Individual differences in children's understanding of inversion and arithmetical skill.

PubMed

Gilmore, Camilla K; Bryant, Peter

2006-06-01

Background and aims. In order to develop arithmetic expertise, children must understand arithmetic principles, such as the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction, in addition to learning calculation skills. We report two experiments that investigate children's understanding of the principle of inversion and the relationship between their conceptual understanding and arithmetical skills. A group of 127 children from primary schools took part in the study. The children were from 2 age groups (6-7 and 8-9 years). Children's accuracy on inverse and control problems in a variety of presentation formats and in canonical and non-canonical forms was measured. Tests of general arithmetic ability were also administered. Children consistently performed better on inverse than control problems, which indicates that they could make use of the inverse principle. Presentation format affected performance: picture presentation allowed children to apply their conceptual understanding flexibly regardless of the problem type, while word problems restricted their ability to use their conceptual knowledge. Cluster analyses revealed three subgroups with different profiles of conceptual understanding and arithmetical skill. Children in the 'high ability' and 'low ability' groups showed conceptual understanding that was in-line with their arithmetical skill, whilst a 3rd group of children had more advanced conceptual understanding than arithmetical skill. The three subgroups may represent different points along a single developmental path or distinct developmental paths. The discovery of the existence of the three groups has important consequences for education. It demonstrates the importance of considering the pattern of individual children's conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills.

Ovarian cysts and breast cancer: results from the Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences Study.

PubMed

Knight, Julia A; Lesosky, Maia; Blackmore, Kristina M; Voigt, Lynda F; Holt, Victoria L; Bernstein, Leslie; Marchbanks, Polly A; Burkman, Ronald T; Daling, Janet R; Whittemore, Alice S

2008-05-01

A diagnosis of ovarian cysts is likely an indicator of hormonal milieu and thus may be related to breast cancer risk. Recent studies have reported an inverse relationship between prior ovarian cyst diagnosis and breast cancer risk. We evaluated this relationship in the Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences (CARE) Study, a population-based case-control study conducted in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Cases had first primary invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 1994 and 1998 at ages 35-64 years. African American women were over-sampled. Controls were identified through random digit dialling and were frequency matched to cases on centre, race, and five-year age group. A total of 4575 cases and 4682 controls were interviewed. We used unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age and study centre within racial groups to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the relationship between prior ovarian cysts and breast cancer. Ovarian cyst diagnosis was associated with a significantly reduced risk among Caucasians (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.76-0.96) and among African Americans (OR=0.68, 95% CI 0.57-0.81). The association in Caucasians was not significant within subgroups defined by menopausal status, hormone use, or gynecological surgery while the OR estimates in African Americans were consistently lower and frequently significant. These data are consistent with the previously reported inverse association between ovarian cysts and breast cancer, but the evidence for a relationship was stronger in African Americans than Caucasians. Additional studies are required to determine the specific cyst type(s) responsible for the observed relationship.

Age class, longevity and growth rate relationships: protracted growth increases in old trees in the eastern United States.

PubMed

Johnson, Sarah E; Abrams, Marc D

2009-11-01

This study uses data from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank website and tree cores collected in the field to explore growth rate (basal area increment, BAI) relationships across age classes (from young to old) for eight tree species in the eastern US. These species represent a variety of ecological traits and include those in the genera Populus, Quercus, Pinus, Tsuga and Nyssa. We found that most trees in all age classes and species exhibit an increasing BAI throughout their lives. This is particularly unusual for trees in the older age classes that we expected to have declining growth in the later years, as predicted by physiological growth models. There exists an inverse relationship between growth rate and increasing age class. The oldest trees within each species have consistently slow growth throughout their lives, implying an inverse relationship between growth rate and longevity. Younger trees (< 60 years of age) within each species are consistently growing faster than the older trees when they are of the same age resulting from a higher proportion of fast-growing trees in these young age classes. Slow, but increasing, BAI in the oldest trees in recent decades is a continuation of their growth pattern established in previous centuries. The fact that they have not shown a decreasing growth rate in their old age contradicts physiological growth models and may be related to the stimulatory effects of global change phenomenon (climate and land-use history).

An Inversion Analysis of Recent Variability in CO2 Fluxes Using GOSAT and In Situ Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J. S.; Kawa, S. R.; Baker, D. F.; Collatz, G. J.

2016-12-01

About one-half of the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation accumulates in the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming. The rest is taken up by vegetation and the ocean. The precise contribution of the two sinks and their location and year-to-year variability are not well understood. We use two different approaches, batch Bayesian synthesis inversion and variational data assimilation, to deduce the global spatiotemporal distributions of CO2 fluxes during 2009-2010. One of our objectives is to assess different sources of uncertainties in inferred fluxes, including uncertainties in prior flux estimates and observations, and differences in inversion techniques. For prior constraints, we utilize fluxes and uncertainties from the CASA-GFED model of the terrestrial biosphere and biomass burning driven by satellite observations. We also use measurement-based ocean flux estimates and fixed fossil CO2 emissions. Our inversions incorporate column CO2 measurements from the GOSAT satellite (ACOS retrieval, bias-corrected) and in situ observations (individual flask and afternoon-average continuous observations) to estimate fluxes in 108 regions over 8-day intervals for the batch inversion and at 3° x 3.75° weekly for the variational system. Relationships between fluxes and atmospheric concentrations are derived consistently for the two inversion systems using the PCTM transport model with MERRA meteorology. We compare the posterior fluxes and uncertainties derived using different data sets and the two inversion approaches, and evaluate the posterior atmospheric concentrations against independent data including aircraft measurements. The optimized fluxes generally resemble each other and those from other studies. For example, a GOSAT-only inversion suggests a shift in the global sink from the tropics/south to the north relative to the prior and to an in-situ-only inversion. The posterior fluxes of the GOSAT inversion are better constrained in most regions than those of the in situ inversion because of the greater spatial coverage of the GOSAT observations. The GOSAT inversion also indicates a significantly smaller terrestrial sink in higher-latitude northern regions in boreal summer of 2010 relative to 2009, consistent with observed drought conditions.

The relationship between delta C-13 of organic matter and (CO2(aq)) in ocean surface water - Data from the JGOFS site in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and a model. [Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rau, G. H.; Takahashi, T.; Des Marais, D. J.; Repeta, D. J.; Martin, J. H.

1992-01-01

Consistent with the hypothesis that plankton delta C-14 and (CO2(aq)) are inversely related, increases in both sinking and suspended particulate organic matter (POM) delta C-13 detected by the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) were highly negatively correlated with mixed-layer (CO2(aq)). A model of plant delta C-13 by Farquhar et al. (1982) is adapted to show that under a constant phytoplankton demand for CO2 an inverse nonlinear suspended POM delta C-13 response to ambient (CO2(aq)) is expected. Differences between predicted and observed suspended POM delta C-13 vs. (CO2(aq)) trends and among observed relationships can be reconciled if biological CO2 demand is allowed to vary.

Analysis of the Effect of Osteon Diameter on the Potential Relationship of Osteocyte Lacuna Density and Osteon Wall Thickness

PubMed Central

Skedros, John G.; Clark, Gunnar C.; Sorenson, Scott M.; Taylor, Kevin W.; Qiu, Shijing

2011-01-01

An important hypothesis is that the degree of infilling of secondary osteons (Haversian systems) is controlled by the inhibitory effect of osteocytes on osteoblasts, which might be mediated by sclerostin (a glycoprotein produced by osteocytes). Consequently, this inhibition could be proportional to cell number: relatively greater repression is exerted by progressively greater osteocyte density (increased osteocytes correlate with thinner osteon walls). This hypothesis has been examined, but only weakly supported, in sheep ulnae. We looked for this inverse relationship between osteon wall thickness (On.W.Th) and osteocyte lacuna density (Ot.Lc.N/B.Ar) in small and large osteons in human ribs, calcanei of sheep, deer, elk, and horses, and radii and third metacarpals of horses. Analyses involved: (1) all osteons, (2) smaller osteons, either ≤150μm diameter or ≤ the mean diameter, and (3) larger osteons (>mean diameter). Significant, but weak, correlations between Ot.Lc.N/B.Ar and On.W.Th/On.Dm (On.Dm = osteon diameter) were found when considering all osteons in limb bones (r values −0.16 to −0.40, p<0.01; resembling previous results in sheep ulnae: r= −0.39, p<0.0001). In larger osteons, these relationships were either not significant (five/seven bone types) or very weak (two/seven bone types). In ribs, a negative relationship was only found in smaller osteons (r= −0.228, p<0.01); this inverse relationship in smaller osteons did not occur in elk calcanei. These results do not provide clear or consistent support for the hypothesized inverse relationship. However, correlation analyses may fail to detect osteocyte-based repression of infilling if the signal is spatially non-uniform (e.g., increased near the central canal). PMID:21809466

Body mass index and alcohol consumption: family history of alcoholism as a moderator.

PubMed

Gearhardt, Ashley N; Corbin, William R

2009-06-01

Recent research suggests that excess food consumption may be conceptualized as an addictive behavior. Much of the evidence comes from neurobiological similarities between drug and food consumption. In addition, an inverse relation between alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI) has been observed. Previous research has hypothesized that this inverse relation is attributable to competition between food and alcohol for similar neurotransmitter receptors. The current study explored this neurobiological hypothesis further by examining the influence of an indicator of biological risk associated with alcohol problems (family history of alcoholism) on the relationship between alcohol and food intake. Data from 37,259 participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were included in the study. BMI, family history of alcoholism, gender, and race/ethnicity were assessed as predictors of typical drinking frequency and estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). An inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and BMI was demonstrated. An attenuation of family history effects on drinking behavior was evident for obese compared to nonobese participants. The results suggest a neurobiological link between alcohol use and food consumption, consistent with theories characterizing excess food consumption as an addictive behavior. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Does the evidence for an inverse relationship between serum vitamin D status and breast cancer risk satisfy the Hill criteria?

PubMed

Mohr, Sharif B; Gorham, Edward D; Alcaraz, John E; Kane, Christopher I; Macera, Caroline A; Parsons, J Kellogg; Wingard, Deborah L; Garland, Cedric F

2012-04-01

A wide range of epidemiologic and laboratory studies combined provide compelling evidence of a protective role of vitamin D on risk of breast cancer. This review evaluates the scientific evidence for such a role in the context of the A.B. Hill criteria for causality, in order to assess the presence of a causal, inverse relationship, between vitamin D status and breast cancer risk. After evaluation of this evidence in the context of Hill's criteria, it was found that the criteria for a causal relationship were largely satisfied. Studies in human populations and the laboratory have consistently demonstrated that vitamin D plays an important role in the prevention of breast cancer. Vitamin D supplementation is an urgently needed, low cost, effective, and safe intervention strategy for breast cancer prevention that should be implemented without delay. In the meantime, randomized controlled trials of high doses of vitamin D(3) for prevention of breast cancer should be undertaken to provide the necessary evidence to guide national health policy.

The Relationship of Social Problem-Solving Skills and Dysfunctional Attitudes with Risk of Drug Abuse among Dormitory Students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

PubMed Central

Nasrazadani, Ehteram; Maghsoudi, Jahangir; Mahrabi, Tayebeh

2017-01-01

Background: Dormitory students encounter multiple social factors which cause pressure, such as new social relationships, fear of the future, and separation from family, which could cause serious problems such as tendency toward drug abuse. This research was conducted with the goal to determine social problem-solving skills, dysfunctional attitudes, and risk of drug abuse among dormitory students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical, correlational, and cross-sectional research. The research sample consisted of 211 students living in dormitories. The participants were selected using randomized quota sampling method. The data collection tools included the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and Identifying People at Risk of Addiction Questionnaire. Results: The results indicated an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and risk of drug abuse (P = 0.0002), a direct relationship between dysfunctional attitude and risk of drug abuse (P = 0.030), and an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and dysfunctional attitude among students (P = 0.0004). Conclusions: Social problem-solving skills have a correlation with dysfunctional attitudes. As a result, teaching these skills and the way to create efficient attitudes should be considered in dormitory students. PMID:28904539

The Relationship of Social Problem-Solving Skills and Dysfunctional Attitudes with Risk of Drug Abuse among Dormitory Students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Nasrazadani, Ehteram; Maghsoudi, Jahangir; Mahrabi, Tayebeh

2017-01-01

Dormitory students encounter multiple social factors which cause pressure, such as new social relationships, fear of the future, and separation from family, which could cause serious problems such as tendency toward drug abuse. This research was conducted with the goal to determine social problem-solving skills, dysfunctional attitudes, and risk of drug abuse among dormitory students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. This was a descriptive-analytical, correlational, and cross-sectional research. The research sample consisted of 211 students living in dormitories. The participants were selected using randomized quota sampling method. The data collection tools included the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and Identifying People at Risk of Addiction Questionnaire. The results indicated an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and risk of drug abuse ( P = 0.0002), a direct relationship between dysfunctional attitude and risk of drug abuse ( P = 0.030), and an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and dysfunctional attitude among students ( P = 0.0004). Social problem-solving skills have a correlation with dysfunctional attitudes. As a result, teaching these skills and the way to create efficient attitudes should be considered in dormitory students.

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.

Inverse relationship between body mass index and coronary artery calcification in patients with clinically significant coronary lesions.

PubMed

Kovacic, Jason C; Lee, Paul; Baber, Usman; Karajgikar, Rucha; Evrard, Solene M; Moreno, Pedro; Mehran, Roxana; Fuster, Valentin; Dangas, George; Sharma, Samin K; Kini, Annapoorna S

2012-03-01

Mounting data support a 'calcification paradox', whereby reduced bone mineral density is associated with increased vascular calcification. Furthermore, reduced bone mineral density is prevalent in older persons with lower body mass index (BMI). Therefore, although BMI and coronary artery calcification (CAC) exhibit a positive relationship in younger persons, it is predicted that in older persons and/or those at risk for osteoporosis, an inverse relationship between BMI and CAC may apply. We sought to explore this hypothesis in a large group of patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We accessed our single-center registry for 07/01/1999 to 06/30/2009, extracting data on all patients that underwent PCI. To minimize bias we excluded those at the extremes of age or BMI and non-Black/Hispanic/Caucasians, leaving 9993 study subjects (age 66.6±9.9 years). Index lesion calcification (ILC) was analyzed with respect to BMI. Comparing index lesions with no angiographic calcification to those with the most severe, mean BMI decreased by 1.11 kgm(-2); a reduction of 3.9% (P<0.0001). By multivariable modeling, BMI was an independent inverse predictor of moderate-severe ILC (m-sILC; odds ratio [OR] 0.967, 95% CI 0.953-0.980, P<0.0001). Additional fully adjusted models identified that, compared to those with normal BMI, obese patients had an OR of 0.702 for m-sILC (95% CI 0.596-0.827, P<0.0001). In a large group of PCI patients, we identified an inverse correlation between BMI and index lesion calcification. These associations are consistent with established paradigms and suggest a complex interrelationship between BMI, body size and vascular calcification. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Birth order, family size, and children's use of physician services.

PubMed Central

Tessler, R

1980-01-01

The purpose of this study is to separate out the effects of number of siblings and birth order on children's use of physician services. Prior research has consistently revealed an inverse relationship between family size and physician visits, but the possible confounding influence of the child's ordinal position in the family has been ignored. Later born children may be taken to the doctor less often than first and other early borns because of their parents' increasing knowledgeability in regard to child care as well as their growing understanding of the uses and limitations of physician visits. On the assumption that part of the family size effect observed in prior research may have been due to the clustering of first and early borns in small families, an inverse relationship between birth order and physician utilization is hypothesized. Support for this hypothesis comes from an empirical study of 1,665 children from 587 families in which variation in family size is statistically controlled. PMID:7372499

Individual Differences in Children's Understanding of Inversion and Arithmetical Skill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Camilla K.; Bryant, Peter

2006-01-01

Background and aims: In order to develop arithmetic expertise, children must understand arithmetic principles, such as the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction, in addition to learning calculation skills. We report two experiments that investigate children's understanding of the principle of inversion and the relationship between…

Estimation of the water retention curve from the soil hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity in an upward infiltration process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moret-Fernández, David; Angulo, Marta; Latorre, Borja; González-Cebollada, César; López, María Victoria

2017-04-01

Determination of the saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, and the α and n parameters of the van Genuchten (1980) water retention curve, θ(h), are fundamental to fully understand and predict soil water distribution. This work presents a new procedure to estimate the soil hydraulic properties from the inverse analysis of a single cumulative upward infiltration curve followed by an overpressure step at the end of the wetting process. Firstly, Ks is calculated by the Darcy's law from the overpressure step. The soil sorptivity (S) is then estimated using the Haverkamp et al., (1994) equation. Next, a relationship between α and n, f(α,n), is calculated from the estimated Sand Ks. The α and n values are finally obtained by the inverse analysis of the experimental data after applying the f(α,n) relationship to the HYDRUS-1D model. The method was validated on theoretical synthetic curves for three different soils (sand, loam and clay), and subsequently tested on experimental sieved soils (sand, loam, clay loam and clay) of known hydraulic properties. A robust relationship was observed between the theoretical α and nvalues (R2 > 0.99) of the different synthetic soils and those estimated from inverse analysis of the upward infiltration curve. Consistent results were also obtained for the experimental soils (R2 > 0.85). These results demonstrated that this technique allowed accurate estimates of the soil hydraulic properties for a wide range of textures, including clay soils.

Inverse steptoes in Las Bombas volcano, as an evidence of explosive volcanism in a solidified lava flow field. Southern Mendoza-Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Risso, Corina; Prezzi, Claudia; Orgeira, María Julia; Nullo, Francisco; Margonari, Liliana; Németh, Karoly

2015-11-01

Here we describe the unusual genesis of steptoes in Las Bombas volcano- Llancanelo Volcanic Field (LVF) (Pliocene - Quaternary), Mendoza, Argentina. Typically, a steptoe forms when a lava flow envelops a hill, creating a well-defined stratigraphic relationship between the older hill and the younger lava flow. In the Llancanelo Volcanic Field, we find steptoes formed with an apparent normal stratigraphic relationship but an inverse age-relationship. Eroded remnants of scoria cones occur in ;circular depressions; in the lava field. To express the inverse age-relationship between flow fields and depression-filled cones here we define this landforms as inverse steptoes. Magnetometric analysis supports this inverse age relationship, indicating reverse dipolar magnetic anomalies in the lava field and normal dipolar magnetization in the scoria cones (e.g. La Bombas). Negative Bouguer anomalies calculated for Las Bombas further support the interpretation that the scoria cones formed by secondary fracturing on already solidified basaltic lava flows. Advanced erosion and mass movements in the inner edge of the depressions created a perfectly excavated circular depression enhancing the ;crater-like; architecture of the preserved landforms. Given the unusual genesis of the steptoes in LVF, we prefer the term inverse steptoe for these landforms. The term steptoe is a geomorphological name that has genetic implications, indicating an older hill and a younger lava flow. Here the relationship is reversed.

Inverse relationship between exercise economy and oxidative capacity in muscle.

PubMed

Hunter, Gary R; Bamman, Marcas M; Larson-Meyer, D Enette; Joanisse, Denis R; McCarthy, John P; Blaudeau, Tamilane E; Newcomer, Bradley R

2005-08-01

An inverse relationship has been shown between running and cycling exercise economy and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). The purposes were: 1) determine the relationship between walking economy and VO2max; and 2) determine the relationship between muscle metabolic economy and muscle oxidative capacity and fiber type. Subjects were 77 premenopausal normal weight women. Walking economy (1/VO2max) was measured at 3 mph and VO2max during graded treadmill test. Muscle oxidative phosphorylation rate (OxPhos), and muscle metabolic economy (force/ATP) were measured in calf muscle using 31P MRS during isometric plantar flexion at 70 and 100% of maximum force, (HI) and (MI) respectively. Muscle fiber type and citrate synthase activity were determined in the lateral gastrocnemius. Significant inverse relationships (r from -0.28 to -0.74) were observed between oxidative metabolism measures and exercise economy (walking and muscle). Type IIa fiber distribution was inversely related to all measures of exercise economy (r from -0.51 to -0.64) and citrate synthase activity was inversely related to muscle metabolic economy at MI (r = -0.56). In addition, Type IIa fiber distribution and citrate synthase activity were positively related to VO2max and muscle OxPhos at HI and MI (r from 0.49 to 0.70). Type I fiber distribution was not related to any measure of exercise economy or oxidative capacity. Our results support the concept that exercise economy and oxidative capacity are inversely related. We have demonstrated this inverse relationship in women both by indirect calorimetry during walking and in muscle tissue by 31P MRS.

CONSISTENCY OF THE EFFECTS OF FEMALE EDUCATION ON FERTILITY ACROSS THE NORTH-SOUTH DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDE IN NIGERIA, 2003-2013.

PubMed

Wusu, Onipede; Isiugo-Abanihe, Uche C

2018-04-10

SummaryMost studies examining the association between female education and fertility have reported an inverse association. However, little is known about the consistency of the relationship, or what level of education triggers an inverse association. This study examined the consistency of the association between female education and fertility across the north-south demographic divide in Nigeria. Data on women aged 40-49 were taken from the 2003, 2008 and 2013 Nigerian DHS data sets. The results showed that female education remained significantly and consistently inversely related to fertility in both the north and south of Nigeria. Women with secondary or higher level of education reported a lower number of children ever born (CEB) than those with primary or no education in both the north and south (p<0.05). The findings suggest that female education has a more effective negative effect on fertility in the south, where the level of female schooling is higher, than in the north, with its limited level of female education. Primary-level female education appeared to be ineffective in reducing fertility in the study sample. Women with primary schooling reported a slightly higher CEB than those who did not have any formal education. Also, age at marriage and child mortality were found to be consistent and significant predictors of fertility in both the north and south (p<0.001). Women who married at relatively higher ages and those who had never lost a child reported a smaller CEB consistently in both the north and south (p<0.001). Therefore, to attain sustainable fertility decline throughout Nigeria, it is imperative that policies aimed at increasing the prevalence and quality of female education are pursued, and there must be a focus on social, physical, environmental and cultural factors influencing age at marriage and child mortality.

Severe Headache or Migraine History Is Inversely Correlated With Dietary Sodium Intake: NHANES 1999–2004

PubMed Central

Pogoda, Janice M.; Gross, Noah B.; Arakaki, Xianghong; Fonteh, Alfred N.; Cowan, Robert P.

2016-01-01

Objective We investigated whether dietary sodium intake from respondents of a national cross‐sectional nutritional study differed by history of migraine or severe headaches. Background Several lines of evidence support a disruption of sodium homeostasis in migraine. Design Our analysis population was 8819 adults in the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with reliable data on diet and headache history. We classified respondents who reported a history of migraine or severe headaches as having probable history of migraine. To reduce the diagnostic conflict from medication overuse headache, we excluded respondents who reported taking analgesic medications. Dietary sodium intake was measured using validated estimates of self‐reported total grams of daily sodium consumption and was analyzed as the residual value from the linear regression of total grams of sodium on total calories. Multivariable logistic regression that accounted for the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling design of NHANES was used to analyze the relationship between migraine and dietary sodium. Results Odds of probable migraine history decreased with increasing dietary sodium intake (odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval = 0.87, 1.00, P = .0455). This relationship was maintained after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) with slightly reduced significance (P = .0505). In women, this inverse relationship was limited to those with lower BMI (P = .007), while in men the relationship did not differ by BMI. We likely excluded some migraineurs by omitting frequent analgesic users; however, a sensitivity analysis suggested little effect from this exclusion. Conclusions This study is the first evidence of an inverse relationship between migraine and dietary sodium intake. These results are consistent with altered sodium homeostasis in migraine and our hypothesis that dietary sodium may affect brain extracellular fluid sodium concentrations and neuronal excitability. PMID:27016121

Severe Headache or Migraine History is Inversely Correlated With Dietary Sodium Intake: NHANES 1999-2004.

PubMed

Pogoda, Janice M; Gross, Noah B; Arakaki, Xianghong; Fonteh, Alfred N; Cowan, Robert P; Harrington, Michael G

2016-04-01

We investigated whether dietary sodium intake from respondents of a national cross-sectional nutritional study differed by history of migraine or severe headaches. Several lines of evidence support a disruption of sodium homeostasis in migraine. Our analysis population was 8819 adults in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with reliable data on diet and headache history. We classified respondents who reported a history of migraine or severe headaches as having probable history of migraine. To reduce the diagnostic conflict from medication overuse headache, we excluded respondents who reported taking analgesic medications. Dietary sodium intake was measured using validated estimates of self-reported total grams of daily sodium consumption and was analyzed as the residual value from the linear regression of total grams of sodium on total calories. Multivariable logistic regression that accounted for the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling design of NHANES was used to analyze the relationship between migraine and dietary sodium. Odds of probable migraine history decreased with increasing dietary sodium intake (odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval = 0.87, 1.00, P = .0455). This relationship was maintained after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) with slightly reduced significance (P = .0505). In women, this inverse relationship was limited to those with lower BMI (P = .007), while in men the relationship did not differ by BMI. We likely excluded some migraineurs by omitting frequent analgesic users; however, a sensitivity analysis suggested little effect from this exclusion. This study is the first evidence of an inverse relationship between migraine and dietary sodium intake. These results are consistent with altered sodium homeostasis in migraine and our hypothesis that dietary sodium may affect brain extracellular fluid sodium concentrations and neuronal excitability. © 2016 The Authors Headache published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Headache Society.

Effects of moment of inertia on restricted motion swing speed.

PubMed

Schorah, David; Choppin, Simon; James, David

2015-06-01

In many sports, the maximum swing speed of a racket, club, or bat is a key performance parameter. Previous research in multiple sports supports the hypothesis of an inverse association between the swing speed and moment of inertia of an implement. The aim of this study was to rigorously test and quantify this relationship using a restricted swinging motion. Eight visually identical rods with a common mass but variable moment of inertia were manufactured. Motion capture technology was used to record eight participants' maximal effort swings with the rods. Strict exclusion criteria were applied to data that did not adhere to the prescribed movement pattern. The study found that for all participants, swing speed decreased with respect to moment of inertia according to a power relationship. However, in contrast to previous studies, the rate of decrease varied from participant to participant. With further analysis it was found that participants performed more consistently at the higher end of the moment of inertia range tested. The results support the inverse association between swing speed and moment of inertia but only for higher moment of inertia implements.

Shaming, Blaming, and Maiming: Functional Links Among the Moral Emotions, Externalization of Blame, and Aggression

PubMed Central

Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P.; Heigel, Caron; Harty, Laura; McCloskey, Laura

2010-01-01

Theory suggests that shame should be positively related to aggression while guilt may serve as a protective factor. Little research has examined mediators between the moral emotions and aggression. Results using path analyses in four diverse samples were consistent with a model of no direct relationship between shame-proneness and aggression. There was, however, a significant indirect relationship through externalization of blame, but mostly when aggression was measured using self-report. Guilt-proneness, on the other hand, showed a direct negative relationship to aggression whether using self-report or other reports of aggression. Guilt was also inversely related to aggression indirectly through externalization of blame and empathy. Identifying these differing mechanisms may be useful in developing more effective interventions for aggressive individuals. PMID:20369025

The Level of Depression and Assertiveness among Nursing Students.

PubMed

Rezayat, Fatemeh; Dehghan Nayeri, Nahid

2014-07-01

Nursing students are susceptible to a higher risk of depression. Recognition of depression, assertiveness and the relationship between them is important since if a relationship exists, probably enhancing the level of assertiveness can reduce depression in this high risk group. We aimed to investigate depression and assertiveness levels and the relationship between them in nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The target population of this cross-sectional study was bachelor nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as the largest and one of the most prestigious Iranian universities. For selecting samples, the convenience sampling method was used. Having no previous information about classes, the researcher selected the students from the courses held while the researcher was present for sampling at the faculty and studied all the students willing to participate in the study in selected classes. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, Gambrill and Richey assertion inventory, and Beck's depression inventory. SPSS software, version 16, was used to analyze the data. ANOVA and independent samples t test were used for as appropriated. 55.6% of students indicated average and low levels of assertiveness and 38.7% were suffering from mild to severe depression. Pearson correlation test showed a significant inverse relationship (r=0.314 and P<0.001) between assertiveness and depression. There were significant relationships between depression and interest in the field of study (P=0.001) and between assertiveness and gender (P=0.035). There was an inverse significant relationship between depression and assertiveness among nursing students. We suggest a cohort study design that can determine the effect of these variables on each other completely.

Comparison of the relationship between bone marrow adipose tissue and volumetric bone mineral density in children and adults.

PubMed

Shen, Wei; Velasquez, Gilbert; Chen, Jun; Jin, Ye; Heymsfield, Steven B; Gallagher, Dympna; Pi-Sunyer, F Xavier

2014-01-01

Several large-scale studies have reported the presence of an inverse relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) in adults. We aim to determine if there is an inverse relationship between pelvic volumetric BMD (vBMD) and pelvic BMAT in children and to compare this relationship in children and adults. Pelvic BMAT and bone volume (BV) was evaluated in 181 healthy children (5-17yr) and 495 healthy adults (≥18yr) with whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pelvic vBMD was calculated using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure pelvic bone mineral content and MRI-measured BV. An inverse correlation was found between pelvic BMAT and pelvic vBMD in both children (r=-0.374, p<0.001) and adults (r=-0.650, p<0.001). In regression analysis with pelvic vBMD as the dependent variable and BMAT as the independent variable, being a child or adult neither significantly contribute to the pelvic BMD (p=0.995) nor did its interaction with pelvic BMAT (p=0.415). The inverse relationship observed between pelvic vBMD and pelvic BMAT in children extends previous findings that found the inverse relationship to exist in adults and provides further support for a reciprocal relationship between adipocytes and osteoblasts. Copyright © 2014 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Couple Interactions and Relationship Quality on Plasma Oxytocin and Cardiovascular Reactivity: Empirical Findings and Methodological Considerations

PubMed Central

Smith, Timothy W.; Uchino, Bert N.; MacKenzie, Justin; Hicks, Angela; Campo, Rebecca A.; Reblin, Maija; Grewen, Karen; Amico, Janet A.; Light, Kathleen C.

2016-01-01

Cardiovascular reactivity is a potential mechanism underlying associations of close relationship quality with cardiovascular disease. Two models describe oxytocin as another mechanism. The “calm and connect” model posits an association between positive relationship experiences and oxytocin levels and responses, whereas the “tend and befriend” model emphasizes the effects of negative relationship experiences in evoking oxytocin release. In this study of 180 younger couples, relationship quality had a small, marginally significant inverse association with plasma oxytocin levels, and neither positive nor negative couple interactions evoked change in plasma oxytocin. Negative couple interactions evoked significant cardiovascular reactivity, especially among women. Hence, in the largest study of these issues to date, there was little support for key tenets of the “calm and connect” model, and only very modest support for the ”tend and befriend” model. However, findings were consistent with the view that CVR contributes to the effects of relationship difficulties on health. PMID:22543270

Sexual satisfaction, sexual compatibility, and relationship adjustment in couples: the role of sexual behaviors, orgasm, and men's discernment of women's intercourse orgasm.

PubMed

Klapilová, Kateřina; Brody, Stuart; Krejčová, Lucie; Husárová, Barbara; Binter, Jakub

2015-03-01

Research indicated that (i) vaginal orgasm consistency is associated with indices of psychological, intimate relationship, and physiological functioning, and (ii) masturbation is adversely associated with some such measures. The aim of this study was to examine the association of various dyadic and masturbation behavior frequencies and percentage of female orgasms during these activities with: (i) measures of dyadic adjustment; (ii) sexual satisfaction; and (iii) compatibility perceived by both partners. In a sample of 85 Czech long-term couples (aged 20-40; mean relationship length 5.4 years), both partners provided details of recent sexual behaviors and completed sexual satisfaction, Spanier dyadic adjustment, and Hurlbert sexual compatibility measures. Multiple regression analyses were used. The association of sexual behaviors with dyadic adjustment, sexual compatibility, and satisfaction was analyzed. In multivariate analyses, women's dyadic adjustment is independently predicted by greater vaginal orgasm consistency and lower frequency of women's masturbation. For both sexes, sexual compatibility was independently predicted by higher frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse and greater vaginal orgasm consistency. Women's sexual satisfaction score was significantly predicted by greater vaginal orgasm consistency, frequency of partner genital stimulation, and negatively with masturbation. Men's sexual satisfaction score was significantly predicted by greater intercourse frequency and any vaginal orgasm of their female partners. Concordance of partner vaginal orgasm consistency estimates was associated with greater dyadic adjustment. The findings suggest that specifically penile-vaginal intercourse frequency and vaginal orgasm consistency are associated with indices of greater intimate relationship adjustment, satisfaction, and compatibility of both partners, and that women's masturbation is independently inversely associated with measures of dyadic and personal function. Results are discussed in light of previous research and an evolutionary theory of vaginal orgasm. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Integration of channel and floodplain suites. I. Developmental sequence and lateral relations of alluvial paleosols.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bown, T.M.; Kraus, M.J.

