (Micro-Inversion Detector), to identify MIs in human genomes using next-generation sequencing reads. The algorithm of MID is designed based on a dynamic programming path-finding approach. What makes MID different from other variant detection tools is that MID can handle small MIs and multiple breakpoints within an unmapped read. Moreover, MID improves reliability in low coverage data by integrating multiple samples. Our evaluation demonstrated that MID outperforms Gustaf, which can currently detect inversions from 30 bp to 500 bp. To our knowledge, MID is the first method that can efficiently and reliably identify MIs from unmapped short next-generation sequencing reads. MID is reliable on low coverage data, which is suitable for large-scale projects such as the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP). MID identified previously unknown MIs from the 1KGP that overlap with genes and regulatory elements in the human genome. We also identified MIs in cancer cell lines from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). Therefore our tool is expected to be useful to improve the study of MIs as a type of genetic variant in the human genome. The source code can be downloaded from: http://cqb.pku.edu.cn/ZhuLab/MID .

  18. Comparing diffusion weighted imaging with clinical and blood parameters, and with short tau inversion recovery sequence in detecting spinal and sacroiliac joint inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis.

    PubMed

    Chung, Ho Yin; Xu, Xiaopei; Lau, Vince Wing Hang; Ho, Grace; Lee, Ka Lai; Li, Philip Hei; Tsang, Helen Hoi Lun; Kwok, Suet Kei; Lau, Chak Sing; Wong, Chun Sing

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the usefulness of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) by comparing with clinical features, blood parameters and traditional short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence in detecting spinal and sacroiliac (SI) joint inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients. One hundred and ten axSpA patients were recruited. Clinical, radiological and blood parameters were recorded. DWI and STIR MRI were performed simultaneously and results were scored according to the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) for comparison. Apparent diffusion coef cient (ADC) values were also calculated. DWI did not correlate with clinical parameters or blood parameters. It also had lowered sensitivity. When compared with STIR sequence, it correlated well with STIR sequence at the SI joint level (CC 0.76, p<0.001), but weakly at the spinal level (CC 0.23, p=0.02). At the SI joint level, the presence of inflammation on both STIR sequence and DWI was associated with an increase in maximum (B=0.24, p=0.02 in STIR; B=0.37, p<0.001 in DWI) and mean ADC values (B=0.17, p=0.003 in STIR; B=0.15, p=0.01 in DWI). Maximum (B=0.19, p=0.04) and mean spinal ADC values (B=0.18, p=0.01) were also positively associated with DWI detected spinal inflammation. Presence of Modic lesions showed positive correlation with STIR sequence (B=7.12, p=0.01) but not spinal ADC values. Despite DWI correlates with STIR sequence, it has lower sensitivity. However, ADC values appear to be independent of Modic lesions and may supplement STIR sequence to differentiate degeneration.

  19. Evaluation of the Subscapularis Tendon Tears on 3T Magnetic Resonance Arthrography: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance of T1-Weighted Spectral Presaturation with Inversion-Recovery and T2-Weighted Turbo Spin-Echo Sequences.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hoseok; Ahn, Joong Mo; Kang, Yusuhn; Oh, Joo Han; Lee, Eugene; Lee, Joon Woo; Kang, Heung Sik

    2018-01-01

    To compare the T1-weighted spectral presaturation with inversion-recovery sequences (T1 SPIR) with T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequences (T2 TSE) on 3T magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) in the evaluation of the subscapularis (SSC) tendon tear with arthroscopic findings as the reference standard. This retrospective study included 120 consecutive patients who had undergone MRA within 3 months between April and December 2015. Two musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to the arthroscopic results evaluated T1 SPIR and T2 TSE images in separate sessions for the integrity of the SSC tendon, examining normal/articular-surface partial-thickness tear (PTTa)/full-thickness tear (FTT). Diagnostic performance of T1 SPIR and T2 TSE was calculated with arthroscopic results as the reference standard, and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were compared using the McNemar test. Interobserver agreement was measured with kappa (κ) statistics. There were 74 SSC tendon tears (36 PTTa and 38 FTT) confirmed by arthroscopy. Significant differences were found in the sensitivity and accuracy between T1 SPIR and T2 TSE using the McNemar test, with respective rates of 95.9-94.6% vs. 71.6-75.7% and 90.8-91.7% vs. 79.2-83.3% for detecting tear; 55.3% vs. 31.6-34.2% and 85.8% vs. 78.3-79.2%, respectively, for FTT; and 91.7-97.2% vs. 58.3-61.1% and 89% vs. 78-79.3%, respectively, for PTTa. Interobserver agreement for T1 SPIR was almost perfect for T1 SPIR (κ = 0.839) and substantial for T2 TSE (κ = 0.769). T1-weighted spectral presaturation with inversion-recovery sequences is more sensitive and accurate compared to T2 TSE in detecting SSC tendon tear on 3T MRA.

  20. Phase-sensitive dual-inversion recovery for accelerated carotid vessel wall imaging.

    PubMed

    Bonanno, Gabriele; Brotman, David; Stuber, Matthias

    2015-03-01

    Dual-inversion recovery (DIR) is widely used for magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging. However, optimal contrast may be difficult to obtain and is subject to RR variability. Furthermore, DIR imaging is time-inefficient and multislice acquisitions may lead to prolonged scanning times. Therefore, an extension of phase-sensitive (PS) DIR is proposed for carotid vessel wall imaging. The statistical distribution of the phase signal after DIR is probed to segment carotid lumens and suppress their residual blood signal. The proposed PS-DIR technique was characterized over a broad range of inversion times. Multislice imaging was then implemented by interleaving the acquisition of 3 slices after DIR. Quantitative evaluation was then performed in healthy adult subjects and compared with conventional DIR imaging. Single-slice PS-DIR provided effective blood-signal suppression over a wide range of inversion times, enhancing wall-lumen contrast and vessel wall conspicuity for carotid arteries. Multislice PS-DIR imaging with effective blood-signal suppression is enabled. A variant of the PS-DIR method has successfully been implemented and tested for carotid vessel wall imaging. This technique removes timing constraints related to inversion recovery, enhances wall-lumen contrast, and enables a 3-fold increase in volumetric coverage at no extra cost in scanning time.

  1. Inversion group (IG) fitting: A new T1 mapping method for modified look-locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) that allows arbitrary inversion groupings and rest periods (including no rest period).

    PubMed

    Sussman, Marshall S; Yang, Issac Y; Fok, Kai-Ho; Wintersperger, Bernd J

    2016-06-01

    The Modified Look-Locker Inversion Recovery (MOLLI) technique is used for T1 mapping in the heart. However, a drawback of this technique is that it requires lengthy rest periods in between inversion groupings to allow for complete magnetization recovery. In this work, a new MOLLI fitting algorithm (inversion group [IG] fitting) is presented that allows for arbitrary combinations of inversion groupings and rest periods (including no rest period). Conventional MOLLI algorithms use a three parameter fitting model. In IG fitting, the number of parameters is two plus the number of inversion groupings. This increased number of parameters permits any inversion grouping/rest period combination. Validation was performed through simulation, phantom, and in vivo experiments. IG fitting provided T1 values with less than 1% discrepancy across a range of inversion grouping/rest period combinations. By comparison, conventional three parameter fits exhibited up to 30% discrepancy for some combinations. The one drawback with IG fitting was a loss of precision-approximately 30% worse than the three parameter fits. IG fitting permits arbitrary inversion grouping/rest period combinations (including no rest period). The cost of the algorithm is a loss of precision relative to conventional three parameter fits. Magn Reson Med 75:2332-2340, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Fat suppression with short inversion time inversion-recovery and chemical-shift selective saturation: a dual STIR-CHESS combination prepulse for turbo spin echo pulse sequences.

    PubMed

    Tanabe, Koji; Nishikawa, Keiichi; Sano, Tsukasa; Sakai, Osamu; Jara, Hernán

    2010-05-01

    To test a newly developed fat suppression magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prepulse that synergistically uses the principles of fat suppression via inversion recovery (STIR) and spectral fat saturation (CHESS), relative to pure CHESS and STIR. This new technique is termed dual fat suppression (Dual-FS). To determine if Dual-FS could be chemically specific for fat, the phantom consisted of the fat-mimicking NiCl(2) aqueous solution, porcine fat, porcine muscle, and water was imaged with the three fat-suppression techniques. For Dual-FS and STIR, several inversion times were used. Signal intensities of each image obtained with each technique were compared. To determine if Dual-FS could be robust to magnetic field inhomogeneities, the phantom consisting of different NiCl(2) aqueous solutions, porcine fat, porcine muscle, and water was imaged with Dual-FS and CHESS at the several off-resonance frequencies. To compare fat suppression efficiency in vivo, 10 volunteer subjects were also imaged with the three fat-suppression techniques. Dual-FS could suppress fat sufficiently within the inversion time of 110-140 msec, thus enabling differentiation between fat and fat-mimicking aqueous structures. Dual-FS was as robust to magnetic field inhomogeneities as STIR and less vulnerable than CHESS. The same results for fat suppression were obtained in volunteers. The Dual-FS-STIR-CHESS is an alternative and promising fat suppression technique for turbo spin echo MRI. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. An improved pulse sequence and inversion algorithm of T2 spectrum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Xinmin; Chen, Hua; Fan, Yiren; Liu, Juntao; Cai, Jianchao; Liu, Jianyu

    2017-03-01

    The nuclear magnetic resonance transversal relaxation time is widely applied in geological prospecting, both in laboratory and downhole environments. However, current methods used for data acquisition and inversion should be reformed to characterize geological samples with complicated relaxation components and pore size distributions, such as samples of tight oil, gas shale, and carbonate. We present an improved pulse sequence to collect transversal relaxation signals based on the CPMG (Carr, Purcell, Meiboom, and Gill) pulse sequence. The echo spacing is not constant but varies in different windows, depending on prior knowledge or customer requirements. We use the entropy based truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) to compress the ill-posed matrix and discard small singular values which cause the inversion instability. A hybrid algorithm combining the iterative TSVD and a simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique is implemented to reach the global convergence and stability of the inversion. Numerical simulations indicate that the improved pulse sequence leads to the same result as CPMG, but with lower echo numbers and computational time. The proposed method is a promising technique for geophysical prospecting and other related fields in future.

  4. Secondary Structure Predictions for Long RNA Sequences Based on Inversion Excursions and MapReduce.

    PubMed

    Yehdego, Daniel T; Zhang, Boyu; Kodimala, Vikram K R; Johnson, Kyle L; Taufer, Michela; Leung, Ming-Ying

    2013-05-01

    Secondary structures of ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules play important roles in many biological processes including gene expression and regulation. Experimental observations and computing limitations suggest that we can approach the secondary structure prediction problem for long RNA sequences by segmenting them into shorter chunks, predicting the secondary structures of each chunk individually using existing prediction programs, and then assembling the results to give the structure of the original sequence. The selection of cutting points is a crucial component of the segmenting step. Noting that stem-loops and pseudoknots always contain an inversion, i.e., a stretch of nucleotides followed closely by its inverse complementary sequence, we developed two cutting methods for segmenting long RNA sequences based on inversion excursions: the centered and optimized method. Each step of searching for inversions, chunking, and predictions can be performed in parallel. In this paper we use a MapReduce framework, i.e., Hadoop, to extensively explore meaningful inversion stem lengths and gap sizes for the segmentation and identify correlations between chunking methods and prediction accuracy. We show that for a set of long RNA sequences in the RFAM database, whose secondary structures are known to contain pseudoknots, our approach predicts secondary structures more accurately than methods that do not segment the sequence, when the latter predictions are possible computationally. We also show that, as sequences exceed certain lengths, some programs cannot computationally predict pseudoknots while our chunking methods can. Overall, our predicted structures still retain the accuracy level of the original prediction programs when compared with known experimental secondary structure.

  5. Targeted next generation sequencing for the detection of ciprofloxacin resistance markers using molecular inversion probes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-07-06

    1 Targeted next-generation sequencing for the detection of ciprofloxacin resistance markers using molecular inversion probes Christopher P...development and evaluation of a panel of 44 single-stranded molecular inversion probes (MIPs) coupled to next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the...padlock and molecular inversion probes as upfront enrichment steps for use with NGS showed the specificity and multiplexability of these techniques

  6. Magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints in the early detection of spondyloarthritis: no added value of gadolinium compared with short tau inversion recovery sequence.

    PubMed

    de Hooge, Manouk; van den Berg, Rosaline; Navarro-Compán, Victoria; van Gaalen, Floris; van der Heijde, Désirée; Huizinga, Tom; Reijnierse, Monique

    2013-07-01

    To investigate the additional value of T1 fat-saturated after gadolinium (T1/Gd) compared with T1 and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence in detecting active lesions of the SI joints typical of axial SpA (axSpA) in a prospective cohort study, the SpondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort, and to assess its influence on final MRI diagnosis of the SI joint (MRI-SIJ) based on the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) definition of active sacroiliitis. Patients in the SPACE cohort received baseline and 3-month follow-up MRI-SIJ with coronal oblique T1, STIR and T1/Gd sequences. Bone marrow oedema (BME), capsulitis/enthesitis and synovitis and active sacroiliitis according to the ASAS definition were evaluated by three blinded readers. A total of 127 patients received an MRI-SIJ at baseline and 67 patients also received an MRI-SIJ at 3 months follow-up since the Gd protocol was added some months after the start of the SPACE project. Twenty-five of the 127 patients (19.7%) with a baseline MRI-SIJ and 14 of 67 patients (20.6%) with a follow-up MRI-SIJ presented BME on the STIR sequence sufficient to fulfill the ASAS definition for a positive MRI-SIJ. In eight patients, additional synovitis and/or capsulitis/enthesitis was observed; however, no additional BME was visualized on T1/Gd. One patient, without clinical diagnosis of axSpA, showed synovitis as an isolated finding. Synovitis and capsulitis/enthesitis are detectable with the administration of Gd. However, they are always observed in the presence of BME. Therefore T1 and STIR sequence alone are sufficient in the MRI assessment that, among others, is used for diagnosing patients with early axSpA.

  7. Characterization and optimization of the visualization performance of continuous flow overhauser DNP hyperpolarized water MRI: Inversion recovery approach.

    PubMed

    Terekhov, Maxim; Krummenacker, Jan; Denysenkov, Vasyl; Gerz, Kathrin; Prisner, Thomas; Schreiber, Laura Maria

    2016-03-01

    Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) allows the production of liquid hyperpolarized substrate inside the MRI magnet bore as well as its administration in continuous flow mode to acquire MR images with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio. We implemented inversion recovery preparation in order to improve contrast-to-noise ratio and to quantify the overall imaging performance of Overhauser DNP-enhanced MRI. The negative enhancement created by DNP in combination with inversion recovery (IR) preparation allows canceling selectively the signal originated from Boltzmann magnetization and visualizing only hyperpolarized fluid. The theoretical model describing gain of MR image intensity produced by steady-state continuous flow DNP hyperpolarized magnetization was established and proved experimentally. A precise quantification of signal originated purely from DNP hyperpolarization was achieved. A temperature effect on longitudinal relaxation had to be taken into account to fit experimental results with numerical prediction. Using properly adjusted IR preparation, the complete zeroing of thermal background magnetization was achieved, providing an essential increase of contrast-to-noise ratio of DNP-hyperpolarized water images. To quantify and optimize the steady-state conditions for MRI with continuous flow DNP, an approach similar to that incorporating transient-state thermal magnetization equilibrium in spoiled fast field echo imaging sequences can be used. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Fast volumetric imaging of bound and pore water in cortical bone using three-dimensional ultrashort-TE (UTE) and inversion recovery UTE sequences.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jun; Carl, Michael; Ma, Yajun; Shao, Hongda; Lu, Xing; Chen, Bimin; Chang, Eric Y; Wu, Zhihong; Du, Jiang

    2016-10-01

    We report the three-dimensional ultrashort-TE (3D UTE) and adiabatic inversion recovery UTE (IR-UTE) sequences employing a radial trajectory with conical view ordering for bi-component T2 * analysis of bound water (T2 *(BW) ) and pore water (T2 *(PW) ) in cortical bone. An interleaved dual-echo 3D UTE acquisition scheme was developed for fast bi-component analysis of bound and pore water in cortical bone. A 3D IR-UTE acquisition scheme employing multiple spokes per IR was developed for bound water imaging. Two-dimensional UTE (2D UTE) and IR-UTE sequences were employed for comparison. The sequences were applied to bovine bone samples (n = 6) and volunteers (n = 6) using a 3-T scanner. Bi-component fitting of 3D UTE images of bovine samples showed a mean T2 *(BW) of 0.26 ± 0.04 ms and T2 *(PW) of 4.16 ± 0.35 ms, with fractions of 21.5 ± 3.6% and 78.5 ± 3.6%, respectively. The 3D IR-UTE signal showed a single-component decay with a mean T2 *(BW) of 0.29 ± 0.05 ms, suggesting selective imaging of bound water. Similar results were achieved with the 2D UTE and IR-UTE sequences. Bi-component fitting of 3D UTE images of the tibial midshafts of healthy volunteers showed a mean T2 *(BW) of 0.32 ± 0.08 ms and T2 *(PW) of 5.78 ± 1.24 ms, with fractions of 34.2 ± 7.4% and 65.8 ± 7.4%, respectively. Single-component fitting of 3D IR-UTE images showed a mean T2 *(BW) of 0.35 ± 0.09 ms. The 3D UTE and 3D IR-UTE techniques allow fast volumetric mapping of bound and pore water in cortical bone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Comparative analysis of complete chloroplast genome sequence and inversion variation in Lasthenia burkei (Madieae, Asteraceae).

    PubMed

    Walker, Joseph F; Zanis, Michael J; Emery, Nancy C

    2014-04-01

    Complete chloroplast genome studies can help resolve relationships among large, complex plant lineages such as Asteraceae. We present the first whole plastome from the Madieae tribe and compare its sequence variation to other chloroplast genomes in Asteraceae. We used high throughput sequencing to obtain the Lasthenia burkei chloroplast genome. We compared sequence structure and rates of molecular evolution in the small single copy (SSC), large single copy (LSC), and inverted repeat (IR) regions to those for eight Asteraceae accessions and one Solanaceae accession. The chloroplast sequence of L. burkei is 150 746 bp and contains 81 unique protein coding genes and 4 coding ribosomal RNA sequences. We identified three major inversions in the L. burkei chloroplast, all of which have been found in other Asteraceae lineages, and a previously unreported inversion in Lactuca sativa. Regions flanking inversions contained tRNA sequences, but did not have particularly high G + C content. Substitution rates varied among the SSC, LSC, and IR regions, and rates of evolution within each region varied among species. Some observed differences in rates of molecular evolution may be explained by the relative proportion of coding to noncoding sequence within regions. Rates of molecular evolution vary substantially within and among chloroplast genomes, and major inversion events may be promoted by the presence of tRNAs. Collectively, these results provide insight into different mechanisms that may promote intramolecular recombination and the inversion of large genomic regions in the plastome.

  10. Precise detection of chromosomal translocation or inversion breakpoints by whole-genome sequencing.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Toshifumi; Tsurusaki, Yoshinori; Nakashima, Mitsuko; Miyake, Noriko; Saitsu, Hirotomo; Takeda, Satoru; Matsumoto, Naomichi

    2014-12-01

    Structural variations (SVs), including translocations, inversions, deletions and duplications, are potentially associated with Mendelian diseases and contiguous gene syndromes. Determination of SV-related breakpoints at the nucleotide level is important to reveal the genetic causes for diseases. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) by next-generation sequencers is expected to determine structural abnormalities more directly and efficiently than conventional methods. In this study, 14 SVs (9 balanced translocations, 1 inversion and 4 microdeletions) in 9 patients were analyzed by WGS with a shallow (5 × ) to moderate read coverage (20 × ). Among 28 breakpoints (as each SV has two breakpoints), 19 SV breakpoints had been determined previously at the nucleotide level by any other methods and 9 were uncharacterized. BreakDancer and Integrative Genomics Viewer determined 20 breakpoints (16 translocation, 2 inversion and 2 deletion breakpoints), but did not detect 8 breakpoints (2 translocation and 6 deletion breakpoints). These data indicate the efficacy of WGS for the precise determination of translocation and inversion breakpoints.

  11. On the Power and the Systematic Biases of the Detection of Chromosomal Inversions by Paired-End Genome Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Lucas Lledó, José Ignacio; Cáceres, Mario

    2013-01-01

    One of the most used techniques to study structural variation at a genome level is paired-end mapping (PEM). PEM has the advantage of being able to detect balanced events, such as inversions and translocations. However, inversions are still quite difficult to predict reliably, especially from high-throughput sequencing data. We simulated realistic PEM experiments with different combinations of read and library fragment lengths, including sequencing errors and meaningful base-qualities, to quantify and track down the origin of false positives and negatives along sequencing, mapping, and downstream analysis. We show that PEM is very appropriate to detect a wide range of inversions, even with low coverage data. However, % of inversions located between segmental duplications are expected to go undetected by the most common sequencing strategies. In general, longer DNA libraries improve the detectability of inversions far better than increments of the coverage depth or the read length. Finally, we review the performance of three algorithms to detect inversions —SVDetect, GRIAL, and VariationHunter—, identify common pitfalls, and reveal important differences in their breakpoint precisions. These results stress the importance of the sequencing strategy for the detection of structural variants, especially inversions, and offer guidelines for the design of future genome sequencing projects. PMID:23637806

  12. Targeted Capture and High-Throughput Sequencing Using Molecular Inversion Probes (MIPs).

    PubMed

    Cantsilieris, Stuart; Stessman, Holly A; Shendure, Jay; Eichler, Evan E

    2017-01-01

    Molecular inversion probes (MIPs) in combination with massively parallel DNA sequencing represent a versatile, yet economical tool for targeted sequencing of genomic DNA. Several thousand genomic targets can be selectively captured using long oligonucleotides containing unique targeting arms and universal linkers. The ability to append sequencing adaptors and sample-specific barcodes allows large-scale pooling and subsequent high-throughput sequencing at relatively low cost per sample. Here, we describe a "wet bench" protocol detailing the capture and subsequent sequencing of >2000 genomic targets from 192 samples, representative of a single lane on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform.

  13. Using the dGEMRIC technique to evaluate cartilage health in the presence of surgical hardware at 3T: comparison of inversion recovery and saturation recovery approaches.

    PubMed

    d'Entremont, Agnes G; Kolind, Shannon H; Mädler, Burkhard; Wilson, David R; MacKay, Alexander L

    2014-03-01

    To evaluate the effect of metal artifact reduction techniques on dGEMRIC T(1) calculation with surgical hardware present. We examined the effect of stainless-steel and titanium hardware on dGEMRIC T(1) maps. We tested two strategies to reduce metal artifact in dGEMRIC: (1) saturation recovery (SR) instead of inversion recovery (IR) and (2) applying the metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS), in a gadolinium-doped agarose gel phantom and in vivo with titanium hardware. T(1) maps were obtained using custom curve-fitting software and phantom ROIs were defined to compare conditions (metal, MARS, IR, SR). A large area of artifact appeared in phantom IR images with metal when T(I) ≤ 700 ms. IR maps with metal had additional artifact both in vivo and in the phantom (shifted null points, increased mean T(1) (+151 % IR ROI(artifact)) and decreased mean inversion efficiency (f; 0.45 ROI(artifact), versus 2 for perfect inversion)) compared to the SR maps (ROI(artifact): +13 % T(1) SR, 0.95 versus 1 for perfect excitation), however, SR produced noisier T(1) maps than IR (phantom SNR: 118 SR, 212 IR). MARS subtly reduced the extent of artifact in the phantom (IR and SR). dGEMRIC measurement in the presence of surgical hardware at 3T is possible with appropriately applied strategies. Measurements may work best in the presence of titanium and are severely limited with stainless steel. For regions near hardware where IR produces large artifacts making dGEMRIC analysis impossible, SR-MARS may allow dGEMRIC measurements. The position and size of the IR artifact is variable, and must be assessed for each implant/imaging set-up.

  14. SAR and scan-time optimized 3D whole-brain double inversion recovery imaging at 7T.

    PubMed

    Pracht, Eberhard D; Feiweier, Thorsten; Ehses, Philipp; Brenner, Daniel; Roebroeck, Alard; Weber, Bernd; Stöcker, Tony

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this project was to implement an ultra-high field (UHF) optimized double inversion recovery (DIR) sequence for gray matter (GM) imaging, enabling whole brain coverage in short acquisition times ( ≈5 min, image resolution 1 mm 3 ). A 3D variable flip angle DIR turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence was optimized for UHF application. We implemented an improved, fast, and specific absorption rate (SAR) efficient TSE imaging module, utilizing improved reordering. The DIR preparation was tailored to UHF application. Additionally, fat artifacts were minimized by employing water excitation instead of fat saturation. GM images, covering the whole brain, were acquired in 7 min scan time at 1 mm isotropic resolution. SAR issues were overcome by using a dedicated flip angle calculation considering SAR and SNR efficiency. Furthermore, UHF related artifacts were minimized. The suggested sequence is suitable to generate GM images with whole-brain coverage at UHF. Due to the short total acquisition times and overall robustness, this approach can potentially enable DIR application in a routine setting and enhance lesion detection in neurological diseases. Magn Reson Med 79:2620-2628, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  15. Inverse statistical physics of protein sequences: a key issues review.

    PubMed

    Cocco, Simona; Feinauer, Christoph; Figliuzzi, Matteo; Monasson, Rémi; Weigt, Martin

    2018-03-01

    In the course of evolution, proteins undergo important changes in their amino acid sequences, while their three-dimensional folded structure and their biological function remain remarkably conserved. Thanks to modern sequencing techniques, sequence data accumulate at unprecedented pace. This provides large sets of so-called homologous, i.e. evolutionarily related protein sequences, to which methods of inverse statistical physics can be applied. Using sequence data as the basis for the inference of Boltzmann distributions from samples of microscopic configurations or observables, it is possible to extract information about evolutionary constraints and thus protein function and structure. Here we give an overview over some biologically important questions, and how statistical-mechanics inspired modeling approaches can help to answer them. Finally, we discuss some open questions, which we expect to be addressed over the next years.

  16. Inverse statistical physics of protein sequences: a key issues review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cocco, Simona; Feinauer, Christoph; Figliuzzi, Matteo; Monasson, Rémi; Weigt, Martin

    2018-03-01

    In the course of evolution, proteins undergo important changes in their amino acid sequences, while their three-dimensional folded structure and their biological function remain remarkably conserved. Thanks to modern sequencing techniques, sequence data accumulate at unprecedented pace. This provides large sets of so-called homologous, i.e. evolutionarily related protein sequences, to which methods of inverse statistical physics can be applied. Using sequence data as the basis for the inference of Boltzmann distributions from samples of microscopic configurations or observables, it is possible to extract information about evolutionary constraints and thus protein function and structure. Here we give an overview over some biologically important questions, and how statistical-mechanics inspired modeling approaches can help to answer them. Finally, we discuss some open questions, which we expect to be addressed over the next years.

  17. Noncontrast-enhanced renal angiography using multiple inversion recovery and alternating TR balanced steady-state free precession.

    PubMed

    Dong, Hattie Z; Worters, Pauline W; Wu, Holden H; Ingle, R Reeve; Vasanawala, Shreyas S; Nishimura, Dwight G

    2013-08-01

    Noncontrast-enhanced renal angiography techniques based on balanced steady-state free precession avoid external contrast agents, take advantage of high inherent blood signal from the T 2 / T 1 contrast mechanism, and have short steady-state free precession acquisition times. However, background suppression is limited; inflow times are inflexible; labeling region is difficult to define when tagging arterial flow; and scan times are long. To overcome these limitations, we propose the use of multiple inversion recovery preparatory pulses combined with alternating pulse repetition time balanced steady-state free precession to produce renal angiograms. Multiple inversion recovery uses selective spatial saturation followed by four nonselective inversion recovery pulses to concurrently null a wide range of background T 1 species while allowing for adjustable inflow times; alternating pulse repetition time steady-state free precession maintains vessel contrast and provides added fat suppression. The high level of suppression enables imaging in three-dimensional as well as projective two-dimensional formats, the latter of which has a scan time as short as one heartbeat. In vivo studies at 1.5 T demonstrate the superior vessel contrast of this technique. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Artifact Suppression in Imaging of Myocardial Infarction Using B1-Weighted Phased-Array Combined Phase-Sensitive Inversion Recovery

    PubMed Central

    Kellman, Peter; Dyke, Christopher K.; Aletras, Anthony H.; McVeigh, Elliot R.; Arai, Andrew E.

    2007-01-01

    Regions of the body with long T1, such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), may create ghost artifacts on gadolinium-hyperenhanced images of myocardial infarction when inversion recovery (IR) sequences are used with a segmented acquisition. Oscillations in the transient approach to steady state for regions with long T1 may cause ghosts, with the number of ghosts being equal to the number of segments. B1-weighted phased-array combining provides an inherent degree of ghost artifact suppression because the ghost artifact is weighted less than the desired signal intensity by the coil sensitivity profiles. Example images are shown that illustrate the suppression of CSF ghost artifacts by the use of B1-weighted phased-array combining of multiple receiver coils. PMID:14755669

  19. Quantitative T1 and T2* carotid atherosclerotic plaque imaging using a three-dimensional multi-echo phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequence: a feasibility study.

    PubMed

    Fujiwara, Yasuhiro; Maruyama, Hirotoshi; Toyomaru, Kanako; Nishizaka, Yuri; Fukamatsu, Masahiro

    2018-06-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to detect carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Although it is important to evaluate vulnerable carotid plaques containing lipids and intra-plaque hemorrhages (IPHs) using T 1 -weighted images, the image contrast changes depending on the imaging settings. Moreover, to distinguish between a thrombus and a hemorrhage, it is useful to evaluate the iron content of the plaque using both T 1 -weighted and T 2 *-weighted images. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques using T 1 and T 2 * values may be necessary for the accurate evaluation of plaque components. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the multi-echo phase-sensitive inversion recovery (mPSIR) sequence can improve T 1 contrast while simultaneously providing accurate T 1 and T 2 * values of an IPH. T 1 and T 2 * values measured using mPSIR were compared to values from conventional methods in phantom and in vivo studies. In the phantom study, the T 1 and T 2 * values estimated using mPSIR were linearly correlated with those of conventional methods. In the in vivo study, mPSIR demonstrated higher T 1 contrast between the IPH phantom and sternocleidomastoid muscle than the conventional method. Moreover, the T 1 and T 2 * values of the blood vessel wall and sternocleidomastoid muscle estimated using mPSIR were correlated with values measured by conventional methods and with values reported previously. The mPSIR sequence improved T 1 contrast while simultaneously providing accurate T 1 and T 2 * values of the neck region. Although further study is required to evaluate the clinical utility, mPSIR may improve carotid atherosclerotic plaque detection and provide detailed information about plaque components.

  20. Deep sequencing with intronic capture enables identification of an APC exon 10 inversion in a patient with polyposis.

    PubMed

    Shirts, Brian H; Salipante, Stephen J; Casadei, Silvia; Ryan, Shawnia; Martin, Judith; Jacobson, Angela; Vlaskin, Tatyana; Koehler, Karen; Livingston, Robert J; King, Mary-Claire; Walsh, Tom; Pritchard, Colin C

    2014-10-01

    Single-exon inversions have rarely been described in clinical syndromes and are challenging to detect using Sanger sequencing. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman with adenomatous colon polyps too numerous to count and who had a complex inversion spanning the entire exon 10 in APC (the gene encoding for adenomatous polyposis coli), causing exon skipping and resulting in a frameshift and premature protein truncation. In this study, we employed complete APC gene sequencing using high-coverage next-generation sequencing by ColoSeq, analysis with BreakDancer and SLOPE software, and confirmatory transcript analysis. ColoSeq identified a complex small genomic rearrangement consisting of an inversion that results in translational skipping of exon 10 in the APC gene. This mutation would not have been detected by traditional sequencing or gene-dosage methods. We report a case of adenomatous polyposis resulting from a complex single-exon inversion. Our report highlights the benefits of large-scale sequencing methods that capture intronic sequences with high enough depth of coverage-as well as the use of informatics tools-to enable detection of small pathogenic structural rearrangements.

  1. Potential of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) in identification of temporomandibular joint effusion compared with T2-weighted images.

    PubMed

    Imoto, Kenichi; Otonari-Yamamoto, Mika; Nishikawa, Keiichi; Sano, Tsukasa; Yamamoto, Aya

    2011-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence images in the identification of joint effusion (JE) compared with T2-weighted images. A total of 31 joints (28 patients) with JE were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Regions of interest were placed over JE, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and gray matter (GM) on T2-weighted and FLAIR images and their signal intensities compared. The signal intensity ratios (SIRs) of JE and CSF were calculated with GM as the reference point. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used for the statistical analysis. The SIR of JE showed a strong correlation between T2-weighted and FLAIR images. However, no correlation was observed for CSF. The average suppression ratio for JE was lower than that for CSF. MRI using FLAIR sequences revealed that JE was not just water content, but a fluid accumulation containing elements such as protein. Further studies are needed, and FLAIR sequences could be useful for the diagnosis of pain and symptoms of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluation of T2-weighted versus short-tau inversion recovery sagittal sequences in the identification and localization of canine intervertebral disc extrusion with low-field magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Housley, Daniel; Caine, Abby; Cherubini, Giunio; Taeymans, Olivier

    2017-07-01

    Sagittal T2-weighted sequences (T2-SAG) are the foundation of spinal protocols when screening for the presence of intervertebral disc extrusion. We often utilize sagittal short-tau inversion recovery sequences (STIR-SAG) as an adjunctive screening series, and experience suggests that this combined approach provides superior detection rates. We hypothesized that STIR-SAG would provide higher sensitivity than T2-SAG in the identification and localization of intervertebral disc extrusion. We further hypothesized that the parallel evaluation of paired T2-SAG and STIR-SAG series would provide a higher sensitivity than could be achieved with either independent sagittal series when viewed in isolation. This retrospective diagnostic accuracy study blindly reviewed T2-SAG and STIR-SAG sequences from dogs (n = 110) with surgically confirmed intervertebral disc extrusion. A consensus between two radiologists found no significant difference in sensitivity between T2-SAG and STIR-SAG during the identification of intervertebral disc extrusion (T2-SAG: 92.7%, STIR-SAG: 94.5%, P = 0.752). Nevertheless, STIR-SAG accurately identified intervertebral disc extrusion in 66.7% of cases where the evaluation of T2-SAG in isolation had provided a false negative diagnosis. Additionally, one radiologist found that the parallel evaluation of paired T2-SAG and STIR-SAG series provided a significantly higher sensitivity than T2-SAG in isolation, during the identification of intervertebral disc extrusion (T2-SAG: 78.2%, paired T2-SAG, and STIR-SAG: 90.9%, P = 0.017). A similar nonsignificant trend was observed when the consensus of both radiologists was taken into consideration (T2-SAG: 92.7%, paired T2-SAG, and STIR-SAG = 97.3%, P = 0.392). We therefore conclude that STIR-SAG is capable of identifying intervertebral disc extrusion that is inconspicuous in T2-SAG, and that STIR-SAG should be considered a useful adjunctive sequence during preliminary sagittal screening for intervertebral disc

  3. Diagnosis of retrodiscal tissue in painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity.

    PubMed

    Kuroda, Migiwa; Otonari-Yamamoto, Mika; Sano, Tsukasa; Fujikura, Mamiko; Wakoh, Mamoru

    2014-09-09

    Aims: The purpose of the present study is to analyze the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity of the retrodiscal tissue in a painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to develop a diagnostic system based on FLAIR data. Methodology: The study was based on 33 joints of 17 patients referred for MR imaging of the TMJ. Regions of interest were placed over retrodiscal tissue and gray matter (GM) on FLAIR images. Using signal intensities of GM as reference points, signal intensity ratios (SIR) of retrodiscal tissue were calculated. SIRs in painful TMJ were compared with those in painless TMJ. Wilcoxon's Rank Sum Test was used to analyze the difference in SIRs between the painful and painless groups (P<0·05). Results: The SIRs of retrodiscal tissue were significantly higher in painful joints than in painless joints. Conclusion: FLAIR sequences provide a high signal in patients having painful TMJ, and it suggests that retrodiscal tissue in painful TMJ contains elements such as protein.

  4. Diagnosis of retrodiscal tissue in painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity.

    PubMed

    Kuroda, Migiwa; Otonari-Yamamoto, Mika; Sano, Tsukasa; Fujikura, Mamiko; Wakoh, Mamoru

    2015-10-01

    The purpose of the present study is to analyze the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal intensity of the retrodiscal tissue in a painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to develop a diagnostic system based on FLAIR data. The study was based on 33 joints of 17 patients referred for MR imaging of the TMJ. Regions of interest were placed over retrodiscal tissue and gray matter (GM) on FLAIR images. Using signal intensities of GM as reference points, signal intensity ratios (SIR) of retrodiscal tissue were calculated. SIRs in painful TMJ were compared with those in painless TMJ. Wilcoxon's Rank Sum Test was used to analyze the difference in SIRs between the painful and painless groups (P<0·05). The SIRs of retrodiscal tissue were significantly higher in painful joints than in painless joints. FLAIR sequences provide a high signal in patients having painful TMJ, and it suggests that retrodiscal tissue in painful TMJ contains elements such as protein.

  5. MPN estimation of qPCR target sequence recoveries from whole cell calibrator samples.

    PubMed

    Sivaganesan, Mano; Siefring, Shawn; Varma, Manju; Haugland, Richard A

    2011-12-01

    DNA extracts from enumerated target organism cells (calibrator samples) have been used for estimating Enterococcus cell equivalent densities in surface waters by a comparative cycle threshold (Ct) qPCR analysis method. To compare surface water Enterococcus density estimates from different studies by this approach, either a consistent source of calibrator cells must be used or the estimates must account for any differences in target sequence recoveries from different sources of calibrator cells. In this report we describe two methods for estimating target sequence recoveries from whole cell calibrator samples based on qPCR analyses of their serially diluted DNA extracts and most probable number (MPN) calculation. The first method employed a traditional MPN calculation approach. The second method employed a Bayesian hierarchical statistical modeling approach and a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) simulation method to account for the uncertainty in these estimates associated with different individual samples of the cell preparations, different dilutions of the DNA extracts and different qPCR analytical runs. The two methods were applied to estimate mean target sequence recoveries per cell from two different lots of a commercially available source of enumerated Enterococcus cell preparations. The mean target sequence recovery estimates (and standard errors) per cell from Lot A and B cell preparations by the Bayesian method were 22.73 (3.4) and 11.76 (2.4), respectively, when the data were adjusted for potential false positive results. Means were similar for the traditional MPN approach which cannot comparably assess uncertainty in the estimates. Cell numbers and estimates of recoverable target sequences in calibrator samples prepared from the two cell sources were also used to estimate cell equivalent and target sequence quantities recovered from surface water samples in a comparative Ct method. Our results illustrate the utility of the Bayesian method in accounting for

  6. Characterizing polymorphic inversions in human genomes by single-cell sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, Ashley D.; Hills, Mark; Porubský, David; Guryev, Victor; Falconer, Ester; Lansdorp, Peter M.

    2016-01-01

    Identifying genomic features that differ between individuals and cells can help uncover the functional variants that drive phenotypes and disease susceptibilities. For this, single-cell studies are paramount, as it becomes increasingly clear that the contribution of rare but functional cellular subpopulations is important for disease prognosis, management, and progression. Until now, studying these associations has been challenged by our inability to map structural rearrangements accurately and comprehensively. To overcome this, we coupled single-cell sequencing of DNA template strands (Strand-seq) with custom analysis software to rapidly discover, map, and genotype genomic rearrangements at high resolution. This allowed us to explore the distribution and frequency of inversions in a heterogeneous cell population, identify several polymorphic domains in complex regions of the genome, and locate rare alleles in the reference assembly. We then mapped the entire genomic complement of inversions within two unrelated individuals to characterize their distinct inversion profiles and built a nonredundant global reference of structural rearrangements in the human genome. The work described here provides a powerful new framework to study structural variation and genomic heterogeneity in single-cell samples, whether from individuals for population studies or tissue types for biomarker discovery. PMID:27472961

  7. Accelerated aortic imaging using small field of view imaging and electrocardiogram-triggered quadruple inversion recovery magnetization preparation.

    PubMed

    Peel, Sarah A; Hussain, Tarique; Cecelja, Marina; Abbas, Abeera; Greil, Gerald F; Chowienczyk, Philip; Spector, Tim; Smith, Alberto; Waltham, Matthew; Botnar, Rene M

    2011-11-01

    To accelerate and optimize black blood properties of the quadruple inversion recovery (QIR) technique for imaging the abdominal aortic wall. QIR inversion delays were optimized for different heart rates in simulations and phantom studies by minimizing the steady state magnetization of blood for T(1) = 100-1400 ms. To accelerate and improve black blood properties of aortic vessel wall imaging, the QIR prepulse was combined with zoom imaging and (a) "traditional" and (b) "trailing" electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering. Ten volunteers were imaged pre- and post-contrast administration using a conventional ECG-triggered double inversion recovery (DIR) and the two QIR implementations in combination with a zoom-TSE readout. The QIR implemented with "trailing" ECG-triggering resulted in consistently good blood suppression as the second inversion delay was timed during maximum systolic flow in the aorta. The blood signal-to-noise ratio and vessel wall to blood contrast-to-noise ratio, vessel wall sharpness, and image quality scores showed a statistically significant improvement compared with the traditional QIR implementation with and without ECG-triggering. We demonstrate that aortic vessel wall imaging can be accelerated with zoom imaging and that "trailing" ECG-triggering improves black blood properties of the aorta which is subject to motion and variable blood flow during the cardiac cycle. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Constitutional pericentric inversion of chromosome 9 and hematopoietic recovery after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

    PubMed

    Manola, K N; Harhalakis, N; Symeonidis, A; Rigana, H; Stavropoulou, C; Karakasis, D; Tiniakou, M; Baltathakis, I; Stamouli, M I; Zoumbos, N; Pantelias, G E; Sambani, C

    2006-09-01

    Recent reports suggest that hemopoietic stem cells with constitutional pericentric inversion of chromosome 9 [inv(9)] may be related to delayed engraftment or hemopoietic defect after stem cell transplantation (SCT). We conducted a retrospective study on five allogeneic SCT in which constitutional inv(9) was detected either in the donor or the recipient. The results showed that hematologic recovery was within the expected time range for all our patients. However, one patient exhibited decreasing blood counts between day +45 and +272 after transplantation, possibly due to protracted cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and gansiclovir and imatinib treatment. Our findings suggest that constitutional inv(9) may not be associated with delayed hemopoietic recovery after SCT.

  9. Myocardial T1 mapping at 3.0 tesla using an inversion recovery spoiled gradient echo readout and bloch equation simulation with slice profile correction (BLESSPC) T1 estimation algorithm.

    PubMed

    Shao, Jiaxin; Rapacchi, Stanislas; Nguyen, Kim-Lien; Hu, Peng

    2016-02-01

    To develop an accurate and precise myocardial T1 mapping technique using an inversion recovery spoiled gradient echo readout at 3.0 Tesla (T). The modified Look-Locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI) sequence was modified to use fast low angle shot (FLASH) readout, incorporating a BLESSPC (Bloch Equation Simulation with Slice Profile Correction) T1 estimation algorithm, for accurate myocardial T1 mapping. The FLASH-MOLLI with BLESSPC fitting was compared with different approaches and sequences with regards to T1 estimation accuracy, precision and image artifact based on simulation, phantom studies, and in vivo studies of 10 healthy volunteers and three patients at 3.0 Tesla. The FLASH-MOLLI with BLESSPC fitting yields accurate T1 estimation (average error = -5.4 ± 15.1 ms, percentage error = -0.5% ± 1.2%) for T1 from 236-1852 ms and heart rate from 40-100 bpm in phantom studies. The FLASH-MOLLI sequence prevented off-resonance artifacts in all 10 healthy volunteers at 3.0T. In vivo, there was no significant difference between FLASH-MOLLI-derived myocardial T1 values and "ShMOLLI+IE" derived values (1458.9 ± 20.9 ms versus 1464.1 ± 6.8 ms, P = 0.50); However, the average precision by FLASH-MOLLI was significantly better than that generated by "ShMOLLI+IE" (1.84 ± 0.36% variance versus 3.57 ± 0.94%, P < 0.001). The FLASH-MOLLI with BLESSPC fitting yields accurate and precise T1 estimation, and eliminates banding artifacts associated with bSSFP at 3.0T. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. On the recovery of missing low and high frequency information from bandlimited reflectivity data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sacchi, M. D.; Ulrych, T. J.

    2007-12-01

    During the last two decades, an important effort in the seismic exploration community has been made to retrieve broad-band seismic data by means of deconvolution and inversion. In general, the problem can be stated as a spectral reconstruction problem. In other words, given limited spectral information about the earth's reflectivity sequence, one attempts to create a broadband estimate of the Fourier spectra of the unknown reflectivity. Techniques based on the principle of parsimony can be effectively used to retrieve a sparse spike sequence and, consequently, a broad band signal. Alternatively, continuation methods, e.g., autoregressive modeling, can be used to extrapolate the recorded bandwidth of the seismic signal. The goal of this paper is to examine under what conditions the recovery of low and high frequencies from band-limited and noisy signals is possible. At the heart of the methods we discuss, is the celebrated non-Gaussian assumption so important in many modern signal processing methods, such as ICA, for example. Spectral recovery from limited information tends to work when the reflectivity consist of a few well isolated events. Results degrade with the number of reflectors, decreasing SNR and decreasing bandwidth of the source wavelet. Constrains and information-based priors can be used to stabilize the recovery but, as in all inverse problems, the solution is nonunique and effort is required to understand the level of recovery that is achievable, always keeping the physics of the problem in mind. We provide in this paper, a survey of methods to recover broad-band reflectivity sequences and examine the role that these techniques can play in the processing and inversion as applied to exploration and global seismology.

  11. Motion-insensitive carotid intraplaque hemorrhage imaging using 3D inversion recovery preparation stack of stars (IR-prep SOS) technique.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seong-Eun; Roberts, John A; Eisenmenger, Laura B; Aldred, Booth W; Jamil, Osama; Bolster, Bradley D; Bi, Xiaoming; Parker, Dennis L; Treiman, Gerald S; McNally, J Scott

    2017-02-01

    Carotid artery imaging is important in the clinical management of patients at risk for stroke. Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) presents an important diagnostic challenge. 3D magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE) has been shown to accurately image carotid IPH; however, this sequence can be limited due to motion- and flow-related artifact. The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate an improved 3D carotid MPRAGE sequence for IPH detection. We hypothesized that a radial-based k-space trajectory sequence such as "Stack of Stars" (SOS) incorporated with inversion recovery preparation would offer reduced motion sensitivity and more robust flow suppression by oversampling of central k-space. A total of 31 patients with carotid disease (62 carotid arteries) were imaged at 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with 3D IR-prep Cartesian and SOS sequences. Image quality was determined between SOS and Cartesian MPRAGE in 62 carotid arteries using t-tests and multivariable linear regression. Kappa analysis was used to determine interrater reliability. In all, 25 among 62 carotid plaques had carotid IPH by consensus from the reviewers on SOS compared to 24 on Cartesian sequence. Image quality was significantly higher with SOS compared to Cartesian (mean 3.74 vs. 3.11, P < 0.001). SOS acquisition yielded sharper image features with less motion (19.4% vs. 45.2%, P < 0.002) and flow artifact (27.4% vs. 41.9%, P < 0.089). There was also excellent interrater reliability with SOS (kappa = 0.89), higher than that of Cartesian (kappa = 0.84). By minimizing flow and motion artifacts and retaining high interrater reliability, the SOS MPRAGE has important advantages over Cartesian MPRAGE in carotid IPH detection. 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:410-417. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  12. Non-Contrast-Enhanced Renal Angiography Using Multiple Inversion Recovery and Alternating TR Balanced Steady State Free Precession

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Hattie Z.; Worters, Pauline W.; Wu, Holden H.; Ingle, R. Reeve; Vasanawala, Shreyas S.; Nishimura, Dwight G.

    2014-01-01

    Non-contrast enhanced renal angiography techniques based on balanced steady state free precession (SSFP) avoid external contrast agents, take advantage of high inherent blood signal from the T2/T1 contrast mechanism, and have short SSFP acquisition times. However, background suppression is limited; inflow times are inflexible; labeling region is difficult to define when tagging arterial flow; and scan times are long. To overcome these limitations, we propose the use of multiple inversion recovery (MIR) preparatory pulses combined with alternating TR balanced SSFP (ATR-SSFP) to produce renal angiograms. MIR uses selective spatial saturation followed by four global inversion recovery pulses to concurrently null a wide range of background T1 species while allowing for adjustable inflow times; ATR-SSFP maintains vessel contrast and provides added fat suppression. The high level of suppression enables imaging in 3D as well as projective 2D formats, the latter of which has a scan time down to one heartbeat. In vivo studies at 1.5 T demonstrate the superior vessel contrast of this technique. PMID:23172805

  13. Feasibility of using an inversion-recovery ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequence for quantification of glenoid bone loss.

    PubMed

    Ma, Ya-Jun; West, Justin; Nazaran, Amin; Cheng, Xin; Hoenecke, Heinz; Du, Jiang; Chang, Eric Y

    2018-02-02

    To utilize the 3D inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time with cones readout (IR-UTE-Cones) MRI technique for direct imaging of lamellar bone with comparison to the gold standard of computed tomography (CT). CT and MRI was performed on 11 shoulder specimens and three patients. Five specimens had imaging performed before and after glenoid fracture (osteotomy). 2D and 3D volume-rendered CT images were reconstructed and conventional T1-weighted and 3D IR-UTE-Cones MRI techniques were performed. Glenoid widths and defects were independently measured by two readers using the circle method. Measurements were compared with those made from 3D CT datasets. Paired-sample Student's t tests and intraclass correlation coefficients were performed. In addition, 2D CT and 3D IR-UTE-Cones MRI datasets were linearly registered, digitally overlaid, and compared in consensus by these two readers. Compared with the reference standard (3D CT), glenoid bone diameter measurements made on 2D CT and 3D IR-UTE-Cones were not significantly different for either reader, whereas T1-weighted images underestimated the diameter (mean difference of 0.18 cm, p = 0.003 and 0.16 cm, p = 0.022 for readers 1 and 2, respectively). However, mean margin of error for measuring glenoid bone loss was small for all modalities (range, 1.46-3.92%). All measured ICCs were near perfect. Digitally registered 2D CT and 3D IR-UTE-Cones MRI datasets yielded essentially perfect congruity between the two modalities. The 3D IR-UTE-Cones MRI technique selectively visualizes lamellar bone, produces similar contrast to 2D CT imaging, and compares favorably to measurements made using 2D and 3D CT.

  14. Color-coded fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images improve inter-rater reliability of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal changes within acute diffusion-weighted image lesions.

    PubMed

    Kim, Bum Joon; Kim, Yong-Hwan; Kim, Yeon-Jung; Ahn, Sung Ho; Lee, Deok Hee; Kwon, Sun U; Kim, Sang Joon; Kim, Jong S; Kang, Dong-Wha

    2014-09-01

    Diffusion-weighted image fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) mismatch has been considered to represent ischemic lesion age. However, the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch is low. We hypothesized that color-coded images would increase its inter-rater agreement. Patients with ischemic stroke <24 hours of a clear onset were retrospectively studied. FLAIR signal change was rated as negative, subtle, or obvious on conventional and color-coded FLAIR images based on visual inspection. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated using κ and percent agreement. The predictive value of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch for identification of patients <4.5 hours of symptom onset was evaluated. One hundred and thirteen patients were enrolled. The inter-rater agreement of FLAIR signal change improved from 69.9% (k=0.538) with conventional images to 85.8% (k=0.754) with color-coded images (P=0.004). Discrepantly rated patients on conventional, but not on color-coded images, had a higher prevalence of cardioembolic stroke (P=0.02) and cortical infarction (P=0.04). The positive predictive value for patients <4.5 hours of onset was 85.3% and 71.9% with conventional and 95.7% and 82.1% with color-coded images, by each rater. Color-coded FLAIR images increased the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR recovery mismatch and may ultimately help identify unknown-onset stroke patients appropriate for thrombolysis. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  15. Efficacy of double inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of the synovium in the femoro-patellar joint without contrast enhancement.

    PubMed

    Son, Ye Na; Jin, Wook; Jahng, Geon-Ho; Cha, Jang Gyu; Park, Yong Sung; Yun, Seong Jong; Park, So Young; Park, Ji Seon; Ryu, Kyung Nam

    2018-02-01

    To investigate the efficacy of double inversion recovery (DIR) sequence for evaluating the synovium of the femoro-patellar joint without contrast enhancement (CE). Two radiologists independently evaluated the axial DIR and CE T1-weighted fat-saturated (CET1FS) images of 33 knees for agreement; the visualisation and distribution of the synovium were evaluated using a four-point visual scaling system at each of the five levels of the femoro-patellar joint and the location of the thickest synovium. The maximal synovial thickness at each sequence was measured by consensus. The interobserver agreement was good (κ = 0.736) for the four-point scale, and was excellent for the location of the thickest synovium on DIR and CET1FS (κ = 0.955 and 0.954). The intersequential agreement for the area with the thickest synovium was also excellent (κ = 0.845 and κ = 0.828). The synovial thickness on each sequence showed excellent correlation (r = 0.872). The DIR showed as good a correlation as CET1FS for the evaluation of the synovium at the femoro-patellar joint. DIR may be a useful MR technique for evaluating the synovium without CE. • DIR can be useful for evaluating the synovium of the femoro-patellar joint. • Interobserver and intersequential agreements between DIR and CET1FS were good. • Mean thickness of the synovium was significantly different between two sequences.

  16. Characterizing the impact of model error in hydrologic time series recovery inverse problems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hansen, Scott K.; He, Jiachuan; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

    Hydrologic models are commonly over-smoothed relative to reality, owing to computational limitations and to the difficulty of obtaining accurate high-resolution information. When used in an inversion context, such models may introduce systematic biases which cannot be encapsulated by an unbiased “observation noise” term of the type assumed by standard regularization theory and typical Bayesian formulations. Despite its importance, model error is difficult to encapsulate systematically and is often neglected. In this paper, model error is considered for an important class of inverse problems that includes interpretation of hydraulic transients and contaminant source history inference: reconstruction of a time series thatmore » has been convolved against a transfer function (i.e., impulse response) that is only approximately known. Using established harmonic theory along with two results established here regarding triangular Toeplitz matrices, upper and lower error bounds are derived for the effect of systematic model error on time series recovery for both well-determined and over-determined inverse problems. It is seen that use of additional measurement locations does not improve expected performance in the face of model error. A Monte Carlo study of a realistic hydraulic reconstruction problem is presented, and the lower error bound is seen informative about expected behavior. Finally, a possible diagnostic criterion for blind transfer function characterization is also uncovered.« less

  17. Characterizing the impact of model error in hydrologic time series recovery inverse problems

    DOE PAGES

    Hansen, Scott K.; He, Jiachuan; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

    2017-10-28

    Hydrologic models are commonly over-smoothed relative to reality, owing to computational limitations and to the difficulty of obtaining accurate high-resolution information. When used in an inversion context, such models may introduce systematic biases which cannot be encapsulated by an unbiased “observation noise” term of the type assumed by standard regularization theory and typical Bayesian formulations. Despite its importance, model error is difficult to encapsulate systematically and is often neglected. In this paper, model error is considered for an important class of inverse problems that includes interpretation of hydraulic transients and contaminant source history inference: reconstruction of a time series thatmore » has been convolved against a transfer function (i.e., impulse response) that is only approximately known. Using established harmonic theory along with two results established here regarding triangular Toeplitz matrices, upper and lower error bounds are derived for the effect of systematic model error on time series recovery for both well-determined and over-determined inverse problems. It is seen that use of additional measurement locations does not improve expected performance in the face of model error. A Monte Carlo study of a realistic hydraulic reconstruction problem is presented, and the lower error bound is seen informative about expected behavior. Finally, a possible diagnostic criterion for blind transfer function characterization is also uncovered.« less

  18. Geoid Recovery Using Geophysical Inverse Theory Applied to Satellite to Satellite Tracking Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gaposchkin, E. M.

    2000-01-01

    This report describes a new method for determination of the geopotential, or the equivalent geoid. It is based on Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) of two co-orbiting low earth satellites separated by a few hundred kilometers. The analysis is aimed at the GRACE Mission, though it is generally applicable to any SST data. It is proposed that the SST be viewed as a mapping mission. That is, the result will be maps of the geoid or gravity, as contrasted with determination of spherical harmonics or Fourier coefficients. A method has been developed, based on Geophysical Inverse Theory (GIT), that can provide maps at a prescribed (desired) resolution and the corresponding error map from the SST data. This computation can be done area by area avoiding simultaneous recovery of all the geopotential information. The necessary elements of potential theory, celestial mechanics, and Geophysical Inverse Theory are described, a computation architecture is described, and the results of several simulations presented. Centimeter accuracy geoids with 50 to 100 km resolution can be recovered with a 30 to 60 day mission.

  19. Phase sensitive reconstruction of T1-weighted inversion recovery in the evaluation of the cervical cord lesions in multiple Sclerosis; is it similarly eligible in 1.5 T magnet fields?

    PubMed

    Shayganfar, A; Sarrami, A H; Fathi, S; Shaygannejad, V; Shamsian, S

    2018-04-22

    In primary studies with 3 T Magnets, phase sensitive reconstruction of T1-weighted inversion recovery (PSIR) have showed ability to depict the cervical multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions some of which may not be detected by short tau inversion recovery (STIR). Regarding to more availability of 1.5 T MRI, this study was designed to evaluate the eligibility of PSIR in 1.5 T for detection of spinal cord MS lesions. In a study between September 2016 till March 2017 the patients with proven diagnosis of MS enrolled to the study. The standard protocol (sagittal STIR and T2W FSE and axial T2W FSE) as well as sagittal PSIR sequences were performed using a 1.5 T magnet. The images were studied and the lesions were localized and recorded as sharp or faint on each sequence. Of 25 patients (22 females and 3 males, with mean age of 33.5 ± 9.8 years and mean disease duration of 5.4 ± 3.9 years) 69 lesions in STIR, 53 lesions in T2W FSE, 47 lesions in Magnitude reconstruction of PSIR (Magnitude), and 30 lesions in phase sensitive (real) reconstruction PSIR were detected. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed STIR has a statistically significant higher detection rate of the plaques rather than other three sequences. (STIR and T2W FSE, Z = -4.000, p < 0.0001, STIR and Magnitude, Z = -4.690, p < 0.0001, STIR and PSIR, Z = -6.245, p = 0.002) Also, STIR had a statistically significant superiority in the boundary definition of the plaques rather than other three sequences. This study shows that in the setting of a 1.5 T magnet field, STIR significantly has a superiority over both of the PSIR reconstructions (i.e. real and magnitude) for the detection as well as the boundary definition of the cervical cord lesions of MS. These results have a good relevance to clinical practice by using MRI scanners and sequences routinely available, however, it is discrepant with other reports performed by 3 T Magnet fields. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  20. High-speed multislice T1 mapping using inversion-recovery echo-planar imaging.

    PubMed

    Ordidge, R J; Gibbs, P; Chapman, B; Stehling, M K; Mansfield, P

    1990-11-01

    Tissue contrast in MR images is a strong function of spin-lattice (T1) and spin-spin (T2) relaxation times. However, the T1 relaxation time is rarely quantified because of the long scan time required to produce an accurate T1 map of the subject. In a standard 2D FT technique, this procedure may take up to 30 min. Modifications of the echo-planar imaging (EPI) technique which incorporate the principle of inversion recovery (IR) enable multislice T1 maps to be produced in total scan times varying from a few seconds up to a minute. Using IR-EPI, rapid quantification of T1 values may thus lead to better discrimination between tissue types in an acceptable scan time.

  1. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensities in predicting cerebral hyperperfusion after intracranial arterial stenting.

    PubMed

    Wan, Chih-Cheng; Chen, David Yen-Ting; Tseng, Ying-Chi; Yan, Feng-Xian; Lee, Kun-Yu; Chiang, Chen-Hua; Chen, Chi-Jen

    2017-08-01

    No reliable imaging sign predicting cerebral hyperperfusion after intracranial arterial stenting (IAS) had been described in the literature. This study evaluated the effect of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensities (FVHs), also called hyperintense vessel sign on T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) MR images, in predicting significant increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) defined by arterial spin labeling (ASL) after IAS. We reviewed ASL CBF images and T2-FLAIR MR images before (D0), 1 day after (D1), and 3 days after (D3) IAS of 16 patients. T1-weighted MR images were used as cerebral maps for calculating CBF. The changes in CBF values after IAS were calculated in and compared among stenting and nonstenting vascular territories. An increase more than 50% of CBF was considered as hyperperfusion. The effect of FVHs in predicting hyperperfusion was calculated. The D1 CBF value was significantly higher than the D0 CBF value in stenting vascular, contralateral anterior cerebral artery, contralateral middle cerebral artery, and contralateral posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territories (all P < .05). The D1 and D3 CBF values were significantly higher than the D0 CBF value in overall vascular (P < .001), overall nonstenting vascular (P < .001), and ipsilateral PCA (P < .05) territories. The rate of more than 50% increases in CBF was significantly higher in patients who exhibited asymmetric FVHs than in those who did not exhibit these findings. FVHs could be a critical predictor of a significant increase in CBF after IAS.

  2. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance of myocardial edema using a short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) black-blood technique: Diagnostic accuracy of visual and semi-quantitative assessment

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) black-blood technique has been used to visualize myocardial edema, and thus to differentiate acute from chronic myocardial lesions. However, some cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) groups have reported variable image quality, and hence the diagnostic value of STIR in routine clinical practice has been put into question. The aim of our study was to analyze image quality and diagnostic performance of STIR using a set of pulse sequence parameters dedicated to edema detection, and to discuss possible factors that influence image quality. We hypothesized that STIR imaging is an accurate and robust way of detecting myocardial edema in non-selected patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods Forty-six consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent CMR (day 4.5, +/- 1.6) including STIR for the assessment of myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for quantification of myocardial necrosis. Thirty of these patients underwent a follow-up CMR at approximately six months (195 +/- 39 days). Both STIR and LGE images were evaluated separately on a segmental basis for image quality as well as for presence and extent of myocardial hyper-intensity, with both visual and semi-quantitative (threshold-based) analysis. LGE was used as a reference standard for localization and extent of myocardial necrosis (acute) or scar (chronic). Results Image quality of STIR images was rated as diagnostic in 99.5% of cases. At the acute stage, the sensitivity and specificity of STIR to detect infarcted segments on visual assessment was 95% and 78% respectively, and on semi-quantitative assessment was 99% and 83%, respectively. STIR differentiated acutely from chronically infarcted segments with a sensitivity of 95% by both methods and with a specificity of 99% by visual assessment and 97% by semi-quantitative assessment. The extent of hyper-intense areas on acute STIR images was 85% larger than

  3. Seismic inversion for incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough margin off Kumano Basin, southwest Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naito, K.; Park, J.

    2012-12-01

    The Nankai Trough off southwest Japan is one of the best subduction-zone to study megathrust earthquake mechanism. Huge earthquakes have been repeated in the cycle of 100-150 years in the area, and in these days the next emergence of the earthquake becomes one of the most serious issue in Japan. Therefore, detailed descriptions of geological structure are urgently needed there. IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) have investigated this area in the NanTroSEIZE science plan. Seismic reflection, core sampling and borehole logging surveys have been executed during the NanTroSEIZE expeditions. Core-log-seismic data integration (CLSI) is useful for understanding the Nankai seismogenic zone. We use the seismic inversion method to do the CLSI. The seismic inversion (acoustic impedance inversion, A.I. inversion) is a method to estimate rock physical properties using seismic reflection and logging data. Acoustic impedance volume is inverted for seismic data with density and P-wave velocity of several boreholes with the technique. We use high-resolution 3D multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection data obtained during KR06-02 cruise in 2006, and measured core sample properties by IODP Expeditions 322 and 333. P-wave velocities missing for some core sample are interpolated by the relationship between acoustic impedance and P-wave velocity. We used Hampson-Russell software for the seismic inversion. 3D porosity model is derived from the 3D acoustic impedance model to figure out rock physical properties of the incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough off Kumano Basin. The result of our inversion analysis clearly shows heterogeneity of sediments; relatively high porosity sediments on the shallow layer of Kashinosaki Knoll, and distribution of many physical anomaly bands on volcanic and turbidite sediment layers around the 3D MCS survey area. In this talk, we will show 3D MCS, acoustic impedance, and porosity data for the incoming sedimentary sequence and discuss its

  4. Accuracy for detection of simulated lesions: comparison of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery, proton density--weighted, and T2-weighted synthetic brain MR imaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Herskovits, E. H.; Itoh, R.; Melhem, E. R.

    2001-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to determine the effects of MR sequence (fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery [FLAIR], proton density--weighted, and T2-weighted) and of lesion location on sensitivity and specificity of lesion detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We generated FLAIR, proton density-weighted, and T2-weighted brain images with 3-mm lesions using published parameters for acute multiple sclerosis plaques. Each image contained from zero to five lesions that were distributed among cortical-subcortical, periventricular, and deep white matter regions; on either side; and anterior or posterior in position. We presented images of 540 lesions, distributed among 2592 image regions, to six neuroradiologists. We constructed a contingency table for image regions with lesions and another for image regions without lesions (normal). Each table included the following: the reviewer's number (1--6); the MR sequence; the side, position, and region of the lesion; and the reviewer's response (lesion present or absent [normal]). We performed chi-square and log-linear analyses. RESULTS: The FLAIR sequence yielded the highest true-positive rates (p < 0.001) and the highest true-negative rates (p < 0.001). Regions also differed in reviewers' true-positive rates (p < 0.001) and true-negative rates (p = 0.002). The true-positive rate model generated by log-linear analysis contained an additional sequence-location interaction. The true-negative rate model generated by log-linear analysis confirmed these associations, but no higher order interactions were added. CONCLUSION: We developed software with which we can generate brain images of a wide range of pulse sequences and that allows us to specify the location, size, shape, and intrinsic characteristics of simulated lesions. We found that the use of FLAIR sequences increases detection accuracy for cortical-subcortical and periventricular lesions over that associated with proton density- and T2-weighted sequences.

  5. Damped regional-scale stress inversions: Methodology and examples for southern California and the Coalinga aftershock sequence

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hardebeck, J.L.; Michael, A.J.

    2006-01-01

    We present a new focal mechanism stress inversion technique to produce regional-scale models of stress orientation containing the minimum complexity necessary to fit the data. Current practice is to divide a region into small subareas and to independently fit a stress tensor to the focal mechanisms of each subarea. This procedure may lead to apparent spatial variability that is actually an artifact of overfitting noisy data or nonuniquely fitting data that does not completely constrain the stress tensor. To remove these artifacts while retaining any stress variations that are strongly required by the data, we devise a damped inversion method to simultaneously invert for stress in all subareas while minimizing the difference in stress between adjacent subareas. This method is conceptually similar to other geophysical inverse techniques that incorporate damping, such as seismic tomography. In checkerboard tests, the damped inversion removes the stress rotation artifacts exhibited by an undamped inversion, while resolving sharper true stress rotations than a simple smoothed model or a moving-window inversion. We show an example of a spatially damped stress field for southern California. The methodology can also be used to study temporal stress changes, and an example for the Coalinga, California, aftershock sequence is shown. We recommend use of the damped inversion technique for any study examining spatial or temporal variations in the stress field.

  6. Spectral presaturation inversion recovery MR imaging sequence after gadolinium injection to differentiate fibrotic scar tissue and neoplastic strands in the mesorectal fat in patients undergoing restaging of rectal carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemo- and radiation therapy.

    PubMed

    Quaia, Emilio; Ulcigrai, Veronica; Coss, Matteo; De Paoli, Luca; Ukmar, Maja; Zanconati, Fabrizio; De Pellegrin, Alessandro; De Manzini, Nicolò; Cova, Maria Assunta

    2011-11-01

    To retrospectively assess the value of spectral presaturation by inversion-recovery (SPIR) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence after gadolinium injection to differentiate fibrotic scar tissue and tumoral infiltration within the mesorectal fat in patients with rectal carcinoma undergoing MR restaging after neoadjuvant chemo- and radiation therapy (CRT). Forty-three consecutive patients (mean age, 65.8 years; range, 46-85 years; male:female, 29:14) with locally advanced rectal carcinoma underwent CRT followed by surgery. MR imaging was performed before and after completion of CRT by using T2-weighted turbo spin-echo and T1-weighted SPIR sequences before and after gadolinium injection, and MR images were assessed by two radiologists in consensus. Logistic regression was conducted to test the significance of the MR image findings with histology. After CRT the disease was either limited to the rectal wall (n = 18 patients) or presented perirectal infiltration (n = 25) on histology. In 21 patients, mesorectal enhancing strands were observed. Reticular-shaped enhancing strands reaching the mesorectal fascia presented the highest correlation with tumor infiltration of the mesorectal fat (OR 130.33, 95% CI: 4.1-4220.29; logistic regression), whereas linear-shaped enhancing strands either reaching or not reaching the mesorectal fascia (OR 0.25 or 0.1, 95% CI: 0.024-2.6 or 0.01-1.07) revealed the lowest correlation. Reticular-shaped enhancing strands on SPIR MR imaging after gadolinium injection are associated with tumor infiltration of the mesorectal fat. Copyright © 2011 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. High-resolution myocardial T1 mapping using single-shot inversion recovery fast low-angle shot MRI with radial undersampling and iterative reconstruction

    PubMed Central

    Joseph, Arun A; Kalentev, Oleksandr; Merboldt, Klaus-Dietmar; Voit, Dirk; Roeloffs, Volkert B; van Zalk, Maaike; Frahm, Jens

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To develop a novel method for rapid myocardial T1 mapping at high spatial resolution. Methods: The proposed strategy represents a single-shot inversion recovery experiment triggered to early diastole during a brief breath-hold. The measurement combines an adiabatic inversion pulse with a real-time readout by highly undersampled radial FLASH, iterative image reconstruction and T1 fitting with automatic deletion of systolic frames. The method was implemented on a 3-T MRI system using a graphics processing unit-equipped bypass computer for online application. Validations employed a T1 reference phantom including analyses at simulated heart rates from 40 to 100 beats per minute. In vivo applications involved myocardial T1 mapping in short-axis views of healthy young volunteers. Results: At 1-mm in-plane resolution and 6-mm section thickness, the inversion recovery measurement could be shortened to 3 s without compromising T1 quantitation. Phantom studies demonstrated T1 accuracy and high precision for values ranging from 300 to 1500 ms and up to a heart rate of 100 beats per minute. Similar results were obtained in vivo yielding septal T1 values of 1246 ± 24 ms (base), 1256 ± 33 ms (mid-ventricular) and 1288 ± 30 ms (apex), respectively (mean ± standard deviation, n = 6). Conclusion: Diastolic myocardial T1 mapping with use of single-shot inversion recovery FLASH offers high spatial resolution, T1 accuracy and precision, and practical robustness and speed. Advances in knowledge: The proposed method will be beneficial for clinical applications relying on native and post-contrast T1 quantitation. PMID:27759423

  8. [Contrastive analysis of artifacts produced by metal dental crowns in 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging with six sequences].

    PubMed

    Lan, Gao; Yunmin, Lian; Pu, Wang; Haili, Huai

    2016-06-01

    This study aimed to observe and evaluate six 3.0 T sequences of metallic artifacts produced by metal dental crowns. Dental crowns fabricated with four different materials (Co-Gr, Ni-Gr, Ti alloy and pure Ti) were evaluated. A mature crossbreed dog was used as the experimental animal, and crowns were fabricated for its upper right second premolar. Each crown was examined through head MRI (3.0 T) with six sequences, namely, T₁ weighted-imaging of spin echo (T₁W/SE), T₂ weighted-imaging of inversion recovery (T₂W/IR), T₂ star gradient echo (T₂*/GRE), T2 weighted-imaging of fast spin echo (T₂W/FSE), T₁ weighted-imaging of fluid attenuate inversion recovery (T₂W/FLAIR), and T₂ weighted-imaging of propeller (T₂W/PROP). The largest area and layers of artifacts were assessed and compared. The artifact in the T₂*/GRE sequence was significantly wider than those in the other sequences (P < 0.01), whose artifact extent was not significantly different (P > 0.05). T₂*/GRE exhibit the strongest influence on the artifact, whereas the five other sequences contribute equally to artifact generation.

  9. Optimization of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) for perfusion functional MRI of rodent brain.

    PubMed

    Nasrallah, Fatima A; Lee, Eugene L Q; Chuang, Kai-Hsiang

    2012-11-01

    Arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI provides a noninvasive method to image perfusion, and has been applied to map neural activation in the brain. Although pulsed labeling methods have been widely used in humans, continuous ASL with a dedicated neck labeling coil is still the preferred method in rodent brain functional MRI (fMRI) to maximize the sensitivity and allow multislice acquisition. However, the additional hardware is not readily available and hence its application is limited. In this study, flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) pulsed ASL was optimized for fMRI of rat brain. A practical challenge of FAIR is the suboptimal global inversion by the transmit coil of limited dimensions, which results in low effective labeling. By using a large volume transmit coil and proper positioning to optimize the body coverage, the perfusion signal was increased by 38.3% compared with positioning the brain at the isocenter. An additional 53.3% gain in signal was achieved using optimized repetition and inversion times compared with a long TR. Under electrical stimulation to the forepaws, a perfusion activation signal change of 63.7 ± 6.3% can be reliably detected in the primary somatosensory cortices using single slice or multislice echo planar imaging at 9.4 T. This demonstrates the potential of using pulsed ASL for multislice perfusion fMRI in functional and pharmacological applications in rat brain. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Discovery of human inversion polymorphisms by comparative analysis of human and chimpanzee DNA sequence assemblies.

    PubMed

    Feuk, Lars; MacDonald, Jeffrey R; Tang, Terence; Carson, Andrew R; Li, Martin; Rao, Girish; Khaja, Razi; Scherer, Stephen W

    2005-10-01

    With a draft genome-sequence assembly for the chimpanzee available, it is now possible to perform genome-wide analyses to identify, at a submicroscopic level, structural rearrangements that have occurred between chimpanzees and humans. The goal of this study was to investigate chromosomal regions that are inverted between the chimpanzee and human genomes. Using the net alignments for the builds of the human and chimpanzee genome assemblies, we identified a total of 1,576 putative regions of inverted orientation, covering more than 154 mega-bases of DNA. The DNA segments are distributed throughout the genome and range from 23 base pairs to 62 mega-bases in length. For the 66 inversions more than 25 kilobases (kb) in length, 75% were flanked on one or both sides by (often unrelated) segmental duplications. Using PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization we experimentally validated 23 of 27 (85%) semi-randomly chosen regions; the largest novel inversion confirmed was 4.3 mega-bases at human Chromosome 7p14. Gorilla was used as an out-group to assign ancestral status to the variants. All experimentally validated inversion regions were then assayed against a panel of human samples and three of the 23 (13%) regions were found to be polymorphic in the human genome. These polymorphic inversions include 730 kb (at 7p22), 13 kb (at 7q11), and 1 kb (at 16q24) fragments with a 5%, 30%, and 48% minor allele frequency, respectively. Our results suggest that inversions are an important source of variation in primate genome evolution. The finding of at least three novel inversion polymorphisms in humans indicates this type of structural variation may be a more common feature of our genome than previously realized.

  11. Fast perfusion measurements in rat skeletal muscle at rest and during exercise with single-voxel FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery).

    PubMed

    Pohmann, Rolf; Künnecke, Basil; Fingerle, Jürgen; von Kienlin, Markus

    2006-01-01

    Non-invasive measurement of perfusion in skeletal muscle by in vivo magnetic resonance remains a challenge due to its low level and the correspondingly low signal-to-noise ratio. To enable accurate, quantitative, and time-resolved perfusion measurements in the leg muscle, a technique with a high sensitivity is required. By combining a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-sequence with a single-voxel readout, we have developed a new technique to measure the perfusion in the rat gastrocnemius muscle at rest, yielding an average value of 19.4 +/- 4.8 mL/100 g/min (n = 22). In additional experiments, perfusion changes were elicited by acute ischemia and reperfusion or by exercise induced by electrical, noninvasive muscle stimulation with varying duration and intensity. The perfusion time courses during these manipulations were measured with a temporal resolution of 2.2 min, showing increases in perfusion of a factor of up to 2.5. In a direct comparison, the results agreed closely with values found with microsphere measurements in the same animals. The quantitative and noninvasive method can significantly facilitate the investigation of atherosclerotic diseases and the examination of drug efficacy.

  12. Retrieving rupture history using waveform inversions in time sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yi, L.; Xu, C.; Zhang, X.