1987-01-01

The lower Eocene Willwood Formation of the Bighorn Basin, northwest Wyoming, consists of about 770 m of alluvial rocks that exhibit extensive mechanical and geochemical modifications resulting from Eocene pedogenesis. Five arbitrary stages are proposed to distinguish these soils of different maturities in the Willwood Formation. An inverse relationship exists between soil maturity and short-term sediment accumulation rate. Illustrates several important principles of soil-sediment interrelationships in aggrading alluvial systems that have broad application to other deposits.-from Authors

Sexual Relationship Power, Intimate Partner Violence, and Condom Use Among Minority Urban Girls

PubMed Central

Teitelman, Anne M.; Ratcliffe, Sarah J.; Morales-Aleman, Mercedes M.; Sullivan, Cris M.

2011-01-01

This study examined the association between sexual relationship power, intimate partner violence, and condom use among African American and Hispanic urban girls. In this sample of 56 sexually active girls, 50% did not use condoms consistently and therefore were at higher risk for acquiring HIV or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Teens who experienced more intimate partner violence had a significantly higher likelihood of inconsistent condom use and therefore a greater risk for HIV/STDs. Girls' sense of sexual control in their relationships was not directly associated with inconsistent condom use but was inversely related to verbal and emotional abuse. Interventions aimed at reducing HIV/STD risk for adolescent girls need to address patterns of dominance and control in adolescent relationships as well as multiple forms of partner violence. This suggests the need for multilevel intervention approaches that promote girls' agency and multiple ways to keep girls safe from perpetrators of partner abuse. PMID:18349344

Joint inversion of multiple geophysical and petrophysical data using generalized fuzzy clustering algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jiajia; Li, Yaoguo

2017-02-01

Joint inversion that simultaneously inverts multiple geophysical data sets to recover a common Earth model is increasingly being applied to exploration problems. Petrophysical data can serve as an effective constraint to link different physical property models in such inversions. There are two challenges, among others, associated with the petrophysical approach to joint inversion. One is related to the multimodality of petrophysical data because there often exist more than one relationship between different physical properties in a region of study. The other challenge arises from the fact that petrophysical relationships have different characteristics and can exhibit point, linear, quadratic, or exponential forms in a crossplot. The fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering technique is effective in tackling the first challenge and has been applied successfully. We focus on the second challenge in this paper and develop a joint inversion method based on variations of the FCM clustering technique. To account for the specific shapes of petrophysical relationships, we introduce several different fuzzy clustering algorithms that are capable of handling different shapes of petrophysical relationships. We present two synthetic and one field data examples and demonstrate that, by choosing appropriate distance measures for the clustering component in the joint inversion algorithm, the proposed joint inversion method provides an effective means of handling common petrophysical situations we encounter in practice. The jointly inverted models have both enhanced structural similarity and increased petrophysical correlation, and better represent the subsurface in the spatial domain and the parameter domain of physical properties.

The Prediction-Focused Approach: An opportunity for hydrogeophysical data integration and interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermans, Thomas; Nguyen, Frédéric; Klepikova, Maria; Dassargues, Alain; Caers, Jef

2017-04-01

Hydrogeophysics is an interdisciplinary field of sciences aiming at a better understanding of subsurface hydrological processes. If geophysical surveys have been successfully used to qualitatively characterize the subsurface, two important challenges remain for a better quantification of hydrological processes: (1) the inversion of geophysical data and (2) their integration in hydrological subsurface models. The classical inversion approach using regularization suffers from spatially and temporally varying resolution and yields geologically unrealistic solutions without uncertainty quantification, making their utilization for hydrogeological calibration less consistent. More advanced techniques such as coupled inversion allow for a direct use of geophysical data for conditioning groundwater and solute transport model calibration. However, the technique is difficult to apply in complex cases and remains computationally demanding to estimate uncertainty. In a recent study, we investigate a prediction-focused approach (PFA) to directly estimate subsurface physical properties from geophysical data, circumventing the need for classic inversions. In PFA, we seek a direct relationship between the data and the subsurface variables we want to predict (the forecast). This relationship is obtained through a prior set of subsurface models for which both data and forecast are computed. A direct relationship can often be derived through dimension reduction techniques. PFA offers a framework for both hydrogeophysical "inversion" and hydrogeophysical data integration. For hydrogeophysical "inversion", the considered forecast variable is the subsurface variable, such as the salinity. An ensemble of possible solutions is generated, allowing uncertainty quantification. For hydrogeophysical data integration, the forecast variable becomes the prediction we want to make with our subsurface models, such as the concentration of contaminant in a drinking water production well. Geophysical and hydrological data are combined to derive a direct relationship between data and forecast. We illustrate the process for the design of an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system. An ATES system can theoretically recover in winter the heat stored in the aquifer during summer. In practice, the energy efficiency is often lower than expected due to spatial heterogeneity of hydraulic properties combined to a non-favorable hydrogeological gradient. A proper design of ATES systems should consider the uncertainty of the prediction related to those parameters. With a global sensitivity analysis, we identify sensitive parameters for heat storage prediction and validate the use of a short term heat tracing experiment monitored with geophysics to generate informative data. First, we illustrate how PFA can be used to successfully derive the distribution of temperature in the aquifer from ERT during the heat tracing experiment. Then, we successfully integrate the geophysical data to predict medium-term heat storage in the aquifer using PFA. The result is a full quantification of the posterior distribution of the prediction conditioned to observed data in a relatively limited time budget.

"We Cannot Be Greek Now": Age Difference, Corruption of Youth and the Making of Sexual Inversion.

PubMed

Funke, Jana

2013-04-01

A Problem in Greek Ethics, A Problem in Modern Ethics and "Soldier Love" indicate that John Addington Symonds responded carefully to social anxieties regarding the influence and corruption of youth and placed increasing emphasis on presenting male same-sex desire as consensual and age-consistent. Situating Symonds's work in the social and political context of the 1880s and 1890s, the article opens up a more complex understanding of Symonds's reception of Greece. It also offers a new reading of his collaboration with Havelock Ellis by arguing that Symonds's insistence on age-equal and reciprocal relationships between men strongly shaped Sexual Inversion . This shows that concerns about age difference and ideals of equality and reciprocity began to impact debates about male same-sex desire in the late nineteenth century - earlier than is generally assumed.

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

Joint inversion strategies for geophysical data have become increasingly popular as they allow for the efficient combination of complementary information from different data sets. The algorithm used for the joint inversion needs to be flexible in its description of the subsurface so as to be able to handle the diverse nature of the data. Hence, joint inversion schemes are needed that 1) adequately balance data from the different methods, 2) have stable convergence behavior, 3) consider the different resolution power of the methods used and 4) link the parameter models in a way that they are suited for a wide range of applications. Here, we combine active source seismic P-wave tomography, gravity and magnetotelluric (MT) data in a petrophysical joint inversion that accounts for these issues. Data from the different methods are inverted separately but are linked through constraints accounting for parameter relationships. An advantage of performing the inversions separately is that no relative weighting between the data sets is required. To avoid perturbing the convergence behavior of the inversions by the coupling, the strengths of the constraints are readjusted at each iteration. The criterion we use to control the adaption of the coupling strengths is based on variations in the objective functions of the individual inversions from one to the next iteration. Adaption of the coupling strengths makes the joint inversion scheme also applicable to subsurface conditions, where assumed relationships are not valid everywhere, because the individual inversions decouple if it is not possible to reach adequately low data misfits for the made assumptions. In addition, the coupling constraints depend on the relative resolutions of the methods, which leads to an improved convergence behavior of the joint inversion. Another benefit of the proposed scheme is that structural information can easily be incorporated in the petrophysical joint inversion (no additional terms are added 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.

Allergies and risk of head and neck cancer: an original study plus meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hsiao, Jenn-Ren; Ou, Chun-Yen; Lo, Hung-I; Huang, Cheng-Chih; Lee, Wei-Ting; Huang, Jehn-Shyun; Chen, Ken-Chung; Wong, Tung-Yiu; Tsai, Sen-Tien; Yen, Chia-Jui; Wu, Yuan-Hua; Hsueh, Wei-Ting; Yang, Ming-Wei; Wu, Shang-Yin; Chang, Jang-Yang; Chang, Kwang-Yu; Lin, Chen-Lin; Wang, Fang-Ting; Wang, Yi-Hui; Weng, Ya-Ling; Yang, Han-Chien; Chang, Jeffrey S

2013-01-01

Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette. THE CURRENT PAPER REPORTS RESULTS FROM: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls). In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27-0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81-1.18). These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.

Contraception and condom use among Bolivian female sex workers: relationship-specific associations between disease prevention and family planning behaviors.

PubMed

Yam, Eileen A; Tinajeros, Freddy; Revollo, Rita; Richmond, Kara; Kerrigan, Deanna L; Garcia, Sandra G

2013-01-01

We examined data from a clinic-based survey of 1,222 Bolivian female sex workers (FSWs) to assess whether use of nonbarrier modern contraception is associated with less consistent condom use with clients and noncommercial partners. Women who were using nonbarrier modern contraception were less likely than nonusers to consistently use condoms with noncommercial partners (AOR 0.393, 95% CI 0.203-0.759, p = .005). With clients, this inverse association did not hold. Public health professionals must consider both disease prevention and pregnancy prevention needs in this vulnerable population, and messages should be tailored to encourage dual method use with all partners.

Cortical network models of impulse firing in the resting and active states predict cortical energetics

PubMed Central

Bennett, Maxwell R.; Farnell, Les; Gibson, William G.; Lagopoulos, Jim

2015-01-01

Measurements of the cortical metabolic rate of glucose oxidation [CMRglc(ox)] have provided a number of interesting and, in some cases, surprising observations. One is the decline in CMRglc(ox) during anesthesia and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and another, the inverse relationship between the resting-state CMRglc(ox) and the transient following input from the thalamus. The recent establishment of a quantitative relationship between synaptic and action potential activity on the one hand and CMRglc(ox) on the other allows neural network models of such activity to probe for possible mechanistic explanations of these phenomena. We have carried out such investigations using cortical models consisting of networks of modules with excitatory and inhibitory neurons, each receiving excitatory inputs from outside the network in addition to intermodular connections. Modules may be taken as regions of cortical interest, the inputs from outside the network as arising from the thalamus, and the intermodular connections as long associational fibers. The model shows that the impulse frequency of different modules can differ from each other by less than 10%, consistent with the relatively uniform CMRglc(ox) observed across different regions of cortex. The model also shows that, if correlations of the average impulse rate between different modules decreases, there is a concomitant decrease in the average impulse rate in the modules, consistent with the observed drop in CMRglc(ox) in NREM sleep and under anesthesia. The model also explains why a transient thalamic input to sensory cortex gives rise to responses with amplitudes inversely dependent on the resting-state frequency, and therefore resting-state CMRglc(ox). PMID:25775588

Dental caries, contact with dental services and deprivation in young children: their relationship at a small area level.

PubMed

Tickle, M; Moulding, G; Milsom, K; Blinkhorn, A

2000-10-14

To measure the relationship between tooth decay, contact with dental services and deprivation at electoral ward level. The study was carried out in 1998 in Ellesmere Port in the North West of England. All children younger than six years resident in Ellesmere Port registered with GDS services and those using CDS services were matched against the HA population register to identify unregistered children. Rates for children aged 3-5 years 'in contact' with primary dental care services, whether CDS or GDS, were calculated at ward level. One calibrated examiner examined all 5-year-old children in Ellesmere Port and dmft scores were calculated at ward level. Ward deprivation was measured using the Jarman score. Bivariate linear regressions at ward level were performed in turn between: dmft and Jarman score; rates for 3-5-year-olds in contact with dental services and Jarman score; and dmft and rates for 3-5-year-olds in contact with dental services. A significant linear relationship was observed between dmft and Jarman score (P=0.02, R2 = 0.43). Significant inverse relationships were found between rates for 3-5-year-olds in contact with dental services and Jarman score (P=0.001, R2 = 0.67), and also between dmft and rates for 3-5-year-olds in contact with dental services (P=0.002, R2 = 0.65). A strong inverse relationship was found between dental caries and contact with primary dental care services at electoral ward level. This relationship needs to be explored over a wider geographical area to establish if it is consistent and independent of deprivation.

The Level of Depression and Assertiveness among Nursing Students

PubMed Central

Rezayat, Fatemeh; Dehghan Nayeri, Nahid

2014-01-01

Background: Nursing students are susceptible to a higher risk of depression. Recognition of depression, assertiveness and the relationship between them is important since if a relationship exists, probably enhancing the level of assertiveness can reduce depression in this high risk group. We aimed to investigate depression and assertiveness levels and the relationship between them in nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The target population of this cross-sectional study was bachelor nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as the largest and one of the most prestigious Iranian universities. For selecting samples, the convenience sampling method was used. Having no previous information about classes, the researcher selected the students from the courses held while the researcher was present for sampling at the faculty and studied all the students willing to participate in the study in selected classes. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, Gambrill and Richey assertion inventory, and Beck’s depression inventory. SPSS software, version 16, was used to analyze the data. ANOVA and independent samples t test were used for as appropriated. Results: 55.6% of students indicated average and low levels of assertiveness and 38.7% were suffering from mild to severe depression. Pearson correlation test showed a significant inverse relationship (r=0.314 and P<0.001) between assertiveness and depression. There were significant relationships between depression and interest in the field of study (P=0.001) and between assertiveness and gender (P=0.035). Conclusion: There was an inverse significant relationship between depression and assertiveness among nursing students. We suggest a cohort study design that can determine the effect of these variables on each other completely. PMID:25349860

Effects of Mixed Layer Shear on Vertical Heat Flux

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

correlation of ice speed to heat flux (r = .312, p < .001). Relationships between ice speed and shear (r = .107, p < .001), ice speed and inverse ...Richardson number (r = .035, p = .256), inverse Richardson number and heat flux (r = .3, p < .001), heat content and heat flux (r = .084, p < .001) were...correlation of ice speed to heat flux (r = .312, p < .001). Relationships between ice speed and shear (r = .107, p < .001), ice speed and inverse Richardson

Modeling Aspects Of Nature Of Science To Preservice Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashcraft, Paul

2007-01-01

Nature of science was modeled using guided inquiry activities in the university classroom with elementary education majors. A physical science content course initially used an Aristotelian model where students discussed the relationship between distance from a constant radiation source and the amount of radiation received based on accepted ``truths'' or principles and concluded that there was an inverse relationship. The class became Galilean in nature, using the scientific method to test that hypothesis. Examining data, the class rejected their hypothesis and concluded that there is an inverse square relationship. Assignments, given before and after the hypothesis testing, show the student's misconceptions and their acceptance of scientifically acceptable conceptions. Answers on exam questions further support this conceptual change. Students spent less class time on the inverse square relationship later when examining electrostatic force, magnetic force, gravity, and planetary solar radiation because the students related this particular experience to other physical relationships.

Relationship between strong-motion array parameters and the accuracy of source inversion and physical waves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iida, M.; Miyatake, T.; Shimazaki, K.

1990-01-01

We develop general rules for a strong-motion array layout on the basis of our method of applying a prediction analysis to a source inversion scheme. A systematic analysis is done to obtain a relationship between fault-array parameters and the accuracy of a source inversion. Our study of the effects of various physical waves indicates that surface waves at distant stations contribute significantly to the inversion accuracy for the inclined fault plane, whereas only far-field body waves at both small and large distances contribute to the inversion accuracy for the vertical fault, which produces more phase interference. These observations imply the adequacy of the half-space approximation used throughout our present study and suggest rules for actual array designs. -from Authors

Efficient computation of the genomic relationship matrix and other matrices used in single-step evaluation.

PubMed

Aguilar, I; Misztal, I; Legarra, A; Tsuruta, S

2011-12-01

Genomic evaluations can be calculated using a unified procedure that combines phenotypic, pedigree and genomic information. Implementation of such a procedure requires the inverse of the relationship matrix based on pedigree and genomic relationships. The objective of this study was to investigate efficient computing options to create relationship matrices based on genomic markers and pedigree information as well as their inverses. SNP maker information was simulated for a panel of 40 K SNPs, with the number of genotyped animals up to 30 000. Matrix multiplication in the computation of the genomic relationship was by a simple 'do' loop, by two optimized versions of the loop, and by a specific matrix multiplication subroutine. Inversion was by a generalized inverse algorithm and by a LAPACK subroutine. With the most efficient choices and parallel processing, creation of matrices for 30 000 animals would take a few hours. Matrices required to implement a unified approach can be computed efficiently. Optimizations can be either by modifications of existing code or by the use of efficient automatic optimizations provided by open source or third-party libraries. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

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.

“We Cannot Be Greek Now”: Age Difference, Corruption of Youth and the Making of Sexual Inversion

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

A Problem in Greek Ethics, A Problem in Modern Ethics and “Soldier Love” indicate that John Addington Symonds responded carefully to social anxieties regarding the influence and corruption of youth and placed increasing emphasis on presenting male same-sex desire as consensual and age-consistent. Situating Symonds's work in the social and political context of the 1880s and 1890s, the article opens up a more complex understanding of Symonds's reception of Greece. It also offers a new reading of his collaboration with Havelock Ellis by arguing that Symonds's insistence on age-equal and reciprocal relationships between men strongly shaped Sexual Inversion. This shows that concerns about age difference and ideals of equality and reciprocity began to impact debates about male same-sex desire in the late nineteenth century – earlier than is generally assumed. PMID:25400291

Mediators of the relationship between maternal education and children's TV viewing.

PubMed

Hesketh, Kylie; Ball, Kylie; Crawford, David; Campbell, Karen; Salmon, Jo

2007-07-01

Maternal education is consistently found to be inversely related to children's television viewing and is associated with aspects of the family television environment. This study investigates whether family television environment mediates the relationship between maternal education and children's television viewing. Parents of 1484 children reported maternal education, time their child spends watching television, and 21 aspects of the family television environment (potential mediators) during 2002 and 2003. Separate regression analyses were conducted in 2006 for each potential mediator that met two initial conditions for mediation (associated with both maternal education and children's television viewing (p<0.10)), to assess whether inclusion reduced the association between maternal education and children's television viewing. Multivariable regression assessed the combined impact of all mediators. Twelve of 21 potential mediators met the initial conditions for mediation. Inclusion of each resulted in decreased beta values (3.2% to 15.2%) for the association between maternal education and television viewing. Number and placement of televisions in the home appeared to have the greatest mediating effect, followed by frequency of eating dinner in front of the television with the child and rules about television viewing during mealtimes. Together, the 12 mediators accounted for more than one-third of the association between maternal education and children's television viewing time. This study suggests the strong inverse relationship between maternal education and children's television viewing is partly mediated by aspects of the family television environment.

Satisfaction (sexual, life, relationship, and mental health) is associated directly with penile-vaginal intercourse, but inversely with other sexual behavior frequencies.

PubMed

Brody, Stuart; Costa, Rui Miguel

2009-07-01

Some sex therapists and educators assume that many sexual behaviors provide comparable sexual satisfaction. Evidence is required to determine whether sexual behaviors differ in their associations with both sexual satisfaction and satisfaction with other aspects of life. To test the hypothesis that satisfaction with sex life, life in general, sexual partnership, and mental health correlates directly with frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) and inversely with frequency of both masturbation and partnered sexual activity excluding PVI (noncoital sex). A representative sample of 2,810 Swedes reported frequency of PVI, noncoital sex, and masturbation during the past 30 days, and degree of satisfaction with their sex life, life in general, partnership, and mental health. Multivariate analyses (for the sexes separately and combined) considering the different satisfaction parameters as dependent variables, and the different types of sexual activities (and age) as putative predictors. For both sexes, multivariate analyses revealed that PVI frequency was directly associated with all satisfaction measures (part correlation = 0.50 with sexual satisfaction), masturbation frequency was independently inversely associated with almost all satisfaction measures, and noncoital sex frequencies independently inversely associated with some satisfaction measures (and uncorrelated with the rest). Age did not confound the results. The results are consistent with evidence that specifically PVI frequency, rather than other sexual activities, is associated with sexual satisfaction, health, and well-being. Inverse associations between satisfaction and masturbation are not due simply to insufficient PVI.

On the dosimetric effect and reduction of inverse consistency and transitivity errors in deformable image registration for dose accumulation

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

Bender, Edward T.; Hardcastle, Nicholas; Tome, Wolfgang A.

2012-01-15

Purpose: Deformable image registration (DIR) is necessary for accurate dose accumulation between multiple radiotherapy image sets. DIR algorithms can suffer from inverse and transitivity inconsistencies. When using deformation vector fields (DVFs) that exhibit inverse-inconsistency and are nontransitive, dose accumulation on a given image set via different image pathways will lead to different accumulated doses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dosimetric effect of and propose a postprocessing solution to reduce inverse consistency and transitivity errors. Methods: Four MVCT images and four phases of a lung 4DCT, each with an associated calculated dose, were selected for analysis. DVFsmore » between all four images in each data set were created using the Fast Symmetric Demons algorithm. Dose was accumulated on the fourth image in each set using DIR via two different image pathways. The two accumulated doses on the fourth image were compared. The inverse consistency and transitivity errors in the DVFs were then reduced. The dose accumulation was repeated using the processed DVFs, the results of which were compared with the accumulated dose from the original DVFs. To evaluate the influence of the postprocessing technique on DVF accuracy, the original and processed DVF accuracy was evaluated on the lung 4DCT data on which anatomical landmarks had been identified by an expert. Results: Dose accumulation to the same image via different image pathways resulted in two different accumulated dose results. After the inverse consistency errors were reduced, the difference between the accumulated doses diminished. The difference was further reduced after reducing the transitivity errors. The postprocessing technique had minimal effect on the accuracy of the DVF for the lung 4DCT images. Conclusions: This study shows that inverse consistency and transitivity errors in DIR have a significant dosimetric effect in dose accumulation; Depending on the image pathway taken to accumulate the dose, different results may be obtained. A postprocessing technique that reduces inverse consistency and transitivity error is presented, which allows for consistent dose accumulation regardless of the image pathway followed.« less

Robust inverse-consistent affine CT-MR registration in MRI-assisted and MRI-alone prostate radiation therapy.

PubMed

Rivest-Hénault, David; Dowson, Nicholas; Greer, Peter B; Fripp, Jurgen; Dowling, Jason A

2015-07-01

CT-MR registration is a critical component of many radiation oncology protocols. In prostate external beam radiation therapy, it allows the propagation of MR-derived contours to reference CT images at the planning stage, and it enables dose mapping during dosimetry studies. The use of carefully registered CT-MR atlases allows the estimation of patient specific electron density maps from MRI scans, enabling MRI-alone radiation therapy planning and treatment adaptation. In all cases, the precision and accuracy achieved by registration influences the quality of the entire process. Most current registration algorithms do not robustly generalize and lack inverse-consistency, increasing the risk of human error and acting as a source of bias in studies where information is propagated in a particular direction, e.g. CT to MR or vice versa. In MRI-based treatment planning where both CT and MR scans serve as spatial references, inverse-consistency is critical, if under-acknowledged. A robust, inverse-consistent, rigid/affine registration algorithm that is well suited to CT-MR alignment in prostate radiation therapy is presented. The presented method is based on a robust block-matching optimization process that utilises a half-way space definition to maintain inverse-consistency. Inverse-consistency substantially reduces the influence of the order of input images, simplifying analysis, and increasing robustness. An open source implementation is available online at http://aehrc.github.io/Mirorr/. Experimental results on a challenging 35 CT-MR pelvis dataset demonstrate that the proposed method is more accurate than other popular registration packages and is at least as accurate as the state of the art, while being more robust and having an order of magnitude higher inverse-consistency than competing approaches. The presented results demonstrate that the proposed registration algorithm is readily applicable to prostate radiation therapy planning. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Inverse grading and hydraulic equivalence in grain-flow deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger, A. H.

1979-01-01

Inversely graded grain-flow deposits are characterized by a hydraulic equivalence that differs from that based on settling velocities or entrainment. Dispersive equivalence, derived from the dispersive pressure hypothesis on how inverse grading develops, was found to agree reasonably well with observed relationships between grain sizes and densities in grain-flow deposits. Furthermore, observed relationships in deposits formed in subaerial and subaqueous environments were found to be independent of fluid density as is required by dispersive equivalence. The results suggest that dispersive pressure controls the development of the inverse grading common to beach foreshore laminations, slip-face foreset strata, the basal parts of some coarse-grained turbidites, and other diverse deposits.

Dietary fibre: influence on body weight, glycemic control and plasma cholesterol profile.

PubMed

Babio, N; Balanza, R; Basulto, J; Bulló, M; Salas-Salvadó, J

2010-01-01

There have been several studies on the effects of dietary fibre on the metabolism. Epidemiologic studies have consistently reported an inverse relationship between dietary fibre and type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular mortality. This review focuses on observational and experimental studies that examine the effect of different types and sources of dietary fibre on body weight, glucose metabolism and lipid profile. From the available evidence, we conclude that clinical studies consistently show that the intake of viscous dietary fibre decreases the low density lipoprotein cholesterol and postprandial glucose levels, and induces short term satiety. However, few clinical trials have demonstrated that the intake of dietary fibre has a positive effect on the control of diabetes and body weight.

Does exercise habit strength moderate the relationship between emotional distress and short-term memory in Malaysian primary school children?

PubMed

Zainol, Nurul Ain; Hashim, Hairul Anuar

2015-01-01

We examined the moderating effects of exercise habit strength on the relationship between emotional distress and short-term memory in primary school children. The sample consisted of 165 primary school students (10-12 years old). Participants completed measures of emotional distress, exercise habit strength, and the Digit Span Test. Mid-year exam results were used as an indicator of academic performance. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The results of SEM revealed an acceptable fit for the hypothesised model. Exercise habit was positively associated with short-term memory, and better short-term memory was associated with better academic performance. However, although an inverse relationship was found between emotional distress and short-term memory, a positive association was found between exercise habit strength and emotional distress. The findings indicate that exercise habit is positively associated with cognitive ability and mediates the negative effect of distress.

Experimental exploration of the Mulliken-Hush relationship for intramolecular electron transfer reactions.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Tamal; Ito, Naoki; Gould, Ian R

2011-03-17

The Mulliken-Hush (M-H) relationship provides the critical link between optical and thermal electron transfer processes, and yet very little direct experimental support for its applicability has been provided. Dicyanovinylazaadamantane (DCVA) represents a simple two-state (neutral/charge-transfer) intramolecular electron transfer system that exhibits charge-transfer absorption and emission spectra that are readily measurable in solvents with a wide range of polarities. In this regard it represents an ideal model system for studying the factors that control both optical charge separation (absorption) and recombination (emission) processes in solution. Here we explore the applicability of the M-H relation to quantitative descriptions of the optical charge-transfer processes in DCVA. For DCVA, the measured radiative rate constants exhibit a linear dependence on transition energy, and transition dipole moments exhibit an inverse dependence on transition energy, consistent with the M-H relationship.

Selection on Inversion Breakpoints Favors Proximity to Pairing Sensitive Sites in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Corbett-Detig, Russell B.

2016-01-01

Chromosomal inversions are widespread among taxa, and have been implicated in a number of biological processes including adaptation, sex chromosome evolution, and segregation distortion. Consistent with selection favoring linkage between loci, it is well established that length is a selected trait of inversions. However, the factors that affect the distribution of inversion breakpoints remain poorly understood. “Sensitive sites” have been mapped on all euchromatic chromosome arms in Drosophila melanogaster, and may be a source of natural selection on inversion breakpoint positions. Briefly, sensitive sites are genomic regions wherein proximal structural rearrangements result in large reductions in local recombination rates in heterozygotes. Here, I show that breakpoints of common inversions are significantly more likely to lie within a cytological band containing a sensitive site than are breakpoints of rare inversions. Furthermore, common inversions for which neither breakpoint intersects a sensitive site are significantly longer than rare inversions, but common inversions whose breakpoints intersect a sensitive site show no evidence for increased length. I interpret these results to mean that selection favors inversions whose breakpoints disrupt synteny near to sensitive sites, possibly because these inversions suppress recombination in large genomic regions. To my knowledge this is the first evidence consistent with positive selection acting on inversion breakpoint positions. PMID:27343234

Selection on Inversion Breakpoints Favors Proximity to Pairing Sensitive Sites in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Corbett-Detig, Russell B

2016-09-01

Chromosomal inversions are widespread among taxa, and have been implicated in a number of biological processes including adaptation, sex chromosome evolution, and segregation distortion. Consistent with selection favoring linkage between loci, it is well established that length is a selected trait of inversions. However, the factors that affect the distribution of inversion breakpoints remain poorly understood. "Sensitive sites" have been mapped on all euchromatic chromosome arms in Drosophila melanogaster, and may be a source of natural selection on inversion breakpoint positions. Briefly, sensitive sites are genomic regions wherein proximal structural rearrangements result in large reductions in local recombination rates in heterozygotes. Here, I show that breakpoints of common inversions are significantly more likely to lie within a cytological band containing a sensitive site than are breakpoints of rare inversions. Furthermore, common inversions for which neither breakpoint intersects a sensitive site are significantly longer than rare inversions, but common inversions whose breakpoints intersect a sensitive site show no evidence for increased length. I interpret these results to mean that selection favors inversions whose breakpoints disrupt synteny near to sensitive sites, possibly because these inversions suppress recombination in large genomic regions. To my knowledge this is the first evidence consistent with positive selection acting on inversion breakpoint positions. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

Inversion in Mathematical Thinking and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greer, Brian

2012-01-01

Inversion is a fundamental relational building block both within mathematics as the study of structures and within people's physical and social experience, linked to many other key elements such as equilibrium, invariance, reversal, compensation, symmetry, and balance. Within purely formal arithmetic, the inverse relationships between addition and…

Applicability of source scaling relations for crustal earthquakes to estimation of the ground motions of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irikura, Kojiro; Miyakoshi, Ken; Kamae, Katsuhiro; Yoshida, Kunikazu; Somei, Kazuhiro; Kurahashi, Susumu; Miyake, Hiroe

2017-01-01

A two-stage scaling relationship of the source parameters for crustal earthquakes in Japan has previously been constructed, in which source parameters obtained from the results of waveform inversion of strong motion data are combined with parameters estimated based on geological and geomorphological surveys. A three-stage scaling relationship was subsequently developed to extend scaling to crustal earthquakes with magnitudes greater than M w 7.4. The effectiveness of these scaling relationships was then examined based on the results of waveform inversion of 18 recent crustal earthquakes ( M w 5.4-6.9) that occurred in Japan since the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, with M w 7.0, was one of the largest earthquakes to occur since dense and accurate strong motion observation networks, such as K-NET and KiK-net, were deployed after the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake. We examined the applicability of the scaling relationships of the source parameters of crustal earthquakes in Japan to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. The rupture area and asperity area were determined based on slip distributions obtained from waveform inversion of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake observations. We found that the relationship between the rupture area and the seismic moment for the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake follows the second-stage scaling within one standard deviation ( σ = 0.14). The ratio of the asperity area to the rupture area for the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake is nearly the same as ratios previously obtained for crustal earthquakes. Furthermore, we simulated the ground motions of this earthquake using a characterized source model consisting of strong motion generation areas (SMGAs) based on the empirical Green's function (EGF) method. The locations and areas of the SMGAs were determined through comparison between the synthetic ground motions and observed motions. The sizes of the SMGAs were nearly coincident with the asperities with large slip. The synthetic ground motions obtained using the EGF method agree well with the observed motions in terms of acceleration, velocity, and displacement within the frequency range of 0.3-10 Hz. These findings indicate that the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake is a standard event that follows the scaling relationship of crustal earthquakes in Japan.

Smoking and primary total hip or knee replacement due to osteoarthritis in 54,288 elderly men and women.

PubMed

Mnatzaganian, George; Ryan, Philip; Reid, Christopher M; Davidson, David C; Hiller, Janet E

2013-09-05

The reported association of smoking with risk of undergoing a total joint replacement (TJR) due to osteoarthritis (OA) is not consistent. We evaluated the independent association between smoking and primary TJR in a large cohort. The electronic records of 54,288 men and women, who were initially recruited for the Second Australian National Blood Pressure study, were linked to the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry to detect total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) due to osteoarthritis. Competing risk regressions that accounted for the competing risk of death estimated the subhazard ratios for TJR. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken to represent uncertainty in the classification of smoking exposure and socioeconomic disadvantage scores. An independent inverse association was found between smoking and risk of THR and TKR observed in both men and women. Compared to non-smokers, male and female smokers were respectively 40% and 30% less likely to undergo a TJR. This significant association persisted after controlling for age, co-morbidities, body mass index (BMI), physical exercise, and socioeconomic disadvantage. The overweight and obese were significantly more likely to undergo TJR compared to those with normal weight. A dose-response relationship between BMI and TJR was observed (P < 0.001). Socioeconomic status was not independently associated with risk of either THR or TKR. The strengths of the inverse association between smoking and TJR, the temporal relationship of the association, together with the consistency in the findings warrant further investigation about the role of smoking in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis causing TJR.

Diminished fronto-striatal activity during processing of monetary rewards and losses in pathological gambling

PubMed Central

Balodis, Iris M.; Kober, Hedy; Worhunsky, Patrick D.; Stevens, Michael C.; Pearlson, Godfrey D.; Potenza, Marc N.

2012-01-01

Background Mesocorticolimbic neurocircuitry and impulsivity have both been implicated in pathological gambling (PG) and in reward processing. However, the neural underpinnings of specific phases of reward and loss processing in PG and their relationships to impulsivity remain only partially understood. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined brain activity associated with different phases of reward and loss processing in PG. Given an inverse relationship between ventral striatal recruitment during anticipation of monetary rewards and impulsivity in alcohol dependence, the current study explored whether a similar association might also be present in PG. Methods Fourteen adults with PG and 14 control comparison (CC) participants performed the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT) to identify brain activation changes associated with reward/loss prospect, reward/loss anticipation and reward/loss notification. Impulsivity was assessed separately using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Results Relative to the CC group, the PG group exhibited significantly reduced activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula and ventral striatum during several phases, including the prospect and anticipation phases of both gain and losses. Activity in the ventral striatum correlated inversely with levels of impulsivity in PG participants, consistent with prior findings in alcohol dependence. Conclusions Relatively decreased activity in cortico-striatal neurocircuitry during multiple phases of reward processing suggests consistent alterations in neurocircuitry underlying incentive valuation and loss prediction. Together with findings in alcohol dependence, these results suggest that impulsive tendencies in addictions may be reflected in diminished ventral striatal activations to reward anticipation and may represent targets for treatment development in addictions. PMID:22336565

Diminished frontostriatal activity during processing of monetary rewards and losses in pathological gambling.

PubMed

Balodis, Iris M; Kober, Hedy; Worhunsky, Patrick D; Stevens, Michael C; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Potenza, Marc N

2012-04-15

Mesocorticolimbic neurocircuitry and impulsivity have both been implicated in pathological gambling (PG) and in reward processing. However, the neural underpinnings of specific phases of reward and loss processing in PG and their relationships to impulsivity remain only partially understood. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined brain activity associated with different phases of reward and loss processing in PG. Given an inverse relationship between ventral striatal recruitment during anticipation of monetary rewards and impulsivity in alcohol dependence, the current study explored whether a similar association might also be present in PG. Fourteen adults with PG and 14 control comparison participants performed the Monetary Incentive Delay Task to identify brain activation changes associated with reward/loss prospect, reward/loss anticipation, and reward/loss notification. Impulsivity was assessed separately using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Relative to the control comparison group, the PG group exhibited significantly reduced activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula, and ventral striatum during several phases, including the prospect and anticipation phases of both gains and losses. Activity in the ventral striatum correlated inversely with levels of impulsivity in PG participants, consistent with prior findings in alcohol dependence. Relatively decreased activity in corticostriatal neurocircuitry during multiple phases of reward processing suggests consistent alterations in neurocircuitry underlying incentive valuation and loss prediction. Together with findings in alcohol dependence, these results suggest that impulsive tendencies in addictions may be reflected in diminished ventral striatal activations to reward anticipation and may represent targets for treatment development in addictions. Copyright © 2012 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-related decrements in bone mineral density in women over 65

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steiger, P.; Cummings, S. R.; Black, D. M.; Spencer, N. E.; Genant, H. K.

1992-01-01

Age-related changes in bone density contribute to the risk of fractures. To describe the relationship between age and bone mass in elderly women, we studied a large cohort of women over age 65 years who were recruited from population-based lists in four cities in the United States. Bone density in g/cm2 was measured by single-photon absorptiometry (SPA) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the distal and proximal radius, the calcaneus, the lumbar spine, and the proximal femur. Centralized data collection was used to control data quality and consistency. We found a strong inverse relationship between bone density and age for most sites. Decrements in bone density between women aged 65-69 years and women 85 years and older exceeded 16% in all regions except the spine, where the difference between the two age groups was 6%. Ward's triangle and the calcaneus exhibited the largest decrements, with 26 and 21%, respectively. The estimates of annual changes in bone mineral density by linear regression at sites other than the spine ranged from -0.82% at the femoral neck and trochanter to -1.30% at Ward's triangle. Correlations between the different regions ranged from r = 0.51 between the proximal radius and Ward's triangle to r = 0.66 between the distal radius and calcaneus. We conclude that the inverse relationship between age and bone mass measured by absorptiometry techniques in white women continues into the ninth decade of life. The relationship is strongest for bone density of Ward's triangle and the calcaneus and weakest for the spine.

Joint inversion of geophysical data using petrophysical clustering and facies deformation wth the level set technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revil, A.

2015-12-01

Geological expertise and petrophysical relationships can be brought together to provide prior information while inverting multiple geophysical datasets. The merging of such information can result in more realistic solution in the distribution of the model parameters, reducing ipse facto the non-uniqueness of the inverse problem. We consider two level of heterogeneities: facies, described by facies boundaries and heteroegenities inside each facies determined by a correlogram. In this presentation, we pose the geophysical inverse problem in terms of Gaussian random fields with mean functions controlled by petrophysical relationships and covariance functions controlled by a prior geological cross-section, including the definition of spatial boundaries for the geological facies. The petrophysical relationship problem is formulated as a regression problem upon each facies. The inversion of the geophysical data is performed in a Bayesian framework. We demonstrate the usefulness of this strategy using a first synthetic case for which we perform a joint inversion of gravity and galvanometric resistivity data with the stations located at the ground surface. The joint inversion is used to recover the density and resistivity distributions of the subsurface. In a second step, we consider the possibility that the facies boundaries are deformable and their shapes are inverted as well. We use the level set approach to perform such deformation preserving prior topological properties of the facies throughout the inversion. With the help of prior facies petrophysical relationships and topological characteristic of each facies, we make posterior inference about multiple geophysical tomograms based on their corresponding geophysical data misfits. The method is applied to a second synthetic case showing that we can recover the heterogeneities inside the facies, the mean values for the petrophysical properties, and, to some extent, the facies boundaries using the 2D joint inversion of gravity and galvanometric resistivity data. For this 2D synthetic example, we note that the position of the facies are well-recovered except far from the ground surfce where the sensitivity is too low. The figure shows the evolution of the shape of the facies during the inversion itertion by iteration.

Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellefsen, Karl J.; Mazzella, Aldo T.; Horton, Robert J.; McKenna, Jason R.

2011-01-01

Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data estimates the logarithm of complex slowness for a 2.5D heterogeneous model. The inversion is formulated in the frequency domain using the vector Helmholtz equation. The objective function is minimized using a back-propagation method that is suitable for a 2.5D model and that accounts for the near-, intermediate-, and far-field regions of the antennas. The inversion is tested with crosswell radar data collected in a laboratory tank. The model anomalies are consistent with the known heterogeneity in the tank; the model’s relative dielectric permittivity, which is calculated from the real part of the estimated complex slowness, is consistent with independent laboratory measurements. The methodologies developed for this inversion can be adapted readily to inversions of seismic data (e.g., crosswell seismic and vertical seismic profiling data).

Depolarization Lidar Determination Of Cloud-Base Microphysical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, D. P.; Klein Baltink, H.; Henzing, J. S.; de Roode, S.; Siebesma, A. P.

2016-06-01

The links between multiple-scattering induced depolarization and cloud microphysical properties (e.g. cloud particle number density, effective radius, water content) have long been recognised. Previous efforts to use depolarization information in a quantitative manner to retrieve cloud microphysical cloud properties have also been undertaken but with limited scope and, arguably, success. In this work we present a retrieval procedure applicable to liquid stratus clouds with (quasi-)linear LWC profiles and (quasi-)constant number density profiles in the cloud-base region. This set of assumptions allows us to employ a fast and robust inversion procedure based on a lookup-table approach applied to extensive lidar Monte-Carlo multiple-scattering calculations. An example validation case is presented where the results of the inversion procedure are compared with simultaneous cloud radar observations. In non-drizzling conditions it was found, in general, that the lidar- only inversion results can be used to predict the radar reflectivity within the radar calibration uncertainty (2-3 dBZ). Results of a comparison between ground-based aerosol number concentration and lidar-derived cloud base number considerations are also presented. The observed relationship between the two quantities is seen to be consistent with the results of previous studies based on aircraft-based in situ measurements.

Plasma homovanillic acid correlates inversely with history of learning problems in healthy volunteer and personality disordered subjects.

PubMed

Coccaro, Emil F; Hirsch, Sharon L; Stein, Mark A

2007-01-15

Central dopaminergic activity is critical to the functioning of both motor and cognitive systems. Based on the therapeutic action of dopaminergic agents in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ADHD symptoms may be related to a reduction in central dopaminergic activity. We tested the hypothesis that dopaminergic activity, as reflected by plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA), may be related to dimensional aspects of ADHD in adults. Subjects were 30 healthy volunteer and 39 personality disordered subjects, in whom morning basal pHVA concentration and a dimensional measure of childhood ADHD symptoms (Wender Utah Rating Scale: WURS) were obtained. A significant inverse correlation was found between WURS Total score and pHVA concentration in the total sample. Among WURS factor scores, a significant inverse relationship was noted between pHVA and history of "childhood learning problems". Consistent with the dopaminergic dysfunction hypothesis of ADHD and of cognitive function, pHVA concentrations were correlated with childhood history of ADHD symptoms in general and with history of "learning problems" in non-ADHD psychiatric patients and controls. Replication is needed in treated and untreated ADHD samples to confirm these initial results.

A comprehensive inversion approach for feedforward compensation of piezoactuator system at high frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Lizhi; Xiong, Zhenhua; Wu, Jianhua; Ding, Han

2016-09-01

Motion control of the piezoactuator system over broadband frequencies is limited due to its inherent hysteresis and system dynamics. One of the suggested ways is to use feedforward controller to linearize the input-output relationship of the piezoactuator system. Although there have been many feedforward approaches, it is still a challenge to develop feedforward controller for the piezoactuator system at high frequency. Hence, this paper presents a comprehensive inversion approach in consideration of the coupling of hysteresis and dynamics. In this work, the influence of dynamics compensation on the input-output relationship of the piezoactuator system is investigated first. With system dynamics compensation, the input-output relationship of the piezoactuator system will be further represented as rate-dependent nonlinearity due to the inevitable dynamics compensation error, especially at high frequency. Base on this result, the feedforward controller composed by a cascade of linear dynamics inversion and rate-dependent nonlinearity inversion is developed. Then, the system identification of the comprehensive inversion approach is proposed. Finally, experimental results show that the proposed approach can improve the performance on tracking of both periodic and non-periodic trajectories at medium and high frequency compared with the conventional feedforward approaches.

Global DNA hypomethylation has no impact on lung function or serum inflammatory and fibrosis cytokines in asbestos-exposed population.

PubMed

Yu, Min; Lou, Jianlin; Xia, Hailing; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Yixiao; Chen, Junqiang; Zhang, Xing; Ying, Shibo; Zhu, Lijin; Liu, Lihong; Jia, Guang

2017-04-01

To examine the effect of asbestos exposure on global DNA methylation and determine whether lung function and inflammatory and fibrosis biomarkers are correlated with the methylation state. A total of 26 healthy subjects without asbestos exposure (Group 1), 47 healthy subjects with exposure (Group 2), and 52 subjects with benign asbestos-related disorders (ARDs) (Group 3) participated in this cross-sectional study. Blood global 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and serum TNF-α, collagen IV, CCL5 and CC16 concentrations were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-like assays. Spirometric maneuvers were performed to assess lung function. Decreased 5mC levels were observed in Groups 2 and 3 compared to Group 1, irrespective of lung function (p < 0.01). There was no significant change in 5mC between Groups 2 and 3. Overall, 5mC was negatively correlated with CCL5 and collagen IV (p < 0.05), but no significant inverse relationship was found between 5mC and CCL5 or collagen IV in each group. Additionally, both 5mC and CC16 were inversely associated with FEV1/FVC% (p = 0.001, adjusted R 2  = 0.145) for non-smokers, and consistently significant inverse relationships were found between CC16 and FEV1/FVC%, independent of asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure causes global DNA hypomethylation. DNA hypomethylation has no influence on serum biomarkers and lung function in asbestos-exposed population with or without pleural and pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities.

Simulating closed- and open-loop voluntary movement: a nonlinear control-systems approach.

PubMed

Davidson, Paul R; Jones, Richard D; Andreae, John H; Sirisena, Harsha R

2002-11-01

In many recent human motor control models, including feedback-error learning and adaptive model theory (AMT), feedback control is used to correct errors while an inverse model is simultaneously tuned to provide accurate feedforward control. This popular and appealing hypothesis, based on a combination of psychophysical observations and engineering considerations, predicts that once the tuning of the inverse model is complete the role of feedback control is limited to the correction of disturbances. This hypothesis was tested by looking at the open-loop behavior of the human motor system during adaptation. An experiment was carried out involving 20 normal adult subjects who learned a novel visuomotor relationship on a pursuit tracking task with a steering wheel for input. During learning, the response cursor was periodically blanked, removing all feedback about the external system (i.e., about the relationship between hand motion and response cursor motion). Open-loop behavior was not consistent with a progressive transfer from closed- to open-loop control. Our recently developed computational model of the brain--a novel nonlinear implementation of AMT--was able to reproduce the observed closed- and open-loop results. In contrast, other control-systems models exhibited only minimal feedback control following adaptation, leading to incorrect open-loop behavior. This is because our model continues to use feedback to control slow movements after adaptation is complete. This behavior enhances the internal stability of the inverse model. In summary, our computational model is currently the only motor control model able to accurately simulate the closed- and open-loop characteristics of the experimental response trajectories.

Simultaneous Gaussian and exponential inversion for improved analysis of shales by NMR relaxometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Washburn, Kathryn E.; Anderssen, Endre; Vogt, Sarah J.; Seymour, Joseph D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Kirkland, Catherine M.; Codd, Sarah L.

2014-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry is commonly used to provide lithology-independent porosity and pore-size estimates for petroleum resource evaluation based on fluid-phase signals. However in shales, substantial hydrogen content is associated with solid and fluid signals and both may be detected. Depending on the motional regime, the signal from the solids may be best described using either exponential or Gaussian decay functions. When the inverse Laplace transform, the standard method for analysis of NMR relaxometry results, is applied to data containing Gaussian decays, this can lead to physically unrealistic responses such as signal or porosity overcall and relaxation times that are too short to be determined using the applied instrument settings. We apply a new simultaneous Gaussian-Exponential (SGE) inversion method to simulated data and measured results obtained on a variety of oil shale samples. The SGE inversion produces more physically realistic results than the inverse Laplace transform and displays more consistent relaxation behavior at high magnetic field strengths. Residuals for the SGE inversion are consistently lower than for the inverse Laplace method and signal overcall at short T2 times is mitigated. Beyond geological samples, the method can also be applied in other fields where the sample relaxation consists of both Gaussian and exponential decays, for example in material, medical and food sciences.

An Inversion Analysis of Recent Variability in Natural CO2 Fluxes Using GOSAT and In Situ Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J. S.; Kawa, S. R.; Baker, D. F.; Collatz, G. J.; Ott, L. E.

2015-12-01

About one-half of the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation accumulates in the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming. The rest is taken up by vegetation and the ocean. The precise contribution of the two sinks, and their location and year-to-year variability are, however, not well understood. We use two different approaches, batch Bayesian synthesis inversion and variational data assimilation, to deduce the global spatiotemporal distributions of CO2 fluxes during 2009-2010. One of our objectives is to assess different sources of uncertainties in inferred fluxes, including uncertainties in prior flux estimates and observations, and differences in inversion techniques. For prior constraints, we utilize fluxes and uncertainties from the CASA-GFED model of the terrestrial biosphere and biomass burning driven by satellite observations and interannually varying meteorology. We also use measurement-based ocean flux estimates and two sets of fixed fossil CO2 emissions. Here, our inversions incorporate column CO2 measurements from the GOSAT satellite (ACOS retrieval, filtered and bias-corrected) and in situ observations (individual flask and afternoon-average continuous observations) to estimate fluxes in 108 regions over 8-day intervals for the batch inversion and at 3° x 3.75° weekly for the variational system. Relationships between fluxes and atmospheric concentrations are derived consistently for the two inversion systems using the PCTM atmospheric transport model driven by meteorology from the MERRA reanalysis. We compare the posterior fluxes and uncertainties derived using different data sets and the two inversion approaches, and evaluate the posterior atmospheric concentrations against independent data including aircraft measurements. The optimized fluxes generally resemble those from other studies. For example, the results indicate that the terrestrial biosphere is a net CO2 sink, and a GOSAT-only inversion suggests a shift in the global sink from the tropics/south to the north relative to the prior and to an in-situ-only inversion. We also find a smaller terrestrial sink in higher-latitude northern regions in boreal summer of 2010 relative to 2009.

An Inversion Analysis of Recent Variability in Natural CO2 Fluxes Using GOSAT and In Situ Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, James S.; Kawa, S. Randolph; Collatz, G. James; Baker, David F.; Ott, Lesley

2015-01-01

About one-half of the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation accumulates in the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming. The rest is taken up by vegetation and the ocean. The precise contribution of the two sinks, and their location and year-to-year variability are, however, not well understood. We use two different approaches, batch Bayesian synthesis inversion and variational data assimilation, to deduce the global spatiotemporal distributions of CO2 fluxes during 2009-2010. One of our objectives is to assess different sources of uncertainties in inferred fluxes, including uncertainties in prior flux estimates and observations, and differences in inversion techniques. For prior constraints, we utilize fluxes and uncertainties from the CASA-GFED model of the terrestrial biosphere and biomass burning driven by satellite observations and interannually varying meteorology. We also use measurement-based ocean flux estimates and two sets of fixed fossil CO2 emissions. Here, our inversions incorporate column CO2 measurements from the GOSAT satellite (ACOS retrieval, filtered and bias-corrected) and in situ observations (individual flask and afternoon-average continuous observations) to estimate fluxes in 108 regions over 8-day intervals for the batch inversion and at 3 x 3.75 weekly for the variational system. Relationships between fluxes and atmospheric concentrations are derived consistently for the two inversion systems using the PCTM atmospheric transport model driven by meteorology from the MERRA reanalysis. We compare the posterior fluxes and uncertainties derived using different data sets and the two inversion approaches, and evaluate the posterior atmospheric concentrations against independent data including aircraft measurements. The optimized fluxes generally resemble those from other studies. For example, the results indicate that the terrestrial biosphere is a net CO2 sink, and a GOSAT-only inversion suggests a shift in the global sink from the tropics south to the north relative to the prior and to an in-situ-only inversion. We also find a smaller terrestrial sink in higher-latitude northern regions in boreal summer of 2010 relative to 2009.

Evolutionary history of the third chromosome gene arrangements of Drosophila pseudoobscura inferred from inversion breakpoints.

PubMed

Wallace, Andre G; Detweiler, Don; Schaeffer, Stephen W

2011-08-01

The third chromosome of Drosophila pseudoobscura is polymorphic for numerous gene arrangements that form classical clines in North America. The polytene salivary chromosomes isolated from natural populations revealed changes in gene order that allowed the different gene arrangements to be linked together by paracentric inversions representing one of the first cases where genetic data were used to construct a phylogeny. Although the inversion phylogeny can be used to determine the relationships among the gene arrangements, the cytogenetic data are unable to infer the ancestral arrangement or the age of the different chromosome types. These are both important properties if one is to infer the evolutionary forces responsible for the spread and maintenance of the chromosomes. Here, we employ the nucleotide sequences of 18 regions distributed across the third chromosome in 80-100 D. pseudoobscura strains to test whether five gene arrangements are of unique or multiple origin, what the ancestral arrangement was, and what are the ages of the different arrangements. Each strain carried one of six commonly found gene arrangements and the sequences were used to infer their evolutionary relationships. Breakpoint regions in the center of the chromosome supported monophyly of the gene arrangements, whereas regions at the ends of the chromosome gave phylogenies that provided less support for monophyly of the chromosomes either because the individual markers did not have enough phylogenetically informative sites or genetic exchange scrambled information among the gene arrangements. A data set where the genetic markers were concatenated strongly supported a unique origin of the different gene arrangements. The inversion polymorphism of D. pseudoobscura is estimated to be about a million years old. We have also shown that the generated phylogeny is consistent with the cytological phylogeny of this species. In addition, the data presented here support hypothetical as the ancestral arrangement. One of the youngest arrangements, Arrowhead, has one of the highest population frequencies suggesting that selection has been responsible for its rapid increase.

Recombination and synaptic adjustment in oocytes of mice heterozygous for a large paracentric inversion.

PubMed

Torgasheva, Anna A; Rubtsov, Nikolai B; Borodin, Pavel M

2013-03-01

Homologous chromosome synapsis in inversion heterozygotes results in the formation of inversion loops. These loops might be transformed into straight, non-homologously paired bivalents via synaptic adjustment. Synaptic adjustment was discovered 30 years ago; however, its relationship with recombination has remained unclear. We analysed this relationship in female mouse embryos heterozygous for large paracentric inversion In(1)1Rk using immunolocalisation of the synaptonemal complex (SYCP3) and mature recombination nodules (MLH1) proteins. The frequency of cells containing bivalents with inversion loops decreased from 69 % to 28 % during pachytene. If an MLH1 focus was present in the non-homologously paired inverted region of the straight bivalent, it was always located in the middle of the inversion. Most of the small, incompletely adjusted loops contained MLH1 foci near the points at which pairing partners were switched. This observation indicates that the degree of synaptic adjustment depended on the crossover position. Complete synaptic adjustment was only possible if a crossover (CO) was located exactly in the middle of the inversion. If a CO was located at any other site, this interrupted synaptic adjustment and resulted in inversion loops of different sizes with an MLH1 focus at or near the edge of the remaining loop.

Efficient mapping algorithms for scheduling robot inverse dynamics computation on a multiprocessor system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, C. S. G.; Chen, C. L.

1989-01-01

Two efficient mapping algorithms for scheduling the robot inverse dynamics computation consisting of m computational modules with precedence relationship to be executed on a multiprocessor system consisting of p identical homogeneous processors with processor and communication costs to achieve minimum computation time are presented. An objective function is defined in terms of the sum of the processor finishing time and the interprocessor communication time. The minimax optimization is performed on the objective function to obtain the best mapping. This mapping problem can be formulated as a combination of the graph partitioning and the scheduling problems; both have been known to be NP-complete. Thus, to speed up the searching for a solution, two heuristic algorithms were proposed to obtain fast but suboptimal mapping solutions. The first algorithm utilizes the level and the communication intensity of the task modules to construct an ordered priority list of ready modules and the module assignment is performed by a weighted bipartite matching algorithm. For a near-optimal mapping solution, the problem can be solved by the heuristic algorithm with simulated annealing. These proposed optimization algorithms can solve various large-scale problems within a reasonable time. Computer simulations were performed to evaluate and verify the performance and the validity of the proposed mapping algorithms. Finally, experiments for computing the inverse dynamics of a six-jointed PUMA-like manipulator based on the Newton-Euler dynamic equations were implemented on an NCUBE/ten hypercube computer to verify the proposed mapping algorithms. Computer simulation and experimental results are compared and discussed.

Allergic conditions and risk of glioma and meningioma in the CERENAT case-control study.

PubMed

Pouchieu, Camille; Raherison, Chantal; Piel, Clément; Migault, Lucile; Carles, Camille; Fabbro-Perray, Pascale; Loiseau, Hugues; Guillamo, Jean-Sébastien; Lebailly, Pierre; Baldi, Isabelle

2018-06-01

Inverse association between allergic conditions and glioma risk has been consistently reported in epidemiological studies with little attention paid to potential environmental confounders; the association with meningioma risk is less consistent. We examined the association between allergy history and risk of glioma and meningioma in adults using data from the CERENAT (CEREbral tumors: a NATional study) multicenter case-control study carried out in 4 areas in France in 2004-2010. Participants' histories of doctor-diagnosed allergic asthma, eczema, rhinitis/hay fever and other allergic conditions were collected at onset through a detailed questionnaire delivered in a face-to-face interview. Conditional logistic regression for matched sets was adjusted for participants' educational level and mobile phone use. A total of 273 glioma cases, 218 meningioma cases and 982 matched controls selected from the local electoral rolls were analyzed. A significant inverse association was found between glioma and a history of any allergy (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.36-0.75), with a dose-effect relationship with the number of allergic conditions reported (p-trend = 0.001) and a particularly strong association with hay fever/allergic rhinitis (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.72). Interestingly, associations with glioma risk were more pronounced in women. For meningioma, no association was observed with overall or specific allergic conditions. Our findings confirmed the inverse association between allergic conditions and glioma risk but questioned the role of allergy in meningioma risk. Future research is needed to clarify the biological mechanism of overall allergy and allergic rhinitis on glioma and to confirm the different effect by gender.

Allergies and Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: An Original Study plus Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Lo, Hung-I; Huang, Cheng-Chih; Lee, Wei-Ting; Huang, Jehn-Shyun; Chen, Ken-Chung; Wong, Tung-Yiu; Tsai, Sen-Tien; Yen, Chia-Jui; Wu, Yuan-Hua; Hsueh, Wei-Ting; Yang, Ming-Wei; Wu, Shang-Yin; Chang, Jang-Yang; Chang, Kwang-Yu; Lin, Chen-Lin; Wang, Fang-Ting; Wang, Yi-Hui; Weng, Ya-Ling; Yang, Han-Chien; Chang, Jeffrey S.

2013-01-01

Background Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette. Methods The current paper reports results from: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls). Results In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54–0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81–1.18). Conclusions These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC. PMID:23383309

Interrelationships of added sugars intake, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity in adults in the United States: National Health Interview Survey, 2005.

PubMed

Thompson, Frances E; McNeel, Timothy S; Dowling, Emily C; Midthune, Douglas; Morrissette, Meredith; Zeruto, Christopher A

2009-08-01

The consumption of added sugars (eg, white sugar, brown sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup) displaces nutrient-dense foods in the diet. The intake of added sugars in the United States is excessive. Little is known about the predictors of added sugar intake. To examine the independent relationships of socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity with added sugar intake, and to evaluate the consistency of relationships using a short instrument to those from a different survey using more precise dietary assessment. Cross-sectional, nationally representative, interviewer-administered survey. Adults (aged > or = 18 years) participating in the 2005 US National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplement responding to four added sugars questions (n=28,948). The intake of added sugars was estimated using validated scoring algorithms. Multivariate analysis incorporating sample weights and design effects was conducted. Least squares means and confidence intervals, and significance tests using Wald F statistics are presented. Analyses were stratified by sex and controlled for potential confounders. The intake of added sugars was higher among men than women and inversely related to age, educational status, and family income. Asian Americans had the lowest intake and Hispanics the next lowest intake. Among men, African Americans had the highest intake, although whites and American Indians/Alaskan Natives also had high intakes. Among women, African Americans and American Indians/Alaskan Natives had the highest intakes. Intake of added sugars was inversely related to educational attainment in whites, African Americans, Hispanic men, and American Indians/Alaskan Native men, but was unrelated in Asian Americans. These findings were generally consistent with relationships in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 (using one or two 24-hour dietary recalls). Race/ethnicity, family income, and educational status are independently associated with intake of added sugars. Groups with low income and education are particularly vulnerable to diets with high added sugars. Differences among race/ethnicity groups suggest that interventions to reduce intake of added sugars should be tailored. The National Health Interview Survey added sugars questions with accompanying scoring algorithms appear to provide an affordable and useful means of assessing relationships between various factors and added sugars intake.

A Brief Metacognition Questionnaire for the Elderly: Comparison with Cognitive Performance and Informant Ratings

PubMed Central

Buckley, Trevor; Norton, Maria C.; Deberard, M. Scott; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A.; Tschanz, JoAnn T.

2009-01-01

Objective To examine the utility of a brief, metacognition questionnaire by examining its association with objective cognitive testing and informant ratings. We hypothesized that the association between self-ratings of change and both outcomes would be greater among individuals without dementia than among those with dementia. Methods Participants were 535 persons without dementia and 152 with dementia from the Cache County Memory Study who had completed a metacognition questionnaire, two administrations of the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS) and who had data on the Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Cronbach's alpha was calculated as a measure of internal consistency of the metacognition questionnaire. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between metacognition and 3MS change. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between metacognition and IQCODE ratings (no change vs. worse). Results Cronbach's alpha was 0.75. Among individuals without dementia, metacognition significantly predicted 3MS change (p=.027) and IQCODE ratings (OR=4.0, 95% CI= 1.2 – 13.8, p=.029), suggesting consistency among measures. For those with dementia, there was a weak, inverse relationship between 3MS change and metacognition (r = -0.16, p=.056). IQCODE ratings were not significantly associated with metacognition (p=.729). Degree of dementia severity did not modify the relationship between metacognition and either outcome (p>.05). Conclusions We demonstrated adequate internal consistency and evidence for validity of a brief metacognition questionnaire. The questionnaire may provide a useful adjunct to memory and functional assessments for assessing anosognosia in elderly populations. PMID:19823990

A brief metacognition questionnaire for the elderly: comparison with cognitive performance and informant ratings the Cache County Study.

PubMed

Buckley, Trevor; Norton, Maria C; Deberard, M Scott; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A; Tschanz, JoAnn T

2010-07-01

To examine the utility of a brief, metacognition questionnaire by examining its association with objective cognitive testing and informant ratings. We hypothesized that the association between self-ratings of change and both outcomes would be greater among individuals without dementia than among those with dementia. Participants were 535 persons without dementia and 152 with dementia from the Cache County Memory Study who had completed a metacognition questionnaire, two administrations of the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3 MS) and who had data on the Informant Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Cronbach's alpha was calculated as a measure of internal consistency of the metacognition questionnaire. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between metacognition and 3 MS change. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between metacognition and IQCODE ratings (no change vs. worse). Cronbach's alpha was 0.75. Among individuals without dementia, metacognition significantly predicted 3 MS change (p = .027) and IQCODE ratings (OR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.2-13.8, p = .029), suggesting consistency among measures. For those with dementia, there was a weak, inverse relationship between 3 MS change and metacognition (r = -0.16, p = .056). IQCODE ratings were not significantly associated with metacognition (p = .729). Degree of dementia severity did not modify the relationship between metacognition and either outcome (p > .05). We demonstrated adequate internal consistency and evidence for validity of a brief metacognition questionnaire. The questionnaire may provide a useful adjunct to memory and functional assessments for assessing anosognosia in elderly populations. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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.

Working conditions, self-perceived stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life: A structural equation modelling approach

PubMed Central

Rusli, Bin Nordin; Edimansyah, Bin Abdin; Naing, Lin

2008-01-01

Background The relationships between working conditions [job demand, job control and social support]; stress, anxiety, and depression; and perceived quality of life factors [physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships and environmental conditions] were assessed using a sample of 698 male automotive assembly workers in Malaysia. Methods The validated Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) were used. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was applied to test the structural relationships of the model using AMOS version 6.0, with the maximum likelihood ratio as the method of estimation. Results The results of the SEM supported the hypothesized structural model (χ2 = 22.801, df = 19, p = 0.246). The final model shows that social support (JCQ) was directly related to all 4 factors of the WHOQOL-BREF and inversely related to depression and stress (DASS). Job demand (JCQ) was directly related to stress (DASS) and inversely related to the environmental conditions (WHOQOL-BREF). Job control (JCQ) was directly related to social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Stress (DASS) was directly related to anxiety and depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health, environment conditions and social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Anxiety (DASS) was directly related to depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health (WHOQOL-BREF). Depression (DASS) was inversely related to the psychological wellbeing (WHOQOL-BREF). Finally, stress, anxiety and depression (DASS) mediate the relationships between job demand and social support (JCQ) to the 4 factors of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion These findings suggest that higher social support increases the self-reported quality of life of these workers. Higher job control increases the social relationships, whilst higher job demand increases the self-perceived stress and decreases the self-perceived quality of life related to environmental factors. The mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress on the relationship between working conditions and perceived quality of life in automotive workers should be taken into account in managing stress amongst these workers. PMID:18254966

Working conditions, self-perceived stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life: a structural equation modelling approach.