    2017-12-01

    The rupture history of large earthquakes is generally regenerated using the waveform inversion through utilizing seismological waveform records. In the waveform inversion, based on the superposition principle, the rupture process is linearly parameterized. After discretizing the fault plane into sub-faults, the local source time function of each sub-fault is usually parameterized using the multi-time window method, e.g., mutual overlapped triangular functions. Then the forward waveform of each sub-fault is synthesized through convoluting the source time function with its Green function. According to the superposition principle, these forward waveforms generated from the fault plane are summarized in the recorded waveforms after aligning the arrival times. Then the slip history is retrieved using the waveform inversion method after the superposing of all forward waveforms for each correspond seismological waveform records. Apart from the isolation of these forward waveforms generated from each sub-fault, we also realize that these waveforms are gradually and sequentially superimposed in the recorded waveforms. Thus we proposed a idea that the rupture model is possibly detachable in sequent rupture times. According to the constrained waveform length method emphasized in our previous work, the length of inverted waveforms used in the waveform inversion is objectively constrained by the rupture velocity and rise time. And one essential prior condition is the predetermined fault plane that limits the duration of rupture time, which means the waveform inversion is restricted in a pre-set rupture duration time. Therefore, we proposed a strategy to inverse the rupture process sequentially using the progressively shift rupture times as the rupture front expanding in the fault plane. And we have designed a simulation inversion to test the feasibility of the method. Our test result shows the prospect of this idea that requiring furthermore investigation.

  13. Performance recovery of a class of uncertain non-affine systems with unmodelled dynamics: an indirect dynamic inversion method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yi, Bowen; Lin, Shuyi; Yang, Bo; Zhang, Weidong

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents an output feedback indirect dynamic inversion (IDI) approach for a class of uncertain nonaffine systems with input unmodelled dynamics. Compared with previous approaches to achieve performance recovery, the proposed method aims at dealing with a broader class of nonaffine-in-control systems with triangular structure. An IDI state feedback law is designed first, in which less knowledge of the model plant is needed compared to earlier approximate dynamic inversion methods, thus yielding more robust performance. After that, an extended high-gain observer is designed to accomplish the task with output feedback. Finally, we prove that the designed IDI controller is equivalent to an adaptive proportional-integral (PI) controller, with respect to both time response equivalence and robustness equivalence. The conclusion implies that for the studied strict-feedback non-affine systems with unmodelled dynamics, there always exits a PI controller to stabilise the systems. The effectiveness and benefits of the designed approach are verified by three examples.

  14. Eigenproblem solution by a combined Sturm sequence and inverse iteration technique.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gupta, K. K.

    1973-01-01

    Description of an efficient and numerically stable algorithm, along with a complete listing of the associated computer program, developed for the accurate computation of specified roots and associated vectors of the eigenvalue problem Aq = lambda Bq with band symmetric A and B, B being also positive-definite. The desired roots are first isolated by the Sturm sequence procedure; then a special variant of the inverse iteration technique is applied for the individual determination of each root along with its vector. The algorithm fully exploits the banded form of relevant matrices, and the associated program written in FORTRAN V for the JPL UNIVAC 1108 computer proves to be most significantly economical in comparison to similar existing procedures. The program may be conveniently utilized for the efficient solution of practical engineering problems, involving free vibration and buckling analysis of structures. Results of such analyses are presented for representative structures.

  15. Contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vs. contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted brain imaging.

    PubMed

    Falzone, Cristian; Rossi, Federica; Calistri, Maurizio; Tranquillo, Massimo; Baroni, Massimo

    2008-01-01

    In humans, contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging plays an important role in detecting brain disease. The aim of this study was to define the clinical utility of contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging by comparing the results with those with contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted images (SE T1WI) in animals with different brain disorders. Forty-one dogs and five cats with a clinical suspicion of brain disease and 30 normal animals (25 dogs and five cats) were evaluated using a 0.2 T permanent magnet. Before contrast medium injection, spin echo T1-weighted, SE T1WI, and FLAIR sequences were acquired in three planes. SE T1WI and FLAIR images were also acquired after gadolinium injection. Sensitivity in detecting the number, location, margin, and enhancement pattern and rate were evaluated. No lesions were found in a normal animal. In affected animals, 48 lesions in 34 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced SE T1WI whereas 81 lesions in 44 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. There was no difference in the characteristics of the margins or enhancement pattern of the detected lesions. The objective enhancement rate, the mean value between lesion-to-white matter ratio and lesion-to-gray matter ratio, although representing an overlap of T1 and T2 effects and not pure contrast medium shortening of T1 relaxation, was better in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. These results suggest a superiority of contrast-enhanced FLAIR images as compared with contrast-enhanced SE T1WI in detecting enhancing brain lesions.

  16. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery BLADE magnetic resonance imaging of the brain: an alternative to spin-echo technique for detection of brain lesions in the unsedated pediatric patient?

    PubMed

    Alibek, Sedat; Adamietz, Boris; Cavallaro, Alexander; Stemmer, Alto; Anders, Katharina; Kramer, Manuel; Bautz, Werner; Staatz, Gundula

    2008-08-01

    We compared contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain using different types of data acquisition techniques: periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER, BLADE) imaging versus standard k-space sampling (conventional spin-echo pulse sequence) in the unsedated pediatric patient with focus on artifact reduction, overall image quality, and lesion detectability. Forty-eight pediatric patients (aged 3 months to 18 years) were scanned with a clinical 1.5-T whole body MR scanner. Cross-sectional contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo sequence was compared to a T1-weighted dark-fluid fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) BLADE sequence for qualitative and quantitative criteria (image artifacts, image quality, lesion detectability) by two experienced radiologists. Imaging protocols were matched for imaging parameters. Reader agreement was assessed using the exact Bowker test. BLADE images showed significantly less pulsation and motion artifacts than the standard T1-weighted spin-echo sequence scan. BLADE images showed statistically significant lower signal-to-noise ratio but higher contrast-to-noise ratios with superior gray-white matter contrast. All lesions were demonstrated on FLAIR BLADE imaging, and one false-positive lesion was visible in spin-echo sequence images. BLADE MR imaging at 1.5 T is applicable for central nervous system imaging of the unsedated pediatric patient, reduces motion and pulsation artifacts, and minimizes the need for sedation or general anesthesia without loss of relevant diagnostic information.

  17. Multidimensional NMR inversion without Kronecker products: Multilinear inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Medellín, David; Ravi, Vivek R.; Torres-Verdín, Carlos

    2016-08-01

    Multidimensional NMR inversion using Kronecker products poses several challenges. First, kernel compression is only possible when the kernel matrices are separable, and in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in NMR sequences with non-separable kernels. Second, in three or more dimensions, the singular value decomposition is not unique; therefore kernel compression is not well-defined for higher dimensions. Without kernel compression, the Kronecker product yields matrices that require large amounts of memory, making the inversion intractable for personal computers. Finally, incorporating arbitrary regularization terms is not possible using the Lawson-Hanson (LH) or the Butler-Reeds-Dawson (BRD) algorithms. We develop a minimization-based inversion method that circumvents the above problems by using multilinear forms to perform multidimensional NMR inversion without using kernel compression or Kronecker products. The new method is memory efficient, requiring less than 0.1% of the memory required by the LH or BRD methods. It can also be extended to arbitrary dimensions and adapted to include non-separable kernels, linear constraints, and arbitrary regularization terms. Additionally, it is easy to implement because only a cost function and its first derivative are required to perform the inversion.

  18. Inversions and inverted transpositions as the basis for an almost universal "format" of genome sequences.

    PubMed

    Albrecht-Buehler, Guenter

    2007-09-01

    In genome duplexes that exceed 100 kb the frequency distributions of their trinucleotides (triplet profiles) are the same in both strands. This remarkable symmetry, sometimes called Chargaff's second parity rule, is not the result of base pairing, but can be explained as the result of countless inversions and inverted transpositions that occurred throughout evolution (G. Albrecht-Buehler, 2006, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 17828-17833). Furthermore, comparing the triplet profiles of genomes from a large number of different taxa and species revealed that they were not only strand-symmetrical, but even surprisingly similar to one another (majority profile; G. Albrecht-Buehler, 2007, Genomics 89, 596-601). The present article proposes that the same inversion/transposition mechanism(s) that created the strand symmetry may also explain the existence of the majority profile. Thus they may be key factors in the creation of an almost universal "format" in which genome sequences are written. One may speculate that this universality of genome format may facilitate horizontal gene transfer and, thus, accelerate evolution.

  19. Long T2 suppression in native lung 3-D imaging using k-space reordered inversion recovery dual-echo ultrashort echo time MRI.

    PubMed

    Gai, Neville D; Malayeri, Ashkan A; Bluemke, David A

    2017-08-01

    Long T2 species can interfere with visualization of short T2 tissue imaging. For example, visualization of lung parenchyma can be hindered by breathing artifacts primarily from fat in the chest wall. The purpose of this work was to design and evaluate a scheme for long T2 species suppression in lung parenchyma imaging using 3-D inversion recovery double-echo ultrashort echo time imaging with a k-space reordering scheme for artifact suppression. A hyperbolic secant (HS) pulse was evaluated for different tissues (T1/T2). Bloch simulations were performed with the inversion pulse followed by segmented UTE acquisition. Point spread function (PSF) was simulated for a standard interleaved acquisition order and a modulo 2 forward-reverse acquisition order. Phantom and in vivo images (eight volunteers) were acquired with both acquisition orders. Contrast to noise ratio (CNR) was evaluated in in vivo images prior to and after introduction of the long T2 suppression scheme. The PSF as well as phantom and in vivo images demonstrated reduction in artifacts arising from k-space modulation after using the reordering scheme. CNR measured between lung and fat and lung and muscle increased from -114 and -148.5 to +12.5 and 2.8 after use of the IR-DUTE sequence. Paired t test between the CNRs obtained from UTE and IR-DUTE showed significant positive change (p < 0.001 for lung-fat CNR and p = 0.03 for lung-muscle CNR). Full 3-D lung parenchyma imaging with improved positive contrast between lung and other long T2 tissue types can be achieved robustly in a clinically feasible time using IR-DUTE with image subtraction when segmented radial acquisition with k-space reordering is employed.

  20. Hybridization-based antibody cDNA recovery for the production of recombinant antibodies identified by repertoire sequencing.

    PubMed

    Valdés-Alemán, Javier; Téllez-Sosa, Juan; Ovilla-Muñoz, Marbella; Godoy-Lozano, Elizabeth; Velázquez-Ramírez, Daniel; Valdovinos-Torres, Humberto; Gómez-Barreto, Rosa E; Martinez-Barnetche, Jesús

    2014-01-01

    High-throughput sequencing of the antibody repertoire is enabling a thorough analysis of B cell diversity and clonal selection, which may improve the novel antibody discovery process. Theoretically, an adequate bioinformatic analysis could allow identification of candidate antigen-specific antibodies, requiring their recombinant production for experimental validation of their specificity. Gene synthesis is commonly used for the generation of recombinant antibodies identified in silico. Novel strategies that bypass gene synthesis could offer more accessible antibody identification and validation alternatives. We developed a hybridization-based recovery strategy that targets the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDRH3) for the enrichment of cDNA of candidate antigen-specific antibody sequences. Ten clonal groups of interest were identified through bioinformatic analysis of the heavy chain antibody repertoire of mice immunized with hen egg white lysozyme (HEL). cDNA from eight of the targeted clonal groups was recovered efficiently, leading to the generation of recombinant antibodies. One representative heavy chain sequence from each clonal group recovered was paired with previously reported anti-HEL light chains to generate full antibodies, later tested for HEL-binding capacity. The recovery process proposed represents a simple and scalable molecular strategy that could enhance antibody identification and specificity assessment, enabling a more cost-efficient generation of recombinant antibodies.

  1. Localization and characterization of X chromosome inversion breakpoints separating Drosophila mojavensis and Drosophila arizonae.

    PubMed

    Cirulli, Elizabeth T; Noor, Mohamed A F

    2007-01-01

    Ectopic exchange between transposable elements or other repetitive sequences along a chromosome can produce chromosomal inversions. As a result, genome sequence studies typically find sequence similarity between corresponding inversion breakpoint regions. Here, we identify and investigate the breakpoint regions of the X chromosome inversion distinguishing Drosophila mojavensis and Drosophila arizonae. We localize one inversion breakpoint to 13.7 kb and localize the other to a 1-Mb interval. Using this localization and assuming microsynteny between Drosophila melanogaster and D. arizonae, we pinpoint likely positions of the inversion breakpoints to windows of less than 3000 bp. These breakpoints define the size of the inversion to approximately 11 Mb. However, in contrast to many other studies, we fail to find significant sequence similarity between the 2 breakpoint regions. The localization of these inversion breakpoints will facilitate future genetic and molecular evolutionary studies in this species group, an emerging model system for ecological genetics.

  2. Frnakenstein: multiple target inverse RNA folding.

    PubMed

    Lyngsø, Rune B; Anderson, James W J; Sizikova, Elena; Badugu, Amarendra; Hyland, Tomas; Hein, Jotun

    2012-10-09

    RNA secondary structure prediction, or folding, is a classic problem in bioinformatics: given a sequence of nucleotides, the aim is to predict the base pairs formed in its three dimensional conformation. The inverse problem of designing a sequence folding into a particular target structure has only more recently received notable interest. With a growing appreciation and understanding of the functional and structural properties of RNA motifs, and a growing interest in utilising biomolecules in nano-scale designs, the interest in the inverse RNA folding problem is bound to increase. However, whereas the RNA folding problem from an algorithmic viewpoint has an elegant and efficient solution, the inverse RNA folding problem appears to be hard. In this paper we present a genetic algorithm approach to solve the inverse folding problem. The main aims of the development was to address the hitherto mostly ignored extension of solving the inverse folding problem, the multi-target inverse folding problem, while simultaneously designing a method with superior performance when measured on the quality of designed sequences. The genetic algorithm has been implemented as a Python program called Frnakenstein. It was benchmarked against four existing methods and several data sets totalling 769 real and predicted single structure targets, and on 292 two structure targets. It performed as well as or better at finding sequences which folded in silico into the target structure than all existing methods, without the heavy bias towards CG base pairs that was observed for all other top performing methods. On the two structure targets it also performed well, generating a perfect design for about 80% of the targets. Our method illustrates that successful designs for the inverse RNA folding problem does not necessarily have to rely on heavy biases in base pair and unpaired base distributions. The design problem seems to become more difficult on larger structures when the target structures are

  3. Frnakenstein: multiple target inverse RNA folding

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background RNA secondary structure prediction, or folding, is a classic problem in bioinformatics: given a sequence of nucleotides, the aim is to predict the base pairs formed in its three dimensional conformation. The inverse problem of designing a sequence folding into a particular target structure has only more recently received notable interest. With a growing appreciation and understanding of the functional and structural properties of RNA motifs, and a growing interest in utilising biomolecules in nano-scale designs, the interest in the inverse RNA folding problem is bound to increase. However, whereas the RNA folding problem from an algorithmic viewpoint has an elegant and efficient solution, the inverse RNA folding problem appears to be hard. Results In this paper we present a genetic algorithm approach to solve the inverse folding problem. The main aims of the development was to address the hitherto mostly ignored extension of solving the inverse folding problem, the multi-target inverse folding problem, while simultaneously designing a method with superior performance when measured on the quality of designed sequences. The genetic algorithm has been implemented as a Python program called Frnakenstein. It was benchmarked against four existing methods and several data sets totalling 769 real and predicted single structure targets, and on 292 two structure targets. It performed as well as or better at finding sequences which folded in silico into the target structure than all existing methods, without the heavy bias towards CG base pairs that was observed for all other top performing methods. On the two structure targets it also performed well, generating a perfect design for about 80% of the targets. Conclusions Our method illustrates that successful designs for the inverse RNA folding problem does not necessarily have to rely on heavy biases in base pair and unpaired base distributions. The design problem seems to become more difficult on larger structures

  4. Quadruple Inversion-Recovery b-SSFP MRA of the Abdomen: Initial Clinical Validation

    PubMed Central

    Atanasova, Iliyana P.; Lim, Ruth P.; Chandarana, Hersh; Storey, Pippa; Bruno, Mary T; Kim, Daniel; Lee, Vivian S.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess the image quality and diagnostic accuracy of non-contrast quadruple inversion-recovery balanced-SSFP MRA (QIR MRA) for detection of aortoiliac disease in a clinical population. QIR MRA was performed in 26 patients referred for routine clinical gadolinium-enhanced MRA (Gd-MRA) for known or suspected aortoiliac disease. Non-contrast images were independently evaluated for image qualityand degree of stenosisby two radiologists, usingconsensus Gd-MRA as the reference standard. Hemodynamically significant stenosis (≥ 50%) was found in 10% (22/226) of all evaluable segments on Gd-MRA. The sensitivity and specificity for stenosis evaluation by QIR MRA for the two readers were 86%/86% and 95%/93% respectively. Negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 98%/98% and 63%/53% respectively. For stenosis evaluation of the aortoiliac region QIR MRA showed good agreement with the reference standard with high negative predictive value and a tendency to overestimate mild disease presumably due to the flow-dependence of the technique. QIR MRA could be a reasonable alternative to Gd-MRA for ruling out stenosis when contrast is contraindicated due to impaired kidney function or in patients who undergo abdominal MRA for screening purposes. Further work is necessary to improve performance and justify routine clinical use. PMID:24998363

  5. Birth and death of genes linked to chromosomal inversion

    PubMed Central

    Furuta, Yoshikazu; Kawai, Mikihiko; Yahara, Koji; Takahashi, Noriko; Handa, Naofumi; Tsuru, Takeshi; Oshima, Kenshiro; Yoshida, Masaru; Azuma, Takeshi; Hattori, Masahira; Uchiyama, Ikuo; Kobayashi, Ichizo

    2011-01-01

    The birth and death of genes is central to adaptive evolution, yet the underlying genome dynamics remain elusive. The availability of closely related complete genome sequences helps to follow changes in gene contents and clarify their relationship to overall genome organization. Helicobacter pylori, bacteria in our stomach, are known for their extreme genome plasticity through mutation and recombination and will make a good target for such an analysis. In comparing their complete genome sequences, we found that gain and loss of genes (loci) for outer membrane proteins, which mediate host interaction, occurred at breakpoints of chromosomal inversions. Sequence comparison there revealed a unique mechanism of DNA duplication: DNA duplication associated with inversion. In this process, a DNA segment at one chromosomal locus is copied and inserted, in an inverted orientation, into a distant locus on the same chromosome, while the entire region between these two loci is also inverted. Recognition of this and three more inversion modes, which occur through reciprocal recombination between long or short sequence similarity or adjacent to a mobile element, allowed reconstruction of synteny evolution through inversion events in this species. These results will guide the interpretation of extensive DNA sequencing results for understanding long- and short-term genome evolution in various organisms and in cancer cells. PMID:21212362

  6. Emergence of biological organization through thermodynamic inversion.

    PubMed

    Kompanichenko, Vladimir

    2014-01-01

    Biological organization arises under thermodynamic inversion in prebiotic systems that provide the prevalence of free energy and information contribution over the entropy contribution. The inversion might occur under specific far-from-equilibrium conditions in prebiotic systems oscillating around the bifurcation point. At the inversion moment, (physical) information characteristic of non-biological systems acquires the new features: functionality, purposefulness, and control over the life processes, which transform it into biological information. Random sequences of amino acids and nucleotides, spontaneously synthesized in the prebiotic microsystem, in the primary living unit (probiont) re-assemble into functional sequences, involved into bioinformation circulation through nucleoprotein interaction, resulted in the genetic code emergence. According to the proposed concept, oscillating three-dimensional prebiotic microsystems transformed into probionts in the changeable hydrothermal medium of the early Earth. The inversion concept states that spontaneous (accidental, random) transformations in prebiotic systems cannot produce life; it is only non-spontaneous (perspective, purposeful) transformations, which are the result of thermodynamic inversion, that lead to the negentropy conversion of prebiotic systems into initial living units.

  7. Regional Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) at 7 Tesla correlates with amyloid beta in hippocampus and brainstem of cognitively normal elderly subjects

    PubMed Central

    Schreiner, Simon J.; Liu, Xinyang; Gietl, Anton F.; Wyss, Michael; Steininger, Stefanie C.; Gruber, Esmeralda; Treyer, Valerie; Meier, Irene B.; Kälin, Andrea M.; Leh, Sandra E.; Buck, Alfred; Nitsch, Roger M.; Pruessmann, Klaas P.; Hock, Christoph; Unschuld, Paul G.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) may occur during healthy aging and is a risk factor for Alzheimer Disease (AD). While individual Aβ-accumulation can be measured non-invasively using Pittsburgh Compund-B positron emission tomography (PiB-PET), Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sequence, capable of indicating heterogeneous age-related brain pathologies associated with tissue-edema. In the current study cognitively normal elderly subjects were investigated for regional correlation of PiB- and FLAIR intensity. Methods: Fourteen healthy elderly subjects without known history of cognitive impairment received 11C-PiB-PET for estimation of regional Aβ-load. In addition, whole brain T1-MPRAGE and FLAIR-MRI sequences were acquired at high field strength of 7 Tesla (7T). Volume-normalized intensities of brain regions were assessed by applying an automated subcortical segmentation algorithm for spatial definition of brain structures. Statistical dependence between FLAIR- and PiB-PET intensities was tested using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho), followed by Holm–Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Results: Neuropsychological testing revealed normal cognitive performance levels in all participants. Mean regional PiB-PET and FLAIR intensities were normally distributed and independent. Significant correlation between volume-normalized PiB-PET signals and FLAIR intensities resulted for Hippocampus (right: rho = 0.86; left: rho = 0.84), Brainstem (rho = 0.85) and left Basal Ganglia vessel region (rho = 0.82). Conclusions: Our finding of a significant relationship between PiB- and FLAIR intensity mainly observable in the Hippocampus and Brainstem, indicates regional Aβ associated tissue-edema in cognitively normal elderly subjects. Further studies including clinical populations are necessary to clarify the relevance of our findings for estimating individual risk for age-related neurodegenerative

  8. Quadruple inversion-recovery b-SSFP MRA of the abdomen: initial clinical validation.

    PubMed

    Atanasova, Iliyana P; Lim, Ruth P; Chandarana, Hersh; Storey, Pippa; Bruno, Mary T; Kim, Daniel; Lee, Vivian S

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess the image quality and diagnostic accuracy of non-contrast quadruple inversion-recovery balanced-SSFP MRA (QIR MRA) for detection of aortoiliac disease in a clinical population. QIR MRA was performed in 26 patients referred for routine clinical gadolinium-enhanced MRA (Gd-MRA) for known or suspected aortoiliac disease. Non-contrast images were independently evaluated for image quality and degree of stenosis by two radiologists, using consensus Gd-MRA as the reference standard. Hemodynamically significant stenosis (≥50%) was found in 10% (22/226) of all evaluable segments on Gd-MRA. The sensitivity and specificity for stenosis evaluation by QIR MRA for the two readers were 86%/86% and 95%/93% respectively. Negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 98%/98% and 63%/53% respectively. For stenosis evaluation of the aortoiliac region QIR MRA showed good agreement with the reference standard with high negative predictive value and a tendency to overestimate mild disease presumably due to the flow-dependence of the technique. QIR MRA could be a reasonable alternative to Gd-MRA for ruling out stenosis when contrast is contraindicated due to impaired kidney function or in patients who undergo abdominal MRA for screening purposes. Further work is necessary to improve performance and justify routine clinical use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. CD4+ T-cell recovery with suppressive ART-induced rapid sequence evolution in hepatitis C virus envelope but not NS3.

    PubMed

    Liu, Lin; Nardo, David; Li, Eric; Wang, Gary P

    2016-03-13

    CD4 T-cell depletion from HIV infection leads to a global decline in anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope neutralizing antibody (nAb) response, which may play a role in accelerating liver fibrosis. An increase in anti-HCV nAb titers has been reported during antiretroviral therapy (ART) but its impact on HCV remains poorly understood. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of ART on long-term HCV evolution. We examined HCV quasispecies structure and long-term evolution in HIV/HCV coinfected patients with ART-induced CD4 T-cell recovery, and compared with patients with CD4 T-cell depletion from delayed ART. We applied a single-variant sequencing (SVS) method to construct authentic viral quasispecies and compared sequence evolution in HCV envelope, the primary target for humoral immune responses, and NS3, a target for cellular immunity, between the two cohorts. The SVS method corrected biases known to skew the proportions of viral variants, revealing authentic HCV quasispeices structures. We observed higher rates of HCV envelope sequence evolution in patients with ART-induced CD4 T-cell recovery, compared with patients with CD4 T-cell depletion from delayed ART (P = 0.03). Evolutionary rates for NS3 were considerably lower than the rates for envelope (P < 0.01), with no significant difference observed between the two groups. ART-induced CD4 T-cell recovery results in rapid sequence evolution in HCV envelope, but not in NS3. These results suggest that suppressive ART disproportionally enhances HCV-specific humoral responses more than cellular responses, resulting in rapid sequence evolution in HCV envelope but not NS3.

  10. RNA inverse folding using Monte Carlo tree search.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiufeng; Yoshizoe, Kazuki; Taneda, Akito; Tsuda, Koji

    2017-11-06

    Artificially synthesized RNA molecules provide important ways for creating a variety of novel functional molecules. State-of-the-art RNA inverse folding algorithms can design simple and short RNA sequences of specific GC content, that fold into the target RNA structure. However, their performance is not satisfactory in complicated cases. We present a new inverse folding algorithm called MCTS-RNA, which uses Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS), a technique that has shown exceptional performance in Computer Go recently, to represent and discover the essential part of the sequence space. To obtain high accuracy, initial sequences generated by MCTS are further improved by a series of local updates. Our algorithm has an ability to control the GC content precisely and can deal with pseudoknot structures. Using common benchmark datasets for evaluation, MCTS-RNA showed a lot of promise as a standard method of RNA inverse folding. MCTS-RNA is available at https://github.com/tsudalab/MCTS-RNA .

  11. Application of 13C NMR cross-polarization inversion recovery experiments for the analysis of solid dosage forms.

    PubMed

    Pisklak, Dariusz Maciej; Zielińska-Pisklak, Monika; Szeleszczuk, Łukasz

    2016-11-20

    Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) is a powerful and unique method for analyzing solid forms of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) directly in their original formulations. Unfortunately, despite their wide range of application, the ssNMR experiments often suffer from low sensitivity and peaks overlapping between API and excipients. To overcome these limitations, the crosspolarization inversion recovery method was successfully used. The differences in the spin-lattice relaxation time constants for hydrogen atoms T1(H) between API and excipients were employed in order to separate and discriminate their peaks in ssNMR spectra as well as to increase the intensity of API signals in low-dose formulations. The versatility of this method was demonstrated by different examples, including the excipients mixture and commercial solid dosage forms (e.g. granules and tablets). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Visualizing bacterial tRNA identity determinants and antideterminants using function logos and inverse function logos

    PubMed Central

    Freyhult, Eva; Moulton, Vincent; Ardell, David H.

    2006-01-01

    Sequence logos are stacked bar graphs that generalize the notion of consensus sequence. They employ entropy statistics very effectively to display variation in a structural alignment of sequences of a common function, while emphasizing its over-represented features. Yet sequence logos cannot display features that distinguish functional subclasses within a structurally related superfamily nor do they display under-represented features. We introduce two extensions to address these needs: function logos and inverse logos. Function logos display subfunctions that are over-represented among sequences carrying a specific feature. Inverse logos generalize both sequence logos and function logos by displaying under-represented, rather than over-represented, features or functions in structural alignments. To make inverse logos, a compositional inverse is applied to the feature or function frequency distributions before logo construction, where a compositional inverse is a mathematical transform that makes common features or functions rare and vice versa. We applied these methods to a database of structurally aligned bacterial tDNAs to create highly condensed, birds-eye views of potentially all so-called identity determinants and antideterminants that confer specific amino acid charging or initiator function on tRNAs in bacteria. We recovered both known and a few potentially novel identity elements. Function logos and inverse logos are useful tools for exploratory bioinformatic analysis of structure–function relationships in sequence families and superfamilies. PMID:16473848

  13. Supervised classification of brain tissues through local multi-scale texture analysis by coupling DIR and FLAIR MR sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poletti, Enea; Veronese, Elisa; Calabrese, Massimiliano; Bertoldo, Alessandra; Grisan, Enrico

    2012-02-01

    The automatic segmentation of brain tissues in magnetic resonance (MR) is usually performed on T1-weighted images, due to their high spatial resolution. T1w sequence, however, has some major downsides when brain lesions are present: the altered appearance of diseased tissues causes errors in tissues classification. In order to overcome these drawbacks, we employed two different MR sequences: fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and double inversion recovery (DIR). The former highlights both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), the latter highlights GM alone. We propose here a supervised classification scheme that does not require any anatomical a priori information to identify the 3 classes, "GM", "WM", and "background". Features are extracted by means of a local multi-scale texture analysis, computed for each pixel of the DIR and FLAIR sequences. The 9 textures considered are average, standard deviation, kurtosis, entropy, contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, and skewness, evaluated on a neighborhood of 3x3, 5x5, and 7x7 pixels. Hence, the total number of features associated to a pixel is 56 (9 textures x3 scales x2 sequences +2 original pixel values). The classifier employed is a Support Vector Machine with Radial Basis Function as kernel. From each of the 4 brain volumes evaluated, a DIR and a FLAIR slice have been selected and manually segmented by 2 expert neurologists, providing 1st and 2nd human reference observations which agree with an average accuracy of 99.03%. SVM performances have been assessed with a 4-fold cross-validation, yielding an average classification accuracy of 98.79%.

  14. MR Imaging with Metal-suppression Sequences for Evaluation of Total Joint Arthroplasty.

    PubMed

    Talbot, Brett S; Weinberg, Eric P

    2016-01-01

    Metallic artifact at orthopedic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging continues to be an important problem, particularly in the realm of total joint arthroplasty. Complications often follow total joint arthroplasty and can be expected for a small percentage of all implanted devices. Postoperative complications involve not only osseous structures but also adjacent soft tissues-a highly problematic area at MR imaging because of artifacts from metallic prostheses. Without special considerations, susceptibility artifacts from ferromagnetic implants can unacceptably degrade image quality. Common artifacts include in-plane distortions (signal loss and signal pileup), poor or absent fat suppression, geometric distortion, and through-section distortion. Basic methods to reduce metallic artifacts include use of spin-echo or fast spin-echo sequences with long echo train lengths, short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) sequences for fat suppression, a high bandwidth, thin section selection, and an increased matrix. With care and attention to the alloy type (eg, titanium, cobalt-chromium, stainless steel), orientation of the implant, and magnetic field strength, as well as use of proprietary and nonproprietary metal-suppression techniques, previously nondiagnostic studies can yield key diagnostic information. Specifically, sequences such as the metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS), WARP (Siemens Healthcare, Munich, Germany), slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), and multiacquisition with variable-resonance image combination (MAVRIC) can be optimized to reveal pathologic conditions previously hidden by periprosthetic artifacts. Complications of total joint arthroplasty that can be evaluated by using MR imaging with metal-suppression sequences include pseudotumoral conditions such as metallosis and particle disease, infection, aseptic prosthesis loosening, tendon injury, and muscle injury. ©RSNA, 2015.

  15. Recovery of surface mass redistribution from a joint inversion of GPS and GRACE data - A methodology and results from the Australian and other continents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, S. C.; Tangdamrongsub, N.; Razeghi, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    We present a methodology to invert a regional set of vertical displacement data from Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine surface mass redistribution. It is assumed that GPS deformation is a result of the Earth's elastic response to the surface mass load of hydrology, atmosphere, and ocean. The identical assumption is made when global geopotential change data from Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) are used to determine surface mass changes. We developed an algorithm to estimate the spectral information of displacements from "regional" GPS data through regional spherical (Slepian) basis functions and apply the load Love numbers to estimate the mass load. We rigorously examine all systematic errors caused by various truncations (spherical harmonic series and Slepian series) and the smoothing constraint applied to the GPS-only inversion. We demonstrate the technique by processing 16 years of daily vertical motions determined from 114 GPS stations in Australia. The GPS inverted surface mass changes are validated against GRACE data, atmosphere and ocean models, and a land surface model. Seasonal and inter-annual terrestrial mass variations from GPS are in good agreement with GRACE data and the water storage models. The GPS recovery compares better with the water storage model around the smaller coastal basins of Australia than two different GRACE solutions. The sub-monthly mass changes from GPS provide meaningful results agreeing with atmospheric mass changes in central Australia. Finally, we integrate GPS data from different continents with GRACE in the least-square normal equations and solve for the global surface mass changes by jointly inverting GPS and GRACE data. We present the results of surface mass changes from the GPS-only inversion and from the joint GPS-GRACE inversion.

  16. Multiplexed microsatellite recovery using massively parallel sequencing

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jennings, T.N.; Knaus, B.J.; Mullins, T.D.; Haig, S.M.; Cronn, R.C.

    2011-01-01

    Conservation and management of natural populations requires accurate and inexpensive genotyping methods. Traditional microsatellite, or simple sequence repeat (SSR), marker analysis remains a popular genotyping method because of the comparatively low cost of marker development, ease of analysis and high power of genotype discrimination. With the availability of massively parallel sequencing (MPS), it is now possible to sequence microsatellite-enriched genomic libraries in multiplex pools. To test this approach, we prepared seven microsatellite-enriched, barcoded genomic libraries from diverse taxa (two conifer trees, five birds) and sequenced these on one lane of the Illumina Genome Analyzer using paired-end 80-bp reads. In this experiment, we screened 6.1 million sequences and identified 356958 unique microreads that contained di- or trinucleotide microsatellites. Examination of four species shows that our conversion rate from raw sequences to polymorphic markers compares favourably to Sanger- and 454-based methods. The advantage of multiplexed MPS is that the staggering capacity of modern microread sequencing is spread across many libraries; this reduces sample preparation and sequencing costs to less than $400 (USD) per species. This price is sufficiently low that microsatellite libraries could be prepared and sequenced for all 1373 organisms listed as 'threatened' and 'endangered' in the United States for under $0.5M (USD).

  17. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery: correlations of hippocampal cell densities with signal abnormalities.

    PubMed

    Diehl, B; Najm, I; Mohamed, A; Wyllie, E; Babb, T; Ying, Z; Hilbig, A; Bingaman, W; Lüders, H O; Ruggieri, P

    2001-09-25

    Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is characterized by hippocampal atrophy and increased signal on T2-weighted images and on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. To quantitate cell loss and compare it with signal abnormalities on FLAIR images. Thirty-one patients with temporal lobe resection, pathologically proven HS, and Engel class I and II outcome were included: 20 with HS only and 11 with HS associated with pathologically proven cortical dysplasia (dual pathology). The signal intensity on FLAIR was rated as present or absent in the hippocampus and correlated with the neuronal losses in the hippocampus. FLAIR signal increases were present in 77% (24/31) of all patients studied. In patients with isolated HS, 90% (18/20) had ipsilateral signal increases, but in patients with dual pathology, only 55% (6/11; p < 0.02) showed FLAIR signal increase. Hippocampal cell losses were significantly higher in the isolated HS group. The average cell loss in patients with FLAIR signal abnormalities was 64.8 +/- 8.0% as compared with only 32.7 +/- 5.1% in patients with no FLAIR signal abnormalities. There was a significant positive correlation between the presence of signal abnormality and average hippocampal cell loss in both pathologic groups. Ipsilateral FLAIR signal abnormalities occur in the majority of patients with isolated HS but are less frequent in those with dual pathology. The presence of increased FLAIR signal is correlated with higher hippocampal cell loss.

  18. A sequential coalescent algorithm for chromosomal inversions

    PubMed Central

    Peischl, S; Koch, E; Guerrero, R F; Kirkpatrick, M

    2013-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are common in natural populations and are believed to be involved in many important evolutionary phenomena, including speciation, the evolution of sex chromosomes and local adaptation. While recent advances in sequencing and genotyping methods are leading to rapidly increasing amounts of genome-wide sequence data that reveal interesting patterns of genetic variation within inverted regions, efficient simulation methods to study these patterns are largely missing. In this work, we extend the sequential Markovian coalescent, an approximation to the coalescent with recombination, to include the effects of polymorphic inversions on patterns of recombination. Results show that our algorithm is fast, memory-efficient and accurate, making it feasible to simulate large inversions in large populations for the first time. The SMC algorithm enables studies of patterns of genetic variation (for example, linkage disequilibria) and tests of hypotheses (using simulation-based approaches) that were previously intractable. PMID:23632894

  19. Chromosome evolution in the Thermotogales: large-scale inversions and strain diversification of CRISPR sequences.

    PubMed

    DeBoy, Robert T; Mongodin, Emmanuel F; Emerson, Joanne B; Nelson, Karen E

    2006-04-01

    In the present study, the chromosomes of two members of the Thermotogales were compared. A whole-genome alignment of Thermotoga maritima MSB8 and Thermotoga neapolitana NS-E has revealed numerous large-scale DNA rearrangements, most of which are associated with CRISPR DNA repeats and/or tRNA genes. These DNA rearrangements do not include the putative origin of DNA replication but move within the same replichore, i.e., the same replicating half of the chromosome (delimited by the replication origin and terminus). Based on cumulative GC skew analysis, both the T. maritima and T. neapolitana lineages contain one or two major inverted DNA segments. Also, based on PCR amplification and sequence analysis of the DNA joints that are associated with the major rearrangements, the overall chromosome architecture was found to be conserved at most DNA joints for other strains of T. neapolitana. Taken together, the results from this analysis suggest that the observed chromosomal rearrangements in the Thermotogales likely occurred by successive inversions after their divergence from a common ancestor and before strain diversification. Finally, sequence analysis shows that size polymorphisms in the DNA joints associated with CRISPRs can be explained by expansion and possibly contraction of the DNA repeat and spacer unit, providing a tool for discerning the relatedness of strains from different geographic locations.

  20. Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography with time-spatial labeling inversion pulses: comparison of imaging with the short tau inversion recovery method and the chemical shift selective method.

    PubMed

    Shimizu, Hironori; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Ohno, Tsuyoshi; Yamashita, Rikiya; Kawahara, Seiya; Furuta, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Koji; Kido, Aki; Kusahara, Hiroshi; Togashi, Kaori

    2015-01-01

    To compare and evaluate images of non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) portography and hepatic venography acquired with two different fat suppression methods, the chemical shift selective (CHESS) method and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) method. Twenty-two healthy volunteers were examined using respiratory-triggered three-dimensional true steady-state free-precession with two time-spatial labeling inversion pulses. The CHESS or STIR methods were used for fat suppression. The relative signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were quantified, and the quality of visualization was scored. Image acquisition was successfully conducted in all volunteers. The STIR method significantly improved the CNRs of MR portography and hepatic venography. The image quality scores of main portal vein and right portal vein were higher with the STIR method, but there were no significant differences. The image quality scores of right hepatic vein, middle hepatic vein, and left hepatic vein (LHV) were all higher, and the visualization of LHV was significantly better (p<0.05). The STIR method contributes to further suppression of the background signal and improves visualization of the portal and hepatic veins. The results support using non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Accelerating non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography with inflow inversion recovery imaging by skipped phase encoding and edge deghosting (SPEED).

    PubMed

    Chang, Zheng; Xiang, Qing-San; Shen, Hao; Yin, Fang-Fang

    2010-03-01

    To accelerate non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) with inflow inversion recovery (IFIR) with a fast imaging method, Skipped Phase Encoding and Edge Deghosting (SPEED). IFIR imaging uses a preparatory inversion pulse to reduce signals from static tissue, while leaving inflow arterial blood unaffected, resulting in sparse arterial vasculature on modest tissue background. By taking advantage of vascular sparsity, SPEED can be simplified with a single-layer model to achieve higher efficiency in both scan time reduction and image reconstruction. SPEED can also make use of information available in multiple coils for further acceleration. The techniques are demonstrated with a three-dimensional renal non-contrast-enhanced IFIR MRA study. Images are reconstructed by SPEED based on a single-layer model to achieve an undersampling factor of up to 2.5 using one skipped phase encoding direction. By making use of information available in multiple coils, SPEED can achieve an undersampling factor of up to 8.3 with four receiver coils. The reconstructed images generally have comparable quality as that of the reference images reconstructed from full k-space data. As demonstrated with a three-dimensional renal IFIR scan, SPEED based on a single-layer model is able to reduce scan time further and achieve higher computational efficiency than the original SPEED.

  2. Recursive inversion of externally defined linear systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bach, Ralph E., Jr.; Baram, Yoram

    1988-01-01

    The approximate inversion of an internally unknown linear system, given by its impulse response sequence, by an inverse system having a finite impulse response, is considered. The recursive least squares procedure is shown to have an exact initialization, based on the triangular Toeplitz structure of the matrix involved. The proposed approach also suggests solutions to the problems of system identification and compensation.

  3. A chromosome inversion near the KIT gene and the Tobiano spotting pattern in horses.

    PubMed

    Brooks, S A; Lear, T L; Adelson, D L; Bailey, E

    2007-01-01

    Tobiano is a white spotting pattern in horses caused by a dominant gene, Tobiano(TO). Here, we report TO associated with a large paracentric chromosome inversion on horse chromosome 3. DNA sequences flanking the inversion were identified and a PCR test was developed to detect the inversion. The inversion was only found in horses with the tobiano pattern, including horses with diverse genetic backgrounds, which indicated a common genetic origin thousands of years ago. The inversion does not interrupt any annotated genes, but begins approximately 100 kb downstream of the KIT gene. This inversion may disrupt regulatory sequences for the KIT gene and cause the white spotting pattern. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Directional genomic hybridization for chromosomal inversion discovery and detection.

    PubMed

    Ray, F Andrew; Zimmerman, Erin; Robinson, Bruce; Cornforth, Michael N; Bedford, Joel S; Goodwin, Edwin H; Bailey, Susan M

    2013-04-01

    Chromosomal rearrangements are a source of structural variation within the genome that figure prominently in human disease, where the importance of translocations and deletions is well recognized. In principle, inversions-reversals in the orientation of DNA sequences within a chromosome-should have similar detrimental potential. However, the study of inversions has been hampered by traditional approaches used for their detection, which are not particularly robust. Even with significant advances in whole genome approaches, changes in the absolute orientation of DNA remain difficult to detect routinely. Consequently, our understanding of inversions is still surprisingly limited, as is our appreciation for their frequency and involvement in human disease. Here, we introduce the directional genomic hybridization methodology of chromatid painting-a whole new way of looking at structural features of the genome-that can be employed with high resolution on a cell-by-cell basis, and demonstrate its basic capabilities for genome-wide discovery and targeted detection of inversions. Bioinformatics enabled development of sequence- and strand-specific directional probe sets, which when coupled with single-stranded hybridization, greatly improved the resolution and ease of inversion detection. We highlight examples of the far-ranging applicability of this cytogenomics-based approach, which include confirmation of the alignment of the human genome database and evidence that individuals themselves share similar sequence directionality, as well as use in comparative and evolutionary studies for any species whose genome has been sequenced. In addition to applications related to basic mechanistic studies, the information obtainable with strand-specific hybridization strategies may ultimately enable novel gene discovery, thereby benefitting the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of human disease states and disorders including cancer, autism, and idiopathic infertility.

  5. The Inverse Response Law: Theory and Relevance to the Aftermath of Disasters

    PubMed Central

    Phibbs, Suzanne; Kenney, Christine; Rivera-Munoz, Graciela; Severinsen, Christina; Curtis, Bruce

    2018-01-01

    The Inverse Care Law is principally concerned with the effect of market forces on health care which create inequities in access to health services through privileging individuals who possess the forms of social capital that are valued within health care settings. The fields of disaster risk reduction need to consider the ways in which inequities, driven by economic and social policy as well as institutional decision-making, create vulnerabilities prior to a disaster, which are then magnified post disaster through entrenched structural differences in access to resources. Drawing on key principles within the Inverse Care Law, the Inverse Response Law refers to the idea that people in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to be impacted and to experience disparities in service provision during the disaster response and recovery phase. In a market model of recovery, vulnerable groups struggle to compete for necessary services creating inequities in adaptive capacity as well as in social and wellbeing outcomes over time. Both the Inverse Care Law and the Inverse Response Law focus on the structural organisation of services at a macro level. In this article, the Inverse Care Law is outlined, its application to medical treatment following disasters considered and an explanation of the Inverse Response Law provided. Case studies from recent disasters, in London, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Mexico City are examined in order to illustrate themes at work relating to the Inverse Response Law. PMID:29734692

  6. The Inverse Response Law: Theory and Relevance to the Aftermath of Disasters.

    PubMed

    Phibbs, Suzanne; Kenney, Christine; Rivera-Munoz, Graciela; Huggins, Thomas J; Severinsen, Christina; Curtis, Bruce

    2018-05-04

    The Inverse Care Law is principally concerned with the effect of market forces on health care which create inequities in access to health services through privileging individuals who possess the forms of social capital that are valued within health care settings. The fields of disaster risk reduction need to consider the ways in which inequities, driven by economic and social policy as well as institutional decision-making, create vulnerabilities prior to a disaster, which are then magnified post disaster through entrenched structural differences in access to resources. Drawing on key principles within the Inverse Care Law, the Inverse Response Law refers to the idea that people in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to be impacted and to experience disparities in service provision during the disaster response and recovery phase. In a market model of recovery, vulnerable groups struggle to compete for necessary services creating inequities in adaptive capacity as well as in social and wellbeing outcomes over time. Both the Inverse Care Law and the Inverse Response Law focus on the structural organisation of services at a macro level. In this article, the Inverse Care Law is outlined, its application to medical treatment following disasters considered and an explanation of the Inverse Response Law provided. Case studies from recent disasters, in London, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Mexico City are examined in order to illustrate themes at work relating to the Inverse Response Law.

  7. Information recovery through image sequence fusion under wavelet transformation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Qiang

    2010-04-01

    Remote sensing is widely applied to provide information of areas with limited ground access with applications such as to assess the destruction from natural disasters and to plan relief and recovery operations. However, the data collection of aerial digital images is constrained by bad weather, atmospheric conditions, and unstable camera or camcorder. Therefore, how to recover the information from the low-quality remote sensing images and how to enhance the image quality becomes very important for many visual understanding tasks, such like feature detection, object segmentation, and object recognition. The quality of remote sensing imagery can be improved through meaningful combination of the employed images captured from different sensors or from different conditions through information fusion. Here we particularly address information fusion to remote sensing images under multi-resolution analysis in the employed image sequences. The image fusion is to recover complete information by integrating multiple images captured from the same scene. Through image fusion, a new image with high-resolution or more perceptive for human and machine is created from a time series of low-quality images based on image registration between different video frames.

  8. Successful Recovery of Nuclear Protein-Coding Genes from Small Insects in Museums Using Illumina Sequencing.

    PubMed

    Kanda, Kojun; Pflug, James M; Sproul, John S; Dasenko, Mark A; Maddison, David R

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we explore high-throughput Illumina sequencing of nuclear protein-coding, ribosomal, and mitochondrial genes in small, dried insects stored in natural history collections. We sequenced one tenebrionid beetle and 12 carabid beetles ranging in size from 3.7 to 9.7 mm in length that have been stored in various museums for 4 to 84 years. Although we chose a number of old, small specimens for which we expected low sequence recovery, we successfully recovered at least some low-copy nuclear protein-coding genes from all specimens. For example, in one 56-year-old beetle, 4.4 mm in length, our de novo assembly recovered about 63% of approximately 41,900 nucleotides in a target suite of 67 nuclear protein-coding gene fragments, and 70% using a reference-based assembly. Even in the least successfully sequenced carabid specimen, reference-based assembly yielded fragments that were at least 50% of the target length for 34 of 67 nuclear protein-coding gene fragments. Exploration of alternative references for reference-based assembly revealed few signs of bias created by the reference. For all specimens we recovered almost complete copies of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes. We verified the general accuracy of the sequences through comparisons with sequences obtained from PCR and Sanger sequencing, including of conspecific, fresh specimens, and through phylogenetic analysis that tested the placement of sequences in predicted regions. A few possible inaccuracies in the sequences were detected, but these rarely affected the phylogenetic placement of the samples. Although our sample sizes are low, an exploratory regression study suggests that the dominant factor in predicting success at recovering nuclear protein-coding genes is a high number of Illumina reads, with success at PCR of COI and killing by immersion in ethanol being secondary factors; in analyses of only high-read samples, the primary significant explanatory variable was body length, with small beetles

  9. Successful Recovery of Nuclear Protein-Coding Genes from Small Insects in Museums Using Illumina Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Dasenko, Mark A.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we explore high-throughput Illumina sequencing of nuclear protein-coding, ribosomal, and mitochondrial genes in small, dried insects stored in natural history collections. We sequenced one tenebrionid beetle and 12 carabid beetles ranging in size from 3.7 to 9.7 mm in length that have been stored in various museums for 4 to 84 years. Although we chose a number of old, small specimens for which we expected low sequence recovery, we successfully recovered at least some low-copy nuclear protein-coding genes from all specimens. For example, in one 56-year-old beetle, 4.4 mm in length, our de novo assembly recovered about 63% of approximately 41,900 nucleotides in a target suite of 67 nuclear protein-coding gene fragments, and 70% using a reference-based assembly. Even in the least successfully sequenced carabid specimen, reference-based assembly yielded fragments that were at least 50% of the target length for 34 of 67 nuclear protein-coding gene fragments. Exploration of alternative references for reference-based assembly revealed few signs of bias created by the reference. For all specimens we recovered almost complete copies of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes. We verified the general accuracy of the sequences through comparisons with sequences obtained from PCR and Sanger sequencing, including of conspecific, fresh specimens, and through phylogenetic analysis that tested the placement of sequences in predicted regions. A few possible inaccuracies in the sequences were detected, but these rarely affected the phylogenetic placement of the samples. Although our sample sizes are low, an exploratory regression study suggests that the dominant factor in predicting success at recovering nuclear protein-coding genes is a high number of Illumina reads, with success at PCR of COI and killing by immersion in ethanol being secondary factors; in analyses of only high-read samples, the primary significant explanatory variable was body length, with small beetles

  10. Comparison of pulse sequences for R1-based electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen imaging.

    PubMed

    Epel, Boris; Halpern, Howard J

    2015-05-01

    Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin-lattice relaxation (SLR) oxygen imaging has proven to be an indispensable tool for assessing oxygen partial pressure in live animals. EPR oxygen images show remarkable oxygen accuracy when combined with high precision and spatial resolution. Developing more effective means for obtaining SLR rates is of great practical, biological and medical importance. In this work we compared different pulse EPR imaging protocols and pulse sequences to establish advantages and areas of applicability for each method. Tests were performed using phantoms containing spin probes with oxygen concentrations relevant to in vivo oxymetry. We have found that for small animal size objects the inversion recovery sequence combined with the filtered backprojection reconstruction method delivers the best accuracy and precision. For large animals, in which large radio frequency energy deposition might be critical, free induction decay and three pulse stimulated echo sequences might find better practical usage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Kits for Characterization of Chromosomal Inversions Using Probes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ray, F. Andrew (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A kit for the characterization of chromosomal inversions using single-stranded probes that are either all identical or all complementary to a single-stranded chromatid is described. Reporter species are attached to oligonucleotide strands designed such that they may hybridize to portions of only one of a pair of single-stranded sister chromatids which may be prepared by the CO-FISH procedure. If an inversion has occurred, these marker probes will be detected on the second sister chromatid at the same location as the inversion on the first chromatid. The kit includes non-repetitive probes that are either all identical or all complementary to at least a portion of a target DNA sequence of only one DNA strand of only one chromatid and may in some embodiments include reagents suitable for performing CO-FISH and/or reagents for hybridizing the probes to the target DNA sequence.

  12. A Chromosome 7 Pericentric Inversion Defined at Single-Nucleotide Resolution Using Diagnostic Whole Genome Sequencing in a Patient with Hand-Foot-Genital Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Watson, Christopher M; Crinnion, Laura A; Harrison, Sally M; Lascelles, Carolina; Antanaviciute, Agne; Carr, Ian M; Bonthron, David T; Sheridan, Eamonn

    2016-01-01

    Next generation sequencing methodologies are facilitating the rapid characterisation of novel structural variants at nucleotide resolution. These approaches are particularly applicable to variants initially identified using alternative molecular methods. We report a child born with bilateral postaxial syndactyly of the feet and bilateral fifth finger clinodactyly. This was presumed to be an autosomal recessive syndrome, due to the family history of consanguinity. Karyotype analysis revealed a homozygous pericentric inversion of chromosome 7 (46,XX,inv(7)(p15q21)x2) which was confirmed to be heterozygous in both unaffected parents. Since the resolution of the karyotype was insufficient to identify any putatively causative gene, we undertook medium-coverage whole genome sequencing using paired-end reads, in order to elucidate the molecular breakpoints. In a two-step analysis, we first narrowed down the region by identifying discordant read-pairs, and then determined the precise molecular breakpoint by analysing the mapping locations of "soft-clipped" breakpoint-spanning reads. PCR and Sanger sequencing confirmed the identified breakpoints, both of which were located in intergenic regions. Significantly, the 7p15 breakpoint was located 523 kb upstream of HOXA13, the locus for hand-foot-genital syndrome. By inference from studies of HOXA locus control in the mouse, we suggest that the inversion has delocalised a HOXA13 enhancer to produce the phenotype observed in our patient. This study demonstrates how modern genetic diagnostic approach can characterise structural variants at nucleotide resolution and provide potential insights into functional regulation.

  13. GRIL: genome rearrangement and inversion locator.

    PubMed

    Darling, Aaron E; Mau, Bob; Blattner, Frederick R; Perna, Nicole T

    2004-01-01

    GRIL is a tool to automatically identify collinear regions in a set of bacterial-size genome sequences. GRIL uses three basic steps. First, regions of high sequence identity are located. Second, some of these regions are filtered based on user-specified criteria. Finally, the remaining regions of sequence identity are used to define significant collinear regions among the sequences. By locating collinear regions of sequence, GRIL provides a basis for multiple genome alignment using current alignment systems. GRIL also provides a basis for using current inversion distance tools to infer phylogeny. GRIL is implemented in C++ and runs on any x86-based Linux or Windows platform. It is available from http://asap.ahabs.wisc.edu/gril

  14. Time-Lapse Joint Inversion of Cross-Well DC Resistivity and Seismic Data: A Numerical Investigation

    EPA Science Inventory

    Time-lapse joint inversion of geophysical data is required to image the evolution of oil reservoirs during production and enhanced oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, geothermal fields during production, and to monitor the evolution of contaminant plumes. Joint inversion schemes red...

  15. INFO-RNA--a fast approach to inverse RNA folding.

    PubMed

    Busch, Anke; Backofen, Rolf

    2006-08-01

    The structure of RNA molecules is often crucial for their function. Therefore, secondary structure prediction has gained much interest. Here, we consider the inverse RNA folding problem, which means designing RNA sequences that fold into a given structure. We introduce a new algorithm for the inverse folding problem (INFO-RNA) that consists of two parts; a dynamic programming method for good initial sequences and a following improved stochastic local search that uses an effective neighbor selection method. During the initialization, we design a sequence that among all sequences adopts the given structure with the lowest possible energy. For the selection of neighbors during the search, we use a kind of look-ahead of one selection step applying an additional energy-based criterion. Afterwards, the pre-ordered neighbors are tested using the actual optimization criterion of minimizing the structure distance between the target structure and the mfe structure of the considered neighbor. We compared our algorithm to RNAinverse and RNA-SSD for artificial and biological test sets. Using INFO-RNA, we performed better than RNAinverse and in most cases, we gained better results than RNA-SSD, the probably best inverse RNA folding tool on the market. www.bioinf.uni-freiburg.de?Subpages/software.html.

  16. Simultaneous inversion of seismic velocity and moment tensor using elastic-waveform inversion of microseismic data: Application to the Aneth CO2-EOR field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Y.; Huang, L.

    2017-12-01

    Moment tensors are key parameters for characterizing CO2-injection-induced microseismic events. Elastic-waveform inversion has the potential to providing accurate results of moment tensors. Microseismic waveforms contains information of source moment tensors and the wave propagation velocity along the wavepaths. We develop an elastic-waveform inversion method to jointly invert the seismic velocity model and moment tensor. We first use our adaptive moment-tensor joint inversion method to estimate moment tensors of microseismic events. Our adaptive moment-tensor inversion method jointly inverts multiple microseismic events with similar waveforms within a cluster to reduce inversion uncertainty for microseismic data recorded using a single borehole geophone array. We use this inversion result as the initial model for our elastic-waveform inversion to minimize the cross-correlated-based data misfit between observed data and synthetic data. We verify our method using synthetic microseismic data and obtain improved results of both moment tensors and seismic velocity model. We apply our new inversion method to microseismic data acquired at a CO2-enhanced oil recovery field in Aneth, Utah, using a single borehole geophone array. The results demonstrate that our new inversion method significantly reduces the data misfit compared to the conventional ray-theory-based moment-tensor inversion.

  17. Inversion Recovery Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Method for Simultaneous Direct Detection of Myelin and High Signal Demonstration of Iron Deposition in the Brain – A Feasibility Study

    PubMed Central

    Sheth, Vipul R.; Fan, Shujuan; He, Qun; Ma, Yajun; Annesse, Jacopo; Switzer, Robert; Corey-Bloom, Jody; Bydder, Graeme M; Du, Jiang

    2017-01-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS)causes demyelinating lesions in the white matter and increased iron deposition in the subcortical gray matter. Myelin protons have an extremely short T2* (less than 1 ms) and are not directly detected with conventional clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences. Iron deposition also reduces T2*, leading to reduced signal on clinical sequences. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the inversion recovery ultrashort echo time (IR-UTE) pulse sequence can directly and simultaneously image myelin and iron deposition using a clinical 3T scanner. The technique was first validated on a synthetic myelinphantom (myelin powder in D2O) and a Feridex iron phantom. This was followed by studies of cadaveric MS specimens, healthy volunteers and MS patients. UTE imaging of the synthetic myelin phantom showed an excellent bi-component signal decay with two populations of protons, one with a T2* of 1.2 ms (residual water protons) and the other with a T2* of 290 μs (myelin protons). IR-UTE imaging shows sensitivity to a wide range of iron concentrations from 0.5 to ∼30 mM. The IR-UTE signal from white matter of the brain of healthy volunteers shows a rapid signal decay with a short T2* of ∼300 μs, consistent with the T2* values of myelin protons in the synthetic myelin phantom. IR-UTE imaging in MS brain specimens and patients showed multiple white matter lesions as well as areas of high signal in subcortical gray matter. This in specimens corresponded in position to Perl's diaminobenzide staining results, consistent with increased iron deposition. IR-UTE imaging simultaneously detects lesions with myelin loss in the white matter and iron deposition in the gray matter. PMID:28038965

  18. Early Functional Connectome Integrity and 1-Year Recovery in Comatose Survivors of Cardiac Arrest.

    PubMed

    Sair, Haris I; Hannawi, Yousef; Li, Shanshan; Kornbluth, Joshua; Demertzi, Athena; Di Perri, Carol; Chabanne, Russell; Jean, Betty; Benali, Habib; Perlbarg, Vincent; Pekar, James; Luyt, Charles-Edouard; Galanaud, Damien; Velly, Lionel; Puybasset, Louis; Laureys, Steven; Caffo, Brian; Stevens, Robert D

    2018-04-01

    Purpose To assess whether early brain functional connectivity is associated with functional recovery 1 year after cardiac arrest (CA). Materials and Methods Enrolled in this prospective multicenter cohort were 46 patients who were comatose after CA. Principal outcome was cerebral performance category at 12 months, with favorable outcome (FO) defined as cerebral performance category 1 or 2. All participants underwent multiparametric structural and functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging less than 4 weeks after CA. Within- and between-network connectivity was measured in dorsal attention network (DAN), default-mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and executive control network (ECN) by using seed-based analysis of resting-state functional MR imaging data. Structural changes identified with fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences were analyzed by using validated morphologic scales. The association between connectivity measures, structural changes, and the principal outcome was explored with multivariable modeling. Results Patients underwent MR imaging a mean 12.6 days ± 5.6 (standard deviation) after CA. At 12 months, 11 patients had an FO. Patients with FO had higher within-DMN connectivity and greater anticorrelation between SN and DMN and between SN and ECN compared with patients with unfavorable outcome, an effect that was maintained after multivariable adjustment. Anticorrelation of SN-DMN predicted outcomes with higher accuracy than fluid-attenuated inversion recovery or diffusion-weighted imaging scores (area under the receiver operating characteristic curves, respectively, 0.88, 0.74, and 0.71). Conclusion MR imaging-based measures of cerebral functional network connectivity obtained in the acute phase of CA were independently associated with FO at 1 year, warranting validation as early markers of long-term recovery potential in patients with anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. © RSNA, 2017.

  19. Assessment of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis using T2*-weighted gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging sequences

    PubMed Central

    Bidar, Fatemeh; Faeghi, Fariborz; Ghorbani, Askar

    2016-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the advantages of gradient echo (GRE) sequences in the detection and characterization of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis compared to conventional magnetic resonance sequences. Methods: A total of 17 patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) were evaluated using different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. The MRI sequences included T1-weighted spin echo (SE) imaging, T*2-weighted turbo SE (TSE), fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T*2-weighted conventional GRE, and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). MR venography (MRV) images were obtained as the golden standard. Results: Venous sinus thrombosis was best detectable in T*2-weighted conventional GRE sequences in all patients except in one case. Venous thrombosis was undetectable in DWI. T*2-weighted GRE sequences were superior to T*2-weighted TSE, T1-weighted SE, and FLAIR. Enhanced MRV was successful in displaying the location of thrombosis. Conclusion: T*2-weighted conventional GRE sequences are probably the best method for the assessment of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The mentioned method is non-invasive; therefore, it can be employed in the clinical evaluation of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. PMID:27326365

  20. A posteriori error estimates in voice source recovery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leonov, A. S.; Sorokin, V. N.

    2017-12-01

    The inverse problem of voice source pulse recovery from a segment of a speech signal is under consideration. A special mathematical model is used for the solution that relates these quantities. A variational method of solving inverse problem of voice source recovery for a new parametric class of sources, that is for piecewise-linear sources (PWL-sources), is proposed. Also, a technique for a posteriori numerical error estimation for obtained solutions is presented. A computer study of the adequacy of adopted speech production model with PWL-sources is performed in solving the inverse problems for various types of voice signals, as well as corresponding study of a posteriori error estimates. Numerical experiments for speech signals show satisfactory properties of proposed a posteriori error estimates, which represent the upper bounds of possible errors in solving the inverse problem. The estimate of the most probable error in determining the source-pulse shapes is about 7-8% for the investigated speech material. It is noted that a posteriori error estimates can be used as a criterion of the quality for obtained voice source pulses in application to speaker recognition.

  1. Ultra-deep sequencing enables high-fidelity recovery of biodiversity for bulk arthropod samples without PCR amplification

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Next-generation-sequencing (NGS) technologies combined with a classic DNA barcoding approach have enabled fast and credible measurement for biodiversity of mixed environmental samples. However, the PCR amplification involved in nearly all existing NGS protocols inevitably introduces taxonomic biases. In the present study, we developed new Illumina pipelines without PCR amplifications to analyze terrestrial arthropod communities. Results Mitochondrial enrichment directly followed by Illumina shotgun sequencing, at an ultra-high sequence volume, enabled the recovery of Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit 1 (COI) barcode sequences, which allowed for the estimation of species composition at high fidelity for a terrestrial insect community. With 15.5 Gbp Illumina data, approximately 97% and 92% were detected out of the 37 input Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), whether the reference barcode library was used or not, respectively, while only 1 novel OTU was found for the latter. Additionally, relatively strong correlation between the sequencing volume and the total biomass was observed for species from the bulk sample, suggesting a potential solution to reveal relative abundance. Conclusions The ability of the new Illumina PCR-free pipeline for DNA metabarcoding to detect small arthropod specimens and its tendency to avoid most, if not all, false positives suggests its great potential in biodiversity-related surveillance, such as in biomonitoring programs. However, further improvement for mitochondrial enrichment is likely needed for the application of the new pipeline in analyzing arthropod communities at higher diversity. PMID:23587339

  2. Bilinear Inverse Problems: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ling, Shuyang

    We will discuss how several important real-world signal processing problems, such as self-calibration and blind deconvolution, can be modeled as bilinear inverse problems and solved by convex and nonconvex optimization approaches. In Chapter 2, we bring together three seemingly unrelated concepts, self-calibration, compressive sensing and biconvex optimization. We show how several self-calibration problems can be treated efficiently within the framework of biconvex compressive sensing via a new method called SparseLift. More specifically, we consider a linear system of equations y = DAx, where the diagonal matrix D (which models the calibration error) is unknown and x is an unknown sparse signal. By "lifting" this biconvex inverse problem and exploiting sparsity in this model, we derive explicit theoretical guarantees under which both x and D can be recovered exactly, robustly, and numerically efficiently. In Chapter 3, we study the question of the joint blind deconvolution and blind demixing, i.e., extracting a sequence of functions [special characters omitted] from observing only the sum of their convolutions [special characters omitted]. In particular, for the special case s = 1, it becomes the well-known blind deconvolution problem. We present a non-convex algorithm which guarantees exact recovery under conditions that are competitive with convex optimization methods, with the additional advantage of being computationally much more efficient. We discuss several applications of the proposed framework in image processing and wireless communications in connection with the Internet-of-Things. In Chapter 4, we consider three different self-calibration models of practical relevance. We show how their corresponding bilinear inverse problems can be solved by both the simple linear least squares approach and the SVD-based approach. As a consequence, the proposed algorithms are numerically extremely efficient, thus allowing for real-time deployment. Explicit theoretical

  3. Evidence for large inversion polymorphisms in the human genome from HapMap data

    PubMed Central

    Bansal, Vikas; Bashir, Ali; Bafna, Vineet

    2007-01-01

    Knowledge about structural variation in the human genome has grown tremendously in the past few years. However, inversions represent a class of structural variation that remains difficult to detect. We present a statistical method to identify large inversion polymorphisms using unusual Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) patterns from high-density SNP data. The method is designed to detect chromosomal segments that are inverted (in a majority of the chromosomes) in a population with respect to the reference human genome sequence. We demonstrate the power of this method to detect such inversion polymorphisms through simulations done using the HapMap data. Application of this method to the data from the first phase of the International HapMap project resulted in 176 candidate inversions ranging from 200 kb to several megabases in length. Our predicted inversions include an 800-kb polymorphic inversion at 7p22, a 1.1-Mb inversion at 16p12, and a novel 1.2-Mb inversion on chromosome 10 that is supported by the presence of two discordant fosmids. Analysis of the genomic sequence around inversion breakpoints showed that 11 predicted inversions are flanked by pairs of highly homologous repeats in the inverted orientation. In addition, for three candidate inversions, the inverted orientation is represented in the Celera genome assembly. Although the power of our method to detect inversions is restricted because of inherently noisy LD patterns in population data, inversions predicted by our method represent strong candidates for experimental validation and analysis. PMID:17185644

  4. Characteristic MRI findings in hyperglycaemia-induced seizures: diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging.

    PubMed

    Lee, E J; Kim, K K; Lee, E K; Lee, J E

    2016-12-01

    To describe characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in hyperglycaemia-induced seizures, and evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging. Possible underlying mechanisms of this condition are also discussed. Eleven patients with hyperglycaemia-induced seizures and MRI abnormalities were retrospectively studied. Clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, MRI findings, and clinical outcomes were analysed. All patients, except one, presented with focal seizures, simple or complex partial seizures, or negative motor seizures. All patients had long-standing uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The MRI abnormalities observed acutely were focal subcortical hypointensities on T2-weighted imaging and FLAIR imaging in all patients with overlying cortical gyral T2 hyperintensities in five. Focal overlying cortical or leptomeningeal enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging or contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging was observed in all patients. Contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging was superior to contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging for detecting characteristic cortical or leptomeningeal enhancement. Diffusion-weighted imaging showed mildly restricted diffusion in four of five patients with cortical gyral T2 hyperintensity. In nine patients, the lesions were localised in the parietal or parieto-occipital lobes. The other two patients showed localised precentral gyral lesions. After treatment, the neurological symptoms, including the seizures, improved in all patients. On clinical recovery, the subcortical T2 hypointensity, gyral or leptomeningeal enhancement, and overlying cortical T2 hyperintensities resolved. Recognition of these radiological abnormalities in patients with hyperglycaemia-induced seizures is important in restricting unwarranted investigations and initiating early therapy. These patients generally have a good prognosis. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by

  5. Optical mapping reveals a large genetic inversion between two methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

    PubMed

    Shukla, Sanjay K; Kislow, Jennifer; Briska, Adam; Henkhaus, John; Dykes, Colin

    2009-09-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is a highly versatile and evolving bacterium of great clinical importance. S. aureus can evolve by acquiring single nucleotide polymorphisms and mobile genetic elements and by recombination events. Identification and location of novel genomic elements in a bacterial genome are not straightforward, unless the whole genome is sequenced. Optical mapping is a new tool that creates a high-resolution, in situ ordered restriction map of a bacterial genome. These maps can be used to determine genomic organization and perform comparative genomics to identify genomic rearrangements, such as insertions, deletions, duplications, and inversions, compared to an in silico (virtual) restriction map of a known genome sequence. Using this technology, we report here the identification, approximate location, and characterization of a genetic inversion of approximately 500 kb of a DNA element between the NRS387 (USA800) and FPR3757 (USA300) strains. The presence of the inversion and location of its junction sites were confirmed by site-specific PCR and sequencing. At both the left and right junction sites in NRS387, an IS1181 element and a 73-bp sequence were identified as inverted repeats, which could explain the possible mechanism of the inversion event.

  6. A molecular perspective on a complex polymorphic inversion system with cytological evidence of multiply reused breakpoints.

    PubMed

    Orengo, D J; Puerma, E; Papaceit, M; Segarra, C; Aguadé, M

    2015-06-01

    Genome sequence comparison across the Drosophila genus revealed that some fixed inversion breakpoints had been multiply reused at this long timescale. Cytological studies of Drosophila inversion polymorphism had previously shown that, also at this shorter timescale, some breakpoints had been multiply reused. The paucity of molecularly characterized polymorphic inversion breakpoints has so far precluded contrasting whether cytologically shared breakpoints of these relatively young inversions are actually reused at the molecular level. The E chromosome of Drosophila subobscura stands out because it presents several inversion complexes. This is the case of the E1+2+9+3 arrangement that originated from the ancestral Est arrangement through the sequential accumulation of four inversions (E1, E2, E9 and E3) sharing some breakpoints. We recently identified the breakpoints of inversions E1 and E2, which allowed establishing reuse at the molecular level of the cytologically shared breakpoint of these inversions. Here, we identified and sequenced the breakpoints of inversions E9 and E3, because they share breakpoints at sections 58D and 64C with those of inversions E1 and E2. This has allowed establishing that E9 and E3 originated through the staggered-break mechanism. Most importantly, sequence comparison has revealed the multiple reuse at the molecular level of the proximal breakpoint (section 58D), which would have been used at least by inversions E2, E9 and E3. In contrast, the distal breakpoint (section 64C) might have been only reused once by inversions E1 and E2, because the distal E3 breakpoint is displaced >70 kb from the other breakpoint limits.

  7. A molecular perspective on a complex polymorphic inversion system with cytological evidence of multiply reused breakpoints

    PubMed Central

    Orengo, D J; Puerma, E; Papaceit, M; Segarra, C; Aguadé, M

    2015-01-01

    Genome sequence comparison across the Drosophila genus revealed that some fixed inversion breakpoints had been multiply reused at this long timescale. Cytological studies of Drosophila inversion polymorphism had previously shown that, also at this shorter timescale, some breakpoints had been multiply reused. The paucity of molecularly characterized polymorphic inversion breakpoints has so far precluded contrasting whether cytologically shared breakpoints of these relatively young inversions are actually reused at the molecular level. The E chromosome of Drosophila subobscura stands out because it presents several inversion complexes. This is the case of the E1+2+9+3 arrangement that originated from the ancestral Est arrangement through the sequential accumulation of four inversions (E1, E2, E9 and E3) sharing some breakpoints. We recently identified the breakpoints of inversions E1 and E2, which allowed establishing reuse at the molecular level of the cytologically shared breakpoint of these inversions. Here, we identified and sequenced the breakpoints of inversions E9 and E3, because they share breakpoints at sections 58D and 64C with those of inversions E1 and E2. This has allowed establishing that E9 and E3 originated through the staggered-break mechanism. Most importantly, sequence comparison has revealed the multiple reuse at the molecular level of the proximal breakpoint (section 58D), which would have been used at least by inversions E2, E9 and E3. In contrast, the distal breakpoint (section 64C) might have been only reused once by inversions E1 and E2, because the distal E3 breakpoint is displaced >70 kb from the other breakpoint limits. PMID:25712227

  8. Value of non-contrast sequences in magnetic resonance angiography of hepatic arterial vasculature.

    PubMed

    Kalra, Vivek B; Gilbert, John W; Krishnamoorthy, Saravanan; Cornfeld, Daniel

    2014-06-01

    To evaluate value of adding non-contrast MR angiographic sequence (In-Flow Inversion Recovery [IFIR]) to standard fat-suppressed T1-weighted postcontrast sequence (3D spoiled gradient echo [3D-GRE]) for evaluating hepatic arterial anatomy. Retrospective evaluation of 30 consecutive patients undergoing multiphase liver MRI. Individual vessels for IFIR/3D-GRE sequences were evaluated by two blinded readers using a four-point scale. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for vessel conspicuity between IFIR/3D-GRE sequences. IFIR alone diagnostically imaged 8.1% of vessels, 3D-GRE alone 25.8%, 55.8% by both 3D-GRE/IFIR, and 10.3% of vessels by neither. Two patients with variant vascular anatomy were visualized with both sequences. Addition of IFIR to 3D-GRE resulted in statistically significant increase in arterial visualization (p<0.001), 10% relative increase in identified vessels, and 3-5 mi increase in acquisition time for total scan time of 30-35 min. IFIR may be a useful adjunct to 3D-GRE in hepatic angiography without adding considerably to scan time. 10% more hepatic arteries were seen when combining information from IFIR/3D-GRE vs. 3D-GRE alone. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Tubular Recovery after Acute Kidney Injury.

    PubMed

    Fattah, Hadi; Vallon, Volker

    2018-05-31

    A significant portion of patients who are affected by acute kidney injury (AKI) do not fully recover due to largely unclear reasons. Restoration of tubular function has been proposed to be a prerequisite for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) recovery. Proximal tubular cells dedifferentiate during the tubular injury phase, which is required for subsequent cell proliferation and replacement of lost epithelial cells. Experimental studies indicate that some cells fail to redifferentiate and continue to produce growth factors (e.g., transforming growth factor β) that can induce fibrosis. Preclinical studies provide first evidence for beneficial effects of inhibiting glucose transport in the proximal tubule in models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Comparing renal RNA sequencing data with kidney function during recovery from varying levels of AKI may provide new cues with regard to the sequence of events and help identify key determinants of recovery from AKI. Key Messages: Tubular recovery after AKI is vital for recovery of kidney function including improvement of GFR, and likely determines which patients fully recover from AKI or progress to chronic kidney disease. There is a need to better understand the sequence of events and the processes of tubular cell proliferation and repair, including safe strategies to intervene. The temporary inhibition of selected tubular transport processes, possibly in selected nephron regions, may provide an opportunity to improve tubular cell energetics and facilitate tubular cell recovery with consequences for kidney outcome. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Fair and Square Computation of Inverse "Z"-Transforms of Rational Functions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreira, M. V.; Basilio, J. C.

    2012-01-01

    All methods presented in textbooks for computing inverse "Z"-transforms of rational functions have some limitation: 1) the direct division method does not, in general, provide enough information to derive an analytical expression for the time-domain sequence "x"("k") whose "Z"-transform is "X"("z"); 2) computation using the inversion integral…

  11. Third Chromosome Balancer Inversions Disrupt Protein-Coding Genes and Influence Distal Recombination Events in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Danny E.; Cook, Kevin R.; Arvanitakis, Alexandra V.; Hawley, R. Scott

    2016-01-01

    Balancer chromosomes are multiply inverted chromosomes that suppress meiotic crossing over and prevent the recovery of crossover products. Balancers are commonly used in Drosophila melanogaster to maintain deleterious alleles and in stock construction. They exist for all three major chromosomes, yet the molecular location of the breakpoints and the exact nature of many of the mutations carried by the second and third chromosome balancers has not been available. Here, we precisely locate eight of 10 of the breakpoints on the third chromosome balancer TM3, six of eight on TM6, and nine of 11 breakpoints on TM6B. We find that one of the inversion breakpoints on TM3 bisects the highly conserved tumor suppressor gene p53—a finding that may have important consequences for a wide range of studies in Drosophila. We also identify evidence of single and double crossovers between several TM3 and TM6B balancers and their normal-sequence homologs that have created genetic diversity among these chromosomes. Overall, this work demonstrates the practical importance of precisely identifying the position of inversion breakpoints of balancer chromosomes and characterizing the mutant alleles carried by them. PMID:27172211

  12. Recursive inversion of externally defined linear systems by FIR filters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bach, Ralph E., Jr.; Baram, Yoram

    1989-01-01

    The approximate inversion of an internally unknown linear system, given by its impulse response sequence, by an inverse system having a finite impulse response, is considered. The recursive least-squares procedure is shown to have an exact initialization, based on the triangular Toeplitz structure of the matrix involved. The proposed approach also suggests solutions to the problem of system identification and compensation.