PubMed

Rusli, Bin Nordin; Edimansyah, Bin Abdin; Naing, Lin

2008-02-06

The relationships between working conditions [job demand, job control and social support]; stress, anxiety, and depression; and perceived quality of life factors [physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships and environmental conditions] were assessed using a sample of 698 male automotive assembly workers in Malaysia. The validated Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) were used. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was applied to test the structural relationships of the model using AMOS version 6.0, with the maximum likelihood ratio as the method of estimation. The results of the SEM supported the hypothesized structural model (chi2 = 22.801, df = 19, p = 0.246). The final model shows that social support (JCQ) was directly related to all 4 factors of the WHOQOL-BREF and inversely related to depression and stress (DASS). Job demand (JCQ) was directly related to stress (DASS) and inversely related to the environmental conditions (WHOQOL-BREF). Job control (JCQ) was directly related to social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Stress (DASS) was directly related to anxiety and depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health, environment conditions and social relationships (WHOQOL-BREF). Anxiety (DASS) was directly related to depression (DASS) and inversely related to physical health (WHOQOL-BREF). Depression (DASS) was inversely related to the psychological wellbeing (WHOQOL-BREF). Finally, stress, anxiety and depression (DASS) mediate the relationships between job demand and social support (JCQ) to the 4 factors of WHOQOL-BREF. These findings suggest that higher social support increases the self-reported quality of life of these workers. Higher job control increases the social relationships, whilst higher job demand increases the self-perceived stress and decreases the self-perceived quality of life related to environmental factors. The mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress on the relationship between working conditions and perceived quality of life in automotive workers should be taken into account in managing stress amongst these workers.

Protective Factors for Youth Exposed to Violence in Their Communities: A Review of Family, School, and Community Moderators.

PubMed

Ozer, Emily J; Lavi, Iris; Douglas, Laura; Wolf, Jennifer Price

2017-01-01

This review provides a comprehensive investigation of the pattern and strength of findings in the literature regarding the environmental moderators of the relationship between exposure to community violence and mental health among children and adolescents. Twenty-nine studies met criteria for inclusion in our analysis of family, school, and community variables as moderators. Dependent variables included internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder) and externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression, substance use). Effect sizes for the interactions of exposure to violence and potential moderators were summarized by their patterns of protective processes. The majority of studies in the literature examined family characteristics as moderators of the exposure to violence-symptom relationship, rather than school- or community-level factors. Our results indicated more consistent patterns for (a) close family relationships and social support for internalizing symptoms and (b) close family relationships for externalizing symptoms. Overall, the most common type of protective pattern was protective-stabilizing, in which youth with higher levels of the environmental attribute demonstrate relative stability in mental health despite exposure to violence. We found no consistent evidence that parental monitoring-a dimension inversely associated with exposure to violence in prior studies-moderated the relationship between exposure to violence and symptoms. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening family support for young people's exposure to community violence; more research is needed to provide a solid evidence base for the role of school and community-level protective factors for youth exposed to violence.

Emerging correlations between measures of population well-being, suicide and homicide: a look at global and Australian data.

PubMed

Lee, Adrian Ys; Pridmore, Saxby

2014-04-01

Our aim was (1) to examine global and Australian data with a view to determining the presence of an inverse relationship between suicide and homicide rates, and (2) to examine global Human Development Index (HDI) values and suicide and homicide rates, with a view to determining any statistical relationship. Suicide and homicide rates and HDI values were available for 102 countries, and suicide and homicide rates were available for the states and territories of Australia. The three data sets had non-normal distributions, and the non-parametric Spearman's ρ was used for correlation statistics with α = 0.05. We found a weak, statistically significant inverse relationship between the suicide and homicide rates of 102 countries (ρ = -0.244, p = 0.014). No relationship was established for the Australian values, however. As anticipated, we found a significant negative correlation between homicide and HDI values. We unexpectedly demonstrated a positive correlation between suicide rates and HDI values. The notion that suicide and homicide have an inverse relationship now has some scientific support; but additional research is warranted to characterise and explain this relationship. The unexpected finding of a positive correlation between suicide rates and HDI values requires further examination.

Killing Barney Fife: Law Enforcements Socially Constructed Perception of Violence and its Influence on Police Militarization

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

then examines the correlation between violence and police militarization. A statistical analysis of crime data found an inverse relationship between...violence and police militarization. A statistical analysis of crime data found an inverse relationship between levels of reported violence and...events. The research then focused on the correlation between violence and police militarization. The research began with a detailed statistical

White Matter Integrity, Creativity, and Psychopathology: Disentangling Constructs with Diffusion Tensor Imaging

PubMed Central

Jung, Rex E.; Grazioplene, Rachael; Caprihan, Arvind; Chavez, Robert S.; Haier, Richard J.

2010-01-01

That creativity and psychopathology are somehow linked remains a popular but controversial idea in neuroscience research. Brain regions implicated in both psychosis-proneness and creative cognition include frontal projection zones and association fibers. In normal subjects, we have previously demonstrated that a composite measure of divergent thinking (DT) ability exhibited significant inverse relationships in frontal lobe areas with both cortical thickness and metabolite concentration of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA). These findings support the idea that creativity may reside upon a continuum with psychopathology. Here we examine whether white matter integrity, assessed by Fractional Anisotropy (FA), is related to two measures of creativity (Divergent Thinking and Openness to Experience). Based on previous findings, we hypothesize inverse correlations within fronto-striatal circuits. Seventy-two healthy, young adult (18–29 years) subjects were scanned on a 3 Tesla scanner with Diffusion Tensor Imaging. DT measures were scored by four raters (α = .81) using the Consensual Assessment Technique, from which a composite creativity index (CCI) was derived. We found that the CCI was significantly inversely related to FA within the left inferior frontal white matter (t = 5.36, p = .01), and Openness was inversely related to FA within the right inferior frontal white matter (t = 4.61, p = .04). These findings demonstrate an apparent overlap in specific white matter architecture underlying the normal variance of divergent thinking, openness, and psychotic-spectrum traits, consistent with the idea of a continuum. PMID:20339554

Organic petrology and coalbed gas content, Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene), northern Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hackley, Paul C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Breland, F. Clayton

2007-01-01

Wilcox Group (Paleocene–Eocene) coal and carbonaceous shale samples collected from four coalbed methane test wells in northern Louisiana were characterized through an integrated analytical program. Organic petrographic analyses, gas desorption and adsorption isotherm measurements, and proximate–ultimate analyses were conducted to provide insight into conditions of peat deposition and the relationships between coal composition, rank, and coalbed gas storage characteristics. The results of petrographic analyses indicate that woody precursor materials were more abundant in stratigraphically higher coal zones in one of the CBM wells, consistent with progradation of a deltaic depositional system (Holly Springs delta complex) into the Gulf of Mexico during the Paleocene–Eocene. Comparison of petrographic analyses with gas desorption measurements suggests that there is not a direct relationship between coal type (sensu maceral composition) and coalbed gas storage. Moisture, as a function of coal rank (lignite–subbituminous A), exhibits an inverse relationship with measured gas content. This result may be due to higher moisture content competing for adsorption space with coalbed gas in shallower, lower rank samples. Shallower (< 600 m) coal samples consistently are undersaturated with respect to CH4 adsorption isotherms; deeper (> 600 m) coal samples containing less moisture range from under- to oversaturated with respect to their CH4adsorption capacity.

Optical property measurement from layered biological media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Matthew R.

1998-12-01

Near infrared (NIR) photon reflectance spectroscopy is applied to measurement of blood concentration and its oxygen saturation within biological tissue. The measurement relies upon the changes in photon absorption of hemoglobin in the tissue as changes occur in the hemoglobin concentration and oxygen content. In the present study, NIR light is introduced at the skin surface and the optical properties (absorption and scattering) within the underlying tissue are determined from the resulting surface reflectance. Typically the tissue is modeled as a homogeneous mixture of bloodless tissue and blood, and the model incorporates the physical relationship between the surface reflectance and the optical properties of the tissue. The skin and underlying tissue, although heterogeneous, have a characteristic layered structure. These layers can be differentiated optically. The modeling and the inverse problem of measuring the optical properties in each of the tissue layers from the surface reflectance have been the subject of much attention by a number of investigators. Nonetheless, quantification of the relationship between surface reflectance and the optical properties of layered tissue has not been well understood nor well described. In the forward problem, tissue optical properties yield surface reflectance profiles (SRPs). Surface reflectance profiles, or SRPs, from diffusive media consisting of two layers are calculated using numerical solutions to the Boltzmann equation. Experimental SRPs are also measured in vitro from a test medium and in vivo from the calf of human subjects. This study provides a new approach to solving the inverse problem of determining optical properties from SRPs. To solve the inverse problem, an effective diffusion constant (Ke) is determined for the layered media. The Ke is the diffusion constant of an equivalent homogeneous medium which best fits the SRP of the layered medium. The departure from Ke of the SRP for a layered media is captured concisely, and Ke becomes a tool in describing the layered optical properties. This approach is applied clinically to measure changes in the blood concentration and oxygenation measured in vivo from normals and patients with peripheral vascular disease. A significant finding from the modeling was to identify the functional relationship of Ke to the top and lower layer diffusion constants, and the top layer thickness. When applied to in vitro measurements from media containing homogeneous layers with known optical properties, this functional relationship predicted Ke within the 95% confidence interval of the measured Ke. For the in vivo measurements, changes in K e with exercise are consistent with expected exercise physiology. With the incorporation of the known optical absorbance of hemoglobin in the presence of oxygen, the SRPs provide a means to measure the oxygen saturation of a deep tissue layer from the surface light reflectance.

Eikonal-Based Inversion of GPR Data from the Vaucluse Karst Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yedlin, M. J.; van Vorst, D.; Guglielmi, Y.; Cappa, F.; Gaffet, S.

2009-12-01

In this paper, we present an easy-to-implement eikonal-based travel time inversion algorithm and apply it to borehole GPR measurement data obtained from a karst aquifer located in the Vaucluse in Provence. The boreholes are situated with a fault zone deep inside the aquifer, in the Laboratoire Souterrain à Bas Bruit (LSBB). The measurements were made using 250 MHz MALA RAMAC borehole GPR antennas. The inversion formulation is unique in its application of a fast-sweeping eikonal solver (Zhao [1]) to the minimization of an objective functional that is composed of a travel time misfit and a model-based regularization [2]. The solver is robust in the presence of large velocity contrasts, efficient, easy to implement, and does not require the use of a sorting algorithm. The computation of sensitivities, which are required for the inversion process, is achieved by tracing rays backward from receiver to source following the gradient of the travel time field [2]. A user wishing to implement this algorithm can opt to avoid the ray tracing step and simply perturb the model to obtain the required sensitivities. Despite the obvious computational inefficiency of such an approach, it is acceptable for 2D problems. The relationship between travel time and the velocity profile is non-linear, requiring an iterative approach to be used. At each iteration, a set of matrix equations is solved to determine the model update. As the inversion continues, the weighting of the regularization parameter is adjusted until an appropriate data misfit is obtained. The inversion results, shown in the attached image, are consistent with previously obtained geological structure. Future work will look at improving inversion resolution and incorporating other measurement methodologies, with the goal of providing useful data for groundwater analysis. References: [1] H. Zhao, “A fast sweeping method for Eikonal equations,” Mathematics of Computation, vol. 74, no. 250, pp. 603-627, 2004. [2] D. Aldridge and D. Oldenburg, “Two-dimensional tomographic inversion with finite-difference traveltimes,” Journal of Seismic Exploration, vol. 2, pp. 257-274, 1993. Recovered Permittivity Profiles

Quantifying the Uncertainties and Multi-parameter Trade-offs in Joint Inversion of Receiver Functions and Surface Wave Velocity and Ellipticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, C.; Lekic, V.

2016-12-01

When constraining the structure of the Earth's continental lithosphere, multiple seismic observables are often combined due to their complementary sensitivities.The transdimensional Bayesian (TB) approach in seismic inversion allows model parameter uncertainties and trade-offs to be quantified with few assumptions. TB sampling yields an adaptive parameterization that enables simultaneous inversion for different model parameters (Vp, Vs, density, radial anisotropy), without the need for strong prior information or regularization. We use a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rjMcMC) algorithm to incorporate different seismic observables - surface wave dispersion (SWD), Rayleigh wave ellipticity (ZH ratio), and receiver functions - into the inversion for the profiles of shear velocity (Vs), compressional velocity (Vp), density (ρ), and radial anisotropy (ξ) beneath a seismic station. By analyzing all three data types individually and together, we show that TB sampling can eliminate the need for a fixed parameterization based on prior information, and reduce trade-offs in model estimates. We then explore the effect of different types of misfit functions for receiver function inversion, which is a highly non-unique problem. We compare the synthetic inversion results using the L2 norm, cross-correlation type and integral type misfit function by their convergence rates and retrieved seismic structures. In inversions in which only one type of model parameter (Vs for the case of SWD) is inverted, assumed scaling relationships are often applied to account for sensitivity to other model parameters (e.g. Vp, ρ, ξ). Here we show that under a TB framework, we can eliminate scaling assumptions, while simultaneously constraining multiple model parameters to varying degrees. Furthermore, we compare the performance of TB inversion when different types of model parameters either share the same or use independent parameterizations. We show that different parameterizations can lead to differences in retrieved model parameters, consistent with limited data constraints. We then quantitatively examine the model parameter trade-offs and find that trade-offs between Vp and radial anisotropy might limit our ability to constrain shallow-layer radial anisotropy using current seismic observables.

Dietary total antioxidant capacity is related to glucose tolerance in older people: the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.

PubMed

Okubo, H; Syddall, H E; Phillips, D I W; Sayer, A A; Dennison, E M; Cooper, C; Robinson, S M

2014-03-01

Dietary antioxidants may play a protective role in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes. However, observational studies that examine the relationship between the antioxidant capacity of the diet and glucose metabolism are limited, particularly in older people. We aimed to examine the relationships between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and markers of glucose metabolism among 1441 men and 1253 women aged 59-73 years who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, UK. Diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Dietary TAC was estimated using published databases of TAC measured by four different assays: oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Fasting and 120-min plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured during a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. In men, dietary TAC estimated by all four assays was inversely associated with fasting insulin concentration and homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR); with the exception of ORAC, dietary TAC was also inversely related to 120-min glucose concentration. There were no associations with fasting glucose or 120-min insulin concentrations. In women, with the exception of the association between ORAC and 120-min insulin concentration, dietary TAC estimated by all assays showed consistent inverse associations with fasting and 120-min glucose and insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR. These associations were more marked among women with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2). These findings suggest dietary TAC may have important protective effects on glucose tolerance, especially in older obese women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neurocognition, Insight into Illness and Subjective Quality-of-Life in Schizophrenia: What is Their Relationship?

PubMed Central

Kurtz, Matthew M.; Tolman, Arielle

2010-01-01

Subjective quality-of-life (SQOL) has been recognized as a crucial domain of outcome in schizophrenia treatment, and yet its determinants are not well understood. In a recent meta-analytic investigation of 10 studies of neurocognition and SQOL in schizophrenia (Tolman & Kurtz, Scz Bull, in press) measures of crystallized verbal ability and processing speed were moderately negatively correlated with SQOL. One potential explanation for inverse relationships between measures of elementary neurocognition and SQOL is that higher levels of cognition may serve as a proxy for better insight into the illness, and better consequent recognition of illness-related functional impairment. This study sought to determine whether: (1) symptoms, neurocognitive variables, and insight into illness influence SQOL; and, (2) whether insight mediated or moderated a relationship between elementary neurocognitive function and SQOL. Seventy-one stabilized clients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were administered a neuropsychological test battery, symptom and subjective quality-of-life measures. Elementary neuropsychological measures of crystallized verbal ability, attention and working memory, and problem-solving were all inversely related to SQOL. Insight into illness and depression severity, but not positive and negative symptoms, were also inversely related to SQOL. Insight was not found to mediate or moderate any of the relationships between elementary neurocognition and SQOL. Taken together, these findings suggest that neurocognition and insight into illness have inverse relationships to SQOL and that elementary neurocognition does not influence SQOL through its link with illness insight. PMID:21211943

First metatarsophalangeal joint motion in Homo sapiens: theoretical association of two-axis kinematics and specific morphometrics.

PubMed

Durrant, Michael N; McElroy, Tucker; Durrant, Lara

2012-01-01

The metatarsal head and proximal phalanx exhibit considerable asymmetry in their shape and geometry, but there is little documentation in the literature regarding the prevalence of structural characteristics that occur in a given population. Although there is a considerable volume of in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrating first metatarsal inversion around its longitudinal axis with dorsiflexion, little is known regarding the applicability of specific morphometrics to these motions. Nine distinctive osseous characteristics in the metatarsal head and phalanx were selected based on their location, geometry, and perceived functional relationship to previous studies describing metatarsal motion as inversion with dorsiflexion. The prevalences of the chosen characteristics were determined in a cohort of 21 randomly selected skeletal specimens, 19 of which were provided by the anatomical preparation office at the University of California, San Diego, and two of which were in the possession of one of us (M.D.). The frequency of occurrence of each selected morphological characteristic in this sample and the relevant summary statistics confirm a strong association between the selected features and a conceptual two-axis kinematic model of the metatarsophalangeal joint. The selected morphometrics are consistent with inversion of the metatarsal around its longitudinal axis as it dorsiflexes.

SORTAN: a Unix program for calculation and graphical presentation of fault slip as induced by stresses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascal, Christophe

2004-04-01

Stress inversion programs are nowadays frequently used in tectonic analysis. The purpose of this family of programs is to reconstruct the stress tensor characteristics from fault slip data acquired in the field or derived from earthquake focal mechanisms (i.e. inverse methods). Until now, little attention has been paid to direct methods (i.e. to determine fault slip directions from an inferred stress tensor). During the 1990s, the fast increase in resolution in 3D seismic reflection techniques made it possible to determine the geometry of subsurface faults with a satisfactory accuracy but not to determine precisely their kinematics. This recent improvement allows the use of direct methods. A computer program, namely SORTAN, is introduced. The program is highly portable on Unix platforms, straightforward to install and user-friendly. The computation is based on classical stress-fault slip relationships and allows for fast treatment of a set of faults and graphical presentation of the results (i.e. slip directions). In addition, the SORTAN program permits one to test the sensitivity of the results to input uncertainties. It is a complementary tool to classical stress inversion methods and can be used to check the mechanical consistency and the limits of structural interpretations based upon 3D seismic reflection surveys.

[Bare Soil Moisture Inversion Model Based on Visible-Shortwave Infrared Reflectance].

PubMed

Zheng, Xiao-po; Sun, Yue-jun; Qin, Qi-ming; Ren, Hua-zhong; Gao, Zhong-ling; Wu, Ling; Meng, Qing-ye; Wang, Jin-liang; Wang, Jian-hua

2015-08-01

Soil is the loose solum of land surface that can support plants. It consists of minerals, organics, atmosphere, moisture, microbes, et al. Among its complex compositions, soil moisture varies greatly. Therefore, the fast and accurate inversion of soil moisture by using remote sensing is very crucial. In order to reduce the influence of soil type on the retrieval of soil moisture, this paper proposed a normalized spectral slope and absorption index named NSSAI to estimate soil moisture. The modeling of the new index contains several key steps: Firstly, soil samples with different moisture level were artificially prepared, and soil reflectance spectra was consequently measured using spectroradiometer produced by ASD Company. Secondly, the moisture absorption spectral feature located at shortwave wavelengths and the spectral slope of visible wavelengths were calculated after analyzing the regular spectral feature change patterns of different soil at different moisture conditions. Then advantages of the two features at reducing soil types' effects was synthesized to build the NSSAI. Thirdly, a linear relationship between NSSAI and soil moisture was established. The result showed that NSSAI worked better (correlation coefficient is 0.93) than most of other traditional methods in soil moisture extraction. It can weaken the influences caused by soil types at different moisture levels and improve the bare soil moisture inversion accuracy.

Velocity Structure of the Iran Region Using Seismic and Gravity Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syracuse, E. M.; Maceira, M.; Phillips, W. S.; Begnaud, M. L.; Nippress, S. E. J.; Bergman, E.; Zhang, H.

2015-12-01

We present a 3D Vp and Vs model of Iran generated using a joint inversion of body wave travel times, Rayleigh wave dispersion curves, and high-wavenumber filtered Bouguer gravity observations. Our work has two main goals: 1) To better understand the tectonics of a prominent example of continental collision, and 2) To assess the improvements in earthquake location possible as a result of joint inversion. The body wave dataset is mainly derived from previous work on location calibration and includes the first-arrival P and S phases of 2500 earthquakes whose initial locations qualify as GT25 or better. The surface wave dataset consists of Rayleigh wave group velocity measurements for regional earthquakes, which are inverted for a suite of period-dependent Rayleigh wave velocity maps prior to inclusion in the joint inversion for body wave velocities. We use gravity anomalies derived from the global gravity model EGM2008. To avoid mapping broad, possibly dynamic features in the gravity field intovariations in density and body wave velocity, we apply a high-pass wavenumber filter to the gravity measurements. We use a simple, approximate relationship between density and velocity so that the three datasets may be combined in a single inversion. The final optimized 3D Vp and Vs model allows us to explore how multi-parameter tomography addresses crustal heterogeneities in areas of limited coverage and improves travel time predictions. We compare earthquake locations from our models to independent locations obtained from InSAR analysis to assess the improvement in locations derived in a joint-inversion model in comparison to those derived in a more traditional body-wave-only velocity model.

Interrelationships of adult attachment orientations, health status and worrying among fibromyalgia patients.

PubMed

Oliveira, Paula; Costa, Maria Emilía

2009-11-01

This study examined associations between adult attachment dimensions, perceived health status and worrying (coping strategy with chronic pain), and explored whether worrying mediated observed relationships between attachment dimensions and health outcomes within a sample of 128 Portuguese female fibromyalgia patients. Physical health status was inversely correlated with dependence and worrying; mental health status was positively correlated with trust, and inversely related to attachment-related ambivalence, dependence and worrying. Finally, worrying mediated relationships between dependence and both physical and mental health status; moreover, worrying partially mediated the relationship between ambivalence and mental health status. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Alzheimer's disease: the amyloid hypothesis and the Inverse Warburg effect

PubMed Central

Demetrius, Lloyd A.; Magistretti, Pierre J.; Pellerin, Luc

2014-01-01

Epidemiological and biochemical studies show that the sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are characterized by the following hallmarks: (a) An exponential increase with age; (b) Selective neuronal vulnerability; (c) Inverse cancer comorbidity. The present article appeals to these hallmarks to evaluate and contrast two competing models of AD: the amyloid hypothesis (a neuron-centric mechanism) and the Inverse Warburg hypothesis (a neuron-astrocytic mechanism). We show that these three hallmarks of AD conflict with the amyloid hypothesis, but are consistent with the Inverse Warburg hypothesis, a bioenergetic model which postulates that AD is the result of a cascade of three events—mitochondrial dysregulation, metabolic reprogramming (the Inverse Warburg effect), and natural selection. We also provide an explanation for the failures of the clinical trials based on amyloid immunization, and we propose a new class of therapeutic strategies consistent with the neuroenergetic selection model. PMID:25642192

In vitro immune functions in thiamine-replete and -depleted lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush).

PubMed

Ottinger, Christopher A; Honeyfield, Dale C; Densmore, Christine L; Iwanowicz, Luke R

2014-05-01

In this study we examined the impacts of in vivo thiamine deficiency on lake trout leukocyte function measured in vitro. When compared outside the context of individual-specific thiamine concentrations no significant differences were observed in leukocyte bactericidal activity or in concanavalin A (Con A), and phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) stimulated leukocyte proliferation. Placing immune functions into context with the ratio of in vivo liver thiamine monophosphate (TMP--biologically inactive form) to thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP--biologically active form) proved to be the best indicator of thiamine depletion impacts as determined using regression modeling. These observed relationships indicated differential effects on the immune measures with bactericidal activity exhibiting an inverse relationship with TMP to TPP ratios, Con A stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting a positive relationship with TMP to TPP ratios and PHA-P stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting no significant relationships. In addition, these relationships showed considerable complexity which included the consistent observation of a thiamine-replete subgroup with characteristics similar to those seen in the leukocytes from thiamine-depleted fish. When considered together, our observations indicate that lake trout leukocytes experience cell-type specific impacts as well as an altered physiologic environment when confronted with a thiamine-limited state. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

In vitro immune functions in thiamine-replete and -depleted lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ottinger, Christopher A.; Honeyfield, Dale C.; Densmore, Christine L.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.

2014-01-01

In this study we examined the impacts of in vivo thiamine deficiency on lake trout leukocyte function measured in vitro. When compared outside the context of individual-specific thiamine concentrations no significant differences were observed in leukocyte bactericidal activity or in concanavalin A (Con A), and phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) stimulated leukocyte proliferation. Placing immune functions into context with the ratio of in vivo liver thiamine monophosphate (TMP – biologically inactive form) to thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP – biologically active form) proved to be the best indicator of thiamine depletion impacts as determined using regression modeling. These observed relationships indicated differential effects on the immune measures with bactericidal activity exhibiting an inverse relationship with TMP to TPP ratios, Con A stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting a positive relationship with TMP to TPP ratios and PHA-P stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting no significant relationships. In addition, these relationships showed considerable complexity which included the consistent observation of a thiamine-replete subgroup with characteristics similar to those seen in the leukocytes from thiamine-depleted fish. When considered together, our observations indicate that lake trout leukocytes experience cell-type specific impacts as well as an altered physiologic environment when confronted with a thiamine-limited state.

Understanding the Relationship Between PTSD and Social Support: The Role of Negative Network Orientation

PubMed Central

Clapp, Joshua D.; Beck, J. Gayle

2009-01-01

Network orientation is conceptualized as an individual’s attitudes and expectations regarding the usefulness of support networks in coping with stress. The present research examined the potential for network orientation to explicate the well documented association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attenuated social support. Data collected from survivors of serious motor vehicle trauma (N = 458) were used to test the hypothesis that severity of PTSD would hold a significant indirect relationship with social support through negative network orientation. Childhood victimization and elapsed time from the accident were examined as potential moderators of this indirect relationship. Consistent with hypotheses, path analyses demonstrated a significant indirect relationship between PTSD and social support through negative network orientation. Specifically, this indirect effect was the result of a direct association between PTSD severity and negative network orientation and an inverse association between negative network orientation and social support. This pattern of relationships was invariant across mode of PTSD assessment (interview vs. self-report). No moderation effects were noted. These data suggest that network orientation may be an important factor in understanding interface of interpersonal processes and posttrauma pathology. PMID:19162260

Estimating Discharge, Depth and Bottom Friction in Sand Bed Rivers Using Surface Currents and Water Surface Elevation Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeonov, J.; Czapiga, M. J.; Holland, K. T.

2017-12-01

We developed an inversion model for river bathymetry estimation using measurements of surface currents, water surface elevation slope and shoreline position. The inversion scheme is based on explicit velocity-depth and velocity-slope relationships derived from the along-channel momentum balance and mass conservation. The velocity-depth relationship requires the discharge value to quantitatively relate the depth to the measured velocity field. The ratio of the discharge and the bottom friction enter as a coefficient in the velocity-slope relationship and is determined by minimizing the difference between the predicted and the measured streamwise variation of the total head. Completing the inversion requires an estimate of the bulk friction, which in the case of sand bed rivers is a strong function of the size of dune bedforms. We explored the accuracy of existing and new empirical closures that relate the bulk roughness to parameters such as the median grain size diameter, ratio of shear velocity to sediment fall velocity or the Froude number. For given roughness parameterization, the inversion solution is determined iteratively since the hydraulic roughness depends on the unknown depth. We first test the new hydraulic roughness parameterization using estimates of the Manning roughness in sand bed rivers based on field measurements. The coupled inversion and roughness model is then tested using in situ and remote sensing measurements of the Kootenai River east of Bonners Ferry, ID.

Flow effects in a vertical CVD reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, G. W.; Hariharan, S. I.; Carnahan, R.

1992-01-01

A model is presented to simulate the non-Boussinesq flow in a vertical, two-dimensional, chemical vapor deposition reactor under atmospheric pressure. Temperature-dependent conductivity, mass diffusivity, viscosity models, and reactive species mass transfer to the substrate are incorporated. In the limits of small Mach number and small aspect ratio, asymptotic expressions for the flow, temperature, and species fields are developed. Soret diffusion effects are also investigated. Analytical solutions predict an inverse relationship between temperature field and concentration field due to Soret effects. This finding is consistent with numerical simulations, assisting in the understanding of the complex interactions amongst the flow, thermal, and species fields in a chemically reacting system.

Impact of managed care on cancer trial enrollment.

PubMed

Gross, C P; Krumholz, H M

2005-06-01

To determine the relationship between managed care market activity and cancer trial enrollment. Trial participant data were obtained from the National Cancer Institute. Participants in cooperative group trials of breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer during the years 1996 through 2001 were assigned to counties based on their zip code of residence. Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between county enrollment rate and two measures of county managed care activity (penetration and index of competition [IOC]), adjusting for other county characteristics. In bivariate analysis, there was a strong inverse correlation between trial enrollment rate and IOC (r = -0.23; P < .001) as well as the proportion of the population uninsured (-0.31; P < .001) and the percentage below poverty (-0.16; P < .001). In the multivariate model, greater county managed care competition (IOC) was inversely related to trial enrollment rate (P < .008 for comparison of each quartile v lowest quartile) after accounting for managed care penetration, proportion uninsured, and other county characteristics. Counties in the lowest quartile of managed care penetration tended to have lower enrollment rates than the remaining counties (r = -0.05; P = .048), while counties in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of penetration all had similar enrollment rates to one another. Cancer trial enrollment rates were suboptimal across all counties, and counties with higher levels of managed care competition had significantly lower enrollment rates. The relationship between managed care penetration and trial enrollment was less consistent. Future efforts to enhance trial participation should address the potential negative influence of market factors.

Association between Parkinson’s Disease and Cigarette Smoking, Rural Living, Well-Water Consumption, Farming and Pesticide Use: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Breckenridge, Charles B.; Berry, Colin; Chang, Ellen T.; Sielken, Robert L.; Mandel, Jack S.

2016-01-01

Objective Bradford Hill’s viewpoints were used to conduct a weight-of-the-evidence assessment of the association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and rural living, farming and pesticide use. The results were compared with an assessment based upon meta-analysis. For comparison, we also evaluated the association between PD and cigarette smoking as a “positive control” because a strong inverse association has been described consistently in the literature. Methods PubMed was searched systematically to identify all published epidemiological studies that evaluated associations between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and cigarette smoking, rural living, well-water consumption, farming and the use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or paraquat. Studies were categorized into two study quality groups (Tier 1 or Tier 2); data were abstracted and a forest plot of relative risks (RRs) was developed for each risk factor. In addition, when available, RRs were tabulated for more highly exposed individuals compared with the unexposed. Summary RRs for each risk factor were calculated by meta-analysis of Tier 1, Tier 2 and all studies combined, with sensitivity analyses stratified by other study characteristics. Indices of between-study heterogeneity and evidence of reporting bias were assessed. Bradford Hill’s viewpoints were used to determine if a causal relationship between PD and each risk factor was supported by the weight of the evidence. Findings There was a consistent inverse (negative) association between current cigarette smoking and PD risk. In contrast, associations between PD and rural living, well-water consumption, farming and the use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or paraquat were less consistent when assessed quantitatively or qualitatively. Conclusion The weight of the evidence and meta-analysis support the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between PD risk and cigarette smoking, or some unknown factor correlated with cigarette smoking. There may be risk factors associated with rural living, farming, pesticide use or well-water consumption that are causally related to PD, but the studies to date have not identified such factors. To overcome the limitations of research in this area, future studies will have to better characterize the onset of PD and its relationship to rural living, farming and exposure to pesticides. PMID:27055126

Advanced Multivariate Inversion Techniques for High Resolution 3D Geophysical Modeling (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maceira, M.; Zhang, H.; Rowe, C. A.

2009-12-01

We focus on the development and application of advanced multivariate inversion techniques to generate a realistic, comprehensive, and high-resolution 3D model of the seismic structure of the crust and upper mantle that satisfies several independent geophysical datasets. Building on previous efforts of joint invesion using surface wave dispersion measurements, gravity data, and receiver functions, we have added a fourth dataset, seismic body wave P and S travel times, to the simultaneous joint inversion method. We present a 3D seismic velocity model of the crust and upper mantle of northwest China resulting from the simultaneous, joint inversion of these four data types. Surface wave dispersion measurements are primarily sensitive to seismic shear-wave velocities, but at shallow depths it is difficult to obtain high-resolution velocities and to constrain the structure due to the depth-averaging of the more easily-modeled, longer-period surface waves. Gravity inversions have the greatest resolving power at shallow depths, and they provide constraints on rock density variations. Moreover, while surface wave dispersion measurements are primarily sensitive to vertical shear-wave velocity averages, body wave receiver functions are sensitive to shear-wave velocity contrasts and vertical travel-times. Addition of the fourth dataset, consisting of seismic travel-time data, helps to constrain the shear wave velocities both vertically and horizontally in the model cells crossed by the ray paths. Incorporation of both P and S body wave travel times allows us to invert for both P and S velocity structure, capitalizing on empirical relationships between both wave types’ seismic velocities with rock densities, thus eliminating the need for ad hoc assumptions regarding the Poisson ratios. Our new tomography algorithm is a modification of the Maceira and Ammon joint inversion code, in combination with the Zhang and Thurber TomoDD (double-difference tomography) program.