  13. Sorting signed permutations by inversions in O(nlogn) time.

    PubMed

    Swenson, Krister M; Rajan, Vaibhav; Lin, Yu; Moret, Bernard M E

    2010-03-01

    The study of genomic inversions (or reversals) has been a mainstay of computational genomics for nearly 20 years. After the initial breakthrough of Hannenhalli and Pevzner, who gave the first polynomial-time algorithm for sorting signed permutations by inversions, improved algorithms have been designed, culminating with an optimal linear-time algorithm for computing the inversion distance and a subquadratic algorithm for providing a shortest sequence of inversions--also known as sorting by inversions. Remaining open was the question of whether sorting by inversions could be done in O(nlogn) time. In this article, we present a qualified answer to this question, by providing two new sorting algorithms, a simple and fast randomized algorithm and a deterministic refinement. The deterministic algorithm runs in time O(nlogn + kn), where k is a data-dependent parameter. We provide the results of extensive experiments showing that both the average and the standard deviation for k are small constants, independent of the size of the permutation. We conclude (but do not prove) that almost all signed permutations can be sorted by inversions in O(nlogn) time.

  14. Evaluation of chondromalacia of the patella with axial inversion recovery-fast spin-echo imaging.

    PubMed

    Lee, S H; Suh, J S; Cho, J; Kim, S J; Kim, S J

    2001-03-01

    The purpose of our study was to assess the accuracy of inversion recovery-fast spin-echo (IR-FSE) imaging for the evaluation of chondromalacia of the patella. Eighty-six patients were included, they underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examination and subsequent knee arthroscopy. Medial and lateral facets of the patella were evaluated separately. Axial images were obtained by using IR-FSE (TR/TE/TI = 3000/25/150 msec; echo train length, 8; 4-mm thickness; 12-cm field of view; 512 x 256 matrix; two, number of excitations) with a 1.5-T MR machine. MR interpretation of chondromalacia was made on the basis of the arthroscopic grading system. Of a total of 172 facets graded, arthroscopy revealed chondromalacia in 14 facets with various grades (G0, 158; G1, 1; G2, 3; G3, 6; G4, 4). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in the chondromalacia grades were 57.1%, 93.0%, and 90.1%, respectively. There was one false-negative case (G4) and 11 false-positive cases (G1, eight; G2, two; G3, one). Sensitivity and specificity corrected by one grade difference were improved to 85.7% and 98.1%, respectively. When cartilage changes were grouped into early (corresponding to grade 1 and 2) and advanced (grade 3 and 4) diseases, sensitivity and specificity of the early and advanced diseases were 75% and 94% and 80% and 99%, respectively. IR-FSE imaging of the knee revealed high specificity but low sensitivity for the evaluation of chondromalacia of the patella.

  15. Multi-modal and targeted imaging improves automated mid-brain segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plassard, Andrew J.; D'Haese, Pierre F.; Pallavaram, Srivatsan; Newton, Allen T.; Claassen, Daniel O.; Dawant, Benoit M.; Landman, Bennett A.

    2017-02-01

    The basal ganglia and limbic system, particularly the thalamus, putamen, internal and external globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and sub-thalamic nucleus, comprise a clinically relevant signal network for Parkinson's disease. In order to manually trace these structures, a combination of high-resolution and specialized sequences at 7T are used, but it is not feasible to scan clinical patients in those scanners. Targeted imaging sequences at 3T such as F-GATIR, and other optimized inversion recovery sequences, have been presented which enhance contrast in a select group of these structures. In this work, we show that a series of atlases generated at 7T can be used to accurately segment these structures at 3T using a combination of standard and optimized imaging sequences, though no one approach provided the best result across all structures. In the thalamus and putamen, a median Dice coefficient over 0.88 and a mean surface distance less than 1.0mm was achieved using a combination of T1 and an optimized inversion recovery imaging sequences. In the internal and external globus pallidus a Dice over 0.75 and a mean surface distance less than 1.2mm was achieved using a combination of T1 and FGATIR imaging sequences. In the substantia nigra and sub-thalamic nucleus a Dice coefficient of over 0.6 and a mean surface distance of less than 1.0mm was achieved using the optimized inversion recovery imaging sequence. On average, using T1 and optimized inversion recovery together produced significantly improved segmentation results than any individual modality (p<0.05 wilcox sign-rank test).

  16. Young inversion with multiple linked QTLs under selection in a hybrid zone.

    PubMed

    Lee, Cheng-Ruei; Wang, Baosheng; Mojica, Julius P; Mandáková, Terezie; Prasad, Kasavajhala V S K; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Perera, Nadeesha; Hellsten, Uffe; Hundley, Hope N; Johnson, Jenifer; Grimwood, Jane; Barry, Kerrie; Fairclough, Stephen; Jenkins, Jerry W; Yu, Yeisoo; Kudrna, Dave; Zhang, Jianwei; Talag, Jayson; Golser, Wolfgang; Ghattas, Kathryn; Schranz, M Eric; Wing, Rod; Lysak, Martin A; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel S; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas

    2017-04-03

    Fixed chromosomal inversions can reduce gene flow and promote speciation in two ways: by suppressing recombination and by carrying locally favoured alleles at multiple loci. However, it is unknown whether favoured mutations slowly accumulate on older inversions or if young inversions spread because they capture pre-existing adaptive quantitative trait loci (QTLs). By genetic mapping, chromosome painting and genome sequencing, we have identified a major inversion controlling ecologically important traits in Boechera stricta. The inversion arose since the last glaciation and subsequently reached local high frequency in a hybrid speciation zone. Furthermore, the inversion shows signs of positive directional selection. To test whether the inversion could have captured existing, linked QTLs, we crossed standard, collinear haplotypes from the hybrid zone and found multiple linked phenology QTLs within the inversion region. These findings provide the first direct evidence that linked, locally adapted QTLs may be captured by young inversions during incipient speciation.

  17. The Chapel Hill hemophilia A dog colony exhibits a factor VIII gene inversion

    PubMed Central

    Lozier, Jay N.; Dutra, Amalia; Pak, Evgenia; Zhou, Nan; Zheng, Zhili; Nichols, Timothy C.; Bellinger, Dwight A.; Read, Marjorie; Morgan, Richard A.

    2002-01-01

    In the Chapel Hill colony of factor VIII-deficient dogs, abnormal sequence (ch8, for canine hemophilia 8, GenBank no. AF361485) follows exons 1–22 in the factor VIII transcript in place of exons 23–26. The canine hemophilia 8 locus (ch8) sequence was found in a 140-kb normal dog genomic DNA bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone that was completely outside the factor VIII gene, but not in BAC clones containing the factor VIII gene. The BAC clone that contained ch8 also contained a homologue of F8A (factor 8 associated) sequence, which participates in a common inversion that causes severe hemophilia A in humans. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis indicated that exons 1–26 normally proceed sequentially from telomere to centromere at Xq28, and ch8 is telomeric to the factor VIII gene. The appearance of an “upstream” genomic sequence element (ch8) at the end of the aberrant factor VIII transcript suggested that an inversion of genomic DNA replaced factor VIII exons 22–26 with ch8. The F8A sequence appeared also in overlapping normal BAC clones containing factor VIII sequence. We hypothesized that homologous recombination between copies of canine F8A inside and outside the factor VIII gene had occurred, as in human hemophilia A. High-resolution fluorescent in situ hybridization on hemophilia A dog DNA revealed a pattern consistent with this inversion mechanism. We also identified a HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphism of F8A fragments that distinguished hemophilia A, carrier, and normal dogs' DNA. The Chapel Hill hemophilia A dog colony therefore replicates the factor VIII gene inversion commonly seen in humans with severe hemophilia A. PMID:12242334

  18. GNBP domain of Anopheles darlingi: are polymorphic inversions and gene variation related to adaptive evolution?

    PubMed

    Bridi, L C; Rafael, M S

    2016-02-01

    Anopheles darlingi is the main malaria vector in humans in South America. In the Amazon basin, it lives along the banks of rivers and lakes, which responds to the annual hydrological cycle (dry season and rainy season). In these breeding sites, the larvae of this mosquito feed on decomposing organic and microorganisms, which can be pathogenic and trigger the activation of innate immune system pathways, such as proteins Gram-negative binding protein (GNBP). Such environmental changes affect the occurrence of polymorphic inversions especially at the heterozygote frequency, which confer adaptative advantage compared to homozygous inversions. We mapped the GNBP probe to the An. darlingi 2Rd inversion by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), which was a good indicator of the GNBP immune response related to the chromosomal polymorphic inversions and adaptative evolution. To better understand the evolutionary relations and time of divergence of the GNBP of An. darlingi, we compared it with nine other mosquito GNBPs. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of the GNBP sequence between the species of mosquitoes demonstrated three clades. Clade I and II included the GNBPB5 sequence, and clade III the sequence of GNBPB1. Most of these sequences of GNBP analyzed were homologous with that of subfamily B, including that of An. gambiae (87 %), therefore suggesting that GNBP of An. darling belongs to subfamily B. This work helps us understand the role of inversion polymorphism in evolution of An. darlingi.

  19. Towards adjoint-based inversion of time-dependent mantle convection with nonlinear viscosity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Dunzhu; Gurnis, Michael; Stadler, Georg

    2017-04-01

    We develop and study an adjoint-based inversion method for the simultaneous recovery of initial temperature conditions and viscosity parameters in time-dependent mantle convection from the current mantle temperature and historic plate motion. Based on a realistic rheological model with temperature-dependent and strain-rate-dependent viscosity, we formulate the inversion as a PDE-constrained optimization problem. The objective functional includes the misfit of surface velocity (plate motion) history, the misfit of the current mantle temperature, and a regularization for the uncertain initial condition. The gradient of this functional with respect to the initial temperature and the uncertain viscosity parameters is computed by solving the adjoint of the mantle convection equations. This gradient is used in a pre-conditioned quasi-Newton minimization algorithm. We study the prospects and limitations of the inversion, as well as the computational performance of the method using two synthetic problems, a sinking cylinder and a realistic subduction model. The subduction model is characterized by the migration of a ridge toward a trench whereby both plate motions and subduction evolve. The results demonstrate: (1) for known viscosity parameters, the initial temperature can be well recovered, as in previous initial condition-only inversions where the effective viscosity was given; (2) for known initial temperature, viscosity parameters can be recovered accurately, despite the existence of trade-offs due to ill-conditioning; (3) for the joint inversion of initial condition and viscosity parameters, initial condition and effective viscosity can be reasonably recovered, but the high dimension of the parameter space and the resulting ill-posedness may limit recovery of viscosity parameters.

  20. Characterization of six human disease-associated inversion polymorphisms.

    PubMed

    Antonacci, Francesca; Kidd, Jeffrey M; Marques-Bonet, Tomas; Ventura, Mario; Siswara, Priscillia; Jiang, Zhaoshi; Eichler, Evan E

    2009-07-15

    The human genome is a highly dynamic structure that shows a wide range of genetic polymorphic variation. Unlike other types of structural variation, little is known about inversion variants within normal individuals because such events are typically balanced and are difficult to detect and analyze by standard molecular approaches. Using sequence-based, cytogenetic and genotyping approaches, we characterized six large inversion polymorphisms that map to regions associated with genomic disorders with complex segmental duplications mapping at the breakpoints. We developed a metaphase FISH-based assay to genotype inversions and analyzed the chromosomes of 27 individuals from three HapMap populations. In this subset, we find that these inversions are less frequent or absent in Asians when compared with European and Yoruban populations. Analyzing multiple individuals from outgroup species of great apes, we show that most of these large inversion polymorphisms are specific to the human lineage with two exceptions, 17q21.31 and 8p23 inversions, which are found to be similarly polymorphic in other great ape species and where the inverted allele represents the ancestral state. Investigating linkage disequilibrium relationships with genotyped SNPs, we provide evidence that most of these inversions appear to have arisen on at least two different haplotype backgrounds. In these cases, discovery and genotyping methods based on SNPs may be confounded and molecular cytogenetics remains the only method to genotype these inversions.

  1. Population Genomics of Inversion Polymorphisms in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Corbett-Detig, Russell B.; Hartl, Daniel L.

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions have been an enduring interest of population geneticists since their discovery in Drosophila melanogaster. Numerous lines of evidence suggest powerful selective pressures govern the distributions of polymorphic inversions, and these observations have spurred the development of many explanatory models. However, due to a paucity of nucleotide data, little progress has been made towards investigating selective hypotheses or towards inferring the genealogical histories of inversions, which can inform models of inversion evolution and suggest selective mechanisms. Here, we utilize population genomic data to address persisting gaps in our knowledge of D. melanogaster's inversions. We develop a method, termed Reference-Assisted Reassembly, to assemble unbiased, highly accurate sequences near inversion breakpoints, which we use to estimate the age and the geographic origins of polymorphic inversions. We find that inversions are young, and most are African in origin, which is consistent with the demography of the species. The data suggest that inversions interact with polymorphism not only in breakpoint regions but also chromosome-wide. Inversions remain differentiated at low levels from standard haplotypes even in regions that are distant from breakpoints. Although genetic exchange appears fairly extensive, we identify numerous regions that are qualitatively consistent with selective hypotheses. Finally, we show that In(1)Be, which we estimate to be ∼60 years old (95% CI 5.9 to 372.8 years), has likely achieved high frequency via sex-ratio segregation distortion in males. With deeper sampling, it will be possible to build on our inferences of inversion histories to rigorously test selective models—particularly those that postulate that inversions achieve a selective advantage through the maintenance of co-adapted allele complexes. PMID:23284285

  2. The Orion GN and C Data-Driven Flight Software Architecture for Automated Sequencing and Fault Recovery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    King, Ellis; Hart, Jeremy; Odegard, Ryan

    2010-01-01

    The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CET) is being designed to include significantly more automation capability than either the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS). In particular, the vehicle flight software has requirements to accommodate increasingly automated missions throughout all phases of flight. A data-driven flight software architecture will provide an evolvable automation capability to sequence through Guidance, Navigation & Control (GN&C) flight software modes and configurations while maintaining the required flexibility and human control over the automation. This flexibility is a key aspect needed to address the maturation of operational concepts, to permit ground and crew operators to gain trust in the system and mitigate unpredictability in human spaceflight. To allow for mission flexibility and reconfrgurability, a data driven approach is being taken to load the mission event plan as well cis the flight software artifacts associated with the GN&C subsystem. A database of GN&C level sequencing data is presented which manages and tracks the mission specific and algorithm parameters to provide a capability to schedule GN&C events within mission segments. The flight software data schema for performing automated mission sequencing is presented with a concept of operations for interactions with ground and onboard crew members. A prototype architecture for fault identification, isolation and recovery interactions with the automation software is presented and discussed as a forward work item.

  3. Analysis of elements in a minimal amount of temporomandibular joint fluid on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images.

    PubMed

    Hanyuda, Hitoshi; Otonari-Yamamoto, Mika; Imoto, Kenichi; Sakamoto, Junichiro; Kodama, Sayaka; Kamio, Takashi; Sano, Tsukasa

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to elucidate possible elements in minimal amounts of fluid (MF) in the temporomandibular joint by analyzing signal intensities in T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) images. Fifteen joints (15 patients) with MF were subjected to MR imaging to obtain T2-weighted and FLAIR images. Regions of interest were placed on MF, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and gray matter (GM), and their signal intensities were measured on both images. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) obtained by the signal intensity of GM between MF and CSF was compared in T2-weighted and FLAIR images. The average SIR of MF was lower than that of CSF on T2-weighted images, whereas it was higher on FLAIR images. The average suppression ratio of the signal intensity was lower for MF (24.1%) than for CSF (71.4%). MF may contain elements such as protein that are capable of inducing a shortened T1 relaxation time on MR images. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Young inversion with multiple linked QTLs under selection in a hybrid zone

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Cheng-Ruei; Wang, Baosheng; Mojica, Julius; Mandáková, Terezie; Prasad, Kasavajhala V. S. K.; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Perera, Nadeesha; Hellsten, Uffe; Hundley, Hope N.; Johnson, Jenifer; Grimwood, Jane; Barry, Kerrie; Fairclough, Stephen; Jenkins, Jerry W.; Yu, Yeisoo; Kudrna, Dave; Zhang, Jianwei; Talag, Jayson; Golser, Wolfgang; Ghattas, Katherine; Schranz, M. Eric; Wing, Rod; Lysak, Martin A.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel S.; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Fixed chromosomal inversions can reduce gene flow and promote speciation in two ways: by suppressing recombination and by carrying locally favored alleles at multiple loci. However, it is unknown whether favored mutations slowly accumulate on older inversions or if young inversions spread because they capture preexisting adaptive Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs). By genetic mapping, chromosome painting and genome sequencing we have identified a major inversion controlling ecologically important traits in Boechera stricta. The inversion arose since the last glaciation and subsequently reached local high frequency in a hybrid speciation zone. Furthermore, the inversion shows signs of positive directional selection. To test whether the inversion could have captured existing, linked QTLs, we crossed standard, collinear haplotypes from the hybrid zone and found multiple linked phenology QTLs within the inversion region. These findings provide the first direct evidence that linked, locally adapted QTLs may be captured by young inversions during incipient speciation. PMID:28812690

  5. Texture Analysis of T1-Weighted and Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images Detects Abnormalities That Correlate With Cognitive Decline in Small Vessel Disease.

    PubMed

    Tozer, Daniel J; Zeestraten, Eva; Lawrence, Andrew J; Barrick, Thomas R; Markus, Hugh S

    2018-06-04

    Magnetic resonance imaging may be useful to assess disease severity in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), identify those individuals who are most likely to progress to dementia, monitor disease progression, and act as surrogate markers to test new therapies. Texture analysis extracts information on the relationship between signal intensities of neighboring voxels. A potential advantage over techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging, is that it can be used on clinically obtained magnetic resonance sequences. We determined whether texture parameters (TP) were abnormal in SVD, correlated with cognitive impairment, predicted cognitive decline, or conversion to dementia. In the prospective SCANS study (St George's Cognition and Neuroimaging in Stroke), we assessed TP in 121 individuals with symptomatic SVD at baseline, 99 of whom attended annual cognitive testing for 5 years. Conversion to dementia was recorded for all subjects during the 5-year period. Texture analysis was performed on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T1-weighted images. The TP obtained from the SVD cohort were cross-sectionally compared with 54 age-matched controls scanned on the same magnetic resonance imaging system. There were highly significant differences in several TP between SVD cases and controls. Within the SVD population, TP were highly correlated to other magnetic resonance imaging parameters (brain volume, white matter lesion volume, lacune count). TP correlated with executive function and global function at baseline and predicted conversion to dementia, after controlling for age, sex, premorbid intelligence quotient, and magnetic resonance parameters. TP, which can be obtained from routine clinical images, are abnormal in SVD, and the degree of abnormality correlates with executive dysfunction and global cognition at baseline and decline during 5 years. TP may be useful to assess disease severity in clinically collected data. This needs testing in data clinically acquired

  6. Structure and population genetics of the breakpoints of a polymorphic inversion in Drosophila subobscura.

    PubMed

    Papaceit, Montserrat; Segarra, Carmen; Aguadé, Montserrat

    2013-01-01

    Drosophila subobscura is a paleartic species of the obscura group with a rich chromosomal polymorphism. To further our understanding on the origin of inversions and on how they regain variation, we have identified and sequenced the two breakpoints of a polymorphic inversion of D. subobscura--inversion 3 of the O chromosome--in a population sample. The breakpoints could be identified as two rather short fragments (∼300 bp and 60 bp long) with no similarity to any known transposable element family or repetitive sequence. The presence of the ∼300-bp fragment at the two breakpoints of inverted chromosomes implies its duplication, an indication of the inversion origin via staggered double-strand breaks. Present results and previous findings support that the mode of origin of inversions is neither related to the inversion age nor species-group specific. The breakpoint regions do not consistently exhibit the lower level of variation within and stronger genetic differentiation between arrangements than more internal regions that would be expected, even in moderately small inversions, if gene conversion were greatly restricted at inversion breakpoints. Comparison of the proximal breakpoint region in species of the obscura group shows that this breakpoint lies in a small high-turnover fragment within a long collinear region (∼300 kb). © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  7. Fosmid Cre-LoxP Inverse PCR Paired-End (Fosmid CLIP-PE), a Novel Method for Constructing Fosmid Pair-End Library (Seventh Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting 2012)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peng, Ze

    2012-06-01

    Ze Peng from DOE JGI presents "Fosmid Cre-LoxP Inverse PCR Paired-End (Fosmid CLIP-PE), a Novel Method for Constructing Fosmid Pair-End Library" at the 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting held in June, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.

  8. Fosmid Cre-LoxP Inverse PCR Paired-End (Fosmid CLIP-PE), a Novel Method for Constructing Fosmid Pair-End Library (Seventh Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting 2012)

    ScienceCinema

    Peng, Ze

    2018-01-24

    Ze Peng from DOE JGI presents "Fosmid Cre-LoxP Inverse PCR Paired-End (Fosmid CLIP-PE), a Novel Method for Constructing Fosmid Pair-End Library" at the 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, Analysis in the Future (SFAF) Meeting held in June, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM.

  9. Benchmarking Inverse Statistical Approaches for Protein Structure and Design with Exactly Solvable Models.

    PubMed

    Jacquin, Hugo; Gilson, Amy; Shakhnovich, Eugene; Cocco, Simona; Monasson, Rémi

    2016-05-01

    Inverse statistical approaches to determine protein structure and function from Multiple Sequence Alignments (MSA) are emerging as powerful tools in computational biology. However the underlying assumptions of the relationship between the inferred effective Potts Hamiltonian and real protein structure and energetics remain untested so far. Here we use lattice protein model (LP) to benchmark those inverse statistical approaches. We build MSA of highly stable sequences in target LP structures, and infer the effective pairwise Potts Hamiltonians from those MSA. We find that inferred Potts Hamiltonians reproduce many important aspects of 'true' LP structures and energetics. Careful analysis reveals that effective pairwise couplings in inferred Potts Hamiltonians depend not only on the energetics of the native structure but also on competing folds; in particular, the coupling values reflect both positive design (stabilization of native conformation) and negative design (destabilization of competing folds). In addition to providing detailed structural information, the inferred Potts models used as protein Hamiltonian for design of new sequences are able to generate with high probability completely new sequences with the desired folds, which is not possible using independent-site models. Those are remarkable results as the effective LP Hamiltonians used to generate MSA are not simple pairwise models due to the competition between the folds. Our findings elucidate the reasons for the success of inverse approaches to the modelling of proteins from sequence data, and their limitations.

  10. [Detection of factor VIII intron 1 inversion in severe haemophilia A].

    PubMed

    Liang, Yan; Yan, Zhen-yu; Yan, Mei; Hua, Bao-lai; Xiao, Bai; Zhao, Yong-qiang; Liu, Jing-zhong

    2009-06-01

    Screening the intron 1 inversion of factor VIII (FVIII) in the population of severe haemophilia A(HA) in China and performing carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis. Using LD-PCR to detect intron 22 inversions and multiple-PCR within two tubes to intron 1 inversions in severe HA patients. Carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis were performed in affected families. Linkage analysis and DNA sequencing were used to verify these tests. One hundred and eighteen patients were seven diagnosed as intron 22 inversions and 7 were intron 1 inversions out of 247 severe HA patients. The prevalence of the intron 1 inversion in Chinese severe haemophilia A patients was 2.8% (7/247). Six women from family A and 2 from family B were diagnosed as carriers. One fetus from family A was affected fetus. Intron 1 inversion could be detected directly by multiple-PCR within two tubes. This method made the strategy more perfective in carrier and prenatal diagnosis of haemophilia A.

  11. Breakpoint structure of the Anopheles gambiae 2Rb chromosomal inversion.

    PubMed

    Lobo, Neil F; Sangaré, Djibril M; Regier, Allison A; Reidenbach, Kyanne R; Bretz, David A; Sharakhova, Maria V; Emrich, Scott J; Traore, Sekou F; Costantini, Carlo; Besansky, Nora J; Collins, Frank H

    2010-10-25

    Alternative arrangements of chromosome 2 inversions in Anopheles gambiae are important sources of population structure, and are associated with adaptation to environmental heterogeneity. The forces responsible for their origin and maintenance are incompletely understood. Molecular characterization of inversion breakpoints provides insight into how they arose, and provides the basis for development of molecular karyotyping methods useful in future studies. Sequence comparison of regions near the cytological breakpoints of 2Rb allowed the molecular delineation of breakpoint boundaries. Comparisons were made between the standard 2R+b arrangement in the An. gambiae PEST reference genome and the inverted 2Rb arrangements in the An. gambiae M and S genome assemblies. Sequence differences between alternative 2Rb arrangements were exploited in the design of a PCR diagnostic assay, which was evaluated against the known chromosomal banding pattern of laboratory colonies and field-collected samples from Mali and Cameroon. The breakpoints of the 7.55 Mb 2Rb inversion are flanked by extensive runs of the same short (72 bp) tandemly organized sequence, which was likely responsible for chromosomal breakage and rearrangement. Application of the molecular diagnostic assay suggested that 2Rb has a single common origin in An. gambiae and its sibling species, Anopheles arabiensis, and also that the standard arrangement (2R+b) may have arisen twice through breakpoint reuse. The molecular diagnostic was reliable when applied to laboratory colonies, but its accuracy was lower in natural populations. The complex repetitive sequence flanking the 2Rb breakpoint region may be prone to structural and sequence-level instability. The 2Rb molecular diagnostic has immediate application in studies based on laboratory colonies, but its usefulness in natural populations awaits development of complementary molecular tools.

  12. Distribution and phylogenetic significance of the 71-kb inversion in the plastid genome in Funariidae (Bryophyta).

    PubMed

    Goffinet, Bernard; Wickett, Norman J; Werner, Olaf; Ros, Rosa Maria; Shaw, A Jonathan; Cox, Cymon J

    2007-04-01

    The recent assembly of the complete sequence of the plastid genome of the model taxon Physcomitrella patens (Funariaceae, Bryophyta) revealed that a 71-kb fragment, encompassing much of the large single copy region, is inverted. This inversion of 57% of the genome is the largest rearrangement detected in the plastid genomes of plants to date. Although initially considered diagnostic of Physcomitrella patens, the inversion was recently shown to characterize the plastid genome of two species from related genera within Funariaceae, but was lacking in another member of Funariidae. The phylogenetic significance of the inversion has remained ambiguous. Exemplars of all families included in Funariidae were surveyed. DNA sequences spanning the inversion break ends were amplified, using primers that anneal to genes on either side of the putative end points of the inversion. Primer combinations were designed to yield a product for either the inverted or the non-inverted architecture. The survey reveals that exemplars of eight genera of Funariaceae, the sole species of Disceliaceae and three generic representatives of Encalyptales all share the 71-kb inversion in the large single copy of the plastid genome. By contrast, the plastid genome of Gigaspermaceae (Funariales) is characterized by a gene order congruent with that described for other mosses, liverworts and hornworts, and hence it does not possess this inversion. The phylogenetic distribution of the inversion in the gene order supports a hypothesis only weakly supported by inferences from sequence data whereby Funariales are paraphyletic, with Funariaceae and Disceliaceae sharing a common ancestor with Encalyptales, and Gigaspermaceae sister to this combined clade. To reflect these relationships, Gigaspermaceae are excluded from Funariales and accommodated in their own order, Gigaspermales order nov., within Funariideae.

  13. Inverse Symmetry in Complete Genomes and Whole-Genome Inverse Duplication

    PubMed Central

    Kong, Sing-Guan; Fan, Wen-Lang; Chen, Hong-Da; Hsu, Zi-Ting; Zhou, Nengji; Zheng, Bo; Lee, Hoong-Chien

    2009-01-01

    The cause of symmetry is usually subtle, and its study often leads to a deeper understanding of the bearer of the symmetry. To gain insight into the dynamics driving the growth and evolution of genomes, we conducted a comprehensive study of textual symmetries in 786 complete chromosomes. We focused on symmetry based on our belief that, in spite of their extreme diversity, genomes must share common dynamical principles and mechanisms that drive their growth and evolution, and that the most robust footprints of such dynamics are symmetry related. We found that while complement and reverse symmetries are essentially absent in genomic sequences, inverse–complement plus reverse–symmetry is prevalent in complex patterns in most chromosomes, a vast majority of which have near maximum global inverse symmetry. We also discovered relations that can quantitatively account for the long observed but unexplained phenomenon of -mer skews in genomes. Our results suggest segmental and whole-genome inverse duplications are important mechanisms in genome growth and evolution, probably because they are efficient means by which the genome can exploit its double-stranded structure to enrich its code-inventory. PMID:19898631

  14. Recursive Inversion By Finite-Impulse-Response Filters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bach, Ralph E., Jr.; Baram, Yoram

    1991-01-01

    Recursive approximation gives least-squares best fit to exact response. Algorithm yields finite-impulse-response approximation of unknown single-input/single-output, causal, time-invariant, linear, real system, response of which is sequence of impulses. Applicable to such system-inversion problems as suppression of echoes and identification of target from its scatter response to incident impulse.

  15. Molecular Characterization of the Pericentric Inversion That Causes Differences Between Chimpanzee Chromosome 19 and Human Chromosome 17

    PubMed Central

    Kehrer-Sawatzki, Hildegard; Schreiner, Bettina; Tänzer, Simone; Platzer, Matthias; Müller, Stefan; Hameister, Horst

    2002-01-01

    A comparison of the human genome with that of the chimpanzee is an attractive approach to attempts to understand the specificity of a certain phenotype's development. The two karyotypes differ by one chromosome fusion, nine pericentric inversions, and various additions of heterochromatin to chromosomal telomeres. Only the fusion, which gave rise to human chromosome 2, has been characterized at the sequence level. During the present study, we investigated the pericentric inversion by which chimpanzee chromosome 19 differs from human chromosome 17. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to identify breakpoint-spanning bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and plasmid artificial chromosomes (PACs). By sequencing the junction fragments, we localized breakpoints in intergenic regions rich in repetitive elements. Our findings suggest that repeat-mediated nonhomologous recombination has facilitated inversion formation. No addition or deletion of any sequence element was detected at the breakpoints or in the surrounding sequences. Next to the break, at a distance of 10.2–39.1 kb, the following genes were found: NGFR and NXPH3 (on human chromosome 17q21.3) and GUC2D and ALOX15B (on human chromosome 17p13). The inversion affects neither the genomic structure nor the gene-activity state with regard to replication timing of these genes. PMID:12094327

  16. A novel anisotropic inversion approach for magnetotelluric data from subsurfaces with orthogonal geoelectric strike directions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmoldt, Jan-Philipp; Jones, Alan G.

    2013-12-01

    The key result of this study is the development of a novel inversion approach for cases of orthogonal, or close to orthogonal, geoelectric strike directions at different depth ranges, for example, crustal and mantle depths. Oblique geoelectric strike directions are a well-known issue in commonly employed isotropic 2-D inversion of MT data. Whereas recovery of upper (crustal) structures can, in most cases, be achieved in a straightforward manner, deriving lower (mantle) structures is more challenging with isotropic 2-D inversion in the case of an overlying region (crust) with different geoelectric strike direction. Thus, investigators may resort to computationally expensive and more limited 3-D inversion in order to derive the electric resistivity distribution at mantle depths. In the novel approaches presented in this paper, electric anisotropy is used to image 2-D structures in one depth range, whereas the other region is modelled with an isotropic 1-D or 2-D approach, as a result significantly reducing computational costs of the inversion in comparison with 3-D inversion. The 1- and 2-D versions of the novel approach were tested using a synthetic 3-D subsurface model with orthogonal strike directions at crust and mantle depths and their performance was compared to results of isotropic 2-D inversion. Structures at crustal depths were reasonably well recovered by all inversion approaches, whereas recovery of mantle structures varied significantly between the different approaches. Isotropic 2-D inversion models, despite decomposition of the electric impedance tensor and using a wide range of inversion parameters, exhibited severe artefacts thereby confirming the requirement of either an enhanced or a higher dimensionality inversion approach. With the anisotropic 1-D inversion approach, mantle structures of the synthetic model were recovered reasonably well with anisotropy values parallel to the mantle strike direction (in this study anisotropy was assigned to the

  17. Characterization of shallow aquifers using hydraulic traveltime tomography based on crosswell pumping and recovery tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Rui; Hu, Linwei; Brauchler, Ralf

    2017-04-01

    Hydraulic tomography (HT) has been developed for more than twenty years, which is mainly used for providing the spatial information of hydraulic parameters in the subsurface. Similar to geophysical tomography, HT utilizes hydraulic tests as the sources, and head measurements in different locations (receivers) are recorded for inverting hydraulic parameters. Among various inversion algrithoms, hydraulic traveltime based method is comparably efficient, as the inversion does not require complete head readings. However, in the practical aspect, to find out traveltime diagnostics can be readily hampered by data noise during the in-situ hydraulic tests, such as pumping tests. In this study, we use the data from recovery tests to complement and improve the original method. In order to examine hydraulic traveltimes derived from both pumping and recovery tests, we first simulate multilevel pumping and recovery tests in several three-dimensional synthetic models with different heterogeneity degree. Simulation results show that hydraulic traveltimes obtained from pumping tests are equal to which from recovery tests, in the case that pumping reaches to quasi-steady/steady state. Sebquentially, we derive hydraulic traveltimes from the crosswell pumping and recovery tests in a real field site, Stegemühle, in Göttingen, Germany, and then invert these traveltimes to deplict the distribution of hydraulic conductivity and specific storage in the aquifer. Results with and without traveltimes from recovery tests imply that adding more traveltimes from recovery tests into the inversion procedure could improve the resolution and reduce result uncertainty. Finally, we compare the HT results with several previous electrical resistance tomography (ERT) results. Comparison indicates that, in general, the aquifer structures from HT and ERT are similar. Nevertheless, HT has higher resolution due to the denser tomographic arrays. Moreover, values of hydraulic conductivity and specific

  18. The transposon Galileo generates natural chromosomal inversions in Drosophila by ectopic recombination.

    PubMed

    Delprat, Alejandra; Negre, Bàrbara; Puig, Marta; Ruiz, Alfredo

    2009-11-18

    Transposable elements (TEs) are responsible for the generation of chromosomal inversions in several groups of organisms. However, in Drosophila and other Dipterans, where inversions are abundant both as intraspecific polymorphisms and interspecific fixed differences, the evidence for a role of TEs is scarce. Previous work revealed that the transposon Galileo was involved in the generation of two polymorphic inversions of Drosophila buzzatii. To assess the impact of TEs in Drosophila chromosomal evolution and shed light on the mechanism involved, we isolated and sequenced the two breakpoints of another widespread polymorphic inversion from D. buzzatii, 2z(3). In the non inverted chromosome, the 2z(3) distal breakpoint was located between genes CG2046 and CG10326 whereas the proximal breakpoint lies between two novel genes that we have named Dlh and Mdp. In the inverted chromosome, the analysis of the breakpoint sequences revealed relatively large insertions (2,870-bp and 4,786-bp long) including two copies of the transposon Galileo (subfamily Newton), one at each breakpoint, plus several other TEs. The two Galileo copies: (i) are inserted in opposite orientation; (ii) present exchanged target site duplications; and (iii) are both chimeric. Our observations provide the best evidence gathered so far for the role of TEs in the generation of Drosophila inversions. In addition, they show unequivocally that ectopic recombination is the causative mechanism. The fact that the three polymorphic D. buzzatii inversions investigated so far were generated by the same transposon family is remarkable and is conceivably due to Galileo's unusual structure and current (or recent) transpositional activity.

  19. Iterative updating of model error for Bayesian inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calvetti, Daniela; Dunlop, Matthew; Somersalo, Erkki; Stuart, Andrew

    2018-02-01

    In computational inverse problems, it is common that a detailed and accurate forward model is approximated by a computationally less challenging substitute. The model reduction may be necessary to meet constraints in computing time when optimization algorithms are used to find a single estimate, or to speed up Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) calculations in the Bayesian framework. The use of an approximate model introduces a discrepancy, or modeling error, that may have a detrimental effect on the solution of the ill-posed inverse problem, or it may severely distort the estimate of the posterior distribution. In the Bayesian paradigm, the modeling error can be considered as a random variable, and by using an estimate of the probability distribution of the unknown, one may estimate the probability distribution of the modeling error and incorporate it into the inversion. We introduce an algorithm which iterates this idea to update the distribution of the model error, leading to a sequence of posterior distributions that are demonstrated empirically to capture the underlying truth with increasing accuracy. Since the algorithm is not based on rejections, it requires only limited full model evaluations. We show analytically that, in the linear Gaussian case, the algorithm converges geometrically fast with respect to the number of iterations when the data is finite dimensional. For more general models, we introduce particle approximations of the iteratively generated sequence of distributions; we also prove that each element of the sequence converges in the large particle limit under a simplifying assumption. We show numerically that, as in the linear case, rapid convergence occurs with respect to the number of iterations. Additionally, we show through computed examples that point estimates obtained from this iterative algorithm are superior to those obtained by neglecting the model error.

  20. Intramural activation and repolarization sequences in canine ventricles. Experimental and simulation studies.

    PubMed

    Taccardi, Bruno; Punske, Bonnie B; Sachse, Frank; Tricoche, Xavier; Colli-Franzone, Piero; Pavarino, Luca F; Zabawa, Christine

    2005-10-01

    There are no published data showing the three-dimensional sequence of repolarization and the associated potential fields in the ventricles. Knowledge of the sequence of repolarization has medical relevance because high spatial dispersion of recovery times and action potential durations favors cardiac arrhythmias. In this study we describe measured and simulated 3-D excitation and recovery sequences and activation-recovery intervals (ARIs) (measured) or action potential durations (APDs) (simulated) in the ventricular walls. We recorded from 600 to 1400 unipolar electrograms from canine ventricular walls during atrial and ventricular pacing at 350-450 ms cycle length. Measured excitation and recovery times and ARIs were displayed as 2-D maps in transmural planes or 3-D maps in the volume explored, using specially developed software. Excitation and recovery sequences and APD distributions were also simulated in parallelepipedal slabs using anisotropic monodomain or bidomain models based on the Lou-Rudy version 1 model with homogeneous membrane properties. Simulations showed that in the presence of homogeneous membrane properties, the sequence of repolarization was similar but not identical to the excitation sequence. In a transmural plane perpendicular to epicardial fiber direction, both activation and recovery pathways starting from an epicardial pacing site returned toward the epicardium at a few cm distance from the pacing site. However, APDs were not constant, but had a dispersion of approximately 14 ms in the simulated domain. The maximum APD value was near the pacing site and two minima appeared along a line perpendicular to fiber directions, passing through the pacing site. Electrical measurements in dog ventricles showed that, for short cycle lengths, both excitation and recovery pathways, starting from an epicardial pacing site, returned toward the epicardium. For slower pacing rates, pathways of recovery departed from the pathway of excitation. Highest ARI

  1. Integrated shotgun sequencing and bioinformatics pipeline allows ultra-fast mitogenome recovery and confirms substantial gene rearrangements in Australian freshwater crayfishes

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Although it is possible to recover the complete mitogenome directly from shotgun sequencing data, currently reported methods and pipelines are still relatively time consuming and costly. Using a sample of the Australian freshwater crayfish Engaeus lengana, we demonstrate that it is possible to achieve three-day turnaround time (four hours hands-on time) from tissue sample to NCBI-ready submission file through the integration of MiSeq sequencing platform, Nextera sample preparation protocol, MITObim assembly algorithm and MITOS annotation pipeline. Results The complete mitochondrial genome of the parastacid freshwater crayfish, Engaeus lengana, was recovered by modest shotgun sequencing (1.2 giga bases) using the Illumina MiSeq benchtop sequencing platform. Genome assembly using the MITObim mitogenome assembler recovered the mitochondrial genome as a single contig with a 97-fold mean coverage (min. = 17; max. = 138). The mitogenome consists of 15,934 base pairs and contains the typical 37 mitochondrial genes and a non-coding AT-rich region. The genome arrangement is similar to the only other published parastacid mitogenome from the Australian genus Cherax. Conclusions We infer that the gene order arrangement found in Cherax destructor is common to Australian crayfish and may be a derived feature of the southern hemisphere family Parastacidae. Further, we report to our knowledge, the simplest and fastest protocol for the recovery and assembly of complete mitochondrial genomes using the MiSeq benchtop sequencer. PMID:24484414

  2. Centroid-moment tensor inversions using high-rate GPS waveforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Toole, Thomas B.; Valentine, Andrew P.; Woodhouse, John H.

    2012-10-01

    Displacement time-series recorded by Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are a new type of near-field waveform observation of the seismic source. We have developed an inversion method which enables the recovery of an earthquake's mechanism and centroid coordinates from such data. Our approach is identical to that of the 'classical' Centroid-Moment Tensor (CMT) algorithm, except that we forward model the seismic wavefield using a method that is amenable to the efficient computation of synthetic GPS seismograms and their partial derivatives. We demonstrate the validity of our approach by calculating CMT solutions using 1 Hz GPS data for two recent earthquakes in Japan. These results are in good agreement with independently determined source models of these events. With wider availability of data, we envisage the CMT algorithm providing a tool for the systematic inversion of GPS waveforms, as is already the case for teleseismic data. Furthermore, this general inversion method could equally be applied to other near-field earthquake observations such as those made using accelerometers.

  3. Detecting and Characterizing Repeating Earthquake Sequences During Volcanic Eruptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tepp, G.; Haney, M. M.; Wech, A.

    2017-12-01

    A major challenge in volcano seismology is forecasting eruptions. Repeating earthquake sequences often precede volcanic eruptions or lava dome activity, providing an opportunity for short-term eruption forecasting. Automatic detection of these sequences can lead to timely eruption notification and aid in continuous monitoring of volcanic systems. However, repeating earthquake sequences may also occur after eruptions or along with magma intrusions that do not immediately lead to an eruption. This additional challenge requires a better understanding of the processes involved in producing these sequences to distinguish those that are precursory. Calculation of the inverse moment rate and concepts from the material failure forecast method can lead to such insights. The temporal evolution of the inverse moment rate is observed to differ for precursory and non-precursory sequences, and multiple earthquake sequences may occur concurrently. These observations suggest that sequences may occur in different locations or through different processes. We developed an automated repeating earthquake sequence detector and near real-time alarm to send alerts when an in-progress sequence is identified. Near real-time inverse moment rate measurements can further improve our ability to forecast eruptions by allowing for characterization of sequences. We apply the detector to eruptions of two Alaskan volcanoes: Bogoslof in 2016-2017 and Redoubt Volcano in 2009. The Bogoslof eruption produced almost 40 repeating earthquake sequences between its start in mid-December 2016 and early June 2017, 21 of which preceded an explosive eruption, and 2 sequences in the months before eruptive activity. Three of the sequences occurred after the implementation of the alarm in late March 2017 and successfully triggered alerts. The nearest seismometers to Bogoslof are over 45 km away, requiring a detector that can work with few stations and a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio. During the Redoubt

  4. Antagonism of methoxyflurane-induced anesthesia in rats by benzodiazepine inverse agonists.

    PubMed

    Miller, D W; Yourick, D L; Tessel, R E

    1989-11-28

    Injection of the partial benzodiazepine inverse agonist Ro15-4513 (1-32 mg/kg i.p.) or nonconvulsant i.v. doses of the full benzodiazepine inverse agonist beta-CCE immediately following cessation of exposure of rats to an anesthetic concentration of methoxyflurane significantly antagonized the duration of methoxyflurane anesthesia as measured by recovery of the righting reflex and/or pain sensitivity. This antagonism was inhibited by the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro15-1788 at doses which alone did not alter the duration of methoxyflurane anesthesia. In addition, high-dose Ro15-4513 pretreatment (32 mg/kg) antagonized the induction and duration of methoxyflurane anesthesia but was unable to prevent methoxyflurane anesthesia or affect the induction or duration of anesthesia induced by the dissociative anesthetic ketamine (100 mg/kg). These findings indicate that methoxyflurane anesthesia can be selectively antagonized by the inverse agonistic action of Ro15-4513 and beta-CCE.

  5. On nonsingular potentials of Cox-Thompson inversion scheme

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Palmai, Tamas; Apagyi, Barnabas

    2010-02-15

    We establish a condition for obtaining nonsingular potentials using the Cox-Thompson inverse scattering method with one phase shift. The anomalous singularities of the potentials are avoided by maintaining unique solutions of the underlying Regge-Newton integral equation for the transformation kernel. As a by-product, new inequality sequences of zeros of Bessel functions are discovered.

  6. Microstructural Evolution of Inverse Bainite in a Hypereutectoid Low-Alloy Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kannan, Rangasayee; Wang, Yiyu; Li, Leijun

    2017-12-01

    Microstructural evolution of inverse bainite during isothermal bainite transformation of a hypereutectoid low-alloy steel at 773 K (500 °C) was investigated through a series of interrupted isothermal experiments using a quench dilatometer. Microstructural characterization revealed that the inverse bainitic transformation starts by the nucleation of cementite (Fe3C) from parent austenite as a midrib in the bainitic microstructure. The inverse bainite becomes "degenerated" to typical upper bainite at prolonged transformation times. Crystallographic orientation relationships between the individual phases of inverse bainite microstructure were found to obey { < 110 > _{γ } || < 1\\overline{1} 0 > _{θ } } { < 111 > _{α } || < 1\\overline{1} 0 > _{θ } } { < 110 > _{γ } || < 111 > _{α } } 111_{γ } || { \\overline{2} 21} _{θ } } { 110} _{α } || { \\overline{2} 21} _{θ } } { 111} _{γ } || { 110 } _{α } {111} _{γ } || {211} _{θ } {110} _{α } || {211} _{θ } Furthermore, the crystallographic orientation deviations between the individual phases of inverse bainite microstructure suggest that the secondary carbide nucleation occurs from the inverse bainitic ferrite. Thermodynamic driving force calculations provide an explanation for the observed nucleation sequence in inverse bainite. The degeneracy of inverse bainite microstructure to upper bainite at prolonged transformation times is likely due to the effects of cementite midrib dissolution at the early stage and secondary carbide coarsening at the later stage.

  7. [Frequency of intron 1 inversion of factor VIII gene in Chinese hemophilia A patients with case report of a female patient with heterozygous intron 1 inversion].

    PubMed

    Yan, Zhen-yu; Liang, Yan; Yan, Mei; Fan, Lian-kai; Xiao, Bai; Hua, Bao-lai; Liu, Jing-zhong; Zhao, Yong-qiang

    2008-10-21

    To investigate the frequency of intron 1 inversion (inv1) in FVIII gene in Chinese hemophilia A (HA) patients and to investigate the mechanism of pathogenesis. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 158 unrelated HA patients, aged 20 (1 - 73), including one female HA patient, aged 5, and several family members of a patient positive in inv1. One-stage method was used to assay the FVIII activity (FVIII:C). Long distance PCR and multiple PCR in duplex reactions were used to screen for the intron 22 inversion (inv22) and inv1 of the FVIII coding gene (F8). The F8 coding sequence was amplified with PCR and sequenced with an automatic sequencer. Two unrelated patients (pedigrees) were detected as inv1 positive with a positive rate of 1.26%. A rare female HA patient with inv1 was also discovered in a positive family (3 HA cases were found in this family and regarded as one case in calculating the total detection rate). The full length of FVIII was sequenced, and no other mutation was detected. There frequency of FVIII inv1 is low in Chinese HA patients compared with other populations. Female HA patients are heterozygous for FVIII inv1 and that may be resulted from nonrandom inactivation of X chromosome.

  8. Multiplexed microsatellite recovery using massively parallel sequencing

    Treesearch

    T.N. Jennings; B.J. Knaus; T.D. Mullins; S.M. Haig; R.C. Cronn

    2011-01-01

    Conservation and management of natural populations requires accurate and inexpensive genotyping methods. Traditional microsatellite, or simple sequence repeat (SSR), marker analysis remains a popular genotyping method because of the comparatively low cost of marker development, ease of analysis and high power of genotype discrimination. With the availability of...

  9. Chromosome-level assembly of Arabidopsis thaliana Ler reveals the extent of translocation and inversion polymorphisms.

    PubMed

    Zapata, Luis; Ding, Jia; Willing, Eva-Maria; Hartwig, Benjamin; Bezdan, Daniela; Jiao, Wen-Biao; Patel, Vipul; Velikkakam James, Geo; Koornneef, Maarten; Ossowski, Stephan; Schneeberger, Korbinian

    2016-07-12

    Resequencing or reference-based assemblies reveal large parts of the small-scale sequence variation. However, they typically fail to separate such local variation into colinear and rearranged variation, because they usually do not recover the complement of large-scale rearrangements, including transpositions and inversions. Besides the availability of hundreds of genomes of diverse Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, there is so far only one full-length assembled genome: the reference sequence. We have assembled 117 Mb of the A. thaliana Landsberg erecta (Ler) genome into five chromosome-equivalent sequences using a combination of short Illumina reads, long PacBio reads, and linkage information. Whole-genome comparison against the reference sequence revealed 564 transpositions and 47 inversions comprising ∼3.6 Mb, in addition to 4.1 Mb of nonreference sequence, mostly originating from duplications. Although rearranged regions are not different in local divergence from colinear regions, they are drastically depleted for meiotic recombination in heterozygotes. Using a 1.2-Mb inversion as an example, we show that such rearrangement-mediated reduction of meiotic recombination can lead to genetically isolated haplotypes in the worldwide population of A. thaliana Moreover, we found 105 single-copy genes, which were only present in the reference sequence or the Ler assembly, and 334 single-copy orthologs, which showed an additional copy in only one of the genomes. To our knowledge, this work gives first insights into the degree and type of variation, which will be revealed once complete assemblies will replace resequencing or other reference-dependent methods.

  10. Age, gender and normalization covariates for spinal cord gray matter and total cross-sectional areas at cervical and thoracic levels: A 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery imaging study.

    PubMed

    Papinutto, Nico; Schlaeger, Regina; Panara, Valentina; Zhu, Alyssa H; Caverzasi, Eduardo; Stern, William A; Hauser, Stephen L; Henry, Roland G

    2015-01-01

    The source of inter-subject variability and the influence of age and gender on morphometric characteristics of the spinal cord, such as the total cross-sectional area (TCA), the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) areas, currently remain under investigation. Understanding the effect of covariates such as age, gender, brain volumes, and skull- and vertebra-derived metrics on cervical and thoracic spinal cord TCA and GM areas in healthy subjects would be fundamental for exploring compartment specific changes in neurological diseases affecting the spinal cord. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3T we investigated 32 healthy subjects using a 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence and we measured TCA, GM and WM areas at 4 cervical and thoracic levels of the spinal cord. We assessed age and gender relationships of cord measures and explored associations between cord measures and a) brain volumes and b) skull- and vertebra-derived metrics. Age and gender had a significant effect on TCA, WM and GM areas (with women and elderly having smaller values than men and younger people respectively), but not on the GM area/TCA ratio. The total intracranial volume and C3 vertebra dimensions showed the highest correlations with cord measures. When used in multi-regression models, they reduced cord areas group variability by approximately a third. Age and gender influences on cord measures and normalization strategies here presented might be of use in the study of compartment specific changes in various neurological diseases affecting the spinal cord.

  11. The Transposon Galileo Generates Natural Chromosomal Inversions in Drosophila by Ectopic Recombination

    PubMed Central

    Delprat, Alejandra; Ruiz, Alfredo

    2009-01-01

    Background Transposable elements (TEs) are responsible for the generation of chromosomal inversions in several groups of organisms. However, in Drosophila and other Dipterans, where inversions are abundant both as intraspecific polymorphisms and interspecific fixed differences, the evidence for a role of TEs is scarce. Previous work revealed that the transposon Galileo was involved in the generation of two polymorphic inversions of Drosophila buzzatii. Methodology/Principal Findings To assess the impact of TEs in Drosophila chromosomal evolution and shed light on the mechanism involved, we isolated and sequenced the two breakpoints of another widespread polymorphic inversion from D. buzzatii, 2z 3. In the non inverted chromosome, the 2z 3 distal breakpoint was located between genes CG2046 and CG10326 whereas the proximal breakpoint lies between two novel genes that we have named Dlh and Mdp. In the inverted chromosome, the analysis of the breakpoint sequences revealed relatively large insertions (2,870-bp and 4,786-bp long) including two copies of the transposon Galileo (subfamily Newton), one at each breakpoint, plus several other TEs. The two Galileo copies: (i) are inserted in opposite orientation; (ii) present exchanged target site duplications; and (iii) are both chimeric. Conclusions/Significance Our observations provide the best evidence gathered so far for the role of TEs in the generation of Drosophila inversions. In addition, they show unequivocally that ectopic recombination is the causative mechanism. The fact that the three polymorphic D. buzzatii inversions investigated so far were generated by the same transposon family is remarkable and is conceivably due to Galileo's unusual structure and current (or recent) transpositional activity. PMID:19936241

  12. INFO-RNA--a server for fast inverse RNA folding satisfying sequence constraints.

    PubMed

    Busch, Anke; Backofen, Rolf

    2007-07-01

    INFO-RNA is a new web server for designing RNA sequences that fold into a user given secondary structure. Furthermore, constraints on the sequence can be specified, e.g. one can restrict sequence positions to a fixed nucleotide or to a set of nucleotides. Moreover, the user can allow violations of the constraints at some positions, which can be advantageous in complicated cases. The INFO-RNA web server allows biologists to design RNA sequences in an automatic manner. It is clearly and intuitively arranged and easy to use. The procedure is fast, as most applications are completed within seconds and it proceeds better and faster than other existing tools. The INFO-RNA web server is freely available at http://www.bioinf.uni-freiburg.de/Software/INFO-RNA/

  13. Design of Protein Multi-specificity Using an Independent Sequence Search Reduces the Barrier to Low Energy Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Sevy, Alexander M.; Jacobs, Tim M.; Crowe, James E.; Meiler, Jens

    2015-01-01

    Computational protein design has found great success in engineering proteins for thermodynamic stability, binding specificity, or enzymatic activity in a ‘single state’ design (SSD) paradigm. Multi-specificity design (MSD), on the other hand, involves considering the stability of multiple protein states simultaneously. We have developed a novel MSD algorithm, which we refer to as REstrained CONvergence in multi-specificity design (RECON). The algorithm allows each state to adopt its own sequence throughout the design process rather than enforcing a single sequence on all states. Convergence to a single sequence is encouraged through an incrementally increasing convergence restraint for corresponding positions. Compared to MSD algorithms that enforce (constrain) an identical sequence on all states the energy landscape is simplified, which accelerates the search drastically. As a result, RECON can readily be used in simulations with a flexible protein backbone. We have benchmarked RECON on two design tasks. First, we designed antibodies derived from a common germline gene against their diverse targets to assess recovery of the germline, polyspecific sequence. Second, we design “promiscuous”, polyspecific proteins against all binding partners and measure recovery of the native sequence. We show that RECON is able to efficiently recover native-like, biologically relevant sequences in this diverse set of protein complexes. PMID:26147100

  14. Accurate, simple, and inexpensive assays to diagnose F8 gene inversion mutations in hemophilia A patients and carriers.

    PubMed

    Dutta, Debargh; Gunasekera, Devi; Ragni, Margaret V; Pratt, Kathleen P

    2016-12-27

    The most frequent mutations resulting in hemophilia A are an intron 22 or intron 1 gene inversion, which together cause ∼50% of severe hemophilia A cases. We report a simple and accurate RNA-based assay to detect these mutations in patients and heterozygous carriers. The assays do not require specialized equipment or expensive reagents; therefore, they may provide useful and economic protocols that could be standardized for central laboratory testing. RNA is purified from a blood sample, and reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-NPCR) reactions amplify DNA fragments with the F8 sequence spanning the exon 22 to 23 splice site (intron 22 inversion test) or the exon 1 to 2 splice site (intron 1 inversion test). These sequences will be amplified only from F8 RNA without an intron 22 or intron 1 inversion mutation, respectively. Additional RT-NPCR reactions are then carried out to amplify the inverted sequences extending from F8 exon 19 to the first in-frame stop codon within intron 22 or a chimeric transcript containing F8 exon 1 and the VBP1 gene. These latter 2 products are produced only by individuals with an intron 22 or intron 1 inversion mutation, respectively. The intron 22 inversion mutations may be further classified (eg, as type 1 or type 2, reflecting the specific homologous recombination sites) by the standard DNA-based "inverse-shifting" PCR assay if desired. Efficient Bcl I and T4 DNA ligase enzymes that cleave and ligate DNA in minutes were used, which is a substantial improvement over previous protocols that required overnight incubations. These protocols can accurately detect F8 inversion mutations via same-day testing of patient samples.

  15. TR-IA payload recovery system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kochiyama, Jiro; Kinai, Shigeki; Morita, Shinya

    The TR-IA microgravity-experimentation sounding rocket baseline configuration and recovery system are presented. Aerodynamic braking is incorporated through the requisite positioning of the reentry-body center of gravity. The recovery sequence is initiated by baroswitches, which eject the pilot chute. Even in the event of flotation bag malfunction, the structure containing the experiment is watertight. An account is given of the nature and the results of the performance tests conducted to establish the soundness of various materials and components.

  16. INFO-RNA—a server for fast inverse RNA folding satisfying sequence constraints

    PubMed Central

    Busch, Anke; Backofen, Rolf

    2007-01-01

    INFO-RNA is a new web server for designing RNA sequences that fold into a user given secondary structure. Furthermore, constraints on the sequence can be specified, e.g. one can restrict sequence positions to a fixed nucleotide or to a set of nucleotides. Moreover, the user can allow violations of the constraints at some positions, which can be advantageous in complicated cases. The INFO-RNA web server allows biologists to design RNA sequences in an automatic manner. It is clearly and intuitively arranged and easy to use. The procedure is fast, as most applications are completed within seconds and it proceeds better and faster than other existing tools. The INFO-RNA web server is freely available at http://www.bioinf.uni-freiburg.de/Software/INFO-RNA/ PMID:17452349

  17. Chromosomal Inversions between Human and Chimpanzee Lineages Caused by Retrotransposons

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Jungnam; Han, Kyudong; Meyer, Thomas J.; Kim, Heui-Soo; Batzer, Mark A.

    2008-01-01

    The long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) and Alu elements are the most abundant mobile elements comprising 21% and 11% of the human genome, respectively. Since the divergence of human and chimpanzee lineages, these elements have vigorously created chromosomal rearrangements causing genomic difference between humans and chimpanzees by either increasing or decreasing the size of genome. Here, we report an exotic mechanism, retrotransposon recombination-mediated inversion (RRMI), that usually does not alter the amount of genomic material present. Through the comparison of the human and chimpanzee draft genome sequences, we identified 252 inversions whose respective inversion junctions can clearly be characterized. Our results suggest that L1 and Alu elements cause chromosomal inversions by either forming a secondary structure or providing a fragile site for double-strand breaks. The detailed analysis of the inversion breakpoints showed that L1 and Alu elements are responsible for at least 44% of the 252 inversion loci between human and chimpanzee lineages, including 49 RRMI loci. Among them, three RRMI loci inverted exonic regions in known genes, which implicates this mechanism in generating the genomic and phenotypic differences between human and chimpanzee lineages. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of mobile element bases inversion breakpoints between human and chimpanzee lineages, and highlights their role in primate genome evolution. PMID:19112500

  18. Three-dimensional inversion recovery manganese-enhanced MRI of mouse brain using super-resolution reconstruction to visualize nuclei involved in higher brain function.

    PubMed

    Poole, Dana S; Plenge, Esben; Poot, Dirk H J; Lakke, Egbert A J F; Niessen, Wiro J; Meijering, Erik; van der Weerd, Louise

    2014-07-01

    The visualization of activity in mouse brain using inversion recovery spin echo (IR-SE) manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) provides unique contrast, but suffers from poor resolution in the slice-encoding direction. Super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) is a resolution-enhancing post-processing technique in which multiple low-resolution slice stacks are combined into a single volume of high isotropic resolution using computational methods. In this study, we investigated, first, whether SRR can improve the three-dimensional resolution of IR-SE MEMRI in the slice selection direction, whilst maintaining or improving the contrast-to-noise ratio of the two-dimensional slice stacks. Second, the contrast-to-noise ratio of SRR IR-SE MEMRI was compared with a conventional three-dimensional gradient echo (GE) acquisition. Quantitative experiments were performed on a phantom containing compartments of various manganese concentrations. The results showed that, with comparable scan times, the signal-to-noise ratio of three-dimensional GE acquisition is higher than that of SRR IR-SE MEMRI. However, the contrast-to-noise ratio between different compartments can be superior with SRR IR-SE MEMRI, depending on the chosen inversion time. In vivo experiments were performed in mice receiving manganese using an implanted osmotic pump. The results showed that SRR works well as a resolution-enhancing technique in IR-SE MEMRI experiments. In addition, the SRR image also shows a number of brain structures that are more clearly discernible from the surrounding tissues than in three-dimensional GE acquisition, including a number of nuclei with specific higher brain functions, such as memory, stress, anxiety and reward behavior. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Course of Recovery from Alcoholism

    PubMed Central

    Venner, Kamilla L.; Matzger, Helen; Forcehimes, Alyssa A.; Moos, Rudolf H.; Feldstein, Sarah W.; Willenbring, Mark L.; Weisner, Constance

    2010-01-01

    This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2005 Research Society on Alcoholism meeting in Santa Barbara, California, organized and chaired by Kamilla L. Venner. This symposium integrated current empirical research on the course of recovery from alcoholism from multiple perspectives, an aim that is consistent with NIAAA's new focus on the process of recovery. The presentations and presenters were as follows: (1) The Role of Community Services and Informal Support on 7-Year Drinking Outcomes in Treated and Untreated Drinkers, by Helen Matzger; (2) The Sequence of Recovery Events in a Native American Sample, by Kamilla L. Venner; (3) Transformational Change in Recovery, by Alyssa A. Forcehimes; (4) Social Settings and Substance Use: Contextual Factors in Recovery, by Rudolf H. Moos; and (5) A Broader View of Change in Drinking Behavior, by discussant Mark L. Willenbring. A theme connecting the presentations was that treatment is but one discrete aspect to recovery and that sustained recovery is often influenced by an individual interaction with others within a social context. Collectively, presentations underscored the need to think more broadly about factors contributing to the remission of alcohol dependence. PMID:16737468

  20. Gene relocations within chloroplast genomes of Jasminum and Menodora (Oleaceae) are due to multiple, overlapping inversions.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hae-Lim; Jansen, Robert K; Chumley, Timothy W; Kim, Ki-Joong

    2007-05-01

    The chloroplast (cp) DNA sequence of Jasminum nudiflorum (Oleaceae-Jasmineae) is completed and compared with the large single-copy region sequences from 6 related species. The cp genomes of the tribe Jasmineae (Jasminum and Menodora) show several distinctive rearrangements, including inversions, gene duplications, insertions, inverted repeat expansions, and gene and intron losses. The ycf4-psaI region in Jasminum section Primulina was relocated as a result of 2 overlapping inversions of 21,169 and 18,414 bp. The 1st, larger inversion is shared by all members of the Jasmineae indicating that it occurred in the common ancestor of the tribe. Similar rearrangements were also identified in the cp genome of Menodora. In this case, 2 fragments including ycf4 and rps4-trnS-ycf3 genes were moved by 2 additional inversions of 14 and 59 kb that are unique to Menodora. Other rearrangements in the Oleaceae are confined to certain regions of the Jasminum and Menodora cp genomes, including the presence of highly repeated sequences and duplications of coding and noncoding sequences that are inserted into clpP and between rbcL and psaI. These insertions are correlated with the loss of 2 introns in clpP and a serial loss of segments of accD. The loss of the accD gene and clpP introns in both the monocot family Poaceae and the eudicot family Oleaceae are clearly independent evolutionary events. However, their genome organization is surprisingly similar despite the distant relationship of these 2 angiosperm families.

  1. Sequencing biological acidification of waste-activated sludge aiming to optimize phosphorus dissolution and recovery.

    PubMed

    Guilayn, Felipe; Braak, Etienne; Piveteau, Simon; Daumer, Marie-Line

    2017-06-01

    Phosphorus (P) recovery in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) as pure crystals such as struvite (MgNH 4 PO 4 .6H 2 O), potassium struvite (KMgPO 4 .6H 2 O) and calcium phosphates (e.g. Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) is an already feasible technique that permits the production of green and marketable fertilizers and the reduction of operational costs. Commercial crystallizers can recovery more than 90% of soluble P. However, most of the P in WWTP sludge is unavailable for the processes (not dissolved). P solubilization and separation are thus the limiting steps in P-crystallization. With an innovative two-step sequencing acidification strategy, the current study has aimed to improve biological P solubilization on waste-activated sludge (WAS) from a full-scale plant. In the first step (P-release), low charges of organic waste were used as co-substrates of WAS pre-fermentation, seeking to produce volatile fatty acids to feed the P-release by Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, while keeping its optimal metabolic pH (6-7). In this phase, milk serum, WWTP grease, urban organic waste and collective restaurant waste were individually applied as co-substrates. In the second step (P-dissolution), pH 4 was aimed at as it allows the dissolution of the most common precipitated species of P. Biological acidification was performed by white sugar addition, as a carbohydrate-rich organic waste model, which was compared to chemical acidification by HCl (12M) addition. With short retention times (48-96 h) and without inoculum application, all experiences succeeded on P solubilization (37-55% of soluble P), principally when carbohydrate-rich co-substrates were applied. Concentrations from 270 to 450 mg [Formula: see text] were achieved. [Formula: see text].

  2. Investigation of inversion polymorphisms in the human genome using principal components analysis.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jianzhong; Amos, Christopher I

    2012-01-01

    Despite the significant advances made over the last few years in mapping inversions with the advent of paired-end sequencing approaches, our understanding of the prevalence and spectrum of inversions in the human genome has lagged behind other types of structural variants, mainly due to the lack of a cost-efficient method applicable to large-scale samples. We propose a novel method based on principal components analysis (PCA) to characterize inversion polymorphisms using high-density SNP genotype data. Our method applies to non-recurrent inversions for which recombination between the inverted and non-inverted segments in inversion heterozygotes is suppressed due to the loss of unbalanced gametes. Inside such an inversion region, an effect similar to population substructure is thus created: two distinct "populations" of inversion homozygotes of different orientations and their 1:1 admixture, namely the inversion heterozygotes. This kind of substructure can be readily detected by performing PCA locally in the inversion regions. Using simulations, we demonstrated that the proposed method can be used to detect and genotype inversion polymorphisms using unphased genotype data. We applied our method to the phase III HapMap data and inferred the inversion genotypes of known inversion polymorphisms at 8p23.1 and 17q21.31. These inversion genotypes were validated by comparing with literature results and by checking Mendelian consistency using the family data whenever available. Based on the PCA-approach, we also performed a preliminary genome-wide scan for inversions using the HapMap data, which resulted in 2040 candidate inversions, 169 of which overlapped with previously reported inversions. Our method can be readily applied to the abundant SNP data, and is expected to play an important role in developing human genome maps of inversions and exploring associations between inversions and susceptibility of diseases.

  3. Investigation of Inversion Polymorphisms in the Human Genome Using Principal Components Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Jianzhong; Amos, Christopher I.

    2012-01-01

    Despite the significant advances made over the last few years in mapping inversions with the advent of paired-end sequencing approaches, our understanding of the prevalence and spectrum of inversions in the human genome has lagged behind other types of structural variants, mainly due to the lack of a cost-efficient method applicable to large-scale samples. We propose a novel method based on principal components analysis (PCA) to characterize inversion polymorphisms using high-density SNP genotype data. Our method applies to non-recurrent inversions for which recombination between the inverted and non-inverted segments in inversion heterozygotes is suppressed due to the loss of unbalanced gametes. Inside such an inversion region, an effect similar to population substructure is thus created: two distinct “populations” of inversion homozygotes of different orientations and their 1∶1 admixture, namely the inversion heterozygotes. This kind of substructure can be readily detected by performing PCA locally in the inversion regions. Using simulations, we demonstrated that the proposed method can be used to detect and genotype inversion polymorphisms using unphased genotype data. We applied our method to the phase III HapMap data and inferred the inversion genotypes of known inversion polymorphisms at 8p23.1 and 17q21.31. These inversion genotypes were validated by comparing with literature results and by checking Mendelian consistency using the family data whenever available. Based on the PCA-approach, we also performed a preliminary genome-wide scan for inversions using the HapMap data, which resulted in 2040 candidate inversions, 169 of which overlapped with previously reported inversions. Our method can be readily applied to the abundant SNP data, and is expected to play an important role in developing human genome maps of inversions and exploring associations between inversions and susceptibility of diseases. PMID:22808122

  4. Whole-body nonenhanced PET/MR versus PET/CT in the staging and restaging of cancers: preliminary observations.

    PubMed

    Huellner, Martin W; Appenzeller, Philippe; Kuhn, Félix P; Husmann, Lars; Pietsch, Carsten M; Burger, Irene A; Porto, Miguel; Delso, Gaspar; von Schulthess, Gustav K; Veit-Haibach, Patrick

    2014-12-01

    To assess the diagnostic performance of whole-body non-contrast material-enhanced positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and PET/computed tomography (CT) for staging and restaging of cancers and provide guidance for modality and sequence selection. This study was approved by the institutional review board and national government authorities. One hundred six consecutive patients (median age, 68 years; 46 female and 60 male patients) referred for staging or restaging of oncologic malignancies underwent whole-body imaging with a sequential trimodality PET/CT/MR system. The MR protocol included short inversion time inversion-recovery ( STIR short inversion time inversion-recovery ), Dixon-type liver accelerated volume acquisition ( LAVA liver accelerated volume acquisition ; GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wis), and respiratory-gated periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction ( PROPELLER periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction ; GE Healthcare) sequences. Primary tumors (n = 43), local lymph node metastases (n = 74), and distant metastases (n = 66) were evaluated for conspicuity (scored 0-4), artifacts (scored 0-2), and reader confidence on PET/CT and PET/MR images. Subanalysis for lung lesions (n = 46) was also performed. Relevant incidental findings with both modalities were compared. Interreader agreement was analyzed with intraclass correlation coefficients and κ statistics. Lesion conspicuity, image artifacts, and incidental findings were analyzed with nonparametric tests. Primary tumors were less conspicuous on STIR short inversion time inversion-recovery (3.08, P = .016) and LAVA liver accelerated volume acquisition (2.64, P = .002) images than on CT images (3.49), while findings with the PROPELLER periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction sequence (3.70, P = .436) were comparable to those at CT. In distant metastases, the PROPELLER

  5. Design and construction of a double inversion recombination switch for heritable sequential genetic memory.

    PubMed

    Ham, Timothy S; Lee, Sung K; Keasling, Jay D; Arkin, Adam P

    2008-07-30

    Inversion recombination elements present unique opportunities for computing and information encoding in biological systems. They provide distinct binary states that are encoded into the DNA sequence itself, allowing us to overcome limitations posed by other biological memory or logic gate systems. Further, it is in theory possible to create complex sequential logics by careful positioning of recombinase recognition sites in the sequence. In this work, we describe the design and synthesis of an inversion switch using the fim and hin inversion recombination systems to create a heritable sequential memory switch. We have integrated the two inversion systems in an overlapping manner, creating a switch that can have multiple states. The switch is capable of transitioning from state to state in a manner analogous to a finite state machine, while encoding the state information into DNA. This switch does not require protein expression to maintain its state, and "remembers" its state even upon cell death. We were able to demonstrate transition into three out of the five possible states showing the feasibility of such a switch. We demonstrate that a heritable memory system that encodes its state into DNA is possible, and that inversion recombination system could be a starting point for more complex memory circuits. Although the circuit did not fully behave as expected, we showed that a multi-state, temporal memory is achievable.

  6. Multiresolution MR elastography using nonlinear inversion

    PubMed Central

    McGarry, M. D. J.; Van Houten, E. E. W.; Johnson, C. L.; Georgiadis, J. G.; Sutton, B. P.; Weaver, J. B.; Paulsen, K. D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Nonlinear inversion (NLI) in MR elastography requires discretization of the displacement field for a finite element (FE) solution of the “forward problem”, and discretization of the unknown mechanical property field for the iterative solution of the “inverse problem”. The resolution requirements for these two discretizations are different: the forward problem requires sufficient resolution of the displacement FE mesh to ensure convergence, whereas lowering the mechanical property resolution in the inverse problem stabilizes the mechanical property estimates in the presence of measurement noise. Previous NLI implementations use the same FE mesh to support the displacement and property fields, requiring a trade-off between the competing resolution requirements. Methods: This work implements and evaluates multiresolution FE meshes for NLI elastography, allowing independent discretizations of the displacements and each mechanical property parameter to be estimated. The displacement resolution can then be selected to ensure mesh convergence, and the resolution of the property meshes can be independently manipulated to control the stability of the inversion. Results: Phantom experiments indicate that eight nodes per wavelength (NPW) are sufficient for accurate mechanical property recovery, whereas mechanical property estimation from 50 Hz in vivo brain data stabilizes once the displacement resolution reaches 1.7 mm (approximately 19 NPW). Viscoelastic mechanical property estimates of in vivo brain tissue show that subsampling the loss modulus while holding the storage modulus resolution constant does not substantially alter the storage modulus images. Controlling the ratio of the number of measurements to unknown mechanical properties by subsampling the mechanical property distributions (relative to the data resolution) improves the repeatability of the property estimates, at a cost of modestly decreased spatial resolution. Conclusions: Multiresolution

  7. Wideband Arrhythmia-Insensitive-Rapid (AIR) Pulse Sequence for Cardiac T1 mapping without Image Artifacts induced by ICD

    PubMed Central

    Hong, KyungPyo; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Wall, T. Scott; Drakos, Stavros G.; Kim, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To develop and evaluate a wideband arrhythmia-insensitive-rapid (AIR) pulse sequence for cardiac T1 mapping without image artifacts induced by implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Methods We developed a wideband AIR pulse sequence by incorporating a saturation pulse with wide frequency bandwidth (8.9 kHz), in order to achieve uniform T1 weighting in the heart with ICD. We tested the performance of original and “wideband” AIR cardiac T1 mapping pulse sequences in phantom and human experiments at 1.5T. Results In 5 phantoms representing native myocardium and blood and post-contrast blood/tissue T1 values, compared with the control T1 values measured with an inversion-recovery pulse sequence without ICD, T1 values measured with original AIR with ICD were considerably lower (absolute percent error >29%), whereas T1 values measured with wideband AIR with ICD were similar (absolute percent error <5%). Similarly, in 11 human subjects, compared with the control T1 values measured with original AIR without ICD, T1 measured with original AIR with ICD was significantly lower (absolute percent error >10.1%), whereas T1 measured with wideband AIR with ICD was similar (absolute percent error <2.0%). Conclusion This study demonstrates the feasibility of a wideband pulse sequence for cardiac T1 mapping without significant image artifacts induced by ICD. PMID:25975192

  8. Improvement of Hyperemic Myocardial Oxygen Extraction Fraction Estimation By A Diffusion Prepared Sequence

    PubMed Central

    McCommis, Kyle S.; Koktzoglou, Ioannis; Zhang, Haosen; Goldstein, Thomas A.; Northrup, Benjamin E.; Li, Debiao; Gropler, Robert J.; Zheng, Jie

    2010-01-01

    Myocardial oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) during hyperemia can be estimated using a double-inversion-recovery (DIR) prepared T2-weighted black-blood sequence. Severe irregular ECG-triggering due to elevated heart rate and/or arrhythmias may render it difficult to adequately suppress the flowing left ventricle blood signal and thus potentially cause errors in the estimates of myocardial OEF. Thus, the goal of this study was to evaluate another black-blood technique, a diffusion-weighted (DW)-prepared TSE sequence for its ability to determine regional myocardial OEF during hyperemia. Control dogs and dogs with acute coronary artery stenosis were imaged with both the DIR- and DW-prepared TSE sequences at rest and during either dipyridamole or dobutamine hyperemia. Validation of MRI OEF estimates was performed using blood sampling from the artery and coronary sinus in control dogs. The two methods showed comparable correlations with blood sampling results (R2 = 0.9). Similar OEF estimations for all dogs were observed except for the group of dogs with severe coronary stenosis during dobutamine stress. In these dogs, the DW method provided more physiologically reasonable OEF (hyperemic OEF = 0.75 ± 0.08 vs resting OEF of 0.6) than the DIR method (hyperemic OEF = 0.56 ± 0.10). DW-preparation may be a valuable alternative for more accurate oxygenation measurements during irregular ECG-triggering. PMID:20512871

  9. Fasciotomy Reduces Compartment Pressures and Improves Recovery in a Porcine Model of Extremity Vascular Injury and Ischemia/Reperfusion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    the study. Ill. ~Ut’i.Jt.t.;l I 1:111V1~ Vascular injury, Extremity\\ Ischemia-rcperfusion, Therapeutic reperfusion, Statin \\ Recovery\\ Neuromuscular...Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland Keywords: Vascular injury, Extremity, Ischemia-reperfusion, Therapeutic reperfusion, Statin , Recovery...compartment pressure (pɘ.05) which were directly related to degree of muscle degeneration (pɘ.05) and inversely related to nerve recovery (p<.05

  10. Point-source inversion techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langston, Charles A.; Barker, Jeffrey S.; Pavlin, Gregory B.