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

An Analysis of the Relationship Between High School Students' Tendency Toward Violence, Self-Esteem, and Competitive Attitude.

PubMed

Karayagiz Muslu, Gonca; Coşkun Cenk, Sibel; Sarlak, Deniz

2017-08-01

This study analyzes the relationship among high school students' tendencies toward violence, self-esteem, and competitive attitudes. It was conducted in Fethiye, Muğla, between September 2013 and January 2014. The population of the study consisted of 6,531 students from 11 high schools. The participants were determined using stratified random sampling, and the study data were collected from 1,600 students. A personal information form, the Violence Tendency Scale, the Competitive Attitude Scale, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Scale were used as data collection tools. In this study, the rate of the participants who were exposed to violence was 15.4%. Of them, 46.2% said that one of their family members was violent toward them, while 27.3% said that their teachers had been violent toward them. Of the participants that were exposed to violence, 55.8% reported psychological violence, 27.3% reported physical violence, and 10.8% reported sexual violence. In the study, tendency toward violence is a dependent variable, while competitive attitude and self-esteem are independent variables. Family type, exposure to violence, and demographics are control variables. Age, class, school, family attitude, and exposure to violence are the variables that created significant differences in the tendency for violence. The present study showed that there was an inverse and weak yet significant relationship between the students' tendencies toward violence and competitiveness ( r = -.169), and a positive and weak relationship between tendency toward violence and self-esteem ( r = .238). Also, there was an inverse and low-level significant relationship between competitiveness and self-esteem ( r = -.121). The variables which affect the tendency toward violence are gender, exposure to violence, competitiveness, age, self-esteem, and extended family type in a descending order regarding their importance. The predictive power of the variables on the tendency toward violence was 16.8%, which is not statistically significant.

The Genetic Content of Chromosomal Inversions across a Wide Latitudinal Gradient

PubMed Central

Simões, Pedro; Calabria, Gemma; Picão-Osório, João; Balanyà, Joan; Pascual, Marta

2012-01-01

There is increasing evidence regarding the role of chromosomal inversions in relevant biological processes such as local adaptation and speciation. A classic example of the adaptive role of chromosomal polymorphisms is given by the clines of inversion frequencies in Drosophila subobscura, repeatable across continents. Nevertheless, not much is known about the molecular variation associated with these polymorphisms. We characterized the genetic content of ca. 600 individuals from nine European populations following a latitudinal gradient by analysing 19 microsatellite loci from two autosomes (J and U) and the sex chromosome (A), taking into account their chromosomal inversions. Our results clearly demonstrate the molecular genetic uniformity within a given chromosomal inversion across a large latitudinal gradient, particularly from Groningen (Netherlands) in the north to Málaga (Spain) in the south, experiencing highly diverse environmental conditions. This low genetic differentiation within the same gene arrangement across the nine European populations is consistent with the local adaptation hypothesis for th evolutionof chromosomal polymorphisms. We also show the effective role of chromosomal inversions in maintaining different genetic pools within these inverted genomic regions even in the presence of high gene flow. Inversions represent thus an important barrier to gene flux and can help maintain specific allelic combinations with positive effects on fitness. Consistent patterns of microsatellite allele-inversion linkage disequilibrium particularly in loci within inversions were also observed. Finally, we identified areas within inversions presenting clinal variation that might be under selection. PMID:23272126

Social support and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women: a secondary analysis.

PubMed

Aktan, Nadine M

2012-05-01

The purpose of study was to examine relationships between social support and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women. Hypotheses were that there will be an inverse relationship between social support and anxiety in pregnancy and the postpartum. The sample consisted of 177 women. The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) 85-Part 2 and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used. The STAI demonstrated coefficient alphas from 0.90 to 0.93; 0.87 and 0.93 for the PRQ. All five hypotheses were supported--social support and state anxiety in pregnancy (r = -.308, p = .000) and trait anxiety (r = -.420, p = .000) and postpartum (r = -.497, p = .000) and social support and state anxiety in the postpartum (r = -.375, p = .000) and trait anxiety (r = -.276, p = .013). Findings are relevant to advance nursing theory, science, and practice. Nurses must understand these complex processes to effectively intervene.

Power spectra of geoid undulations. [definition of altimeter design requirements for geoid recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. D.

1975-01-01

Data from spacecraft altimeters are expected to contribute to an improved determination of the marine geoid. To better define altimeter system design requirements for geoid recovery, amplitudes of geoid undulations at short wavelengths were examined. Models of detailed geoids in selected areas around the earth, developed from a combination of satellite derived spherical harmonics and 1 deg-by-1 deg area mean free-air gravity anomalies, were subjected to a spectral analysis. The resulting undulation power spectra were compared to existing estimates for the magnitude of geoid undulations at short wavelengths. The undulation spectra were found to be consistent with Kaula's rule of thumb, following an inverse third power relationship with spatial frequency for wavelengths at least as small as 300 km. The requirements imposed by this relationship on altimeter accuracy, data rate, and horizontal resolution to meet the goal of a detailed geoid description are discussed.

Factors affecting minority population proximity to hazardous facilities

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

Nieves, L.A.; Nieves, A.L.

1995-04-01

Disproportionate exposure of minority groups to environmental hazards has been attributed to ``environmental racism`` by some authors, without systematic investigation of the factors underlying this exposure pattern. This study examines regional differences in the proximity of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and non-Hispanic Whites to a broad range of facility types and explores the effects of urban and income factors. A statistically significant inverse relationship is found between the percentage of non-Hispanic Whites and virtually all facility categories in all regions. Except for Hispanics in the South, all such associations for minority groups show a direct relationship, though some are nonsignificant. Themore » geographic concentration of facilities is more closely tied to urbanization than to economic factors. Controlling for both urban and economic factors, minority population concentration is still a significant explanatory variable for some facility types in some regions. This finding is most consistent for African-Americans.« less

A meta-analytic review of the relationship of cancer coping self-efficacy with distress and quality of life

PubMed Central

Chirico, Andrea; Lucidi, Fabio; Merluzzi, Thomas; Alivernini, Fabio; De Laurentiis, Michelino; Botti, Gerardo; Giordano, Antonio

2017-01-01

Self-efficacy for coping with cancer is a specific construct that refers to behaviors that occur in the course of dealing with a cancer diagnosis, cancer treatments, and transitioning to survivorship. One of the more widely used measures of self-efficacy for coping strategies with cancer is the Cancer Behavior Inventory. The following general questions provide a framework for this research: 1. Is self-efficacy for coping with cancer related to distress and quality of life of a cancer patient?. 2. Do self-efficacy for coping with cancer and the target psychological outcomes (i.e., distress and quality of life) change in longitudinal studies, with or without intervention? One-hundred eighty studies cited the different versions of the Cancer Behavior Inventory and 47 used the scale. Result showed an inverse relationship between self-efficacy for coping with cancer and distress, and a positive relationship between self-efficacy for coping with cancer and Quality of Life, both with a large effect size. The strong relationship of self-efficacy and outcomes, resulted of the specificity of the instrument, which targets specific coping strategies that are closely aligned with positive outcomes in adjusting to cancer. However, the results are consistent with the theory, which states that compared to those with low efficacy, highly efficacious people demonstrate less anxiety and better adjustment in stressful situations and consistent with prior results in which self-efficacy is positively related to quality of life. PMID:28404938

Identifying relationships between baseflow geochemistry and land use with synoptic sampling and R-Mode factor analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wayland, Karen G.; Long, David T.; Hyndman, David W.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Woodhams, Sarah M.; Haak, Sheridan K.

2003-01-01

The relationship between land use and stream chemistry is often explored through synoptic sampling rivers at baseflow condition. However, base flow chemistry is likely to vary temporally and spatially with land use. The purpose of our study is to examine the usefulness of the synoptic sampling approach for identifying the relationship between complex land use configurations and stream water quality. This study compares biogeochemical data from three synoptic sampling events representing the temporal variability of baseflow chemistry and land use using R-mode factor analysis. Separate R-mode factor analyses of the data from individual sampling events yielded only two consistent factors. Agricultural activity was associated with elevated levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, alkalinity, and frequently K+, SO42-, and NO3-. Urban areas were associated with higher concentrations of Na+, K+, and Cl-. Other retained factors were not  consistent among sampling events, and some factors were difficult to interpret in the context of biogeochemical sources and processes. When all data were combined, further associations were revealed such as an inverse relationship between the proportion of wetlands and stream nitrate concentrations. We also found that barren lands were associated with elevated sulfate levels. This research suggests that an individual sampling event is unlikely to characterize adequately the complex processes controlling interactions between land uses and stream chemistry. Combining data collected over two years during three synoptic sampling events appears to enhance our ability to understand processes linking stream chemistry and land use.  

Genetic Algorithms Evolve Optimized Transforms for Signal Processing Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

coefficient sets describing inverse transforms and matched forward/ inverse transform pairs that consistently outperform wavelets for image compression and reconstruction applications under conditions subject to quantization error.

Age and neurodegeneration imaging biomarkers in persons with Alzheimer disease dementia

PubMed Central

Jack, Clifford R.; Wiste, Heather J.; Weigand, Stephen D.; Vemuri, Prashanthi; Lowe, Val J.; Kantarci, Kejal; Gunter, Jeffrey L.; Senjem, Matthew L.; Mielke, Michelle M.; Machulda, Mary M.; Roberts, Rosebud O.; Boeve, Bradley F.; Jones, David T.; Petersen, Ronald C.

2016-01-01

Objective: To examine neurodegenerative imaging biomarkers in Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia from middle to old age. Methods: Persons with AD dementia and elevated brain β-amyloid with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET imaging underwent [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET and structural MRI. We evaluated 3 AD-related neurodegeneration biomarkers: hippocampal volume adjusted for total intracranial volume (HVa), FDG standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) in regions of interest linked to AD, and cortical thickness in AD-related regions of interest. We examined associations of each biomarker with age and evaluated age effects on cutpoints defined by the 90th percentile in AD dementia. We assembled an age-, sex-, and intracranial volume-matched group of 194 similarly imaged clinically normal (CN) persons. Results: The 97 participants with AD dementia (aged 49–93 years) had PiB SUVR ≥1.8. A nonlinear (inverted-U) relationship between FDG SUVR and age was seen in the AD group but an inverse linear relationship with age was seen in the CN group. Cortical thickness had an inverse linear relationship with age in AD but a nonlinear (flat, then inverse linear) relationship in the CN group. HVa showed an inverse linear relationship with age in both AD and CN groups. Age effects on 90th percentile cutpoints were small for FDG SUVR and cortical thickness, but larger for HVa. Conclusions: In persons with AD dementia with elevated PiB SUVR, values of each neurodegeneration biomarker were associated with age. Cortical thickness had the smallest differences in 90th percentile cutpoints from middle to old age, and HVa the largest differences. PMID:27421543

Age and neurodegeneration imaging biomarkers in persons with Alzheimer disease dementia.

PubMed

Knopman, David S; Jack, Clifford R; Wiste, Heather J; Weigand, Stephen D; Vemuri, Prashanthi; Lowe, Val J; Kantarci, Kejal; Gunter, Jeffrey L; Senjem, Matthew L; Mielke, Michelle M; Machulda, Mary M; Roberts, Rosebud O; Boeve, Bradley F; Jones, David T; Petersen, Ronald C

2016-08-16

To examine neurodegenerative imaging biomarkers in Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia from middle to old age. Persons with AD dementia and elevated brain β-amyloid with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET imaging underwent [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET and structural MRI. We evaluated 3 AD-related neurodegeneration biomarkers: hippocampal volume adjusted for total intracranial volume (HVa), FDG standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) in regions of interest linked to AD, and cortical thickness in AD-related regions of interest. We examined associations of each biomarker with age and evaluated age effects on cutpoints defined by the 90th percentile in AD dementia. We assembled an age-, sex-, and intracranial volume-matched group of 194 similarly imaged clinically normal (CN) persons. The 97 participants with AD dementia (aged 49-93 years) had PiB SUVR ≥1.8. A nonlinear (inverted-U) relationship between FDG SUVR and age was seen in the AD group but an inverse linear relationship with age was seen in the CN group. Cortical thickness had an inverse linear relationship with age in AD but a nonlinear (flat, then inverse linear) relationship in the CN group. HVa showed an inverse linear relationship with age in both AD and CN groups. Age effects on 90th percentile cutpoints were small for FDG SUVR and cortical thickness, but larger for HVa. In persons with AD dementia with elevated PiB SUVR, values of each neurodegeneration biomarker were associated with age. Cortical thickness had the smallest differences in 90th percentile cutpoints from middle to old age, and HVa the largest differences. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

40 CFR 59.653 - How do I test portable fuel containers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... Perform the following spout actuation and inversion steps at the end on the slosh testing, and at the end of the preconditioning soak. (i) Perform one complete actuation/inversion cycle per day for ten days. (ii) One actuation/inversion cycle consists of the following steps: (A) Remove and replace the spout...

Comparison of adjoint and analytical Bayesian inversion methods for constraining Asian sources of carbon monoxide using satellite (MOPITT) measurements of CO columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopacz, Monika; Jacob, Daniel J.; Henze, Daven K.; Heald, Colette L.; Streets, David G.; Zhang, Qiang

2009-02-01

We apply the adjoint of an atmospheric chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem CTM) to constrain Asian sources of carbon monoxide (CO) with 2° × 2.5° spatial resolution using Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) satellite observations of CO columns in February-April 2001. Results are compared to the more common analytical method for solving the same Bayesian inverse problem and applied to the same data set. The analytical method is more exact but because of computational limitations it can only constrain emissions over coarse regions. We find that the correction factors to the a priori CO emission inventory from the adjoint inversion are generally consistent with those of the analytical inversion when averaged over the large regions of the latter. The adjoint solution reveals fine-scale variability (cities, political boundaries) that the analytical inversion cannot resolve, for example, in the Indian subcontinent or between Korea and Japan, and some of that variability is of opposite sign which points to large aggregation errors in the analytical solution. Upward correction factors to Chinese emissions from the prior inventory are largest in central and eastern China, consistent with a recent bottom-up revision of that inventory, although the revised inventory also sees the need for upward corrections in southern China where the adjoint and analytical inversions call for downward correction. Correction factors for biomass burning emissions derived from the adjoint and analytical inversions are consistent with a recent bottom-up inventory on the basis of MODIS satellite fire data.

Childhood sexual abuse history and role reversal in parenting.

PubMed

Alexander, P C; Teti, L; Anderson, C L

2000-06-01

This study explored the main and interactive effects of sexual abuse history and relationship satisfaction on self-reported parenting, controlling for histories of physical abuse and parental alcoholism. The community sample consisted of 90 mothers of 5- to 8-year-old children. The sample was limited to those mothers currently in an intimate relationship, 19 of whom reported a history of childhood sexual abuse. Participants completed the Child Behavior Checklist, the Parenting Stress Inventory, the Family Cohesion Index, and questions assessing parent-child role reversal, history of abuse and parental alcoholism, and current relationship satisfaction. Results of analyses and multivariate analyses of covariance suggested that sexual abuse survivors with an unsatisfactory intimate relationship were more likely than either sexual abuse survivors with a satisfactory relationship or nonabused women to endorse items on a questionnaire of role reversal (defined as emotional overdependence upon one's child). Role reversal was not significantly predicted by histories of physical abuse or parental alcoholism or child's gender. While parenting stress was inversely predicted by the significant main effect of relationship satisfaction, neither parenting stress nor child behavior problems were predicted by the main effect of sexual abuse history or by the interaction between sexual abuse history and relationship satisfaction. These results suggest the unique relevance of sexual abuse history and relationship satisfaction in the prediction of a specific type of parent-child role reversal--namely, a mother's emotional overdependence upon her child.

Frequency domain, waveform inversion of laboratory crosswell radar data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellefsen, Karl J.; Mazzella, Aldo T.; Horton, Robert J.; McKenna, Jason R.

2010-01-01

A new waveform inversion for crosswell radar is formulated in the frequency-domain for a 2.5D model. The inversion simulates radar waves using the vector Helmholtz equation for electromagnetic waves. The objective function is minimized using a backpropagation method suitable for a 2.5D model. The inversion is tested by processing crosswell radar data collected in a laboratory tank. The estimated model is consistent with the known electromagnetic properties of the tank. The formulation for the 2.5D model can be extended to inversions of acoustic and elastic data.

A Single-Expression Formula for Inverting Strain-Life and Stress-Strain Relationships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manson, S. S.; Muralidharan, U.

1981-01-01

Starting with the basic fatigue lift formula, an inversion formula is derived. The inversion formula is valid over the entire life range of engineering interest for all materials examined. Conformity between the two equations is extremely close, suitable for all engineering problems. The approach used to invert the life relation is also suitable for the inversion of other formulas involving the sum of two power-law terms.

A concept for holistic whole body MRI data analysis, Imiomics

PubMed Central

Malmberg, Filip; Johansson, Lars; Lind, Lars; Sundbom, Magnus; Ahlström, Håkan; Kullberg, Joel

2017-01-01

Purpose To present and evaluate a whole-body image analysis concept, Imiomics (imaging–omics) and an image registration method that enables Imiomics analyses by deforming all image data to a common coordinate system, so that the information in each voxel can be compared between persons or within a person over time and integrated with non-imaging data. Methods The presented image registration method utilizes relative elasticity constraints of different tissue obtained from whole-body water-fat MRI. The registration method is evaluated by inverse consistency and Dice coefficients and the Imiomics concept is evaluated by example analyses of importance for metabolic research using non-imaging parameters where we know what to expect. The example analyses include whole body imaging atlas creation, anomaly detection, and cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Results The image registration method evaluation on 128 subjects shows low inverse consistency errors and high Dice coefficients. Also, the statistical atlas with fat content intensity values shows low standard deviation values, indicating successful deformations to the common coordinate system. The example analyses show expected associations and correlations which agree with explicit measurements, and thereby illustrate the usefulness of the proposed Imiomics concept. Conclusions The registration method is well-suited for Imiomics analyses, which enable analyses of relationships to non-imaging data, e.g. clinical data, in new types of holistic targeted and untargeted big-data analysis. PMID:28241015

Technical note: Avoiding the direct inversion of the numerator relationship matrix for genotyped animals in single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction solved with the preconditioned conjugate gradient.

PubMed

Masuda, Y; Misztal, I; Legarra, A; Tsuruta, S; Lourenco, D A L; Fragomeni, B O; Aguilar, I

2017-01-01

This paper evaluates an efficient implementation to multiply the inverse of a numerator relationship matrix for genotyped animals () by a vector (). The computation is required for solving mixed model equations in single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) with the preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG). The inverse can be decomposed into sparse matrices that are blocks of the sparse inverse of a numerator relationship matrix () including genotyped animals and their ancestors. The elements of were rapidly calculated with the Henderson's rule and stored as sparse matrices in memory. Implementation of was by a series of sparse matrix-vector multiplications. Diagonal elements of , which were required as preconditioners in PCG, were approximated with a Monte Carlo method using 1,000 samples. The efficient implementation of was compared with explicit inversion of with 3 data sets including about 15,000, 81,000, and 570,000 genotyped animals selected from populations with 213,000, 8.2 million, and 10.7 million pedigree animals, respectively. The explicit inversion required 1.8 GB, 49 GB, and 2,415 GB (estimated) of memory, respectively, and 42 s, 56 min, and 13.5 d (estimated), respectively, for the computations. The efficient implementation required <1 MB, 2.9 GB, and 2.3 GB of memory, respectively, and <1 sec, 3 min, and 5 min, respectively, for setting up. Only <1 sec was required for the multiplication in each PCG iteration for any data sets. When the equations in ssGBLUP are solved with the PCG algorithm, is no longer a limiting factor in the computations.

A synthesis of studies of access point density as a risk factor for road accidents.

PubMed

Elvik, Rune

2017-10-01

Studies of the relationship between access point density (number of access points, or driveways, per kilometre of road) and accident frequency or rate (number of accidents per unit of exposure) have consistently found that accident rate increases when access point density increases. This paper presents a formal synthesis of the findings of these studies. It was found that the addition of one access point per kilometre of road is associated with an increase of 4% in the expected number of accidents, controlling for traffic volume. Although studies consistently indicate an increase in accident rate as access point density increases, the size of the increase varies substantially between studies. In addition to reviewing studies of access point density as a risk factor, the paper discusses some issues related to formally synthesising regression coefficients by applying the inverse-variance method of meta-analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Honey and Cancer: Sustainable Inverse Relationship Particularly for Developing Nations—A Review

PubMed Central

Othman, Nor Hayati

2012-01-01

Honey and cancer has a sustainable inverse relationship. Carcinogenesis is a multistep process and has multifactorial causes. Among these are low immune status, chronic infection, chronic inflammation, chronic non healing ulcers, obesity, and so forth. There is now a sizeable evidence that honey is a natural immune booster, natural anti-inflammatory agent, natural antimicrobial agent, natural cancer “vaccine,” and natural promoter for healing chronic ulcers and wounds. Though honey has substances of which the most predominant is a mixture of sugars, which itself is thought to be carcinogenic, it is understandable that its beneficial effect as anticancer agent raises skeptics. The positive scientific evidence for anticancer properties of honey is growing. The mechanism on how honey has anticancer effect is an area of great interest. Among the mechanisms suggested are inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest. Honey and cancer has sustainable inverse relationship in the setting of developing nations where resources for cancer prevention and treatment are limited. PMID:22761637

Association between adolescent tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use and individual and environmental resilience protective factors.

PubMed

Hodder, Rebecca Kate; Freund, Megan; Bowman, Jenny; Wolfenden, Luke; Gillham, Karen; Dray, Julia; Wiggers, John

2016-11-25

Research suggests that individual and environmental resilience protective factors may be associated with adolescent substance use; however, the associations between a broad range of such factors and use of various types of substances have not been examined. The study aimed to determine the association between a comprehensive range of adolescent individual and environmental resilience protective factors and measures of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substance use. Cross-sectional study. 32 Australian secondary schools. Grade 7-10 students (aged 11-17 years). Data regarding 14 student individual and environmental resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drug use) were obtained via an online self-report survey. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyses examined the association between all student resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures. Inverse univariate associations were found for 94 of 98 relationships examined (n=10 092). Multivariate analyses found: consistent inverse associations between 2 of 14 protective factors and all substance use measures ('goals and aspirations', 'prosocial peers'); inverse associations between 4 protective factors with multiple substance use measures ('home support' (5 of 7), 'school support' (3 of 7), 'self-awareness' (2 of 7), 'community meaningful participation' (2 of 7)); positive associations between 2 resilience protective factors with multiple measures of substance use ('community support' (3 of 7), 'peer caring relationships' (5 of 7)) and 6 protective factors not to be associated with any substance use measure. Despite individual relationships between the majority of resilience protective factors and substance use types, the protective benefit of such factors for adolescent substance use was limited to only a small number of such factors when considered collectively. Such results suggest that interventions seeking to reduce adolescent substance use may need to target specific protective factors to address specific types of substance use. ACTRN12611000606987, Results. 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/.

Improving the Ginkgo CO2 barometer: Implications for the early Cenozoic atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barclay, Richard S.; Wing, Scott L.

2016-04-01

Stomatal properties of fossil Ginkgo have been used widely to infer the atmospheric concentration of CO2 in the geological past (paleo-pCO2). Many of these estimates of paleo-pCO2 have relied on the inverse correlation between pCO2 and stomatal index (SI - the proportion of epidermal cells that are stomata) observed in recent Ginkgo biloba, and therefore depend on the accuracy of this relationship. The SI - pCO2 relationship in G. biloba has not been well documented, however. Here we present new measurements of SI for leaves of G. biloba that grew under pCO2 from 290 to 430 ppm. We prepared and imaged all specimens using a consistent procedure and photo-documented each count. As in prior studies, we found a significant inverse relationship between SI and pCO2, however, the relationship is more linear, has a shallower slope, and a lower correlation coefficient than previously reported. We examined leaves of G. biloba grown under pCO2 of 1500 ppm, but found they had highly variable SI and a large proportion of malformed stomata. We also measured stomatal dimensions, stomatal density, and the carbon isotope composition of G. biloba leaves in order to test a mechanistic model for inferring pCO2. This model overestimated observed pCO2, performing less well than the SI method between 290 and 430 ppm. We used our revised SI-pCO2 response curve, and new observations of selected fossils, to estimate late Cretaceous and Cenozoic pCO2 from fossil Ginkgo adiantoides. All but one of the new estimates is below 800 ppm, and together they show little long-term change in pCO2 or relation to global temperature. The low Paleogene pCO2 levels indicated by the Ginkgo SI proxy are not consistent with the high pCO2 inferred by some climate and carbon cycle models. We cannot currently resolve the discrepancy, but greater agreement between proxy data and models may come from a better understanding of the stomatal response of G. biloba to elevated pCO2, better counts and measurements of fossil Ginkgo, or models that can simulate greenhouse climates at lower pCO2.

Coffee and Tea Consumption Are Inversely Associated with Mortality in a Multiethnic Urban Population123

PubMed Central

Gardener, Hannah; Rundek, Tatjana; Wright, Clinton B.; Elkind, Mitchell S. V.; Sacco, Ralph L.

2013-01-01

Coffee and tea are commonly consumed beverages. Inverse associations with mortality have been suggested for coffee and tea, but the relationships with cause-specific mortality are not well understood. We examined regular and decaffeinated coffee and tea in relation to mortality due to all causes, vascular, nonvascular, and cancer in the multi-ethnic, prospective, population-based Northern Manhattan Study. The study population included 2461 participants with diet data who were free of stroke, myocardial infarction, and cancer at baseline (mean age 68.30 ± 10.23 y, 36% men, 19% white, 23% black, 56% Hispanic). During a mean follow-up of 11 y, we examined the associations between coffee and tea consumption, assessed by food frequency questionnaire, and 863 deaths (342 vascular related and 444 nonvascular including 160 cancer deaths) using multivariable-adjusted Cox models. Coffee consumption was inversely associated with all-cause mortality [for each additional cup/d, HR = 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.99); P = 0.02]. Caffeinated coffee was inversely associated with all-cause mortality, driven by a strong protection among those who drank ≥4 cups/d. An inverse dose-response relationship between tea and all-cause mortality was suggested [for each additional cup/d, HR = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.99); P = 0.01]. Coffee consumption ≥4/d was protective against nonvascular death [vs. <1/mo, HR = 0.57 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.97)] and tea consumption ≥2/d was protective against nonvascular death [HR = 0.63 (95% CI: 0.41, 0.95)] and cancer [HR = 0.33 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.80)]. There was a strong inverse association between coffee and vascular-related mortality among Hispanics only. Further study is needed, including investigation into the mechanisms and compounds in coffee and tea responsible for the inverse associations with mortality. The differential relationship between coffee and vascular death across race/ethnicity underscores the need for research in similar multi-ethnic cohorts including Hispanics. PMID:23784068

Connecting rules from paired miRNA and mRNA expression data sets of HCV patients to detect both inverse and positive regulatory relationships

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Intensive research based on the inverse expression relationship has been undertaken to discover the miRNA-mRNA regulatory modules involved in the infection of Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the leading cause of chronic liver diseases. However, biological studies in other fields have found that inverse expression relationship is not the only regulatory relationship between miRNAs and their targets, and some miRNAs can positively regulate a mRNA by binding at the 5' UTR of the mRNA. Results This work focuses on the detection of both inverse and positive regulatory relationships from a paired miRNA and mRNA expression data set of HCV patients through a 'change-to-change' method which can derive connected discriminatory rules. Our study uncovered many novel miRNA-mRNA regulatory modules. In particular, it was revealed that GFRA2 is positively regulated by miR-557, miR-765 and miR-17-3p that probably bind at different locations of the 5' UTR of this mRNA. The expression relationship between GFRA2 and any of these three miRNAs has not been studied before, although separate research for this gene and these miRNAs have all drawn conclusions linked to hepatocellular carcinoma. This suggests that the binding of mRNA GFRA2 with miR-557, miR-765, or miR-17-3p, or their combinations, is worthy of further investigation by experimentation. We also report another mRNA QKI which has a strong inverse expression relationship with miR-129 and miR-493-3p which may bind at the 3' UTR of QKI with a perfect sequence match. Furthermore, the interaction between hsa-miR-129-5p (previous ID: hsa-miR-129) and QKI is supported with CLIP-Seq data from starBase. Our method can be easily extended for the expression data analysis of other diseases. Conclusion Our rule discovery method is useful for integrating binding information and expression profile for identifying HCV miRNA-mRNA regulatory modules and can be applied to the study of the expression profiles of other complex human diseases. PMID:25707620

Minimal-Inversion Feedforward-And-Feedback Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun

1990-01-01

Recent developments in theory of control systems support concept of minimal-inversion feedforward-and feedback control system consisting of three independently designable control subsystems. Applicable to the control of linear, time-invariant plant.

Inversion Monophyly in African Anopheline Malaria Vectors

PubMed Central

Garcia, B. A.; Caccone, A.; Mathiopoulos, K. D.; Powell, J. R.

1996-01-01

The African Anopheles gambiae complex of six sibling species has many polymorphic and fixed paracentric inversions detectable in polytene chromosomes. These have been used to infer phylogenetic relationships as classically done with Drosophila. Two species, A. gambiae and A. merus, were thought to be sister taxa based on a shared X inversion designated X(ag). Recent DNA data have conflicted with this phylogenetic inference as they have supported a sister taxa relationship of A. gambiae and A. arabiensis. A possible explanation is that the X(ag) is not monophyletic. Here we present data from a gene (soluble guanylate cyclase) within the X(ag) that strongly supports the monophyly of the X(ag). We conjecture that introgression may be occurring between the widely sympatric species A. gambiae and A. arabiensis and that the previous DNA phylogenies have been detecting the introgression. Evidently, introgression is not uniform across the genome, and species-specific regions, like the X-chromosome inversions, do not introgress probably due to selective elimination in hybrids and backcrosses. PMID:8807303

Load Deflection of Dow Corning SE 1700 Simple Cubic Direct Ink Write Materials: Effect of Thickness and Filament Spacing

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

Small, Ward; Pearson, Mark A.; Metz, Tom R.

Dow Corning SE 1700 (reinforced polydimethylsiloxane) porous structures were made by direct ink writing (DIW) in a simple cubic (SC) configuration. The filament diameter was 250 μm. Structures consisting of 4, 8, or 12 layers were fabricated with center-to-center filament spacing (“road width” (RW)) of 475, 500, 525, 550, or 575 μm. Three compressive load-unload cycles to 2000 kPa were performed on four separate areas of each sample; three samples of each thickness and filament spacing were tested. Geometry-dependent buckling of the SC structure was evident. At a given strain during the third loading phase, stress varied inversely with porosity.more » At strains of 25% and higher, the stress varied inversely with the number of layers (i.e., thickness); however, the relationship between stress and number of layers was more complex at lower strains. Intra-and inter-sample variability of the load deflection response was higher for thinner and less porous structures.« less

Inverse association between CSF Aβ 42 levels and years of education in mild form of Alzheimer's disease: the cognitive reserve theory.

PubMed

Dumurgier, Julien; Paquet, Claire; Benisty, Sarah; Kiffel, Claire; Lidy, Claude; Mouton-Liger, François; Chabriat, Hugues; Laplanche, Jean-Louis; Hugon, Jacques

2010-11-01

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the cognitive reserve theory predicts that at any level of assessed clinical severity, the underlying brain pathology is more advanced in patients with more cognitive reserve. Recent evidences suggest that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers may reflect the brain pathology in AD. We investigated the relationship between education level and CSF concentrations of β-amyloid, total tau and phosphorylated tau (ptau-181) in a cohort of 70 subjects newly diagnosed with AD. We report that CSF concentration of β-amyloid was inversely associated with years of education, after adjustment for age, sex, and severity of the disease. We further demonstrate in stratified analysis that this relation was mainly present in mild form of the disease (CDR1), and was attenuated in more advanced forms of the disease. These results are consistent with the cognitive reserve theory, and suggest that cognitive reserve may be protective against amyloid related cognitive impairment at the onset of the clinical dementia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of CO2 Surface Flux using GOSAT Total Column CO2: First Results for 2009-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, S.; Houweling, S.

2011-12-01

Constraining surface flux estimates of CO2 using satellite measurements has been one of the long-standing goals of the atmospheric inverse modeling community. We present the first results of inverting GOSAT total column CO2 measurements for obtaining global monthly CO2 flux maps over one year (June 2009 to May 2010). We use the SRON RemoTeC retrieval of CO2 for our inversions. The SRON retrieval has been shown to have no bias when compared to TCCON total column measurements, and latitudinal gradients of the retrieved CO2 are consistent with gradients deduced from the surface flask network [Butz et al, 2011]. This makes this retrieval an ideal candidate for atmospheric inversions, which are highly sensitive to spurious gradients. Our inversion system is analogous to the CarbonTracker (CT) data assimilation system; it is initialized with the prior CO2 fluxes of CT, and uses the same atmospheric transport model, i.e., TM5. The two major differences are (a) we add GOSAT CO2 data to the inversion in addition to flask data, and (b) we use a 4DVAR optimization system instead of a Kalman filter. We compare inversions using (a) only GOSAT total column CO2 measurements, (b) only surface flask CO2 measurements, and (c) the joint data set of GOSAT and surface flask measurements. We validate GOSAT-only inversions against the NOAA surface flask network and joint inversions against CONTRAIL and other aircraft campaigns. We see that inverted fluxes from a GOSAT-only inversion are consistent with fluxes from a stations-only inversion, reaffirming the low biases in SRON retrievals. From the joint inversion, we estimate the amount of added constraints upon adding GOSAT total column measurements to existing surface layer measurements.

Sampling from a Discrete Distribution While Preserving Monotonicity.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

in a table beforehand, this procedure, known as the inverse transform method, requires n storage spaces and EX comparisons on average, which may prove...limitations that deserve attention: a. In general, the alias method does not preserve a monotone relationship between U and X as does the inverse transform method...uses the inverse transform approach but with more information computed beforehand, as in the alias method. The proposed method is not new having been

Female Literacy Rate is a Better Predictor of Birth Rate and Infant Mortality Rate in India.

PubMed

Saurabh, Suman; Sarkar, Sonali; Pandey, Dhruv K

2013-01-01

Educated women are known to take informed reproductive and healthcare decisions. These result in population stabilization and better infant care reflected by lower birth rates and infant mortality rates (IMRs), respectively. Our objective was to study the relationship of male and female literacy rates with crude birth rates (CBRs) and IMRs of the states and union territories (UTs) of India. The data were analyzed using linear regression. CBR and IMR were taken as the dependent variables; while the overall literacy rates, male, and female literacy rates were the independent variables. CBRs were inversely related to literacy rates (slope parameter = -0.402, P < 0.001). On multiple linear regression with male and female literacy rates, a significant inverse relationship emerged between female literacy rate and CBR (slope = -0.363, P < 0.001), while male literacy rate was not significantly related to CBR (P = 0.674). IMR of the states were also inversely related to their literacy rates (slope = -1.254, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression revealed a significant inverse relationship between IMR and female literacy (slope = -0.816, P = 0.031), whereas male literacy rate was not significantly related (P = 0.630). Female literacy is relatively highly important for both population stabilization and better infant health.

Impact of petrophysical uncertainty on Bayesian hydrogeophysical inversion and model selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunetti, Carlotta; Linde, Niklas

2018-01-01

Quantitative hydrogeophysical studies rely heavily on petrophysical relationships that link geophysical properties to hydrogeological properties and state variables. Coupled inversion studies are frequently based on the questionable assumption that these relationships are perfect (i.e., no scatter). Using synthetic examples and crosshole ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data from the South Oyster Bacterial Transport Site in Virginia, USA, we investigate the impact of spatially-correlated petrophysical uncertainty on inferred posterior porosity and hydraulic conductivity distributions and on Bayes factors used in Bayesian model selection. Our study shows that accounting for petrophysical uncertainty in the inversion (I) decreases bias of the inferred variance of hydrogeological subsurface properties, (II) provides more realistic uncertainty assessment and (III) reduces the overconfidence in the ability of geophysical data to falsify conceptual hydrogeological models.

Minimization of model representativity errors in identification of point source emission from atmospheric concentration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharan, Maithili; Singh, Amit Kumar; Singh, Sarvesh Kumar

2017-11-01

Estimation of an unknown atmospheric release from a finite set of concentration measurements is considered an ill-posed inverse problem. Besides ill-posedness, the estimation process is influenced by the instrumental errors in the measured concentrations and model representativity errors. The study highlights the effect of minimizing model representativity errors on the source estimation. This is described in an adjoint modelling framework and followed in three steps. First, an estimation of point source parameters (location and intensity) is carried out using an inversion technique. Second, a linear regression relationship is established between the measured concentrations and corresponding predicted using the retrieved source parameters. Third, this relationship is utilized to modify the adjoint functions. Further, source estimation is carried out using these modified adjoint functions to analyse the effect of such modifications. The process is tested for two well known inversion techniques, called renormalization and least-square. The proposed methodology and inversion techniques are evaluated for a real scenario by using concentrations measurements from the Idaho diffusion experiment in low wind stable conditions. With both the inversion techniques, a significant improvement is observed in the retrieval of source estimation after minimizing the representativity errors.

Biogeographic patterns in life history traits of the Pan-American sandy beach isopod Excirolana braziliensis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Ricardo S.; Defeo, Omar

2004-11-01

Biogeographic patterns in life history traits of the Pan-American sandy beach isopod Excirolana braziliensis were analyzed to determine latitudinal variations along its distribution, from tropical (9°N) to temperate (39°S) sandy beaches in Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Population features exhibited systematic geographical patterns of variation: (1) an increase in individual sizes and growth rates towards temperate beaches, following an inverse relationship with mean water temperature of the surf zone; (2) a shift from almost continuous to seasonal growth from subtropical to temperate Atlantic beaches and a positive relationship between amplitude of intra-annual growth oscillations and temperature range; (3) a linear decrease in life span and an increase in natural mortality from temperate to subtropical beaches; and (4) an increase in the individual mass-at-size (length-mass relationship) from subtropical to temperate beaches. Analyses discriminated by sex were consistent with the patterns illustrated above. Local effects of temperature and beach morphodynamics are discussed. Our results demonstrate that the population dynamics of E. braziliensis is highly plastic over latitudinal gradients, with large-scale variations in temperature and concurrent environmental variables leading to an adjustment of the phenotype-environment relationship.

Relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms scores and blood pressure in young adults.

PubMed

Bhat, Sunil K; Beilin, Lawrence J; Robinson, Monique; Burrows, Sally; Mori, Trevor A

2017-10-01

Depression and anxiety are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but their relationship to blood pressure (BP) is less clear. Age-related comorbidity and lifestyle factors may confound these relationships. This study aimed to assess the relationships among BP, depression and anxiety symptom scores and self-reported history of depression in young adults. Data on 1014 participants aged 20 years from the Western Australian Cohort (Raine) Study were analyzed for cross-sectional associations between clinic BP and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale questionnaire scores or a reported history of depression, accounting for relevant confounders. Multivariable adjusted analyses showed an inverse relationship between SBP with depression (coefficient = -0.10; P = 0.012) and anxiety (after excluding two outliers with SBP > 156 mmHg, coefficient = -0.13; P = 0.018) scores, independent of sex, BMI, female hormonal contraceptive use, alcohol consumption, birth weight and maternal hypertension in pregnancy. SBP was 1.6 mmHg lower for 2 SD (16 units) increase in depression score. There was an inverse association between self-reported history of depression (15.8% of participants) and SBP (coefficient = -1.91; P = 0.023), with an interaction with increasing BMI (interaction coefficient = -0.43; P = 0.002) enhancing this difference. Our findings show that SBP in young adults is inversely associated with depression and anxiety scores, independent of a range of lifestyle confounders. Despite a positive association between BMI and BP, adiposity enhanced the inverse association between self-reported history of depression and SBP. These findings contrast with the predisposition of depressed participants to cardiovascular disease in later life when decades of unhealthy lifestyle changes may dominate.

Remote sensing of temperate coniferous forest lead area index - The influence of canopy closure, understory vegetation and background reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spanner, Michael A.; Pierce, Lars L.; Running, Steven W.; Peterson, David L.

1990-01-01

Consideration is given to the effects of canopy closure, understory vegetation, and background reflectance on the relationship between Landsat TM data and the leaf area index (LAI) of temperate coniferous forests in the western U.S. A methodology for correcting TM data for atmospheric conditions and sun-surface-sensor geometry is discussed. Strong inverse curvilinear relationships were found between coniferous forest LAI and TM bands 3 and 5. It is suggested that these inverse relationships are due to increased reflectance of understory vegetation and background in open stands of lower LAI and decreased reflectance of the overstory in closed canopy stands with higher LAI.

Noradrenaline and dopamine levels in acute cerveau isolé in the cat.

PubMed

Szikszay, M; Benedek, G; Obál, F; Obál, F

1980-01-01

Noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) levels were studied in the forebrain of acute immobilized cats and in cerveau isolé preparations. A gradual decrease in NA and DA was observed one and two hours after high mesencephalic transection, while the amount of NA increased in acute immobilized cats after the cessation of ether anaesthesia. These changes in NA level are consistent with the observations suggesting an inverse relationship between NA and cortical deactivation. The decrease of DA with an exaggeration of spindle activity and increased synchronizing effect of basal forebrain stimulation indicate that the spindle-increasing effect of DA suggested by several authors requires the contribution of the brain stem.

Extending the Deep Blue aerosol record from SeaWiFS and MODIS to NPP-VIIRS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sayer, Andrew M.; Hsu, Nai-Yung Christina; Bettenhausen, Corey; Lee, Jaehwa

2015-01-01

Deep Blue expands AOD coverage to deserts and other bright surfaces. Using multiple similar satellite sensors enables us to obtain a long data record. The Deep Blue family consists of three separate aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval algorithms: 1. Bright Land: Surface reflectance database, BRDF correction. AOD retrieved separately at each of 412, 470/490, (650) nm. SSA retrieved for heavy dust events. 2. Dark Land: Spectral/directional surface reflectance relationship. AOD retrieved separately at 470/490 and 650 nm. 3. Water: Surface BRDF including glint, foam, underlight. Multispectral inversion (Not present in MODISdataset) All report the AOD at 550 nm, and Ångström exponent (AE).

Timing of growth inhibition following shoot inversion in Pharbitis nil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdel-Rahman, A. M.; Cline, M. G.

1989-01-01

Shoot inversion in Pharbitis nil results in the enhancement of ethylene production and in the inhibition of elongation in the growth zone of the inverted shoot. The initial increase in ethylene production previously was detected within 2 to 2.75 hours after inversion. In the present study, the initial inhibition of shoot elongation was detected within 1.5 to 4 hours with a weighted mean of 2.4 hours. Ethylene treatment of upright shoots inhibited elongation in 1.5 hours. A cause and effect relationship between shoot inversion-enhanced ethylene production and inhibition of elongation cannot be excluded.

Complex Relationships Among Masculine Norms and Health/Well-Being Outcomes: Correlation Patterns of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory Subscales.

PubMed

Gerdes, Zachary T; Levant, Ronald F

2018-03-01

The Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI) is a widely used multidimensional scale. Studies using the CMNI most often report only total scale scores, which are predominantly associated with negative outcomes. Various studies since the CMNI's inception in 2003 using subscales have reported both positive and negative outcomes. The current content analysis examined studies ( N = 17) correlating the 11 subscales with 63 criterion variables across 7 categories. Most findings were consistent with past research using total scale scores that reported negative outcomes. For example, conformity to masculine norms has been inversely related to help-seeking and positively correlated with concerning health variables, such as substance use. Nonetheless, past reliance on total scores has obscured the complexity of associations with the CMNI in that 30% of the findings in the present study reflected positive outcomes, particularly for health promotion. Subscales differed in their relationships with various outcomes: for one subscale they were predominantly positive, but six others were mostly negative. The situational and contextual implications of conformity to masculine norms and their relationships to positive and negative outcomes are discussed.

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.

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

Competitive Swimming and Racial Disparities in Drowning

PubMed Central

Myers, Samuel L.; Cuesta, Ana M.; Lai, Yufeng

2018-01-01

This paper provides compelling evidence of an inverse relationship between competitive swimming rates and drowning rates using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on fatal drowning rates and membership rates from USA Swimming, the governing organization of competitive swimming in the United States. Tobit and Poisson regression models are estimated using panel data by state from 1999–2007 separately for males, females, African Americans and whites. The strong inverse relationship between competitive swimming rates and unintentional deaths through fatal drowning is most pronounced among African Americans males.

Wave tilt sounding of multilayered structures. [for probing of stratified planetary surface electrical properties and thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warne, L.; Jaggard, D. L.; Elachi, C.

1979-01-01

The relationship between the wave tilt and the electrical parameters of a multilayered structure is investigated. Particular emphasis is placed on the inverse problem associated with the sounding planetary surfaces. An inversion technique, based on multifrequency wave tilt, is proposed and demonstrated with several computer models. It is determined that there is close agreement between the electrical parameters used in the models and those in the inversion values.

Testing chromosomal phylogenies and inversion breakpoint reuse in Drosophila. The martensis cluster revisited.

PubMed

Prada, Carlos F; Delprat, Alejandra; Ruiz, Alfredo

2011-02-01

The chromosomal relationships of the four martensis cluster species are among the most complex and intricate within the entire Drosophila repleta group, due to the so-called sharing of inversions. Here, we have revised these relationships using comparative mapping of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones on the salivary gland chromosomes. A physical map of chromosome 2 of Drosophila uniseta (one of the cluster members) was generated by in situ hybridization of 82 BAC clones from the physical map of the Drosophila buzzatii genome (an outgroup that represents the ancestral arrangement). By comparing the marker positions, we determined the number, order, and orientation of conserved chromosomal segments between chromosome 2 of D. buzzatii and D. uniseta. GRIMM software was used to infer that a minimum of five chromosomal inversions are necessary to transform the chromosome 2 of D. buzzatii into that of D. uniseta. Two of these inversions have been overlooked in previous cytological analyses. The five fixed inversions entail two breakpoint reuses because only nine syntenic segments and eight interruptions were observed. We tested for the presence of the five inversions fixed in D. uniseta in the other three species of the martensis cluster by in situ hybridization of eight breakpoint-bearing BAC clones. The results shed light on the chromosomal phylogeny of the martensis cluster, yet leave a number of questions open.

Evaluation of Multispectral Based Radiative Transfer Model Inversion to Estimate Leaf Area Index in Wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Leaf area index (LAI) is a critical variable for predicting the growth and productivity of crops. Remote sensing estimates of LAI have relied upon empirical relationships between spectral vegetation indices and ground measurements that are costly to obtain. Radiative transfer model inversion based o...

The Role of Physical Activity in the Association Between Resilience and Mental Health in Older Adults.

PubMed

Wermelinger Ávila, Maria Priscila; Corrêa, Jimilly Caputo; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero; Lucchetti, Giancarlo

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between resilience and mental health in older adults and how physical activity influences that relationship. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 312 older adults (179 active and 133 sedentary classified by IPAQ). Considering the whole sample, an inverse relationship was found for resilience (Wagnild-Young's Resilience Scale) with depression and stress (DASS-21). Among the sedentary, in spite of there not being an association between total resilience and mental health, there was an inverse relationship for the "meaning of life" component of the resilience and depression scale. For the active group, there was a relationship between total resilience and its components with depression and stress, but not for the "meaning of life" component of the resilience scale. Physical activity played an important role in the relationship between resilience and depression, showing that active and sedentary people use different components of resilience.

Non-Random Inversion Landscapes in Prokaryotic Genomes Are Shaped by Heterogeneous Selection Pressures

PubMed Central

Repar, Jelena; Warnecke, Tobias

2017-01-01

Abstract Inversions are a major contributor to structural genome evolution in prokaryotes. Here, using a novel alignment-based method, we systematically compare 1,651 bacterial and 98 archaeal genomes to show that inversion landscapes are frequently biased toward (symmetric) inversions around the origin–terminus axis. However, symmetric inversion bias is not a universal feature of prokaryotic genome evolution but varies considerably across clades. At the extremes, inversion landscapes in Bacillus–Clostridium and Actinobacteria are dominated by symmetric inversions, while there is little or no systematic bias favoring symmetric rearrangements in archaea with a single origin of replication. Within clades, we find strong but clade-specific relationships between symmetric inversion bias and different features of adaptive genome architecture, including the distance of essential genes to the origin of replication and the preferential localization of genes on the leading strand. We suggest that heterogeneous selection pressures have converged to produce similar patterns of structural genome evolution across prokaryotes. PMID:28407093

Study of crash energy absorption characteristics of inversion tube on passenger vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jiandong; Liu, Tao; Yao, Shengjie; Zhao, Rutao

2017-09-01

This article studied the energy absorption characteristics of the inversion tube and acquired the inversion tube design key dimensions under theoretical conditions by performing formula derivation in the quasi-static and dynamic state based on the working principle of the inversion tube: free inversion. The article further adopted HyperMesh and LS-Dyna to perform simulation and compared the simulation result with the theoretical calculating value for comparison. The design was applied in the full-vehicle model to perform 50km/h front fullwidth crash simulation. The findings showed that the deformation mode of the inversion tube in the full-vehicle crash was consistent with the design mode, and the inversion tube absorbed 33.0% of total energy, thereby conforming to the vehicle safety design requirements.

The 8p23 inversion polymorphism determines local recombination heterogeneity across human populations.

PubMed

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

2014-04-01

For decades, chromosomal inversions have been regarded as fascinating evolutionary elements as they are expected to suppress recombination between chromosomes with opposite orientations, leading to the accumulation of genetic differences between the two configurations over time. Here, making use of publicly available population genotype data for the largest polymorphic inversion in the human genome (8p23-inv), we assessed whether this inhibitory effect of inversion rearrangements led to significant differences in the recombination landscape of two homologous DNA segments, with opposite orientation. Our analysis revealed that the accumulation of genetic differentiation is positively correlated with the variation in recombination profiles. The observed recombination dissimilarity between inversion types is consistent across all populations analyzed and surpasses the effects of geographic structure, suggesting that both structures (orientations) have been evolving independently over an extended period of time, despite being subjected to the very same demographic history. Aside this mainly independent evolution, we also identified a short segment (350 kb, <10% of the whole inversion) in the central region of the inversion where the genetic divergence between the two structural haplotypes is diminished. Although it is difficult to demonstrate it, this could be due to gene flow (possibly via double-crossing over events), which is consistent with the higher recombination rates surrounding this segment. This study demonstrates for the first time that chromosomal inversions influence the recombination landscape at a fine-scale and highlights the role of these rearrangements as drivers of genome evolution.

Domain-Specific Physical Activity and Mental Health: A Meta-analysis.

PubMed

White, Rhiannon Lee; Babic, Mark J; Parker, Philip D; Lubans, David R; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Lonsdale, Chris

2017-05-01

The mental health benefits of physical activity are well established. However, less is known about whether the relationship between physical activity and mental health is consistent across different life domains. It is important to understand how context may influence the relationship between physical activity and mental health so that interventions and policy guidelines can be tailored to maximize positive effects. In 2015, systematic searches of four databases identified 13,435 records, of which 98 studies met the inclusion criteria. Included studies were published between 1988 and 2015 and had a combined sample size of 648,726. Of the 98 included studies, 93 examined leisure-time physical activity, 14 examined work-related physical activity, 15 examined transport physical activity, 16 examined household physical activity, three examined school sport, and three examined physical education. Multi-level meta-analyses showed that leisure-time physical activity (r =0.13) and transport physical activity (r =0.13) both had a positive association with mental health. Leisure-time physical activity (r = -0.11) and school sport (r = -0.09) both had an inverse association with mental ill-health. However, physical activity was not consistently associated with lower mental ill-health across domains, as work-related physical activity was positively associated with mental ill-health (r =0.09). Household physical activity and participation in physical education had no relationship with mental health or mental ill-health. The domain in which physical activity occurs influences the relationship between physical activity and mental health and should, therefore, be considered when developing interventions, treatment programs, and policy guidelines. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Cruciferous vegetable intake is inversely associated with lung cancer risk among smokers: a case-control study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Inverse associations between cruciferous vegetable intake and lung cancer risk have been consistently reported. However, associations within smoking status subgroups have not been consistently addressed. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study with lung cancer cases and controls matched on smoking status, and further adjusted for smoking status, duration, and intensity in the multivariate models. A total of 948 cases and 1743 controls were included in the analysis. Results Inverse linear trends were observed between intake of fruits, total vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables and risk of lung cancer (ORs ranged from 0.53-0.70, with P for trend < 0.05). Interestingly, significant associations were observed for intake of fruits and total vegetables with lung cancer among never smokers. Conversely, significant inverse associations with cruciferous vegetable intake were observed primarily among smokers, in particular former smokers, although significant interactions were not detected between smoking and intake of any food group. Of four lung cancer histological subtypes, significant inverse associations were observed primarily among patients with squamous or small cell carcinoma - the two subtypes more strongly associated with heavy smoking. Conclusions Our findings are consistent with the smoking-related carcinogen-modulating effect of isothiocyanates, a group of phytochemicals uniquely present in cruciferous vegetables. Our data support consumption of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of lung cancer among smokers. PMID:20423504

[The relationship between unemployment rates and lost work time due to sickness absence in an economic recession].

PubMed

López López, J C; Ballesteros Polo, M; Sampere Valero, M; Sacristán Nieto, R; Alguacil García, S; Ruiz Julian, A; Santos Avila, E; García Rubia, S; López Costa, B; Martínez Martínez, J M

Different countries have shown an inverse relationship between unemployment rates (UR) and indicators of sickness absence during periods of economic recession. To evaluate the relationship between indicators of sickness absence and unemployment in Spain during 2009-2015. We obtained incidence and absenteeism rates of non-work related sickness absence (NWSA) from Social Security data, and UR from the National Institute of Statistics. The relationship between indicators of NWSA and UR in the period 2009 to 2015 was graphically described using time trend plots. Scatter plots of NWSA indicators were also made against UR. Finally, we fitted linear regression models. Incidence (IR) and absenteeism rates (AR) of NWSA showed downward trends in 2009-2013 (IR 2009=28.07%, IR 2013=20.41%; AR 2009=2.53% and AR 2013=1.86%), changing to an upward trend up to 2015 (IR 2015=22.52%, AR 2015=2.12%). Unemployment rates trended upward in 2009-2013 (UR 2009=17.86%, UR 2013=26.10%), and then changed to a downward trend through 2015 (UR 2015=22.06%). There was an inverse relationship between UR and NWSA indicators. As in previous international studies, we found an inverse relationship between unemployment rates and indicators of sickness absence in Spain. More detailed studies are needed to evaluate explanatory hypotheses, such as those associated with the effects of discipline, selection and/or changes in the workforce. Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Salut Laboral.

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

NUMERICAL STUDY ON IN SITU PROMINENCE FORMATION BY RADIATIVE CONDENSATION IN THE SOLAR CORONA

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

Kaneko, T.; Yokoyama, T., E-mail: kaneko@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2015-06-10

We propose an in situ formation model for inverse-polarity solar prominences and demonstrate it using self-consistent 2.5 dimensional MHD simulations, including thermal conduction along magnetic fields and optically thin radiative cooling. The model enables us to form cool dense plasma clouds inside a flux rope by radiative condensation, which is regarded as an inverse-polarity prominence. Radiative condensation is triggered by changes in the magnetic topology, i.e., formation of the flux rope from the sheared arcade field, and by thermal imbalance due to the dense plasma trapped inside the flux rope. The flux rope is created by imposing converging and shearingmore » motion on the arcade field. Either when the footpoint motion is in the anti-shearing direction or when heating is proportional to local density, the thermal state inside the flux rope becomes cooling-dominant, leading to radiative condensation. By controlling the temperature of condensation, we investigate the relationship between the temperature and density of prominences and derive a scaling formula for this relationship. This formula suggests that the proposed model reproduces the observed density of prominences, which is 10–100 times larger than the coronal density. Moreover, the time evolution of the extreme ultraviolet emission synthesized by combining our simulation results with the response function of the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly filters agrees with the observed temporal and spatial intensity shift among multi-wavelength extreme ultraviolet emission during in situ condensation.« less

Fruits and vegetables consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

PubMed

Hu, Dan; Huang, Junqian; Wang, Yuchun; Zhang, Dongfeng; Qu, Yan

2014-06-01

We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize evidence from prospective cohort studies about the association of fruits and vegetables consumption with the risk of stroke. Pertinent studies were identified by a search of Embase and PubMed databases to January 2014. Study-specific relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model. Dose-response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline. Twenty prospective cohort studies were included, involving 16 981 stroke events among 760 629 participants. The multivariable relative risk (95% confidence intervals) of stroke for the highest versus lowest category of total fruits and vegetables consumption was 0.79 (0.75-0.84), and the effect was 0.77 (0.71-0.84) for fruits consumption and 0.86 (0.79-0.93) for vegetables consumption. Subgroup and meta-regression showed that the inverse association of total fruits and vegetables consumption with the risk of stroke was consistent in subgroup analysis. Citrus fruits, apples/pears, and leafy vegetables might contribute to the protection. The linear dose-response relationship showed that the risk of stroke decreased by 32% (0.68 [0.56-0.82]) and 11% (0.89 [0.81-0.98]) for every 200 g per day increment in fruits consumption (P for nonlinearity=0.77) and vegetables consumption (P for nonlinearity=0.62), respectively. Fruits and vegetables consumption are inversely associated with the risk of stroke. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Seeing the world topsy-turvy: The primary role of kinematics in biological motion inversion effects.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Sue-Anne; Brooks, Anna; van der Zwan, Rick; Blair, Duncan

2014-01-01

Physical inversion of whole or partial human body representations typically has catastrophic consequences on the observer's ability to perform visual processing tasks. Explanations usually focus on the effects of inversion on the visual system's ability to exploit configural or structural relationships, but more recently have also implicated motion or kinematic cue processing. Here, we systematically tested the role of both on perceptions of sex from upright and inverted point-light walkers. Our data suggest that inversion results in systematic degradations of the processing of kinematic cues. Specifically and intriguingly, they reveal sex-based kinematic differences: Kinematics characteristic of females generally are resistant to inversion effects, while those of males drive systematic sex misperceptions. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Model Order Reduction for the fast solution of 3D Stokes problems and its application in geophysical inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega Gelabert, Olga; Zlotnik, Sergio; Afonso, Juan Carlos; Díez, Pedro

2017-04-01

The determination of the present-day physical state of the thermal and compositional structure of the Earth's lithosphere and sub-lithospheric mantle is one of the main goals in modern lithospheric research. All this data is essential to build Earth's evolution models and to reproduce many geophysical observables (e.g. elevation, gravity anomalies, travel time data, heat flow, etc) together with understanding the relationship between them. Determining the lithospheric state involves the solution of high-resolution inverse problems and, consequently, the solution of many direct models is required. The main objective of this work is to contribute to the existing inversion techniques in terms of improving the estimation of the elevation (topography) by including a dynamic component arising from sub-lithospheric mantle flow. In order to do so, we implement an efficient Reduced Order Method (ROM) built upon classic Finite Elements. ROM allows to reduce significantly the computational cost of solving a family of problems, for example all the direct models that are required in the solution of the inverse problem. The strategy of the method consists in creating a (reduced) basis of solutions, so that when a new problem has to be solved, its solution is sought within the basis instead of attempting to solve the problem itself. In order to check the Reduced Basis approach, we implemented the method in a 3D domain reproducing a portion of Earth that covers up to 400 km depth. Within the domain the Stokes equation is solved with realistic viscosities and densities. The different realizations (the family of problems) is created by varying viscosities and densities in a similar way as it would happen in an inversion problem. The Reduced Basis method is shown to be an extremely efficiently solver for the Stokes equation in this context.

Inverse Porosity-Hydraulic Conductivity Relationship in Sand-and-Gravel Aquifers Determined From Analysis of Geophysical Well Logs: Implications for Transport Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, R. H.

2004-05-01

It is intuitive to think of hydraulic conductivity K as varying directly and monotonically with porosity P in porous media. However, laboratory studies and field observations have documented a possible inverse relationship between these two parameters in unconsolidated deposits under certain grain-size distributions and packing arrangements. This was confirmed at two sites in sand-and-gravel aquifers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where sets of geophysical well logs were used to examine the interdependence of several aquifer properties. Along with K and P, the resistivity R and the natural-gamma activity G of the surrounding sediments were measured as a function of depth. Qualitative examination of field results from the first site was useful in locating a contaminant plume and inferred an inverse relation between K and P; this was substantiated by a rigorous multivariate analysis of log data collected from the second site where K and P were determined to respond in a bipolar manner among the four independent variables. Along with this result come some implications regarding our conceptual understanding of contaminant transport processes in the shallow subsurface. According to Darcy's law, the interstitial fluid velocity V is proportional to the ratio K/P and, consequently, a general inverse K-P relationship implies that values of V can extend over a much wider range than conventionally assumed. This situation introduces a pronounced flow stratification within these granular deposits that can result in large values of longitudinal dispersivity; faster velocities occur in already fast zones and slower velocities in already slow zones. An inverse K-P relationship presents a new perspective on the physical processes associated with groundwater flow and transport. Although the results of this study apply strictly to the Cape Cod aquifers, they may merit a re-evaluation of modeling approaches undertaken at other locations having similar geologic environments.

A quasilinear kinetic model for solar wind electrons and protons instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarfraz, M.; Yoon, P. H.

2017-12-01

In situ measurements confirm the anisotropic behavior in temperatures of solar wind species. These anisotropies associated with charge particles are observed to be relaxed. In collionless limit, kinetic instabilities play a significant role to reshape particles distribution. The linear analysis results are encapsulated in inverse relationship between anisotropy and plasma beta based observations fittings techniques, simulations methods, or solution of linearized Vlasov equation. Here amacroscopic quasilinear technique is adopted to confirm inverse relationship through solutions of set of self-consistent kinetic equations. Firstly, for a homogeneous and non-collisional medium, quasilinear kinetic model is employed to display asymptotic variations of core and halo electrons temperatures and saturations of wave energy densities for electromagnetic electron cyclotron (EMEC) instability sourced by, T⊥}>T{∥ . It is shown that, in (β ∥ , T⊥}/T{∥ ) phase space, the saturations stages of anisotropies associated with core and halo electrons lined up on their respective marginal stability curves. Secondly, for case of electrons firehose instability ignited by excessive parallel temperature i.e T⊥}>T{∥ , both electrons and protons are allowed to dynamically evolve in time. It is also observed that, the trajectories of protons and electrons at saturation stages in phase space of anisotropy and plasma beta correspond to proton cyclotron and firehose marginal stability curves, respectively. Next, the outstanding issue that most of observed proton data resides in nearly isotropic state in phase space is interpreted. Here, in quasilinear frame-work of inhomogeneous solar wind system, a set of self-consistent quasilinear equations is formulated to show a dynamical variations of temperatures with spatial distributions. On choice of different initial parameters, it is shown that, interplay of electron and proton instabilities provides an counter-balancing force to slow down the protons away from marginal stability states. As we are dealing both, protons and electrons for radially expanding solar wind plasma, our present approach may eventually be incorporated in global-kinetic models of the solar wind species.

The Inverse Problem for Confined Aquifer Flow: Identification and Estimation With Extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loaiciga, Hugo A.; MariñO, Miguel A.

1987-01-01

The contributions of this work are twofold. First, a methodology for estimating the elements of parameter matrices in the governing equation of flow in a confined aquifer is developed. The estimation techniques for the distributed-parameter inverse problem pertain to linear least squares and generalized least squares methods. The linear relationship among the known heads and unknown parameters of the flow equation provides the background for developing criteria for determining the identifiability status of unknown parameters. Under conditions of exact or overidentification it is possible to develop statistically consistent parameter estimators and their asymptotic distributions. The estimation techniques, namely, two-stage least squares and three stage least squares, are applied to a specific groundwater inverse problem and compared between themselves and with an ordinary least squares estimator. The three-stage estimator provides the closer approximation to the actual parameter values, but it also shows relatively large standard errors as compared to the ordinary and two-stage estimators. The estimation techniques provide the parameter matrices required to simulate the unsteady groundwater flow equation. Second, a nonlinear maximum likelihood estimation approach to the inverse problem is presented. The statistical properties of maximum likelihood estimators are derived, and a procedure to construct confidence intervals and do hypothesis testing is given. The relative merits of the linear and maximum likelihood estimators are analyzed. Other topics relevant to the identification and estimation methodologies, i.e., a continuous-time solution to the flow equation, coping with noise-corrupted head measurements, and extension of the developed theory to nonlinear cases are also discussed. A simulation study is used to evaluate the methods developed in this study.

Joint inversion of 3-D seismic, gravimetric and magnetotelluric data for sub-basalt imaging in the Faroe-Shetland Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heincke, B.; Moorkamp, M.; Jegen, M.; Hobbs, R. W.