    1982-11-01

    A variety of approaches for obtaining source parameters from waveform data using moment-tensor or dislocation point source models have been investigated and applied to long-period body and surface waves from several earthquakes. Generalized inversion techniques have been applied to data for long-period teleseismic body waves to obtain the orientation, time function and depth of the 1978 Thessaloniki, Greece, event, of the 1971 San Fernando event, and of several events associated with the 1963 induced seismicity sequence at Kariba, Africa. The generalized inversion technique and a systematic grid testing technique have also been used to place meaningful constraints on mechanisms determined from very sparse data sets; a single station with high-quality three-component waveform data is often sufficient to discriminate faulting type (e.g., strike-slip, etc.). Sparse data sets for several recent California earthquakes, for a small regional event associated with the Koyna, India, reservoir, and for several events at the Kariba reservoir have been investigated in this way. Although linearized inversion techniques using the moment-tensor model are often robust, even for sparse data sets, there are instances where the simplifying assumption of a single point source is inadequate to model the data successfully. Numerical experiments utilizing synthetic data and actual data for the 1971 San Fernando earthquake graphically demonstrate that severe problems may be encountered if source finiteness effects are ignored. These techniques are generally applicable to on-line processing of high-quality digital data, but source complexity and inadequacy of the assumed Green's functions are major problems which are yet to be fully addressed.

  11. Isotropic probability measures in infinite dimensional spaces: Inverse problems/prior information/stochastic inversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Backus, George

    1987-01-01

    Let R be the real numbers, R(n) the linear space of all real n-tuples, and R(infinity) the linear space of all infinite real sequences x = (x sub 1, x sub 2,...). Let P sub n :R(infinity) approaches R(n) be the projection operator with P sub n (x) = (x sub 1,...,x sub n). Let p(infinity) be a probability measure on the smallest sigma-ring of subsets of R(infinity) which includes all of the cylinder sets P sub n(-1) (B sub n), where B sub n is an arbitrary Borel subset of R(n). Let p sub n be the marginal distribution of p(infinity) on R(n), so p sub n(B sub n) = p(infinity)(P sub n to the -1(B sub n)) for each B sub n. A measure on R(n) is isotropic if it is invariant under all orthogonal transformations of R(n). All members of the set of all isotropic probability distributions on R(n) are described. The result calls into question both stochastic inversion and Bayesian inference, as currently used in many geophysical inverse problems.

  12. Modeling the expected lifetime and evolution of a deme's principal genetic sequence.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Brian

    2014-03-01

    The principal genetic sequence (PGS) is the most common genetic sequence in a deme. The PGS changes over time because new genetic sequences are created by inversions, compete with the current PGS, and a small fraction become PGSs. A set of coupled difference equations provides a description of the evolution of the PGS distribution function in an ensemble of demes. Solving the set of equations produces the survival probability of a new genetic sequence and the expected lifetime of an existing PGS as a function of inversion size and rate, recombination rate, and deme size. Additionally, the PGS distribution function is used to explain the transition pathway from old to new PGSs. We compare these results to a cellular automaton based representation of a deme and the drosophila species, D. melanogaster and D. yakuba.

  13. Characterization of the breakpoints of a polymorphic inversion complex detects strict and broad breakpoint reuse at the molecular level.

    PubMed

    Puerma, Eva; Orengo, Dorcas J; Salguero, David; Papaceit, Montserrat; Segarra, Carmen; Aguadé, Montserrat

    2014-09-01

    Inversions are an integral part of structural variation within species, and they play a leading role in genome reorganization across species. Work at both the cytological and genome sequence levels has revealed heterogeneity in the distribution of inversion breakpoints, with some regions being recurrently used. Breakpoint reuse at the molecular level has mostly been assessed for fixed inversions through genome sequence comparison, and therefore rather broadly. Here, we have identified and sequenced the breakpoints of two polymorphic inversions-E1 and E2 that share a breakpoint-in the extant Est and E1 + 2 chromosomal arrangements of Drosophila subobscura. The breakpoints are two medium-sized repeated motifs that mediated the inversions by two different mechanisms: E1 via staggered breaks and subsequent repair and E2 via repeat-mediated ectopic recombination. The fine delimitation of the shared breakpoint revealed its strict reuse at the molecular level regardless of which was the intermediate arrangement. The occurrence of other rearrangements in the most proximal and distal extended breakpoint regions reveals the broad reuse of these regions. This differential degree of fragility might be related to their sharing the presence outside the inverted region of snoRNA-encoding genes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. On the recovery of gravity anomalies from high precision altimeter data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lelgemann, D.

    1976-01-01

    A model for the recovery of gravity anomalies from high precision altimeter data is derived which consists of small correction terms to the inverse Stokes' formula. The influence of unknown sea surface topography in the case of meandering currents such as the Gulf Stream is discussed. A formula was derived in order to estimate the accuracy of the gravity anomalies from the known accuracy of the altimeter data. It is shown that for the case of known harmonic coefficients of lower order the range of integration in Stokes inverse formula can be reduced very much.

  15. A 3D generic inverse dynamic method using wrench notation and quaternion algebra.

    PubMed

    Dumas, R; Aissaoui, R; de Guise, J A

    2004-06-01

    In the literature, conventional 3D inverse dynamic models are limited in three aspects related to inverse dynamic notation, body segment parameters and kinematic formalism. First, conventional notation yields separate computations of the forces and moments with successive coordinate system transformations. Secondly, the way conventional body segment parameters are defined is based on the assumption that the inertia tensor is principal and the centre of mass is located between the proximal and distal ends. Thirdly, the conventional kinematic formalism uses Euler or Cardanic angles that are sequence-dependent and suffer from singularities. In order to overcome these limitations, this paper presents a new generic method for inverse dynamics. This generic method is based on wrench notation for inverse dynamics, a general definition of body segment parameters and quaternion algebra for the kinematic formalism.

  16. Regularized inversion of controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric data in horizontally layered transversely isotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Jianmei; Wang, Jianxun; Shang, Qinglong; Wang, Hongnian; Yin, Changchun

    2014-04-01

    We present an algorithm for inverting controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) data in horizontally layered transversely isotropic (TI) media. The popular inversion method parameterizes the media into a large number of layers which have fixed thickness and only reconstruct the conductivities (e.g. Occam's inversion), which does not enable the recovery of the sharp interfaces between layers. In this paper, we simultaneously reconstruct all the model parameters, including both the horizontal and vertical conductivities and layer depths. Applying the perturbation principle and the dyadic Green's function in TI media, we derive the analytic expression of Fréchet derivatives of CSAMT responses with respect to all the model parameters in the form of Sommerfeld integrals. A regularized iterative inversion method is established to simultaneously reconstruct all the model parameters. Numerical results show that the inverse algorithm, including the depths of the layer interfaces, can significantly improve the inverse results. It can not only reconstruct the sharp interfaces between layers, but also can obtain conductivities close to the true value.

  17. Illumina Synthetic Long Read Sequencing Allows Recovery of Missing Sequences even in the “Finished” C. elegans Genome

    PubMed Central

    Li, Runsheng; Hsieh, Chia-Ling; Young, Amanda; Zhang, Zhihong; Ren, Xiaoliang; Zhao, Zhongying

    2015-01-01

    Most next-generation sequencing platforms permit acquisition of high-throughput DNA sequences, but the relatively short read length limits their use in genome assembly or finishing. Illumina has recently released a technology called Synthetic Long-Read Sequencing that can produce reads of unusual length, i.e., predominately around 10 Kb. However, a systematic assessment of their use in genome finishing and assembly is still lacking. We evaluate the promise and deficiency of the long reads in these aspects using isogenic C. elegans genome with no gap. First, the reads are highly accurate and capable of recovering most types of repetitive sequences. However, the presence of tandem repetitive sequences prevents pre-assembly of long reads in the relevant genomic region. Second, the reads are able to reliably detect missing but not extra sequences in the C. elegans genome. Third, the reads of smaller size are more capable of recovering repetitive sequences than those of bigger size. Fourth, at least 40 Kbp missing genomic sequences are recovered in the C. elegans genome using the long reads. Finally, an N50 contig size of at least 86 Kbp can be achieved with 24×reads but with substantial mis-assembly errors, highlighting a need for novel assembly algorithm for the long reads. PMID:26039588

  18. Comparison of the quality of different magnetic resonance image sequences of multiple myeloma.

    PubMed

    Sun, Zhao-yong; Zhang, Hai-bo; Li, Shuo; Wang, Yun; Xue, Hua-dan; Jin, Zheng-yu

    2015-02-01

    To compare the image quality of T1WI fat phase,T1WI water phase, short time inversion recovery (STIR) sequence, and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence in the evaluation of multiple myeloma (MM). Totally 20MM patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent scanning at coronal T1WI fat phase, coronal T1WI water phase, coronal STIR sequence, and axial DWI sequence. The image quality of the four different sequences was evaluated. The image was divided into seven sections(head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, thigh, leg, and foot), and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each section was measured at 7 segments (skull, spine, pelvis, humerus, femur, tibia and fibula and ribs) were measured. In addition, 20 active MM lesions were selected, and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of each scan sequence was calculated. The average image quality scores of T1WI fat phase,T1WI water phase, STIR sequence, and DWI sequence were 4.19 ± 0.70,4.16 ± 0.73,3.89 ± 0.70, and 3.76 ± 0.68, respectively. The image quality at T1-fat phase and T1-water phase were significantly higher than those at STIR (P=0.000 and P=0.001) and DWI sequence (both P=0.000); however, there was no significant difference between T1-fat and T1-water phase (P=0.723)and between STIR and DWI sequence (P=0.167). The SNR of T1WI fat phase was significantly higher than those of the other three sequences (all P=0.000), and there was no significant difference among the other three sequences (all P>0.05). Although the CNR of DWI sequences was slightly higher than those of the other three sequences,there was no significant difference among all of them (all P>0.05). Imaging at T1WI fat phase,T1WI water phase, STIR sequence, and DWI sequence has certain advantages,and they should be combined in the diagnosis of MM.

  19. Design and Construction of a Double Inversion Recombination Switch for Heritable Sequential Genetic Memory

    PubMed Central

    Ham, Timothy S.; Lee, Sung K.; Keasling, Jay D.; Arkin, Adam P.

    2008-01-01

    Background Inversion recombination elements present unique opportunities for computing and information encoding in biological systems. They provide distinct binary states that are encoded into the DNA sequence itself, allowing us to overcome limitations posed by other biological memory or logic gate systems. Further, it is in theory possible to create complex sequential logics by careful positioning of recombinase recognition sites in the sequence. Methodology/Principal Findings In this work, we describe the design and synthesis of an inversion switch using the fim and hin inversion recombination systems to create a heritable sequential memory switch. We have integrated the two inversion systems in an overlapping manner, creating a switch that can have multiple states. The switch is capable of transitioning from state to state in a manner analogous to a finite state machine, while encoding the state information into DNA. This switch does not require protein expression to maintain its state, and “remembers” its state even upon cell death. We were able to demonstrate transition into three out of the five possible states showing the feasibility of such a switch. Conclusions/Significance We demonstrate that a heritable memory system that encodes its state into DNA is possible, and that inversion recombination system could be a starting point for more complex memory circuits. Although the circuit did not fully behave as expected, we showed that a multi-state, temporal memory is achievable. PMID:18665232

  20. Inversions and Gene Order Shuffling in Anopheles gambiae and A. funestus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharakhov, Igor V.; Serazin, Andrew C.; Grushko, Olga G.; Dana, Ali; Lobo, Neil; Hillenmeyer, Maureen E.; Westerman, Richard; Romero-Severson, Jeanne; Costantini, Carlo; Sagnon, N'Fale; Collins, Frank H.; Besansky, Nora J.

    2002-10-01

    In tropical Africa, Anopheles funestus is one of the three most important malaria vectors. We physically mapped 157 A. funestus complementary DNAs (cDNAs) to the polytene chromosomes of this species. Sequences of the cDNAs were mapped in silico to the A. gambiae genome as part of a comparative genomic study of synteny, gene order, and sequence conservation between A. funestus and A. gambiae. These species are in the same subgenus and diverged about as recently as humans and chimpanzees. Despite nearly perfect preservation of synteny, we found substantial shuffling of gene order along corresponding chromosome arms. Since the divergence of these species, at least 70 chromosomal inversions have been fixed, the highest rate of rearrangement of any eukaryote studied to date. The high incidence of paracentric inversions and limited colinearity suggests that locating genes in one anopheline species based on gene order in another may be limited to closely related taxa.

  1. Sensitivity analyses of acoustic impedance inversion with full-waveform inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Gang; da Silva, Nuno V.; Wu, Di

    2018-04-01

    Acoustic impedance estimation has a significant importance to seismic exploration. In this paper, we use full-waveform inversion to recover the impedance from seismic data, and analyze the sensitivity of the acoustic impedance with respect to the source-receiver offset of seismic data and to the initial velocity model. We parameterize the acoustic wave equation with velocity and impedance, and demonstrate three key aspects of acoustic impedance inversion. First, short-offset data are most suitable for acoustic impedance inversion. Second, acoustic impedance inversion is more compatible with the data generated by density contrasts than velocity contrasts. Finally, acoustic impedance inversion requires the starting velocity model to be very accurate for achieving a high-quality inversion. Based upon these observations, we propose a workflow for acoustic impedance inversion as: (1) building a background velocity model with travel-time tomography or reflection waveform inversion; (2) recovering the intermediate wavelength components of the velocity model with full-waveform inversion constrained by Gardner’s relation; (3) inverting the high-resolution acoustic impedance model with short-offset data through full-waveform inversion. We verify this workflow by the synthetic tests based on the Marmousi model.

  2. Inverse resonance scattering for Jacobi operators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korotyaev, E. L.

    2011-12-01

    The Jacobi operator ( Jf) n = a n-1 f n-1 + a n f n+1 + b n f n on ℤ with real finitely supported sequences ( a n - 1) n∈ℤ and ( b n ) n∈ℤ is considered. The inverse problem for two mappings (including their characterization): ( a n , b n , n ∈ ℤ) → {the zeros of the reflection coefficient} and ( a n , b n , n ∈ ℤ) → {the eigenvalues and the resonances} is solved. All Jacobi operators with the same eigenvalues and resonances are also described.

  3. Hurdles and sorting by inversions: combinatorial, statistical, and experimental results.

    PubMed

    Swenson, Krister M; Lin, Yu; Rajan, Vaibhav; Moret, Bernard M E

    2009-10-01

    As data about genomic architecture accumulates, genomic rearrangements have attracted increasing attention. One of the main rearrangement mechanisms, inversions (also called reversals), was characterized by Hannenhalli and Pevzner and this characterization in turn extended by various authors. The characterization relies on the concepts of breakpoints, cycles, and obstructions colorfully named hurdles and fortresses. In this paper, we study the probability of generating a hurdle in the process of sorting a permutation if one does not take special precautions to avoid them (as in a randomized algorithm, for instance). To do this we revisit and extend the work of Caprara and of Bergeron by providing simple and exact characterizations of the probability of encountering a hurdle in a random permutation. Using similar methods we provide the first asymptotically tight analysis of the probability that a fortress exists in a random permutation. Finally, we study other aspects of hurdles, both analytically and through experiments: when are they created in a sequence of sorting inversions, how much later are they detected, and how much work may need to be undone to return to a sorting sequence.

  4. A large inversion in the linear chromosome of Streptomyces griseus caused by replicative transposition of a new Tn3 family transposon.

    PubMed

    Murata, M; Uchida, T; Yang, Y; Lezhava, A; Kinashi, H

    2011-04-01

    We have comprehensively analyzed the linear chromosomes of Streptomyces griseus mutants constructed and kept in our laboratory. During this study, macrorestriction analysis of AseI and DraI fragments of mutant 402-2 suggested a large chromosomal inversion. The junctions of chromosomal inversion were cloned and sequenced and compared with the corresponding target sequences in the parent strain 2247. Consequently, a transposon-involved mechanism was revealed. Namely, a transposon originally located at the left target site was replicatively transposed to the right target site in an inverted direction, which generated a second copy and at the same time caused a 2.5-Mb chromosomal inversion. The involved transposon named TnSGR was grouped into a new subfamily of the resolvase-encoding Tn3 family transposons based on its gene organization. At the end, terminal diversity of S. griseus chromosomes is discussed by comparing the sequences of strains 2247 and IFO13350.

  5. Recovery of phenotypes obtained by adaptive evolution through inverse metabolic engineering.

    PubMed

    Hong, Kuk-Ki; Nielsen, Jens

    2012-11-01

    In a previous study, system level analysis of adaptively evolved yeast mutants showing improved galactose utilization revealed relevant mutations. The governing mutations were suggested to be in the Ras/PKA signaling pathway and ergosterol metabolism. Here, site-directed mutants having one of the mutations RAS2(Lys77), RAS2(Tyr112), and ERG5(Pro370) were constructed and evaluated. The mutants were also combined with overexpression of PGM2, earlier proved as a beneficial target for galactose utilization. The constructed strains were analyzed for their gross phenotype, transcriptome and targeted metabolites, and the results were compared to those obtained from reference strains and the evolved strains. The RAS2(Lys77) mutation resulted in the highest specific galactose uptake rate among all of the strains with an increased maximum specific growth rate on galactose. The RAS2(Tyr112) mutation also improved the specific galactose uptake rate and also resulted in many transcriptional changes, including ergosterol metabolism. The ERG5(Pro370) mutation only showed a small improvement, but when it was combined with PGM2 overexpression, the phenotype was almost the same as that of the evolved mutants. Combination of the RAS2 mutations with PGM2 overexpression also led to a complete recovery of the adaptive phenotype in galactose utilization. Recovery of the gross phenotype by the reconstructed mutants was achieved with much fewer changes in the genome and transcriptome than for the evolved mutants. Our study demonstrates how the identification of specific mutations by systems biology can direct new metabolic engineering strategies for improving galactose utilization by yeast.

  6. Geoid Recovery using Geophysical Inverse Theory Applied to Satellite to Satellite Tracking Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gaposchkin, E. M.; Frey, H. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    This report describes a new method for determination of the geopotential. The analysis is aimed at the GRACE mission. This Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) mission is viewed as a mapping mission The result will be maps of the geoid. The elements of potential theory, celestial mechanics, and Geophysical Inverse Theory are integrated into a computation architecture, and the results of several simulations presented Centimeter accuracy geoids with 50 to 100 km resolution can be recovered with a 30 to 60 day mission.

  7. Normal-inverse bimodule operation Hadamard transform ion mobility spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Hong, Yan; Huang, Chaoqun; Liu, Sheng; Xia, Lei; Shen, Chengyin; Chu, Yannan

    2018-10-31

    In order to suppress or eliminate the spurious peaks and improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of Hadamard transform ion mobility spectrometry (HT-IMS), a normal-inverse bimodule operation Hadamard transform - ion mobility spectrometry (NIBOHT-IMS) technique was developed. In this novel technique, a normal and inverse pseudo random binary sequence (PRBS) was produced in sequential order by an ion gate controller and utilized to control the ion gate of IMS, and then the normal HT-IMS mobility spectrum and the inverse HT-IMS mobility spectrum were obtained. A NIBOHT-IMS mobility spectrum was gained by subtracting the inverse HT-IMS mobility spectrum from normal HT-IMS mobility spectrum. Experimental results demonstrate that the NIBOHT-IMS technique can significantly suppress or eliminate the spurious peaks, and enhance the SNR by measuring the reactant ions. Furthermore, the gas CHCl 3 and CH 2 Br 2 were measured for evaluating the capability of detecting real sample. The results show that the NIBOHT-IMS technique is able to eliminate the spurious peaks and improve the SNR notably not only for the detection of larger ion signals but also for the detection of small ion signals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Recovery of phosphorus and volatile fatty acids from wastewater and food waste with an iron-flocculation sequencing batch reactor and acidogenic co-fermentation.

    PubMed

    Li, Ruo-Hong; Li, Xiao-Yan

    2017-12-01

    A sequencing batch reactor-based system was developed for enhanced phosphorus (P) removal and recovery from municipal wastewater. The system consists of an iron-dosing SBR for P precipitation and a side-stream anaerobic reactor for sludge co-fermentation with food waste. During co-fermentation, sludge and food waste undergo acidogenesis, releasing phosphates under acidic conditions and producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) into the supernatant. A few types of typical food waste were investigated for their effectiveness in acidogenesis and related enzymatic activities. The results show that approximately 96.4% of total P in wastewater was retained in activated sludge. Food waste with a high starch content favoured acidogenic fermentation. Around 55.7% of P from wastewater was recovered as vivianite, and around 66% of food waste loading was converted into VFAs. The new integration formed an effective system for wastewater treatment, food waste processing and simultaneous recovery of P and VFAs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. An adaptive coupling strategy for joint inversions that use petrophysical information as constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heincke, Björn; Jegen, Marion; Moorkamp, Max; Hobbs, Richard W.; Chen, Jin

    2017-01-01

    in the objective functions) by using mutually controlled structural weights for the smoothing constraints. We test our scheme using data generated from a synthetic 2-D sub-basalt model. We observe that the adaption of the coupling strengths makes the convergence of the inversions very robust (data misfits of all methods are close to the target misfits) and that final results are always close to the true models independent of the parameter choices. Finally, the scheme is applied on real data sets from the Faroe-Shetland Basin to image a basaltic sequence and underlying structures. The presence of a borehole and a 3-D reflection seismic survey in this region allows direct comparison and, hence, evaluate the quality of the joint inversion results. The results from joint inversion are more consistent with results from other studies than the ones from the corresponding individual inversions and the shape of the basaltic sequence is better resolved. However, due to the limited resolution of the individual methods used it was not possible to resolve structures underneath the basalt in detail, indicating that additional geophysical information (e.g. CSEM, reflection onsets) needs to be included.

  10. Blood from a turnip: tissue origin of low-coverage shotgun sequencing libraries affects recovery of mitogenome sequences

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barker, F. Keith; Oyler-McCance, Sara; Tomback, Diana F.

    2015-01-01

    Next generation sequencing methods allow rapid, economical accumulation of data that have many applications, even at relatively low levels of genome coverage. However, the utility of shotgun sequencing data sets for specific goals may vary depending on the biological nature of the samples sequenced. We show that the ability to assemble mitogenomes from three avian samples of two different tissue types varies widely. In particular, data with coverage typical of microsatellite development efforts (∼1×) from DNA extracted from avian blood failed to cover even 50% of the mitogenome, relative to at least 500-fold coverage from muscle-derived data. Researchers should consider possible applications of their data and select the tissue source for their work accordingly. Practitioners analyzing low-coverage shotgun sequencing data (including for microsatellite locus development) should consider the potential benefits of mitogenome assembly, including internal barcode verification of species identity, mitochondrial primer development, and phylogenetics.

  11. An algorithm to compute the sequency ordered Walsh transform

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Larsen, H.

    1976-01-01

    A fast sequency-ordered Walsh transform algorithm is presented; this sequency-ordered fast transform is complementary to the sequency-ordered fast Walsh transform introduced by Manz (1972) and eliminating gray code reordering through a modification of the basic fast Hadamard transform structure. The new algorithm retains the advantages of its complement (it is in place and is its own inverse), while differing in having a decimation-in time structure, accepting data in normal order, and returning the coefficients in bit-reversed sequency order. Applications include estimation of Walsh power spectra for a random process, sequency filtering and computing logical autocorrelations, and selective bit reversing.

  12. Distribution of genetic diversity in relation to chromosomal inversions in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

    PubMed

    Mathiopoulos, K D; Lanzaro, G C

    1995-06-01

    The epidemiology of malaria in Africa is complicated by the fact that its principal vector, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, constitutes a complex of six sibling species. Each species is characterized by a unique array of paracentric inversions, as deduced by karyotypic analysis. In addition, most of the species carry a number of polymorphic inversions. In order to develop an understanding of the evolutionary histories of different parts of the genome, we compared the genetic variation of areas inside and outside inversions in two distinct inversion karyotypes of A. gambiae. Thirty-five cDNA clones were mapped on the five arms of the A. gambiae chromosomes with divisional probes. Sixteen of these clones, localized both inside and outside inversions of chromosome 2, were used as probes in order to determine the nucleotide diversity of different parts of the genome in the two inversion karyotypes. We observed that the sequence diversity inside the inversion is more than three-fold lower than in areas outside the inversion and that the degree of divergence increases gradually at loci at increasing distance from the inversion. To interpret the data we present a selectionist and a stochastic model, both of which point to a relatively recent origin of the studied inversion and may suggest differences between the evolutionary history of inversions in Anopheles and Drosophila species.

  13. Angle-domain inverse scattering migration/inversion in isotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Wuqun; Mao, Weijian; Li, Xuelei; Ouyang, Wei; Liang, Quan

    2018-07-01

    The classical seismic asymptotic inversion can be transformed into a problem of inversion of generalized Radon transform (GRT). In such methods, the combined parameters are linearly attached to the scattered wave-field by Born approximation and recovered by applying an inverse GRT operator to the scattered wave-field data. Typical GRT-style true-amplitude inversion procedure contains an amplitude compensation process after the weighted migration via dividing an illumination associated matrix whose elements are integrals of scattering angles. It is intuitional to some extent that performs the generalized linear inversion and the inversion of GRT together by this process for direct inversion. However, it is imprecise to carry out such operation when the illumination at the image point is limited, which easily leads to the inaccuracy and instability of the matrix. This paper formulates the GRT true-amplitude inversion framework in an angle-domain version, which naturally degrades the external integral term related to the illumination in the conventional case. We solve the linearized integral equation for combined parameters of different fixed scattering angle values. With this step, we obtain high-quality angle-domain common-image gathers (CIGs) in the migration loop which provide correct amplitude-versus-angle (AVA) behavior and reasonable illumination range for subsurface image points. Then we deal with the over-determined problem to solve each parameter in the combination by a standard optimization operation. The angle-domain GRT inversion method keeps away from calculating the inaccurate and unstable illumination matrix. Compared with the conventional method, the angle-domain method can obtain more accurate amplitude information and wider amplitude-preserved range. Several model tests demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability.

  14. Effects of Inversions on Within- and Between-Species Recombination and Divergence

    PubMed Central

    Stevison, Laurie S.; Hoehn, Kenneth B.; Noor, Mohamed A. F.

    2011-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions disrupt recombination in heterozygotes by both reducing crossing-over within inverted regions and increasing it elsewhere in the genome. The reduction of recombination in inverted regions facilitates the maintenance of hybridizing species, as outlined by various models of chromosomal speciation. We present a comprehensive comparison of the effects of inversions on recombination rates and on nucleotide divergence. Within an inversion differentiating Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis, we detected one double recombinant among 9,739 progeny from F1 hybrids screened, consistent with published double-crossover frequencies observed within species. Despite similar rates of exchange within and between species, we found no sequence-based evidence of ongoing gene exchange between species within this inversion, but significant exchange was inferred within species. We also observed greater differentiation at regions near inversion breakpoints between species versus within species. Moreover, we observed strong “interchromosomal effect” (higher recombination in inversion heterozygotes between species) with up to 9-fold higher recombination rates along collinear segments of chromosome two in hybrids. Further, we observed that regions most susceptible to changes in recombination rates corresponded to regions with lower recombination rates in homokaryotypes. Finally, we showed that interspecies nucleotide divergence is lower in regions with greater increases in recombination rate, potentially resulting from greater interspecies exchange. Overall, we have identified several similarities and differences between inversions segregating within versus between species in their effects on recombination and divergence. We conclude that these differences are most likely due to lower frequency of heterokaryotypes and to fitness consequences from the accumulation of various incompatibilities between species. Additionally, we have identified possible

  15. Regularized magnetotelluric inversion based on a minimum support gradient stabilizing functional

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiang, Yang; Yu, Peng; Zhang, Luolei; Feng, Shaokong; Utada, Hisashi

    2017-11-01

    Regularization is used to solve the ill-posed problem of magnetotelluric inversion usually by adding a stabilizing functional to the objective functional that allows us to obtain a stable solution. Among a number of possible stabilizing functionals, smoothing constraints are most commonly used, which produce spatially smooth inversion results. However, in some cases, the focused imaging of a sharp electrical boundary is necessary. Although past works have proposed functionals that may be suitable for the imaging of a sharp boundary, such as minimum support and minimum gradient support (MGS) functionals, they involve some difficulties and limitations in practice. In this paper, we propose a minimum support gradient (MSG) stabilizing functional as another possible choice of focusing stabilizer. In this approach, we calculate the gradient of the model stabilizing functional of the minimum support, which affects both the stability and the sharp boundary focus of the inversion. We then apply the discrete weighted matrix form of each stabilizing functional to build a unified form of the objective functional, allowing us to perform a regularized inversion with variety of stabilizing functionals in the same framework. By comparing the one-dimensional and two-dimensional synthetic inversion results obtained using the MSG stabilizing functional and those obtained using other stabilizing functionals, we demonstrate that the MSG results are not only capable of clearly imaging a sharp geoelectrical interface but also quite stable and robust. Overall good performance in terms of both data fitting and model recovery suggests that this stabilizing functional is effective and useful in practical applications.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  16. Porosity Estimation By Artificial Neural Networks Inversion . Application to Algerian South Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eladj, Said; Aliouane, Leila; Ouadfeul, Sid-Ali

    2017-04-01

    One of the main geophysicist's current challenge is the discovery and the study of stratigraphic traps, this last is a difficult task and requires a very fine analysis of the seismic data. The seismic data inversion allows obtaining lithological and stratigraphic information for the reservoir characterization . However, when solving the inverse problem we encounter difficult problems such as: Non-existence and non-uniqueness of the solution add to this the instability of the processing algorithm. Therefore, uncertainties in the data and the non-linearity of the relationship between the data and the parameters must be taken seriously. In this case, the artificial intelligence techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks(ANN) is used to resolve this ambiguity, this can be done by integrating different physical properties data which requires a supervised learning methods. In this work, we invert the acoustic impedance 3D seismic cube using the colored inversion method, then, the introduction of the acoustic impedance volume resulting from the first step as an input of based model inversion method allows to calculate the Porosity volume using the Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network. Application to an Algerian South hydrocarbon field clearly demonstrate the power of the proposed processing technique to predict the porosity for seismic data, obtained results can be used for reserves estimation, permeability prediction, recovery factor and reservoir monitoring. Keywords: Artificial Neural Networks, inversion, non-uniqueness , nonlinear, 3D porosity volume, reservoir characterization .

  17. Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses of a bLS inverse-dispersion technique for measuring gas emissions from livestock operations

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) inverse-dispersion technique has been used to measure fugitive gas emissions from livestock operations. The accuracy of the bLS technique, as indicated by the percentages of gas recovery in various tracer-release experiments, has generally been within ± 10% o...

  18. Application of a stochastic inverse to the geophysical inverse problem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jordan, T. H.; Minster, J. B.

    1972-01-01

    The inverse problem for gross earth data can be reduced to an undertermined linear system of integral equations of the first kind. A theory is discussed for computing particular solutions to this linear system based on the stochastic inverse theory presented by Franklin. The stochastic inverse is derived and related to the generalized inverse of Penrose and Moore. A Backus-Gilbert type tradeoff curve is constructed for the problem of estimating the solution to the linear system in the presence of noise. It is shown that the stochastic inverse represents an optimal point on this tradeoff curve. A useful form of the solution autocorrelation operator as a member of a one-parameter family of smoothing operators is derived.

  19. Comparative study of inversion methods of three-dimensional NMR and sensitivity to fluids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Maojin; Wang, Peng; Mao, Keyu

    2014-04-01

    Three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (3D NMR) logging can simultaneously measure transverse relaxation time (T2), longitudinal relaxation time (T1), and diffusion coefficient (D). These parameters can be used to distinguish fluids in the porous reservoirs. For 3D NMR logging, the relaxation mechanism and mathematical model, Fredholm equation, are introduced, and the inversion methods including Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), Butler-Reeds-Dawson (BRD), and Global Inversion (GI) methods are studied in detail, respectively. During one simulation test, multi-echo CPMG sequence activation is designed firstly, echo trains of the ideal fluid models are synthesized, then an inversion algorithm is carried on these synthetic echo trains, and finally T2-T1-D map is built. Futhermore, SVD, BRD, and GI methods are respectively applied into a same fluid model, and the computing speed and inversion accuracy are compared and analyzed. When the optimal inversion method and matrix dimention are applied, the inversion results are in good aggreement with the supposed fluid model, which indicates that the inversion method of 3D NMR is applieable for fluid typing of oil and gas reservoirs. Additionally, the forward modeling and inversion tests are made in oil-water and gas-water models, respectively, the sensitivity to the fluids in different magnetic field gradients is also examined in detail. The effect of magnetic gradient on fluid typing in 3D NMR logging is stuied and the optimal manetic gradient is choosen.

  20. Inverse scattering in 1-D nonhomogeneous media and recovery of the wave speed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aktosun, Tuncay; Klaus, Martin; van der Mee, Cornelis

    1992-04-01

    The inverse scattering problem for the 1-D Schrödinger equation d2ψ/dx2 + k2ψ= k2P(x)ψ + Q(x)ψ is studied. This equation is equivalent to the 1-D wave equation with speed 1/√1-P(x) in a nonhomogeneous medium where Q(x) acts as a restoring force. When Q(x) is integrable with a finite first moment, P(x)<1 and bounded below and satisfies two integrability conditions, P(x) is recovered uniquely when the scattering data and Q(x) are known. Some explicitly solved examples are provided.

  1. Inversions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Malcolm

    2009-01-01

    Inversions are fascinating phenomena. They are reversals of the normal or expected order. They occur across a wide variety of contexts. What do inversions have to do with learning spaces? The author suggests that they are a useful metaphor for the process that is unfolding in higher education with respect to education. On the basis of…

  2. Cloning and sequencing of a cellobiohydrolase gene from Trichoderma harzianum FP108

    Treesearch

    Patrick Guilfoile; Ron Burns; Zu-Yi Gu; Matt Amundson; Fu-Hsian Chang

    1999-01-01

    A cbbl cellobiohydrolase gene was cloned and sequenced from the fungus Trichoderrna harzianum FP108. The cloning was performed by PCR amplification of T. harzianum genomic DNA, using PCR primers whose sequence was based on the cbbl gene from Tricboderma reesei. The 3' end of the gene was isolated by inverse...

  3. Correcting for sequencing error in maximum likelihood phylogeny inference.

    PubMed

    Kuhner, Mary K; McGill, James

    2014-11-04

    Accurate phylogenies are critical to taxonomy as well as studies of speciation processes and other evolutionary patterns. Accurate branch lengths in phylogenies are critical for dating and rate measurements. Such accuracy may be jeopardized by unacknowledged sequencing error. We use simulated data to test a correction for DNA sequencing error in maximum likelihood phylogeny inference. Over a wide range of data polymorphism and true error rate, we found that correcting for sequencing error improves recovery of the branch lengths, even if the assumed error rate is up to twice the true error rate. Low error rates have little effect on recovery of the topology. When error is high, correction improves topological inference; however, when error is extremely high, using an assumed error rate greater than the true error rate leads to poor recovery of both topology and branch lengths. The error correction approach tested here was proposed in 2004 but has not been widely used, perhaps because researchers do not want to commit to an estimate of the error rate. This study shows that correction with an approximate error rate is generally preferable to ignoring the issue. Copyright © 2014 Kuhner and McGill.

  4. A Comparison of the First Two Sequenced Chloroplast Genomes in Asteraceae: Lettuce and Sunflower

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Timme, Ruth E.; Kuehl, Jennifer V.; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2006-01-20

    Asteraceae is the second largest family of plants, with over 20,000 species. For the past few decades, numerous phylogenetic studies have contributed to our understanding of the evolutionary relationships within this family, including comparisons of the fast evolving chloroplast gene, ndhF, rbcL, as well as non-coding DNA from the trnL intron plus the trnLtrnF intergenic spacer, matK, and, with lesser resolution, psbA-trnH. This culminated in a study by Panero and Funk in 2002 that used over 13,000 bp per taxon for the largest taxonomic revision of Asteraceae in over a hundred years. Still, some uncertainties remain, and it would bemore » very useful to have more information on the relative rates of sequence evolution among various genes and on genome structure as a potential set of phylogenetic characters to help guide future phylogenetic structures. By way of contributing to this, we report the first two complete chloroplast genome sequences from members of the Asteraceae, those of Helianthus annuus and Lactuca sativa. These plants belong to two distantly related subfamilies, Asteroideae and Cichorioideae, respectively. In addition to these, there is only one other published chloroplast genome sequence for any plant within the larger group called Eusterids II, that of Panax ginseng (Araliaceae, 156,318 bps, AY582139). Early chloroplast genome mapping studies demonstrated that H. annuus and L. sativa share a 22 kb inversion relative to members of the subfamily Barnadesioideae. By comparison to outgroups, this inversion was shown to be derived, indicating that the Asteroideae and Cichorioideae are more closely related than either is to the Barnadesioideae. Later sequencing study found that taxa that share this 22 kb inversion also contain within this region a second, smaller, 3.3 kb inversion. These sequences also enable an analysis of patterns of shared repeats in the genomes at fine level and of RNA editing by comparison to available EST sequences. In addition

  5. Application of the concept of dynamic trim control and nonlinear system inverses to automatic control of a vertical attitude takeoff and landing aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, G. A.; Meyer, G.

    1981-01-01

    A full envelope automatic flight control system based on nonlinear inverse systems concepts has been applied to a vertical attitude takeoff and landing (VATOL) fighter aircraft. A new method for using an airborne digital aircraft model to perform the inversion of a nonlinear aircraft model is presented together with the results of a simulation study of the nonlinear inverse system concept for the vertical-attitude hover mode. The system response to maneuver commands in the vertical attitude was found to be excellent; and recovery from large initial offsets and large disturbances was found to be very satisfactory.

  6. Strategies for efficient resolution analysis in full-waveform inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fichtner, A.; van Leeuwen, T.; Trampert, J.

    2016-12-01

    Full-waveform inversion is developing into a standard method in the seismological toolbox. It combines numerical wave propagation for heterogeneous media with adjoint techniques in order to improve tomographic resolution. However, resolution becomes increasingly difficult to quantify because of the enormous computational requirements. Here we present two families of methods that can be used for efficient resolution analysis in full-waveform inversion. They are based on the targeted extraction of resolution proxies from the Hessian matrix, which is too large to store and to compute explicitly. Fourier methods rest on the application of the Hessian to Earth models with harmonic oscillations. This yields the Fourier spectrum of the Hessian for few selected wave numbers, from which we can extract properties of the tomographic point-spread function for any point in space. Random probing methods use uncorrelated, random test models instead of harmonic oscillations. Auto-correlating the Hessian-model applications for sufficiently many test models also characterises the point-spread function. Both Fourier and random probing methods provide a rich collection of resolution proxies. These include position- and direction-dependent resolution lengths, and the volume of point-spread functions as indicator of amplitude recovery and inter-parameter trade-offs. The computational requirements of these methods are equivalent to approximately 7 conjugate-gradient iterations in full-waveform inversion. This is significantly less than the optimisation itself, which may require tens to hundreds of iterations to reach convergence. In addition to the theoretical foundations of the Fourier and random probing methods, we show various illustrative examples from real-data full-waveform inversion for crustal and mantle structure.

  7. Time synchronization and geoacoustic inversion using baleen whale sounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thode, Aaron; Gerstoft, Peter; Stokes, Dale; Noad, Mike; Burgess, William; Cato, Doug

    2005-09-01

    In 1996 matched-field processing (MFP) and geoacoustic inversion methods were used to invert for range, depth, and source levels of blue whale vocalizations. [A. M. Thode, G. L. D'Spain, and W. A. Kuperman, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107, 1286-1300 (2000)]. Humpback whales also produce broadband sequences of sounds that contain significant energy between 50 Hz to over 1 kHz. In Oct. 2003 and 2004 samples of humpback whale song were collected on vertical and titled arrays in 24-m-deep water in conjunction with the Humpback Acoustic Research Collaboration (HARC). The arrays consisted of autonomous recorders attached to a rope, and were time synchronized by extending standard geoacoustic inversion methods to invert for clock offset as well as whale location. The diffuse ambient noise background field was then used to correct for subsequent clock drift. Independent measurements of the local bathymetry and transmission loss were also obtained in the area. Preliminary results are presented for geoacoustic inversions of the ocean floor composition and humpback whale locations and source levels. [Work supported by ONR Ocean Acoustic Entry Level Faculty Award and Marine Mammals Program.

  8. A Stochastic Inversion Method for Potential Field Data: Ant Colony Optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Shuang; Hu, Xiangyun; Liu, Tianyou

    2014-07-01

    Simulating natural ants' foraging behavior, the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm performs excellently in combinational optimization problems, for example the traveling salesman problem and the quadratic assignment problem. However, the ACO is seldom used to inverted for gravitational and magnetic data. On the basis of the continuous and multi-dimensional objective function for potential field data optimization inversion, we present the node partition strategy ACO (NP-ACO) algorithm for inversion of model variables of fixed shape and recovery of physical property distributions of complicated shape models. We divide the continuous variables into discrete nodes and ants directionally tour the nodes by use of transition probabilities. We update the pheromone trails by use of Gaussian mapping between the objective function value and the quantity of pheromone. It can analyze the search results in real time and promote the rate of convergence and precision of inversion. Traditional mapping, including the ant-cycle system, weaken the differences between ant individuals and lead to premature convergence. We tested our method by use of synthetic data and real data from scenarios involving gravity and magnetic anomalies. The inverted model variables and recovered physical property distributions were in good agreement with the true values. The ACO algorithm for binary representation imaging and full imaging can recover sharper physical property distributions than traditional linear inversion methods. The ACO has good optimization capability and some excellent characteristics, for example robustness, parallel implementation, and portability, compared with other stochastic metaheuristics.

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging in cadaver dogs with metallic vertebral implants at 3 Tesla: evaluation of the WARP-turbo spin echo sequence.

    PubMed

    Griffin, John F; Archambault, Nicholas S; Mankin, Joseph M; Wall, Corey R; Thompson, James A; Padua, Abraham; Purdy, David; Kerwin, Sharon C

    2013-11-15

    Laboratory investigation, ex vivo. Postoperative complications are common after spinal implantation procedures, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would be the ideal modality to image these patients. Unfortunately, the implants cause artifacts that can render MRI nondiagnostic. The WARP-turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence has been developed to mitigate artifacts caused by metal. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the performance of the WARP-TSE sequence in canine cadaver specimens after implantation with metallic vertebral implants. Magnetic field strength, implant type, and MRI acquisition technique all play a role in the severity of susceptibility artifacts. The WARP-TSE sequence uses increased bandwidth, view angle tilting, and SEMAC (slice-encoding metal artifact correction) to correct for susceptibility artifact. The WARP-TSE technique has outperformed conventional techniques in patients, after total hip arthroplasty. However, published reports of its application in subjects with vertebral column implants are lacking. Ex vivo anterior stabilization of the atlantoaxial joint was performed on 6 adult small breed (<8 kg) cadaver dogs using stainless steel screws and polymethylmethacrylate. Axial and sagittal T2-weighted and short tau inversion recovery MRI was performed using conventional pulse sequences and WARP-TSE sequences at 3 T. Images were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Images made with the WARP-TSE sequence had smaller susceptibility artifacts and superior spinal cord margin depiction. WARP-TSE sequences reduced the length over which susceptibility artifacts caused spinal cord margin depiction interference by 24.9% to 71.5% with scan times of approximately 12 to 16 minutes. The WARP-TSE sequence is a viable option for evaluating the vertebral column after implantation with stainless steel implants. N/A.

  10. Heart rate recovery, exercise capacity, and mortality risk in male veterans.

    PubMed

    Kokkinos, Peter; Myers, Jonathan; Doumas, Michael; Faselis, Charles; Pittaras, Andreas; Manolis, Athanasios; Kokkinos, John Peter; Narayan, Puneet; Papademetriou, Vasilios; Fletcher, Ross

    2012-04-01

    Both impaired heart rate recovery (HRR) and low fitness are associated with higher mortality risk. In addition, HRR is influenced by fitness status. The interaction between HRR, mortality, and fitness has not been clearly defined. Thus, we sought to evaluate the association between HRR and all-cause mortality and to assess the effects of fitness on this association. Treadmill exercise testing was performed in 5974 male veterans for clinical reasons at two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (Washington, DC and Palo Alto, CA). HRR was calculated at 1 and 2 min of recovery. All-cause mortality was determined over a mean 6.2-year follow-up period. Mortality risk was significantly and inversely associated with HRR, only at 2 min. A cut-off value of 14 beats/min at 2 min recovery was the strongest predictor of mortality for the cohort (hazard ratio = 2.4; CI 1.6-3.5). The mortality risk was overestimated when exercise capacity was not considered. When both low fitness and low HRR were present (≤6 metabolic equivalents and ≤14 beats/min), mortality risk was approximately seven-fold higher compared to the High-fit + High-HRR group (>6 metabolic equivalents and >14 beats/min). HRR at 2 min post exercise is strongly and inversely associated with all-cause mortality. Exercise capacity affects HRR-associated mortality substantially and should be considered when applying HRR to estimate mortality.

  11. The Correlates of Body Composition with Heart Rate Recovery after Step Test: An Exploratory Study of Malaysian Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Abu Hanifah, Redzal; Mohamed, Mohd. Nahar Azmi; Jaafar, Zulkarnain; Abdul Mohsein, Nabilla Al-Sadat; Jalaludin, Muhammad Yazid; Abdul Majid, Hazreen; Murray, Liam; Cantwell, Marie; Su, Tin Tin

    2013-01-01

    Background In adults, heart rate recovery is a predictor of mortality, while in adolescents it is associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between body composition measures and heart rate recovery (HRR) after step test in Malaysian secondary school students. Methods In the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team (MyHEART) study, 1071 healthy secondary school students, aged 13 years old, participated in the step test. Parameters for body composition measures were body mass index z-score, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist height ratio. The step test was conducted by using a modified Harvard step test. Heart rate recovery of 1 minute (HRR1min) and heart rate recovery of 2 minutes (HRR2min) were calculated by the difference between the peak pulse rate during exercise and the resting pulse rate at 1 and 2 minutes, respectively. Analysis was done separately based on gender. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the association between the HRR parameters with body composition measures, while multiple regression analysis was used to determine which body composition measures was the strongest predictor for HRR. Results For both gender groups, all body composition measures were inversely correlated with HRR1min. In girls, all body composition measures were inversely correlated with HRR2min, while in boys all body composition measures, except BMI z-score, were associated with HRR2min. In multiple regression, only waist circumference was inversely associated with HRR2min (p=0.024) in boys, while in girls it was body fat percentage for HRR2min (p=0.008). Conclusion There was an inverse association between body composition measurements and HRR among apparently healthy adolescents. Therefore, it is important to identify cardio-metabolic risk factors in adolescent as an early prevention of consequent adulthood morbidity. This reiterates the importance of healthy living

  12. Galerkin approximation for inverse problems for nonautonomous nonlinear distributed systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Banks, H. T.; Reich, Simeon; Rosen, I. G.

    1988-01-01

    An abstract framework and convergence theory is developed for Galerkin approximation for inverse problems involving the identification of nonautonomous nonlinear distributed parameter systems. A set of relatively easily verified conditions is provided which are sufficient to guarantee the existence of optimal solutions and their approximation by a sequence of solutions to a sequence of approximating finite dimensional identification problems. The approach is based on the theory of monotone operators in Banach spaces and is applicable to a reasonably broad class of nonlinear distributed systems. Operator theoretic and variational techniques are used to establish a fundamental convergence result. An example involving evolution systems with dynamics described by nonstationary quasilinear elliptic operators along with some applications are presented and discussed.

  13. Expressed sequence tags from heat-shocked seagrass Zostera noltii (Hornemann) from its southern distribution range.

    PubMed

    Massa, Sónia I; Pearson, Gareth A; Aires, Tânia; Kube, Michael; Olsen, Jeanine L; Reinhardt, Richard; Serrão, Ester A; Arnaud-Haond, Sophie

    2011-09-01

    Predicted global climate change threatens the distributional ranges of species worldwide. We identified genes expressed in the intertidal seagrass Zostera noltii during recovery from a simulated low tide heat-shock exposure. Five Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) libraries were compared, corresponding to four recovery times following sub-lethal temperature stress, and a non-stressed control. We sequenced and analyzed 7009 sequence reads from 30min, 2h, 4h and 24h after the beginning of the heat-shock (AHS), and 1585 from the control library, for a total of 8594 sequence reads. Among 51 Tentative UniGenes (TUGs) exhibiting significantly different expression between libraries, 19 (37.3%) were identified as 'molecular chaperones' and were over-expressed following heat-shock, while 12 (23.5%) were 'photosynthesis TUGs' generally under-expressed in heat-shocked plants. A time course analysis of expression showed a rapid increase in expression of the molecular chaperone class, most of which were heat-shock proteins; which increased from 2 sequence reads in the control library to almost 230 in the 30min AHS library, followed by a slow decrease during further recovery. In contrast, 'photosynthesis TUGs' were under-expressed 30min AHS compared with the control library, and declined progressively with recovery time in the stress libraries, with a total of 29 sequence reads 24h AHS, compared with 125 in the control. A total of 4734 TUGs were screened for EST-Single Sequence Repeats (EST-SSRs) and 86 microsatellites were identified. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. MRI assessment of bone marrow oedema in the sacroiliac joints of patients with spondyloarthritis: is the SPAIR T2w technique comparable to STIR?

    PubMed

    Dalto, Vitor Faeda; Assad, Rodrigo Luppino; Crema, Michel Daoud; Louzada-Junior, Paulo; Nogueira-Barbosa, Marcello Henrique

    2017-09-01

    To compare short tau inversion-recovery (STIR) with another fat saturation method in the assessment of sacroiliac joint inflammation. This prospective cross-sectional study comprised 76 spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints in a 1.5-T scanner, using STIR, spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR) T2w and spectral presaturation with inversion recovery (SPIR) T1w post-contrast sequences. Two independent readers (R1 and R2) assessed the images using the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) score. We assessed agreement of the SPARCC scores for SPAIR T2w and STIR with that for T1 SPIR post-contrast (reference standard) using the St. Laurent coefficient. We evaluated each sequence using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). We observed a strong agreement between STIR and SPAIR T2w sequences. Lin's CCC was 0.94 for R1 and 0.84 for R2 for STIR and 0.94 for R1 and 0.84 for R2 for SPAIR. The interobserver evaluation revealed a good CCC of 0.79 for SPAIR and 0.78 for STIR. STIR technique and SPAIR T2w sequence showed high agreement in the evaluation of sacroiliac joint subchondral bone marrow oedema in patients with SpA. SPAIR T2w may be an alternative to the STIR sequence for this purpose. • There are no studies evaluating which fat saturation technique should be used. • SPAIR T2w may be an alternative to STIR for sacroiliac joint evaluation. • The study will lead to changes in guidelines for spondyloarthritis.

  15. Post-disturbance sediment recovery: Implications for watershed resilience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathburn, Sara L.; Shahverdian, Scott M.; Ryan, Sandra E.

    2018-03-01

    Sediment recovery following disturbances is a measure of the time required to attain pre-disturbance sediment fluxes. Insight into the controls on recovery processes and pathways builds understanding of geomorphic resilience. We assess post-disturbance sediment recovery in three small (1.5-100 km2), largely unaltered watersheds within the northern Colorado Rocky Mountains affected by wildfires, floods, and debris flows. Disturbance regimes span 102 (floods, debris flows) to 103 years (wildfires). For all case studies, event sediment recovery followed a nonlinear pattern: initial high sediment flux during single precipitation events or high annual snowmelt runoff followed by decreasing sediment fluxes over time. Disturbance interactions were evaluated after a high-severity fire within the South Fork Cache la Poudre basin was followed by an extreme flood one year post-fire. This compound disturbance hastened suspended sediment recovery to pre-fire concentrations 3 years after the fire. Wildfires over the last 1900 YBP in the South Fork basin indicate fire recurrence intervals of 600 years. Debris flows within the upper Colorado River basin over the last two centuries have shifted the baseline of sediment recovery caused by anthropogenic activities that increased debris flow frequency. An extreme flood on North St. Vrain Creek with an impounding reservoir resulted in extreme sedimentation that led to a physical state change. We introduce an index of resilience as sediment recovery/disturbance recurrence interval, providing a relative comparison between sites. Sediment recovery and channel form resilience may be inversely related because of high or low physical complexity in streams. We propose management guidelines to enhance geomorphic resilience by promoting natural processes that maintain physical complexity. Finally, sediment connectivity within watersheds is an additional factor to consider when establishing restoration treatment priorities.

  16. Inverse Association between Sodium Channel-Blocking Antiepileptic Drug Use and Cancer: Data Mining of Spontaneous Reporting and Claims Databases.

    PubMed

    Takada, Mitsutaka; Fujimoto, Mai; Motomura, Haruka; Hosomi, Kouichi

    2016-01-01

    Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are drug targets for the treatment of epilepsy. Recently, a decreased risk of cancer associated with sodium channel-blocking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has become a research focus of interest. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the use of sodium channel-blocking AEDs are inversely associated with cancer, using different methodologies, algorithms, and databases. A total of 65,146,507 drug-reaction pairs from the first quarter of 2004 through the end of 2013 were downloaded from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System. The reporting odds ratio (ROR) and information component (IC) were used to detect an inverse association between AEDs and cancer. Upper limits of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of < 1 and < 0 for the ROR and IC, respectively, signified inverse associations. Furthermore, using a claims database, which contains 3 million insured persons, an event sequence symmetry analysis (ESSA) was performed to identify an inverse association between AEDs and cancer over the period of January 2005 to May 2014. The upper limit of the 95% CI of adjusted sequence ratio (ASR) < 1 signified an inverse association. In the FAERS database analyses, significant inverse associations were found between sodium channel-blocking AEDs and individual cancers. In the claims database analyses, sodium channel-blocking AED use was inversely associated with diagnoses of colorectal cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and hematological malignancies, with ASRs of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.60 - 0.86), 0.65 (0.51 - 0.81), 0.80 (0.65 - 0.98), and 0.50 (0.37 - 0.66), respectively. Positive associations between sodium channel-blocking AEDs and cancer were not found in the study. Multi-methodological approaches using different methodologies, algorithms, and databases suggest that sodium channel-blocking AED use is inversely associated with colorectal cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and hematological malignancies.

  17. Synthesis of inverse ringwoodite sheds light on the subduction history of Tibetan ophiolites.

    PubMed

    Bindi, Luca; Griffin, William L; Panero, Wendy R; Sirotkina, Ekaterina; Bobrov, Andrey; Irifune, Tetsuo

    2018-04-03

    Tibetan ophiolites are shallow mantle material and crustal slabs that were subducted as deep as the mantle transition zone, a conclusion supported by the discovery of high-pressure phases like inverse ringwoodite in these sequences. Ringwoodite, Mg 2 SiO 4 , exhibits the normal spinel structure, with Mg in the octahedral A site and Si in the tetrahedral B site. Through A and B site-disorder, the inverse spinel has four-coordinated A cations and the six-coordinated site hosts a mixture of A and B cations. This process affects the density and impedance contrasts across the boundaries in the transition zone and seismic-wave velocities in this portion of the Earth. We report the first synthesis at high pressure (20 GPa) and high temperature (1600 °C) of a Cr-bearing ringwoodite with a completely inverse-spinel structure. Chemical, structural, and computational analysis confirm the stability of inverse ringwoodite and add further constraints to the subduction history of the Luobusa peridotite of the Tibetan ophiolites.

  18. A Joint Method of Envelope Inversion Combined with Hybrid-domain Full Waveform Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    CUI, C.; Hou, W.

    2017-12-01

    Full waveform inversion (FWI) aims to construct high-precision subsurface models by fully using the information in seismic records, including amplitude, travel time, phase and so on. However, high non-linearity and the absence of low frequency information in seismic data lead to the well-known cycle skipping problem and make inversion easily fall into local minima. In addition, those 3D inversion methods that are based on acoustic approximation ignore the elastic effects in real seismic field, and make inversion harder. As a result, the accuracy of final inversion results highly relies on the quality of initial model. In order to improve stability and quality of inversion results, multi-scale inversion that reconstructs subsurface model from low to high frequency are applied. But, the absence of very low frequencies (< 3Hz) in field data is still bottleneck in the FWI. By extracting ultra low-frequency data from field data, envelope inversion is able to recover low wavenumber model with a demodulation operator (envelope operator), though the low frequency data does not really exist in field data. To improve the efficiency and viability of the inversion, in this study, we proposed a joint method of envelope inversion combined with hybrid-domain FWI. First, we developed 3D elastic envelope inversion, and the misfit function and the corresponding gradient operator were derived. Then we performed hybrid-domain FWI with envelope inversion result as initial model which provides low wavenumber component of model. Here, forward modeling is implemented in the time domain and inversion in the frequency domain. To accelerate the inversion, we adopt CPU/GPU heterogeneous computing techniques. There were two levels of parallelism. In the first level, the inversion tasks are decomposed and assigned to each computation node by shot number. In the second level, GPU multithreaded programming is used for the computation tasks in each node, including forward modeling, envelope

  19. Fast T1 and T2 mapping methods: the zoomed U-FLARE sequence compared with EPI and snapshot-FLASH for abdominal imaging at 11.7 Tesla.

    PubMed

    Pastor, Géraldine; Jiménez-González, María; Plaza-García, Sandra; Beraza, Marta; Reese, Torsten

    2017-06-01

    A newly adapted zoomed ultrafast low-angle RARE (U-FLARE) sequence is described for abdominal imaging applications at 11.7 Tesla and compared with the standard echo-plannar imaging (EPI) and snapshot fast low angle shot (FLASH) methods. Ultrafast EPI and snapshot-FLASH protocols were evaluated to determine relaxation times in phantoms and in the mouse kidney in vivo. Owing to their apparent shortcomings, imaging artefacts, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and variability in the determination of relaxation times, these methods are compared with the newly implemented zoomed U-FLARE sequence. Snapshot-FLASH has a lower SNR when compared with the zoomed U-FLARE sequence and EPI. The variability in the measurement of relaxation times is higher in the Look-Locker sequences than in inversion recovery experiments. Respectively, the average T1 and T2 values at 11.7 Tesla are as follows: kidney cortex, 1810 and 29 ms; kidney medulla, 2100 and 25 ms; subcutaneous tumour, 2365 and 28 ms. This study demonstrates that the zoomed U-FLARE sequence yields single-shot single-slice images with good anatomical resolution and high SNR at 11.7 Tesla. Thus, it offers a viable alternative to standard protocols for mapping very fast parameters, such as T1 and T2, or dynamic processes in vivo at high field.

  20. Left Gastric Vein Visualization with Hepatopetal Flow Information in Healthy Subjects Using Non-Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography with Balanced Steady-State Free-Precession Sequence and Time-Spatial Labeling Inversion Pulse.

    PubMed

    Furuta, Akihiro; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Ohno, Tsuyoshi; Ono, Ayako; Yamashita, Rikiya; Arizono, Shigeki; Kido, Aki; Sakashita, Naotaka; Togashi, Kaori

    2018-01-01

    To selectively visualize the left gastric vein (LGV) with hepatopetal flow information by non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography under a hypothesis that change in the LGV flow direction can predict the development of esophageal varices; and to optimize the acquisition protocol in healthy subjects. Respiratory-gated three-dimensional balanced steady-state free-precession scans were conducted on 31 healthy subjects using two methods (A and B) for visualizing the LGV with hepatopetal flow. In method A, two time-spatial labeling inversion pulses (Time-SLIP) were placed on the whole abdomen and the area from the gastric fornix to the upper body, excluding the LGV area. In method B, nonselective inversion recovery pulse was used and one Time-SLIP was placed on the esophagogastric junction. The detectability and consistency of LGV were evaluated using the two methods and ultrasonography (US). Left gastric veins by method A, B, and US were detected in 30 (97%), 24 (77%), and 23 (74%) subjects, respectively. LGV flow by US was hepatopetal in 22 subjects and stagnant in one subject. All hepatopetal LGVs by US coincided with the visualized vessels in both methods. One subject with non-visualized LGV in method A showed stagnant LGV by US. Hepatopetal LGV could be selectively visualized by method A in healthy subjects.

  1. GuiTope: an application for mapping random-sequence peptides to protein sequences.

    PubMed

    Halperin, Rebecca F; Stafford, Phillip; Emery, Jack S; Navalkar, Krupa Arun; Johnston, Stephen Albert

    2012-01-03

    Random-sequence peptide libraries are a commonly used tool to identify novel ligands for binding antibodies, other proteins, and small molecules. It is often of interest to compare the selected peptide sequences to the natural protein binding partners to infer the exact binding site or the importance of particular residues. The ability to search a set of sequences for similarity to a set of peptides may sometimes enable the prediction of an antibody epitope or a novel binding partner. We have developed a software application designed specifically for this task. GuiTope provides a graphical user interface for aligning peptide sequences to protein sequences. All alignment parameters are accessible to the user including the ability to specify the amino acid frequency in the peptide library; these frequencies often differ significantly from those assumed by popular alignment programs. It also includes a novel feature to align di-peptide inversions, which we have found improves the accuracy of antibody epitope prediction from peptide microarray data and shows utility in analyzing phage display datasets. Finally, GuiTope can randomly select peptides from a given library to estimate a null distribution of scores and calculate statistical significance. GuiTope provides a convenient method for comparing selected peptide sequences to protein sequences, including flexible alignment parameters, novel alignment features, ability to search a database, and statistical significance of results. The software is available as an executable (for PC) at http://www.immunosignature.com/software and ongoing updates and source code will be available at sourceforge.net.

  2. Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography with balanced steady-state free-precession sequence and time-spatial labeling inversion pulses: comparison of imaging with flow-in and flow-out methods.

    PubMed

    Furuta, Akihiro; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Yamashita, Rikiya; Ohno, Tsuyoshi; Kawahara, Seiya; Shimizu, Hironori; Fujimoto, Koji; Kido, Aki; Kusahara, Hiroshi; Togashi, Kaori

    2014-09-01

    To compare and evaluate images of non-contrast-enhanced MR portography acquired with two different methods, the flow-in and flow-out methods. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were examined using respiratory-triggered three-dimensional balanced steady-state free-precession (SSFP) with two selective inversion recovery pulses (flow-in method) and one tagging pulse and one nonselective inversion recovery pulse (flow-out method). For quantitative analysis, vessel-to-liver contrast (Cv-l) ratios of the main portal vein (MPV), right portal vein (RPV), and left portal vein (LPV) were measured. The quality of portal vein visualization was scored using a four-point scale. The Cv-ls of the MPV, RPV, and LPV were all significantly higher with the flow-out than flow-in method (MPV = 0.834 ± 0.06 versus 0.711 ± 0.10; RPV = 0.861 ± 0.04 versus 0.729 ± 0.11; LPV = 0.786 ± 0.08 versus 0.545 ± 0.22; P < 0.0001). In all analyses of vessel visibility, non-contrast-enhanced MR portography with the flow-out method showed higher scores than with the flow-in method. With the flow-out method, visual scores of the MPV, RPV, portal vein branches of segments 4 (P4), and 8 (P8) were significantly better than with the flow-in method (MPV = 3.4 ± 0.7 versus 2.6 ± 0.9; RPV = 4.0 ± 0.0 versus 3.5 ± 0.9; P4 = 2.8 ± 1.3 versus 1.6 ± 1.0; P8 = 4.0 ± 0.0 versus 2.9 ± 1.1; P < 0.05). Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography with the flow-out method improves the visualization of the intrahepatic portal vein in comparison with the flow-in method. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:583-587. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. The effect of different control point sampling sequences on convergence of VMAT inverse planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pardo Montero, Juan; Fenwick, John D.

    2011-04-01

    A key component of some volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) optimization algorithms is the progressive addition of control points to the optimization. This idea was introduced in Otto's seminal VMAT paper, in which a coarse sampling of control points was used at the beginning of the optimization and new control points were progressively added one at a time. A different form of the methodology is also present in the RapidArc optimizer, which adds new control points in groups called 'multiresolution levels', each doubling the number of control points in the optimization. This progressive sampling accelerates convergence, improving the results obtained, and has similarities with the ordered subset algorithm used to accelerate iterative image reconstruction. In this work we have used a VMAT optimizer developed in-house to study the performance of optimization algorithms which use different control point sampling sequences, most of which fall into three different classes: doubling sequences, which add new control points in groups such that the number of control points in the optimization is (roughly) doubled; Otto-like progressive sampling which adds one control point at a time, and equi-length sequences which contain several multiresolution levels each with the same number of control points. Results are presented in this study for two clinical geometries, prostate and head-and-neck treatments. A dependence of the quality of the final solution on the number of starting control points has been observed, in agreement with previous works. We have found that some sequences, especially E20 and E30 (equi-length sequences with 20 and 30 multiresolution levels, respectively), generate better results than a 5 multiresolution level RapidArc-like sequence. The final value of the cost function is reduced up to 20%, such reductions leading to small improvements in dosimetric parameters characterizing the treatments—slightly more homogeneous target doses and better sparing of

  4. Ivy Sign on Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images in Moyamoya Disease: Correlation with Clinical Severity and Old Brain Lesions.

    PubMed

    Seo, Kwon-Duk; Suh, Sang Hyun; Kim, Yong Bae; Kim, Ji Hwa; Ahn, Sung Jun; Kim, Dong-Seok; Lee, Kyung-Yul

    2015-09-01

    Leptomeningeal collateral, in moyamoya disease (MMD), appears as an ivy sign on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) images. There has been little investigation into the relationship between presentation of ivy signs and old brain lesions. We aimed to evaluate clinical significance of ivy signs and whether they correlate with old brain lesions and the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with MMD. FLAIR images of 83 patients were reviewed. Each cerebral hemisphere was divided into 4 regions and each region was scored based on the prominence of the ivy sign. Total ivy score (TIS) was defined as the sum of the scores from the eight regions and dominant hemispheric ivy sign (DHI) was determined by comparing the ivy scores from each hemisphere. According to the degree of ischemic symptoms, patients were classified into four subgroups: 1) nonspecific symptoms without motor weakness, 2) single transient ischemic attack (TIA), 3) recurrent TIA, or 4) complete stroke. TIS was significantly different as follows: 4.86±2.55 in patients with nonspecific symptoms, 5.89±3.10 in patients with single TIA, 9.60±3.98 in patients with recurrent TIA and 8.37±3.39 in patients with complete stroke (p=0.003). TIS associated with old lesions was significantly higher than those not associated with old lesions (9.35±4.22 vs. 7.49±3.37, p=0.032). We found a significant correlation between DHI and motor symptoms (p=0.001). Because TIS has a strong tendency with severity of ischemic motor symptom and the presence of old lesions, the ivy sign may be useful in predicting severity of disease progression.

  5. Analysis of the dimensional dependence of semiconductor optical amplifier recovery speeds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giller, Robin; Manning, Robert J.; Talli, Giuseppe; Webb, Roderick P.; Adams, Michael J.

    2007-02-01

    We investigate the dependence of the speed of recovery of optically excited semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) on the active region dimensions. We use a picosecond pump-probe arrangement to experimentally measure and compare the gain and phase dynamics of four SOAs with varying active region dimensions. A sophisticated time domain SOA model incorporating amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) agrees well with the measurements and shows that, in the absence of a continuous wave (CW) beam, the ASE plays a similar role to such a holding beam. The experimental results are shown to be consistent with a recovery rate which is inversely proportional to the optical area. A significant speed increase is predicted for an appropriate choice of active region dimensions.

  6. 43 CFR 3482.1 - Exploration and resource recovery and protection plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...; earth- or debris-disposal areas; existing bodies of surface water; and topographic and drainage features... to, mining sequence, production rate, estimated recovery factors, stripping ratios, highwall limits...

  7. Segmental Duplication, Microinversion, and Gene Loss Associated with a Complex Inversion Breakpoint Region in Drosophila

    PubMed Central

    Calvete, Oriol; González, Josefa; Betrán, Esther; Ruiz, Alfredo

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are usually portrayed as simple two-breakpoint rearrangements changing gene order but not gene number or structure. However, increasing evidence suggests that inversion breakpoints may often have a complex structure and entail gene duplications with potential functional consequences. Here, we used a combination of different techniques to investigate the breakpoint structure and the functional consequences of a complex rearrangement fixed in Drosophila buzzatii and comprising two tandemly arranged inversions sharing the middle breakpoint: 2m and 2n. By comparing the sequence in the breakpoint regions between D. buzzatii (inverted chromosome) and D. mojavensis (noninverted chromosome), we corroborate the breakpoint reuse at the molecular level and infer that inversion 2m was associated with a duplication of a ∼13 kb segment and likely generated by staggered breaks plus repair by nonhomologous end joining. The duplicated segment contained the gene CG4673, involved in nuclear transport, and its two nested genes CG5071 and CG5079. Interestingly, we found that other than the inversion and the associated duplication, both breakpoints suffered additional rearrangements, that is, the proximal breakpoint experienced a microinversion event associated at both ends with a 121-bp long duplication that contains a promoter. As a consequence of all these different rearrangements, CG5079 has been lost from the genome, CG5071 is now a single copy nonnested gene, and CG4673 has a transcript ∼9 kb shorter and seems to have acquired a more complex gene regulation. Our results illustrate the complex effects of chromosomal rearrangements and highlight the need of complementing genomic approaches with detailed sequence-level and functional analyses of breakpoint regions if we are to fully understand genome structure, function, and evolutionary dynamics. PMID:22328714

  8. Chromosome-wide linkage disequilibrium caused by an inversion polymorphism in the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).

    PubMed

    Huynh, L Y; Maney, D L; Thomas, J W

    2011-04-01

    Chromosomal inversions have been of long-standing interest to geneticists because they are capable of suppressing recombination and facilitating the formation of adaptive gene complexes. An exceptional inversion polymorphism (ZAL2(m)) in the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is linked to variation in plumage, social behavior and mate choice, and is maintained in the population by negative assortative mating. The ZAL2(m) polymorphism is a complex inversion spanning > 100 Mb and has been proposed to be a strong suppressor of recombination, as well as a potential model for studying neo-sex chromosome evolution. To quantify and evaluate these features of the ZAL2(m) polymorphism, we generated sequence from 8 ZAL2(m) and 16 ZAL2 chromosomes at 58 loci inside and 4 loci outside the inversion. Inside the inversion we found that recombination was completely suppressed between ZAL2 and ZAL2(m), resulting in uniformly high levels of genetic differentiation (F(ST)=0.94), the formation of two distinct haplotype groups representing the alternate chromosome arrangements and extensive linkage disequilibrium spanning ~104 Mb within the inversion, whereas gene flow was not suppressed outside the inversion. Finally, although ZAL2(m) homozygotes are exceedingly rare in the population, occurring at a frequency of < 1%, we detected evidence of historical recombination between ZAL2(m) chromosomes inside the inversion, refuting its potential status as a non-recombining autosome.

  9. Resolution analysis of finite fault source inversion using one- and three-dimensional Green's functions 2. Combining seismic and geodetic data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wald, D.J.; Graves, R.W.

    2001-01-01

    Using numerical tests for a prescribed heterogeneous earthquake slip distribution, we examine the importance of accurate Green's functions (GF) for finite fault source inversions which rely on coseismic GPS displacements and leveling line uplift alone and in combination with near-source strong ground motions. The static displacements, while sensitive to the three-dimensional (3-D) structure, are less so than seismic waveforms and thus are an important contribution, particularly when used in conjunction with waveform inversions. For numerical tests of an earthquake source and data distribution modeled after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a joint geodetic and seismic inversion allows for reasonable recovery of the heterogeneous slip distribution on the fault. In contrast, inaccurate 3-D GFs or multiple 1-D GFs allow only partial recovery of the slip distribution given strong motion data alone. Likewise, using just the GPS and leveling line data requires significant smoothing for inversion stability, and hence, only a blurred vision of the prescribed slip is recovered. Although the half-space approximation for computing the surface static deformation field is no longer justifiable based on the high level of accuracy for current GPS data acquisition and the computed differences between 3-D and half-space surface displacements, a layered 1-D approximation to 3-D Earth structure provides adequate representation of the surface displacement field. However, even with the half-space approximation, geodetic data can provide additional slip resolution in the joint seismic and geodetic inversion provided a priori fault location and geometry are correct. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of the static displacements to the Earth structure begs caution for interpretation of surface displacements, particularly those recorded at monuments located in or near basin environments. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

  10. Chromosome Gene Orientation Inversion Networks (GOINs) of Plasmodium Proteome.

    PubMed

    Quevedo-Tumailli, Viviana F; Ortega-Tenezaca, Bernabé; González-Díaz, Humbert

    2018-03-02

    specificity 70-80% in training and external validation series. All of these results may point to a possible biological relevance of gene orientation inversion not directly dependent on genetic sequence information. This work opens the gate to the use of GOINs as a tool for the study of the structure of chromosomes and the study of protein function in proteome research.

  11. Large-scale 3D inversion of marine controlled source electromagnetic data using the integral equation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhdanov, M. S.; Cuma, M.; Black, N.; Wilson, G. A.

    2009-12-01

    The marine controlled source electromagnetic (MCSEM) method has become widely used in offshore oil and gas exploration. Interpretation of MCSEM data is still a very challenging problem, especially if one would like to take into account the realistic 3D structure of the subsurface. The inversion of MCSEM data is complicated by the fact that the EM response of a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is very weak in comparison with the background EM fields generated by an electric dipole transmitter in complex geoelectrical structures formed by a conductive sea-water layer and the terranes beneath it. In this paper, we present a review of the recent developments in the area of large-scale 3D EM forward modeling and inversion. Our approach is based on using a new integral form of Maxwell’s equations allowing for an inhomogeneous background conductivity, which results in a numerically effective integral representation for 3D EM field. This representation provides an efficient tool for the solution of 3D EM inverse problems. To obtain a robust inverse model of the conductivity distribution, we apply regularization based on a focusing stabilizing functional which allows for the recovery of models with both smooth and sharp geoelectrical boundaries. The method is implemented in a fully parallel computer code, which makes it possible to run large-scale 3D inversions on grids with millions of inversion cells. This new technique can be effectively used for active EM detection and monitoring of the subsurface targets.

  12. Geometry of the 1954 Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley earthquake sequence from a joint inversion of leveling and triangulation data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodgkinson, K.M.; Stein, R.S.; Marshall, G.

    1996-01-01

    In 1954, four earthquakes greater than Ms=6.0 occurred within a 30-km radius and in a period of 6 months. Elevation and angle changes calculated from repeated leveling and triangulation surveys which span the coseismic period provide constraints on the fault geometries and coseismic slip of the faults which were activated. The quality of the coseismic geodetic data is assessed. Corrections are applied to the leveling data for subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal in the Fallon area, and a rod miscalibration error of 150??30 ppm is isolated in leveling surveys made in 1967. The leveling and triangulation observations are then simultaneously inverted using the single value decomposition (SVD) inversion method to determine fault geometries and coseismic slip. Using SVD, it is possible to determine on which faults slip is resolvable given the data distribution. The faults are found to dip between 50?? and 80?? and extend to depths of 5 to 14 km. The geodetically derived slip values are generally equal to, or greater than, the maximum observed displacement along the surface scarps. Where slip is resolvable the geodetic data indicates the 1954 sequence contained a significant component of right-lateral slip. This is consistent with the N15??W trending shear zone which geodetic surveys have detected in western Nevada. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.

  13. Recovery of time-dependent volatility in option pricing model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Zui-Cha; Hon, Y. C.; Isakov, V.

    2016-11-01

    In this paper we investigate an inverse problem of determining the time-dependent volatility from observed market prices of options with different strikes. Due to the non linearity and sparsity of observations, an analytical solution to the problem is generally not available. Numerical approximation is also difficult to obtain using most of the existing numerical algorithms. Based on our recent theoretical results, we apply the linearisation technique to convert the problem into an inverse source problem from which recovery of the unknown volatility function can be achieved. Two kinds of strategies, namely, the integral equation method and the Landweber iterations, are adopted to obtain the stable numerical solution to the inverse problem. Both theoretical analysis and numerical examples confirm that the proposed approaches are effective. The work described in this paper was partially supported by a grant from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Project No. CityU 101112) and grants from the NNSF of China (Nos. 11261029, 11461039), and NSF grants DMS 10-08902 and 15-14886 and by Emylou Keith and Betty Dutcher Distinguished Professorship at the Wichita State University (USA).