2012-12-01

Imaging of sub-basalt sediments with reflection seismic techniques is limited due to absorption, scattering and transmission effects and the presence of peg-leg multiples. Although many of the difficulties facing conventional seismic profiles can be overcome by recording long offset data resolution of sub-basalt sediments in seismic sections is typically still largely restricted. Therefore multi-parametric approaches in general and joint inversion strategies in particular (e.g. Colombo et al., 2008, Jordan et al., 2012) are considered as alternative to gain additional information from sub-basalt structures. Here, we combine in a 3-D joint inversion first-arrival time tomography, FTG gravity and MT data to identify the base basalt and resolve potential sediments underneath. For sub-basalt exploration the three methods complement each other such that the null space is reduced and significantly better resolved models can be obtained than would be possible by the individual methods: The seismic data gives a robust model for the supra-basalt sediments whilst the gravity field is dominated by the high density basalt and basement features. The MT on the other hand is sensitive to the conductivity in both the supra- and sub-basalt sediments. We will present preliminary individual and joint inversion result for a FTG, seismic and MT data set located in the Faroe-Shetland basin. Because the investigated area is rather large (~75 x 40 km) and the individual data sets are relatively huge, we use a joint inversion framework (see Moorkamp et al., 2011) which is designed to handle large amount of data/model parameters. This program has moreover the options to link the individual parameter models either petrophysically using fixed parameter relationships or structurally using the cross-gradient approach. The seismic data set consists of a pattern of 8 intersecting wide-angle seismic profiles with maximum offsets of up to ~24 km. The 3-D gravity data set (size :~ 30 x 30 km) is collected along parallel lines by a shipborne gradiometer and the marine MT data set is composed of 41 stations that are distributed over the whole investigation area. Logging results from a borehole located in the central part of the investigation area enable us to derive parameter relationships between seismic velocities, resistivities and densities that are adequately describe the rock property behaviors of both the basaltic lava flows and sedimentary layers in this region. In addition, a 3-D reflection seismic survey covering the central part allows us to incorporate the top of basalt and other features as constraints in the joint inversions and to evaluate the quality of the final results. Literature: D. Colombo, M. Mantovani, S. Hallinan, M. Virgilio, 2008. Sub-basalt depth imaging using simultaneous joint inversion of seismic and electromagnetic (MT) data: a CRB field study. SEG Expanded Abstract, Las Vegas, USA, 2674-2678. M. Jordan, J. Ebbing, M. Brönner, J. Kamm , Z. Du, P. Eliasson, 2012. Joint Inversion for Improved Sub-salt and Sub-basalt Imaging with Application to the More Margin. EAGE Expanded Abstracts, Copenhagen, DK. M. Moorkamp, B. Heincke, M. Jegen, A.W.Roberts, R.W. Hobbs, 2011. A framework for 3-D joint inversion of MT, gravity and seismic refraction data. Geophysical Journal International, 184, 477-493.

Association between adolescent tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use and individual and environmental resilience protective factors

PubMed Central

Hodder, Rebecca Kate; Freund, Megan; Bowman, Jenny; Gillham, Karen; Dray, Julia; Wiggers, John

2016-01-01

Objectives Research suggests that individual and environmental resilience protective factors may be associated with adolescent substance use; however, the associations between a broad range of such factors and use of various types of substances have not been examined. The study aimed to determine the association between a comprehensive range of adolescent individual and environmental resilience protective factors and measures of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substance use. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting 32 Australian secondary schools. Participants Grade 7–10 students (aged 11–17 years). Measures Data regarding 14 student individual and environmental resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drug use) were obtained via an online self-report survey. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyses examined the association between all student resilience protective factors and seven substance use measures. Results Inverse univariate associations were found for 94 of 98 relationships examined (n=10 092). Multivariate analyses found: consistent inverse associations between 2 of 14 protective factors and all substance use measures (‘goals and aspirations’, ‘prosocial peers’); inverse associations between 4 protective factors with multiple substance use measures (‘home support’ (5 of 7), ‘school support’ (3 of 7), ‘self-awareness’ (2 of 7), ‘community meaningful participation’ (2 of 7)); positive associations between 2 resilience protective factors with multiple measures of substance use (‘community support’ (3 of 7), ‘peer caring relationships’ (5 of 7)) and 6 protective factors not to be associated with any substance use measure. Conclusions Despite individual relationships between the majority of resilience protective factors and substance use types, the protective benefit of such factors for adolescent substance use was limited to only a small number of such factors when considered collectively. Such results suggest that interventions seeking to reduce adolescent substance use may need to target specific protective factors to address specific types of substance use. Trial registration number ACTRN12611000606987, Results. PMID:27888175

Turnover Intentions of Employees With Informal Eldercare Responsibilities: The Role of Core Self-Evaluations and Supervisor Support.

PubMed

Greaves, Claire E; Parker, Stacey L; Zacher, Hannes; Jimmieson, Nerina L

2015-12-01

As longevity increases, so does the need for care of older relatives by working family members. This research examined the interactive effect of core self-evaluations and supervisor support on turnover intentions in two samples of employees with informal caregiving responsibilities. Data were obtained from 57 employees from Australia (Study 1) and 66 employees from the United States and India (Study 2). Results of Study 1 revealed a resource compensation effect, that is, an inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and turnover intentions when supervisor care support was low. Results of Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating resource boosting effects. Specifically, there was an inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and subsequent turnover intentions for those with high supervisor work and care support. In addition, employees' satisfaction and emotional exhaustion from their work mediated the inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and subsequent turnover intentions when supervisor work support and care support were high. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of employee- and supervisor-focused intervention strategies in organizations to support informal caregivers. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Role of Positive Traits and Pain Catastrophizing in Pain Perception

PubMed Central

Hood, Anna

2013-01-01

A variety of biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence pain. This article focuses on two distinct, but connected, psychological factors—positive personality traits and pain catastrophizing—and their link with pain perception in healthy and clinical populations. First, we review the protective link between positive personality traits, such as optimism, hope, and self-efficacy, and pain perception. Second, we provide evidence of the well-established relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain perception and other related outcomes. Third, we outline the inverse relationship between positive traits and pain catastrophizing, and offer a model that explains the inverse link between positive traits and pain perception through lower pain catastrophizing. Finally, we discuss clinical practice recommendations based on the aforementioned relationships. PMID:23512722

Optimism, coping and long-term recovery from coronary artery surgery in women.

PubMed

King, K B; Rowe, M A; Kimble, L P; Zerwic, J J

1998-02-01

Optimism, coping strategies, and psychological and functional outcomes were measured in 55 women undergoing coronary artery surgery. Data were collected in-hospital and at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Optimism was related to positive moods and life satisfaction, and inversely related to negative moods. Few relationships were found between optimism and functional ability. Cognitive coping strategies accounted for a mediating effect between optimism and negative mood. Optimists were more likely to accept their situation, and less likely to use escapism. In turn, these coping strategies were inversely related to negative mood and mediated the relationship between optimism and this outcome. Optimism was not related to problem-focused coping strategies; this, these coping strategies cannot explain the relationship between optimism and outcomes.

Resolving Quasi-Synonym Relationships in Automatic Thesaurus Construction Using Fuzzy Rough Sets and an Inverse Term Frequency Similarity Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davault, Julius M., III.

2009-01-01

One of the problems associated with automatic thesaurus construction is with determining the semantic relationship between word pairs. Quasi-synonyms provide a type of equivalence relationship: words are similar only for purposes of information retrieval. Determining such relationships in a thesaurus is hard to achieve automatically. The term…

Female Literacy Rate is a Better Predictor of Birth Rate and Infant Mortality Rate in India

PubMed Central

Saurabh, Suman; Sarkar, Sonali; Pandey, Dhruv K.

2013-01-01

Background: Educated women are known to take informed reproductive and healthcare decisions. These result in population stabilization and better infant care reflected by lower birth rates and infant mortality rates (IMRs), respectively. Materials and Methods: Our objective was to study the relationship of male and female literacy rates with crude birth rates (CBRs) and IMRs of the states and union territories (UTs) of India. The data were analyzed using linear regression. CBR and IMR were taken as the dependent variables; while the overall literacy rates, male, and female literacy rates were the independent variables. Results: CBRs were inversely related to literacy rates (slope parameter = −0.402, P < 0.001). On multiple linear regression with male and female literacy rates, a significant inverse relationship emerged between female literacy rate and CBR (slope = −0.363, P < 0.001), while male literacy rate was not significantly related to CBR (P = 0.674). IMR of the states were also inversely related to their literacy rates (slope = −1.254, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression revealed a significant inverse relationship between IMR and female literacy (slope = −0.816, P = 0.031), whereas male literacy rate was not significantly related (P = 0.630). Conclusion: Female literacy is relatively highly important for both population stabilization and better infant health. PMID:26664840

The HGF/c-MET Axis as a Critical Driver of Resistance to Androgen Suppression in Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

c-MET axis in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. During the current funding period, we have confirmed an inverse relationship between...resistant prostate cancer. Neoplasia 18:1-9, 2016. PMCID: 26806347. In this manuscript, we provided mechanistic evidence establishing the inverse

Using Stable Isotopes in Water Vapor to Diagnose Relationships Between Lower-Tropospheric Stability, Mixing, and Low-Cloud Cover Near the Island of Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galewsky, Joseph

2018-01-01

In situ measurements of water vapor isotopic composition from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, are merged with soundings from Hilo to show an inverse relationship between the estimated inversion strength (EIS) and isotopically derived measures of lower-tropospheric mixing. Remote sensing estimates of cloud fraction, cloud liquid water path, and cloud top pressure were all found to be higher (lower) under low (high) EIS. Inverse modeling of the isotopic data corresponding to terciles of EIS conditions provide quantitative constraints on the last-saturation temperatures and mixing fractions that govern the humidity above the trade inversion. The mixing fraction of water vapor transported from the boundary layer to Mauna Loa decreases with respect to EIS at a rate of about 3% K-1, corresponding to a mixing ratio decrease of 0.6 g kg-1 K-1. A last-saturation temperature of 240 K can match all observations. This approach can be applied in other settings and may be used to test models of low-cloud climate feedbacks.

Pain Sensitivity is Inversely Related to Regional Grey Matter Density in the Brain

PubMed Central

Emerson, Nichole M.; Zeidan, Fadel; Lobanov, Oleg V.; Hadsel, Morten S.; Martucci, Katherine T.; Quevedo, Alexandre S.; Starr, Christopher J.; Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas; Weissman-Fogel, Irit; Granovsky, Yelena; Yarnitsky, David; Coghill, Robert C.

2014-01-01

Pain is a highly personal experience that varies substantially among individuals. In search of an anatomical correlate of pain sensitivity we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the relationship between grey matter density across the whole brain and inter-individual differences in pain sensitivity in 116 healthy volunteers (62 females, 54 males). Structural MRI and psychophysical data from 10 previous fMRI studies were used. Age, sex, unpleasantness ratings, scanner sequence, and sensory testing location were added to the model as covariates. Regression analysis of grey matter density across the whole brain and thermal pain intensity ratings at 49°C revealed a significant inverse relationship between pain sensitivity and grey matter density in bilateral regions of the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, intraparietal sulcus, and inferior parietal lobule. Unilateral regions of the left primary somatosensory cortex also exhibited this inverse relationship. No regions exhibited a positive relationship to pain sensitivity. These structural variations occurred in areas associated with the default mode network, attentional direction and shifting, as well as somatosensory processing. These findings underscore the potential importance of processes related to default mode thought and attention in shaping individual differences in pain sensitivity and indicate that pain sensitivity can potentially be predicted on the basis of brain structure. PMID:24333778

Examination of clinical and cognitive insight in acute schizophrenia patients.

PubMed

Greenberger, Cheryl; Serper, Mark R

2010-07-01

Lack of insight or awareness of illness is a hallmark feature of schizophrenic illness and has become an increasingly important area of investigation. Although clinical insight focuses on awareness of illness factors, the concept of cognitive insight focuses on the cognitive processes involved in correcting erroneous judgments and certainty about mistaken judgments. The present study was aimed at further investigating the clinical utility and the statistical coherence of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) (Beck et al., 2004) in acute schizoaffective and schizophrenia (SZ) patients. The present study examined the internal consistency of the scale, as well as its discriminative and predictive validity relative to a well-established traditional measure of clinical insight in a sample of 50 DSM-IV diagnosed SZ patients, presenting for acute inpatient treatment. The BCIS was found to be an internally consistent and a coherent measure of cognitive insight. The BCIS was unassociated with clinical insight, indicating the 2 constructs share little empirical overlap. Cognitive insight was found to be inversely associated with patients' severity of autistic preoccupation symptoms such that those individuals with more cognitive insight, exhibited fewer autistic/cognitive symptoms. Patients' clinical insight, however, was found to be inversely associated specifically with patients' severity of depression. Additionally, clinical insight was also found to be more impaired in patients residing in nursing home environments relative to their counterparts living in less restrictive settings when outside the hospital. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between clinical and cognitive insight constructs to SZ symptom domains.

Inverse consistent non-rigid image registration based on robust point set matching

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Robust point matching (RPM) has been extensively used in non-rigid registration of images to robustly register two sets of image points. However, except for the location at control points, RPM cannot estimate the consistent correspondence between two images because RPM is a unidirectional image matching approach. Therefore, it is an important issue to make an improvement in image registration based on RPM. Methods In our work, a consistent image registration approach based on the point sets matching is proposed to incorporate the property of inverse consistency and improve registration accuracy. Instead of only estimating the forward transformation between the source point sets and the target point sets in state-of-the-art RPM algorithms, the forward and backward transformations between two point sets are estimated concurrently in our algorithm. The inverse consistency constraints are introduced to the cost function of RPM and the fuzzy correspondences between two point sets are estimated based on both the forward and backward transformations simultaneously. A modified consistent landmark thin-plate spline registration is discussed in detail to find the forward and backward transformations during the optimization of RPM. The similarity of image content is also incorporated into point matching in order to improve image matching. Results Synthetic data sets, medical images are employed to demonstrate and validate the performance of our approach. The inverse consistent errors of our algorithm are smaller than RPM. Especially, the topology of transformations is preserved well for our algorithm for the large deformation between point sets. Moreover, the distance errors of our algorithm are similar to that of RPM, and they maintain a downward trend as whole, which demonstrates the convergence of our algorithm. The registration errors for image registrations are evaluated also. Again, our algorithm achieves the lower registration errors in same iteration number. The determinant of the Jacobian matrix of the deformation field is used to analyse the smoothness of the forward and backward transformations. The forward and backward transformations estimated by our algorithm are smooth for small deformation. For registration of lung slices and individual brain slices, large or small determinant of the Jacobian matrix of the deformation fields are observed. Conclusions Results indicate the improvement of the proposed algorithm in bi-directional image registration and the decrease of the inverse consistent errors of the forward and the reverse transformations between two images. PMID:25559889

[Determinants of pride and shame: outcome, expected success and attribution].

PubMed

Schützwohl, A

1991-01-01

In two experiments we investigated the relationship between subjective probability of success and pride and shame. According to Atkinson (1957), pride (the incentive of success) is an inverse linear function of the probability of success, shame (the incentive of failure) being a negative linear function. Attribution theory predicts an inverse U-shaped relationship between subjective probability of success and pride and shame. The results presented here are at variance with both theories: Pride and shame do not vary with subjective probability of success. However, pride and shame are systematically correlated with internal attributions of action outcome.

Proliferation inhibitory effect of human alpha interferon on primary explants of Burkitt lymphoma: inverse relationship to patient survival.

PubMed

Ernberg, I; Einhorn, S; Strander, H; Klein, G

1981-11-01

Eleven biopsies from 9 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma were tested for their sensitivity to the cell multiplication inhibitory activity of interferon. Three were resistant to interferon while 8 were sensitive to various degrees. Different biopsies from the same patient did not differ in interferon sensitivity. These results indicate that Burkitt's lymphoma cells might be resistant to interferon already in vivo as previously shown for some derived cell lines tested in vitro. The results imply an inverse relationship between patient survival and interferon sensitivity of the tumor cells.

Data matching for free-surface multiple attenuation by multidimensional deconvolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Neut, Joost; Frijlink, Martijn; van Borselen, Roald

2012-09-01

A common strategy for surface-related multiple elimination of seismic data is to predict multiples by a convolutional model and subtract these adaptively from the input gathers. Problems can be posed by interfering multiples and primaries. Removing multiples by multidimensional deconvolution (MDD) (inversion) does not suffer from these problems. However, this approach requires data to be consistent, which is often not the case, especially not at interpolated near-offsets. A novel method is proposed to improve data consistency prior to inversion. This is done by backpropagating first-order multiples with a time-gated reference primary event and matching these with early primaries in the input gather. After data matching, multiple elimination by MDD can be applied with a deterministic inversion scheme.

Authoritarianism and Ethical Ideology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHoskey, John W.

1996-01-01

Surveys undergraduate psychology students in an attempt to ascertain the relationship among right wing authoritarianism (RWA) thinking, relativism and idealism, and political orientation. Discovers an inverse relationship between RWA and relativism but a surprising positive correlation between idealism and RWA. (MJP)

Exploring Temporal Progression of Events Using Eye Tracking.

PubMed

Welke, Tinka; Raisig, Susanne; Hagendorf, Herbert; van der Meer, Elke

2016-07-01

This study investigates the representation of the temporal progression of events by means of the causal change in a patient. Subjects were asked to verify the relationship between adjectives denoting a source and resulting feature of a patient. The features were presented either chronologically or inversely to a primed event context given by a verb (to cut: long-short vs. short-long). Effects on response time and on eye movement data show that the relationship between features presented chronologically is verified more easily than that between features presented inversely. Post hoc, however, we found that the effects of temporal order occurred only when subjects read the features more than once. Then, the relationship between the features is matched with the causal change implied by the event context (contextual strategy). When subjects read the features only once, subjects respond to the relationship between the features without taking into account the event context. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

More than a feeling: discrete emotions mediate the relationship between relative deprivation and reactions to workplace furloughs.

PubMed

Osborne, Danny; Smith, Heather J; Huo, Yuen J

2012-05-01

A key insight from investigations of individual relative deprivation (IRD) is that people can experience objective disadvantages differently. In this study, university faculty (N = 953) who reported greater IRD in response to a mandatory furlough (i.e., involuntary pay reductions) were more likely to (a) voice options designed to improve the university (voice), (b) consider leaving their job (exit), and (c) neglect their work responsibilities (neglect), but were (d) less likely to express loyalty to the university (loyalty). Consistent with the emotions literature, (a) anger mediated the relationship between IRD and voice, (b) fear between IRD and exit, (c) sadness between IRD and neglect, and (d) gratitude between IRD and loyalty. IRD was inversely associated with self-reported physical and mental health via these different emotional pathways. These results show how discrete emotions can explain responses to IRD and, in turn, contribute to organizational viability and the health of its members.

Unified model for the corneal permeability of related and diverse compounds with respect to their physicochemical properties.

PubMed

Yoshida, F; Topliss, J G

1996-08-01

Corneal permeability data taken from the literature were analyzed for possible quantitative relationships with physicochemical properties. Although a parabolic relationship was obtained with good correlation between lipophilicity, as expressed by the 1-octanol-water partition coefficients, log Poctanol (or the distribution coefficients, log D for ionizable compounds), and the permeability in individual analyses of compound classes such as beta-adrenoceptor blockers and steroids, the correlation was reduced when taken together. However, delta log P (i.e., log Poctanol-log Palkane) correlated inversely with the combined permeability data for beta-blockers and steroids and played a key role as a unifying variable. To a lesser extent, lipophilicity itself also contributes positively to corneal permeation. Even with the addition of miscellaneous compounds such as methanol and ibuprofen, the delta log P and lipophilicity terms were still significant. However, small molecules were likely to be underestimated, which is consistent with penetration via another pathway besides that governed by delta log P and lipophilicity.

Self-efficacy, physical activity, and aerobic fitness in middle school children: examination of a pedometer intervention program.

PubMed

Manley, Dana; Cowan, Patricia; Graff, Carolyn; Perlow, Michael; Rice, Pamela; Richey, Phyllis; Sanchez, Zoila

2014-01-01

Physical activity in children has been associated with a number of health benefits. Unfortunately, physical inactivity continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among self-efficacy levels, physical activity, aerobic fitness, and body composition (relative body mass index [RBMI]) and to determine whether a school-based pedometer intervention program would improve those variables. The sample consisted of 116 rural 11- to 13-year-old students. Weakly positive correlations between self-efficacy, physical activity, and aerobic fitness and weakly correlated inverse relationships between self-efficacy, physical activity, aerobic fitness and RBMI were found. There was no statistical significance between the intervention and control group when analyzing outcome variables. These findings suggest that those with optimal RBMI levels have higher self-efficacy, physical activity and aerobic fitness levels. Although not statistically significant, the intervention group had greater improvements in mean self-efficacy scores, aerobic fitness levels, and RBMI. © 2014.

Seeing the world topsy-turvy: The primary role of kinematics in biological motion inversion effects

PubMed Central

Fitzgerald, Sue-Anne; Brooks, Anna; van der Zwan, Rick; Blair, Duncan

2014-01-01

Physical inversion of whole or partial human body representations typically has catastrophic consequences on the observer's ability to perform visual processing tasks. Explanations usually focus on the effects of inversion on the visual system's ability to exploit configural or structural relationships, but more recently have also implicated motion or kinematic cue processing. Here, we systematically tested the role of both on perceptions of sex from upright and inverted point-light walkers. Our data suggest that inversion results in systematic degradations of the processing of kinematic cues. Specifically and intriguingly, they reveal sex-based kinematic differences: Kinematics characteristic of females generally are resistant to inversion effects, while those of males drive systematic sex misperceptions. Implications of the findings are discussed. PMID:25469217

Metamodel-based inverse method for parameter identification: elastic-plastic damage model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Changwu; El Hami, Abdelkhalak; Radi, Bouchaïb

2017-04-01

This article proposed a metamodel-based inverse method for material parameter identification and applies it to elastic-plastic damage model parameter identification. An elastic-plastic damage model is presented and implemented in numerical simulation. The metamodel-based inverse method is proposed in order to overcome the disadvantage in computational cost of the inverse method. In the metamodel-based inverse method, a Kriging metamodel is constructed based on the experimental design in order to model the relationship between material parameters and the objective function values in the inverse problem, and then the optimization procedure is executed by the use of a metamodel. The applications of the presented material model and proposed parameter identification method in the standard A 2017-T4 tensile test prove that the presented elastic-plastic damage model is adequate to describe the material's mechanical behaviour and that the proposed metamodel-based inverse method not only enhances the efficiency of parameter identification but also gives reliable results.

Can In Utero Exposures Program an Increased Risk for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In the early 1990's, David Barker and his colleagues studied the relationship between the incidence of coronary heart disease and birth weight in a population of adult men and women in Hertfordshire, England. They found an inverse correlation between the incidence of coronary heart disease and birth weight -the lower the weight at birth, the higher the risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood. Importantly, this was not simply a problem of low birth weight or premature birth, as the inverse relationship was evident among full-term births within a normal birth weight range (i.e., 5-10 pounds). Subsequent studies by this group and others expanded the range of adult diseases inversely correlated with birth weight to include hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. These are components of the metabolic syndrome, and all contribute to increased risk of coronary heart disease. Since that time, a number of studies around the world have corroborated these findings. The

Multiple metals predict prolactin and thyrotropin (TSH) levels in men

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

Meeker, John D., E-mail: meekerj@umich.edu; Rossano, Mary G.; Protas, Bridget

2009-10-15

Exposure to a number of metals can affect neuroendocrine and thyroid signaling, which can result in adverse effects on development, behavior, metabolism, reproduction, and other functions. The present study assessed the relationship between metal concentrations in blood and serum prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) levels, markers of dopaminergic, and thyroid function, respectively, among men participating in a study of environmental influences on male reproductive health. Blood samples from 219 men were analyzed for concentrations of 11 metals and serum levels of PRL and TSH. In multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, BMI and smoking, PRL was inversely associated withmore » arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, but positively associated with chromium. Several of these associations (Cd, Pb, Mo) are consistent with limited studies in humans or animals, and a number of the relationships (Cr, Cu, Pb, Mo) remained when additionally considering multiple metals in the model. Lead and copper were associated with non-monotonic decrease in TSH, while arsenic was associated with a dose-dependent increase in TSH. For arsenic these findings were consistent with recent experimental studies where arsenic inhibited enzymes involved in thyroid hormone synthesis and signaling. More research is needed for a better understanding of the role of metals in neuroendocrine and thyroid function and related health implications.« less

Value of F-wave inversion in diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and it's relation with anthropometric measurements.

PubMed

Komurcu, Hatice Ferhan; Kilic, Selim; Anlar, Omer

2015-01-01

The clinical importance of F-wave inversion in the diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is not yet well known. This study aims to investigate the value of F-wave inversion in diagnosing CTS, and to evaluate the relationship of F-wave inversion with age, gender, diabetes mellitus, body mass index (BMI), wrist or waist circumferences. Patients (n=744) who were considered to have CTS with clinical findings were included in the study. In order to confirm the diagnosis of CTS, standard electrophysiological parameters were studied with electroneuromyography. In addition, median nerve F-wave measurements were done and we determined if F-wave inversion was present or not. Sensitivity and specificity of F-wave inversion were investigated for its value in showing CTS diagnosed by electrophysiological examination. CTS diagnosis was confirmed by routine electrophysiological parameters in 307 (41.3%) patients. The number of the patients with the presence of F-wave inversion was 243 (32.7%). Sensitivity of F-wave inversion was found as 56% and specificity as 83.8%. BMI and wrist circumference values were significantly higher in patients with F-wave inversion present than those with F-wave inversion absent (p=0.0033, p=0.025 respectively). F-wave inversion can be considered as a valuable electrophysiological measurement for screening of CTS.

Non-Random Inversion Landscapes in Prokaryotic Genomes Are Shaped by Heterogeneous Selection Pressures.

PubMed

Repar, Jelena; Warnecke, Tobias

2017-08-01

Inversions are a major contributor to structural genome evolution in prokaryotes. Here, using a novel alignment-based method, we systematically compare 1,651 bacterial and 98 archaeal genomes to show that inversion landscapes are frequently biased toward (symmetric) inversions around the origin-terminus axis. However, symmetric inversion bias is not a universal feature of prokaryotic genome evolution but varies considerably across clades. At the extremes, inversion landscapes in Bacillus-Clostridium and Actinobacteria are dominated by symmetric inversions, while there is little or no systematic bias favoring symmetric rearrangements in archaea with a single origin of replication. Within clades, we find strong but clade-specific relationships between symmetric inversion bias and different features of adaptive genome architecture, including the distance of essential genes to the origin of replication and the preferential localization of genes on the leading strand. We suggest that heterogeneous selection pressures have converged to produce similar patterns of structural genome evolution across prokaryotes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

The double tropopause and its dynamical relationship to the tropopause inversion layer in storm track regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peevey, T. R.; Gille, J. C.; Homeyer, C. R.; Manney, G. L.

2014-09-01

Using High Resolution Dynamic Limb Sounder observations and ERA-Interim reanalysis this study demonstrates that the warm conveyor belt (WCB) is a mechanism responsible for the relationship between the double tropopause (DT) and the tropopause inversion layer (TIL), a relationship recently suggested in the literature based on idealized model simulations of baroclinic disturbances. Using these data sets, spatial and temporal characteristics of the DT-TIL relationship are examined over a 3 year period, 2005-2008. In the extratropics, results from satellite data show that as the TIL increases in strength, so does the frequency of the DT, regardless of season or hemisphere. The inverse relationship is found in the tropics. Using only DT profiles, zonal composites of wind, relative vorticity, and temperature from reanalysis data show that as the TIL increases in strength, the upper tropospheric circulation switches from cyclonic to anticyclonic, and the upward vertical motion increases. This result suggests the WCB as a mechanism since it is on the anticyclonic side of the jet and is characterized by the movement of tropical air poleward and upward from the surface. To verify this relationship, the vertical and horizontal development of a synoptic-scale baroclinic system is analyzed over a 4 day period. Results show the equatorward extension of the polar tropopause, and thus the formation of the DT, due to the strengthening of the TIL in the region of vertical motion associated with the WCB. Moreover, this result suggests that air movement within the DT could originate from high latitudes when associated with a baroclinic disturbance.

Hospital Volume and Operative Mortality in the Modern Era

PubMed Central

Reames, Bradley N.; Ghaferi, Amir A.; Birkmeyer, John D.; Dimick, Justin B.

2014-01-01

Background It is generally accepted that hospital volume is associated with mortality in high-risk procedures. However, as surgical safety has improved over the last decade, recent evidence has suggested that the inverse relationship has diminished or been eliminated. Objective To determine whether the relationship between hospital volume and mortality has changed over time. Methods Using national Medicare claims data from 2000 through 2009, we examined mortality among 3,282,127 patients who underwent one of eight gastrointestinal, cardiac, or vascular procedures. Hospitals were stratified into quintiles of operative volume. Using multivariable logistic regression models to adjust for patient characteristics, we examined the relationship between hospital volume and mortality, and assessed for changes over time. We performed sensitivity analyses using hierarchical logistic regression modeling with hospital-level random effects to confirm our results. Results Throughout the ten-year period, a significant inverse relationship was observed in all procedures. In five of the eight procedures studied, the strength of the volume-outcome relationship increased over time. In esophagectomy, for example, the adjusted odds ratio of mortality in very low volume hospitals compared to very high volume hospitals increased from 2.25 [95%CI: 1.57-3.23] in 2000-2001 to 3.68 [95%CI: 2.66-5.11] in 2008-2009. Only pancreatectomy showed a notable decrease in strength of the relationship over time, from 5.83 [95%CI: 3.64-9.36] in 2000-2001, to 3.08 [95%CI: 2.07 - 4.57] in 2008-2009. Conclusion For all procedures examined, higher volume hospitals had significantly lower mortality rates compared to lower volume hospitals. Despite recent improvements in surgical safety, the strong inverse relationship between hospital volume and mortality persists in the modern era. PMID:24368634

Moderation of the Relationship Between Reward Expectancy and Prediction Error-Related Ventral Striatal Reactivity by Anhedonia in Unmedicated Major Depressive Disorder: Findings From the EMBARC Study

PubMed Central

Greenberg, Tsafrir; Chase, Henry W.; Almeida, Jorge R.; Stiffler, Richelle; Zevallos, Carlos R.; Aslam, Haris A.; Deckersbach, Thilo; Weyandt, Sarah; Cooper, Crystal; Toups, Marisa; Carmody, Thomas; Kurian, Benji; Peltier, Scott; Adams, Phillip; McInnis, Melvin G.; Oquendo, Maria A.; McGrath, Patrick J.; Fava, Maurizio; Weissman, Myrna; Parsey, Ramin; Trivedi, Madhukar H.; Phillips, Mary L.

2016-01-01

Objective Anhedonia, disrupted reward processing, is a core symptom of major depressive disorder. Recent findings demonstrate altered reward-related ventral striatal reactivity in depressed individuals, but the extent to which this is specific to anhedonia remains poorly understood. The authors examined the effect of anhedonia on reward expectancy (expected outcome value) and prediction error-(discrepancy between expected and actual outcome) related ventral striatal reactivity, as well as the relationship between these measures. Method A total of 148 unmedicated individuals with major depressive disorder and 31 healthy comparison individuals recruited for the multisite EMBARC (Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care) study underwent functional MRI during a well-validated reward task. Region of interest and whole-brain data were examined in the first- (N=78) and second- (N=70) recruited cohorts, as well as the total sample, of depressed individuals, and in healthy individuals. Results Healthy, but not depressed, individuals showed a significant inverse relationship between reward expectancy and prediction error-related right ventral striatal reactivity. Across all participants, and in depressed individuals only, greater anhedonia severity was associated with a reduced reward expectancy-prediction error inverse relationship, even after controlling for other symptoms. Conclusions The normal reward expectancy and prediction error-related ventral striatal reactivity inverse relationship concords with conditioning models, predicting a shift in ventral striatal responding from reward outcomes to reward cues. This study shows, for the first time, an absence of this relationship in two cohorts of unmedicated depressed individuals and a moderation of this relationship by anhedonia, suggesting reduced reward-contingency learning with greater anhedonia. These findings help elucidate neural mechanisms of anhedonia, as a step toward identifying potential biosignatures of treatment response. PMID:26183698

Moderation of the Relationship Between Reward Expectancy and Prediction Error-Related Ventral Striatal Reactivity by Anhedonia in Unmedicated Major Depressive Disorder: Findings From the EMBARC Study.