  14. Extending the spectrum of DNA sequences retrieved from ancient bones and teeth

    PubMed Central

    Glocke, Isabelle; Meyer, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    The number of DNA fragments surviving in ancient bones and teeth is known to decrease with fragment length. Recent genetic analyses of Middle Pleistocene remains have shown that the recovery of extremely short fragments can prove critical for successful retrieval of sequence information from particularly degraded ancient biological material. Current sample preparation techniques, however, are not optimized to recover DNA sequences from fragments shorter than ∼35 base pairs (bp). Here, we show that much shorter DNA fragments are present in ancient skeletal remains but lost during DNA extraction. We present a refined silica-based DNA extraction method that not only enables efficient recovery of molecules as short as 25 bp but also doubles the yield of sequences from longer fragments due to improved recovery of molecules with single-strand breaks. Furthermore, we present strategies for monitoring inefficiencies in library preparation that may result from co-extraction of inhibitory substances during DNA extraction. The combination of DNA extraction and library preparation techniques described here substantially increases the yield of DNA sequences from ancient remains and provides access to a yet unexploited source of highly degraded DNA fragments. Our work may thus open the door for genetic analyses on even older material. PMID:28408382

  15. Rényi continuous entropy of DNA sequences.

    PubMed

    Vinga, Susana; Almeida, Jonas S

    2004-12-07

    Entropy measures of DNA sequences estimate their randomness or, inversely, their repeatability. L-block Shannon discrete entropy accounts for the empirical distribution of all length-L words and has convergence problems for finite sequences. A new entropy measure that extends Shannon's formalism is proposed. Renyi's quadratic entropy calculated with Parzen window density estimation method applied to CGR/USM continuous maps of DNA sequences constitute a novel technique to evaluate sequence global randomness without some of the former method drawbacks. The asymptotic behaviour of this new measure was analytically deduced and the calculation of entropies for several synthetic and experimental biological sequences was performed. The results obtained were compared with the distributions of the null model of randomness obtained by simulation. The biological sequences have shown a different p-value according to the kernel resolution of Parzen's method, which might indicate an unknown level of organization of their patterns. This new technique can be very useful in the study of DNA sequence complexity and provide additional tools for DNA entropy estimation. The main MATLAB applications developed and additional material are available at the webpage . Specialized functions can be obtained from the authors.

  16. Novel approaches to microbial enhancement of oil recovery.

    PubMed

    Kryachko, Yuriy

    2018-01-20

    Microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) was shown to be feasible in a number of laboratory experiments and field trials. However, it has not been widely used in the oil industry because necessary conditions cannot always be easily established in an oil reservoir. Novel approaches to MEOR, which are based on newly discovered biosurfactant-mediated MEOR-mechanisms, are discussed in this review. Particularly, the possibility of combining MEOR with chemical enhancement of oil recovery in heterogeneous oil reservoirs, which involves rock surface wettability shifts and emulsion inversions, is discussed. In wider (centimeter/millimeter-scale) rock pores, the activity of (bio)surfactants and microbial cells attached to oil may allow releasing trapped oil blobs through oil-in-water emulsification. After no more oil can be emulsified, the addition of alkali or surfactants, which turn rock surface oil-wet, may help release oil droplets trapped in narrow (micrometer-scale) pores through coalescence of the droplets and water-in-oil emulsification. Experiments demonstrating the possibility of (bio)surfactant-mediated enhancement of immiscible gas-driven oil recovery are also reviewed. Interestingly, very low (bio)surfactant concentrations were shown to be needed for enhancement of immiscible gas-driven oil recovery. Some possible side effects of MEOR, such as unintended bioplugging and microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), are discussed as well. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Lipid suppression via double inversion recovery with symmetric frequency sweep for robust 2D‐GRAPPA‐accelerated MRSI of the brain at 7 T

    PubMed Central

    Hangel, Gilbert; Strasser, Bernhard; Považan, Michal; Gruber, Stephan; Chmelík, Marek; Gajdošík, Martin; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2015-01-01

    This work presents a new approach for high‐resolution MRSI of the brain at 7 T in clinically feasible measurement times. Two major problems of MRSI are the long scan times for large matrix sizes and the possible spectral contamination by the transcranial lipid signal. We propose a combination of free induction decay (FID)‐MRSI with a short acquisition delay and acceleration via in‐plane two‐dimensional generalised autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (2D‐GRAPPA) with adiabatic double inversion recovery (IR)‐based lipid suppression to allow robust high‐resolution MRSI. We performed Bloch simulations to evaluate the magnetisation pathways of lipids and metabolites, and compared the results with phantom measurements. Acceleration factors in the range 2–25 were tested in a phantom. Five volunteers were scanned to verify the value of our MRSI method in vivo. GRAPPA artefacts that cause fold‐in of transcranial lipids were suppressed via double IR, with a non‐selective symmetric frequency sweep. The use of long, low‐power inversion pulses (100 ms) reduced specific absorption rate requirements. The symmetric frequency sweep over both pulses provided good lipid suppression (>90%), in addition to a reduced loss in metabolite signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), compared with conventional IR suppression (52–70%). The metabolic mapping over the whole brain slice was not limited to a rectangular region of interest. 2D‐GRAPPA provided acceleration up to a factor of nine for in vivo FID‐MRSI without a substantial increase in g‐factors (<1.1). A 64 × 64 matrix can be acquired with a common repetition time of ~1.3 s in only 8 min without lipid artefacts caused by acceleration. Overall, we present a fast and robust MRSI method, using combined double IR fat suppression and 2D‐GRAPPA acceleration, which may be used in (pre)clinical studies of the brain at 7 T. © 2015 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

  18. Lipid suppression via double inversion recovery with symmetric frequency sweep for robust 2D-GRAPPA-accelerated MRSI of the brain at 7 T.

    PubMed

    Hangel, Gilbert; Strasser, Bernhard; Považan, Michal; Gruber, Stephan; Chmelík, Marek; Gajdošík, Martin; Trattnig, Siegfried; Bogner, Wolfgang

    2015-11-01

    This work presents a new approach for high-resolution MRSI of the brain at 7 T in clinically feasible measurement times. Two major problems of MRSI are the long scan times for large matrix sizes and the possible spectral contamination by the transcranial lipid signal. We propose a combination of free induction decay (FID)-MRSI with a short acquisition delay and acceleration via in-plane two-dimensional generalised autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (2D-GRAPPA) with adiabatic double inversion recovery (IR)-based lipid suppression to allow robust high-resolution MRSI. We performed Bloch simulations to evaluate the magnetisation pathways of lipids and metabolites, and compared the results with phantom measurements. Acceleration factors in the range 2-25 were tested in a phantom. Five volunteers were scanned to verify the value of our MRSI method in vivo. GRAPPA artefacts that cause fold-in of transcranial lipids were suppressed via double IR, with a non-selective symmetric frequency sweep. The use of long, low-power inversion pulses (100 ms) reduced specific absorption rate requirements. The symmetric frequency sweep over both pulses provided good lipid suppression (>90%), in addition to a reduced loss in metabolite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), compared with conventional IR suppression (52-70%). The metabolic mapping over the whole brain slice was not limited to a rectangular region of interest. 2D-GRAPPA provided acceleration up to a factor of nine for in vivo FID-MRSI without a substantial increase in g-factors (<1.1). A 64 × 64 matrix can be acquired with a common repetition time of ~1.3 s in only 8 min without lipid artefacts caused by acceleration. Overall, we present a fast and robust MRSI method, using combined double IR fat suppression and 2D-GRAPPA acceleration, which may be used in (pre)clinical studies of the brain at 7 T. © 2015 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. A Monte Carlo approach to the inverse problem of diffuse pollution risk in agricultural catchments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milledge, D.; Lane, S. N.; Heathwaite, A. L.; Reaney, S.

    2012-04-01

    The hydrological and biogeochemical processes that operate in catchments influence the ecological quality of freshwater systems through delivery of fine sediment, nutrients and organic matter. As an alternative to the, often complex, reductionist models we outline a - data-driven - approach based on 'inverse modelling'. We invert SCIMAP, a parsimonious risk based model that has an explicit treatment of hydrological connectivity, and use a Bayesian approach to determine the risk that must be assigned to different land uses in a catchment in order to explain the spatial patterns of measured in-stream nutrient concentrations. First, we apply the model to a set of eleven UK catchments to show that: 1) some land use generates a consistently high or low risk of diffuse nitrate (N) and Phosphate (P) pollution; but 2) the risks associated with different land uses vary both between catchments and between P and N delivery; and 3) that the dominant sources of P and N risk in the catchment are often a function of the spatial configuration of land uses. These results suggest that on a case by case basis, inverse modelling may be used to help prioritise the focus of interventions to reduce diffuse pollution risk for freshwater ecosystems. However, a key uncertainty in this approach is the extent to which it can recover the 'true' risks associated with a land cover given error in both the input parameters and equifinality in model outcomes. We test this using a set of synthetic scenarios in which the true risks can be pre-assigned then compared with those recovered from the inverse model. We use these scenarios to identify the number of simulations and observations required to optimize recovery of the true weights, then explore the conditions under which the inverse model becomes equifinal (hampering recovery of the true weights) We find that this is strongly dependent on the covariance in land covers between subcatchments, introducing the possibility that instream sampling could

  20. Optimization of visual training for full recovery from severe amblyopia in adults

    PubMed Central

    Eaton, Nicolette C.; Sheehan, Hanna Marie

    2016-01-01

    The severe amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation is highly resistant to reversal in adulthood. Here we use a rodent model to show that recovery from deprivation amblyopia can be achieved in adults by a two-step sequence, involving enhancement of synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex by dark exposure followed immediately by visual training. The perceptual learning induced by visual training contributes to the recovery of vision and can be optimized to drive full recovery of visual acuity in severely amblyopic adults. PMID:26787781

  1. Characterization of the human lineage-specific pericentric inversion that distinguishes human chromosome 1 from the homologous chromosomes of the great apes.

    PubMed

    Szamalek, Justyna M; Goidts, Violaine; Cooper, David N; Hameister, Horst; Kehrer-Sawatzki, Hildegard

    2006-08-01

    The human and chimpanzee genomes are distinguishable in terms of ten gross karyotypic differences including nine pericentric inversions and a chromosomal fusion. Seven of these large pericentric inversions are chimpanzee-specific whereas two of them, involving human chromosomes 1 and 18, were fixed in the human lineage after the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. We have performed detailed molecular and computational characterization of the breakpoint regions of the human-specific inversion of chromosome 1. FISH analysis and sequence comparisons together revealed that the pericentromeric region of HSA 1 contains numerous segmental duplications that display a high degree of sequence similarity between both chromosomal arms. Detailed analysis of these regions has allowed us to refine the p-arm breakpoint region to a 154.2 kb interval at 1p11.2 and the q-arm breakpoint region to a 562.6 kb interval at 1q21.1. Both breakpoint regions contain human-specific segmental duplications arranged in inverted orientation. We therefore propose that the pericentric inversion of HSA 1 was mediated by intra-chromosomal non-homologous recombination between these highly homologous segmental duplications that had themselves arisen only recently in the human lineage by duplicative transposition.

  2. Channel recovery from recent large floods in north coastal California: rates and processes

    Treesearch

    Thomas E. Lisle

    1981-01-01

    Abstract - Stream channel recovery from recent large floods in northern California involves a sequence of processes, including degradation of streambeds to stable levels, narrowing of channels, and accentuation of riffle-pool sequences. Most channels have degraded but remain widened because hillslope encroachment and establishment of riparian groves conducive to...

  3. Superresolution radar imaging based on fast inverse-free sparse Bayesian learning for multiple measurement vectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xingyu; Tong, Ningning; Hu, Xiaowei

    2018-01-01

    Compressive sensing has been successfully applied to inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of moving targets. By exploiting the block sparse structure of the target image, sparse solution for multiple measurement vectors (MMV) can be applied in ISAR imaging and a substantial performance improvement can be achieved. As an effective sparse recovery method, sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) for MMV involves a matrix inverse at each iteration. Its associated computational complexity grows significantly with the problem size. To address this problem, we develop a fast inverse-free (IF) SBL method for MMV. A relaxed evidence lower bound (ELBO), which is computationally more amiable than the traditional ELBO used by SBL, is obtained by invoking fundamental property for smooth functions. A variational expectation-maximization scheme is then employed to maximize the relaxed ELBO, and a computationally efficient IF-MSBL algorithm is proposed. Numerical results based on simulated and real data show that the proposed method can reconstruct row sparse signal accurately and obtain clear superresolution ISAR images. Moreover, the running time and computational complexity are reduced to a great extent compared with traditional SBL methods.

  4. Glycogen supercompensation in rat soleus muscle during recovery from nonweight bearing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henriksen, Erik J.; Kirby, Christopher R.; Tischler, Marc E.

    1989-01-01

    Events leading to the normalization of the glycogen metabolism in the soleus muscle of rat, altered by 72-h three days of hind-limb suspension, were investigated during the 72-h recovery period when the animals were allowed to bear weight on all four limbs. Relative importance of the factors affecting glycogen metabolism in skeletal muscle during the recovery period was also examined. Glycogen concentration was found to decrease within 15 min and up to 2 h of recovery, while muscle glucose 6-phosphate, and the fractional activities of glycogen phosphorylase and glycogen synthase increased. From 2 to 4 h, when the glycogen synthase activity remained elevated and the phosphorylase activity declined, glycogen concentration increased, until it reached maximum values at about 24 h, after which it started to decrease, reaching control values by 72 h. At 12 and 24 h, the inverse relationship between glycogen concentration and the synthase activity ratio was lost, indicating that the reloading transiently uncoupled glycogen control of this enzyme.

  5. On the Structural Plasticity of the Human Genome: Chromosomal Inversions Revisited

    PubMed Central

    Alves, Joao M; Lopes, Alexandra M; Chikhi, Lounès; Amorim, António

    2012-01-01

    With the aid of novel and powerful molecular biology techniques, recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of studies reporting the involvement of complex structural variants in several genomic disorders. In fact, with the discovery of Copy Number Variants (CNVs) and other forms of unbalanced structural variation, much attention has been directed to the detection and characterization of such rearrangements, as well as the identification of the mechanisms involved in their formation. However, it has long been appreciated that chromosomes can undergo other forms of structural changes - balanced rearrangements - that do not involve quantitative variation of genetic material. Indeed, a particular subtype of balanced rearrangement – inversions – was recently found to be far more common than had been predicted from traditional cytogenetics. Chromosomal inversions alter the orientation of a specific genomic sequence and, unless involving breaks in coding or regulatory regions (and, disregarding complex trans effects, in their close vicinity), appear to be phenotypically silent. Such a surprising finding, which is difficult to reconcile with the classical interpretation of inversions as a mechanism causing subfertility (and ultimately reproductive isolation), motivated a new series of theoretical and empirical studies dedicated to understand their role in human genome evolution and to explore their possible association to complex genetic disorders. With this review, we attempt to describe the latest methodological improvements to inversions detection at a genome wide level, while exploring some of the possible implications of inversion rearrangements on the evolution of the human genome. PMID:23730202

  6. Synthesis and characterization of Fe colloid catalysts in inverse micelle solutions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martino, A.; Stoker, M.; Hicks, M.

    1995-12-31

    Surfactant molecules, possessing a hydrophilic head group and a hydrophobic tail group, aggregate in various solvents to form structured solutions. In two component mixtures of surfactant and organic solvents (e.g., toluene and alkanes), surfactants aggregate to form inverse micelles. Here, the hydrophilic head groups shield themselves by forming a polar core, and the hydrophobic tails groups are free to move about in the surrounding oleic phase. The formation of Fe clusters in inverse miscelles was studied.Iron salts are solubilized within the polar interior of inverse micelles, and the addition of the reducing agent LiBH{sub 4} initiates a chemical reduction tomore » produce monodisperse, nanometer sized Fe based particles. The reaction sequence is sustained by material exchange between inverse micelles. The surfactant interface provides a spatial constraint on the reaction volume, and reactions carried out in these micro-heterogeneous solutions produce colloidal sized particles (10-100{Angstrom}) stabilized in solution against flocculation of surfactant. The clusters were stabilized with respect to size with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and with respect to chemical composition with Mossbauer spectroscopy, electron diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, these iron based clusters were tested for catalytic activity in a model hydrogenolysis reaction. The hydrogenolysis of naphthyl bibenzyl methane was used as a model for coal pyrolysis.« less

  7. antaRNA: ant colony-based RNA sequence design.

    PubMed

    Kleinkauf, Robert; Mann, Martin; Backofen, Rolf

    2015-10-01

    RNA sequence design is studied at least as long as the classical folding problem. Although for the latter the functional fold of an RNA molecule is to be found ,: inverse folding tries to identify RNA sequences that fold into a function-specific target structure. In combination with RNA-based biotechnology and synthetic biology ,: reliable RNA sequence design becomes a crucial step to generate novel biochemical components. In this article ,: the computational tool antaRNA is presented. It is capable of compiling RNA sequences for a given structure that comply in addition with an adjustable full range objective GC-content distribution ,: specific sequence constraints and additional fuzzy structure constraints. antaRNA applies ant colony optimization meta-heuristics and its superior performance is shown on a biological datasets. http://www.bioinf.uni-freiburg.de/Software/antaRNA CONTACT: backofen@informatik.uni-freiburg.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  8. Recovery from hip fracture in eight areas of function.

    PubMed

    Magaziner, J; Hawkes, W; Hebel, J R; Zimmerman, S I; Fox, K M; Dolan, M; Felsenthal, G; Kenzora, J

    2000-09-01

    This report describes changes in eight areas of functioning after a hip fracture, identifies the point at which maximal levels of recovery are reached in each area, and evaluates the sequence of recuperation across multiple functional domains. METHODS. Community-residing hip fracture patients (n = 674) admitted to eight hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland, 1990-1991 were followed prospectively for 2 years from the time of hospitalization. Eight areas of function (i.e., upper and lower extremity physical and instrumental activities of daily living; gait and balance; social, cognitive, and affective function) were measured by personal interview and direct observation during hospitalization at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Levels of recovery are described in each area, and time to reach maximal recovery was estimated using Generalized Estimating Equations and longitudinal data. Most areas of functioning showed progressive lessening of dependence over the first postfracture year, with different levels of recovery and time to maximum levels observed for each area. New dependency in physical and instrumental tasks for those not requiring equipment or human assistance prefracture ranged from as low as 20.3% for putting on pants to as high as 89.9% for climbing five stairs. Recuperation times were specific to area of function, ranging from approximately 4 months for depressive symptoms (3.9 months), upper extremity function (4.3 months), and cognition (4.4 months) to almost a year for lower extremity function (11.2 months). Functional disability following hip fracture is significant, patterns of recovery differ by area of function, and there appears to be an orderly sequence by which areas of function reach their maximal levels.

  9. Ivy Sign on Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images in Moyamoya Disease: Correlation with Clinical Severity and Old Brain Lesions

    PubMed Central

    Seo, Kwon-Duk; Suh, Sang Hyun; Kim, Yong Bae; Kim, Ji Hwa; Ahn, Sung Jun; Kim, Dong-Seok

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Leptomeningeal collateral, in moyamoya disease (MMD), appears as an ivy sign on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) images. There has been little investigation into the relationship between presentation of ivy signs and old brain lesions. We aimed to evaluate clinical significance of ivy signs and whether they correlate with old brain lesions and the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with MMD. Materials and Methods FLAIR images of 83 patients were reviewed. Each cerebral hemisphere was divided into 4 regions and each region was scored based on the prominence of the ivy sign. Total ivy score (TIS) was defined as the sum of the scores from the eight regions and dominant hemispheric ivy sign (DHI) was determined by comparing the ivy scores from each hemisphere. According to the degree of ischemic symptoms, patients were classified into four subgroups: 1) nonspecific symptoms without motor weakness, 2) single transient ischemic attack (TIA), 3) recurrent TIA, or 4) complete stroke. Results TIS was significantly different as follows: 4.86±2.55 in patients with nonspecific symptoms, 5.89±3.10 in patients with single TIA, 9.60±3.98 in patients with recurrent TIA and 8.37±3.39 in patients with complete stroke (p=0.003). TIS associated with old lesions was significantly higher than those not associated with old lesions (9.35±4.22 vs. 7.49±3.37, p=0.032). We found a significant correlation between DHI and motor symptoms (p=0.001). Conclusion Because TIS has a strong tendency with severity of ischemic motor symptom and the presence of old lesions, the ivy sign may be useful in predicting severity of disease progression. PMID:26256975

  10. Three-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion in practice—the electrical conductivity structure of the San Andreas Fault in Central California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tietze, Kristina; Ritter, Oliver

    2013-10-01

    3-D inversion techniques have become a widely used tool in magnetotelluric (MT) data interpretation. However, with real data sets, many of the controlling factors for the outcome of 3-D inversion are little explored, such as alignment of the coordinate system, handling and influence of data errors and model regularization. Here we present 3-D inversion results of 169 MT sites from the central San Andreas Fault in California. Previous extensive 2-D inversion and 3-D forward modelling of the data set revealed significant along-strike variation of the electrical conductivity structure. 3-D inversion can recover these features but only if the inversion parameters are tuned in accordance with the particularities of the data set. Based on synthetic 3-D data we explore the model space and test the impacts of a wide range of inversion settings. The tests showed that the recovery of a pronounced regional 2-D structure in inversion of the complete impedance tensor depends on the coordinate system. As interdependencies between data components are not considered in standard 3-D MT inversion codes, 2-D subsurface structures can vanish if data are not aligned with the regional strike direction. A priori models and data weighting, that is, how strongly individual components of the impedance tensor and/or vertical magnetic field transfer functions dominate the solution, are crucial controls for the outcome of 3-D inversion. If deviations from a prior model are heavily penalized, regularization is prone to result in erroneous and misleading 3-D inversion models, particularly in the presence of strong conductivity contrasts. A `good' overall rms misfit is often meaningless or misleading as a huge range of 3-D inversion results exist, all with similarly `acceptable' misfits but producing significantly differing images of the conductivity structures. Reliable and meaningful 3-D inversion models can only be recovered if data misfit is assessed systematically in the frequency

  11. An inversion of 25 base pairs causes feline GM2 gangliosidosis variant.

    PubMed

    Martin, Douglas R; Krum, Barbara K; Varadarajan, G S; Hathcock, Terri L; Smith, Bruce F; Baker, Henry J

    2004-05-01

    In G(M2) gangliosidosis variant 0, a defect in the beta-subunit of lysosomal beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) causes abnormal accumulation of G(M2) ganglioside and severe neurodegeneration. Distinct feline models of G(M2) gangliosidosis variant 0 have been described in both domestic shorthair and Korat cats. In this study, we determined that the causative mutation of G(M2) gangliosidosis in the domestic shorthair cat is a 25-base-pair inversion at the extreme 3' end of the beta-subunit (HEXB) coding sequence, which introduces three amino acid substitutions at the carboxyl terminus of the protein and a translational stop that is eight amino acids premature. Cats homozygous for the 25-base-pair inversion express levels of beta-subunit mRNA approximately 190% of normal and protein levels only 10-20% of normal. Because the 25-base-pair inversion is similar to mutations in the terminal exon of human HEXB, the domestic shorthair cat should serve as an appropriate model to study the molecular pathogenesis of human G(M2) gangliosidosis variant 0 (Sandhoff disease).

  12. Release of Boilerplate Mercury Capsule Sequence

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1958-12-16

    Photographed on: 12 16 58. -- L58-1083a caption: Sequenced pictures showing events from release of boilerplate Mercury capsule from C-130 airplane to opening of recovery parachute, December 1958. Photograph published in A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication, page 644.

  13. Diagnostic value of the fast-FLAIR sequence in MR imaging of intracranial tumors.

    PubMed

    Husstedt, H W; Sickert, M; Köstler, H; Haubitz, B; Becker, H

    2000-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify imaging characteristics of fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence in brain tumors compared with T1-postcontrast- and T2-sequences. Fast-FLAIR-, T2 fast spin echo (FSE)-, and T1 SE postcontrast images of 74 patients with intracranial neoplasms were analyzed. Four neuroradiologists rated signal intensity and inhomogeneity of the tumor, rendering of cystic parts, demarcation of the tumor vs brain, of the tumor vs edema and of brain vs edema, as well as the presence of motion and of other artifacts. Data analysis was performed for histologically proven astrocytomas, glioblastomas, and meningiomas, for tumors with poor contrast enhancement, and for all patients pooled. Only for tumors with poor contrast enhancement (n = 12) did fast FLAIR provide additional information about the lesion. In these cases, signal intensity, demarcation of the tumor vs brain, and differentiation of the tumor vs edema were best using fast FLAIR. In all cases, rendering of the tumor's inner structure was poor. For all other tumor types, fast FLAIR did not give clinically relevant information, the only exception being a better demarcation of the edema from brain tissue. Artifacts rarely interfered with evaluation of fast-FLAIR images. Thus, fast FLAIR cannot replace T2-weighted series. It provides additional information only in tumors with poor contrast enhancement. It is helpful for defining the exact extent of the edema of any tumor but gives little information about their inner structure.

  14. Adiabatic and fast passage ultra-wideband inversion in pulsed EPR.

    PubMed

    Doll, Andrin; Pribitzer, Stephan; Tschaggelar, René; Jeschke, Gunnar

    2013-05-01

    We demonstrate that adiabatic and fast passage ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses can achieve inversion over several hundreds of MHz and thus enhance the measurement sensitivity, as shown by two selected experiments. Technically, frequency-swept pulses are generated by a 12 GS/s arbitrary waveform generator and upconverted to X-band frequencies. This pulsed UWB source is utilized as an incoherent channel in an ordinary pulsed EPR spectrometer. We discuss experimental methodologies and modeling techniques to account for the response of the resonator, which can strongly limit the excitation bandwidth of the entire non-linear excitation chain. Aided by these procedures, pulses compensated for bandwidth or variations in group delay reveal enhanced inversion efficiency. The degree of bandwidth compensation is shown to depend critically on the time available for excitation. As a result, we demonstrate optimized inversion recovery and double electron electron resonance (DEER) experiments. First, virtually complete inversion of the nitroxide spectrum with an adiabatic pulse of 128ns length is achieved. Consequently, spectral diffusion between inverted and non-inverted spins is largely suppressed and the observation bandwidth can be increased to increase measurement sensitivity. Second, DEER is performed on a terpyridine-based copper (II) complex with a nitroxide-copper distance of 2.5nm. As previously demonstrated on this complex, when pumping copper spins and observing nitroxide spins, the modulation depth is severely limited by the excitation bandwidth of the pump pulse. By using fast passage UWB pulses with a maximum length of 64ns, we achieve up to threefold enhancement of the modulation depth. Associated artifacts in distance distributions when increasing the bandwidth of the pump pulse are shown to be small. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Multi-scale signed envelope inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Guo-Xin; Wu, Ru-Shan; Wang, Yu-Qing; Chen, Sheng-Chang

    2018-06-01

    Envelope inversion based on modulation signal mode was proposed to reconstruct large-scale structures of underground media. In order to solve the shortcomings of conventional envelope inversion, multi-scale envelope inversion was proposed using new envelope Fréchet derivative and multi-scale inversion strategy to invert strong contrast models. In multi-scale envelope inversion, amplitude demodulation was used to extract the low frequency information from envelope data. However, only to use amplitude demodulation method will cause the loss of wavefield polarity information, thus increasing the possibility of inversion to obtain multiple solutions. In this paper we proposed a new demodulation method which can contain both the amplitude and polarity information of the envelope data. Then we introduced this demodulation method into multi-scale envelope inversion, and proposed a new misfit functional: multi-scale signed envelope inversion. In the numerical tests, we applied the new inversion method to the salt layer model and SEG/EAGE 2-D Salt model using low-cut source (frequency components below 4 Hz were truncated). The results of numerical test demonstrated the effectiveness of this method.

  16. Time-reversal and Bayesian inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Debski, Wojciech

    2017-04-01

    Probabilistic inversion technique is superior to the classical optimization-based approach in all but one aspects. It requires quite exhaustive computations which prohibit its use in huge size inverse problems like global seismic tomography or waveform inversion to name a few. The advantages of the approach are, however, so appealing that there is an ongoing continuous afford to make the large inverse task as mentioned above manageable with the probabilistic inverse approach. One of the perspective possibility to achieve this goal relays on exploring the internal symmetry of the seismological modeling problems in hand - a time reversal and reciprocity invariance. This two basic properties of the elastic wave equation when incorporating into the probabilistic inversion schemata open a new horizons for Bayesian inversion. In this presentation we discuss the time reversal symmetry property, its mathematical aspects and propose how to combine it with the probabilistic inverse theory into a compact, fast inversion algorithm. We illustrate the proposed idea with the newly developed location algorithm TRMLOC and discuss its efficiency when applied to mining induced seismic data.

  17. Exon trapping: a genetic screen to identify candidate transcribed sequences in cloned mammalian genomic DNA.

    PubMed

    Duyk, G M; Kim, S W; Myers, R M; Cox, D R

    1990-11-01

    Identification and recovery of transcribed sequences from cloned mammalian genomic DNA remains an important problem in isolating genes on the basis of their chromosomal location. We have developed a strategy that facilitates the recovery of exons from random pieces of cloned genomic DNA. The basis of this "exon trapping" strategy is that, during a retroviral life cycle, genomic sequences of nonviral origin are correctly spliced and may be recovered as a cDNA copy of the introduced segment. By using this genetic assay for cis-acting sequences required for RNA splicing, we have screened approximately 20 kilobase pairs of cloned genomic DNA and have recovered all four predicted exons.

  18. Exon trapping: a genetic screen to identify candidate transcribed sequences in cloned mammalian genomic DNA.

    PubMed Central

    Duyk, G M; Kim, S W; Myers, R M; Cox, D R

    1990-01-01

    Identification and recovery of transcribed sequences from cloned mammalian genomic DNA remains an important problem in isolating genes on the basis of their chromosomal location. We have developed a strategy that facilitates the recovery of exons from random pieces of cloned genomic DNA. The basis of this "exon trapping" strategy is that, during a retroviral life cycle, genomic sequences of nonviral origin are correctly spliced and may be recovered as a cDNA copy of the introduced segment. By using this genetic assay for cis-acting sequences required for RNA splicing, we have screened approximately 20 kilobase pairs of cloned genomic DNA and have recovered all four predicted exons. PMID:2247475

  19. Full Waveform Inversion for Seismic Velocity And Anelastic Losses in Heterogeneous Structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Askan, A.; /Carnegie Mellon U.; Akcelik, V.

    2009-04-30

    We present a least-squares optimization method for solving the nonlinear full waveform inverse problem of determining the crustal velocity and intrinsic attenuation properties of sedimentary valleys in earthquake-prone regions. Given a known earthquake source and a set of seismograms generated by the source, the inverse problem is to reconstruct the anelastic properties of a heterogeneous medium with possibly discontinuous wave velocities. The inverse problem is formulated as a constrained optimization problem, where the constraints are the partial and ordinary differential equations governing the anelastic wave propagation from the source to the receivers in the time domain. This leads to amore » variational formulation in terms of the material model plus the state variables and their adjoints. We employ a wave propagation model in which the intrinsic energy-dissipating nature of the soil medium is modeled by a set of standard linear solids. The least-squares optimization approach to inverse wave propagation presents the well-known difficulties of ill posedness and multiple minima. To overcome ill posedness, we include a total variation regularization functional in the objective function, which annihilates highly oscillatory material property components while preserving discontinuities in the medium. To treat multiple minima, we use a multilevel algorithm that solves a sequence of subproblems on increasingly finer grids with increasingly higher frequency source components to remain within the basin of attraction of the global minimum. We illustrate the methodology with high-resolution inversions for two-dimensional sedimentary models of the San Fernando Valley, under SH-wave excitation. We perform inversions for both the seismic velocity and the intrinsic attenuation using synthetic waveforms at the observer locations as pseudoobserved data.« less

  20. Dynamic data integration and stochastic inversion of a confined aquifer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, D.; Zhang, Y.; Irsa, J.; Huang, H.; Wang, L.

    2013-12-01

    and coarsening and therefore reducing the associated estimation uncertainty), a parallel LSQR solver was written and verified. For the 50×50 grid, the parallel solver sped up the serial solution time by 14X using 4 CPUs (research on parallel performance and scaling is ongoing). A sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the relation between the observed data and the inversion outcomes, where measurement errors of increasing magnitudes (i.e., ×1, 2, 5, 10% of the total head variation and up to ×2% of the total flux variation) were imposed on the observed data. Inversion results were stable but the accuracy of Ks and boundary estimation degraded with increasing errors, as expected. In particular, quality of the observed heads is critical to hydraulic head recovery, while quality of the observed fluxes plays a dominant role in K estimation. References: Wang, D., Y. Zhang, J. Irsa, H. Huang, and L. Wang (2013), Data integration and stochastic inversion of a confined aquifer with high performance computing, Advances in Water Resources, in preparation. Paige, C. C., and M. A. Saunders (1982), LSQR: an algorithm for sparse linear equations and sparse least squares, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 8(1), 43-71.

  1. Molecular cloning of IGλ rearrangements using long-distance inverse PCR (LDI-PCR).

    PubMed

    Shimanuki, Masaya; Sonoki, Takashi; Hosoi, Hiroki; Watanuki, Jyuri; Murata, Shogo; Kawakami, Keiki; Matsuoka, Hiroshi; Hanaoka, Nobuyoshi; Nakakuma, Hideki

    2013-01-01

    Malignant cells of mature B-cell origin show tumor-specific clonal immunoglobulin gene (IG) rearrangements, including V(D)J recombinations, nucleotide mutations, or translocations. Rapid molecular cloning of the breakpoint sequence by long-distance inverse PCR (LDI-PCR) has so far been applied to rearrangements targeted to IGH joining, IGH switch, and IGκ regions. We tended to apply LDI-PCR method for cloning of IGλ rearrangements. To identify which IGλ isotype segment was rearranged, we performed Southern blot analysis using isotype-specific probes. We set inverse primers on the telomeric side of each joining region and amplified rearranged bands detected by Southern blot analysis as corresponding PCR products. All germline IGλ segments were successfully amplified as expected PCR products. We determined breakpoint sequences of five chromosome translocations involving IGλ locus: three novel t(8;22)(q24;q11), one known t(3;22)(q27;q11), and one partially known t(11;22)(q13;q11). Two of the three t(8;22)(q24;q11) were involved in Jλ with a recombination signal sequence and one of three in the first exon of IGLL5, which lies upstream of Jλ1. Three 8q24 breakpoints were widespread at 132, 260 and 366 kb downstream of MYC locus. The t(3;22)(q27;q11) showed a juxtaposition of Jλ2 and the first intron of BCL6, as previously reported. In t(11;22)(q13;q11), 3'UTR of cyclin D1 fused to the constant region of λ7 with nucleotide mutations. We also amplified four Vλ/Jλ recombination sequences. Our method is a useful tool for molecular analysis of genetic events in IGλ. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  2. Signal intensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images of condylar marrow changes correspond with slight pain in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders.

    PubMed

    Kodama, Sayaka; Otonari-Yamamoto, Mika; Sano, Tsukasa; Sakamoto, Junichirou; Imoto, Kenichi; Wakoh, Mamoru

    2014-01-01

    Edema and necrosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) have been described in terms of bone marrow signal abnormalities in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, painful joints often show no such signaling abnormalities, making the diagnosis of TMJ disorders difficult in the clinical setting. An association has been suggested between TMJ bone marrow change and TMJ pain, but even when such change results in slight pain, it may be too slight to be visually apparent on MR images. We hypothesized that fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) can be used to detect such minimal changes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between signal intensity on FLAIR images and pain in the TMJ. The study included 85 TMJs in 45 patients referred to our department for MRI. The signal intensity on FLAIR images was measured. Pain was evaluated based on the visual analog scale. An unpaired t test and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient were used for the statistical analysis. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Signal intensity on the FLAIR images was significantly higher in painful than in nonpainful TMJs, although a significant correlation was not observed between the signal intensity and the pain score. The results of this study suggest an association between abnormalities in the marrow of the mandibular condyle and pain. They also indicate that FLAIR imaging is a useful tool in the clinical diagnosis of painful TMJs.

  3. a Novel Discrete Optimal Transport Method for Bayesian Inverse Problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bui-Thanh, T.; Myers, A.; Wang, K.; Thiery, A.

    2017-12-01

    We present the Augmented Ensemble Transform (AET) method for generating approximate samples from a high-dimensional posterior distribution as a solution to Bayesian inverse problems. Solving large-scale inverse problems is critical for some of the most relevant and impactful scientific endeavors of our time. Therefore, constructing novel methods for solving the Bayesian inverse problem in more computationally efficient ways can have a profound impact on the science community. This research derives the novel AET method for exploring a posterior by solving a sequence of linear programming problems, resulting in a series of transport maps which map prior samples to posterior samples, allowing for the computation of moments of the posterior. We show both theoretical and numerical results, indicating this method can offer superior computational efficiency when compared to other SMC methods. Most of this efficiency is derived from matrix scaling methods to solve the linear programming problem and derivative-free optimization for particle movement. We use this method to determine inter-well connectivity in a reservoir and the associated uncertainty related to certain parameters. The attached file shows the difference between the true parameter and the AET parameter in an example 3D reservoir problem. The error is within the Morozov discrepancy allowance with lower computational cost than other particle methods.

  4. Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences of Mongolia Medicine Artemisia frigida and Phylogenetic Relationships with Other Plants

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yue; Huo, Naxin; Dong, Lingli; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Shuixian; Young, Hugh A.; Feng, Xiaoxiao; Gu, Yong Qiang

    2013-01-01

    Background Artemisia frigida Willd. is an important Mongolian traditional medicinal plant with pharmacological functions of stanch and detumescence. However, there is little sequence and genomic information available for Artemisia frigida, which makes phylogenetic identification, evolutionary studies, and genetic improvement of its value very difficult. We report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida based on 454 pyrosequencing. Methodology/Principal Findings The complete chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida is 151,076 bp including a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,740 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,394 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,971 bp. The genome contains 114 unique genes and 18 duplicated genes. The chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida contains a small 3.4 kb inversion within a large 23 kb inversion in the LSC region, a unique feature in Asteraceae. The gene order in the SSC region of Artemisia frigida is inverted compared with the other 6 Asteraceae species with the chloroplast genomes sequenced. This inversion is likely caused by an intramolecular recombination event only occurred in Artemisia frigida. The existence of rich SSR loci in the Artemisia frigida chloroplast genome provides a rare opportunity to study population genetics of this Mongolian medicinal plant. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates a sister relationship between Artemisia frigida and four other species in Asteraceae, including Ageratina adenophora, Helianthus annuus, Guizotia abyssinica and Lactuca sativa, based on 61 protein-coding sequences. Furthermore, Artemisia frigida was placed in the tribe Anthemideae in the subfamily Asteroideae (Asteraceae) based on ndhF and trnL-F sequence comparisons. Conclusion The chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida was assembled and analyzed in this study, representing the first plastid genome sequenced in the Anthemideae tribe. This complete chloroplast genome sequence will be

  5. A mini-library of TBA analogues containing 3'-3' and 5'-5' inversion of polarity sites.

    PubMed

    Esposito, V; Galeone, A; Mayol, L; Randazzo, A; Virgilio, A; Virno, A

    2007-01-01

    Several researches have been devoted to structure-activity relationship and to post-SELEX modifications of the thrombin binding aptamer (TBA), one of the first aptamers discovered by the SELEX methodology. However, no studies on TBA dealing with the effects of introduction of inversion of polarity sites have been reported yet. In this frame, we have undertaken the synthesis and the study of a mini-library composed of several TBA analogues containing a 3'-3' or a 5'-5' inversion of polarity site at different positions into the sequence. Particularly, in this article, we present preliminary results about their structural and biological properties.

  6. The application of magnetic bead hybridization for the recovery and STR amplification of degraded and inhibited forensic DNA.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jing; McCord, Bruce

    2011-06-01

    A common problem in the analysis of forensic DNA evidence is the presence of environmentally degraded and inhibited DNA. Such samples produce a variety of interpretational problems such as allele imbalance, allele dropout and sequence specific inhibition. In an attempt to develop methods to enhance the recovery of this type of evidence, magnetic bead hybridization has been applied to extract and preconcentrate DNA sequences containing short tandem repeat (STR) alleles of interest. In this work, genomic DNA was fragmented by heating, and sequences associated with STR alleles were selectively hybridized to allele-specific biotinylated probes. Each particular biotinylated probe-DNA complex was bound to streptavidin-coated magnetic beads using enabling enrichment of target DNA sequences. Experiments conducted using degraded DNA samples, as well as samples containing a large concentration of inhibitory substances, showed good specificity and recovery of missing alleles. Based on the favorable results obtained with these specific probes, this method should prove useful as a tool to improve the recovery of alleles from degraded and inhibited DNA samples. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Reducing excessive GABAergic tonic inhibition promotes post-stroke functional recovery

    PubMed Central

    Clarkson, Andrew N.; Huang, Ben S.; MacIsaac, Sarah E.; Mody, Istvan; Carmichael, S. Thomas

    2010-01-01

    Stroke is a leading cause of disability; but no pharmacological therapy is currently available for promoting recovery. The brain region adjacent to stroke damage, the peri-infarct zone, is critical for rehabilitation, as it exhibits heightened neuroplasticity, allowing sensorimotor functions to re-map from damaged areas1–3. Thus, understanding the neuronal properties constraining this plasticity is important to developing new treatments. Here we show that after a stroke in mice, tonic neuronal inhibition is increased in the peri-infarct zone. This increased tonic inhibition is mediated by extrasynaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) and is caused by an impairment in GABA transporter (GAT-3/4) function. To counteract the heightened inhibition, we administered in vivo a benzodiazepine inverse agonist specific for the α5-subunit-containing extrasynaptic GABAARs at a delay after stroke. This treatment produced an early and sustained recovery of motor function. Genetically lowering the number of α5 or δ-subunit-containing GABAARs responsible for tonic inhibition also proved beneficial for post-stroke recovery, consistent with the therapeutic potential of diminishing extrasynaptic GABAAR function. Together, our results identify new pharmacological targets and provide the rationale for a novel strategy to promote recovery after stroke and possibly other brain injuries. PMID:21048709

  8. Plasma inverse transition acceleration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xie, Ming

    It can be proved fundamentally from the reciprocity theorem with which the electromagnetism is endowed that corresponding to each spontaneous process of radiation by a charged particle there is an inverse process which defines a unique acceleration mechanism, from Cherenkov radiation to inverse Cherenkov acceleration (ICA) [1], from Smith-Purcell radiation to inverse Smith-Purcell acceleration (ISPA) [2], and from undulator radiation to inverse undulator acceleration (IUA) [3]. There is no exception. Yet, for nearly 30 years after each of the aforementioned inverse processes has been clarified for laser acceleration, inverse transition acceleration (ITA), despite speculation [4], has remained the least understood,more » and above all, no practical implementation of ITA has been found, until now. Unlike all its counterparts in which phase synchronism is established one way or the other such that a particle can continuously gain energy from an acceleration wave, the ITA to be discussed here, termed plasma inverse transition acceleration (PITA), operates under fundamentally different principle. As a result, the discovery of PITA has been delayed for decades, waiting for a conceptual breakthrough in accelerator physics: the principle of alternating gradient acceleration [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. In fact, PITA was invented [7, 8] as one of several realizations of the new principle.« less

  9. CAPRRESI: Chimera Assembly by Plasmid Recovery and Restriction Enzyme Site Insertion.

    PubMed

    Santillán, Orlando; Ramírez-Romero, Miguel A; Dávila, Guillermo

    2017-06-25

    Here, we present chimera assembly by plasmid recovery and restriction enzyme site insertion (CAPRRESI). CAPRRESI benefits from many strengths of the original plasmid recovery method and introduces restriction enzyme digestion to ease DNA ligation reactions (required for chimera assembly). For this protocol, users clone wildtype genes into the same plasmid (pUC18 or pUC19). After the in silico selection of amino acid sequence regions where chimeras should be assembled, users obtain all the synonym DNA sequences that encode them. Ad hoc Perl scripts enable users to determine all synonym DNA sequences. After this step, another Perl script searches for restriction enzyme sites on all synonym DNA sequences. This in silico analysis is also performed using the ampicillin resistance gene (ampR) found on pUC18/19 plasmids. Users design oligonucleotides inside synonym regions to disrupt wildtype and ampR genes by PCR. After obtaining and purifying complementary DNA fragments, restriction enzyme digestion is accomplished. Chimera assembly is achieved by ligating appropriate complementary DNA fragments. pUC18/19 vectors are selected for CAPRRESI because they offer technical advantages, such as small size (2,686 base pairs), high copy number, advantageous sequencing reaction features, and commercial availability. The usage of restriction enzymes for chimera assembly eliminates the need for DNA polymerases yielding blunt-ended products. CAPRRESI is a fast and low-cost method for fusing protein-coding genes.

  10. Validation and Genotyping of Multiple Human Polymorphic Inversions Mediated by Inverted Repeats Reveals a High Degree of Recurrence

    PubMed Central

    Aguado, Cristina; Gayà-Vidal, Magdalena; Villatoro, Sergi; Oliva, Meritxell; Izquierdo, David; Giner-Delgado, Carla; Montalvo, Víctor; García-González, Judit; Martínez-Fundichely, Alexander; Capilla, Laia; Ruiz-Herrera, Aurora; Estivill, Xavier; Puig, Marta; Cáceres, Mario

    2014-01-01

    In recent years different types of structural variants (SVs) have been discovered in the human genome and their functional impact has become increasingly clear. Inversions, however, are poorly characterized and more difficult to study, especially those mediated by inverted repeats or segmental duplications. Here, we describe the results of a simple and fast inverse PCR (iPCR) protocol for high-throughput genotyping of a wide variety of inversions using a small amount of DNA. In particular, we analyzed 22 inversions predicted in humans ranging from 5.1 kb to 226 kb and mediated by inverted repeat sequences of 1.6–24 kb. First, we validated 17 of the 22 inversions in a panel of nine HapMap individuals from different populations, and we genotyped them in 68 additional individuals of European origin, with correct genetic transmission in ∼12 mother-father-child trios. Global inversion minor allele frequency varied between 1% and 49% and inversion genotypes were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. By analyzing the nucleotide variation and the haplotypes in these regions, we found that only four inversions have linked tag-SNPs and that in many cases there are multiple shared SNPs between standard and inverted chromosomes, suggesting an unexpected high degree of inversion recurrence during human evolution. iPCR was also used to check 16 of these inversions in four chimpanzees and two gorillas, and 10 showed both orientations either within or between species, providing additional support for their multiple origin. Finally, we have identified several inversions that include genes in the inverted or breakpoint regions, and at least one disrupts a potential coding gene. Thus, these results represent a significant advance in our understanding of inversion polymorphism in human populations and challenge the common view of a single origin of inversions, with important implications for inversion analysis in SNP-based studies. PMID:24651690

  11. Inverse scattering theory: Inverse scattering series method for one dimensional non-compact support potential

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yao, Jie, E-mail: yjie2@uh.edu; Lesage, Anne-Cécile; Hussain, Fazle

    2014-12-15

    The reversion of the Born-Neumann series of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation is one of the standard ways to solve the inverse acoustic scattering problem. One limitation of the current inversion methods based on the reversion of the Born-Neumann series is that the velocity potential should have compact support. However, this assumption cannot be satisfied in certain cases, especially in seismic inversion. Based on the idea of distorted wave scattering, we explore an inverse scattering method for velocity potentials without compact support. The strategy is to decompose the actual medium as a known single interface reference medium, which has the same asymptoticmore » form as the actual medium and a perturbative scattering potential with compact support. After introducing the method to calculate the Green’s function for the known reference potential, the inverse scattering series and Volterra inverse scattering series are derived for the perturbative potential. Analytical and numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method. Besides, to ensure stability of the numerical computation, the Lanczos averaging method is employed as a filter to reduce the Gibbs oscillations for the truncated discrete inverse Fourier transform of each order. Our method provides a rigorous mathematical framework for inverse acoustic scattering with a non-compact support velocity potential.« less

  12. Use of Sequence-Independent, Single-Primer-Amplification (SISPA) for rapid detection, identification, and characterization of avian RNA viruses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Current technologies with next generation sequencing have revolutionized metagenomics analysis of clinical samples. To achieve the non-selective amplification and recovery of low abundance genetic sequences, a simplified Sequence-Independent, Single-Primer Amplification (SISPA) technique in combinat...

  13. 75 FR 34279 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2009-011, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-16

    ..., Sequence 1] RIN 9000-AL20 Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2009-011, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)--GAO/IG Access AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General Services... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE...

  14. Genomic evidence for role of inversion 3RP of Drosophila melanogaster in facilitating climate change adaptation.

    PubMed

    Rane, Rahul V; Rako, Lea; Kapun, Martin; Lee, Siu F; Hoffmann, Ary A

    2015-05-01

    Chromosomal inversion polymorphisms are common in animals and plants, and recent models suggest that alternative arrangements spread by capturing different combinations of alleles acting additively or epistatically to favour local adaptation. It is also thought that inversions typically maintain favoured combinations for a long time by suppressing recombination between alternative chromosomal arrangements. Here, we consider patterns of linkage disequilibrium and genetic divergence in an old inversion polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster (In(3R)Payne) known to be associated with climate change adaptation and a recent invasion event into Australia. We extracted, karyotyped and sequenced whole chromosomes from two Australian populations, so that changes in the arrangement of the alleles between geographically separated tropical and temperate areas could be compared. Chromosome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed strong LD within the region spanned by In(3R)Payne. This genomic region also showed strong differentiation between the tropical and the temperate populations, but no differentiation between different karyotypes from the same population, after controlling for chromosomal arrangement. Patterns of differentiation across the chromosome arm and in gene ontologies were enhanced by the presence of the inversion. These data support the notion that inversions are strongly selected by bringing together combinations of genes, but it is still not clear if such combinations act additively or epistatically. Our data suggest that climatic adaptation through inversions can be dynamic, reflecting changes in the relative abundance of different forms of an inversion and ongoing evolution of allelic content within an inversion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Evaluation of a Secondary School Science Program Inversion: Moving from a Traditional to a Modifified-PCB Sequence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaubatz, Julie

    2013-01-01

    Studies of high-school science course sequences have been limited primarily to a small number of site-specific investigations comparing traditional science sequences (e.g., Biology-Chemistry-Physics: BCP) to various Physics First-influenced sequences (Physics-Chemistry-Biology: PCB). The present study summarizes a five-year program evaluation…

  16. Kinematic Rupture Process of the 2015 Gorkha (Nepal) Earthquake Sequence from Joint Inversion of Teleseismic, hr-GPS, Strong-Ground Motion, InSAR interferograms and pixel offsets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yue, H.; Simons, M.; Jiang, J.; Fielding, E. J.; Owen, S. E.; Moore, A. W.; Riel, B. V.; Polet, J.; Duputel, Z.; Samsonov, S. V.; Avouac, J. P.

    2015-12-01

    The April 2015 Gorkha, Nepal (Mw 7.8) earthquake ruptured the front of Himalaya thrust belt, causing more than 9,000 fatalities. 17 days after the main event, a large aftershock (Mw 7.2) ruptured to down-dip and east of the main rupture area. To investigate the kinematic rupture process of this earthquake sequence, we explored linear and non-linear inversion techniques using a variety of datasets including teleseismic, high rate and conventional GPS, InSAR interferograms and pixel-offsets. InSAR interferograms from ALOS-2, RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1a satellites are used in the joint inversion. The main event is characterized by unilateral rupture extending along strike approximately 70 km to the southeast and 40 km along dip direction. The rupture velocity is well resolved to be lie between 2.8 and 3.0 km/s, which is consistent with back-projection results. An emergent initial phase is observed in teleseismic body wave records, which is consistent with a narrow area of rupture initiation near the hypocenter. The rupture mode of the main event is pulse like. The aftershock ruptured down-dip to the northeast of the main event rupture area. The aftershock rupture area is compact and contained within 40 km of its hypocenter. In contrast to the main event, teleseismic body wave records of the aftershock suggest an abrupt initial phase, which is consistent with a crack like rupture mode. The locations of most of the aftershocks (small and large) surround the rupture area of the main shock with little, if any, spatial overlap.

  17. Utility of fat-suppressed sequences in differentiation of aggressive vs typical asymptomatic haemangioma of the spine.

    PubMed

    Nabavizadeh, Seyed Ali; Mamourian, Alexander; Schmitt, James E; Cloran, Francis; Vossough, Arastoo; Pukenas, Bryan; Loevner, Laurie A; Mohan, Suyash

    2016-01-01

    While haemangiomas are common benign vascular lesions involving the spine, some behave in an aggressive fashion. We investigated the utility of fat-suppressed sequences to differentiate between benign and aggressive vertebral haemangiomas. Patients with the diagnosis of aggressive vertebral haemangioma and available short tau inversion-recovery or T2 fat saturation sequence were included in the study. 11 patients with typical asymptomatic vertebral body haemangiomas were selected as the control group. Region of interest signal intensity (SI) analysis of the entire haemangioma as well as the portion of each haemangioma with highest signal on fat-saturation sequences was performed and normalized to a reference normal vertebral body. A total of 8 patients with aggressive vertebral haemangioma and 11 patients with asymptomatic typical vertebral haemangioma were included. There was a significant difference between total normalized mean SI ratio (3.14 vs 1.48, p = 0.0002), total normalized maximum SI ratio (5.72 vs 2.55, p = 0.0003), brightest normalized mean SI ratio (4.28 vs 1.72, p < 0.0001) and brightest normalized maximum SI ratio (5.25 vs 2.45, p = 0.0003). Multiple measures were able to discriminate between groups with high sensitivity (>88%) and specificity (>82%). In addition to the conventional imaging features such as vertebral expansion and presence of extravertebral component, quantitative evaluation of fat-suppression sequences is also another imaging feature that can differentiate aggressive haemangioma and typical asymptomatic haemangioma. The use of quantitative fat-suppressed MRI in vertebral haemangiomas is demonstrated. Quantitative fat-suppressed MRI can have a role in confirming the diagnosis of aggressive haemangiomas. In addition, this application can be further investigated in future studies to predict aggressiveness of vertebral haemangiomas in early stages.

  18. Utility of fat-suppressed sequences in differentiation of aggressive vs typical asymptomatic haemangioma of the spine

    PubMed Central

    Nabavizadeh, Seyed Ali; Mamourian, Alexander; Schmitt, James E; Cloran, Francis; Vossough, Arastoo; Pukenas, Bryan; Loevner, Laurie A

    2016-01-01

    Objective: While haemangiomas are common benign vascular lesions involving the spine, some behave in an aggressive fashion. We investigated the utility of fat-suppressed sequences to differentiate between benign and aggressive vertebral haemangiomas. Methods: Patients with the diagnosis of aggressive vertebral haemangioma and available short tau inversion-recovery or T2 fat saturation sequence were included in the study. 11 patients with typical asymptomatic vertebral body haemangiomas were selected as the control group. Region of interest signal intensity (SI) analysis of the entire haemangioma as well as the portion of each haemangioma with highest signal on fat-saturation sequences was performed and normalized to a reference normal vertebral body. Results: A total of 8 patients with aggressive vertebral haemangioma and 11 patients with asymptomatic typical vertebral haemangioma were included. There was a significant difference between total normalized mean SI ratio (3.14 vs 1.48, p = 0.0002), total normalized maximum SI ratio (5.72 vs 2.55, p = 0.0003), brightest normalized mean SI ratio (4.28 vs 1.72, p < 0.0001) and brightest normalized maximum SI ratio (5.25 vs 2.45, p = 0.0003). Multiple measures were able to discriminate between groups with high sensitivity (>88%) and specificity (>82%). Conclusion: In addition to the conventional imaging features such as vertebral expansion and presence of extravertebral component, quantitative evaluation of fat-suppression sequences is also another imaging feature that can differentiate aggressive haemangioma and typical asymptomatic haemangioma. Advances in knowledge: The use of quantitative fat-suppressed MRI in vertebral haemangiomas is demonstrated. Quantitative fat-suppressed MRI can have a role in confirming the diagnosis of aggressive haemangiomas. In addition, this application can be further investigated in future studies to predict aggressiveness of vertebral haemangiomas in early stages. PMID

  19. An Inversion Disrupting FAM134B Is Associated with Sensory Neuropathy in the Border Collie Dog Breed

    PubMed Central

    Forman, Oliver P.; Hitti, Rebekkah J.; Pettitt, Louise; Jenkins, Christopher A.; O’Brien, Dennis P.; Shelton, G. Diane; De Risio, Luisa; Quintana, Rodrigo Gutierrez; Beltran, Elsa; Mellersh, Cathryn

    2016-01-01

    Sensory neuropathy in the Border Collie is a severe neurological disorder caused by the degeneration of sensory and, to a lesser extent, motor nerve cells with clinical signs starting between 2 and 7 months of age. Using a genome-wide association study approach with three cases and 170 breed matched controls, a suggestive locus for sensory neuropathy was identified that was followed up using a genome sequencing approach. An inversion disrupting the candidate gene FAM134B was identified. Genotyping of additional cases and controls and RNAseq analysis provided strong evidence that the inversion is causal. Evidence of cryptic splicing resulting in novel exon transcription for FAM134B was identified by RNAseq experiments. This investigation demonstrates the identification of a novel sensory neuropathy associated mutation, by mapping using a minimal set of cases and subsequent genome sequencing. Through mutation screening, it should be possible to reduce the frequency of or completely eliminate this debilitating condition from the Border Collie breed population. PMID:27527794

  20. Detection of an inversion in the Ty-2 region between S. lycopersicum and S. habrochaites by a combination of de novo genome assembly and BAC cloning.

    PubMed

    Wolters, Anne-Marie A; Caro, Myluska; Dong, Shufang; Finkers, Richard; Gao, Jianchang; Visser, Richard G F; Wang, Xiaoxuan; Du, Yongchen; Bai, Yuling

    2015-10-01

    A chromosomal inversion associated with the tomato Ty - 2 gene for TYLCV resistance is the cause of severe suppression of recombination in a tomato Ty - 2 introgression line. Among tomato and its wild relatives inversions are often observed, which result in suppression of recombination. Such inversions hamper the transfer of important traits from a related species to the crop by introgression breeding. Suppression of recombination was reported for the TYLCV resistance gene, Ty-2, which has been introgressed in cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) from the wild relative S. habrochaites accession B6013. Ty-2 was mapped to a 300-kb region on the long arm of chromosome 11. The suppression of recombination in the Ty-2 region could be caused by chromosomal rearrangements in S. habrochaites compared with S. lycopersicum. With the aim of visualizing the genome structure of the Ty-2 region, we compared the draft de novo assembly of S. habrochaites accession LYC4 with the sequence of cultivated tomato ('Heinz'). Furthermore, using populations derived from intraspecific crosses of S. habrochaites accessions, the order of markers in the Ty-2 region was studied. Results showed the presence of an inversion of approximately 200 kb in the Ty-2 region when comparing S. lycopersicum and S. habrochaites. By sequencing a BAC clone from the Ty-2 introgression line, one inversion breakpoint was identified. Finally, the obtained results are discussed with respect to introgression breeding and the importance of a priori de novo sequencing of the species involved.

  1. Detection and volume estimation of artificial hematomas in the subcutaneous fatty tissue: comparison of different MR sequences at 3.0 T.

    PubMed

    Ogris, Kathrin; Petrovic, Andreas; Scheicher, Sylvia; Sprenger, Hanna; Urschler, Martin; Hassler, Eva Maria; Yen, Kathrin; Scheurer, Eva

    2017-06-01

    In legal medicine, reliable localization and analysis of hematomas in subcutaneous fatty tissue is required for forensic reconstruction. Due to the absence of ionizing radiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is particularly suited to examining living persons with forensically relevant injuries. However, there is limited experience regarding MRI signal properties of hemorrhage in soft tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate MR sequences with respect to their ability to show high contrast between hematomas and subcutaneous fatty tissue as well as to reliably determine the volume of artificial hematomas. Porcine tissue models were prepared by injecting blood into the subcutaneous fatty tissue to create artificial hematomas. MR images were acquired at 3T and four blinded observers conducted manual segmentation of the hematomas. To assess segmentability, the agreement of measured volume with the known volume of injected blood was statistically analyzed. A physically motivated normalization taking into account partial volume effect was applied to the data to ensure comparable results among differently sized hematomas. The inversion recovery sequence exhibited the best segmentability rate, whereas the T1T2w turbo spin echo sequence showed the most accurate results regarding volume estimation. Both sequences led to reproducible volume estimations. This study demonstrates that MRI is a promising forensic tool to assess and visualize even very small amounts of blood in soft tissue. The presented results enable the improvement of protocols for detection and volume determination of hemorrhage in forensically relevant cases and also provide fundamental knowledge for future in-vivo examinations.

  2. Optimization-Based Approach for Joint X-Ray Fluorescence and Transmission Tomographic Inversion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Di, Zichao; Leyffer, Sven; Wild, Stefan M.

    2016-01-01

    Fluorescence tomographic reconstruction, based on the detection of photons coming from fluorescent emission, can be used for revealing the internal elemental composition of a sample. On the other hand, conventional X-ray transmission tomography can be used for reconstructing the spatial distribution of the absorption coefficient inside a sample. In this work, we integrate both X-ray fluorescence and X-ray transmission data modalities and formulate a nonlinear optimization-based approach for reconstruction of the elemental composition of a given object. This model provides a simultaneous reconstruction of both the quantitative spatial distribution of all elements and the absorption effect in the sample. Mathematicallymore » speaking, we show that compared with the single-modality inversion (i.e., the X-ray transmission or fluorescence alone), the joint inversion provides a better-posed problem, which implies a better recovery. Therefore, the challenges in X-ray fluorescence tomography arising mainly from the effects of self-absorption in the sample are partially mitigated. The use of this technique is demonstrated on the reconstruction of several synthetic samples.« less

  3. Maternal Gametic Transmission of Translocations or Inversions of Human Chromosome 11p15.5 Results in Regional DNA Hypermethylation and Downregulation of CDKN1C Expression

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Adam C.; Suzuki, Masako; Thompson, Reid; Choufani, Sanaa; Higgins, Michael J.; Chiu, Idy W.; Squire, Jeremy A.; Greally, John M.; Weksberg, Rosanna

    2015-01-01

    Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an overgrowth syndrome associated with genetic or epigenetic alterations in one of two imprinted domains on chromosome 11p15.5. Rarely, chromosomal translocations or inversions of chromosome 11p15.5 are associated with BWS but the molecular pathophysiology in such cases is not understood. In our series of 3 translocation and 2 inversion patients with BWS, the chromosome 11p15.5 breakpoints map within the centromeric imprinted domain, 2. We hypothesized that either microdeletions/microduplications adjacent to the breakpoints could disrupt genomic sequences important for imprinted gene regulation. An alternate hypothesis was that epigenetic alterations of as yet unknown regulatory DNA sequences, result in the BWS phenotype. A high resolution Nimblegen custom microarray was designed representing all non-repetitive sequences in the telomeric 33 MB of the short arm of human chromosome 11. For the BWS-associated chromosome 11p15.5 translocations and inversions, we found no evidence of microdeletions/microduplications. DNA methylation was also tested on this microarray using the HpaII tiny fragment enrichment by ligation-mediated PCR (HELP) assay. This high-resolution DNA methylation microarray analysis revealed a gain of DNA methylation in the translocation/inversion patients affecting the p-ter segment of chromosome 11p15, including both imprinted domains. BWS patients that inherited a maternal translocation or inversion also demonstrated reduced expression of the growth suppressing imprinted gene, CDKN1C in Domain 2. In summary, our data demonstrate that translocations and inversions involving imprinted domain 2 on chromosome 11p15.5, alter regional DNA methylation patterns and imprinted gene expression in cis, suggesting that these epigenetic alterations are generated by an alteration in “chromatin context”. PMID:22079941

  4. Time-Lapse Acoustic Impedance Inversion in CO2 Sequestration Study (Weyburn Field, Canada)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Y.; Morozov, I. B.

    2016-12-01

    Acoustic-impedance (AI) pseudo-logs are useful for characterising subtle variations of fluid content during seismic monitoring of reservoirs undergoing enhanced oil recovery and/or geologic CO2 sequestration. However, highly accurate AI images are required for time-lapse analysis, which may be difficult to achieve with conventional inversion approaches. In this study, two enhancements of time-lapse AI analysis are proposed. First, a well-known uncertainty of AI inversion is caused by the lack of low-frequency signal in reflection seismic data. To resolve this difficulty, we utilize an integrated AI inversion approach combining seismic data, acoustic well logs and seismic-processing velocities. The use of well logs helps stabilizing the recursive AI inverse, and seismic-processing velocities are used to complement the low-frequency information in seismic records. To derive the low-frequency AI from seismic-processing velocity data, an empirical relation is determined by using the available acoustic logs. This method is simple and does not require subjective choices of parameters and regularization schemes as in the more sophisticated joint inversion methods. The second improvement to accurate time-lapse AI imaging consists in time-variant calibration of reflectivity. Calibration corrections consist of time shifts, amplitude corrections, spectral shaping and phase rotations. Following the calibration, average and differential reflection amplitudes are calculated, from which the average and differential AI are obtained. The approaches are applied to a time-lapse 3-D 3-C dataset from Weyburn CO2 sequestration project in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. High quality time-lapse AI volumes are obtained. Comparisons with traditional recursive and colored AI inversions (obtained without using seismic-processing velocities) show that the new method gives a better representation of spatial AI variations. Although only early stages of monitoring seismic data are available, time

  5. Systolic MOLLI T1 mapping with heart-rate-dependent pulse sequence sampling scheme is feasible in patients with atrial fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Lei; Li, Songnan; Ma, Xiaohai; Greiser, Andreas; Zhang, Tianjing; An, Jing; Bai, Rong; Dong, Jianzeng; Fan, Zhanming

    2016-03-15

    T1 mapping enables assessment of myocardial characteristics. As the most common type of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (AF) is often accompanied by a variety of cardiac pathologies, whereby the irregular and usually rapid ventricle rate of AF may cause inaccurate T1 estimation due to mis-triggering and inadequate magnetization recovery. We hypothesized that systolic T1 mapping with a heart-rate-dependent (HRD) pulse sequence scheme may overcome this issue. 30 patients with AF and 13 healthy volunteers were enrolled and underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at 3 T. CMR was repeated for 3 patients after electric cardioversion and for 2 volunteers after lowering heart rate (HR). A Modified Look-Locker Inversion Recovery (MOLLI) sequence was acquired before and 15 min after administration of 0.1 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine. For AF patients, both the fixed 5(3)3/4(1)3(1)2 and the HRD sampling scheme were performed at diastole and systole, respectively. The HRD pulse sequence sampling scheme was 5(n)3/4(n)3(n)2, where n was determined by the heart rate to ensure adequate magnetization recovery. Image quality of T1 maps was assessed. T1 times were measured in myocardium and blood. Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) was calculated. In volunteers with repeated T1 mapping, the myocardial native T1 and ECV generated from the 1st fixed sampling scheme were smaller than from the 1st HRD and 2nd fixed sampling scheme. In healthy volunteers, the overall native T1 times and ECV of the left ventricle (LV) in diastolic T1 maps were greater than in systolic T1 maps (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). In the 3 AF patients that had received electrical cardioversion therapy, the myocardial native T1 times and ECV generated from the fixed sampling scheme were smaller than in the 1st and 2nd HRD sampling scheme (all P < 0.05). In patients with AF (HR: 88 ± 20 bpm, HR fluctuation: 12 ± 9 bpm), more T1 maps with artifact were found in diastole than in systole (P

  6. Inverse scattering pre-stack depth imaging and it's comparison to some depth migration methods for imaging rich fault complex structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurhandoko, Bagus Endar B.; Sukmana, Indriani; Mubarok, Syahrul; Deny, Agus; Widowati, Sri; Kurniadi, Rizal

    2012-06-01

    Migration is important issue for seismic imaging in complex structure. In this decade, depth imaging becomes important tools for producing accurate image in depth imaging instead of time domain imaging. The challenge of depth migration method, however, is in revealing the complex structure of subsurface. There are many methods of depth migration with their advantages and weaknesses. In this paper, we show our propose method of pre-stack depth migration based on time domain inverse scattering wave equation. Hopefully this method can be as solution for imaging complex structure in Indonesia, especially in rich thrusting fault zones. In this research, we develop a recent advance wave equation migration based on time domain inverse scattering wave which use more natural wave propagation using scattering wave. This wave equation pre-stack depth migration use time domain inverse scattering wave equation based on Helmholtz equation. To provide true amplitude recovery, an inverse of divergence procedure and recovering transmission loss are considered of pre-stack migration. Benchmarking the propose inverse scattering pre-stack depth migration with the other migration methods are also presented, i.e.: wave equation pre-stack depth migration, waveequation depth migration, and pre-stack time migration method. This inverse scattering pre-stack depth migration could image successfully the rich fault zone which consist extremely dip and resulting superior quality of seismic image. The image quality of inverse scattering migration is much better than the others migration methods.

  7. A Generalization of the Spherical Inversion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramírez, José L.; Rubiano, Gustavo N.

    2017-01-01

    In the present article, we introduce a generalization of the spherical inversion. In particular, we define an inversion with respect to an ellipsoid, and prove several properties of this new transformation. The inversion in an ellipsoid is the generalization of the elliptic inversion to the three-dimensional space. We also study the inverse images…

  8. Symmetric convolution of asymmetric multidimensional sequences using discrete trigonometric transforms.

    PubMed

    Foltz, T M; Welsh, B M

    1999-01-01

    This paper uses the fact that the discrete Fourier transform diagonalizes a circulant matrix to provide an alternate derivation of the symmetric convolution-multiplication property for discrete trigonometric transforms. Derived in this manner, the symmetric convolution-multiplication property extends easily to multiple dimensions using the notion of block circulant matrices and generalizes to multidimensional asymmetric sequences. The symmetric convolution of multidimensional asymmetric sequences can then be accomplished by taking the product of the trigonometric transforms of the sequences and then applying an inverse trigonometric transform to the result. An example is given of how this theory can be used for applying a two-dimensional (2-D) finite impulse response (FIR) filter with nonlinear phase which models atmospheric turbulence.

  9. Mechanistic studies of the metabolic chiral inversion of (R)-ibuprofen in humans

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baillie, T.A.; Adams, W.J.; Kaiser, D.G.

    1989-05-01

    The metabolic chiral inversion of R-(-)-ibuprofen has been studied in human subjects by means of specific deuterium labeling and stereoselective gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methodology. After simultaneous p.o. administration of a mixture of R-(-)-ibuprofen (300 mg) and R-(-)-(3,3,3-2H3)ibuprofen (304 mg) to four adult male volunteers, the enantiomeric composition and deuterium content of the drug in serum, and of the drug and its principal metabolites in urine, were followed over a period of 24 hr. The results of these analyses indicated that: (1) conversion of R-(-)- to S-(+)-ibuprofen takes place with complete retention of deuterium at the beta-methyl (C-3) position; (2) chiralmore » inversion of R-(-)-(2H3)ibuprofen is not subject to a discernible deuterium isotope effect; and (3) replacement of the beta-methyl hydrogen atoms by deuterium has no effect on any of the serum pharmacokinetic parameters for R-(-)- or S-(+)-ibuprofen. These data indicate that the process whereby R-(-)-ibuprofen undergoes metabolic inversion in human subjects does not involve 2,3-dehydroibuprofen as an intermediate, and that the underlying mechanism cannot, therefore, entail a desaturation/reduction sequence.« less

  10. Wake Vortex Inverse Model User's Guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lai, David; Delisi, Donald

    2008-01-01

    NorthWest Research Associates (NWRA) has developed an inverse model for inverting landing aircraft vortex data. The data used for the inversion are the time evolution of the lateral transport position and vertical position of both the port and starboard vortices. The inverse model performs iterative forward model runs using various estimates of vortex parameters, vertical crosswind profiles, and vortex circulation as a function of wake age. Forward model predictions of lateral transport and altitude are then compared with the observed data. Differences between the data and model predictions guide the choice of vortex parameter values, crosswind profile and circulation evolution in the next iteration. Iterations are performed until a user-defined criterion is satisfied. Currently, the inverse model is set to stop when the improvement in the rms deviation between the data and model predictions is less than 1 percent for two consecutive iterations. The forward model used in this inverse model is a modified version of the Shear-APA model. A detailed description of this forward model, the inverse model, and its validation are presented in a different report (Lai, Mellman, Robins, and Delisi, 2007). This document is a User's Guide for the Wake Vortex Inverse Model. Section 2 presents an overview of the inverse model program. Execution of the inverse model is described in Section 3. When executing the inverse model, a user is requested to provide the name of an input file which contains the inverse model parameters, the various datasets, and directories needed for the inversion. A detailed description of the list of parameters in the inversion input file is presented in Section 4. A user has an option to save the inversion results of each lidar track in a mat-file (a condensed data file in Matlab format). These saved mat-files can be used for post-inversion analysis. A description of the contents of the saved files is given in Section 5. An example of an inversion input

  11. CT Image Sequence Restoration Based on Sparse and Low-Rank Decomposition

    PubMed Central

    Gou, Shuiping; Wang, Yueyue; Wang, Zhilong; Peng, Yong; Zhang, Xiaopeng; Jiao, Licheng; Wu, Jianshe

    2013-01-01

    Blurry organ boundaries and soft tissue structures present a major challenge in biomedical image restoration. In this paper, we propose a low-rank decomposition-based method for computed tomography (CT) image sequence restoration, where the CT image sequence is decomposed into a sparse component and a low-rank component. A new point spread function of Weiner filter is employed to efficiently remove blur in the sparse component; a wiener filtering with the Gaussian PSF is used to recover the average image of the low-rank component. And then we get the recovered CT image sequence by combining the recovery low-rank image with all recovery sparse image sequence. Our method achieves restoration results with higher contrast, sharper organ boundaries and richer soft tissue structure information, compared with existing CT image restoration methods. The robustness of our method was assessed with numerical experiments using three different low-rank models: Robust Principle Component Analysis (RPCA), Linearized Alternating Direction Method with Adaptive Penalty (LADMAP) and Go Decomposition (GoDec). Experimental results demonstrated that the RPCA model was the most suitable for the small noise CT images whereas the GoDec model was the best for the large noisy CT images. PMID:24023764

  12. Optimal Inversion Parameters for Full Waveform Inversion using OBS Data Set

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, S.; Chung, W.; Shin, S.; Kim, D.; Lee, D.

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, full Waveform Inversion (FWI) has been the most researched technique in seismic data processing. It uses the residuals between observed and modeled data as an objective function; thereafter, the final subsurface velocity model is generated through a series of iterations meant to minimize the residuals.Research on FWI has expanded from acoustic media to elastic media. In acoustic media, the subsurface property is defined by P-velocity; however, in elastic media, properties are defined by multiple parameters, such as P-velocity, S-velocity, and density. Further, the elastic media can also be defined by Lamé constants, density or impedance PI, SI; consequently, research is being carried out to ascertain the optimal parameters.From results of advanced exploration equipment and Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) survey, it is now possible to obtain multi-component seismic data. However, to perform FWI on these data and generate an accurate subsurface model, it is important to determine optimal inversion parameters among (Vp, Vs, ρ), (λ, μ, ρ), and (PI, SI) in elastic media. In this study, staggered grid finite difference method was applied to simulate OBS survey. As in inversion, l2-norm was set as objective function. Further, the accurate computation of gradient direction was performed using the back-propagation technique and its scaling was done using the Pseudo-hessian matrix.In acoustic media, only Vp is used as the inversion parameter. In contrast, various sets of parameters, such as (Vp, Vs, ρ) and (λ, μ, ρ) can be used to define inversion in elastic media. Therefore, it is important to ascertain the parameter that gives the most accurate result for inversion with OBS data set.In this study, we generated Vp and Vs subsurface models by using (λ, μ, ρ) and (Vp, Vs, ρ) as inversion parameters in every iteration, and compared the final two FWI results.This research was supported by the Basic Research Project(17-3312) of the Korea Institute of

  13. incaRNAfbinv: a web server for the fragment-based design of RNA sequences

    PubMed Central

    Drory Retwitzer, Matan; Reinharz, Vladimir; Ponty, Yann; Waldispühl, Jérôme; Barash, Danny

    2016-01-01

    Abstract In recent years, new methods for computational RNA design have been developed and applied to various problems in synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Lately, there is considerable interest in incorporating essential biological information when solving the inverse RNA folding problem. Correspondingly, RNAfbinv aims at including biologically meaningful constraints and is the only program to-date that performs a fragment-based design of RNA sequences. In doing so it allows the design of sequences that do not necessarily exactly fold into the target, as long as the overall coarse-grained tree graph shape is preserved. Augmented by the weighted sampling algorithm of incaRNAtion, our web server called incaRNAfbinv implements the method devised in RNAfbinv and offers an interactive environment for the inverse folding of RNA using a fragment-based design approach. It takes as input: a target RNA secondary structure; optional sequence and motif constraints; optional target minimum free energy, neutrality and GC content. In addition to the design of synthetic regulatory sequences, it can be used as a pre-processing step for the detection of novel natural occurring RNAs. The two complementary methodologies RNAfbinv and incaRNAtion are merged together and fully implemented in our web server incaRNAfbinv, available at http://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/incaRNAfbinv. PMID:27185893

  14. The inverse electroencephalography pipeline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinstein, David Michael

    The inverse electroencephalography (EEG) problem is defined as determining which regions of the brain are active based on remote measurements recorded with scalp EEG electrodes. An accurate solution to this problem would benefit both fundamental neuroscience research and clinical neuroscience applications. However, constructing accurate patient-specific inverse EEG solutions requires complex modeling, simulation, and visualization algorithms, and to date only a few systems have been developed that provide such capabilities. In this dissertation, a computational system for generating and investigating patient-specific inverse EEG solutions is introduced, and the requirements for each stage of this Inverse EEG Pipeline are defined and discussed. While the requirements of many of the stages are satisfied with existing algorithms, others have motivated research into novel modeling and simulation methods. The principal technical results of this work include novel surface-based volume modeling techniques, an efficient construction for the EEG lead field, and the Open Source release of the Inverse EEG Pipeline software for use by the bioelectric field research community. In this work, the Inverse EEG Pipeline is applied to three research problems in neurology: comparing focal and distributed source imaging algorithms; separating measurements into independent activation components for multifocal epilepsy; and localizing the cortical activity that produces the P300 effect in schizophrenia.

  15. Effects of state recovery on creep buckling under variable loading

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Robinson, D. N.; Arnold, S. M.

    1986-01-01

    Structural alloys embody internal mechanisms that allow recovery of state with varying stress and elevated temperature, i.e., they can return to a softer state following periods of hardening. Such material behavior is known to strongly influence structural response under some important thermomechanical loadings, for example, that involving thermal ratchetting. The influence of dynamic and thermal recovery on the creep buckling of a column under variable loading is investigated. The column is taken as the idealized (Shanley) sandwich column. The constitutive model, unlike the commonly employed Norton creep model, incorporates a representation of both dynamic and thermal (state) recovery. The material parameters of the constitutive model are chosen to characterize Narloy Z, a representative copper alloy used in thrust nozzle liners of reusable rocket engines. Variable loading histories include rapid cyclic unloading/reloading sequences and intermittent reductions of load for extended periods of time; these are superimposed on a constant load. The calculated results show that state recovery significantly affects creep buckling under variable loading. Structural alloys embody internal mechanisms that allow recovery of state with varying stress and time.

  16. Ice nucleation temperature influences recovery of activity of a model protein after freeze drying.

    PubMed

    Cochran, Teresa; Nail, Steven L

    2009-09-01

    The objective of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between ice nucleation temperature and recovery of activity of a model protein, lactate dehydrogenase, after freeze drying. Aqueous buffer systems containing 50 microg/mL of protein were frozen in vials with externally mounted thermocouples on the shelf of a freeze dryer, then freeze dried. Various methods were used to establish a wide range of ice nucleation temperatures. An inverse relationship was found between the extent of supercooling during freezing and recovery of activity in the reconstituted solution. The data are consistent with a mechanism of inactivation resulting from adsorption of protein at the ice/freeze-concentrate interface during the freezing process.

  17. Analysis of Post-Fire Vegetation Recovery in the Mediterranean Basin using MODIS Derived Vegetation Indices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hawtree, Daniel; San Miguel, Jesus; Sedano, Fernando; Kempeneers, Pieter

    2010-05-01

    The Mediterranean basin region is highly susceptible to wildfire, with approximately 60,000 individual fires and half a million ha of natural vegetation burnt per year. Of particular concern in this region is the impact of repeated wildfires on the ability of natural lands to return to a pre-fire state, and of the possibility of desertification of semi-arid areas. Given these concerns, understanding the temporal patterns of vegetation recovery is important for the management of environmental resources in the region. A valuable tool for evaluating these recovery patterns are vegetation indices derived from remote sensing data. Previous research on post-fire vegetation recovery conducted in this region has found significant variability in recovery times across different study sites. It is unclear what the primary variables are affecting the differences in the rates of recovery, and if any geographic patterns of behavior exist across the Mediterranean basin. This research has primarily been conducted using indices derived from Landsat imagery. However, no extensive analysis of vegetation regeneration for large regions has been published, and assessment of vegetation recovery on the basis of medium-spatial resolution imagery such as that of MODIS has not yet been analyzed. This study examines the temporal pattern of vegetation recovery in a number of fire sites in the Mediterranean basin, using data derived from MODIS 16 -day composite vegetation indices. The intent is to develop a more complete picture of the temporal sequence of vegetation recovery, and to evaluate what additional factors impact variations in the recovery sequence. In addition, this study evaluates the utility of using MODIS derived vegetation indices for regeneration studies, and compares the findings to earlier studies which rely on Landsat data. Wildfires occurring between the years 2000 and 2004 were considered as potential study sites for this research. Using the EFFIS dataset, all wildfires

  18. Filter forensics: microbiota recovery from residential HVAC filters.

    PubMed

    Maestre, Juan P; Jennings, Wiley; Wylie, Dennis; Horner, Sharon D; Siegel, Jeffrey; Kinney, Kerry A

    2018-01-30

    Establishing reliable methods for assessing the microbiome within the built environment is critical for understanding the impact of biological exposures on human health. High-throughput DNA sequencing of dust samples provides valuable insights into the microbiome present in human-occupied spaces. However, the effect that different sampling methods have on the microbial community recovered from dust samples is not well understood across sample types. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters hold promise as long-term, spatially integrated, high volume samplers to characterize the airborne microbiome in homes and other climate-controlled spaces. In this study, the effect that dust recovery method (i.e., cut and elution, swabbing, or vacuuming) has on the microbial community structure, membership, and repeatability inferred by Illumina sequencing was evaluated. The results indicate that vacuum samples captured higher quantities of total, bacterial, and fungal DNA than swab or cut samples. Repeated swab and vacuum samples collected from the same filter were less variable than cut samples with respect to both quantitative DNA recovery and bacterial community structure. Vacuum samples captured substantially greater bacterial diversity than the other methods, whereas fungal diversity was similar across all three methods. Vacuum and swab samples of HVAC filter dust were repeatable and generally superior to cut samples. Nevertheless, the contribution of environmental and human sources to the bacterial and fungal communities recovered via each sampling method was generally consistent across the methods investigated. Dust recovery methodologies have been shown to affect the recovery, repeatability, structure, and membership of microbial communities recovered from dust samples in the built environment. The results of this study are directly applicable to indoor microbiota studies utilizing the filter forensics approach. More broadly, this study provides a

  19. [Carotid plaque assessment using inversion recovery T1 weighted-3 dimensions variable refocus flip angle turbo spin echo sampling perfection with application optimized contrast using different angle evolutions black blood imaging].

    PubMed

    Inoue, Yuji; Yoneyama, Masami; Nakamura, Masanobu; Ozaki, Satoshi; Ito, Kenjiro; Hiura, Mikio

    2012-01-01

    Vulnerable plaque can be attributed to induction of ischemic symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging of carotid artery is valuable to detect the plaque. Magnetization prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE) method could detect hemorrhagic vulnerable plaque as high intensity signal; however, blood flow is not sufficiently masked by this method. The contrast for plaque in T1 weighted image (T1WI) could not be obtained sufficiently with black blood image (BBI) by sampling perfection with application optimized contrast using different angle evolutions (SPACE) method as turbo spin echo (TSE). In addition, an appearance of artifact by slow flow is a problem. Considering these controversial situations in plaque imaging, we examined the modified BBI inversion recovery (IR)-SPACE in which IR was added for SPACE method so that the contrast for plaque in T1WI was optimized. We investigated the application of this method in plaque imaging. As a result of phantom imaging, the contrast for plaque in T1WI was definitely obtained by choosing an appropriate inversion time (TI) for the corresponding repetition time. In clinical cases, blood flow was sufficiently masked by IR-SPACE method and the plaque imaging was clearly obtained in clinical cases to the same extent as MPRAGE method. Since BBI with IR-SPACE method was derived from both IR pulse and flow void effect, this method could obtain the blood flow masking effect definitely. The present study suggested that SPACE method might be applicable to estimate properties of carotid artery plaque.

  20. Scene-based nonuniformity correction for focal plane arrays by the method of the inverse covariance form.

    PubMed

    Torres, Sergio N; Pezoa, Jorge E; Hayat, Majeed M

    2003-10-10

    What is to our knowledge a new scene-based algorithm for nonuniformity correction in infrared focal-plane array sensors has been developed. The technique is based on the inverse covariance form of the Kalman filter (KF), which has been reported previously and used in estimating the gain and bias of each detector in the array from scene data. The gain and the bias of each detector in the focal-plane array are assumed constant within a given sequence of frames, corresponding to a certain time and operational conditions, but they are allowed to randomly drift from one sequence to another following a discrete-time Gauss-Markov process. The inverse covariance form filter estimates the gain and the bias of each detector in the focal-plane array and optimally updates them as they drift in time. The estimation is performed with considerably higher computational efficiency than the equivalent KF. The ability of the algorithm in compensating for fixed-pattern noise in infrared imagery and in reducing the computational complexity is demonstrated by use of both simulated and real data.

  1. Complex chromosomal rearrangement in a girl with psychomotor-retardation and a de novo inversion: inv(2)(p15;q24.2).

    PubMed

    Granot-Hershkovitz, Einat; Raas-Rothschild, Annick; Frumkin, Ayala; Granot, David; Silverstein, Shira; Abeliovich, Dvorah

    2011-08-01

    Cytogenetic analysis of DNA from a girl with severe psychomotor retardation revealed a de novo pericentric inversion of chromosome 2: 46,XX,inv(2)(p15q24.2). In order to elucidate the possible role of the inversion in the girl's abnormal phenotype, we analyzed the inversion breakpoints. FISH analysis revealed BAC clones spanning the breakpoints at 2p and 2q of the inversion. Southern blot hybridization with DNA probes from the BAC regions was used to refine the localization of the breakpoints, followed by inverse-PCR which enabled us to sequence the inversion breakpoints. We found a complex chromosomal rearrangement, including five breakpoints, four at 2q and one at 2p joined with minor insertions/deletions of a few bases. The breakpoint at 2p was within the NRXN1 gene that has previously been associated with autism, intellectual disabilities, and psychiatric disorders. In 2q, the breakpoints disrupted two genes, TANC1 and RBMS1; the phenotypic effect of these genes is not currently known. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  2. Identification of MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7 in clinical evaluation of families with suspected Lynch syndrome.

    PubMed

    Mork, Maureen E; Rodriguez, Andrea; Taggart, Melissa W; Rodriguez-Bigas, Miguel A; Lynch, Patrick M; Bannon, Sarah A; You, Y Nancy; Vilar, Eduardo

    2017-07-01

    Traditional germline sequencing and deletion/duplication analysis does not detect Lynch syndrome-causing mutations in all individuals whose colorectal or endometrial tumors demonstrate mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency. Unique inversions and other rearrangements of the MMR genes have been reported in families with Lynch syndrome. In 2014, a recurrent inversion of MSH2 exons 1-7 was identified in five families suspected to have Lynch syndrome. We aimed to describe our clinical experience in identifying families with this specific inversion. Four probands whose Lynch syndrome-associated tumors demonstrated absence of MSH2/MSH6 staining and who had negative MMR germline testing were evaluated for the MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7, offered during initial genetic workup or upon routine clinical follow-up. All four probands tested positive for the MSH2 inversion. Proband cancer diagnoses included colon and endometrial adenocarcinoma and sebaceous adenoma. A variety of Lynch syndrome-associated cancers were reported in the family histories, although only one family met Amsterdam II criteria. Thirteen at-risk relatives underwent predictive testing. MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7 was found in four probands previously suspected to have Lynch syndrome based on family history and tumor testing. This testing should be offered routinely to patients with tumors demonstrating loss of MSH2/MSH6 staining.

  3. Genome‐wide tests for introgression between cactophilic Drosophila implicate a role of inversions during speciation

    PubMed Central

    Lohse, Konrad; Clarke, Magnus; Ritchie, Michael G.; Etges, William J.

    2015-01-01

    Models of speciation‐with‐gene‐flow have shown that the reduction in recombination between alternative chromosome arrangements can facilitate the fixation of locally adaptive genes in the face of gene flow and contribute to speciation. However, it has proven frustratingly difficult to show empirically that inversions have reduced gene flow and arose during or shortly after the onset of species divergence rather than represent ancestral polymorphisms. Here, we present an analysis of whole genome data from a pair of cactophilic fruit flies, Drosophila mojavensis and D. arizonae, which are reproductively isolated in the wild and differ by several large inversions on three chromosomes. We found an increase in divergence at rearranged compared to colinear chromosomes. Using the density of divergent sites in short sequence blocks we fit a series of explicit models of species divergence in which gene flow is restricted to an initial period after divergence and may differ between colinear and rearranged parts of the genome. These analyses show that D. mojavensis and D. arizonae have experienced postdivergence gene flow that ceased around 270 KY ago and was significantly reduced in chromosomes with fixed inversions. Moreover, we show that these inversions most likely originated around the time of species divergence which is compatible with theoretical models that posit a role of inversions in speciation with gene flow. PMID:25824653

  4. First report on an X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia family with X chromosome inversion: Breakpoint mapping reveals the pathogenic mechanism and preimplantation genetics diagnosis achieves an unaffected birth.

    PubMed

    Wu, Tonghua; Yin, Biao; Zhu, Yuanchang; Li, Guangui; Ye, Lijun; Liang, Desheng; Zeng, Yong

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the etiology of X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED) in a family with an inversion of the X chromosome [inv(X)(p21q13)] and to achieve a healthy birth following preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Next generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing analysis were carried out to define the inversion breakpoint. Multiple displacement amplification, amplification of breakpoint junction fragments, Sanger sequencing of exon 1 of ED1, haplotyping of informative short tandem repeat markers and gender determination were performed for PGD. NGS data of the proband sample revealed that the size of the possible inverted fragment was over 42Mb, spanning from position 26, 814, 206 to position 69, 231, 915 on the X chromosome. The breakpoints were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. A total of 5 blastocyst embryos underwent trophectoderm biopsy. Two embryos were diagnosed as carriers and three were unaffected. Two unaffected blastocysts were transferred and a singleton pregnancy was achieved. Following confirmation by prenatal diagnosis, a healthy baby was delivered. This is the first report of an XLHED family with inv(X). ED1 is disrupted by the X chromosome inversion in this XLHED family and embryos with the X chromosomal abnormality can be accurately identified by means of PGD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Reassessment of the source of the 1976 Friuli, NE Italy, earthquake sequence from the joint inversion of high-precision levelling and triangulation data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheloni, D.; D'Agostino, N.; D'Anastasio, E.; Selvaggi, G.

    2012-08-01

    In this study, we revisit the mechanism of the 1976 Friuli (NE Italy) earthquake sequence (main shocks Mw 6.4, 5.9 and 6.0). We present a new source model that simultaneously fits all the available geodetic measurements of the observed deformation. We integrate triangulation measurements, which have never been previously used in the source modelling of this sequence, with high-precision levelling that covers the epicentral area. We adopt a mixed linear/non-linear optimization scheme, in which we iteratively search for the best-fitting solution by performing several linear slip inversions while varying fault location using a grid search method. Our preferred solution consists of a shallow north-dipping fault plane with assumed azimuth of 282° and accommodating a reverse dextral slip of about 1 m. The estimated geodetic moment is 6.6 × 1018 Nm (Mw 6.5), in agreement with seismological estimates. Yet, our preferred model shows that the geodetic solution is consistent with the activation of a single fault system during the entire sequence, the surface expression of which could be associated with the Buia blind thrust, supporting the hypothesis that the main activity of the Eastern Alps occurs close to the relief margin, as observed in other mountain belts. The retrieved slip pattern consists of a main coseismic patch located 3-5 km depth, in good agreement with the distribution of the main shocks. Additional slip is required in the shallower portions of the fault to reproduce the local uplift observed in the region characterized by Quaternary active folding. We tentatively interpret this patch as postseismic deformation (afterslip) occurring at the edge of the main coseismic patch. Finally, our rupture plane spatially correlates with the area of the locked fault determined from interseismic measurements, supporting the hypothesis that interseismic slip on the creeping dislocation causes strain to accumulate on the shallow (above ˜10 km depth) locked section

  6. Chromosome Inversion Polymorphisms in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. I. Latitudinal Clines and Associations between Inversions in Australasian Populations

    PubMed Central

    Knibb, W. R.; Oakeshott, J. G.; Gibson, J. B.

    1981-01-01

    Nineteen Australasian populations of Drosophila melanogaster have been screened for chromosome inversion polymorphisms. All 15 of the inversion types found are paracentric and autosomal, but only four of these, one on each of the major autosome arms, are common and cosmopolitan. North-south clines occur, with the frequencies of all four of the common cosmopolitan inversions increasing toward the equator. These clines in the Southern Hemisphere mirror north-south clines in the Northern Hemisphere, where the frequencies of all four of the common cosmopolitan inversions again increase towards the equator.—While few of the Australasian populations show significant disequilibrium between linked common cosmopolitan inversions, those that do invariably have excesses of coupling gametes, which is consistent with other reports. We also find nonrandom associations between the two major autosomes, with the northern populations in Australasia (those with high inversion frequencies) tending to be deficient in gametes with common cosmopolitan inversions on both major autosomes, while the southern populations in Australasia (low inversion frequencies) tend to have an excess of this class of gametes.—The clines and the nonrandom associations between the two major autosomes are best interpreted in terms of selection operating to maintain the common cosmopolitan inversion polymorphisms in natural populations of D. melanogaster. PMID:17249108

  7. In situ genetic correction of F8 intron 22 inversion in hemophilia A patient-specific iPSCs

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Yong; Hu, Zhiqing; Li, Zhuo; Pang, Jialun; Feng, Mai; Hu, Xuyun; Wang, Xiaolin; Lin-Peng, Siyuan; Liu, Bo; Chen, Fangping; Wu, Lingqian; Liang, Desheng

    2016-01-01

    Nearly half of severe Hemophilia A (HA) cases are caused by F8 intron 22 inversion (Inv22). This 0.6-Mb inversion splits the 186-kb F8 into two parts with opposite transcription directions. The inverted 5′ part (141 kb) preserves the first 22 exons that are driven by the intrinsic F8 promoter, leading to a truncated F8 transcript due to the lack of the last 627 bp coding sequence of exons 23–26. Here we describe an in situ genetic correction of Inv22 in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). By using TALENs, the 627 bp sequence plus a polyA signal was precisely targeted at the junction of exon 22 and intron 22 via homologous recombination (HR) with high targeting efficiencies of 62.5% and 52.9%. The gene-corrected iPSCs retained a normal karyotype following removal of drug selection cassette using a Cre-LoxP system. Importantly, both F8 transcription and FVIII secretion were rescued in the candidate cell types for HA gene therapy including endothelial cells (ECs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the gene-corrected iPSCs. This is the first report of an efficient in situ genetic correction of the large inversion mutation using a strategy of targeted gene addition. PMID:26743572

  8. In situ genetic correction of F8 intron 22 inversion in hemophilia A patient-specific iPSCs.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yong; Hu, Zhiqing; Li, Zhuo; Pang, Jialun; Feng, Mai; Hu, Xuyun; Wang, Xiaolin; Lin-Peng, Siyuan; Liu, Bo; Chen, Fangping; Wu, Lingqian; Liang, Desheng

    2016-01-08

    Nearly half of severe Hemophilia A (HA) cases are caused by F8 intron 22 inversion (Inv22). This 0.6-Mb inversion splits the 186-kb F8 into two parts with opposite transcription directions. The inverted 5' part (141 kb) preserves the first 22 exons that are driven by the intrinsic F8 promoter, leading to a truncated F8 transcript due to the lack of the last 627 bp coding sequence of exons 23-26. Here we describe an in situ genetic correction of Inv22 in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). By using TALENs, the 627 bp sequence plus a polyA signal was precisely targeted at the junction of exon 22 and intron 22 via homologous recombination (HR) with high targeting efficiencies of 62.5% and 52.9%. The gene-corrected iPSCs retained a normal karyotype following removal of drug selection cassette using a Cre-LoxP system. Importantly, both F8 transcription and FVIII secretion were rescued in the candidate cell types for HA gene therapy including endothelial cells (ECs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the gene-corrected iPSCs. This is the first report of an efficient in situ genetic correction of the large inversion mutation using a strategy of targeted gene addition.

  9. Riparian vegetation recovery patterns following stream channelization: a geomorphic perspective

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hupp, C.R.

    1992-01-01

    Hundreds of kilometres of West Tennessee streams have been channelized since the turn of the century. After a stream is straightened, dredged, or cleared, basin-wide ecologic, hydrologic, and geomorphic processes bring about an integrated, characteristic recovery sequence. The rapid pace of channel responses to channelization provides an opportunity to document and interpret vegetation recovery patterns relative to otherwise long-term, concomitant evolution of river geomorphology. The linkage of channel bed aggradation, woody vegetation establishment, and bank accretion all lead to recovery of the channel. Pioneer species are hardy and fast growing, and can tolerate moderate amounts of slope instability and sediment deposition; these species include river birch (Betula nigra), black willow (Salix nigra), boxelder (Acer negundo), and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). High stem densities and root-mass development appear to enhance bank stability. Tree-ring analyses suggest that on average 65 yr may be required for recovery after channelization. -from Author

  10. Interplay of Nitrogen-Atom Inversion and Conformational Inversion in Enantiomerization of 1H-1-Benzazepines.

    PubMed

    Ramig, Keith; Subramaniam, Gopal; Karimi, Sasan; Szalda, David J; Ko, Allen; Lam, Aaron; Li, Jeffrey; Coaderaj, Ani; Cavdar, Leyla; Bogdan, Lukasz; Kwon, Kitae; Greer, Edyta M

    2016-04-15

    A series of 2,4-disubstituted 1H-1-benzazepines, 2a-d, 4, and 6, were studied, varying both the substituents at C2 and C4 and at the nitrogen atom. The conformational inversion (ring-flip) and nitrogen-atom inversion (N-inversion) energetics were studied by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy and computations. The steric bulk of the nitrogen-atom substituent was found to affect both the conformation of the azepine ring and the geometry around the nitrogen atom. Also affected were the Gibbs free energy barriers for the ring-flip and the N-inversion. When the nitrogen-atom substituent was alkyl, as in 2a-c, the geometry of the nitrogen atom was nearly planar and the azepine ring was highly puckered; the result was a relatively high-energy barrier to ring-flip and a low barrier to N-inversion. Conversely, when the nitrogen-atom substituent was a hydrogen atom, as in 2d, 4, and 6, the nitrogen atom was significantly pyramidalized and the azepine ring was less puckered; the result here was a relatively high energy barrier to N-inversion and a low barrier to ring-flip. In these N-unsubstituted compounds, it was found computationally that the lowest-energy stereodynamic process was ring-flip coupled with N-inversion, as N-inversion alone had a much higher energy barrier.

  11. Human inversions and their functional consequences

    PubMed Central

    Puig, Marta; Casillas, Sònia; Villatoro, Sergi

    2015-01-01

    Polymorphic inversions are a type of structural variants that are difficult to analyze owing to their balanced nature and the location of breakpoints within complex repeated regions. So far, only a handful of inversions have been studied in detail in humans and current knowledge about their possible functional effects is still limited. However, inversions have been related to phenotypic changes and adaptation in multiple species. In this review, we summarize the evidences of the functional impact of inversions in the human genome. First, given that inversions have been shown to inhibit recombination in heterokaryotes, chromosomes displaying different orientation are expected to evolve independently and this may lead to distinct gene-expression patterns. Second, inversions have a role as disease-causing mutations both by directly affecting gene structure or regulation in different ways, and by predisposing to other secondary arrangements in the offspring of inversion carriers. Finally, several inversions show signals of being selected during human evolution. These findings illustrate the potential of inversions to have phenotypic consequences also in humans and emphasize the importance of their inclusion in genome-wide association studies. PMID:25998059

  12. On the inversion-indel distance

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The inversion distance, that is the distance between two unichromosomal genomes with the same content allowing only inversions of DNA segments, can be computed thanks to a pioneering approach of Hannenhalli and Pevzner in 1995. In 2000, El-Mabrouk extended the inversion model to allow the comparison of unichromosomal genomes with unequal contents, thus insertions and deletions of DNA segments besides inversions. However, an exact algorithm was presented only for the case in which we have insertions alone and no deletion (or vice versa), while a heuristic was provided for the symmetric case, that allows both insertions and deletions and is called the inversion-indel distance. In 2005, Yancopoulos, Attie and Friedberg started a new branch of research by introducing the generic double cut and join (DCJ) operation, that can represent several genome rearrangements (including inversions). Among others, the DCJ model gave rise to two important results. First, it has been shown that the inversion distance can be computed in a simpler way with the help of the DCJ operation. Second, the DCJ operation originated the DCJ-indel distance, that allows the comparison of genomes with unequal contents, considering DCJ, insertions and deletions, and can be computed in linear time. Results In the present work we put these two results together to solve an open problem, showing that, when the graph that represents the relation between the two compared genomes has no bad components, the inversion-indel distance is equal to the DCJ-indel distance. We also give a lower and an upper bound for the inversion-indel distance in the presence of bad components. PMID:24564182

  13. Some Phenomena on Negative Inversion Constructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sung, Tae-Soo

    2013-01-01

    We examine the characteristics of NDI (negative degree inversion) and its relation with other inversion phenomena such as SVI (subject-verb inversion) and SAI (subject-auxiliary inversion). The negative element in the NDI construction may be" not," a negative adverbial, or a negative verb. In this respect, NDI has similar licensing…

  14. Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries.

    PubMed

    Stier, Adrian C; Samhouri, Jameal F; Novak, Mark; Marshall, Kristin N; Ward, Eric J; Holt, Robert D; Levin, Phillip S

    2016-05-01

    Habitat loss, overexploitation, and numerous other stressors have caused global declines in apex predators. This "trophic downgrading" has generated widespread concern because of the fundamental role that apex predators can play in ecosystem functioning, disease regulation, and biodiversity maintenance. In attempts to combat declines, managers have conducted reintroductions, imposed stricter harvest regulations, and implemented protected areas. We suggest that full recovery of viable apex predator populations is currently the exception rather than the rule. We argue that, in addition to well-known considerations, such as continued exploitation and slow life histories, there are several underappreciated factors that complicate predator recoveries. These factors include three challenges. First, a priori identification of the suite of trophic interactions, such as resource limitation and competition that will influence recovery can be difficult. Second, defining and accomplishing predator recovery in the context of a dynamic ecosystem requires an appreciation of the timing of recovery, which can determine the relative density of apex predators and other predators and therefore affect competitive outcomes. Third, successful recovery programs require designing adaptive sequences of management strategies that embrace key environmental and species interactions as they emerge. Consideration of recent research on food web modules, alternative stable states, and community assembly offer important insights for predator recovery efforts and restoration ecology more generally. Foremost among these is the importance of a social-ecological perspective in facilitating a long-lasting predator restoration while avoiding unintended consequences.

  15. Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries

    PubMed Central

    Stier, Adrian C.; Samhouri, Jameal F.; Novak, Mark; Marshall, Kristin N.; Ward, Eric J.; Holt, Robert D.; Levin, Phillip S.

    2016-01-01

    Habitat loss, overexploitation, and numerous other stressors have caused global declines in apex predators. This “trophic downgrading” has generated widespread concern because of the fundamental role that apex predators can play in ecosystem functioning, disease regulation, and biodiversity maintenance. In attempts to combat declines, managers have conducted reintroductions, imposed stricter harvest regulations, and implemented protected areas. We suggest that full recovery of viable apex predator populations is currently the exception rather than the rule. We argue that, in addition to well-known considerations, such as continued exploitation and slow life histories, there are several underappreciated factors that complicate predator recoveries. These factors include three challenges. First, a priori identification of the suite of trophic interactions, such as resource limitation and competition that will influence recovery can be difficult. Second, defining and accomplishing predator recovery in the context of a dynamic ecosystem requires an appreciation of the timing of recovery, which can determine the relative density of apex predators and other predators and therefore affect competitive outcomes. Third, successful recovery programs require designing adaptive sequences of management strategies that embrace key environmental and species interactions as they emerge. Consideration of recent research on food web modules, alternative stable states, and community assembly offer important insights for predator recovery efforts and restoration ecology more generally. Foremost among these is the importance of a social-ecological perspective in facilitating a long-lasting predator restoration while avoiding unintended consequences. PMID:27386535

  16. Recursive inverse factorization.

    PubMed

    Rubensson, Emanuel H; Bock, Nicolas; Holmström, Erik; Niklasson, Anders M N

    2008-03-14

    A recursive algorithm for the inverse factorization S(-1)=ZZ(*) of Hermitian positive definite matrices S is proposed. The inverse factorization is based on iterative refinement [A.M.N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. B 70, 193102 (2004)] combined with a recursive decomposition of S. As the computational kernel is matrix-matrix multiplication, the algorithm can be parallelized and the computational effort increases linearly with system size for systems with sufficiently sparse matrices. Recent advances in network theory are used to find appropriate recursive decompositions. We show that optimization of the so-called network modularity results in an improved partitioning compared to other approaches. In particular, when the recursive inverse factorization is applied to overlap matrices of irregularly structured three-dimensional molecules.

  17. Modified look-locker inversion recovery T1 mapping indices: assessment of accuracy and reproducibility between magnetic resonance scanners

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping indices, such as T1 time and partition coefficient (λ), have shown potential to assess diffuse myocardial fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate how scanner and field strength variation affect the accuracy and precision/reproducibility of T1 mapping indices. Methods CMR studies were performed on two 1.5T and three 3T scanners. Eight phantoms were made to mimic the T1/T2 of pre- and post-contrast myocardium and blood at 1.5T and 3T. T1 mapping using MOLLI was performed with simulated heart rate of 40-100 bpm. Inversion recovery spin echo (IR-SE) was the reference standard for T1 determination. Accuracy was defined as the percent error between MOLLI and IR-SE, and scan/re-scan reproducibility was defined as the relative percent mean difference between repeat MOLLI scans. Partition coefficient was estimated by ΔR1myocardium phantom/ΔR1blood phantom. Generalized linear mixed model was used to compare the accuracy and precision/reproducibility of T1 and λ across field strength, scanners, and protocols. Results Field strength significantly affected MOLLI T1 accuracy (6.3% error for 1.5T vs. 10.8% error for 3T, p<0.001) but not λ accuracy (8.8% error for 1.5T vs. 8.0% error for 3T, p=0.11). Partition coefficients of MOLLI were not different between two 1.5T scanners (47.2% vs. 47.9%, p=0.13), and showed only slight variation across three 3T scanners (49.2% vs. 49.8% vs. 49.9%, p=0.016). Partition coefficient also had significantly lower percent error for precision (better scan/re-scan reproducibility) than measurement of individual T1 values (3.6% for λ vs. 4.3%-4.8% for T1 values, approximately, for pre/post blood and myocardium values). Conclusion Based on phantom studies, T1 errors using MOLLI ranged from 6-14% across various MR scanners while errors for partition coefficient were less (6-10%). Compared with absolute T1 times, partition coefficient showed less variability across

  18. Towards adjoint-based inversion for rheological parameters in nonlinear viscous mantle flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Worthen, Jennifer; Stadler, Georg; Petra, Noemi; Gurnis, Michael; Ghattas, Omar

    2014-09-01

    We address the problem of inferring mantle rheological parameter fields from surface velocity observations and instantaneous nonlinear mantle flow models. We formulate this inverse problem as an infinite-dimensional nonlinear least squares optimization problem governed by nonlinear Stokes equations. We provide expressions for the gradient of the cost functional of this optimization problem with respect to two spatially-varying rheological parameter fields: the viscosity prefactor and the exponent of the second invariant of the strain rate tensor. Adjoint (linearized) Stokes equations, which are characterized by a 4th order anisotropic viscosity tensor, facilitates efficient computation of the gradient. A quasi-Newton method for the solution of this optimization problem is presented, which requires the repeated solution of both nonlinear forward Stokes and linearized adjoint Stokes equations. For the solution of the nonlinear Stokes equations, we find that Newton’s method is significantly more efficient than a Picard fixed point method. Spectral analysis of the inverse operator given by the Hessian of the optimization problem reveals that the numerical eigenvalues collapse rapidly to zero, suggesting a high degree of ill-posedness of the inverse problem. To overcome this ill-posedness, we employ Tikhonov regularization (favoring smooth parameter fields) or total variation (TV) regularization (favoring piecewise-smooth parameter fields). Solution of two- and three-dimensional finite element-based model inverse problems show that a constant parameter in the constitutive law can be recovered well from surface velocity observations. Inverting for a spatially-varying parameter field leads to its reasonable recovery, in particular close to the surface. When inferring two spatially varying parameter fields, only an effective viscosity field and the total viscous dissipation are recoverable. Finally, a model of a subducting plate shows that a localized weak zone at the

  19. The Sequences of 1504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies

    PubMed Central

    Pham, Nikki T.; Wei, Tong; Schackwitz, Wendy S.; Lipzen, Anna M.; Duong, Phat Q.; Jones, Kyle C.; Ruan, Deling; Bauer, Diane; Peng, Yi; Schmutz, Jeremy

    2017-01-01

    The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake (Oryza sativa ssp japonica), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportion of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. This work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations. PMID:28576844

  20. Predicting functional recovery after acute ankle sprain.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Sean R; Bleakley, Chris M; Tully, Mark A; McDonough, Suzanne M

    2013-01-01

    Ankle sprains are among the most common acute musculoskeletal conditions presenting to primary care. Their clinical course is variable but there are limited recommendations on prognostic factors. Our primary aim was to identify clinical predictors of short and medium term functional recovery after ankle sprain. A secondary analysis of data from adult participants (N = 85) with an acute ankle sprain, enrolled in a randomized controlled trial was undertaken. The predictive value of variables (age, BMI, gender, injury mechanism, previous injury, weight-bearing status, medial joint line pain, pain during weight-bearing dorsiflexion and lateral hop test) recorded at baseline and at 4 weeks post injury were investigated for their prognostic ability. Recovery was determined from measures of subjective ankle function at short (4 weeks) and medium term (4 months) follow ups. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analyses were undertaken to evaluate the association between the aforementioned variables and functional recovery. Greater age, greater injury grade and weight-bearing status at baseline were associated with lower function at 4 weeks post injury (p<0.01; adjusted R square=0.34). Greater age, weight-bearing status at baseline and non-inversion injury mechanisms were associated with lower function at 4 months (p<0.01; adjusted R square=0.20). Pain on medial palpation and pain on dorsiflexion at 4 weeks were the most valuable prognostic indicators of function at 4 months (p< 0.01; adjusted R square=0.49). The results of the present study provide further evidence that ankle sprains have a variable clinical course. Age, injury grade, mechanism and weight-bearing status at baseline provide some prognostic information for short and medium term recovery. Clinical assessment variables at 4 weeks were the strongest predictors of recovery, explaining 50% of the variance in ankle function at 4 months. Further prospective research is required to highlight the factors that best

  1. Identification of polymorphic inversions from genotypes

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Polymorphic inversions are a source of genetic variability with a direct impact on recombination frequencies. Given the difficulty of their experimental study, computational methods have been developed to infer their existence in a large number of individuals using genome-wide data of nucleotide variation. Methods based on haplotype tagging of known inversions attempt to classify individuals as having a normal or inverted allele. Other methods that measure differences between linkage disequilibrium attempt to identify regions with inversions but unable to classify subjects accurately, an essential requirement for association studies. Results We present a novel method to both identify polymorphic inversions from genome-wide genotype data and classify individuals as containing a normal or inverted allele. Our method, a generalization of a published method for haplotype data [1], utilizes linkage between groups of SNPs to partition a set of individuals into normal and inverted subpopulations. We employ a sliding window scan to identify regions likely to have an inversion, and accumulation of evidence from neighboring SNPs is used to accurately determine the inversion status of each subject. Further, our approach detects inversions directly from genotype data, thus increasing its usability to current genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Conclusions We demonstrate the accuracy of our method to detect inversions and classify individuals on principled-simulated genotypes, produced by the evolution of an inversion event within a coalescent model [2]. We applied our method to real genotype data from HapMap Phase III to characterize the inversion status of two known inversions within the regions 17q21 and 8p23 across 1184 individuals. Finally, we scan the full genomes of the European Origin (CEU) and Yoruba (YRI) HapMap samples. We find population-based evidence for 9 out of 15 well-established autosomic inversions, and for 52 regions previously predicted by

  2. Inference of chromosomal inversion dynamics from Pool-Seq data in natural and laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Kapun, Martin; van Schalkwyk, Hester; McAllister, Bryant; Flatt, Thomas; Schlötterer, Christian

    2014-04-01

    Sequencing of pools of individuals (Pool-Seq) represents a reliable and cost-effective approach for estimating genome-wide SNP and transposable element insertion frequencies. However, Pool-Seq does not provide direct information on haplotypes so that, for example, obtaining inversion frequencies has not been possible until now. Here, we have developed a new set of diagnostic marker SNPs for seven cosmopolitan inversions in Drosophila melanogaster that can be used to infer inversion frequencies from Pool-Seq data. We applied our novel marker set to Pool-Seq data from an experimental evolution study and from North American and Australian latitudinal clines. In the experimental evolution data, we find evidence that positive selection has driven the frequencies of In(3R)C and In(3R)Mo to increase over time. In the clinal data, we confirm the existence of frequency clines for In(2L)t, In(3L)P and In(3R)Payne in both North America and Australia and detect a previously unknown latitudinal cline for In(3R)Mo in North America. The inversion markers developed here provide a versatile and robust tool for characterizing inversion frequencies and their dynamics in Pool-Seq data from diverse D. melanogaster populations. © 2013 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Inference of chromosomal inversion dynamics from Pool-Seq data in natural and laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Kapun, Martin; van Schalkwyk, Hester; McAllister, Bryant; Flatt, Thomas; Schlötterer, Christian

    2014-01-01

    Sequencing of pools of individuals (Pool-Seq) represents a reliable and cost-effective approach for estimating genome-wide SNP and transposable element insertion frequencies. However, Pool-Seq does not provide direct information on haplotypes so that, for example, obtaining inversion frequencies has not been possible until now. Here, we have developed a new set of diagnostic marker SNPs for seven cosmopolitan inversions in Drosophila melanogaster that can be used to infer inversion frequencies from Pool-Seq data. We applied our novel marker set to Pool-Seq data from an experimental evolution study and from North American and Australian latitudinal clines. In the experimental evolution data, we find evidence that positive selection has driven the frequencies of In(3R)C and In(3R)Mo to increase over time. In the clinal data, we confirm the existence of frequency clines for In(2L)t, In(3L)P and In(3R)Payne in both North America and Australia and detect a previously unknown latitudinal cline for In(3R)Mo in North America. The inversion markers developed here provide a versatile and robust tool for characterizing inversion frequencies and their dynamics in Pool-Seq data from diverse D. melanogaster populations. PMID:24372777

  4. The complete nucleotide sequences of the five genetically distinct plastid genomes of Oenothera, subsection Oenothera: I. sequence evaluation and plastome evolution.

    PubMed

    Greiner, Stephan; Wang, Xi; Rauwolf, Uwe; Silber, Martina V; Mayer, Klaus; Meurer, Jörg; Haberer, Georg; Herrmann, Reinhold G

    2008-04-01

    The flowering plant genus Oenothera is uniquely suited for studying molecular mechanisms of speciation. It assembles an intriguing combination of genetic features, including permanent translocation heterozygosity, biparental transmission of plastids, and a general interfertility of well-defined species. This allows an exchange of plastids and nuclei between species often resulting in plastome-genome incompatibility. For evaluation of its molecular determinants we present the complete nucleotide sequences of the five basic, genetically distinguishable plastid chromosomes of subsection Oenothera (=Euoenothera) of the genus, which are associated in distinct combinations with six basic genomes. Sizes of the chromosomes range from 163 365 bp (plastome IV) to 165 728 bp (plastome I), display between 96.3% and 98.6% sequence similarity and encode a total of 113 unique genes. Plastome diversification is caused by an abundance of nucleotide substitutions, small insertions, deletions and repetitions. The five plastomes deviate from the general ancestral design of plastid chromosomes of vascular plants by a subsection-specific 56 kb inversion within the large single-copy segment. This inversion disrupted operon structures and predates the divergence of the subsection presumably 1 My ago. Phylogenetic relationships suggest plastomes I-III in one clade, while plastome IV appears to be closest to the common ancestor.

  5. The complete nucleotide sequences of the five genetically distinct plastid genomes of Oenothera, subsection Oenothera: I. Sequence evaluation and plastome evolution†

    PubMed Central

    Greiner, Stephan; Wang, Xi; Rauwolf, Uwe; Silber, Martina V.; Mayer, Klaus; Meurer, Jörg; Haberer, Georg; Herrmann, Reinhold G.

    2008-01-01

    The flowering plant genus Oenothera is uniquely suited for studying molecular mechanisms of speciation. It assembles an intriguing combination of genetic features, including permanent translocation heterozygosity, biparental transmission of plastids, and a general interfertility of well-defined species. This allows an exchange of plastids and nuclei between species often resulting in plastome–genome incompatibility. For evaluation of its molecular determinants we present the complete nucleotide sequences of the five basic, genetically distinguishable plastid chromosomes of subsection Oenothera (=Euoenothera) of the genus, which are associated in distinct combinations with six basic genomes. Sizes of the chromosomes range from 163 365 bp (plastome IV) to 165 728 bp (plastome I), display between 96.3% and 98.6% sequence similarity and encode a total of 113 unique genes. Plastome diversification is caused by an abundance of nucleotide substitutions, small insertions, deletions and repetitions. The five plastomes deviate from the general ancestral design of plastid chromosomes of vascular plants by a subsection-specific 56 kb inversion within the large single-copy segment. This inversion disrupted operon structures and predates the divergence of the subsection presumably 1 My ago. Phylogenetic relationships suggest plastomes I–III in one clade, while plastome IV appears to be closest to the common ancestor. PMID:18299283

  6. Comparison of simple sequence repeats in 19 Archaea.

    PubMed

    Trivedi, S

    2006-12-05

    All organisms that have been studied until now have been found to have differential distribution of simple sequence repeats (SSRs), with more SSRs in intergenic than in coding sequences. SSR distribution was investigated in Archaea genomes where complete chromosome sequences of 19 Archaea were analyzed with the program SPUTNIK to find di- to penta-nucleotide repeats. The number of repeats was determined for the complete chromosome sequences and for the coding and non-coding sequences. Different from what has been found for other groups of organisms, there is an abundance of SSRs in coding regions of the genome of some Archaea. Dinucleotide repeats were rare and CG repeats were found in only two Archaea. In general, trinucleotide repeats are the most abundant SSR motifs; however, pentanucleotide repeats are abundant in some Archaea. Some of the tetranucleotide and pentanucleotide repeat motifs are organism specific. In general, repeats are short and CG-rich repeats are present in Archaea having a CG-rich genome. Among the 19 Archaea, SSR density was not correlated with genome size or with optimum growth temperature. Pentanucleotide density had an inverse correlation with the CG content of the genome.

  7. A Hebbian learning rule gives rise to mirror neurons and links them to control theoretic inverse models.

    PubMed

    Hanuschkin, A; Ganguli, S; Hahnloser, R H R

    2013-01-01

    Mirror neurons are neurons whose responses to the observation of a motor act resemble responses measured during production of that act. Computationally, mirror neurons have been viewed as evidence for the existence of internal inverse models. Such models, rooted within control theory, map-desired sensory targets onto the motor commands required to generate those targets. To jointly explore both the formation of mirrored responses and their functional contribution to inverse models, we develop a correlation-based theory of interactions between a sensory and a motor area. We show that a simple eligibility-weighted Hebbian learning rule, operating within a sensorimotor loop during motor explorations and stabilized by heterosynaptic competition, naturally gives rise to mirror neurons as well as control theoretic inverse models encoded in the synaptic weights from sensory to motor neurons. Crucially, we find that the correlational structure or stereotypy of the neural code underlying motor explorations determines the nature of the learned inverse model: random motor codes lead to causal inverses that map sensory activity patterns to their motor causes; such inverses are maximally useful, by allowing the imitation of arbitrary sensory target sequences. By contrast, stereotyped motor codes lead to less useful predictive inverses that map sensory activity to future motor actions. Our theory generalizes previous work on inverse models by showing that such models can be learned in a simple Hebbian framework without the need for error signals or backpropagation, and it makes new conceptual connections between the causal nature of inverse models, the statistical structure of motor variability, and the time-lag between sensory and motor responses of mirror neurons. Applied to bird song learning, our theory can account for puzzling aspects of the song system, including necessity of sensorimotor gating and selectivity of auditory responses to bird's own song (BOS) stimuli.

  8. A Hebbian learning rule gives rise to mirror neurons and links them to control theoretic inverse models

    PubMed Central

    Hanuschkin, A.; Ganguli, S.; Hahnloser, R. H. R.

    2013-01-01

    Mirror neurons are neurons whose responses to the observation of a motor act resemble responses measured during production of that act. Computationally, mirror neurons have been viewed as evidence for the existence of internal inverse models. Such models, rooted within control theory, map-desired sensory targets onto the motor commands required to generate those targets. To jointly explore both the formation of mirrored responses and their functional contribution to inverse models, we develop a correlation-based theory of interactions between a sensory and a motor area. We show that a simple eligibility-weighted Hebbian learning rule, operating within a sensorimotor loop during motor explorations and stabilized by heterosynaptic competition, naturally gives rise to mirror neurons as well as control theoretic inverse models encoded in the synaptic weights from sensory to motor neurons. Crucially, we find that the correlational structure or stereotypy of the neural code underlying motor explorations determines the nature of the learned inverse model: random motor codes lead to causal inverses that map sensory activity patterns to their motor causes; such inverses are maximally useful, by allowing the imitation of arbitrary sensory target sequences. By contrast, stereotyped motor codes lead to less useful predictive inverses that map sensory activity to future motor actions. Our theory generalizes previous work on inverse models by showing that such models can be learned in a simple Hebbian framework without the need for error signals or backpropagation, and it makes new conceptual connections between the causal nature of inverse models, the statistical structure of motor variability, and the time-lag between sensory and motor responses of mirror neurons. Applied to bird song learning, our theory can account for puzzling aspects of the song system, including necessity of sensorimotor gating and selectivity of auditory responses to bird's own song (BOS) stimuli. PMID

  9. Triple Helical Recognition of Pyrimidine Inversions in Polypurine Tracts of RNA by Nucleobase-modified PNA

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Pankaj; Zengeya, Thomas; Rozners, Eriks

    2013-01-01

    Peptide nucleic acids containing 2-pyrimidinone (P) and 3-oxo-2,3-dihydropyridazine (E) heterocycles recognized C-G and U-A inversions in a polypurine tract of double helical RNA with high affinity and sequence selectivity at pH 6.25. E-modified PNA bound strongly to bacterial A-site RNA, while no binding was observed to the human A-site RNA. PMID:21909545

  10. An Inversion Disrupting FAM134B Is Associated with Sensory Neuropathy in the Border Collie Dog Breed.

    PubMed

    Forman, Oliver P; Hitti, Rebekkah J; Pettitt, Louise; Jenkins, Christopher A; O'Brien, Dennis P; Shelton, G Diane; De Risio, Luisa; Quintana, Rodrigo Gutierrez; Beltran, Elsa; Mellersh, Cathryn

    2016-09-08

    Sensory neuropathy in the Border Collie is a severe neurological disorder caused by the degeneration of sensory and, to a lesser extent, motor nerve cells with clinical signs starting between 2 and 7 months of age. Using a genome-wide association study approach with three cases and 170 breed matched controls, a suggestive locus for sensory neuropathy was identified that was followed up using a genome sequencing approach. An inversion disrupting the candidate gene FAM134B was identified. Genotyping of additional cases and controls and RNAseq analysis provided strong evidence that the inversion is causal. Evidence of cryptic splicing resulting in novel exon transcription for FAM134B was identified by RNAseq experiments. This investigation demonstrates the identification of a novel sensory neuropathy associated mutation, by mapping using a minimal set of cases and subsequent genome sequencing. Through mutation screening, it should be possible to reduce the frequency of or completely eliminate this debilitating condition from the Border Collie breed population. Copyright © 2016 Forman et al.

  11. Cerebrospinal fluid enhancement on fluid attenuated inversion recovery images after carotid artery stenting with neuroprotective balloon occlusions: hemodynamic instability and blood-brain barrier disruption.

    PubMed

    Ogami, Ryo; Nakahara, Toshinori; Hamasaki, Osamu; Araki, Hayato; Kurisu, Kaoru

    2011-10-01

    A rare complication of carotid artery stenting (CAS), prolonged reversible neurological symptoms with delayed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space enhancement on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, is associated with blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. We prospectively identified patients who showed CSF space enhancement on FLAIR images. Nineteen patients-5 acute-phase and 14 scheduled-underwent 21 CAS procedures. Balloon catheters were navigated across stenoses, angioplasty was performed using a neuroprotective balloon, and stents were placed with after dilation under distal balloon protection. CSF space hyperintensity or obscuration on FLAIR after versus before CAS indicated CSF space enhancement. Correlations with clinical factors were examined. CSF space was enhanced on FLAIR in 12 (57.1%) cases. Postprocedural CSF space enhancement was significantly related to age, stenosis rate, acute-stage procedure, and total occlusion time. All acute-stage CAS patients showed delayed enhancement. Only age was associated with delayed CSF space enhancement in scheduled CAS patients. Ischemic intolerance for severe carotid artery stenosis and temporary neuroprotective balloon occlusion, causing reperfusion injury, seem to be the main factors that underlie BBB disruption with delayed CSF space enhancement shortly after CAS, rather than sudden poststenting hemodynamic change. Our results suggest that factors related to hemodynamic instability or ischemic intolerance seem to be associated with post-CAS BBB vulnerability. Patients at risk for hemodynamic instability or with ischemic intolerance, which decrease BBB integrity, require careful management to prevent intracranial hemorrhagic and other post-CAS complications.

  12. Recombination rate predicts inversion size in Diptera.

    PubMed Central

    Cáceres, M; Barbadilla, A; Ruiz, A

    1999-01-01

    Most species of the Drosophila genus and other Diptera are polymorphic for paracentric inversions. A common observation is that successful inversions are of intermediate size. We test here the hypothesis that the selected property is the recombination length of inversions, not their physical length. If so, physical length of successful inversions should be negatively correlated with recombination rate across species. This prediction was tested by a comprehensive statistical analysis of inversion size and recombination map length in 12 Diptera species for which appropriate data are available. We found that (1) there is a wide variation in recombination map length among species; (2) physical length of successful inversions varies greatly among species and is inversely correlated with the species recombination map length; and (3) neither the among-species variation in inversion length nor the correlation are observed in unsuccessful inversions. The clear differences between successful and unsuccessful inversions point to natural selection as the most likely explanation for our results. Presumably the selective advantage of an inversion increases with its length, but so does its detrimental effect on fertility due to double crossovers. Our analysis provides the strongest and most extensive evidence in favor of the notion that the adaptive value of inversions stems from their effect on recombination. PMID:10471710

  13. Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome

    PubMed Central

    Pontius, Joan U.; Mullikin, James C.; Smith, Douglas R.; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Gnerre, Sante; Clamp, Michele; Chang, Jean; Stephens, Robert; Neelam, Beena; Volfovsky, Natalia; Schäffer, Alejandro A.; Agarwala, Richa; Narfström, Kristina; Murphy, William J.; Giger, Urs; Roca, Alfred L.; Antunes, Agostinho; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn; Yuhki, Naoya; Pecon-Slattery, Jill; Johnson, Warren E.; Bourque, Guillaume; Tesler, Glenn; O’Brien, Stephen J.

    2007-01-01

    The genome sequence (1.9-fold coverage) of an inbred Abyssinian domestic cat was assembled, mapped, and annotated with a comparative approach that involved cross-reference to annotated genome assemblies of six mammals (human, chimpanzee, mouse, rat, dog, and cow). The results resolved chromosomal positions for 663,480 contigs, 20,285 putative feline gene orthologs, and 133,499 conserved sequence blocks (CSBs). Additional annotated features include repetitive elements, endogenous retroviral sequences, nuclear mitochondrial (numt) sequences, micro-RNAs, and evolutionary breakpoints that suggest historic balancing of translocation and inversion incidences in distinct mammalian lineages. Large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), deletion insertion polymorphisms (DIPs), and short tandem repeats (STRs), suitable for linkage or association studies were characterized in the context of long stretches of chromosome homozygosity. In spite of the light coverage capturing ∼65% of euchromatin sequence from the cat genome, these comparative insights shed new light on the tempo and mode of gene/genome evolution in mammals, promise several research applications for the cat, and also illustrate that a comparative approach using more deeply covered mammals provides an informative, preliminary annotation of a light (1.9-fold) coverage mammal genome sequence. PMID:17975172

  14. Fast simultaneous noncontrast angiography and intraplaque hemorrhage (fSNAP) sequence for carotid artery imaging.

    PubMed

    Chen, Shuo; Ning, Jia; Zhao, Xihai; Wang, Jinnan; Zhou, Zechen; Yuan, Chun; Chen, Huijun

    2017-02-01

    To propose a fast simultaneous noncontrast angiography and intraplaque hemorrhage (fSNAP) sequence for carotid artery imaging. The proposed fSNAP sequence uses a low-resolution reference acquisition for phase-sensitive reconstruction to speed up the scan, and an inversion recovery acquisition with arbitrary k-space filling order to generate similar contrast to conventional SNAP. Four healthy volunteers and eight patients were recruited to test the performance of fSNAP in vivo. The lumen area quantification, muscle-blood CNR, IPH-blood CNR, lumen SNR, and standard deviation and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) detection accuracy were compared between fSNAP and SNAP. By using a low-resolution reference acquisition with 1/4 matrix size of the full-resolution reference scan, the scan time of fSNAP was 37.5% less than that of SNAP. A high agreement of lumen area measurement (ICC = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96-0.99) and IPH detection (Kappa = 1) were found between fSNAP and SNAP. Also, no significant difference was found for muscle-blood CNR (P = 0.25), IPH-blood CNR (P = 0.35), lumen SNR (P = 0.60), and standard deviation (P = 0.46) between the two techniques. The feasibility of fSNAP was validated. fSNAP can improve the imaging efficiency with similar performance to SNAP on carotid artery imaging. Magn Reson Med 77:753-758, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  15. Probing flexible thermoplastic thin films on a substrate using ultrasonic waves to retrieve mechanical moduli and density: Inverse problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazri, H.; Ogam, E.; Amar, B.; Fellah, Z. E. A.; Sayoud, N.; Boumaiza, Y.

    2018-05-01

    Flexible, supple thermoplastic thin films (PVB and PET) placed on elastic substrates were probed using ultrasonic waves to identify their mechanical moduli and density. The composite medium immersed in a fluid host medium (water) was excited using a 50 Mhz transducer operating at normal incidence in reflection mode. Elastic wave propagation data from the stratified medium was captured in the host medium as scattered field. These data were used along with theoretical fluid-solid interaction forward models for stratified-media developed using elasticity theory, to solve an inverse problem for the recovery of the model parameters of the thin films. Two configurations were modeled, one considering the substrate as a semi-infinite elastic medium and the second the substrate having a finite thickness and flanked by a semi-infinite host medium. Transverse slip for the sliding interface between the films and substrate was chosen. This was found to agree with the experiments whereby the thin films were just placed on the substrate without bonding. The inverse problems for the recovery of the mechanical parameters were successful in retrieving the thin films’ parameters under the slip boundary condition. The possible improvements to the new method for the characterization of thin films are discussed.

  16. Effective removal of hazardous trace metals from recovery boiler fly ashes.

    PubMed

    Kinnarinen, Teemu; Golmaei, Mohammad; Jernström, Eeva; Häkkinen, Antti

    2018-02-15

    The objective of this study is to introduce a treatment sequence enabling straightforward and effective recovery of hazardous trace elements from recovery boiler fly ash (RBFA) by a novel method, and to demonstrate the subsequent removal of Cl and K with the existing crystallization technology. The treatment sequence comprises two stages: dissolution of most other RBFA components than the hazardous trace elements in water in Step 1 of the treatment, and crystallization of the process chemicals in Step 2. Solid-liquid separation has an important role in the treatment, due to the need to separate first the small solid residue containing the trace elements, and to separate the valuable crystals, containing Na and S, from the liquid rich in Cl and K. According to the results, nearly complete recovery of cadmium, lead and zinc can be reached even without pH adjustment. Some other metals, such as Mg and Mn, are removed together with the hazardous metals. Regarding the removal of Cl and K from the process, in this non-optimized case the removal efficiency was satisfactory: 60-70% for K when 80% of sodium was recovered, and close to 70% for Cl when 80% of sulfate was recovered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The mechanism of chromosome 7 inversion in human lymphocytes expressing chimeric gamma beta TCR.

    PubMed

    Retière, C; Halary, F; Peyrat, M A; Le Deist, F; Bonneville, M; Hallet, M M

    1999-01-15

    Functional chimeric TCR chains, encoded by V gamma J gamma C beta or V gamma J beta C beta hybrid gene TCR, are expressed at the surface of a small fraction of alpha beta T lymphocytes in healthy individuals. Their frequency is dramatically increased in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia, a syndrome associated with inherited genomic instability. As the TCR gamma and beta loci are in an inverted orientation on chromosome 7, the generation of such hybrid genes requires at least an inversion event. Until now, neither the sequences involved in this genetic mechanism nor the number of recombinations leading to the formation of functional transcriptional units have been characterized. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that at least two rearrangements, involving classical recombination signal sequence and the V(D)J recombinase complex, lead to the formation of productive hybrid genes. A primary inversion 7 event between D beta and J gamma genic segments generates C gamma V beta and C beta V gamma hybrid loci. Within the C gamma V beta locus, secondary rearrangements between V gamma and J gamma or V gamma and J beta elements generate functional genes. Besides, our results suggest that secondary rearrangements were blocked in the C beta V gamma locus of normal but not ataxia-telangiectasia T lymphocytes. We also provide formal evidence that the same D beta-3' recombination signal sequence can be used in successive rearrangements with J gamma and J beta genic segments, thus showing that a signal joint has been involved in a secondary recombination event.

  18. Quantitative comparison between a multiecho sequence and a single-echo sequence for susceptibility-weighted phase imaging.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Guillaume; Savard, Geneviève; Bard, Céline; Beaudoin, Gilles

    2012-06-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits arising from the use of a multiecho sequence for susceptibility-weighted phase imaging using a quantitative comparison with a standard single-echo acquisition. Four healthy adult volunteers were imaged on a clinical 3-T system using a protocol comprising two different three-dimensional susceptibility-weighted gradient-echo sequences: a standard single-echo sequence and a multiecho sequence. Both sequences were repeated twice in order to evaluate the local noise contribution by a subtraction of the two acquisitions. For the multiecho sequence, the phase information from each echo was independently unwrapped, and the background field contribution was removed using either homodyne filtering or the projection onto dipole fields method. The phase information from all echoes was then combined using a weighted linear regression. R2 maps were also calculated from the multiecho acquisitions. The noise standard deviation in the reconstructed phase images was evaluated for six manually segmented regions of interest (frontal white matter, posterior white matter, globus pallidus, putamen, caudate nucleus and lateral ventricle). The use of the multiecho sequence for susceptibility-weighted phase imaging led to a reduction of the noise standard deviation for all subjects and all regions of interest investigated in comparison to the reference single-echo acquisition. On average, the noise reduction ranged from 18.4% for the globus pallidus to 47.9% for the lateral ventricle. In addition, the amount of noise reduction was found to be strongly inversely correlated to the estimated R2 value (R=-0.92). In conclusion, the use of a multiecho sequence is an effective way to decrease the noise contribution in susceptibility-weighted phase images, while preserving both contrast and acquisition time. The proposed approach additionally permits the calculation of R2 maps. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Hindrances to precise recovery of cellular forces in fibrous biopolymer networks.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yunsong; Feng, Jingchen; Heizler, Shay I; Levine, Herbert

    2018-01-11

    How cells move through the three-dimensional extracellular matrix (ECM) is of increasing interest in attempts to understand important biological processes such as cancer metastasis. Just as in motion on flat surfaces, it is expected that experimental measurements of cell-generated forces will provide valuable information for uncovering the mechanisms of cell migration. However, the recovery of forces in fibrous biopolymer networks may suffer from large errors. Here, within the framework of lattice-based models, we explore possible issues in force recovery by solving the inverse problem: how can one determine the forces cells exert to their surroundings from the deformation of the ECM? Our results indicate that irregular cell traction patterns, the uncertainty of local fiber stiffness, the non-affine nature of ECM deformations and inadequate knowledge of network topology will all prevent the precise force determination. At the end, we discuss possible ways of overcoming these difficulties.

  20. Hindrances to precise recovery of cellular forces in fibrous biopolymer networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yunsong; Feng, Jingchen; Heizler, Shay I.; Levine, Herbert

    2018-03-01

    How cells move through the three-dimensional extracellular matrix (ECM) is of increasing interest in attempts to understand important biological processes such as cancer metastasis. Just as in motion on flat surfaces, it is expected that experimental measurements of cell-generated forces will provide valuable information for uncovering the mechanisms of cell migration. However, the recovery of forces in fibrous biopolymer networks may suffer from large errors. Here, within the framework of lattice-based models, we explore possible issues in force recovery by solving the inverse problem: how can one determine the forces cells exert to their surroundings from the deformation of the ECM? Our results indicate that irregular cell traction patterns, the uncertainty of local fiber stiffness, the non-affine nature of ECM deformations and inadequate knowledge of network topology will all prevent the precise force determination. At the end, we discuss possible ways of overcoming these difficulties.

  1. Sequential Bayesian geoacoustic inversion for mobile and compact source-receiver configuration.

    PubMed

    Carrière, Olivier; Hermand, Jean-Pierre

    2012-04-01

    Geoacoustic characterization of wide areas through inversion requires easily deployable configurations including free-drifting platforms, underwater gliders and autonomous vehicles, typically performing repeated transmissions during their course. In this paper, the inverse problem is formulated as sequential Bayesian filtering to take advantage of repeated transmission measurements. Nonlinear Kalman filters implement a random-walk model for geometry and environment and an acoustic propagation code in the measurement model. Data from MREA/BP07 sea trials are tested consisting of multitone and frequency-modulated signals (bands: 0.25-0.8 and 0.8-1.6 kHz) received on a shallow vertical array of four hydrophones 5-m spaced drifting over 0.7-1.6 km range. Space- and time-coherent processing are applied to the respective signal types. Kalman filter outputs are compared to a sequence of global optimizations performed independently on each received signal. For both signal types, the sequential approach is more accurate but also more efficient. Due to frequency diversity, the processing of modulated signals produces a more stable tracking. Although an extended Kalman filter provides comparable estimates of the tracked parameters, the ensemble Kalman filter is necessary to properly assess uncertainty. In spite of mild range dependence and simplified bottom model, all tracked geoacoustic parameters are consistent with high-resolution seismic profiling, core logging P-wave velocity, and previous inversion results with fixed geometries.

  2. Using emulsion inversion in industrial processes.

    PubMed

    Salager, Jean-Louis; Forgiarini, Ana; Márquez, Laura; Peña, Alejandro; Pizzino, Aldo; Rodriguez, María P; Rondón-González, Marianna

    2004-05-20

    Emulsion inversion is a complex phenomenon, often perceived as an instability that is essentially uncontrollable, although many industrial processes make use of it. A research effort that started 2 decades ago has provided the two-dimensional and three-dimensional description, the categorization and the theoretical interpretation of the different kinds of emulsion inversion. A clear-cut phenomenological approach is currently available for understanding its characteristics, the factors that influence it and control it, the importance of fine-tuning the emulsification protocol, and the crucial occurrence of organized structures such as liquid crystals or multiple emulsions. The current know-how is used to analyze some industrial processes involving emulsion inversion, e.g. the attainment of a fine nutrient or cosmetic emulsion by temperature or formulation-induced transitional inversion, the preparation of a silicone oil emulsion by catastrophic phase inversion, the manufacture of a viscous polymer latex by combined inversion and the spontaneous but enigmatic inversion of emulsions used in metal working operations such as lathing or lamination.

  3. Recombination-dependent replication and gene conversion homogenize repeat sequences and diversify plastid genome structure.

    PubMed

    Ruhlman, Tracey A; Zhang, Jin; Blazier, John C; Sabir, Jamal S M; Jansen, Robert K

    2017-04-01

    There is a misinterpretation in the literature regarding the variable orientation of the small single copy region of plastid genomes (plastomes). The common phenomenon of small and large single copy inversion, hypothesized to occur through intramolecular recombination between inverted repeats (IR) in a circular, single unit-genome, in fact, more likely occurs through recombination-dependent replication (RDR) of linear plastome templates. If RDR can be primed through both intra- and intermolecular recombination, then this mechanism could not only create inversion isomers of so-called single copy regions, but also an array of alternative sequence arrangements. We used Illumina paired-end and PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequences to characterize repeat structure in the plastome of Monsonia emarginata (Geraniaceae). We used OrgConv and inspected nucleotide alignments to infer ancestral nucleotides and identify gene conversion among repeats and mapped long (>1 kb) SMRT reads against the unit-genome assembly to identify alternative sequence arrangements. Although M. emarginata lacks the canonical IR, we found that large repeats (>1 kilobase; kb) represent ∼22% of the plastome nucleotide content. Among the largest repeats (>2 kb), we identified GC-biased gene conversion and mapping filtered, long SMRT reads to the M. emarginata unit-genome assembly revealed alternative, substoichiometric sequence arrangements. We offer a model based on RDR and gene conversion between long repeated sequences in the M. emarginata plastome and provide support that both intra-and intermolecular recombination between large repeats, particularly in repeat-rich plastomes, varies unit-genome structure while homogenizing the nucleotide sequence of repeats. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

  4. Inversion climatology at San Jose, California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, T.; Bornstein, R. D.

    1977-01-01

    Month-to-month variations in the early morning surface-based and near-noon elevated inversions at San Jose, Calif., were determined from slow rise radiosondes launched during a four-year period. A high frequency of shallow, radiative, surface-based inversions were found in winter during the early morning hours, while during the same period in summer, a low frequency of deeper based inversions arose from a combination of radiative and subsidence processes. The frequency of elevated inversions in the hours near noon was lowest during fall and spring, while inversion bases were highest and thicknesses least during these periods.

  5. Accommodating Chromosome Inversions in Linkage Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Gary K.; Slaten, Erin; Ophoff, Roel A.; Lange, Kenneth

    2006-01-01

    This work develops a population-genetics model for polymorphic chromosome inversions. The model precisely describes how an inversion changes the nature of and approach to linkage equilibrium. The work also describes algorithms and software for allele-frequency estimation and linkage analysis in the presence of an inversion. The linkage algorithms implemented in the software package Mendel estimate recombination parameters and calculate the posterior probability that each pedigree member carries the inversion. Application of Mendel to eight Centre d'Étude du Polymorphisme Humain pedigrees in a region containing a common inversion on 8p23 illustrates its potential for providing more-precise estimates of the location of an unmapped marker or trait gene. Our expanded cytogenetic analysis of these families further identifies inversion carriers and increases the evidence of linkage. PMID:16826515

  6. Breakpoint analysis of the pericentric inversion between chimpanzee chromosome 10 and the homologous chromosome 12 in humans.

    PubMed

    Kehrer-Sawatzki, H; Sandig, C A; Goidts, V; Hameister, H

    2005-01-01

    During this study, we analysed the pericentric inversion that distinguishes human chromosome 12 (HSA12) from the homologous chimpanzee chromosome (PTR10). Two large chimpanzee-specific duplications of 86 and 23 kb were observed in the breakpoint regions, which most probably occurred associated with the inversion. The inversion break in PTR10p caused the disruption of the SLCO1B3 gene in exon 11. However, the 86-kb duplication includes the functional SLCO1B3 locus, which is thus retained in the chimpanzee, although inverted to PTR10q. The second duplication spans 23 kb and does not contain expressed sequences. Eleven genes map to a region of about 1 Mb around the breakpoints. Six of these eleven genes are not among the differentially expressed genes as determined previously by comparing the human and chimpanzee transcriptome of fibroblast cell lines, blood leukocytes, liver and brain samples. These findings imply that the inversion did not cause major expression differences of these genes. Comparative FISH analysis with BACs spanning the inversion breakpoints in PTR on metaphase chromosomes of gorilla (GGO) confirmed that the pericentric inversion of the chromosome 12 homologs in GGO and PTR have distinct breakpoints and that humans retain the ancestral arrangement. These findings coincide with the trend observed in hominoid karyotype evolution that humans have a karyotype close to an ancestral one, while African great apes present with more derived chromosome arrangements. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  7. DNA inversion within the apolipoproteins AI/CIII/AIV-encoding gene cluster of certain patients with premature atherosclerosis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karathanasis, S.K.; Ferris, E.; Haddad, I.A.

    1987-10-01

    The genes coding for apolipoproteins (apo) AI, CIII, and AIV, designated APOA1, APOC3, and APOA4, respectively, are closely linked and tandemly organized in the long arm of the human chromosome 11. A DNA rearrangement involving the genes encoding apoAI and apoCIII in certain patients with premature atherosclerosis has been associated with deficiency of both apoAI and apoCIII in the plasma of these patients. Structural characterization of the genes for apoAI and apoCIII in one of these patients indicates that this rearrangement consists of a DNA inversion containing portions of the 3' ends of the apoAI and apoCIII genes, including themore » DNA region between these genes. The breakpoints of this DNA inversion are located within the fourth exon of the apoAI gene and the first intron of the apoCIII gene. Thus, this DNA inversion results in reciprocal fusion of the apoAI and apoCIII gene transcriptional units. Expression of these gene fusions in cultured mammalian cells results in stable mRNA transcripts with sequences representing fusions of the apoAI and apoCIII mRNAs. These results indicate that absence of transcripts with correct apoAI and apoCIII mRNA sequences causes apoAI and apoCIII deficiency in the plasma of these patients and suggest that these apolipoproteins are involved in cholesterol homeostasis and protection against premature atherosclerosis.« less

  8. Genomic insights from whole genome sequencing of four clonal outbreak Campylobacter jejuni assessed within the global C. jejuni population.

    PubMed

    Clark, Clifford G; Berry, Chrystal; Walker, Matthew; Petkau, Aaron; Barker, Dillon O R; Guan, Cai; Reimer, Aleisha; Taboada, Eduardo N

    2016-12-03

    Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is useful for determining clusters of human cases, investigating outbreaks, and defining the population genetics of bacteria. It also provides information about other aspects of bacterial biology, including classical typing results, virulence, and adaptive strategies of the organism. Cell culture invasion and protein expression patterns of four related multilocus sequence type 21 (ST21) C. jejuni isolates from a significant Canadian water-borne outbreak were previously associated with the presence of a CJIE1 prophage. Whole genome sequencing was used to examine the genetic diversity among these isolates and confirm that previous observations could be attributed to differential prophage carriage. Moreover, we sought to determine the presence of genome sequences that could be used as surrogate markers to delineate outbreak-associated isolates. Differential carriage of the CJIE1 prophage was identified as the major genetic difference among the four outbreak isolates. High quality single-nucleotide variant (hqSNV) and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) clustered these isolates within expanded datasets consisting of additional C. jejuni strains. The number and location of homopolymeric tract regions was identical in all four outbreak isolates but differed from all other C. jejuni examined. Comparative genomics and PCR amplification enabled the identification of large chromosomal inversions of approximately 93 kb and 388 kb within the outbreak isolates associated with transducer-like proteins containing long nucleotide repeat sequences. The 93-kb inversion was characteristic of the outbreak-associated isolates, and the gene content of this inverted region displayed high synteny with the reference strain. The four outbreak isolates were clonally derived and differed mainly in the presence of the CJIE1 prophage, validating earlier findings linking the prophage to phenotypic differences in virulence assays and protein expression

  9. Natural recovery of biological soil crusts after disturbance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weber, Bettina; Bowker, Matthew A.; Zhang, Yuanming; Belnap, Jayne

    2016-01-01

    Natural recovery of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) is influenced by a number of different parameters, such as climate, soil conditions, the severity of disturbance, and the timing of disturbance relative to the climatic conditions. In recent studies, it has been shown that recovery is often not linear, but a highly dynamic process directly influenced by non-linear external parameters as extraordinary climatic conditions (e.g., particularly dry or wet year). Natural recovery often follows a general succession pattern, starting out with cyanobacteria and algae, which is then followed by lichens and bryophytes at a later stage. However, this general sequence can be altered by parameters like dust deposition, fire effects, and special climatic conditions as in fog deserts and under mesic climates. Recent studies have proposed that under favorable, stable soil conditions, the initial soil-stabilizing cyanobacteria-dominated succession stages may be omitted and moss-dominated biocrusts can develop in the initial phases of biocrust development. During natural recovery of biocrusts, soil properties change, e.g., soil nutrient and organic matter contents increase. Also, silt and clay contents of encrusted soils increase with biocrust maturity, which may be caused by two mechanisms, i.e. entrapment of fine soil particles by biocrusts and the new formation of smaller particles by weathering of the existing substrate.

  10. A compressed sensing based 3D resistivity inversion algorithm for hydrogeological applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranjan, Shashi; Kambhammettu, B. V. N. P.; Peddinti, Srinivasa Rao; Adinarayana, J.

    2018-04-01

    Image reconstruction from discrete electrical responses pose a number of computational and mathematical challenges. Application of smoothness constrained regularized inversion from limited measurements may fail to detect resistivity anomalies and sharp interfaces separated by hydro stratigraphic units. Under favourable conditions, compressed sensing (CS) can be thought of an alternative to reconstruct the image features by finding sparse solutions to highly underdetermined linear systems. This paper deals with the development of a CS assisted, 3-D resistivity inversion algorithm for use with hydrogeologists and groundwater scientists. CS based l1-regularized least square algorithm was applied to solve the resistivity inversion problem. Sparseness in the model update vector is introduced through block oriented discrete cosine transformation, with recovery of the signal achieved through convex optimization. The equivalent quadratic program was solved using primal-dual interior point method. Applicability of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated using synthetic and field examples drawn from hydrogeology. The proposed algorithm has outperformed the conventional (smoothness constrained) least square method in recovering the model parameters with much fewer data, yet preserving the sharp resistivity fronts separated by geologic layers. Resistivity anomalies represented by discrete homogeneous blocks embedded in contrasting geologic layers were better imaged using the proposed algorithm. In comparison to conventional algorithm, CS has resulted in an efficient (an increase in R2 from 0.62 to 0.78; a decrease in RMSE from 125.14 Ω-m to 72.46 Ω-m), reliable, and fast converging (run time decreased by about 25%) solution.

  11. EDITORIAL: Inverse Problems in Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    West, Robert M.; Lesnic, Daniel

    2007-01-01

    Presented here are 11 noteworthy papers selected from the Fifth International Conference on Inverse Problems in Engineering: Theory and Practice held in Cambridge, UK during 11-15 July 2005. The papers have been peer-reviewed to the usual high standards of this journal and the contributions of reviewers are much appreciated. The conference featured a good balance of the fundamental mathematical concepts of inverse problems with a diverse range of important and interesting applications, which are represented here by the selected papers. Aspects of finite-element modelling and the performance of inverse algorithms are investigated by Autrique et al and Leduc et al. Statistical aspects are considered by Emery et al and Watzenig et al with regard to Bayesian parameter estimation and inversion using particle filters. Electrostatic applications are demonstrated by van Berkel and Lionheart and also Nakatani et al. Contributions to the applications of electrical techniques and specifically electrical tomographies are provided by Wakatsuki and Kagawa, Kim et al and Kortschak et al. Aspects of inversion in optical tomography are investigated by Wright et al and Douiri et al. The authors are representative of the worldwide interest in inverse problems relating to engineering applications and their efforts in producing these excellent papers will be appreciated by many readers of this journal.

  12. Recovery of perennial vegetation in military target sites in the eastern Mohave Desert, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Steiger, John W.; Webb, Robert H.

    2000-01-01

    The effect of the age of geomorphic surfaces on the recovery of desert vegetation in military target sites was studied in the Mohave and Cerbat Mountains of northwestern Arizona. The target sites were cleared of all vegetation during military exercises in 1942-1943 and have not been subsequently disturbed. The degree of recovery was measured by calculating percentage-similarity (PS) and correlation-coefficient indices on the basis of differences in cover, density, and volume of species growing in and out of each target site. PS values, ranging from 22.7 to 95.1 percent (100 percent = identical composition), indicate a wide range of recovery that is partially controlled by the edaphic properties of the geomorphic surfaces. Statistical analyses show a strong pattern that indicates a greater variability in the degree of recovery for sites on older surfaces than on younger surfaces and a weak pattern that indicates an inverse relation between the degree of recovery and geomorphic age. Comparisons of the different effects of target site construction on the edaphic characteristics of each target site provides an explanation for these patterns and suggests the soil properties critical to the recovery process. Statistically significant negative or positive response to disturbance for most species are independent of the age of the geomorphic surfaces; however, there is strong evidence for a shift in response for the common perennial species Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus, and to a lesser extent, Salazaria mexicana, Encelia farinosa, and Coldenia canescens, among different geomorphic surfaces.

  13. Electromagnetic inverse scattering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bojarski, N. N.

    1972-01-01

    A three-dimensional electromagnetic inverse scattering identity, based on the physical optics approximation, is developed for the monostatic scattered far field cross section of perfect conductors. Uniqueness of this inverse identity is proven. This identity requires complete scattering information for all frequencies and aspect angles. A nonsingular integral equation is developed for the arbitrary case of incomplete frequence and/or aspect angle scattering information. A general closed-form solution to this integral equation is developed, which yields the shape of the scatterer from such incomplete information. A specific practical radar solution is presented. The resolution of this solution is developed, yielding short-pulse target resolution radar system parameter equations. The special cases of two- and one-dimensional inverse scattering and the special case of a priori knowledge of scatterer symmetry are treated in some detail. The merits of this solution over the conventional radar imaging technique are discussed.

  14. The Sequences of 1504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies.

    PubMed

    Li, Guotian; Jain, Rashmi; Chern, Mawsheng; Pham, Nikki T; Martin, Joel A; Wei, Tong; Schackwitz, Wendy S; Lipzen, Anna M; Duong, Phat Q; Jones, Kyle C; Jiang, Liangrong; Ruan, Deling; Bauer, Diane; Peng, Yi; Barry, Kerrie W; Schmutz, Jeremy; Ronald, Pamela C

    2017-06-01

    The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake ( Oryza sativa ssp japonica ), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportion of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. This work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  15. Higher exercise intensity delays postexercise recovery of impedance-derived cardiac sympathetic activity.

    PubMed

    Michael, Scott; Jay, Ollie; Graham, Kenneth S; Davis, Glen M

    2017-08-01

    Systolic time intervals (STIs) provide noninvasive insights into cardiac sympathetic neural activity (cSNA). As the effect of exercise intensity on postexercise STI recovery is unclear, this study investigated the STI recovery profile after different exercise intensities. Eleven healthy males cycled for 8 min at 3 separate intensities: LOW (40%-45%), MOD (75%-80%), and HIGH (90%-95%) of heart-rate (HR) reserve. Bio-impedance cardiography was used to assess STIs - primarily pre-ejection period (PEP; inversely correlated with cSNA), as well as left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and PEP:LVET - during 10 min seated recovery immediately postexercise. Heart-rate variability (HRV), i.e., natural-logarithm of root mean square of successive differences (Ln-RMSSD), was calculated as an index of cardiac parasympathetic neural activity (cPNA). Higher preceding exercise intensity elicited a slower recovery of HR and Ln-RMSSD (p < 0.001), and these measures did not return to baseline by 10 min following any intensity (p ≤ 0.009). Recovery of STIs was also slower following higher intensity exercise (p ≤ 0.002). By 30 s postexercise, higher preceding intensity resulted in a lower PEP (98 ± 14 ms, 75 ± 6 ms, 66 ± 5 ms for LOW, MOD, and HIGH, respectively, p < 0.001). PEP recovered to baseline (143 ± 11 ms) by 5 min following LOW (139 ± 13 ms, p = 0.590) and by 10 min following MOD (145 ± 17 ms, p = 0.602), but was still suppressed at 10 min following HIGH (123 ± 21 ms, p = 0.012). Higher preceding exercise intensity attenuated the recovery of indices for cSNA (from STIs) and cPNA (from HRV) in a graded dose-response fashion. While exercise intensity must be considered, acute recovery may be a valuable period during which to concurrently monitor these noninvasive indices, to identify potentially abnormal cardiac autonomic responses.

  16. Study of solid rocket motors for a space shuttle booster. Appendix C: Recovery and reuse 120-inch diameter solid rocket motor boosters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    A baseline for a space shuttle configuration utilizing four parallel-burn 120-in. diameter SRMS is presented. Topics discussed include parachute system sequence, recovery system development profile, parachute container, and segment and closure recovery operations. A cost analysis for recovery of the SRM stage is presented. It is concluded that from the standpoint of minimum cost and development, parachutes are the best means of achieving SRM recovery. Major SRM components can be reused safely.

  17. Comparative analysis of the complete sequence of the plastid genome of Parthenium argentatum and identification of DNA barcodes to differentiate Parthenium species and lines

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Parthenium argentatum (guayule) is an industrial crop that produces latex, which was recently commercialized as a source of latex rubber safe for people with Type I latex allergy. The complete plastid genome of P. argentatum was sequenced. The sequence provides important information useful for genetic engineering strategies. Comparison to the sequences of plastid genomes from three other members of the Asteraceae, Lactuca sativa, Guitozia abyssinica and Helianthus annuus revealed details of the evolution of the four genomes. Chloroplast-specific DNA barcodes were developed for identification of Parthenium species and lines. Results The complete plastid genome of P. argentatum is 152,803 bp. Based on the overall comparison of individual protein coding genes with those in L. sativa, G. abyssinica and H. annuus, we demonstrate that the P. argentatum chloroplast genome sequence is most closely related to that of H. annuus. Similar to chloroplast genomes in G. abyssinica, L. sativa and H. annuus, the plastid genome of P. argentatum has a large 23 kb inversion with a smaller 3.4 kb inversion, within the large inversion. Using the matK and psbA-trnH spacer chloroplast DNA barcodes, three of the four Parthenium species tested, P. tomentosum, P. hysterophorus and P. schottii, can be differentiated from P. argentatum. In addition, we identified lines within P. argentatum. Conclusion The genome sequence of the P. argentatum chloroplast will enrich the sequence resources of plastid genomes in commercial crops. The availability of the complete plastid genome sequence may facilitate transformation efficiency by using the precise sequence of endogenous flanking sequences and regulatory elements in chloroplast transformation vectors. The DNA barcoding study forms the foundation for genetic identification of commercially significant lines of P. argentatum that are important for producing latex. PMID:19917140

  18. Marine Controlled-Source Electromagnetic 2D Inversion for synthetic models.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Y.; Li, Y.

    2016-12-01

    We present a 2D inverse algorithm for frequency domain marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) data, which is based on the regularized Gauss-Newton approach. As a forward solver, our parallel adaptive finite element forward modeling program is employed. It is a self-adaptive, goal-oriented grid refinement algorithm in which a finite element analysis is performed on a sequence of refined meshes. The mesh refinement process is guided by a dual error estimate weighting to bias refinement towards elements that affect the solution at the EM receiver locations. With the use of the direct solver (MUMPS), we can effectively compute the electromagnetic fields for multi-sources and parametric sensitivities. We also implement the parallel data domain decomposition approach of Key and Ovall (2011), with the goal of being able to compute accurate responses in parallel for complicated models and a full suite of data parameters typical of offshore CSEM surveys. All minimizations are carried out by using the Gauss-Newton algorithm and model perturbations at each iteration step are obtained by using the Inexact Conjugate Gradient iteration method. Synthetic test inversions are presented.

  19. Intraspecific and heteroplasmic variations, gene losses and inversions in the chloroplast genome of Astragalus membranaceus.

    PubMed

    Lei, Wanjun; Ni, Dapeng; Wang, Yujun; Shao, Junjie; Wang, Xincun; Yang, Dan; Wang, Jinsheng; Chen, Haimei; Liu, Chang

    2016-02-22

    Astragalus membranaceus is an important medicinal plant in Asia. Several of its varieties have been used interchangeably as raw materials for commercial production. High resolution genetic markers are in urgent need to distinguish these varieties. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the chloroplast genome of A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) P.K. Hsiao using the next generation DNA sequencing technology. The genome was assembled using Abyss and then subjected to gene prediction using CPGAVAS and repeat analysis using MISA, Tandem Repeats Finder, and REPuter. Finally, the genome was subjected phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses. The complete genome is 123,582 bp long, containing only one copy of the inverted repeat. Gene prediction revealed 110 genes encoding 76 proteins, 30 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. Five intra-specific hypermutation loci were identified, three of which are heteroplasmic. Furthermore, three gene losses and two large inversions were identified. Comparative genomic analyses demonstrated the dynamic nature of the Papilionoideae chloroplast genomes, which showed occurrence of numerous hypermutation loci, frequent gene losses, and fragment inversions. Results obtained herein elucidate the complex evolutionary history of chloroplast genomes and have laid the foundation for the identification of genetic markers to distinguish A. membranaceus varieties.

  20. Comparison of Different Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography Techniques in Living Liver Donors Including Gd-EOB-DTPA Enhanced T1-Weighted Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Kinner, Sonja; Steinweg, Verena; Maderwald, Stefan; Radtke, Arnold; Sotiropoulos, Georgios; Forsting, Michael; Schroeder, Tobias

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Preoperative evaluation of potential living liver donors (PLLDs) includes the assessment of the biliary anatomy to avoid postoperative complications. Aim of this study was to compare T2-weighted (T2w) and Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted (T1w) magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) techniques in the evaluation of PLLDs. Materials and Methods 30 PLLDs underwent MRC on a 1.5 T Magnetom Avanto (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) using (A) 2D T2w HASTE (Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo) fat saturated (fs) in axial plane, (B) 2D T2w HASTE fs thick slices in coronal plane, (C) free breathing 3D T2w TSE (turbo spin echo) RESTORE (high-resolution navigator corrected) plus (D) maximum intensity projections (MIPs), (E) T2w SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions) plus (F) MIPs and (G) T2w TSE BLADE as well as Gd-EOB-DTPA T1w images without (G) and with (H) inversion recovery. Contrast enhanced CT cholangiography served as reference imaging modality. Two independent reviewers evaluated the biliary tract anatomy on a 5-point scale subjectively and objectively. Data sets were compared using a Mann-Whitney-U-test. Kappa values were also calculated. Results Source images and maximum intensity projections of 3D T2w TSE sequences (RESTORE and SPACE) proved to be best for subjective and objective evaluation directly followed by 2D HASTE sequences. Interobserver variabilities were good to excellent (k = 0.622–0.804). Conclusions 3D T2w sequences are essential for preoperative biliary tract evaluation in potential living liver donors. Furthermore, our results underline the value of different MRCP sequence types for the evaluation of the biliary anatomy in PLLDs including Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1w MRC. PMID:25426932

  1. A ''Voice Inversion Effect?''

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bedard, Catherine; Belin, Pascal

    2004-01-01

    Voice is the carrier of speech but is also an ''auditory face'' rich in information on the speaker's identity and affective state. Three experiments explored the possibility of a ''voice inversion effect,'' by analogy to the classical ''face inversion effect,'' which could support the hypothesis of a voice-specific module. Experiment 1 consisted…

  2. Representation of the inverse of a frame multiplier.

    PubMed

    Balazs, P; Stoeva, D T

    2015-02-15

    Certain mathematical objects appear in a lot of scientific disciplines, like physics, signal processing and, naturally, mathematics. In a general setting they can be described as frame multipliers, consisting of analysis, multiplication by a fixed sequence (called the symbol), and synthesis. In this paper we show a surprising result about the inverse of such operators, if any, as well as new results about a core concept of frame theory, dual frames. We show that for semi-normalized symbols, the inverse of any invertible frame multiplier can always be represented as a frame multiplier with the reciprocal symbol and dual frames of the given ones. Furthermore, one of those dual frames is uniquely determined and the other one can be arbitrarily chosen. We investigate sufficient conditions for the special case, when both dual frames can be chosen to be the canonical duals. In connection to the above, we show that the set of dual frames determines a frame uniquely. Furthermore, for a given frame, the union of all coefficients of its dual frames is dense in [Formula: see text]. We also introduce a class of frames (called pseudo-coherent frames), which includes Gabor frames and coherent frames, and investigate invertible pseudo-coherent frame multipliers, allowing a classification for frame-type operators for these frames. Finally, we give a numerical example for the invertibility of multipliers in the Gabor case.

  3. Representation of the inverse of a frame multiplier☆

    PubMed Central

    Balazs, P.; Stoeva, D.T.

    2015-01-01

    Certain mathematical objects appear in a lot of scientific disciplines, like physics, signal processing and, naturally, mathematics. In a general setting they can be described as frame multipliers, consisting of analysis, multiplication by a fixed sequence (called the symbol), and synthesis. In this paper we show a surprising result about the inverse of such operators, if any, as well as new results about a core concept of frame theory, dual frames. We show that for semi-normalized symbols, the inverse of any invertible frame multiplier can always be represented as a frame multiplier with the reciprocal symbol and dual frames of the given ones. Furthermore, one of those dual frames is uniquely determined and the other one can be arbitrarily chosen. We investigate sufficient conditions for the special case, when both dual frames can be chosen to be the canonical duals. In connection to the above, we show that the set of dual frames determines a frame uniquely. Furthermore, for a given frame, the union of all coefficients of its dual frames is dense in ℓ2. We also introduce a class of frames (called pseudo-coherent frames), which includes Gabor frames and coherent frames, and investigate invertible pseudo-coherent frame multipliers, allowing a classification for frame-type operators for these frames. Finally, we give a numerical example for the invertibility of multipliers in the Gabor case. PMID:25843976

  4. On the calibration process of film dosimetry: OLS inverse regression versus WLS inverse prediction.

    PubMed

    Crop, F; Van Rompaye, B; Paelinck, L; Vakaet, L; Thierens, H; De Wagter, C

    2008-07-21

    The purpose of this study was both putting forward a statistically correct model for film calibration and the optimization of this process. A reliable calibration is needed in order to perform accurate reference dosimetry with radiographic (Gafchromic) film. Sometimes, an ordinary least squares simple linear (in the parameters) regression is applied to the dose-optical-density (OD) curve with the dose as a function of OD (inverse regression) or sometimes OD as a function of dose (inverse prediction). The application of a simple linear regression fit is an invalid method because heteroscedasticity of the data is not taken into account. This could lead to erroneous results originating from the calibration process itself and thus to a lower accuracy. In this work, we compare the ordinary least squares (OLS) inverse regression method with the correct weighted least squares (WLS) inverse prediction method to create calibration curves. We found that the OLS inverse regression method could lead to a prediction bias of up to 7.3 cGy at 300 cGy and total prediction errors of 3% or more for Gafchromic EBT film. Application of the WLS inverse prediction method resulted in a maximum prediction bias of 1.4 cGy and total prediction errors below 2% in a 0-400 cGy range. We developed a Monte-Carlo-based process to optimize calibrations, depending on the needs of the experiment. This type of thorough analysis can lead to a higher accuracy for film dosimetry.

  5. High-throughput sequencing reveals the incomplete, short-term recovery of infant gut microbiota following parenteral antibiotic treatment with ampicillin and gentamicin.

    PubMed

    Fouhy, Fiona; Guinane, Caitriona M; Hussey, Seamus; Wall, Rebecca; Ryan, C Anthony; Dempsey, Eugene M; Murphy, Brendan; Ross, R Paul; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Stanton, Catherine; Cotter, Paul D

    2012-11-01

    The infant gut microbiota undergoes dramatic changes during the first 2 years of life. The acquisition and development of this population can be influenced by numerous factors, and antibiotic treatment has been suggested as one of the most significant. Despite this, however, there have been relatively few studies which have investigated the short-term recovery of the infant gut microbiota following antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to use high-throughput sequencing (employing both 16S rRNA and rpoB-specific primers) and quantitative PCR to compare the gut microbiota of nine infants who underwent parenteral antibiotic treatment with ampicillin and gentamicin (within 48 h of birth), 4 and 8 weeks after the conclusion of treatment, relative to that of nine matched healthy controls. The investigation revealed that the gut microbiota of the antibiotic-treated infants had significantly higher proportions of Proteobacteria (P = 0.0049) and significantly lower proportions of Actinobacteria (P = 0.00001) (and the associated genus Bifidobacterium [P = 0.0132]) as well as the genus Lactobacillus (P = 0.0182) than the untreated controls 4 weeks after the cessation of treatment. By week 8, the Proteobacteria levels remained significantly higher in the treated infants (P = 0.0049), but the Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus levels had recovered and were similar to those in the control samples. Despite this recovery of total Bifidobacterium numbers, rpoB-targeted pyrosequencing revealed that the number of different Bifidobacterium species present in the antibiotic-treated infants was reduced. It is thus apparent that the combined use of ampicillin and gentamicin in early life can have significant effects on the evolution of the infant gut microbiota, the long-term health implications of which remain unknown.

  6. RNAfbinv: an interactive Java application for fragment-based design of RNA sequences.

    PubMed

    Weinbrand, Lina; Avihoo, Assaf; Barash, Danny

    2013-11-15

    In RNA design problems, it is plausible to assume that the user would be interested in preserving a particular RNA secondary structure motif, or fragment, for biological reasons. The preservation could be in structure or sequence, or both. Thus, the inverse RNA folding problem could benefit from considering fragment constraints. We have developed a new interactive Java application called RNA fragment-based inverse that allows users to insert an RNA secondary structure in dot-bracket notation. It then performs sequence design that conforms to the shape of the input secondary structure, the specified thermodynamic stability, the specified mutational robustness and the user-selected fragment after shape decomposition. In this shape-based design approach, specific RNA structural motifs with known biological functions are strictly enforced, while others can possess more flexibility in their structure in favor of preserving physical attributes and additional constraints. RNAfbinv is freely available for download on the web at http://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/~RNAexinv/RNAfbinv. The site contains a help file with an explanation regarding the exact use.

  7. Donor states in inverse opals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mahan, G. D.

    We calculate the binding energy of an electron bound to a donor in a semiconductor inverse opal. Inverse opals have two kinds of cavities, which we call octahedral and tetrahedral, according to their group symmetry. We put the donor in the center of each of these two cavities and obtain the binding energy. The binding energies become very large when the inverse opal is made from templates with small spheres. For spheres less than 50 nm in diameter, the donor binding can increase to several times its unconfined value. Then electrons become tightly bound to the donor and are unlikelymore » to be thermally activated to the semiconductor conduction band. This conclusion suggests that inverse opals will be poor conductors.« less

  8. GPU-accelerated algorithms for compressed signals recovery with application to astronomical imagery deblurring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiandrotti, Attilio; Fosson, Sophie M.; Ravazzi, Chiara; Magli, Enrico

    2018-04-01

    Compressive sensing promises to enable bandwidth-efficient on-board compression of astronomical data by lifting the encoding complexity from the source to the receiver. The signal is recovered off-line, exploiting GPUs parallel computation capabilities to speedup the reconstruction process. However, inherent GPU hardware constraints limit the size of the recoverable signal and the speedup practically achievable. In this work, we design parallel algorithms that exploit the properties of circulant matrices for efficient GPU-accelerated sparse signals recovery. Our approach reduces the memory requirements, allowing us to recover very large signals with limited memory. In addition, it achieves a tenfold signal recovery speedup thanks to ad-hoc parallelization of matrix-vector multiplications and matrix inversions. Finally, we practically demonstrate our algorithms in a typical application of circulant matrices: deblurring a sparse astronomical image in the compressed domain.

  9. Recovery capital pathways: Modelling the components of recovery wellbeing.

    PubMed

    Cano, Ivan; Best, David; Edwards, Michael; Lehman, John

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, there has been recognition that recovery is a journey that involves the growth of recovery capital. Thus, recovery capital has become a commonly used term in addiction treatment and research yet its operationalization and measurement has been limited. Due to these limitations, there is little understanding of long-term recovery pathways and their clinical application. We used the data of 546 participants from eight different recovery residences spread across Florida, USA. We calculated internal consistency for recovery capital and wellbeing, then assessed their factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis. The relationships between time, recovery barriers and strengths, wellbeing and recovery capital, as well as the moderating effect of gender, were estimated using structural equations modelling. The proposed model obtained an acceptable fit (χ 2 (141, N=546)=533.642, p<0.001; CMIN/DF=3.785; CFI=0.915; TLI=0.896; RMSEA=0.071). Findings indicate a pathway to recovery capital that involves greater time in residence ('retention'), linked to an increase in meaningful activities and a reduction in barriers to recovery and unmet needs that, in turn, promote recovery capital and positive wellbeing. Gender differences were observed. We tested the pathways to recovery for residents in the recovery housing population. Our results have implications not only for retention as a predictor of sustained recovery and wellbeing but also for the importance of meaningful activities in promoting recovery capital and wellbeing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Modelisations et inversions tri-dimensionnelles en prospections gravimetrique et electrique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boulanger, Olivier

    The aim of this thesis is the application of gravity and resistivity methods for mining prospecting. The objectives of the present study are: (1) to build a fast gravity inversion method to interpret surface data; (2) to develop a tool for modelling the electrical potential acquired at surface and in boreholes when the resistivity distribution is heterogeneous; and (3) to define and implement a stochastic inversion scheme allowing the estimation of the subsurface resistivity from electrical data. The first technique concerns the elaboration of a three dimensional (3D) inversion program allowing the interpretation of gravity data using a selection of constraints such as the minimum distance, the flatness, the smoothness and the compactness. These constraints are integrated in a Lagrangian formulation. A multi-grid technique is also implemented to resolve separately large and short gravity wavelengths. The subsurface in the survey area is divided into juxtaposed rectangular prismatic blocks. The problem is solved by calculating the model parameters, i.e. the densities of each block. Weights are given to each block depending on depth, a priori information on density, and density range allowed for the region under investigation. The present code is tested on synthetic data. Advantages and behaviour of each method are compared in the 3D reconstruction. Recovery of geometry (depth, size) and density distribution of the original model is dependent on the set of constraints used. The best combination of constraints experimented for multiple bodies seems to be flatness and minimum volume for multiple bodies. The inversion method is tested on real gravity data. The second tool developed in this thesis is a three-dimensional electrical resistivity modelling code to interpret surface and subsurface data. Based on the integral equation, it calculates the charge density caused by conductivity gradients at each interface of the mesh allowing an exact estimation of the potential

  11. An Innovations-Based Noise Cancelling Technique on Inverse Kepstrum Whitening Filter and Adaptive FIR Filter in Beamforming Structure

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Jinsoo

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents an acoustic noise cancelling technique using an inverse kepstrum system as an innovations-based whitening application for an adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) filter in beamforming structure. The inverse kepstrum method uses an innovations-whitened form from one acoustic path transfer function between a reference microphone sensor and a noise source so that the rear-end reference signal will then be a whitened sequence to a cascaded adaptive FIR filter in the beamforming structure. By using an inverse kepstrum filter as a whitening filter with the use of a delay filter, the cascaded adaptive FIR filter estimates only the numerator of the polynomial part from the ratio of overall combined transfer functions. The test results have shown that the adaptive FIR filter is more effective in beamforming structure than an adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) structure in terms of signal distortion in the desired signal and noise reduction in noise with nonminimum phase components. In addition, the inverse kepstrum method shows almost the same convergence level in estimate of noise statistics with the use of a smaller amount of adaptive FIR filter weights than the kepstrum method, hence it could provide better computational simplicity in processing. Furthermore, the rear-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure has shown less signal distortion in the desired signal than the front-end kepstrum method and the front-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure. PMID:22163987

  12. Cerebrospinal Fluid Enhancement on Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images After Carotid Artery Stenting with Neuroprotective Balloon Occlusions: Hemodynamic Instability and Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ogami, Ryo, E-mail: ogami.r@mazda.co.jp; Nakahara, Toshinori; Hamasaki, Osamu

    2011-10-15

    Purpose: A rare complication of carotid artery stenting (CAS), prolonged reversible neurological symptoms with delayed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space enhancement on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, is associated with blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. We prospectively identified patients who showed CSF space enhancement on FLAIR images. Methods: Nineteen patients-5 acute-phase and 14 scheduled-underwent 21 CAS procedures. Balloon catheters were navigated across stenoses, angioplasty was performed using a neuroprotective balloon, and stents were placed with after dilation under distal balloon protection. CSF space hyperintensity or obscuration on FLAIR after versus before CAS indicated CSF space enhancement. Correlations with clinical factors weremore » examined. Results: CSF space was enhanced on FLAIR in 12 (57.1%) cases. Postprocedural CSF space enhancement was significantly related to age, stenosis rate, acute-stage procedure, and total occlusion time. All acute-stage CAS patients showed delayed enhancement. Only age was associated with delayed CSF space enhancement in scheduled CAS patients. Conclusions: Ischemic intolerance for severe carotid artery stenosis and temporary neuroprotective balloon occlusion, causing reperfusion injury, seem to be the main factors that underlie BBB disruption with delayed CSF space enhancement shortly after CAS, rather than sudden poststenting hemodynamic change. Our results suggest that factors related to hemodynamic instability or ischemic intolerance seem to be associated with post-CAS BBB vulnerability. Patients at risk for hemodynamic instability or with ischemic intolerance, which decrease BBB integrity, require careful management to prevent intracranial hemorrhagic and other post-CAS complications.« less

  13. Recovery in soccer : part ii-recovery strategies.

    PubMed

    Nédélec, Mathieu; McCall, Alan; Carling, Chris; Legall, Franck; Berthoin, Serge; Dupont, Gregory

    2013-01-01

    In the formerly published part I of this two-part review, we examined fatigue after soccer matchplay and recovery kinetics of physical performance, and cognitive, subjective and biological markers. To reduce the magnitude of fatigue and to accelerate the time to fully recover after completion, several recovery strategies are now used in professional soccer teams. During congested fixture schedules, recovery strategies are highly required to alleviate post-match fatigue, and then to regain performance faster and reduce the risk of injury. Fatigue following competition is multifactorial and mainly related to dehydration, glycogen depletion, muscle damage and mental fatigue. Recovery strategies should consequently be targeted against the major causes of fatigue. Strategies reviewed in part II of this article were nutritional intake, cold water immersion, sleeping, active recovery, stretching, compression garments, massage and electrical stimulation. Some strategies such as hydration, diet and sleep are effective in their ability to counteract the fatigue mechanisms. Providing milk drinks to players at the end of competition and a meal containing high-glycaemic index carbohydrate and protein within the hour following the match are effective in replenishing substrate stores and optimizing muscle-damage repair. Sleep is an essential part of recovery management. Sleep disturbance after a match is common and can negatively impact on the recovery process. Cold water immersion is effective during acute periods of match congestion in order to regain performance levels faster and repress the acute inflammatory process. Scientific evidence for other strategies reviewed in their ability to accelerate the return to the initial level of performance is still lacking. These include active recovery, stretching, compression garments, massage and electrical stimulation. While this does not mean that these strategies do not aid the recovery process, the protocols implemented up until

  14. Molecular Cytogenetics Guides Massively Parallel Sequencing of a Radiation-Induced Chromosome Translocation in Human Cells.

    PubMed

    Cornforth, Michael N; Anur, Pavana; Wang, Nicholas; Robinson, Erin; Ray, F Andrew; Bedford, Joel S; Loucas, Bradford D; Williams, Eli S; Peto, Myron; Spellman, Paul; Kollipara, Rahul; Kittler, Ralf; Gray, Joe W; Bailey, Susan M

    2018-05-11

    Chromosome rearrangements are large-scale structural variants that are recognized drivers of oncogenic events in cancers of all types. Cytogenetics allows for their rapid, genome-wide detection, but does not provide gene-level resolution. Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) promises DNA sequence-level characterization of the specific breakpoints involved, but is strongly influenced by bioinformatics filters that affect detection efficiency. We sought to characterize the breakpoint junctions of chromosomal translocations and inversions in the clonal derivatives of human cells exposed to ionizing radiation. Here, we describe the first successful use of DNA paired-end analysis to locate and sequence across the breakpoint junctions of a radiation-induced reciprocal translocation. The analyses employed, with varying degrees of success, several well-known bioinformatics algorithms, a task made difficult by the involvement of repetitive DNA sequences. As for underlying mechanisms, the results of Sanger sequencing suggested that the translocation in question was likely formed via microhomology-mediated non-homologous end joining (mmNHEJ). To our knowledge, this represents the first use of MPS to characterize the breakpoint junctions of a radiation-induced chromosomal translocation in human cells. Curiously, these same approaches were unsuccessful when applied to the analysis of inversions previously identified by directional genomic hybridization (dGH). We conclude that molecular cytogenetics continues to provide critical guidance for structural variant discovery, validation and in "tuning" analysis filters to enable robust breakpoint identification at the base pair level.

  15. ENDOR with band-selective shaped inversion pulses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tait, Claudia E.; Stoll, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    Electron Nuclear DOuble Resonance (ENDOR) is based on the measurement of nuclear transition frequencies through detection of changes in the polarization of electron transitions. In Davies ENDOR, the initial polarization is generated by a selective microwave inversion pulse. The rectangular inversion pulses typically used are characterized by a relatively low selectivity, with full inversion achieved only for a limited number of spin packets with small resonance offsets. With the introduction of pulse shaping to EPR, the rectangular inversion pulses can be replaced with shaped pulses with increased selectivity. Band-selective inversion pulses are characterized by almost rectangular inversion profiles, leading to full inversion for spin packets with resonance offsets within the pulse excitation bandwidth and leaving spin packets outside the excitation bandwidth largely unaffected. Here, we explore the consequences of using different band-selective amplitude-modulated pulses designed for NMR as the inversion pulse in ENDOR. We find an increased sensitivity for small hyperfine couplings compared to rectangular pulses of the same bandwidth. In echo-detected Davies-type ENDOR, finite Fourier series inversion pulses combine the advantages of increased absolute ENDOR sensitivity of short rectangular inversion pulses and increased sensitivity for small hyperfine couplings of long rectangular inversion pulses. The use of pulses with an almost rectangular frequency-domain profile also allows for increased control of the hyperfine contrast selectivity. At X-band, acquisition of echo transients as a function of radiofrequency and appropriate selection of integration windows during data processing allows efficient separation of contributions from weakly and strongly coupled nuclei in overlapping ENDOR spectra within a single experiment.

  16. An evolutive real-time source inversion based on a linear inverse formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez Reyes, H. S.; Tago, J.; Cruz-Atienza, V. M.; Metivier, L.; Contreras Zazueta, M. A.; Virieux, J.

    2016-12-01

    Finite source inversion is a steppingstone to unveil earthquake rupture. It is used on ground motion predictions and its results shed light on seismic cycle for better tectonic understanding. It is not yet used for quasi-real-time analysis. Nowadays, significant progress has been made on approaches regarding earthquake imaging, thanks to new data acquisition and methodological advances. However, most of these techniques are posterior procedures once seismograms are available. Incorporating source parameters estimation into early warning systems would require to update the source build-up while recording data. In order to go toward this dynamic estimation, we developed a kinematic source inversion formulated in the time-domain, for which seismograms are linearly related to the slip distribution on the fault through convolutions with Green's functions previously estimated and stored (Perton et al., 2016). These convolutions are performed in the time-domain as we progressively increase the time window of records at each station specifically. Selected unknowns are the spatio-temporal slip-rate distribution to keep the linearity of the forward problem with respect to unknowns, as promoted by Fan and Shearer (2014). Through the spatial extension of the expected rupture zone, we progressively build-up the slip-rate when adding new data by assuming rupture causality. This formulation is based on the adjoint-state method for efficiency (Plessix, 2006). The inverse problem is non-unique and, in most cases, underdetermined. While standard regularization terms are used for stabilizing the inversion, we avoid strategies based on parameter reduction leading to an unwanted non-linear relationship between parameters and seismograms for our progressive build-up. Rise time, rupture velocity and other quantities can be extracted later on as attributs from the slip-rate inversion we perform. Satisfactory results are obtained on a synthetic example (FIgure 1) proposed by the Source

  17. Non-ambiguous recovery of Biot poroelastic parameters of cellular panels using ultrasonicwaves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogam, Erick; Fellah, Z. E. A.; Sebaa, Naima; Groby, J.-P.

    2011-03-01

    The inverse problem of the recovery of the poroelastic parameters of open-cell soft plastic foam panels is solved by employing transmitted ultrasonic waves (USW) and the Biot-Johnson-Koplik-Champoux-Allard (BJKCA) model. It is shown by constructing the objective functional given by the total square of the difference between predictions from the BJKCA interaction model and experimental data obtained with transmitted USW that the inverse problem is ill-posed, since the functional exhibits several local minima and maxima. In order to solve this problem, which is beyond the capability of most off-the-shelf iterative nonlinear least squares optimization algorithms (such as the Levenberg Marquadt or Nelder-Mead simplex methods), simple strategies are developed. The recovered acoustic parameters are compared with those obtained using simpler interaction models and a method employing asymptotic phase velocity of the transmitted USW. The retrieved elastic moduli are validated by solving an inverse vibration spectroscopy problem with data obtained from beam-like specimens cut from the panels using an equivalent solid elastodynamic model as estimator. The phase velocities are reconstructed using computed, measured resonance frequencies and a time-frequency decomposition of transient waves induced in the beam specimen. These confirm that the elastic parameters recovered using vibration are valid over the frequency range ofstudy.

  18. On the integral inversion of satellite-to-satellite velocity differences for local gravity field recovery: a theoretical study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eshagh, Mehdi; Šprlák, Michal

    2016-02-01

    The gravity field can be recovered locally from the satellite-to-satellite velocity differences (VDs) between twin-satellites moving in the same orbit. To do so, three different integral formulae are derived in this paper to recover geoid height, radial component of gravity anomaly and gravity disturbance at sea level. Their kernel functions contain the product of two Legendre polynomials with different arguments. Such kernels are relatively complicated and it may be impossible to find their closed-forms. However, we could find the one related to recovering the geoid height from the VD data. The use of spectral forms of the kernels is possible and one does not have to generate them to very high degrees. The kernel functions are well-behaving meaning that they reduce the contribution of far-zone data and for example a cap margin of 7° is enough for recovering gravity anomalies. This means that the inversion area should be larger by 7° from all directions than the desired area to reduce the effect of spatial truncation error of the integral formula. Numerical studies using simulated data over Fennoscandia showed that when the distance between the twin-satellites is small, higher frequencies of the anomalies can be recovered from the VD data. In the ideal case of having short distance between the satellites flying at 250 km level, recovering radial component of gravity anomaly with an accuracy of 7 mGal is possible over Fennoscandia, if the VD data is contaminated only with the spatial truncation error, which is an ideal assumption. However, the problem is that the power of VD signal is very low when the satellites are close and it is very difficult to recognise the signal amongst the noise of the VD data. We also show that for a successful determination of gravity anomalies at sea level from an altitude of 250 km mean VDs with better accuracy than 0.01 mm/s are required. When coloured noise at this level is used for the VDs at 250 km with separation of 300 km, the

  19. Lung MRI at 1.5 and 3 Tesla: observer preference study and lesion contrast using five different pulse sequences.

    PubMed

    Fink, Christian; Puderbach, Michael; Biederer, Juergen; Fabel, Michael; Dietrich, Olaf; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Reiser, Maximilian F; Schönberg, Stefan O

    2007-06-01

    To compare the image quality and lesion contrast of lung MRI using 5 different pulse sequences at 1.5 T and 3 T. Lung MRI was performed at 1.5 T and 3 T using 5 pulse sequences which have been previously proposed for lung MRI: 3D volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE), true fast imaging with steady-state precession (TrueFISP), half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), short tau inversion recovery (STIR), T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE). In addition to 4 healthy volunteers, 5 porcine lungs were examined in a dedicated chest phantom. Lung pathology (nodules and infiltrates) was simulated in the phantom by intrapulmonary and intrabronchial injections of agarose. CT was performed in the phantom for correlation. Image quality of the sequences was ranked in a side-by-side comparison by 3 blinded radiologists regarding the delineation of pulmonary and mediastinal anatomy, conspicuity of pulmonary nodules and infiltrates, and presence of artifacts. The contrast of nodules and infiltrates (CNODULES and CINFILTRATES) defined by the ratio of the signal intensities of the lesion and adjacent normal lung parenchyma was determined. There were no relevant differences regarding the preference for the individual sequences between both field strengths. TSE was the preferred sequence for the visualization of the mediastinum at both field strengths. For the visualization of lung parenchyma the observers preferred TrueFISP in volunteers and TSE in the phantom studies. At both field strengths VIBE achieved the best rating for the depiction of nodules, whereas HASTE was rated best for the delineation of infiltrates. TrueFISP had the fewest artifacts in volunteers, whereas STIR showed the fewest artifacts in the phantom. For all but the TrueFISP sequence the lesion contrast increased from 1.5 T to 3 T. At both field strengths VIBE showed the highest CNODULES (6.6 and 7.1) and HASTE the highest CINFILTRATES (6.1 and 6.3). The imaging characteristics of different

  20. Interactive neonatal gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging using fruit juice as an oral contrast media.

    PubMed

    Arthurs, Owen J; Graves, Martin J; Edwards, Andrea D; Joubert, Ilse; Set, Pat A K; Lomas, David J

    2014-09-22

    The objective was to evaluate the use of fruit juice with an interactive inversion recovery (IR) MR pulse sequence to visualise the gastrointestinal tract. We investigated the relaxation properties of 12 different natural fruit juices in vitro, to identify which could be used as oral contrast. We then describe our initial experience using an interactive MR pulse sequence to allow optimal visualisation after administering pineapple juice orally, and suppressing pre-existing bowel fluid contents, with variable TI in three adult and one child volunteer. Pineapple juice (PJ) had both the shortest T1 (243 ms) and shortest T2 (48 ms) of the fruit juices tested. Optimal signal differentiation between pre-existing bowel contents and oral PJ administration was obtained with TIs of between 900 and 1100 ms. The use of an inversion recovery preparation allowed long T1 pre-existing bowel contents to be suppressed whilst the short T1 of fruit juice acts as a positive contrast medium. Pineapple juice could be used as oral contrast agent for neonatal gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging.

  1. Bayesian approach to inverse statistical mechanics.

    PubMed

    Habeck, Michael

    2014-05-01

    Inverse statistical mechanics aims to determine particle interactions from ensemble properties. This article looks at this inverse problem from a Bayesian perspective and discusses several statistical estimators to solve it. In addition, a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed that draws the interaction parameters from their posterior probability distribution. The posterior probability involves an intractable partition function that is estimated along with the interactions. The method is illustrated for inverse problems of varying complexity, including the estimation of a temperature, the inverse Ising problem, maximum entropy fitting, and the reconstruction of molecular interaction potentials.

  2. Bayesian approach to inverse statistical mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Habeck, Michael

    2014-05-01

    Inverse statistical mechanics aims to determine particle interactions from ensemble properties. This article looks at this inverse problem from a Bayesian perspective and discusses several statistical estimators to solve it. In addition, a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed that draws the interaction parameters from their posterior probability distribution. The posterior probability involves an intractable partition function that is estimated along with the interactions. The method is illustrated for inverse problems of varying complexity, including the estimation of a temperature, the inverse Ising problem, maximum entropy fitting, and the reconstruction of molecular interaction potentials.

  3. The Source Inversion Validation (SIV) Initiative: A Collaborative Study on Uncertainty Quantification in Earthquake Source Inversions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mai, P. M.; Schorlemmer, D.; Page, M.

    2012-04-01

    Earthquake source inversions image the spatio-temporal rupture evolution on one or more fault planes using seismic and/or geodetic data. Such studies are critically important for earthquake seismology in general, and for advancing seismic hazard analysis in particular, as they reveal earthquake source complexity and help (i) to investigate earthquake mechanics; (ii) to develop spontaneous dynamic rupture models; (iii) to build models for generating rupture realizations for ground-motion simulations. In applications (i - iii), the underlying finite-fault source models are regarded as "data" (input information), but their uncertainties are essentially unknown. After all, source models are obtained from solving an inherently ill-posed inverse problem to which many a priori assumptions and uncertain observations are applied. The Source Inversion Validation (SIV) project is a collaborative effort to better understand the variability between rupture models for a single earthquake (as manifested in the finite-source rupture model database) and to develop robust uncertainty quantification for earthquake source inversions. The SIV project highlights the need to develop a long-standing and rigorous testing platform to examine the current state-of-the-art in earthquake source inversion, and to develop and test novel source inversion approaches. We will review the current status of the SIV project, and report the findings and conclusions of the recent workshops. We will briefly discuss several source-inversion methods, how they treat uncertainties in data, and assess the posterior model uncertainty. Case studies include initial forward-modeling tests on Green's function calculations, and inversion results for synthetic data from spontaneous dynamic crack-like strike-slip earthquake on steeply dipping fault, embedded in a layered crustal velocity-density structure.

  4. The complete chloroplast genome sequences of Lychnis wilfordii and Silene capitata and comparative analyses with other Caryophyllaceae genomes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jong-Soo; Lee, Byoung Yoon; Kwak, Myounghai

    2017-01-01

    The complete chloroplast genomes of Lychnis wilfordii and Silene capitata were determined and compared with ten previously reported Caryophyllaceae chloroplast genomes. The chloroplast genome sequences of L. wilfordii and S. capitata contain 152,320 bp and 150,224 bp, respectively. The gene contents and orders among 12 Caryophyllaceae species are consistent, but several microstructural changes have occurred. Expansion of the inverted repeat (IR) regions at the large single copy (LSC)/IRb and small single copy (SSC)/IR boundaries led to partial or entire gene duplications. Additionally, rearrangements of the LSC region were caused by gene inversions and/or transpositions. The 18 kb inversions, which occurred three times in different lineages of tribe Sileneae, were thought to be facilitated by the intermolecular duplicated sequences. Sequence analyses of the L. wilfordii and S. capitata genomes revealed 39 and 43 repeats, respectively, including forward, palindromic, and reverse repeats. In addition, a total of 67 and 56 simple sequence repeats were discovered in the L. wilfordii and S. capitata chloroplast genomes, respectively. Finally, we constructed phylogenetic trees of the 12 Caryophyllaceae species and two Amaranthaceae species based on 73 protein-coding genes using both maximum parsimony and likelihood methods.

  5. Effect of silhouetting and inversion on view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    We effortlessly recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but we know relatively little about the features that underlie viewpoint invariance in the brain. Here, we set out to characterize how viewpoint invariance in monkey inferior temporal (IT) neurons is influenced by two image manipulations—silhouetting and inversion. Reducing an object into its silhouette removes internal detail, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the external contours. Inverting an object retains but rearranges features, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the arrangement and orientation of features. Our main findings are 1) view invariance is weakened by silhouetting but not by inversion; 2) view invariance was stronger in neurons that generalized across silhouetting and inversion; 3) neuronal responses to natural objects matched early with that of silhouettes and only later to that of inverted objects, indicative of coarse-to-fine processing; and 4) the impact of silhouetting and inversion depended on object structure. Taken together, our results elucidate the underlying features and dynamics of view-invariant object representations in the brain. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We easily recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but the underlying features are unknown. Here, we show that view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex is driven mainly by external object contours and is not specialized for object orientation. We also find that the responses to natural objects match with that of their silhouettes early in the response, and with inverted versions later in the response—indicative of a coarse-to-fine processing sequence in the brain. PMID:28381484

  6. Effect of silhouetting and inversion on view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex.

    PubMed

    Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, S P

    2017-07-01

    We effortlessly recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but we know relatively little about the features that underlie viewpoint invariance in the brain. Here, we set out to characterize how viewpoint invariance in monkey inferior temporal (IT) neurons is influenced by two image manipulations-silhouetting and inversion. Reducing an object into its silhouette removes internal detail, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the external contours. Inverting an object retains but rearranges features, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the arrangement and orientation of features. Our main findings are 1 ) view invariance is weakened by silhouetting but not by inversion; 2 ) view invariance was stronger in neurons that generalized across silhouetting and inversion; 3 ) neuronal responses to natural objects matched early with that of silhouettes and only later to that of inverted objects, indicative of coarse-to-fine processing; and 4 ) the impact of silhouetting and inversion depended on object structure. Taken together, our results elucidate the underlying features and dynamics of view-invariant object representations in the brain. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We easily recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but the underlying features are unknown. Here, we show that view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex is driven mainly by external object contours and is not specialized for object orientation. We also find that the responses to natural objects match with that of their silhouettes early in the response, and with inverted versions later in the response-indicative of a coarse-to-fine processing sequence in the brain. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  7. 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging: reduced CSF artifacts and enhanced sensitivity and specificity for subarachnoid hemorrhage.

    PubMed

    Lummel, N; Schoepf, V; Burke, M; Brueckmann, H; Linn, J

    2011-12-01

    FLAIR images are highly sensitive for SAH. However, CSF flow artifacts caused by conventional FLAIR can produce false-positive results. Here, we compare 3D and 3D FLAIR sequences, focusing on their potential for containing these artifacts and their sensitivity and specificity for detection of SAHs. We evaluated the following 4 FLAIR sequences: 1) 2D FLAIR at 1.5T, 2) 2D FLAIR, 3) 2D PROPELLER-FLAIR, and 4) 3D Cube-FLAIR at 3T. All sequences were performed in 5 healthy volunteers; sequences 2 and 4 were also performed under routine conditions in 10 patients with focal epilepsy and in 10 patients with SAH. Two neuroradiologists independently conducted the analysis. The presence of flow artifacts in the ventricles and cisterns of healthy volunteers and patients with epilepsy was evaluated and scored on a 4-point scale. Mean values were calculated and compared by using paired t tests. Sensitivity and specificity for SAH detection in sequences 2 and 4 were determined. Cube-FLAIR showed almost no CSF artifacts in the volunteers and the patients with epilepsy; therefore, it was superior to any other FLAIR (P < .001). Sensitivity and specificity of SAH detection by 3T FLAIR were 58.3% and 89.4%, respectively, whereas Cube-FLAIR had a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 100%. Cube-FLAIR allows FLAIR imaging with almost no CSF artifacts and is, thus, particularly useful for SAH detection.

  8. Generation of megabase-scale deletions, inversions and duplications involving the Contactin-6 gene in mice by CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

    PubMed

    Korablev, Alexei N; Serova, Irina A; Serov, Oleg L

    2017-12-28

    Copy Number Variation (CNV) of the human CNTN6 gene (encoding the contactin-6 protein), caused by deletions or duplications, is responsible for severe neurodevelopmental impairments, often in combination with facial dysmorphias. Conversely, deleterious point mutations of this gene do not show any clinical phenotypes. The aim of this study is to generate mice carrying large deletions, duplications and inversions involving the Cntn6 gene as a new experimental model to study CNV of the human CNTN6 locus. To generate large chromosomal rearrangements on mouse chromosome 6, we applied CRISPR/Cas9 technology in zygotes. Two guide RNAs (gRNAs) (flanking a DNA fragment of 1137 Mb) together with Cas9 mRNA and single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides (ssODN) were microinjected into the cytoplasm of 599 zygotes of F1 (C57BL x CBA) mice, and 256 of them were transplanted into oviducts of CD-1 females. As a result, we observed the birth of 41 viable F0 offspring. Genotyping of these mice was performed by PCR analysis and sequencing of PCR products. Among the 41 F0 offspring, we identified seven mice with deletions, two animals carrying duplications of the gene and four carrying inversions. Interestingly, two F0 offspring had both deletions and duplications. It is important to note that while three of seven deletion carriers showed expected sequences at the new joint sites, in another three, we identified an absence of 1-10 nucleotides at the CRISPR/Cas9 cut sites, and in one animal, 103 bp were missing, presumably due to error-prone non-homologous end joining. In addition, we detected the absence of 5 and 13 nucleotides at these sites in two F0 duplication carriers. Similar sequence changes at CRISPR/Cas9 cut sites were observed at the right and left boundaries of inversions. Thus, megabase-scale deletions, duplications and inversions were identified in 11 F0 offspring among 41 analyzed, i.e., approximately 25% efficiency. All genetically modified F0 offspring were viable and

  9. A preprocessing strategy for helioseismic inversions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Thompson, M. J.

    1993-05-01

    Helioseismic inversion in general involves considerable computational expense, due to the large number of modes that is typically considered. This is true in particular of the widely used optimally localized averages (OLA) inversion methods, which require the inversion of one or more matrices whose order is the number of modes in the set. However, the number of practically independent pieces of information that a large helioseismic mode set contains is very much less than the number of modes, suggesting that the set might first be reduced before the expensive inversion is performed. We demonstrate with a model problem that by first performing a singular value decomposition the original problem may be transformed into a much smaller one, reducing considerably the cost of the OLA inversion and with no significant loss of information.

  10. Adults' understanding of inversion concepts: how does performance on addition and subtraction inversion problems compare to performance on multiplication and division inversion problems?

    PubMed

    Robinson, Katherine M; Ninowski, Jerilyn E

    2003-12-01

    Problems of the form a + b - b have been used to assess conceptual understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction. No study has investigated the same relationship between multiplication and division on problems of the form d x e / e. In both types of inversion problems, no calculation is required if the inverse relationship between the operations is understood. Adult participants solved addition/subtraction and multiplication/division inversion (e.g., 9 x 22 / 22) and standard (e.g., 2 + 27 - 28) problems. Participants started to use the inversion strategy earlier and more frequently on addition/subtraction problems. Participants took longer to solve both types of multiplication/division problems. Overall, conceptual understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division was not as strong as that between addition and subtraction. One explanation for this difference in performance is that the operation of division is more weakly represented and understood than the other operations and that this weakness affects performance on problems of the form d x e / e.

  11. Dependence of paracentric inversion rate on tract length.

    PubMed

    York, Thomas L; Durrett, Rick; Nielsen, Rasmus

    2007-04-03

    We develop a Bayesian method based on MCMC for estimating the relative rates of pericentric and paracentric inversions from marker data from two species. The method also allows estimation of the distribution of inversion tract lengths. We apply the method to data from Drosophila melanogaster and D. yakuba. We find that pericentric inversions occur at a much lower rate compared to paracentric inversions. The average paracentric inversion tract length is approx. 4.8 Mb with small inversions being more frequent than large inversions. If the two breakpoints defining a paracentric inversion tract are uniformly and independently distributed over chromosome arms there will be more short tract-length inversions than long; we find an even greater preponderance of short tract lengths than this would predict. Thus there appears to be a correlation between the positions of breakpoints which favors shorter tract lengths. The method developed in this paper provides the first statistical estimator for estimating the distribution of inversion tract lengths from marker data. Application of this method for a number of data sets may help elucidate the relationship between the length of an inversion and the chance that it will get accepted.

  12. Dependence of paracentric inversion rate on tract length

    PubMed Central

    York, Thomas L; Durrett, Rick; Nielsen, Rasmus

    2007-01-01

    Background We develop a Bayesian method based on MCMC for estimating the relative rates of pericentric and paracentric inversions from marker data from two species. The method also allows estimation of the distribution of inversion tract lengths. Results We apply the method to data from Drosophila melanogaster and D. yakuba. We find that pericentric inversions occur at a much lower rate compared to paracentric inversions. The average paracentric inversion tract length is approx. 4.8 Mb with small inversions being more frequent than large inversions. If the two breakpoints defining a paracentric inversion tract are uniformly and independently distributed over chromosome arms there will be more short tract-length inversions than long; we find an even greater preponderance of short tract lengths than this would predict. Thus there appears to be a correlation between the positions of breakpoints which favors shorter tract lengths. Conclusion The method developed in this paper provides the first statistical estimator for estimating the distribution of inversion tract lengths from marker data. Application of this method for a number of data sets may help elucidate the relationship between the length of an inversion and the chance that it will get accepted. PMID:17407601

  13. Volumetric Effects of Motor Cortex Injury on Recovery of Ipsilesional Dexterous Movements

    PubMed Central

    Darling, Warren G.; Pizzimenti, Marc A.; Hynes, Stephanie M.; Rotella, Diane L.; Headley, Grant; Ge, Jizhi; Stilwell-Morecraft, Kimberly S.; McNeal, David W.; Solon-Cline, Kathryn M.; Morecraft, Robert J.

    2011-01-01

    Damage to the motor cortex of one hemisphere has classically been associated with contralateral upper limb paresis, but recent patient studies have identified deficits in both upper limbs. In non-human primates, we tested the hypothesis that the severity of ipsilesional upper limb motor impairment in the early post-injury phase depends on the volume of gray and white matter damage of the motor areas of the frontal lobe. We also postulated that substantial recovery would accompany minimal task practice and that ipsilesional limb recovery would be correlated with recovery of the contralesional limb. Gross (reaching) and fine hand motor functions were assessed for 3-12 months post-injury using two motor tests. Volumes of white and gray matter lesions were assessed using quantitative histology. Early changes in post-lesion motor performance were inversely correlated with white matter lesion volume indicating that larger lesions produced greater decreases in ipsilesional hand movement control. All monkeys showed improvements in ipsilesional hand motor skill during the post-lesion period, with reaching skill improvements being positively correlated with total lesion volume indicating larger lesions were associate with greater ipsilesional motor skill recovery. We suggest that reduced trans-callosal inhibition from the lesioned hemisphere may play a role in the observed skill improvements. Our findings show that significant ipsilesional hand motor recovery is likely to accompany injury limited to frontal motor areas. In humans, more pronounced ipsilesional motor deficits that invariably develop after stroke may, in part, be a consequence of more extensive subcortical white and gray matter damage. PMID:21703261

  14. Seismic moment tensor inversion using 3D velocity model and its application to the 2013 Lushan earthquake sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Lupei; Zhou, Xiaofeng

    2016-10-01

    Source inversion of small-magnitude events such as aftershocks or mine collapses requires use of relatively high frequency seismic waveforms which are strongly affected by small-scale heterogeneities in the crust. In this study, we developed a new inversion method called gCAP3D for determining general moment tensor of a seismic source using Green's functions of 3D models. It inherits the advantageous features of the ;Cut-and-Paste; (CAP) method to break a full seismogram into the Pnl and surface-wave segments and to allow time shift between observed and predicted waveforms. It uses grid search for 5 source parameters (relative strengths of the isotropic and compensated-linear-vector-dipole components and the strike, dip, and rake of the double-couple component) that minimize the waveform misfit. The scalar moment is estimated using the ratio of L2 norms of the data and synthetics. Focal depth can also be determined by repeating the inversion at different depths. We applied gCAP3D to the 2013 Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake and its aftershocks using a 3D crustal-upper mantle velocity model derived from ambient noise tomography in the region. We first relocated the events using the double-difference method. We then used the finite-differences method and reciprocity principle to calculate Green's functions of the 3D model for 20 permanent broadband seismic stations within 200 km from the source region. We obtained moment tensors of the mainshock and 74 aftershocks ranging from Mw 5.2 to 3.4. The results show that the Lushan earthquake is a reverse faulting at a depth of 13-15 km on a plane dipping 40-47° to N46° W. Most of the aftershocks occurred off the main rupture plane and have similar focal mechanisms to the mainshock's, except in the proximity of the mainshock where the aftershocks' focal mechanisms display some variations.

  15. The Sequences of 1,504 Mutants in the Model Rice Variety Kitaake Facilitate Rapid Functional Genomic Studies

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Guotian; Jain, Rashmi; Chern, Mawsheng; ...

    2017-06-02

    The availability of a whole-genome sequenced mutant population and the cataloging of mutations of each line at a single-nucleotide resolution facilitate functional genomic analysis. To this end, we generated and sequenced a fast-neutron-induced mutant population in the model rice cultivar Kitaake (Oryza sativa ssp japonica), which completes its life cycle in 9 weeks. We sequenced 1504 mutant lines at 45-fold coverage and identified 91,513 mutations affecting 32,307 genes, i.e., 58% of all rice genes. We detected an average of 61 mutations per line. Mutation types include single-base substitutions, deletions, insertions, inversions, translocations, and tandem duplications. We observed a high proportionmore » of loss-of-function mutations. We identified an inversion affecting a single gene as the causative mutation for the short-grain phenotype in one mutant line. This result reveals the usefulness of the resource for efficient, cost-effective identification of genes conferring specific phenotypes. To facilitate public access to this genetic resource, we established an open access database called KitBase that provides access to sequence data and seed stocks. This population complements other available mutant collections and gene-editing technologies. In conclusion, this work demonstrates how inexpensive next-generation sequencing can be applied to generate a high-density catalog of mutations.« less

  16. Comparative evolution of the inverse problems (Introduction to an interdisciplinary study of the inverse problems)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sabatier, P. C.

    1972-01-01

    The progressive realization of the consequences of nonuniqueness imply an evolution of both the methods and the centers of interest in inverse problems. This evolution is schematically described together with the various mathematical methods used. A comparative description is given of inverse methods in scientific research, with examples taken from mathematics, quantum and classical physics, seismology, transport theory, radiative transfer, electromagnetic scattering, electrocardiology, etc. It is hoped that this paper will pave the way for an interdisciplinary study of inverse problems.

  17. Stochastic Gabor reflectivity and acoustic impedance inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hariri Naghadeh, Diako; Morley, Christopher Keith; Ferguson, Angus John

    2018-02-01

    To delineate subsurface lithology to estimate petrophysical properties of a reservoir, it is possible to use acoustic impedance (AI) which is the result of seismic inversion. To change amplitude to AI, removal of wavelet effects from the seismic signal in order to get a reflection series, and subsequently transforming those reflections to AI, is vital. To carry out seismic inversion correctly it is important to not assume that the seismic signal is stationary. However, all stationary deconvolution methods are designed following that assumption. To increase temporal resolution and interpretation ability, amplitude compensation and phase correction are inevitable. Those are pitfalls of stationary reflectivity inversion. Although stationary reflectivity inversion methods are trying to estimate reflectivity series, because of incorrect assumptions their estimations will not be correct, but may be useful. Trying to convert those reflection series to AI, also merging with the low frequency initial model, can help us. The aim of this study was to apply non-stationary deconvolution to eliminate time variant wavelet effects from the signal and to convert the estimated reflection series to the absolute AI by getting bias from well logs. To carry out this aim, stochastic Gabor inversion in the time domain was used. The Gabor transform derived the signal’s time-frequency analysis and estimated wavelet properties from different windows. Dealing with different time windows gave an ability to create a time-variant kernel matrix, which was used to remove matrix effects from seismic data. The result was a reflection series that does not follow the stationary assumption. The subsequent step was to convert those reflections to AI using well information. Synthetic and real data sets were used to show the ability of the introduced method. The results highlight that the time cost to get seismic inversion is negligible related to general Gabor inversion in the frequency domain. Also

  18. Recovery of diverse microbes in high turbidity surface water samples using dead-end ultrafiltration

    PubMed Central

    Mull, Bonnie; Hill, Vincent R.

    2015-01-01

    Dead-end ultrafiltration (DEUF) has been reported to be a simple, field-deployable technique for recovering bacteria, viruses, and parasites from large-volume water samples for water quality testing and waterborne disease investigations. While DEUF has been reported for application to water samples having relatively low turbidity, little information is available regarding recovery efficiencies for this technique when applied to sampling turbid water samples such as those commonly found in lakes and rivers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a DEUF technique for recoveringMS2 bacteriophage, enterococci, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in surface water samples having elevated turbidity. Average recovery efficiencies for each study microbe across all turbidity ranges were: MS2 (66%), C. parvum (49%), enterococci (85%), E. coli (81%), and C. perfringens (63%). The recovery efficiencies for MS2 and C. perfringens exhibited an inversely proportional relationship with turbidity, however no significant differences in recovery were observed for C. parvum, enterococci, or E. coli. Although ultrafilter clogging was observed, the DEUF method was able to process 100-L surface water samples at each turbidity level within 60 min. This study supports the use of the DEUF method for recovering a wide array of microbes in large-volume surface water samples having medium to high turbidity. PMID:23064261

  19. Inversion Therapy: Can It Relieve Back Pain?

    MedlinePlus

    Inversion therapy: Can it relieve back pain? Does inversion therapy relieve back pain? Is it safe? Answers from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. Inversion therapy doesn't provide lasting relief from back ...

  20. Micropuncture studies of the recovery phase of myohemoglobinuric acute renal failure in the rat

    PubMed Central

    Oken, Donald E.; DiBona, Gerald F.; McDonald, Franklin D.

    1970-01-01

    Micropuncture studies of the recovery phase of glycerol-induced myohemoglobinuric acute renal failure were performed in rats whose blood urea nitrogen (BUN) had fallen at least 20% below its peak value. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of individual nephrons in a single kidney in the recovery period generally either was in the normal range or minimal. Each animal's BUN concentration at the time of the study was inversely related to the proportion of functioning surface nephrons, but did not correlate with individual nephron GFR values. Proximal tubule fractional water absorption was significantly depressed as manifested by both depressed inulin (TF/P) values and supernormal volumes of collections, a finding which, in the absence of a urea-induced osmotic diuresis, suggests impaired sodium transport by the damaged nephron. The mean proximal tubule hydrostatic pressure in recovery was normal and there was little variation in pressure among functioning nephrons. It is concluded that recovery from this model of acute renal failure reflects the progressive recruitment of increasing numbers of functioning nephrons. The recovery of individual nephron glomerular filtration, once begun, was rapid and complete. No evidence could be adduced that the gradual return of renal function towards normal reflects a slow release of tubular obstruction or repair of disrupted tubular epithelium. Rather, recovery appeared to be directly attributable to the return of an adequate effective glomerular filtration pressure. Significant limitation in proximal tubule water absorption persisted after individual nephron GFR had returned to normal or supernormal values in this model of experimental acute renal failure in the rat, a finding which readily accounts for the diuresis associated with the recovery phase of this syndrome. PMID:5443173

  1. Inverse problems in quantum chemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karwowski, Jacek

    Inverse problems constitute a branch of applied mathematics with well-developed methodology and formalism. A broad family of tasks met in theoretical physics, in civil and mechanical engineering, as well as in various branches of medical and biological sciences has been formulated as specific implementations of the general theory of inverse problems. In this article, it is pointed out that a number of approaches met in quantum chemistry can (and should) be classified as inverse problems. Consequently, the methodology used in these approaches may be enriched by applying ideas and theorems developed within the general field of inverse problems. Several examples, including the RKR method for the construction of potential energy curves, determining parameter values in semiempirical methods, and finding external potentials for which the pertinent Schrödinger equation is exactly solvable, are discussed in detail.

  2. ISO learning approximates a solution to the inverse-controller problem in an unsupervised behavioral paradigm.

    PubMed

    Porr, Bernd; von Ferber, Christian; Wörgötter, Florentin

    2003-04-01

    In "Isotropic Sequence Order Learning" (pp. 831-864 in this issue), we introduced a novel algorithm for temporal sequence learning (ISO learning). Here, we embed this algorithm into a formal nonevaluating (teacher free) environment, which establishes a sensor-motor feedback. The system is initially guided by a fixed reflex reaction, which has the objective disadvantage that it can react only after a disturbance has occurred. ISO learning eliminates this disadvantage by replacing the reflex-loop reactions with earlier anticipatory actions. In this article, we analytically demonstrate that this process can be understood in terms of control theory, showing that the system learns the inverse controller of its own reflex. Thereby, this system is able to learn a simple form of feedforward motor control.

  3. Optimization method for an evolutional type inverse heat conduction problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Zui-Cha; Yu, Jian-Ning; Yang, Liu

    2008-01-01

    This paper deals with the determination of a pair (q, u) in the heat conduction equation u_t-u_{xx}+q(x,t)u=0, with initial and boundary conditions u(x,0)=u_0(x),\\qquad u_x|_{x=0}=u_x|_{x=1}=0, from the overspecified data u(x, t) = g(x, t). By the time semi-discrete scheme, the problem is transformed into a sequence of inverse problems in which the unknown coefficients are purely space dependent. Based on the optimal control framework, the existence, uniqueness and stability of the solution (q, u) are proved. A necessary condition which is a couple system of a parabolic equation and parabolic variational inequality is deduced.

  4. Laterally constrained inversion for CSAMT data interpretation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ruo; Yin, Changchun; Wang, Miaoyue; Di, Qingyun

    2015-10-01

    Laterally constrained inversion (LCI) has been successfully applied to the inversion of dc resistivity, TEM and airborne EM data. However, it hasn't been yet applied to the interpretation of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) data. In this paper, we apply the LCI method for CSAMT data inversion by preconditioning the Jacobian matrix. We apply a weighting matrix to Jacobian to balance the sensitivity of model parameters, so that the resolution with respect to different model parameters becomes more uniform. Numerical experiments confirm that this can improve the convergence of the inversion. We first invert a synthetic dataset with and without noise to investigate the effect of LCI applications to CSAMT data, for the noise free data, the results show that the LCI method can recover the true model better compared to the traditional single-station inversion; and for the noisy data, the true model is recovered even with a noise level of 8%, indicating that LCI inversions are to some extent noise insensitive. Then, we re-invert two CSAMT datasets collected respectively in a watershed and a coal mine area in Northern China and compare our results with those from previous inversions. The comparison with the previous inversion in a coal mine shows that LCI method delivers smoother layer interfaces that well correlate to seismic data, while comparison with a global searching algorithm of simulated annealing (SA) in a watershed shows that though both methods deliver very similar good results, however, LCI algorithm presented in this paper runs much faster. The inversion results for the coal mine CSAMT survey show that a conductive water-bearing zone that was not revealed by the previous inversions has been identified by the LCI. This further demonstrates that the method presented in this paper works for CSAMT data inversion.

  5. Receptoral and postreceptoral visual processes in recovery from chromatic adaptation.

    PubMed Central

    Jameson, D; Hurvich, L M; Varner, F D

    1979-01-01

    The time course of recovery from chromatic adaptation in human vision was tracked by determining the wavelength of light that appears uniquely yellow (neither red nor green) both before and after exposure to yellowish green and yellowish red adapting lights. Recovery is complete within 5 min after steady light exposure. After exposure to the alternating repeated sequence 10-sec light/10-sec dark, the initial magnitude of the aftereffect is reduced but recovery is retarded. The results are interpreted in terms of two processes located at different levels in the hierarchical organization of the visual system. One is a change in the balance of cone receptor sensitivities; the second is a shift in the equilibrium baseline between opposite-signed responses of the red/green channel at the opponent-process neural level. The baseline-shift mechanism is effective in the condition in which repeated input signals originating at the receptors are of sufficient strength to activate the system effectively. Hence, this process is revealed in the alternating adaptation condition when the receptors undergo partial recovery after each light exposure, but receptor adaptation during continued steady light exposure effectively protects the subsequent neural systems from continued strong activation. PMID:288087

  6. Three-Dimensional Anisotropic Acoustic and Elastic Full-Waveform Seismic Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warner, M.; Morgan, J. V.

    2013-12-01

    Three-dimensional full-waveform inversion is a high-resolution, high-fidelity, quantitative, seismic imaging technique that has advanced rapidly within the oil and gas industry. The method involves the iterative improvement of a starting model using a series of local linearized updates to solve the full non-linear inversion problem. During the inversion, forward modeling employs the full two-way three-dimensional heterogeneous anisotropic acoustic or elastic wave equation to predict the observed raw field data, wiggle-for-wiggle, trace-by-trace. The method is computationally demanding; it is highly parallelized, and runs on large multi-core multi-node clusters. Here, we demonstrate what can be achieved by applying this newly practical technique to several high-density 3D seismic datasets that were acquired to image four contrasting sedimentary targets: a gas cloud above an oil reservoir, a radially faulted dome, buried fluvial channels, and collapse structures overlying an evaporate sequence. We show that the resulting anisotropic p-wave velocity models match in situ measurements in deep boreholes, reproduce detailed structure observed independently on high-resolution seismic reflection sections, accurately predict the raw seismic data, simplify and sharpen reverse-time-migrated reflection images of deeper horizons, and flatten Kirchhoff-migrated common-image gathers. We also show that full-elastic 3D full-waveform inversion of pure pressure data can generate a reasonable shear-wave velocity model for one of these datasets. For two of the four datasets, the inclusion of significant transversely isotropic anisotropy with a vertical axis of symmetry was necessary in order to fit the kinematics of the field data properly. For the faulted dome, the full-waveform-inversion p-wave velocity model recovers the detailed structure of every fault that can be seen on coincident seismic reflection data. Some of the individual faults represent high-velocity zones, some represent

  7. Facile Recovery of Individual High-Molecular-Weight, Low-Copy-Number Natural Plasmids for Genomic Sequencing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, L.E.; Detter, C,; Barrie, K.

    2006-06-01

    Sequencing of the large (>50 kb), low-copy-number (<5 per cell) plasmids that mediate horizontal gene transfer has been hindered by the difficulty and expense of isolating DNA from individual plasmids of this class. We report here that a kit method previously devised for purification of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) can be adapted for effective preparation of individual plasmids up to 220 kb from wild gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Individual plasmid DNA recovered from less than 10 ml of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium cultures was of sufficient quantity and quality for construction of highcoverage libraries, as shown by sequencing fivemore » native plasmids ranging in size from 30 kb to 94 kb. We also report recommendations for vector screening to optimize plasmid sequence assembly, preliminary annotation of novel plasmid genomes, and insights on mobile genetic element biology derived from these sequences. Adaptation of this BAC method for large plasmid isolation removes one major technical hurdle to expanding our knowledge of the natural plasmid gene pool.« less

  8. Probabilistic Geoacoustic Inversion in Complex Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-30

    Probabilistic Geoacoustic Inversion in Complex Environments Jan Dettmer School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria BC...long-range inversion methods can fail to provide sufficient resolution. For proper quantitative examination of variability, parameter uncertainty must...project aims to advance probabilistic geoacoustic inversion methods for complex ocean environments for a range of geoacoustic data types. The work is

  9. GENERATING FRACTAL PATTERNS BY USING p-CIRCLE INVERSION

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramírez, José L.; Rubiano, Gustavo N.; Zlobec, Borut Jurčič

    2015-10-01

    In this paper, we introduce the p-circle inversion which generalizes the classical inversion with respect to a circle (p = 2) and the taxicab inversion (p = 1). We study some basic properties and we also show the inversive images of some basic curves. We apply this new transformation to well-known fractals such as Sierpinski triangle, Koch curve, dragon curve, Fibonacci fractal, among others. Then we obtain new fractal patterns. Moreover, we generalize the method called circle inversion fractal be means of the p-circle inversion.

  10. The Effect of Common Inversion Polymorphisms In(2L)t and In(3R)Mo on Patterns of Transcriptional Variation in Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Lavington, Erik; Kern, Andrew D

    2017-11-06

    Chromosomal inversions are a ubiquitous feature of genetic variation. Theoretical models describe several mechanisms by which inversions can drive adaptation and be maintained as polymorphisms. While inversions have been shown previously to be under selection, or contain genetic variation under selection, the specific phenotypic consequences of inversions leading to their maintenance remain unclear. Here we use genomic sequence and expression data from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to explore the effects of two cosmopolitan inversions, In ( 2L ) t and In ( 3R ) Mo , on patterns of transcriptional variation. We demonstrate that each inversion has a significant effect on transcript abundance for hundreds of genes across the genome. Inversion-affected loci (IAL) appear both within inversions as well as on unlinked chromosomes. Importantly, IAL do not appear to be influenced by the previously reported genome-wide expression correlation structure. We found that five genes involved with sterol uptake, four of which are Niemann-Pick Type 2 orthologs, are upregulated in flies with In ( 3R ) Mo but do not have SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the inversion. We speculate that this upregulation is driven by genetic variation in mod ( mdg4 ) that is in LD with In ( 3R ) Mo We find that there is little evidence for a regional or position effect of inversions on gene expression at the chromosomal level, but do find evidence for the distal breakpoint of In ( 3R ) Mo interrupting one gene and possibly disassociating the two flanking genes from regulatory elements. Copyright © 2017 Lavington and Kern.

  11. The Effect of Common Inversion Polymorphisms In(2L)t and In(3R)Mo on Patterns of Transcriptional Variation in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Lavington, Erik; Kern, Andrew D.

    2017-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are a ubiquitous feature of genetic variation. Theoretical models describe several mechanisms by which inversions can drive adaptation and be maintained as polymorphisms. While inversions have been shown previously to be under selection, or contain genetic variation under selection, the specific phenotypic consequences of inversions leading to their maintenance remain unclear. Here we use genomic sequence and expression data from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to explore the effects of two cosmopolitan inversions, In(2L)t and In(3R)Mo, on patterns of transcriptional variation. We demonstrate that each inversion has a significant effect on transcript abundance for hundreds of genes across the genome. Inversion-affected loci (IAL) appear both within inversions as well as on unlinked chromosomes. Importantly, IAL do not appear to be influenced by the previously reported genome-wide expression correlation structure. We found that five genes involved with sterol uptake, four of which are Niemann-Pick Type 2 orthologs, are upregulated in flies with In(3R)Mo but do not have SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the inversion. We speculate that this upregulation is driven by genetic variation in mod(mdg4) that is in LD with In(3R)Mo. We find that there is little evidence for a regional or position effect of inversions on gene expression at the chromosomal level, but do find evidence for the distal breakpoint of In(3R)Mo interrupting one gene and possibly disassociating the two flanking genes from regulatory elements. PMID:28916647

  12. Counteracting ammonia inhibition during anaerobic digestion by recovery using submersible microbial desalination cell.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yifeng; Angelidaki, Irini

    2015-07-01

    Ammonia inhibition is one of the most frequent and serious problems in biogas plants. In this study, a novel hybrid system consisting of a submersible microbial desalination cell (SMDC) and a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was developed for counteracting ammonia inhibition during anaerobic digestion (AD) with simultaneous in situ ammonia recovery and electricity production. The SMDC was powered by acetate in a buffer solution, while synthetic ammonia-rich wastewater was used as the feeding of the CSTR. Under continuous operation, ammonia recovery rate of 86 g-N/m(2) /day and current density of 4.33 A/m(2) were achieved at steady-state condition. As a result, 112% extra biogas was produced due to ammonia recovery by the SMDC. High-throughput sequencing showed that ammonia recovery had an impact on the microbial community structures in the SMDC and CSTR. Considering the additional economic benefits of biogas enhancement and possible wastewater treatment, the SMDC may represent a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for waste resources recovery and biomethanation of ammonia-rich residues. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Complete mitochondrial genomes of two flat-backed millipedes by next-generation sequencing (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Yan; Zhu, Lixin; Bai, Yu; Ou, Yongyue; Wang, Changbao

    2016-01-01

    Abstract A lack of mitochondrial genome data from myriapods is hampering progress across genetic, systematic, phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. Here, the complete mitochondrial genomes of two millipedes, Asiomorpha coarctata Saussure, 1860 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) and Xystodesmus sp. (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) were assembled with high coverage using Illumina sequencing data. The mitochondrial genomes of the two newly sequenced species are circular molecules of 15,644 bp and 15,791 bp, within which the typical mitochondrial genome complement of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs and two ribosomal RNA genes could be identified. The mitochondrial genome of Asiomorpha coarctata is the first complete sequence in the family Paradoxosomatidae (Diplopoda: Polydesmida) and the gene order of the two flat-backed millipedes is novel among known myriapod mitochondrial genomes. Unique translocations have occurred, including inversion of one half of the two genomes with respect to other millipede genomes. Inversion of the entire side of a genome (trnF-nad5-trnH-nad4-nad4L, trnP, nad1-trnL2-trnL1-rrnL-trnV-rrnS, trnQ, trnC and trnY) could constitute a common event in the order Polydesmida. Last, our phylogenetic analyses recovered the monophyletic Progoneata, subphylum Myriapoda and four internal classes. PMID:28138271

  14. Joint inversions of two VTEM surveys using quasi-3D TDEM and 3D magnetic inversion algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaminski, Vlad; Di Massa, Domenico; Viezzoli, Andrea

    2016-05-01

    In the current paper, we present results of a joint quasi-three-dimensional (quasi-3D) inversion of two versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) datasets, as well as a joint 3D inversion of associated aeromagnetic datasets, from two surveys flown six years apart from one another (2007 and 2013) over a volcanogenic massive sulphide gold (VMS-Au) prospect in northern Ontario, Canada. The time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) data were inverted jointly using the spatially constrained inversion (SCI) approach. In order to increase the coherency in the model space, a calibration parameter was added. This was followed by a joint inversion of the total magnetic intensity (TMI) data extracted from the two surveys. The results of the inversions have been studied and matched with the known geology, adding some new valuable information to the ongoing mineral exploration initiative.

  15. Statistic inversion of multi-zone transition probability models for aquifer characterization in alluvial fans

    DOE PAGES

    Zhu, Lin; Dai, Zhenxue; Gong, Huili; ...

    2015-06-12

    Understanding the heterogeneity arising from the complex architecture of sedimentary sequences in alluvial fans is challenging. This study develops a statistical inverse framework in a multi-zone transition probability approach for characterizing the heterogeneity in alluvial fans. An analytical solution of the transition probability matrix is used to define the statistical relationships among different hydrofacies and their mean lengths, integral scales, and volumetric proportions. A statistical inversion is conducted to identify the multi-zone transition probability models and estimate the optimal statistical parameters using the modified Gauss–Newton–Levenberg–Marquardt method. The Jacobian matrix is computed by the sensitivity equation method, which results in anmore » accurate inverse solution with quantification of parameter uncertainty. We use the Chaobai River alluvial fan in the Beijing Plain, China, as an example for elucidating the methodology of alluvial fan characterization. The alluvial fan is divided into three sediment zones. In each zone, the explicit mathematical formulations of the transition probability models are constructed with optimized different integral scales and volumetric proportions. The hydrofacies distributions in the three zones are simulated sequentially by the multi-zone transition probability-based indicator simulations. Finally, the result of this study provides the heterogeneous structure of the alluvial fan for further study of flow and transport simulations.« less

  16. PTT functional recovery in early stage II PTTD after tendon balancing and calcaneal lengthening osteotomy.

    PubMed

    Brilhault, Jean; Noël, Vincent

    2012-10-01

    The decision to offer surgery for Stage II posterior tibial tendon deficiency (PTTD) is a difficult one since orthotic treatment has been documented to be a viable alternative to surgery at this stage. Taking this into consideration we limited our treatment to bony realignment by a lengthening calcaneus Evans osteotomy and tendon balancing. The goal of the study was to clinically evaluate PTT functional recovery with this procedure. The patient population included 17 feet in 13 patients. Inclusion was limited to early Stage II PTTD flatfeet with grossly intact but deficient PTT. Deficiency was assessed by the lack of hindfoot inversion during single heel rise test. The surgical procedure included an Evans calcaneal opening wedge osteotomy with triceps surae and peroneus brevis tendon lengthening. PTT function at follow up was evaluated by an independent examiner. Evaluation was performed at an average of 4 (range, 2 to 6.3) years. One case presented postoperative subtalar pain that required subtalar fusion. Every foot could perform a single heel rise with 13 feet having active inversion of the hindfoot during elevation. The results of this study provide evidence of PTT functional recovery without augmentation in early Stage II. It challenges our understanding of early Stage II PTTD as well as the surgical guidelines recommending PTT augmentation at this specific stage.

  17. Testing earthquake source inversion methodologies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Page, M.; Mai, P.M.; Schorlemmer, D.

    2011-01-01

    Source Inversion Validation Workshop; Palm Springs, California, 11-12 September 2010; Nowadays earthquake source inversions are routinely performed after large earthquakes and represent a key connection between recorded seismic and geodetic data and the complex rupture process at depth. The resulting earthquake source models quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of ruptures. They are also used to provide a rapid assessment of the severity of an earthquake and to estimate losses. However, because of uncertainties in the data, assumed fault geometry and velocity structure, and chosen rupture parameterization, it is not clear which features of these source models are robust. Improved understanding of the uncertainty and reliability of earthquake source inversions will allow the scientific community to use the robust features of kinematic inversions to more thoroughly investigate the complexity of the rupture process and to better constrain other earthquakerelated computations, such as ground motion simulations and static stress change calculations.

  18. Ocular manifestations of gravity inversion.

    PubMed

    Friberg, T R; Weinreb, R N

    To determine the ocular manifestations of inverting the human body into a head-down vertical position, we evaluated normal volunteers with applanation tonometry, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and ophthalmodynamometry. Compared with data obtained in the sitting position, the intraocular pressure more than doubled on inversion (35.6 +/- 4 v 14.1 +/- 2.8 mm Hg, n = 16), increasing to levels well within the glaucomatous range. Pressures in the central retinal artery underwent similar increases, while the caliber of the retinal arterioles decreased substantially. External ocular findings associated with gravity inversion included orbital congestion, conjunctival hyperemia, petechiae of the eyelids, excessive tearing (epiphora), and subconjunctival hemorrhage. We suggest that patients with retinal vascular abnormalities, macular degeneration, ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and similar disorders refrain from inversion altogether. Whether normal individuals will suffer irreversible damage from inversion is uncertain, but it seems prudent to recommend that prolonged periods of inverted posturing be avoided.

  19. Coalescent patterns for chromosomal inversions in divergent populations

    PubMed Central

    Guerrero, Rafael F.; Rousset, François; Kirkpatrick, Mark

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions allow genetic divergence of locally adapted populations by reducing recombination between chromosomes with different arrangements. Divergence between populations (or hybridization between species) is expected to leave signatures in the neutral genetic diversity of the inverted region. Quantitative expectations for these patterns, however, have not been obtained. Here, we develop coalescent models of neutral sites linked to an inversion polymorphism in two locally adapted populations. We consider two scenarios of local adaptation: selection on the inversion breakpoints and selection on alleles inside the inversion. We find that ancient inversion polymorphisms cause genetic diversity to depart dramatically from neutral expectations. Other situations, however, lead to patterns that may be difficult to detect; important determinants are the age of the inversion and the rate of gene flux between arrangements. We also study inversions under genetic drift, finding that they produce patterns similar to locally adapted inversions of intermediate age. Our results are consistent with empirical observations, and provide the foundation for quantitative analyses of the roles that inversions have played in speciation. PMID:22201172

  20. Waterjet and laser etching: the nonlinear inverse problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilbao-Guillerna, A.; Axinte, D. A.; Billingham, J.; Cadot, G. B. J.

    2017-07-01

    In waterjet and laser milling, material is removed from a solid surface in a succession of layers to create a new shape, in a depth-controlled manner. The inverse problem consists of defining the control parameters, in particular, the two-dimensional beam path, to arrive at a prescribed freeform surface. Waterjet milling (WJM) and pulsed laser ablation (PLA) are studied in this paper, since a generic nonlinear material removal model is appropriate for both of these processes. The inverse problem is usually solved for this kind of process by simply controlling dwell time in proportion to the required depth of milling at a sequence of pixels on the surface. However, this approach is only valid when shallow surfaces are etched, since it does not take into account either the footprint of the beam or its overlapping on successive passes. A discrete adjoint algorithm is proposed in this paper to improve the solution. Nonlinear effects and non-straight passes are included in the optimization, while the calculation of the Jacobian matrix does not require large computation times. Several tests are performed to validate the proposed method and the results show that tracking error is reduced typically by a factor of two in comparison to the pixel-by-pixel approach and the classical raster path strategy with straight passes. The tracking error can be as low as 2-5% and 1-2% for WJM and PLA, respectively, depending on the complexity of the target surface.

  1. DNA Inversion on Conjugative Plasmid pVT745

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Jinbiao; Leblanc, Donald J.; Galli, Dominique M.

    2002-01-01

    Plasmid pVT745 from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strain VT745 can be transferred to other A. actinomycetemcomitans strains at a frequency of 10−6. Screening of transconjugants revealed that the DNA of pDMG21A, a pVT745 derivative containing a kanamycin resistance gene, displayed a structural rearrangement after transfer. A 9-kb segment on the plasmid had switched orientation. The inversion was independent of RecA and required the activity of the pVT745-encoded site-specific recombinase. This recombinase, termed Inv, was highly homologous to invertases of the Din family. Two recombination sites of 22 bp, which are arranged in opposite orientation and which function as DNA crossover sequences, were identified on pVT745. One of the sites was located adjacent to the 5′ end of the invertase gene, inv. Inversion of the 9-kb segment on pVT745 derivatives has been observed in all A. actinomycetemcomitans strains tested except for the original host, VT745. This would suggest that a host factor that is either inactive or absent in VT745 is required for efficient recombination. Inactivation of the invertase in the donor strain resulted in a 1,000-fold increase in the number of transconjugants upon plasmid transfer. It is proposed that an activated invertase causes the immediate loss of the plasmid in most recipient cells after mating. No biological role has been associated with the invertase as of yet. PMID:12374826

  2. Unanticipated ankle inversions are significantly different from anticipated ankle inversions during drop landings: overcoming anticipation bias.

    PubMed

    Dicus, Jeremy R; Seegmiller, Jeff G

    2012-05-01

    Few ankle inversion studies have taken anticipation bias into account or collected data with an experimental design that mimics actual injury mechanisms. Twenty-three participants performed randomized single-leg vertical drop landings from 20 cm. Subjects were blinded to the landing surface (a flat force plate or 30° inversion wedge on the force plate). After each trial, participants reported whether they anticipated the landing surface. Participant responses were validated with EMG data. The protocol was repeated until four anticipated and four unanticipated landings onto the inversion wedge were recorded. Results revealed a significant main effect for landing condition. Normalized vertical ground reaction force (% body weights), maximum ankle inversion (degrees), inversion velocity (degrees/second), and time from contact to peak muscle activation (seconds) were significantly greater in unanticipated landings, and the time from peak muscle activation to maximum VGRF (second) was shorter. Unanticipated landings presented different muscle activation patterns than landings onto anticipated surfaces, which calls into question the usefulness of clinical studies that have not controlled for anticipation bias.

  3. Evaluation of focus laterality in temporal lobe epilepsy: a quantitative study comparing double inversion-recovery MR imaging at 3T with FDG-PET.

    PubMed

    Morimoto, Emiko; Okada, Tomohisa; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Yamamoto, Akira; Fushimi, Yasutaka; Matsumoto, Riki; Takaya, Shigetoshi; Ikeda, Akio; Kunieda, Takeharu; Kikuchi, Takayuki; Paul, Dominik; Miyamoto, Susumu; Takahashi, Ryosuke; Togashi, Kaori

    2013-12-01

    To quantitatively compare the diagnostic capability of double inversion-recovery (DIR) with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for detection of seizure focus laterality in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained. Fifteen patients with TLE and 38 healthy volunteers were enrolled. All magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired using a 3T-MRI system. Voxel-based analysis (VBA) was conducted for FDG-PET images and white matter segments of DIR images (DIR-WM) focused on the whole temporal lobe (TL) and the anterior part of the temporal lobe (ATL). Distribution of hypometabolic areas on FDG-PET and increased signal intensity areas on DIR-WM were evaluated, and their laterality was compared with clinically determined seizure focus laterality. Correct diagnostic rates of laterality were evaluated, and agreement between DIR-WM and FDG-PET was assessed using κ statistics. Increased signal intensity areas on DIR-WM were located at the vicinity of the hypometabolic areas on FDG-PET, especially in the ATL. Correct diagnostic rates of seizure focus laterality for DIR-WM (0.80 and 0.67 for the TL and the ATL, respectively) were slightly higher than those for FDG-PET (0.67 and 0.60 for the TL and the ATL, respectively). Agreement of laterality between DIR-WM and FDG-PET was substantial for the TL and almost perfect for the ATL (κ = 0.67 and 0.86, respectively). High agreement in localization between DIR-WM and FDG-PET and nearly equivalent detectability of them show us an additional role of MRI in TLE. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

  4. 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery imaging to measure in-vivo spinal cord gray and white matter areas in clinically feasible acquisition times

    PubMed Central

    Papinutto, N.; Schlaeger, R.; Panara, V.; Caverzasi, E.; Ahn, S.; Johnson, K.J.; Zhu, A.H.; Stern, W.A.; Laub, G.; Hauser, S.L.; Henry, R.G.

    2018-01-01

    PURPOSE In-vivo assessment of spinal cord gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) could become pivotal to study various neurological diseases, but it is challenging because of insufficient GM/WM contrast provided by conventional MRI. Here we present and assess a procedure for measurement of spinal cord total cross-sectional area (TCA) and GM areas based on phase sensitive inversion recovery imaging (PSIR). MATERIALS AND METHODS We acquired 2D PSIR images at 3T at each disc level of the spinal axis on 10 healthy subjects and measured TCA, cord diameters, WM and GM area, and GM area/TCA ratio. We secondly investigated 32 healthy subjects at 4 selected levels (C2–C3, C3–C4, T8–T9, T9–T10, total acquisition time <8 minutes) and generated normative reference values of TCA and GM areas. We assessed test-retest, intra- and inter-operator reliability of the acquisition strategy and measurement steps. RESULTS The measurement procedure based on 2D PSIR imaging allowed TCA and GM area assessments along the entire spinal cord axis. The tests we performed revealed high test-retest/intra-operator reliability (mean coefficient of variation (COV) at C2–C3: TCA=0.41%, GM area=2.75%) and inter-operator reliability of the measurements (mean COV on the 4 levels: TCA=0.44%, GM area= 4.20%; mean intra-class correlation coefficient: TCA=0.998, GM area=0.906). CONCLUSION 2D PSIR allows reliable in-vivo assessment of spinal cord TCA, GM and WM areas in clinically feasible acquisition times. The area measurements presented here are in agreement with previous MRI and post-mortem studies. PMID:25483607

  5. A fully Galerkin method for the recovery of stiffness and damping parameters in Euler-Bernoulli beam models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, R. C.; Bowers, K. L.

    1991-01-01

    A fully Sinc-Galerkin method for recovering the spatially varying stiffness and damping parameters in Euler-Bernoulli beam models is presented. The forward problems are discretized with a sinc basis in both the spatial and temporal domains thus yielding an approximate solution which converges exponentially and is valid on the infinite time interval. Hence the method avoids the time-stepping which is characteristic of many of the forward schemes which are used in parameter recovery algorithms. Tikhonov regularization is used to stabilize the resulting inverse problem, and the L-curve method for determining an appropriate value of the regularization parameter is briefly discussed. Numerical examples are given which demonstrate the applicability of the method for both individual and simultaneous recovery of the material parameters.

  6. Detection of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage 3 months after initial bleeding: evaluation of T2* and FLAIR MR sequences at 3 T in comparison with initial non-enhanced CT as a gold standard.

    PubMed

    Mulé, Sébastien; Soize, Sébastien; Benaissa, Azzedine; Portefaix, Christophe; Pierot, Laurent

    2016-08-01

    To investigate the ability of T2* and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR sequences to detect hemosiderin deposition 3 months after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in comparison with early non-enhanced CT (NECT) as a gold standard. From September 2008 through May 2013, patients with aneurysmal SAH were included if a NECT less than 24 h after the onset of symptoms showed a SAH, and MRI, including T2* and FLAIR sequences, was performed 3 months later. All aneurysms were treated endovascularly. NECT and MR sequences were blindly analyzed for the presence of SAH (NECT) or hemosiderin deposition (MRI). When positive, details of the spatial distribution of SAH or hemosiderin deposits were noted. Sensitivities were calculated for each patient. Sensitivities, specificities, and positive predictive values (PPVs) were calculated for each location. Forty-nine patients (mean age 52.9 years) were included. Bleeding-related patterns were identified in 43 patients (87.8%) on T2* and 10 patients (20.4%) on FLAIR. T2* was highly predictive of the location of the initial hemorrhage, especially in the Sylvian cisterns (PPVs 95% and 100%) and the anterior interhemispheric fissure (PPV 90%). The T2* sequence can detect and localize a previous SAH a few months after aneurysmal bleeding. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  7. Diet shifts and population dynamics of estuarine foraminifera during ecosystem recovery after experimentally induced hypoxia crises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brouwer, G. M.; Duijnstee, I. A. P.; Hazeleger, J. H.; Rossi, F.; Lourens, L. J.; Middelburg, J. J.; Wolthers, M.

    2016-03-01

    This study shows foraminiferal dynamics after experimentally induced hypoxia within the wider context of ecosystem recovery. 13C-labeled bicarbonate and glucose were added to the sediments to examine foraminiferal diet shifts during ecosystem recovery and test-size measurements were used to deduce population dynamics. Hypoxia-treated and undisturbed patches were compared to distinguish natural (seasonal) fluctuations from hypoxia-induced responses. The effect of timing of disturbance and duration of recovery were investigated. The foraminiferal diets and population dynamics showed higher fluctuations in the recovering patches compared to the controls. The foraminiferal diet and population structure of Haynesina germanica and Ammonia beccarii responded differentially and generally inversely to progressive stages of ecosystem recovery. Tracer inferred diet estimates in April and June and the two distinctly visible cohorts in the test-size distribution, discussed to reflect reproduction in June, strongly suggest that the ample availability of diatoms during the first month of ecosystem recovery after the winter hypoxia was likely profitable to A. beccarii. Enhanced reproduction itself was strongly linked to the subsequent dietary shift to bacteria. The distribution of the test dimensions of H. germanica indicated that this species had less fluctuation in population structure during ecosystem recovery but possibly reproduced in response to the induced winter hypoxia. Bacteria seemed to consistently contribute more to the diet of H. germanica than diatoms. For the diet and test-size distribution of both species, the timing of disturbance seemed to have a higher impact than the duration of the subsequent recovery period.

  8. Traumatic Stress, Depression, and Recovery: Child and Parent Responses After Emergency Medical Care for Unintentional Injury.

    PubMed

    Kassam-Adams, Nancy; Bakker, Anne; Marsac, Meghan L; Fein, Joel A; Winston, Flaura Koplin

    2015-11-01

    To assess psychological symptoms in injured children (aged 8-17 years) and their parents after emergency department (ED) care to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms, co-occurrence of symptoms within families, and the relationship of these symptoms to parent-reported overall recovery. Children and parents (n = 263 child-parent dyads) were enrolled during ED treatment for unintentional injury. Approximately 5 months later, children and parents (n = 178 dyads) completed standardized measures of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms and parents reported on child overall recovery. Follow-up assessments found significant posttraumatic stress symptoms in 15% of children and 5% of parents, significant depression symptoms in 13% of children and 16% of parents, and problematic overall recovery in 17% of children. For both children and parents, posttraumatic stress and depression symptom severity were strongly associated. Child and parent symptoms were only modestly associated with each other, and there were few families in which both child and parent had significant posttraumatic stress or depression. Parent symptoms, but not child symptoms, were inversely associated with children's overall recovery. For about 1 in 6 children and parents, unintentional injury treated in the ED can be associated with negative psychological sequelae and suboptimal recovery. Within families, child and parent responses may differ; their relative association with overall recovery deserves additional research. To promote emotional recovery, ED clinicians should be aware of the potential psychological impact of unintentional injury, provide timely evidence-based anticipatory guidance, and communicate these concerns to primary care clinicians.

  9. Development of Measures to Assess Personal Recovery in Young People Treated in Specialist Mental Health Services.

    PubMed

    John, Mary; Jeffries, Fiona W; Acuna-Rivera, Marcela; Warren, Fiona; Simonds, Laura M

    2015-01-01

    people and their caregivers. Findings indicate a high degree of correspondence between young person and caregiver reports of recovery in the former. The recovery assessments correlate inversely with a standardized symptom-focused measure and positively with self-esteem. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Recovery from schizophrenia and the recovery model.

    PubMed

    Warner, Richard

    2009-07-01

    The recovery model refers to subjective experiences of optimism, empowerment and interpersonal support, and to a focus on collaborative treatment approaches, finding productive roles for user/consumers, peer support and reducing stigma. The model is influencing service development around the world. This review will assess whether optimism about outcome from serious mental illness and other tenets of the recovery model are borne out by recent research. Remission of symptoms has been precisely defined, but the definition of 'recovery' is a more diffuse concept that includes such factors as being productive and functioning independently. Recent research and a large, earlier body of data suggest that optimism about outcome from schizophrenia is justified. A substantial proportion of people with the illness will recover completely and many more will regain good social functioning. Outcome is better for people in the developing world. Mortality for people with schizophrenia is increasing but is lower in the developing world. Working appears to help people recover from schizophrenia, and recent advances in vocational rehabilitation have been shown to be effective in countries with differing economies and labor markets. A growing body of research supports the concept that empowerment is an important component of the recovery process. Key tenets of the recovery model - optimism about recovery from schizophrenia, the importance of access to employment and the value of empowerment of user/consumers in the recovery process - are supported by the scientific research. Attempts to reduce the internalized stigma of mental illness should enhance the recovery process.

  11. Zinc oxide inverse opal enzymatic biosensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Xueqiu; Pikul, James H.; King, William P.; Pak, James J.

    2013-06-01

    We report ZnO inverse opal- and nanowire (NW)-based enzymatic glucose biosensors with extended linear detection ranges. The ZnO inverse opal sensors have 0.01-18 mM linear detection range, which is 2.5 times greater than that of ZnO NW sensors and 1.5 times greater than that of other reported ZnO sensors. This larger range is because of reduced glucose diffusivity through the inverse opal geometry. The ZnO inverse opal sensors have an average sensitivity of 22.5 μA/(mM cm2), which diminished by 10% after 35 days, are more stable than ZnO NW sensors whose sensitivity decreased by 10% after 7 days.

  12. Resolution analysis of finite fault source inversion using one- and three-dimensional Green's functions 1. Strong motions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graves, R.W.; Wald, D.J.

    2001-01-01

    We develop a methodology to perform finite fault source inversions from strong motion data using Green's functions (GFs) calculated for a three-dimensional (3-D) velocity structure. The 3-D GFs are calculated numerically by inserting body forces at each of the strong motion sites and then recording the resulting strains along the target fault surface. Using reciprocity, these GFs can be recombined to represent the ground motion at each site for any (heterogeneous) slip distribution on the fault. The reciprocal formulation significantly reduces the required number of 3-D finite difference computations to at most 3NS, where NS is the number of strong motion sites used in the inversion. Using controlled numerical resolution tests, we have examined the relative importance of accurate GFs for finite fault source inversions which rely on near-source ground motions. These experiments use both 1-D and 3-D GFs in inversions for hypothetical rupture models in order (1) to analyze the ability of the 3-D methodology to resolve trade-offs between complex source phenomena and 3-D path effects, (2) to address the sensitivity of the inversion results to uncertainties in the 3-D velocity structure, and (3) to test the adequacy of the 1-D GF method when propagation effects are known to be three-dimensional. We find that given "data" from a prescribed 3-D Earth structure, the use of well-calibrated 3-D GFs in the inversion provides very good resolution of the assumed slip distribution, thus adequately separating source and 3-D propagation effects. In contrast, using a set of inexact 3-D GFs or a set of hybrid 1-D GFs allows only partial recovery of the slip distribution. These findings suggest that in regions of complex geology the use of well-calibrated 3-D GFs has the potential for increased resolution of the rupture process relative to 1-D GFs. However, realizing this full potential requires that the 3-D velocity model and associated GFs should be carefully validated against the

  13. Harnessing data structure for recovery of randomly missing structural vibration responses time history: Sparse representation versus low-rank structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yongchao; Nagarajaiah, Satish

    2016-06-01

    Randomly missing data of structural vibration responses time history often occurs in structural dynamics and health monitoring. For example, structural vibration responses are often corrupted by outliers or erroneous measurements due to sensor malfunction; in wireless sensing platforms, data loss during wireless communication is a common issue. Besides, to alleviate the wireless data sampling or communication burden, certain accounts of data are often discarded during sampling or before transmission. In these and other applications, recovery of the randomly missing structural vibration responses from the available, incomplete data, is essential for system identification and structural health monitoring; it is an ill-posed inverse problem, however. This paper explicitly harnesses the data structure itself-of the structural vibration responses-to address this (inverse) problem. What is relevant is an empirical, but often practically true, observation, that is, typically there are only few modes active in the structural vibration responses; hence a sparse representation (in frequency domain) of the single-channel data vector, or, a low-rank structure (by singular value decomposition) of the multi-channel data matrix. Exploiting such prior knowledge of data structure (intra-channel sparse or inter-channel low-rank), the new theories of ℓ1-minimization sparse recovery and nuclear-norm-minimization low-rank matrix completion enable recovery of the randomly missing or corrupted structural vibration response data. The performance of these two alternatives, in terms of recovery accuracy and computational time under different data missing rates, is investigated on a few structural vibration response data sets-the seismic responses of the super high-rise Canton Tower and the structural health monitoring accelerations of a real large-scale cable-stayed bridge. Encouraging results are obtained and the applicability and limitation of the presented methods are discussed.

  14. Conceptualizing Social Recovery: Recovery Routes of Methamphetamine Users

    PubMed Central

    Boeri, Miriam; Gibson, David; Boshears, Paul

    2014-01-01

    The goal of our qualitative study was to gain a phenomenological understanding of routes to recovery from problematic drug use. In-depth interviews and drug histories were collected from 50 former methamphetamine users recruited from a U.S. metropolitan suburb who identified as having had problematic use of this drug in the past. Transcripts of the audio-recorded interviews were coded for common themes regarding types of recovery strategies or tools employed on the route to recovery. The common strategies used for recovery from problematic methamphetamine use in all routes were social in nature and did not necessarily include cessation of all substances. Based on our findings, we suggest a conceptualization of social recovery that focuses on reducing the social harms caused by problematic drug use rather than focusing primarily on cessation of all drug use. Social recovery may be employed as both a treatment strategy and analytical tool. More research is needed to advance the concept of social recovery for intervention, drug policy, and criminal justice implications. PMID:25574504

  15. Inverse Bremsstrahlung in Shocked Astrophysical Plasmas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baring, Matthew G.; Jones, Frank C.; Ellison, Donald C.

    2000-01-01

    There has recently been interest in the role of inverse bremsstrahlung, the emission of photons by fast suprathermal ions in collisions with ambient electrons possessing relatively low velocities, in tenuous plasmas in various astrophysical contexts. This follows a long hiatus in the application of suprathermal ion bremsstrahlung to astrophysical models since the early 1970s. The potential importance of inverse bremsstrahlung relative to normal bremsstrahlung, i.e. where ions are at rest, hinges upon the underlying velocity distributions of the interacting species. In this paper, we identify the conditions under which the inverse bremsstrahlung emissivity is significant relative to that for normal bremsstrahlung in shocked astrophysical plasmas. We determine that, since both observational and theoretical evidence favors electron temperatures almost comparable to, and certainly not very deficient relative to proton temperatures in shocked plasmas, these environments generally render inverse bremsstrahlung at best a minor contributor to the overall emission. Hence inverse bremsstrahlung can be safely neglected in most models invoking shock acceleration in discrete sources such as supernova remnants. However, on scales approximately > 100 pc distant from these sources, Coulomb collisional losses can deplete the cosmic ray electrons, rendering inverse bremsstrahlung, and perhaps bremsstrahlung from knock-on electrons, possibly detectable.

  16. Optimization of Visual Training for Full Recovery from Severe Amblyopia in Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eaton, Nicolette C.; Sheehan, Hanna Marie; Quinlan, Elizabeth M.

    2016-01-01

    The severe amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation is highly resistant to reversal in adulthood. Here we use a rodent model to show that recovery from deprivation amblyopia can be achieved in adults by a two-step sequence, involving enhancement of synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex by dark exposure followed immediately by visual…

  17. Tomographic inversion of satellite photometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Solomon, S. C.; Hays, P. B.; Abreu, V. J.

    1984-01-01

    An inversion algorithm capable of reconstructing the volume emission rate of thermospheric airglow features from satellite photometry has been developed. The accuracy and resolution of this technique are investigated using simulated data, and the inversions of several sets of observations taken by the Visible Airglow Experiment are presented.

  18. Linkage disequilibrium network analysis (LDna) gives a global view of chromosomal inversions, local adaptation and geographic structure.

    PubMed

    Kemppainen, Petri; Knight, Christopher G; Sarma, Devojit K; Hlaing, Thaung; Prakash, Anil; Maung Maung, Yan Naung; Somboon, Pradya; Mahanta, Jagadish; Walton, Catherine

    2015-09-01

    Recent advances in sequencing allow population-genomic data to be generated for virtually any species. However, approaches to analyse such data lag behind the ability to generate it, particularly in nonmodel species. Linkage disequilibrium (LD, the nonrandom association of alleles from different loci) is a highly sensitive indicator of many evolutionary phenomena including chromosomal inversions, local adaptation and geographical structure. Here, we present linkage disequilibrium network analysis (LDna), which accesses information on LD shared between multiple loci genomewide. In LD networks, vertices represent loci, and connections between vertices represent the LD between them. We analysed such networks in two test cases: a new restriction-site-associated DNA sequence (RAD-seq) data set for Anopheles baimaii, a Southeast Asian malaria vector; and a well-characterized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data set from 21 three-spined stickleback individuals. In each case, we readily identified five distinct LD network clusters (single-outlier clusters, SOCs), each comprising many loci connected by high LD. In A. baimaii, further population-genetic analyses supported the inference that each SOC corresponds to a large inversion, consistent with previous cytological studies. For sticklebacks, we inferred that each SOC was associated with a distinct evolutionary phenomenon: two chromosomal inversions, local adaptation, population-demographic history and geographic structure. LDna is thus a useful exploratory tool, able to give a global overview of LD associated with diverse evolutionary phenomena and identify loci potentially involved. LDna does not require a linkage map or reference genome, so it is applicable to any population-genomic data set, making it especially valuable for nonmodel species. © 2015 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Capturing the Temporal Sequence of Interaction in Young Siblings

    PubMed Central

    Steele, Fiona; Jenkins, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    We explored whether young children exhibit subtypes of behavioral sequences during sibling interaction. Ten-minute, free-play observations of over 300 sibling dyads were coded for positivity, negativity and disengagement. The data were analyzed using growth mixture modeling (GMM). Younger (18-month-old) children’s temporal behavioral sequences showed a harmonious (53%) and a casual (47%) class. Older (approximately four-year-old) children’s behavior was more differentiated revealing a harmonious (25%), a deteriorating (31%), a recovery (22%) and a casual (22%) class. A more positive maternal affective climate was associated with more positive patterns. Siblings’ sequential behavioral patterns tended to be complementary rather than reciprocal in nature. The study illustrates a novel use of GMM and makes a theoretical contribution by showing that young children exhibit distinct types of temporal behavioral sequences that are related to parenting processes. PMID:25996957

  20. A modelling assessment of acidification and recovery of European surface waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jenkins, A.; Camarero, L.; Cosby, B. J.; Ferrier, R. C.; Forsius, M.; Helliwell, R. C.; Kopácek, J.; Majer, V.; Moldan, F.; Posch, M.; Rogora, M.; Schöpp, W.; Wright, R. F.

    The increase in emission of sulphur oxides and nitrogen (both oxidised and reduced forms) since the mid-1800s caused a severe decline in pH and ANC in acid-sensitive surface waters across Europe. Since c.1980, these emissions have declined and trends towards recovery from acidification have been widely observed in time-series of water chemistry data. In this paper, the MAGIC model was applied to 10 regions (the SMART model to one) in Europe to address the question of future recovery under the most recently agreed emission protocols (the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol). The models were calibrated using best available data and driven using S and N deposition sequences for Europe derived from EMEP data. The wide extent and the severity of water acidification in 1980 in many regions were illustrated by model simulations which showed significant deterioration in ANC away from the pre-acidification conditions. The simulations also captured the recovery to 2000 in response to the existing emission reductions. Predictions to 2016 indicated further significant recovery towards pre-acidification chemistry in all regions except Central England (S Pennines), S Alps, S Norway and S Sweden. In these areas it is clear that further emission reductions will be required and that the recovery of surface waters will take several decades as soils slowly replenish their depleted base cation pools. Chemical recovery may not, however, ensure biological recovery and further reductions may also be required to enable these waters to achieve the "good ecological status" as required by the EU Water Framework Directive.

  1. NLSE: Parameter-Based Inversion Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabbagh, Harold A.; Murphy, R. Kim; Sabbagh, Elias H.; Aldrin, John C.; Knopp, Jeremy S.

    Chapter 11 introduced us to the notion of an inverse problem and gave us some examples of the value of this idea to the solution of realistic industrial problems. The basic inversion algorithm described in Chap. 11 was based upon the Gauss-Newton theory of nonlinear least-squares estimation and is called NLSE in this book. In this chapter we will develop the mathematical background of this theory more fully, because this algorithm will be the foundation of inverse methods and their applications during the remainder of this book. We hope, thereby, to introduce the reader to the application of sophisticated mathematical concepts to engineering practice without introducing excessive mathematical sophistication.

  2. Host Specific Diversity in Lactobacillus johnsonii as Evidenced by a Major Chromosomal Inversion and Phage Resistance Mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Guinane, Caitriona M.; Kent, Robert M.; Norberg, Sarah; Hill, Colin; Fitzgerald, Gerald F.; Stanton, Catherine; Ross, R. Paul

    2011-01-01

    Genetic diversity and genomic rearrangements are a driving force in bacterial evolution and niche adaptation. We sequenced and annotated the genome of Lactobacillus johnsonii DPC6026, a strain isolated from the porcine intestinal tract. Although the genome of DPC6026 is similar in size (1.97mbp) and GC content (34.8%) to the sequenced human isolate L. johnsonii NCC 533, a large symmetrical inversion of approximately 750 kb differentiated the two strains. Comparative analysis among 12 other strains of L. johnsonii including 8 porcine, 3 human and 1 poultry isolate indicated that the genome architecture found in DPC6026 is more common within the species than that of NCC 533. Furthermore a number of unique features were annotated in DPC6026, some of which are likely to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and contribute to protection against phage infection. A putative type III restriction-modification system was identified, as were novel Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) elements. Interestingly, these particular elements are not widely distributed among L. johnsonii strains. Taken together these data suggest intra-species genomic rearrangements and significant genetic diversity within the L. johnsonii species and indicate towards a host-specific divergence of L. johnsonii strains with respect to genome inversion and phage exposure. PMID:21533100

  3. Host specific diversity in Lactobacillus johnsonii as evidenced by a major chromosomal inversion and phage resistance mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Guinane, Caitriona M; Kent, Robert M; Norberg, Sarah; Hill, Colin; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Stanton, Catherine; Ross, R Paul

    2011-04-20

    Genetic diversity and genomic rearrangements are a driving force in bacterial evolution and niche adaptation. We sequenced and annotated the genome of Lactobacillus johnsonii DPC6026, a strain isolated from the porcine intestinal tract. Although the genome of DPC6026 is similar in size (1.97 mbp) and GC content (34.8%) to the sequenced human isolate L. johnsonii NCC 533, a large symmetrical inversion of approximately 750 kb differentiated the two strains. Comparative analysis among 12 other strains of L. johnsonii including 8 porcine, 3 human and 1 poultry isolate indicated that the genome architecture found in DPC6026 is more common within the species than that of NCC 533. Furthermore a number of unique features were annotated in DPC6026, some of which are likely to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and contribute to protection against phage infection. A putative type III restriction-modification system was identified, as were novel Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) elements. Interestingly, these particular elements are not widely distributed among L. johnsonii strains. Taken together these data suggest intra-species genomic rearrangements and significant genetic diversity within the L. johnsonii species and indicate towards a host-specific divergence of L. johnsonii strains with respect to genome inversion and phage exposure.

  4. Retrospective analysis of the recovery of orientation and memory during posttraumatic amnesia.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Caroline M; Spitz, Gershon; Ponsford, Jennie L

    2015-07-01

    Prospective monitoring of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) is recommended following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, few studies have examined the typical order in which items recover on PTA scales. Different methods have been used to define recovery, and the order reported is not consistent across the literature. The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the progression of PTA by reporting the duration to recovery of items and categories on the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (WPTAS) according to different criteria. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 66 patients with TBI who were administered the WPTAS during hospital admission. The duration to recovery of items and categories was determined according to 3 criteria: first correct, correct 3 times in a row, and consistently correct. On the basis of the sample mean, date of birth (DOB), year, age, place, month, day, name, and memory for the 3 pictures recovered in this order according to all 3 criteria. However, the significance of differences between items and the order of recovery of categories depended on the criterion adopted. Although DOB recovered first in 74% of cases and the 3 pictures last in 63% of cases, there was a high degree of individual variability in the precise sequence of recovery. The traditional view of PTA recovering in the order of person, place, time, and memory does not adequately describe the profile of recovery on the WPTAS. Considering the recovery of individual items is necessary to understand and account for individuals differences in the order of recovery. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Inverse kinematic-based robot control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolovich, W. A.; Flueckiger, K. F.

    1987-01-01

    A fundamental problem which must be resolved in virtually all non-trivial robotic operations is the well-known inverse kinematic question. More specifically, most of the tasks which robots are called upon to perform are specified in Cartesian (x,y,z) space, such as simple tracking along one or more straight line paths or following a specified surfacer with compliant force sensors and/or visual feedback. In all cases, control is actually implemented through coordinated motion of the various links which comprise the manipulator; i.e., in link space. As a consequence, the control computer of every sophisticated anthropomorphic robot must contain provisions for solving the inverse kinematic problem which, in the case of simple, non-redundant position control, involves the determination of the first three link angles, theta sub 1, theta sub 2, and theta sub 3, which produce a desired wrist origin position P sub xw, P sub yw, and P sub zw at the end of link 3 relative to some fixed base frame. Researchers outline a new inverse kinematic solution and demonstrate its potential via some recent computer simulations. They also compare it to current inverse kinematic methods and outline some of the remaining problems which will be addressed in order to render it fully operational. Also discussed are a number of practical consequences of this technique beyond its obvious use in solving the inverse kinematic question.

  6. A technique for increasing the accuracy of the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform with applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berger, B. S.; Duangudom, S.

    1973-01-01

    A technique is introduced which extends the range of useful approximation of numerical inversion techniques to many cycles of an oscillatory function without requiring either the evaluation of the image function for many values of s or the computation of higher-order terms. The technique consists in reducing a given initial value problem defined over some interval into a sequence of initial value problems defined over a set of subintervals. Several numerical examples demonstrate the utility of the method.

  7. MAP Estimators for Piecewise Continuous Inversion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-08

    MAP estimators for piecewise continuous inversion M M Dunlop1 and A M Stuart Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK E...Published 8 August 2016 Abstract We study the inverse problem of estimating a field ua from data comprising a finite set of nonlinear functionals of ua...then natural to study maximum a posterior (MAP) estimators. Recently (Dashti et al 2013 Inverse Problems 29 095017) it has been shown that MAP

  8. Reconsidering plant memory: Intersections between stress recovery, RNA turnover, and epigenetics

    PubMed Central

    Crisp, Peter A.; Ganguly, Diep; Eichten, Steven R.; Borevitz, Justin O.; Pogson, Barry J.

    2016-01-01

    Plants grow in dynamic environments where they can be exposed to a multitude of stressful factors, all of which affect their development, yield, and, ultimately, reproductive success. Plants are adept at rapidly acclimating to stressful conditions and are able to further fortify their defenses by retaining memories of stress to enable stronger or more rapid responses should an environmental perturbation recur. Indeed, one mechanism that is often evoked regarding environmental memories is epigenetics. Yet, there are relatively few examples of such memories; neither is there a clear understanding of their duration, considering the plethora of stresses in nature. We propose that this field would benefit from investigations into the processes and mechanisms enabling recovery from stress. An understanding of stress recovery could provide fresh insights into when, how, and why environmental memories are created and regulated. Stress memories may be maladaptive, hindering recovery and affecting development and potential yield. In some circumstances, it may be advantageous for plants to learn to forget. Accordingly, the recovery process entails a balancing act between resetting and memory formation. During recovery, RNA metabolism, posttranscriptional gene silencing, and RNA-directed DNA methylation have the potential to play key roles in resetting the epigenome and transcriptome and in altering memory. Exploration of this emerging area of research is becoming ever more tractable with advances in genomics, phenomics, and high-throughput sequencing methodology that will enable unprecedented profiling of high-resolution stress recovery time series experiments and sampling of large natural populations. PMID:26989783

  9. An integrated chromosome map of microsatellite markers and inversion breakpoints for an Asian malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi.

    PubMed

    Kamali, Maryam; Sharakhova, Maria V; Baricheva, Elina; Karagodin, Dmitrii; Tu, Zhijian; Sharakhov, Igor V

    2011-01-01

    Anopheles stephensi is one of the major vectors of malaria in the Middle East and Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. Understanding the population genetic structure of malaria mosquitoes is important for developing adequate and successful vector control strategies. Commonly used markers for inferring anopheline taxonomic and population status include microsatellites and chromosomal inversions. Knowledge about chromosomal locations of microsatellite markers with respect to polymorphic inversions could be useful for better understanding a genetic structure of natural populations. However, fragments with microsatellites used in population genetic studies are usually too short for successful labeling and hybridization with chromosomes. We designed new primers for amplification of microsatellite loci identified in the A. stephensi genome sequenced with next-generation technologies. Twelve microsatellites were mapped to polytene chromosomes from ovarian nurse cells of A. stephensi using fluorescent in situ hybridization. All microsatellites hybridized to unique locations on autosomes, and 7 of them localized to the largest arm 2R. Ten microsatellites were mapped inside the previously described polymorphic chromosomal inversions, including 4 loci located inside the widespread inversion 2Rb. We analyzed microsatellite-based population genetic data available for A. stephensi in light of our mapping results. This study demonstrates that the chromosomal position of microsatellites may affect estimates of population genetic parameters and highlights the importance of developing physical maps for nonmodel organisms.

  10. Recovery of diverse microbes in high turbidity surface water samples using dead-end ultrafiltration.

    PubMed

    Mull, Bonnie; Hill, Vincent R

    2012-12-01

    Dead-end ultrafiltration (DEUF) has been reported to be a simple, field-deployable technique for recovering bacteria, viruses, and parasites from large-volume water samples for water quality testing and waterborne disease investigations. While DEUF has been reported for application to water samples having relatively low turbidity, little information is available regarding recovery efficiencies for this technique when applied to sampling turbid water samples such as those commonly found in lakes and rivers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a DEUF technique for recovering MS2 bacteriophage, enterococci, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in surface water samples having elevated turbidity. Average recovery efficiencies for each study microbe across all turbidity ranges were: MS2 (66%), C. parvum (49%), enterococci (85%), E. coli (81%), and C. perfringens (63%). The recovery efficiencies for MS2 and C. perfringens exhibited an inversely proportional relationship with turbidity, however no significant differences in recovery were observed for C. parvum, enterococci, or E. coli. Although ultrafilter clogging was observed, the DEUF method was able to process 100-L surface water samples at each turbidity level within 60 min. This study supports the use of the DEUF method for recovering a wide array of microbes in large-volume surface water samples having medium to high turbidity. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Atmospheric inverse modeling via sparse reconstruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hase, Nils; Miller, Scot M.; Maaß, Peter; Notholt, Justus; Palm, Mathias; Warneke, Thorsten

    2017-10-01

    Many applications in atmospheric science involve ill-posed inverse problems. A crucial component of many inverse problems is the proper formulation of a priori knowledge about the unknown parameters. In most cases, this knowledge is expressed as a Gaussian prior. This formulation often performs well at capturing smoothed, large-scale processes but is often ill equipped to capture localized structures like large point sources or localized hot spots. Over the last decade, scientists from a diverse array of applied mathematics and engineering fields have developed sparse reconstruction techniques to identify localized structures. In this study, we present a new regularization approach for ill-posed inverse problems in atmospheric science. It is based on Tikhonov regularization with sparsity constraint and allows bounds on the parameters. We enforce sparsity using a dictionary representation system. We analyze its performance in an atmospheric inverse modeling scenario by estimating anthropogenic US methane (CH4) emissions from simulated atmospheric measurements. Different measures indicate that our sparse reconstruction approach is better able to capture large point sources or localized hot spots than other methods commonly used in atmospheric inversions. It captures the overall signal equally well but adds details on the grid scale. This feature can be of value for any inverse problem with point or spatially discrete sources. We show an example for source estimation of synthetic methane emissions from the Barnett shale formation.

  12. Response and recovery lessons from the 2010-2011 earthquake sequence in Canterbury, New Zealand

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pierepiekarz, Mark; Johnston, David; Berryman, Kelvin; Hare, John; Gomberg, Joan S.; Williams, Robert A.; Weaver, Craig S.

    2014-01-01

    The impacts and opportunities that result when low-probability moderate earthquakes strike an urban area similar to many throughout the US were vividly conveyed in a one-day workshop in which social and Earth scientists, public officials, engineers, and an emergency manager shared their experiences of the earthquake sequence that struck the city of Christchurch and surrounding Canterbury region of New Zealand in 2010-2011. Without question, the earthquake sequence has had unprecedented impacts in all spheres on New Zealand society, locally to nationally--10% of the country's population was directly impacted and losses total 8-10% of their GDP. The following paragraphs present a few lessons from Christchurch.

  13. Rapid Diagnostics of Onboard Sequences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Starbird, Thomas W.; Morris, John R.; Shams, Khawaja S.; Maimone, Mark W.

    2012-01-01

    Keeping track of sequences onboard a spacecraft is challenging. When reviewing Event Verification Records (EVRs) of sequence executions on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER), operators often found themselves wondering which version of a named sequence the EVR corresponded to. The lack of this information drastically impacts the operators diagnostic capabilities as well as their situational awareness with respect to the commands the spacecraft has executed, since the EVRs do not provide argument values or explanatory comments. Having this information immediately available can be instrumental in diagnosing critical events and can significantly enhance the overall safety of the spacecraft. This software provides auditing capability that can eliminate that uncertainty while diagnosing critical conditions. Furthermore, the Restful interface provides a simple way for sequencing tools to automatically retrieve binary compiled sequence SCMFs (Space Command Message Files) on demand. It also enables developers to change the underlying database, while maintaining the same interface to the existing applications. The logging capabilities are also beneficial to operators when they are trying to recall how they solved a similar problem many days ago: this software enables automatic recovery of SCMF and RML (Robot Markup Language) sequence files directly from the command EVRs, eliminating the need for people to find and validate the corresponding sequences. To address the lack of auditing capability for sequences onboard a spacecraft during earlier missions, extensive logging support was added on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sequencing server. This server is responsible for generating all MSL binary SCMFs from RML input sequences. The sequencing server logs every SCMF it generates into a MySQL database, as well as the high-level RML file and dictionary name inputs used to create the SCMF. The SCMF is then indexed by a hash value that is automatically included in all command

  14. Inverse PCR-based method for isolating novel SINEs from genome.

    PubMed

    Han, Yawei; Chen, Liping; Guan, Lihong; He, Shunping

    2014-04-01

    Short interspersed elements (SINEs) are moderately repetitive DNA sequences in eukaryotic genomes. Although eukaryotic genomes contain numerous SINEs copy, it is very difficult and laborious to isolate and identify them by the reported methods. In this study, the inverse PCR was successfully applied to isolate SINEs from Opsariichthys bidens genome in Eastern Asian Cyprinid. A group of SINEs derived from tRNA(Ala) molecular had been identified, which were named Opsar according to Opsariichthys. SINEs characteristics were exhibited in Opsar, which contained a tRNA(Ala)-derived region at the 5' end, a tRNA-unrelated region, and AT-rich region at the 3' end. The tRNA-derived region of Opsar shared 76 % sequence similarity with tRNA(Ala) gene. This result indicated that Opsar could derive from the inactive or pseudogene of tRNA(Ala). The reliability of method was tested by obtaining C-SINE, Ct-SINE, and M-SINEs from Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Megalobrama amblycephala, and Cyprinus carpio genomes. This method is simpler than the previously reported, which successfully omitted many steps, such as preparation of probes, construction of genomic libraries, and hybridization.

  15. Preview-Based Stable-Inversion for Output Tracking

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zou, Qing-Ze; Devasia, Santosh

    1999-01-01

    Stable Inversion techniques can be used to achieve high-accuracy output tracking. However, for nonminimum phase systems, the inverse is non-causal - hence the inverse has to be pre-computed using a pre-specified desired-output trajectory. This requirement for pre-specification of the desired output restricts the use of inversion-based approaches to trajectory planning problems (for nonminimum phase systems). In the present article, it is shown that preview information of the desired output can be used to achieve online inversion-based output tracking of linear systems. The amount of preview-time needed is quantified in terms of the tracking error and the internal dynamics of the system (zeros of the system). The methodology is applied to the online output tracking of a flexible structure and experimental results are presented.

  16. Computational studies of sequence-specific driving forces in peptide self-assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeon, Joohyun

    Peptides are biopolymers made from various sequences of twenty different types of amino acids, connected by peptide bonds. There are practically an infinite number of possible sequences and tremendous possible combinations of peptide-peptide interactions. Recently, an increasing number of studies have shown a stark variety of peptide self-assembled nanomaterials whose detailed structures depend on their sequences and environmental factors; these have end uses in medical and bio-electronic applications, for example. To understand the underlying physics of complex peptide self-assembly processes and to delineate sequence specific effects, in this study, I use various simulation tools spanning all-atom molecular dynamics to simple lattice models and quantify the balance of interactions in the peptide self-assembly processes. In contrast to the existing view that peptides' aggregation propensities are proportional to the net sequence hydrophobicity and inversely proportional to the net charge, I show the more nuanced effects of electrostatic interactions, including the cooperative effects between hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Notably, I suggest rather unexpected, yet important roles of entropies in the small scale oligomerization processes. Overall, this study broadens our understanding of the role of thermodynamic driving forces in peptide self-assembly.

  17. Joint inversion of time-lapse VSP data for monitoring CO2 injection at the Farnsworth EOR field in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, M.; Gao, K.; Balch, R. S.; Huang, L.

    2016-12-01

    During the Development Phase (Phase III) of the U.S. Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), time-lapse 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data were acquired to monitor CO2 injection/migration at the Farnsworth Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) field, in partnership with the industrial partner Chaparral Energy. The project is to inject a million tons of carbon dioxide into the target formation, the deep oil-bearing Morrow Formation in the Farnsworth Unit EOR field. Quantitative time-lapse seismic monitoring has the potential to track CO2 movement in geologic carbon storage sites. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has recently developed new full-waveform inversion methods to jointly invert time-lapse seismic data for changes in elastic and anisotropic parameters in target monitoring regions such as a CO2 reservoir. We apply our new joint inversion methods to time-lapse VSP data acquired at the Farnsworth EOR filed, and present some preliminary results showing geophysical properties changes in the reservoir.

  18. Eco-Evolutionary Genomics of Chromosomal Inversions.

    PubMed

    Wellenreuther, Maren; Bernatchez, Louis

    2018-05-03

    Chromosomal inversions have long fascinated evolutionary biologists due to their suppression of recombination, which can protect co-adapted alleles. Emerging research documents that inversions are commonly linked to spectacular phenotypes and have a pervasive role in eco-evolutionary processes, from mating systems, social organisation, environmental adaptation, and reproductive isolation to speciation. Studies also reveal that inversions are taxonomically widespread, with many being old and large, and that balancing selection is commonly facilitating their maintenance. This challenges the traditional view that the role of balancing selection in maintaining variation is relatively minor. The ubiquitous importance of inversions in ecological and evolutionary processes suggests that structural variation should be better acknowledged and integrated in studies pertaining to the molecular basis of adaptation and speciation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Inversion layer solar cell fabrication and evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Call, R. L.

    1972-01-01

    Silicon solar cells with induced junctions were created by forming an inversion layer near the surface of the silicon by supplying a sheet of positive charge above the surface. This charged layer was supplied through three mechanisms: (1) supplying a positive potential to a transparent electrode separated from the silicon surface by a dielectric, (2) contaminating the oxide layer with positive ions, and (3) forming donor surface states that leave a positive charge on the surface. A movable semi-infinite shadow delineated the extent of sensitivity of the cell due to the inversion region. Measurements of the inversion layer cell response to light of different wavelengths indicated it to be more sensitive to the shorter wavelengths of the sun's spectrum than conventional cells. Theory of the conductance of the inversion layer vs. strength of the inversion layer was compared with experiment and found to match. Theoretical determinations of junction depth and inversion layer strength were made as a function of the surface potential for the transparent electrode cell.

  20. Three-dimensional inversion for Network-Magnetotelluric data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siripunvaraporn, W.; Uyeshima, M.; Egbert, G.

    2004-09-01

    Three-dimensional inversion of Network-Magnetotelluric (MT) data has been implemented. The program is based on a conventional 3-D MT inversion code (Siripunvaraporn et al., 2004), which is a data space variant of the OCCAM approach. In addition to modifications required for computing Network-MT responses and sensitivities, the program makes use of Massage Passing Interface (MPI) software, with allowing computations for each period to be run on separate CPU nodes. Here, we consider inversion of synthetic data generated from simple models consisting of a 1 W-m conductive block buried at varying depths in a 100 W-m background. We focus in particular on inversion of long period (320-40,960 seconds) data, because Network-MT data usually have high coherency in these period ranges. Even with only long period data the inversion recovers shallow and deep structures, as long as these are large enough to affect the data significantly. However, resolution of the inversion depends greatly on the geometry of the dipole network, the range of periods used, and the horizontal size of the conductive anomaly.

  1. Heterogeneous Multifrequency Direct Inversion (HMDI) for magnetic resonance elastography with application to a clinical brain exam.

    PubMed

    Barnhill, Eric; Davies, Penny J; Ariyurek, Cemre; Fehlner, Andreas; Braun, Jürgen; Sack, Ingolf

    2018-05-01

    A new viscoelastic wave inversion method for MRE, called Heterogeneous Multifrequency Direct Inversion (HMDI), was developed which accommodates heterogeneous elasticity within a direct inversion (DI) by incorporating first-order gradients and combining results from a narrow band of multiple frequencies. The method is compared with a Helmholtz-type DI, Multifrequency Dual Elasto-Visco inversion (MDEV), both on ground-truth Finite Element Method simulations at varied noise levels and a prospective in vivo brain cohort of 48 subjects ages 18-65. In simulated data, MDEV recovered background material within 5% and HMDI within 1% of prescribed up to SNR of 20 dB. In vivo HMDI and MDEV were then combined with segmentation from SPM to create a fully automated "brain palpation" exam for both whole brain (WB), and brain white matter (WM), measuring two parameters, the complex modulus magnitude |G*| , which measures tissue "stiffness", and the slope of |G*| values across frequencies, a measure of viscous dispersion. |G*| values for MDEV and HMDI were comparable to the literature (for a 3-frequency set centered at 50 Hz, WB means were 2.17 and 2.15 kPa respectively, and WM means were 2.47 and 2.49 kPa respectively). Both methods showed moderate correlation to age in both WB and WM, for both |G*| and |G*| slope, with Pearson's r ≥ 0.4 in the most sensitive frequency sets. In comparison to MDEV, HMDI showed better preservation of recovered target shapes, more noise-robustness, and stabler recovery values in regions with rapid property change, however summary statistics for both methods were quite similar. By eliminating homogeneity assumptions within a fast, fully automatic, regularization-free direct inversion, HMDI appears to be a worthwhile addition to the MRE image reconstruction repertoire. In addition to supporting the literature showing decrease in brain viscoelasticity with age, our work supports a wide range of inter-individual variation in brain MRE

  2. Modular theory of inverse systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1979-01-01

    The relationship between multivariable zeros and inverse systems was explored. A definition of zero module is given in such a way that it is basis independent. The existence of essential right and left inverses were established. The way in which the abstract zero module captured previous definitions of multivariable zeros is explained and examples are presented.

  3. Inversion exercises inspired by mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groetsch, C. W.

    2016-02-01

    An elementary calculus transform, inspired by the centroid and gyration radius, is introduced as a prelude to the study of more advanced transforms. Analysis of the transform, including its inversion, makes use of several key concepts from basic calculus and exercises in the application and inversion of the transform provide practice in the use of technology in calculus.

  4. A method to incorporate leakage and head scatter corrections into a tomotherapy inverse treatment planning algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holmes, Timothy W.

    2001-01-01

    A detailed tomotherapy inverse treatment planning method is described which incorporates leakage and head scatter corrections during each iteration of the optimization process, allowing these effects to be directly accounted for in the optimized dose distribution. It is shown that the conventional inverse planning method for optimizing incident intensity can be extended to include a `concurrent' leaf sequencing operation from which the leakage and head scatter corrections are determined. The method is demonstrated using the steepest-descent optimization technique with constant step size and a least-squared error objective. The method was implemented using the MATLAB scientific programming environment and its feasibility demonstrated for 2D test cases simulating treatment delivery using a single coplanar rotation. The results indicate that this modification does not significantly affect convergence of the intensity optimization method when exposure times of individual leaves are stratified to a large number of levels (>100) during leaf sequencing. In general, the addition of aperture dependent corrections, especially `head scatter', reduces incident fluence in local regions of the modulated fan beam, resulting in increased exposure times for individual collimator leaves. These local variations can result in 5% or greater local variation in the optimized dose distribution compared to the uncorrected case. The overall efficiency of the modified intensity optimization algorithm is comparable to that of the original unmodified case.

  5. The Recovery of TOMS-EP

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Robertson, Brent; Sabelhaus, Phil; Mendenhall, Todd; Fesq, Lorraine

    1998-01-01

    On December 13th 1998, the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer - Earth Probe (TOMS-EP) spacecraft experienced a Single Event Upset which caused the system to reconfigure and enter a Safe Mode. This incident occurred two and a half years after the launch of the spacecraft which was designed for a two year life. A combination of factors, including changes in component behavior due to age and extended use, very unfortunate initial conditions and the safe mode processing logic prevented the spacecraft from entering its nominal long term storage mode. The spacecraft remained in a high fuel consumption mode designed for temporary use. By the time the onboard fuel was exhausted, the spacecraft was Sun pointing in a high rate flat spin. Although the uncontrolled spacecraft was initially in a power and thermal safe orientation, it would not stay in this state indefinitely due to a slow precession of its momentum vector. A recovery team was immediately assembled to determine if there was time to develop a method of despinning the vehicle and return it to normal science data collection. A three stage plan was developed that used the onboard magnetic torque rods as actuators. The first stage was designed to reduce the high spin rate to within the linear range of the gyros. The second stage transitioned the spacecraft from sun pointing to orbit reference pointing. The final stage returned the spacecraft to normal science operation. The entire recovery scenario was simulated with a wide range of initial conditions to establish the expected behavior. The recovery sequence was started on December 28th 1998 and completed by December 31st. TOMS-EP was successfully returned to science operations by the beginning of 1999. This paper describes the TOMS-EP Safe Mode design and the factors which led to the spacecraft anomaly and loss of fuel. The recovery and simulation efforts are described. Flight data are presented which show the performance of the spacecraft during its return to science

  6. An equine chromosome 3 inversion is associated with the tobiano spotting pattern in German horse breeds.

    PubMed

    Haase, B; Jude, R; Brooks, S A; Leeb, T

    2008-06-01

    The tobiano white-spotting pattern is one of several known depigmentation phenotypes in horses and is desired by many horse breeders and owners. The tobiano spotting phenotype is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Horses that are heterozygous or homozygous for the tobiano allele (To) are phenotypically indistinguishable. A SNP associated with To had previously been identified in intron 13 of the equine KIT gene and was used for an indirect gene test. The test was useful in several horse breeds. However, genotyping this sequence variant in the Lewitzer horse breed revealed that 14% of horses with the tobiano pattern did not show the polymorphism in intron 13 and consequently the test was not useful to identify putative homozygotes for To within this breed. Speculations were raised that an independent mutation might cause the tobiano spotting pattern in this breed. Recently, the putative causative mutation for To was described as a large chromosomal inversion on equine chromosome 3. One of the inversion breakpoints is approximately 70 kb downstream of the KIT gene and probably disrupts a regulatory element of the KIT gene. We obtained genotypes for the intron 13 SNP and the chromosomal inversion for 204 tobiano spotted horses and 24 control animals of several breeds. The genotyping data confirmed that the chromosomal inversion was perfectly associated with the To allele in all investigated horses. Therefore, the new test is suitable to discriminate heterozygous To/+ and homozygous To/To horses in the investigated breeds.

  7. Identification of chromosome 7 inversion breakpoints in an autistic family narrows candidate region for autism susceptibility.

    PubMed

    Cukier, Holly N; Skaar, David A; Rayner-Evans, Melissa Y; Konidari, Ioanna; Whitehead, Patrice L; Jaworski, James M; Cuccaro, Michael L; Pericak-Vance, Margaret A; Gilbert, John R

    2009-10-01

    Chromosomal breaks and rearrangements have been observed in conjunction with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. A chromosomal inversion has been previously reported in autistic siblings, spanning the region from approximately 7q22.1 to 7q31. This family is distinguished by having multiple individuals with autism and associated disabilities. The region containing the inversion has been strongly implicated in autism by multiple linkage studies, and has been particularly associated with language defects in autism as well as in other disorders with language components. Mapping of the inversion breakpoints by FISH has localized the inversion to the region spanning approximately 99-108.75 Mb of chromosome 7. The proximal breakpoint has the potential to disrupt either the coding sequence or regulatory regions of a number of cytochrome P450 genes while the distal region falls in a relative gene desert. Copy number variant analysis of the breakpoint regions detected no duplication or deletion that could clearly be associated with disease status. Association analysis in our autism data set using single nucleotide polymorphisms located near the breakpoints showed no significant association with proximal breakpoint markers, but has identified markers near the distal breakpoint ( approximately 108-110 Mb) with significant associations to autism. The chromosomal abnormality in this family strengthens the case for an autism susceptibility gene in the chromosome 7q22-31 region and targets a candidate region for further investigation.

  8. Application of Modified Spin-Echo–based Sequences for Hepatic MR Elastography: Evaluation, Comparison with the Conventional Gradient-Echo Sequence, and Preliminary Clinical Experience

    PubMed Central

    Mariappan, Yogesh K.; Dzyubak, Bogdan; Glaser, Kevin J.; Venkatesh, Sudhakar K.; Sirlin, Claude B.; Hooker, Jonathan; McGee, Kiaran P.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To (a) evaluate modified spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) elastographic sequences for acquiring MR images with improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in patients in whom the standard gradient-echo (GRE) MR elastographic sequence yields low hepatic signal intensity and (b) compare the stiffness values obtained with these sequences with those obtained with the conventional GRE sequence. Materials and Methods This HIPAA-compliant retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board; the requirement to obtain informed consent was waived. Data obtained with modified SE and SE echo-planar imaging (EPI) MR elastographic pulse sequences with short echo times were compared with those obtained with the conventional GRE MR elastographic sequence in two patient cohorts, one that exhibited adequate liver signal intensity and one that exhibited low liver signal intensity. Shear stiffness values obtained with the three sequences in 130 patients with successful GRE-based examinations were retrospectively tested for statistical equivalence by using a 5% margin. In 47 patients in whom GRE examinations were considered to have failed because of low SNR, the SNR and confidence level with the SE-based sequences were compared with those with the GRE sequence. Results The results of this study helped confirm the equivalence of SE MR elastography and SE-EPI MR elastography to GRE MR elastography (P = .0212 and P = .0001, respectively). The SE and SE-EPI MR elastographic sequences provided substantially improved SNR and stiffness inversion confidence level in 47 patients in whom GRE MR elastography had failed. Conclusion Modified SE-based MR elastographic sequences provide higher SNR MR elastographic data and reliable stiffness measurements; thus, they enable quantification of stiffness in patients in whom the conventional GRE MR elastographic sequence failed owing to low signal intensity. The equivalence of the three sequences indicates that the current diagnostic

  9. Recovery from cannabis use disorders: Abstinence versus moderation and treatment-assisted recovery versus natural recovery.

    PubMed

    Stea, Jonathan N; Yakovenko, Igor; Hodgins, David C

    2015-09-01

    The present study of recovery from cannabis use disorders was undertaken with 2 primary objectives that address gaps in the literature. The first objective was to provide an exploratory portrait of the recovery process from cannabis use disorders, comparing individuals who recovered naturally with those who were involved in treatment. The second objective was to explore systematically the similarities and differences between abstinence and moderation recoveries. Adults who have recovered from a cannabis use disorder were recruited in the community (N = 119). The abstinence and treatment-assisted participants exhibited higher levels of lifetime cannabis problem severity than the moderation and natural recovery participants, respectively. As well, cognitive factors were identified as the most useful strategies for recovery (e.g., thinking about benefits and negative consequences of cannabis), followed by behavioral factors (e.g., avoidance of triggers for use and high-risk situations). Findings lend further support to the effectiveness of cognitive, motivational, and behavioral strategies as helpful actions and maintenance factors involved in the recovery process. The findings also generally support the idea that cannabis use disorders lie on a continuum of problem severity, with moderation and natural recoveries more likely to occur at the lower end of the continuum and abstinence and treatment-assisted recoveries more likely to occur at the upper end. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. The Promiscuity of [beta]-Strand Pairing Allows for Rational Design of [beta]-Sheet Face Inversion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Makabe, Koki; Koide, Shohei

    2009-06-17

    Recent studies suggest the dominant role of main-chain H-bond formation in specifying {beta}-sheet topology. Its essentially sequence-independent nature implies a large degree of freedom in designing {beta}-sheet-based nanomaterials. Here we show rational design of {beta}-sheet face inversions by incremental deletions of {beta}-strands from the single-layer {beta}-sheet of Borrelia outer surface protein A. We show that a {beta}-sheet structure can be maintained when a large number of native contacts are removed and that one can design large-scale conformational transitions of a {beta}-sheet such as face inversion by exploiting the promiscuity of strand-strand interactions. High-resolution X-ray crystal structures confirmed the success ofmore » the design and supported the importance of main-chain H-bonds in determining {beta}-sheet topology. This work suggests a simple but effective strategy for designing and controlling nanomaterials based on {beta}-rich peptide self-assemblies.« less

  11. BOOK REVIEW: Inverse Problems. Activities for Undergraduates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Masahiro

    2003-06-01

    This book is a valuable introduction to inverse problems. In particular, from the educational point of view, the author addresses the questions of what constitutes an inverse problem and how and why we should study them. Such an approach has been eagerly awaited for a long time. Professor Groetsch, of the University of Cincinnati, is a world-renowned specialist in inverse problems, in particular the theory of regularization. Moreover, he has made a remarkable contribution to educational activities in the field of inverse problems, which was the subject of his previous book (Groetsch C W 1993 Inverse Problems in the Mathematical Sciences (Braunschweig: Vieweg)). For this reason, he is one of the most qualified to write an introductory book on inverse problems. Without question, inverse problems are important, necessary and appear in various aspects. So it is crucial to introduce students to exercises in inverse problems. However, there are not many introductory books which are directly accessible by students in the first two undergraduate years. As a consequence, students often encounter diverse concrete inverse problems before becoming aware of their general principles. The main purpose of this book is to present activities to allow first-year undergraduates to learn inverse theory. To my knowledge, this book is a rare attempt to do this and, in my opinion, a great success. The author emphasizes that it is very important to teach inverse theory in the early years. He writes; `If students consider only the direct problem, they are not looking at the problem from all sides .... The habit of always looking at problems from the direct point of view is intellectually limiting ...' (page 21). The book is very carefully organized so that teachers will be able to use it as a textbook. After an introduction in chapter 1, sucessive chapters deal with inverse problems in precalculus, calculus, differential equations and linear algebra. In order to let one gain some insight

  12. Geologic input to enhanced oil recovery project planning in south Oman

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Watts, N.L.; Ellis, D.; Heward, A.P.

    1986-05-01

    South Oman clastic reservoirs contain a combined stock-tank oil in place of more than 1.9 billion m/sup 3/ of predominantly heavy oil distributed in almost 40 fields of varying size. Successful early application of such enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods as steam flood, polymer drive, and steam soak could realize undiscounted incremental recoveries of 244 million m/sup 3/ of oil. Target oil is contained in three reservoir intervals with distinct characteristics relevant to EOR. (1) The Cambrian-Ordovician Haima Group is a thick monotonous sequence of continental and coastal sands; major problems are steam-rock reactions, recovery factors, effective kv/kh (ratio ofmore » vertical to horizontal permeability), and aquifer strength. (2) The Permian-Carboniferous Al Khlata Formation is a glacial package showing severe heterogeneity, strong permeability anisotropy, and poor predictability. (3) The Permian Gharif Formation is a coastal to fluvial sequence with isolated and multilayer channel sands, smectitic clays, and anomalous primary production performance. Several EOR pilot projects are either ongoing or in preparation as part of a longer term EOR strategy. Geologic input is important at four essential stages of pilot planning: initial project ranking, optimization of pilot location, definition of pilot size, and predictive/history match simulations. Each stage is illustrated using a specific project example from south Oman to show the diverse geologic and logistic problems of the area. Although geologic aspects are highlighted, EOR project planning in south Oman is multidisciplinary, with integration being aided by a dedicated EOR coordination department.« less

  13. Convex blind image deconvolution with inverse filtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lv, Xiao-Guang; Li, Fang; Zeng, Tieyong

    2018-03-01

    Blind image deconvolution is the process of estimating both the original image and the blur kernel from the degraded image with only partial or no information about degradation and the imaging system. It is a bilinear ill-posed inverse problem corresponding to the direct problem of convolution. Regularization methods are used to handle the ill-posedness of blind deconvolution and get meaningful solutions. In this paper, we investigate a convex regularized inverse filtering method for blind deconvolution of images. We assume that the support region of the blur object is known, as has been done in a few existing works. By studying the inverse filters of signal and image restoration problems, we observe the oscillation structure of the inverse filters. Inspired by the oscillation structure of the inverse filters, we propose to use the star norm to regularize the inverse filter. Meanwhile, we use the total variation to regularize the resulting image obtained by convolving the inverse filter with the degraded image. The proposed minimization model is shown to be convex. We employ the first-order primal-dual method for the solution of the proposed minimization model. Numerical examples for blind image restoration are given to show that the proposed method outperforms some existing methods in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), visual quality and time consumption.

  14. Convective Cold Pool Structure and Boundary Layer Recovery in DYNAMO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savarin, A.; Chen, S. S.; Kerns, B. W.; Lee, C.; Jorgensen, D. P.

    2012-12-01

    One of the key factors controlling convective cloud systems in the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) over the tropical Indian Ocean is the property of the atmospheric boundary layer. Convective downdrafts and precipitation from the cloud systems produce cold pools in the boundary layer, which can inhibit subsequent development of convection. The recovery time is the time it takes for the boundary layer to return to pre convective conditions. It may affect the variability of the convection on various time scales during the initiation of MJO. This study examines the convective cold pool structure and boundary layer recovery using the NOAA WP-3D aircraft observations, include the flight-level, Doppler radar, and GPS dropsonde data, collected during the Dynamics of MJO (DYNAMO) field campaign from November-December 2011. The depth and strength of convective cold pools are defined by the negative buoyancy, which can be computed from the dropsonde data. Convective downdraft can be affected by environmental water vapor due to entrainment. Mid-level dry air observed during the convectively suppressed phase of MJO seems to enhance convective downdraft, making the cold pools stronger and deeper. Recovery of the cold pools in the boundary layer is determined by the strength and depth of the cold pools and also the air-sea heat and moisture fluxes. Given that the water vapor and surface winds are distinct for the convectively active and suppressed phases of MJO over the Indian Ocean, the aircraft data are stratified by the two different large-scale regimes of MJO. Preliminary results show that the strength and depth of the cold pools are inversely correlated with the surrounding mid-level moisture. During the convectively suppressed phase, the recovery time is ~5-20 hours in relative weak wind condition with small air-sea fluxes. The recovery time is generally less than 6 hours during the active phase of MJO with moist mid-levels and stronger surface wind and air-sea fluxes.

  15. Two-dimensional probabilistic inversion of plane-wave electromagnetic data: methodology, model constraints and joint inversion with electrical resistivity data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosas-Carbajal, Marina; Linde, Niklas; Kalscheuer, Thomas; Vrugt, Jasper A.

    2014-03-01

    Probabilistic inversion methods based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation are well suited to quantify parameter and model uncertainty of nonlinear inverse problems. Yet, application of such methods to CPU-intensive forward models can be a daunting task, particularly if the parameter space is high dimensional. Here, we present a 2-D pixel-based MCMC inversion of plane-wave electromagnetic (EM) data. Using synthetic data, we investigate how model parameter uncertainty depends on model structure constraints using different norms of the likelihood function and the model constraints, and study the added benefits of joint inversion of EM and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data. Our results demonstrate that model structure constraints are necessary to stabilize the MCMC inversion results of a highly discretized model. These constraints decrease model parameter uncertainty and facilitate model interpretation. A drawback is that these constraints may lead to posterior distributions that do not fully include the true underlying model, because some of its features exhibit a low sensitivity to the EM data, and hence are difficult to resolve. This problem can be partly mitigated if the plane-wave EM data is augmented with ERT observations. The hierarchical Bayesian inverse formulation introduced and used herein is able to successfully recover the probabilistic properties of the measurement data errors and a model regularization weight. Application of the proposed inversion methodology to field data from an aquifer demonstrates that the posterior mean model realization is very similar to that derived from a deterministic inversion with similar model constraints.

  16. Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography with time-spatial labeling inversion pulses: comparison at 1.5 Tesla and 3 Tesla

    PubMed Central

    Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Furuta, Akihiro; Togashi, Kaori

    2015-01-01

    Background A 3 Tesla (3 T) magnetic resonance (MR) scanner is a promising tool for upper abdominal MR angiography. However, there is no report focused on the image quality of non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography at 3 T. Purpose To compare and evaluate images of non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography with time-spatial labeling inversion pulses (Time-SLIP) at 1.5 Tesla (1.5 T) and 3 T. Material and Methods Twenty-five healthy volunteers were examined using respiratory-triggered three-dimensional balanced steady-state free-precession (bSSFP) with Time-SLIP. For portography, we used one tagging pulse (selective inversion recovery) and one non-selective inversion recovery pulse; for venography, two tagging pulses were used. The relative signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were quantified, and the quality of visualization was evaluated. Results The CNRs of the main portal vein, right portal vein, and left portal vein at 3 T were better than at 1.5 T. The image quality scores for the portal branches of segment 4, 5, and 8 were significantly higher at 3 T than at 1.5 T. The CNR of the right hepatic vein (RHV) at 3 T was significantly lower than at 1.5 T. The image quality scores of RHV and the middle hepatic vein were higher at 1.5 T than at 3 T. For RHV visualization, the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography with Time-SLIP at 3 T significantly improved visualization of the peripheral branch in healthy volunteers compared with1.5 T. Non-contrast-enhanced MR hepatic venography at 1.5 T was better than at 3 T. PMID:26019890

  17. An inverse problem in thermal imaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryan, Kurt; Caudill, Lester F., Jr.

    1994-01-01

    This paper examines uniqueness and stability results for an inverse problem in thermal imaging. The goal is to identify an unknown boundary of an object by applying a heat flux and measuring the induced temperature on the boundary of the sample. The problem is studied both in the case in which one has data at every point on the boundary of the region and the case in which only finitely many measurements are available. An inversion procedure is developed and used to study the stability of the inverse problem for various experimental configurations.

  18. Shear wave speed recovery in transient elastography and supersonic imaging using propagating fronts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McLaughlin, Joyce; Renzi, Daniel

    2006-04-01

    Transient elastography and supersonic imaging are promising new techniques for characterizing the elasticity of soft tissues. Using this method, an 'ultrafast imaging' system (up to 10 000 frames s-1) follows in real time the propagation of a low frequency shear wave. The displacement of the propagating shear wave is measured as a function of time and space. The objective of this paper is to develop and test algorithms whose ultimate product is images of the shear wave speed of tissue mimicking phantoms. The data used in the algorithms are the front of the propagating shear wave. Here, we first develop techniques to find the arrival time surface given the displacement data from a transient elastography experiment. The arrival time surface satisfies the Eikonal equation. We then propose a family of methods, called distance methods, to solve the inverse Eikonal equation: given the arrival times of a propagating wave, find the wave speed. Lastly, we explain why simple inversion schemes for the inverse Eikonal equation lead to large outliers in the wave speed and numerically demonstrate that the new scheme presented here does not have any large outliers. We exhibit two recoveries using these methods: one is with synthetic data; the other is with laboratory data obtained by Mathias Fink's group (the Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique, ESPCI, Université Paris VII).

  19. Updated Results for the Wake Vortex Inverse Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Robins, Robert E.; Lai, David Y.; Delisi, Donald P.; Mellman, George R.

    2008-01-01

    NorthWest Research Associates (NWRA) has developed an Inverse Model for inverting aircraft wake vortex data. The objective of the inverse modeling is to obtain estimates of the vortex circulation decay and crosswind vertical profiles, using time history measurements of the lateral and vertical position of aircraft vortices. The Inverse Model performs iterative forward model runs using estimates of vortex parameters, vertical crosswind profiles, and vortex circulation as a function of wake age. Iterations are performed until a user-defined criterion is satisfied. Outputs from an Inverse Model run are the best estimates of the time history of the vortex circulation derived from the observed data, the vertical crosswind profile, and several vortex parameters. The forward model, named SHRAPA, used in this inverse modeling is a modified version of the Shear-APA model, and it is described in Section 2 of this document. Details of the Inverse Model are presented in Section 3. The Inverse Model was applied to lidar-observed vortex data at three airports: FAA acquired data from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Denver International Airport (DEN), and NASA acquired data from Memphis International Airport (MEM). The results are compared with observed data. This Inverse Model validation is documented in Section 4. A summary is given in Section 5. A user's guide for the inverse wake vortex model is presented in a separate NorthWest Research Associates technical report (Lai and Delisi, 2007a).

  20. Coronary wave energy: a novel predictor of functional recovery after myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    De Silva, Kalpa; Foster, Paul; Guilcher, Antoine; Bandara, Asela; Jogiya, Roy; Lockie, Tim; Chowiencyzk, Phil; Nagel, Eike; Marber, Michael; Redwood, Simon; Plein, Sven; Perera, Divaka

    2013-04-01

    Revascularization after acute coronary syndromes provides prognostic benefit, provided that the subtended myocardium is viable. The microcirculation and contractility of the subtended myocardium affect propagation of coronary flow, which can be characterized by wave intensity analysis. The study objective was to determine in acute coronary syndromes whether early wave intensity analysis-derived microcirculatory (backward) expansion wave energy predicts late viability, defined by functional recovery. Thirty-one patients (58±11 years) were enrolled after non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Regional left ventricular function and late-gadolinium enhancement were assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, before and 3 months after revascularization. The backward-traveling (microcirculatory) expansion wave was derived from wave intensity analysis of phasic coronary pressure and velocity in the infarct-related artery, whereas mean values were used to calculate hyperemic microvascular resistance. Twelve-hour troponin T, left ventricular ejection fraction, and percentage late-gadolinium enhancement mass were 1.35±1.21 µg/L, 56±11%, and 8.4±6.0%, respectively. The infarct-related artery backward-traveling (microcirculatory) expansion wave was inversely correlated with late-gadolinium enhancement infarct mass (r=-0.81; P<0.0001) and strongly predicted regional left ventricular recovery (r=0.68; P=0.001). By receiver operating characteristic analysis, a backward-traveling (microcirculatory) expansion wave threshold of 2.8 W m(-2) s(-2)×10(5) predicted functional recovery with sensitivity and specificity of 0.91 and 0.82 (AUC 0.88). Hyperemic microvascular resistance correlated with late-gadolinium enhancement mass (r=0.48; P=0.03) but not left ventricular recovery (r=-0.34; P=0.07). The microcirculation-derived backward expansion wave is a new index that correlates with the magnitude and location of infarction, which may allow for the prediction of functional