PubMed

Greenberg, Tsafrir; Chase, Henry W; Almeida, Jorge R; Stiffler, Richelle; Zevallos, Carlos R; Aslam, Haris A; Deckersbach, Thilo; Weyandt, Sarah; Cooper, Crystal; Toups, Marisa; Carmody, Thomas; Kurian, Benji; Peltier, Scott; Adams, Phillip; McInnis, Melvin G; Oquendo, Maria A; McGrath, Patrick J; Fava, Maurizio; Weissman, Myrna; Parsey, Ramin; Trivedi, Madhukar H; Phillips, Mary L

2015-09-01

Anhedonia, disrupted reward processing, is a core symptom of major depressive disorder. Recent findings demonstrate altered reward-related ventral striatal reactivity in depressed individuals, but the extent to which this is specific to anhedonia remains poorly understood. The authors examined the effect of anhedonia on reward expectancy (expected outcome value) and prediction error- (discrepancy between expected and actual outcome) related ventral striatal reactivity, as well as the relationship between these measures. A total of 148 unmedicated individuals with major depressive disorder and 31 healthy comparison individuals recruited for the multisite EMBARC (Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care) study underwent functional MRI during a well-validated reward task. Region of interest and whole-brain data were examined in the first- (N=78) and second- (N=70) recruited cohorts, as well as the total sample, of depressed individuals, and in healthy individuals. Healthy, but not depressed, individuals showed a significant inverse relationship between reward expectancy and prediction error-related right ventral striatal reactivity. Across all participants, and in depressed individuals only, greater anhedonia severity was associated with a reduced reward expectancy-prediction error inverse relationship, even after controlling for other symptoms. The normal reward expectancy and prediction error-related ventral striatal reactivity inverse relationship concords with conditioning models, predicting a shift in ventral striatal responding from reward outcomes to reward cues. This study shows, for the first time, an absence of this relationship in two cohorts of unmedicated depressed individuals and a moderation of this relationship by anhedonia, suggesting reduced reward-contingency learning with greater anhedonia. These findings help elucidate neural mechanisms of anhedonia, as a step toward identifying potential biosignatures of treatment response.

Assessing Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction in Adolescent Relationships Formed Online and Offline.

PubMed

Blunt-Vinti, Heather D; Wheldon, Christopher; McFarlane, Mary; Brogan, Natalie; Walsh-Buhi, Eric R

2016-01-01

Using the Internet to meet new people is becoming more common; however, such behavior is often considered risky, particularly for adolescents. Nevertheless, adolescents are meeting people through online venues and some are forming romantic/sexual relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and sexual satisfaction reported by teens in online- and offline-initiated relationships. Data were collected from 273 13-19 year olds visiting a publicly funded clinic through 2010 and 2011. Questions included where respondents met the partner (online vs. offline), time between meeting and first sex, how well they knew the partner, and relationship and sexual (R&S) satisfaction. Analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, t tests, and path analysis, exploring R&S satisfaction in online- and offline-initiated relationships. R&S satisfaction scores were moderate for adolescents who reported meeting partners online and in person but were statistically higher in offline-initiated relationships. There was an inverse relationship between having an online partner and both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Additionally, knowing partners for a longer period of time and feeling more knowledgeable about partners before having sex were statistically significantly related to higher R&S satisfaction. Teens in this study reported more satisfying relationships with partners met offline compared with online. Results suggest that encouraging teens to wait longer and to get to know their partner(s) better before engaging in sex may improve satisfaction with, and quality of, those relationships. These findings provide an important contribution to sexual health promotion among young people, with whom technology use is ubiquitous. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

Investigating Children's Understanding of Inversion Using the Missing Number Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Camilla K.

2006-01-01

The development of conceptual understanding in arithmetic is a gradual process and children may make use of a concept in some situations before others. Previous research has demonstrated that when children are given arithmetic problems with an inverse relationship they can infer that the initial and final quantities are the same. However, we do…

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHOLE BLOOD SEROTONIN AND REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS IN AUTISM

PubMed Central

Kolevzon, Alexander; Newcorn, Jeffrey H.; Kryzak, Lauren; Chaplin, William; Watner, Dryden; Hollander, Eric; Smith, Christopher J.; Cook, Edwin H.; Silverman, Jeremy M.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between whole blood serotonin level and behavioral symptoms in 78 subjects with autism. No significant associations were found between serotonin level and the primary behavioral outcome measures. However, a significant inverse relationship between serotonin level and self-injury was demonstrated. PMID:20044143

The Relationship Between Behavioral Indices of Aggression and Hostile Content on the TAT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matranga, James T.

1976-01-01

Adolescent male delinquents were administered the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to examine the relationship between behavioral indices of aggression and hostility. The results of this investigation supported the hypothesis that an inverse relationship exists between hostility on the TAT and ratings of aggressive behavior in adolescent males.…

A New Paradigm for Satellite Retrieval of Hydrologic Variables: The CDRD Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, E. A.; Mugnai, A.; Tripoli, G. J.

2009-09-01

Historically, retrieval of thermodynamically active geophysical variables in the atmosphere (e.g., temperature, moisture, precipitation) involved some time of inversion scheme - embedded within the retrieval algorithm - to transform radiometric observations (a vector) to the desired geophysical parameter(s) (either a scalar or a vector). Inversion is fundamentally a mathematical operation involving some type of integral-differential radiative transfer equation - often resisting a straightforward algebraic solution - in which the integral side of the equation (typically the right-hand side) contains the desired geophysical vector, while the left-hand side contains the radiative measurement vector often free of operators. Inversion was considered more desirable than forward modeling because the forward model solution had to be selected from a generally unmanageable set of parameter-observation relationships. However, in the classical inversion problem for retrieval of temperature using multiple radiative frequencies along the wing of an absorption band (or line) of a well-mixed radiatively active gas, in either the infrared or microwave spectrums, the inversion equation to be solved consists of a Fredholm integral equation of the 2nd kind - a specific type of transform problem in which there are an infinite number of solutions. This meant that special treatment of the transform process was required in order to obtain a single solution. Inversion had become the method of choice for retrieval in the 1950s because it appealed to the use of mathematical elegance, and because the numerical approaches used to solve the problems (typically some type of relaxation or perturbation scheme) were computationally fast in an age when computers speeds were slow. Like many solution schemes, inversion has lingered on regardless of the fact that computer speeds have increased many orders of magnitude and forward modeling itself has become far more elegant in combination with Bayesian averaging procedures given that the a priori probabilities of occurrence in the true environment of the parameter(s) in question can be approximated (or are actually known). In this presentation, the theory of the more modern retrieval approach using a combination of cloud, radiation and other specialized forward models in conjunction with Bayesian weighted averaging will be reviewed in light of a brief history of inversion. The application of the theory will be cast in the framework of what we call the Cloud-Dynamics-Radiation-Database (CDRD) methodology - which we now use for the retrieval of precipitation from spaceborne passive microwave radiometers. In a companion presentation, we will specifically describe the CDRD methodology and present results for its application within the Mediterranean basin.

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies on a Macrocyclic Agouti-Related Protein (AGRP) Scaffold Reveal Agouti Signaling Protein (ASP) Residue Substitutions Maintain Melanocortin-4 Receptor Antagonist Potency and Result in Inverse Agonist Pharmacology at the Melanocortin-5 Receptor.

PubMed

Ericson, Mark D; Freeman, Katie T; Schnell, Sathya M; Fleming, Katlyn A; Haskell-Luevano, Carrie

2017-10-12

The melanocortin system consists of five reported receptors, agonists from the proopiomelanocortin gene transcript, and two antagonists, agouti-signaling protein (ASP) and agouti-related protein (AGRP). For both ASP and AGRP, the hypothesized Arg-Phe-Phe pharmacophores are on exposed β-hairpin loops. In this study, the Asn and Ala positions of a reported AGRP macrocyclic scaffold (c[Pro-Arg-Phe-Phe-Asn-Ala-Phe-DPro]) were explored with 14-compound and 8-compound libraries, respectively, to generate more potent, selective melanocortin receptor antagonists. Substituting diaminopropionic acid (Dap), DDap, and His at the Asn position yielded potent MC4R ligands, while replacing Ala with Ser maintained MC4R potency. Since these substitutions correlate to ASP loop residues, an additional Phe to Ala substitution was synthesized and observed to maintain MC4R potency. Seventeen compounds also possessed inverse agonist activity at the MC5R, the first report of this pharmacology. These findings are useful in developing molecular probes to study negative energy balance conditions and unidentified functions of the MC5R.

Plasmapause Location: Model Compared to Van Allen Probes Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, J.; Baker, D. N.; Blake, J. B.; Funsten, H. O.; Jaynes, A. N.; Malaspina, D.; Reeves, G. D.; Spence, H. E.; Thaller, S. A.; Wygant, J. R.

2017-12-01

We study the evolution of the plasmapause for a multi-year period (January 2013 to January 2017) spanning much of the Van Allen Probes mission, by comparing the output of a plasmapause test particle simulation with the spacecraft potential measured by the Electric Field and Waves (EFW) suite. Consistent with previous results, we quantify the accuracy of the model by measuring the radial difference between real and virtual satellite encounters with the plasmapause boundary. We find that model performance is better on the nightside and during active periods, and worse on the duskside/dayside and during extended quiet intervals. For two case studies, we compare the plasmapause with the locations of relativistic electron flux peaks. For global context we use the test particle plasmaspheric index Fp [Goldstein et al., 2016], the fraction of a circular drift orbit inside the plasmapause, as a proxy for the globally integrated opportunity for losses in cold plasma. We find an inverse relationship between relativistic flux and the Fp index, consistent with increased likelihood of losses in cold plasma.

Diet Quality and Cancer Outcomes in Adults: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies

PubMed Central

Potter, Jennifer; Brown, Leanne; Williams, Rebecca L.; Byles, Julie; Collins, Clare E.

2016-01-01

Dietary patterns influence cancer risk. However, systematic reviews have not evaluated relationships between a priori defined diet quality scores and adult cancer risk and mortality. The aims of this systematic review are to (1) describe diet quality scores used in cohort or cross-sectional research examining cancer outcomes; and (2) describe associations between diet quality scores and cancer risk and mortality. The protocol was registered in Prospero, and a systematic search using six electronic databases was conducted through to December 2014. Records were assessed for inclusion by two independent reviewers, and quality was evaluated using a validated tool. Sixty-four studies met inclusion criteria from which 55 different diet quality scores were identified. Of the 35 studies investigating diet quality and cancer risk, 60% (n = 21) found a positive relationship. Results suggest no relationship between diet quality scores and overall cancer risk. Inverse associations were found for diet quality scores and risk of postmenopausal breast, colorectal, head, and neck cancer. No consistent relationships between diet quality scores and cancer mortality were found. Diet quality appears to be related to site-specific adult cancer risk. The relationship with cancer mortality is less conclusive, suggesting additional factors impact overall cancer survival. Development of a cancer-specific diet quality score for application in prospective epidemiology and in public health is warranted. PMID:27399671

Method and Apparatus for Performance Optimization Through Physical Perturbation of Task Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III (Inventor); Pope, Alan T. (Inventor); Palsson, Olafur S. (Inventor); Turner, Marsha J. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The invention is an apparatus and method of biofeedback training for attaining a physiological state optimally consistent with the successful performance of a task, wherein the probability of successfully completing the task is made is inversely proportional to a physiological difference value, computed as the absolute value of the difference between at least one physiological signal optimally consistent with the successful performance of the task and at least one corresponding measured physiological signal of a trainee performing the task. The probability of successfully completing the task is made inversely proportional to the physiological difference value by making one or more measurable physical attributes of the environment in which the task is performed, and upon which completion of the task depends, vary in inverse proportion to the physiological difference value.

ON THE GEOSTATISTICAL APPROACH TO THE INVERSE PROBLEM. (R825689C037)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The geostatistical approach to the inverse problem is discussed with emphasis on the importance of structural analysis. Although the geostatistical approach is occasionally misconstrued as mere cokriging, in fact it consists of two steps: estimation of statist...

Loneliness, Self-Disclosure, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chelune, Gordon J.; And Others

1980-01-01

Examined the relationship between interpersonal intimacy and loneliness, social skills, and social activity. Dispositional level of self-disclosure was found to be inversely related to loneliness. Results suggest that lonely individuals have difficulty appropriately revealing personal information in new relationships and nonstructured social…

Sex differences in the relationship between white matter connectivity and creativity.

PubMed

Ryman, Sephira G; van den Heuvel, Martijn P; Yeo, Ronald A; Caprihan, Arvind; Carrasco, Jessica; Vakhtin, Andrei A; Flores, Ranee A; Wertz, Christopher; Jung, Rex E

2014-11-01

Creative cognition emerges from a complex network of interacting brain regions. This study investigated the relationship between the structural organization of the human brain and aspects of creative cognition tapped by divergent thinking tasks. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) was used to obtain fiber tracts from 83 segmented cortical regions. This information was represented as a network and metrics of connectivity organization, including connectivity strength, clustering and communication efficiency were computed, and their relationship to individual levels of creativity was examined. Permutation testing identified significant sex differences in the relationship between global connectivity and creativity as measured by divergent thinking tests. Females demonstrated significant inverse relationships between global connectivity and creative cognition, whereas there were no significant relationships observed in males. Node specific analyses revealed inverse relationships across measures of connectivity, efficiency, clustering and creative cognition in widespread regions in females. Our findings suggest that females involve more regions of the brain in processing to produce novel ideas to solutions, perhaps at the expense of efficiency (greater path lengths). Males, in contrast, exhibited few, relatively weak positive relationships across these measures. Extending recent observations of sex differences in connectome structure, our findings of sexually dimorphic relationships suggest a unique topological organization of connectivity underlying the generation of novel ideas in males and females. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Complex Relationships Among Masculine Norms and Health/Well-Being Outcomes: Correlation Patterns of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory Subscales

PubMed Central

Gerdes, Zachary T.; Levant, Ronald F.

2017-01-01

The Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI) is a widely used multidimensional scale. Studies using the CMNI most often report only total scale scores, which are predominantly associated with negative outcomes. Various studies since the CMNI’s inception in 2003 using subscales have reported both positive and negative outcomes. The current content analysis examined studies (N = 17) correlating the 11 subscales with 63 criterion variables across 7 categories. Most findings were consistent with past research using total scale scores that reported negative outcomes. For example, conformity to masculine norms has been inversely related to help-seeking and positively correlated with concerning health variables, such as substance use. Nonetheless, past reliance on total scores has obscured the complexity of associations with the CMNI in that 30% of the findings in the present study reflected positive outcomes, particularly for health promotion. Subscales differed in their relationships with various outcomes: for one subscale they were predominantly positive, but six others were mostly negative. The situational and contextual implications of conformity to masculine norms and their relationships to positive and negative outcomes are discussed. PMID:29219033

An evaluation of voice stress analysis techniques in a simulated AWACS environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, William A., Jr.

1990-08-01

The purpose was to determine if voice analysis algorithms are an effective measure of stress resulting from high workload. Fundamental frequency, frequency jitter, and amplitude shimmer algorithms were employed to measure the effects of stress in crewmember communications data in simulated AWACS mission scenarios. Two independent workload measures were used to identify levels of stress: a predictor model developed by the simulation author based upon scenario generated stimulus events; and the duration of communication for each weapons director, representative of the individual's response to the induced stress. Between eight and eleven speech samples were analyzed for each of the sixteen Air Force officers who participated in the study. Results identified fundamental frequency and frequency jitter as statistically significant vocal indicators of stress, while amplitude shimmer showed no signs of any significant relationship with workload or stress. Consistent with previous research, the frequency algorithm was identified as the most reliable measure. However, the results did not reveal a sensitive discrimination measure between levels of stress, but rather, did distinguish between the presence or absence of stress. The results illustrate a significant relationship between fundamental frequency and the effects of stress and also a significant inverse relationship with jitter, though less dramatic.

Relationships among Blood Pressure, Triglycerides and Verbal Learning in African Americans

PubMed Central

Sims, Regina C.; Madhere, Serge; Gordon, Shalanda; Clark, Elijah; Abayomi, Kobi A.; Callender, Clive O.; Campbell, Alfonso L.

2013-01-01

Background Individuals at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) display poorer cognitive functioning across various cognitive domains. This finding is particularly prevalent among older adults; however, few studies examine these relationships among younger adults or among African Americans. Purpose The objective was to examine the relationships among 2 cardiovascular risk factors, elevated blood pressure and elevated triglycerides, and verbal learning in a community-based sample of African Americans. Methods Measurements of blood pressure and triglycerides were obtained in 121 African-American adults and compared to performance on 3 domains of the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II). Results Blood pressure was not related to CVLT-II performance. Triglyceride levels were inversely related to CVLT-II performance. Higher triglyceride levels were associated with poorer immediate, short delay and long delay recall. Conclusions Consistent with studies involving older participants, the current investigation shows that in a nonelderly sample of African Americans, triglyceride levels may be related to cognitive functioning. Because early detection and intervention of vascular-related cognitive impairment may have a salutary effect, future studies should include younger adults to highlight the impact of cardiovascular risk on cognition. PMID:18942281

The Relationship between Personality Styles of Sociotropy and Autonomy With Suicidal Tendency in Medical Students

PubMed Central

Raeisei, Ahmadali; Mojahed, Azizollah; Bakhshani, Nour-Mohammad

2015-01-01

The research aim was investigating the relationship between personality styles of autonomy and sociotropy, and suicidal behavior at Zahedan University of medical sciences’ medical students. This was a descriptive correlational study. The population consisted of all medical students at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences internship period 2002-2003. The number of samples was 102 patients, including 47 males and 55 females. To collect information, the personal style inventory (PSI) with 48 items. Twenty four items to assess sociotropy, 24 items to assess autonomy, and to measure suicide the suicidal subscale (MMPI) with 21 items were used. The two scales had the content validity and for the reliability used Cronbach α. So the reliability of the personality styles is 0.84 and the reliability of the suicidal subscales is 0.83. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation methods. The results showed that there is an inverse and significant relation between autonomic style and trends of suicide in men (P = 0.02, r = -0.43), but no association between sociotropy and suicidal tendencies were observed in men. There was no significant relationship between autonomy and sociotropy personality styles and tendency towards suicide in women. PMID:25948467

Testing the relationships between energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and economic growth in 24 African countries: a panel ARDL approach.

PubMed

Asongu, Simplice; El Montasser, Ghassen; Toumi, Hassen

2016-04-01

This study complements existing literature by examining the nexus between energy consumption (EC), CO2 emissions (CE), and economic growth (GDP; gross domestic product) in 24 African countries using a panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. The following findings are established. First, there is a long-run relationship between EC, CE, and GDP. Second, a long-term effect from CE to GDP and EC is apparent, with reciprocal paths. Third, the error correction mechanisms are consistently stable. However, in cases of disequilibrium, only EC can be significantly adjusted to its long-run relationship. Fourth, there is a long-run causality running from GDP and CE to EC. Fifth, we find causality running from either CE or both CE and EC to GDP, and inverse causal paths are observable. Causality from EC to GDP is not strong, which supports the conservative hypothesis. Sixth, the causal direction from EC to GDP remains unobservable in the short term. By contrast, the opposite path is observable. There are also no short-run causalities from GDP, or EC, or EC, and GDP to EC. Policy implications are discussed.

Relationship between diminution of small pulmonary vessels and emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Mashimo, Shuko; Chubachi, Shotaro; Tsutsumi, Akihiro; Kameyama, Naofumi; Sasaki, Mamoru; Jinzaki, Masahiro; Nakamura, Hidetoshi; Asano, Koichiro; Reilly, John J; Betsuyaku, Tomoko

To investigate the relationship between small pulmonary vessels and extent of emphysema on CT in individual lungs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty-nine patients were included. The percentage of cross-sectional area of vessels <5mm 2 (%CSA <5) and extent of emphysema were assessed. Less than half of the COPD patients demonstrated an inverse correlation between %CSA <5 and percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%). In the remaining patients, %CSA <5 was homogeneously distributed. Not all patients with COPD demonstrated an inverse correlation of the distributions between %CSA <5 and LAA% in individual lungs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Correlation between Prospective Teachers' Knowledge of Algebraic Inverse Operations and Teaching Competency--Using the Square Root as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Issic Kui Chiu; Ding, Lin; Leung, Allen Yuk Lun; Wong, Ngai Ying

2016-01-01

This study is part of a larger study investigating the subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of Hong Kong prospective mathematics teachers, the relationship between the knowledge of algebraic operation and its inverse, and their teaching competency. In this paper, we address the subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content…

Long-wavelength Magnetic and Gravity Anomaly Correlations of Africa and Europe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonfrese, R. R. B.; Hinze, W. J. (Principal Investigator); Olivier, R.

1984-01-01

Preliminary MAGSAT scalar magnetic anomaly data were compiled for comparison with long-wavelength-pass filtered free-air gravity anomalies and regional heat-flow and tectonic data. To facilitate the correlation analysis at satellite elevations over a spherical-Earth, equivalent point source inversion was used to differentially reduce the magnetic satellite anomalies to the radial pole at 350 km elevation, and to upward continue the first radial derivative of the free-air gravity anomalies. Correlation patterns between these regional geopotential anomaly fields are quantitatively established by moving window linear regression based on Poisson's theorem. Prominent correlations include direct correspondences for the Baltic Shield, where both anomalies are negative, and the central Mediterranean and Zaire Basin where both anomalies are positive. Inverse relationships are generally common over the Precambrian Shield in northwest Africa, the Basins and Shields in southern Africa, and the Alpine Orogenic Belt. Inverse correlations also presist over the North Sea Rifts, the Benue Rift, and more generally over the East African Rifts. The results of this quantitative correlation analysis support the general inverse relationships of gravity and magnetic anomalies observed for North American continental terrain which may be broadly related to magnetic crustal thickness variations.

Long-wavelength magnetic and gravity anomaly correlations on Africa and Europe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonfrese, R. R. B.; Olivier, R.; Hinze, W. J.

1985-01-01

Preliminary MAGSAT scalar magnetic anomaly data were compiled for comparison with long-wavelength-pass filtered free-air gravity anomalies and regional heat-flow and tectonic data. To facilitate the correlation analysis at satellite elevations over a spherical-Earth, equivalent point source inversion was used to differentially reduce the magnetic satellite anomalies to the radial pole at 350 km elevation, and to upward continue the first radial derivative of the free-air gravity anomalies. Correlation patterns between these regional geopotential anomaly fields are quantitatively established by moving window linear regression based on Poisson's theorem. Prominent correlations include direct correspondences for the Baltic shield, where both anomalies are negative, and the central Mediterranean and Zaire Basin where both anomalies are positive. Inverse relationships are generally common over the Precambrian Shield in northwest Africa, the Basins and Shields in southern Africa, and the Alpine Orogenic Belt. Inverse correlations also presist over the North Sea Rifts, the Benue Rift, and more generally over the East African Rifts. The results of this quantitative correlation analysis support the general inverse relationships of gravity and magnetic anomalies observed for North American continental terrain which may be broadly related to magnetic crustal thickness variations.

Objectified quantification of uncertainties in Bayesian atmospheric inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berchet, A.; Pison, I.; Chevallier, F.; Bousquet, P.; Bonne, J.-L.; Paris, J.-D.

2015-05-01

Classical Bayesian atmospheric inversions process atmospheric observations and prior emissions, the two being connected by an observation operator picturing mainly the atmospheric transport. These inversions rely on prescribed errors in the observations, the prior emissions and the observation operator. When data pieces are sparse, inversion results are very sensitive to the prescribed error distributions, which are not accurately known. The classical Bayesian framework experiences difficulties in quantifying the impact of mis-specified error distributions on the optimized fluxes. In order to cope with this issue, we rely on recent research results to enhance the classical Bayesian inversion framework through a marginalization on a large set of plausible errors that can be prescribed in the system. The marginalization consists in computing inversions for all possible error distributions weighted by the probability of occurrence of the error distributions. The posterior distribution of the fluxes calculated by the marginalization is not explicitly describable. As a consequence, we carry out a Monte Carlo sampling based on an approximation of the probability of occurrence of the error distributions. This approximation is deduced from the well-tested method of the maximum likelihood estimation. Thus, the marginalized inversion relies on an automatic objectified diagnosis of the error statistics, without any prior knowledge about the matrices. It robustly accounts for the uncertainties on the error distributions, contrary to what is classically done with frozen expert-knowledge error statistics. Some expert knowledge is still used in the method for the choice of an emission aggregation pattern and of a sampling protocol in order to reduce the computation cost. The relevance and the robustness of the method is tested on a case study: the inversion of methane surface fluxes at the mesoscale with virtual observations on a realistic network in Eurasia. Observing system simulation experiments are carried out with different transport patterns, flux distributions and total prior amounts of emitted methane. The method proves to consistently reproduce the known "truth" in most cases, with satisfactory tolerance intervals. Additionally, the method explicitly provides influence scores and posterior correlation matrices. An in-depth interpretation of the inversion results is then possible. The more objective quantification of the influence of the observations on the fluxes proposed here allows us to evaluate the impact of the observation network on the characterization of the surface fluxes. The explicit correlations between emission aggregates reveal the mis-separated regions, hence the typical temporal and spatial scales the inversion can analyse. These scales are consistent with the chosen aggregation patterns.

Comprehension of Sentences with Stylistic Inversion by French Aphasic Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rigalleau, Francois; Baudiffier, Vanessa; Caplan, David

2004-01-01

Three French-speaking agrammatic aphasics and three French-speaking Conduction aphasics were tested for comprehension of Active, Passive, Cleft-Subject, Cleft-Object, and Cleft-Object sentences with Stylistic Inversion using an object manipulation test. The agrammatic patients consistently reversed thematic roles in the latter sentence type, and…

Pain sensitivity is inversely related to regional grey matter density in the brain.

PubMed

Emerson, Nichole M; Zeidan, Fadel; Lobanov, Oleg V; Hadsel, Morten S; Martucci, Katherine T; Quevedo, Alexandre S; Starr, Christopher J; Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas; Weissman-Fogel, Irit; Granovsky, Yelena; Yarnitsky, David; Coghill, Robert C

2014-03-01

Pain is a highly personal experience that varies substantially among individuals. In search of an anatomical correlate of pain sensitivity, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate the relationship between grey matter density across the whole brain and interindividual differences in pain sensitivity in 116 healthy volunteers (62 women, 54 men). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and psychophysical data from 10 previous functional MRI studies were used. Age, sex, unpleasantness ratings, scanner sequence, and sensory testing location were added to the model as covariates. Regression analysis of grey matter density across the whole brain and thermal pain intensity ratings at 49°C revealed a significant inverse relationship between pain sensitivity and grey matter density in bilateral regions of the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, intraparietal sulcus, and inferior parietal lobule. Unilateral regions of the left primary somatosensory cortex also exhibited this inverse relationship. No regions showed a positive relationship to pain sensitivity. These structural variations occurred in areas associated with the default mode network, attentional direction and shifting, as well as somatosensory processing. These findings underscore the potential importance of processes related to default mode thought and attention in shaping individual differences in pain sensitivity and indicate that pain sensitivity can potentially be predicted on the basis of brain structure. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards a fully self-consistent inversion combining historical and paleomagnetic data for geomagnetic field reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneitz, P.; Leonhardt, R.; Fabian, K.; Egli, R.

2017-12-01

Historical and paleomagnetic data are the two main sources of information about the long-term geomagnetic field evolution. Historical observations extend to the late Middle Ages, and prior to the 19th century, they consisted mainly of pure declination measurements from navigation and orientation logs. Field reconstructions going back further in time rely solely on magnetization acquired by rocks, sediments, and archaeological artefacts. The combined dataset is characterized by a strongly inhomogeneous spatio-temporal distribution and highly variable data reliability and quality. Therefore, an adequate weighting of the data that correctly accounts for data density, type, and realistic error estimates represents the major challenge for an inversion approach. Until now, there has not been a fully self-consistent geomagnetic model that correctly recovers the variation of the geomagnetic dipole together with the higher-order spherical harmonics. Here we present a new geomagnetic field model for the last 4 kyrs based on historical, archeomagnetic and volcanic records. The iterative Bayesian inversion approach targets the implementation of reliable error treatment, which allows different record types to be combined in a fully self-consistent way. Modelling results will be presented along with a thorough analysis of model limitations, validity and sensitivity.

Can a national dataset generate a nomogram for necrotizing enterocolitis onset?

PubMed

Gordon, P V; Clark, R; Swanson, J R; Spitzer, A

2014-10-01

Mother's own milk and donor human milk use is increasing as a means of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) prevention. Early onset of enteral feeding has been associated with improvement of many outcomes but has not been shown to reduce the incidence of NEC. Better definition of the window of risk for NEC by gestational strata should improve resource management with respect to donor human milk and enhance our understanding of NEC timing and pathogenesis. Our objective was to establish a NEC dataset of sufficient size and quality, then build a generalizable model of NEC onset from the dataset across gestational strata. We used de-identified data from the Pediatrix national dataset and filtered out all diagnostic confounders that could be identified by either specific diagnoses or logical exclusions (example dual diagnoses), with a specific focus on NEC and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) as the outcomes of interest. The median day of onset was plotted against the gestational age for each of these diagnoses and analyzed for similarities and differences in the day of diagnosis. Onset time of medical NEC was inversely proportional to gestation in a linear relationship across all gestational ages. We found the medical NEC dataset displayed characteristics most consistent with a homogeneous disease entity, whereas there was a skew towards early presentation in the youngest gestation groups of surgical NEC (suggesting probable SIP contamination). Our national dataset demonstrates that NEC onset occurs in an inverse stereotypic, linear relationship with gestational age at birth. Medical NEC is the most reliable sub-cohort for the purpose of determining the temporal window of NEC risk.

Effect of Vaginal or Systemic Estrogen on Dynamics of Collagen Assembly in the Rat Vaginal Wall1

PubMed Central

Montoya, T. Ignacio; Maldonado, P. Antonio; Acevedo, Jesus F.; Word, R. Ann

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the effects of systemic and local estrogen treatment on collagen assembly and biomechanical properties of the vaginal wall. Ovariectomized nulliparous rats were treated with estradiol or conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs) either systemically, vaginal CEE, or vaginal placebo cream for 4 wk. Low-dose local CEE treatment resulted in increased vaginal epithelial thickness and significant vaginal growth without uterine hyperplasia. Furthermore, vaginal wall distensibility increased without compromise of maximal force at failure. Systemic estradiol resulted in modest increases in collagen type I with no change in collagen type III mRNA. Low-dose vaginal treatment, however, resulted in dramatic increases in both collagen subtypes whereas moderate and high dose local therapies were less effective. Consistent with the mRNA results, low-dose vaginal estrogen resulted in increased total and cross-linked collagen content. The inverse relationship between vaginal dose and collagen expression may be explained in part by progressive downregulation of estrogen receptor-alpha mRNA with increasing estrogen dose. We conclude that, in this menopausal rat model, local estrogen treatment increased total and cross-linked collagen content and markedly stimulated collagen mRNA expression in an inverse dose-effect relationship. High-dose vaginal estrogen resulted in downregulation of estrogen receptor-alpha and loss of estrogen-induced increases in vaginal collagen. These results may have important clinical implications regarding the use of local vaginal estrogen therapy and its role as an adjunctive treatment in women with loss of vaginal support. PMID:25537371

Effect of vaginal or systemic estrogen on dynamics of collagen assembly in the rat vaginal wall.

PubMed

Montoya, T Ignacio; Maldonado, P Antonio; Acevedo, Jesus F; Word, R Ann

2015-02-01

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of systemic and local estrogen treatment on collagen assembly and biomechanical properties of the vaginal wall. Ovariectomized nulliparous rats were treated with estradiol or conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs) either systemically, vaginal CEE, or vaginal placebo cream for 4 wk. Low-dose local CEE treatment resulted in increased vaginal epithelial thickness and significant vaginal growth without uterine hyperplasia. Furthermore, vaginal wall distensibility increased without compromise of maximal force at failure. Systemic estradiol resulted in modest increases in collagen type I with no change in collagen type III mRNA. Low-dose vaginal treatment, however, resulted in dramatic increases in both collagen subtypes whereas moderate and high dose local therapies were less effective. Consistent with the mRNA results, low-dose vaginal estrogen resulted in increased total and cross-linked collagen content. The inverse relationship between vaginal dose and collagen expression may be explained in part by progressive downregulation of estrogen receptor-alpha mRNA with increasing estrogen dose. We conclude that, in this menopausal rat model, local estrogen treatment increased total and cross-linked collagen content and markedly stimulated collagen mRNA expression in an inverse dose-effect relationship. High-dose vaginal estrogen resulted in downregulation of estrogen receptor-alpha and loss of estrogen-induced increases in vaginal collagen. These results may have important clinical implications regarding the use of local vaginal estrogen therapy and its role as an adjunctive treatment in women with loss of vaginal support. © 2015 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Ultra-processed foods, protein leverage and energy intake in the USA.

PubMed

Martínez Steele, Euridice; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J; Baraldi, Larissa Galastri; Monteiro, Carlos A

2018-01-01

Experimental studies have shown that human macronutrient regulation minimizes variation in absolute protein intake and consequently energy intake varies passively with dietary protein density ('protein leverage'). According to the 'protein leverage hypothesis' (PLH), protein leverage interacts with a reduction in dietary protein density to drive energy overconsumption and obesity. Worldwide increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been hypothesized to be an important determinant of dietary protein dilution, and consequently an ecological driving force of energy overconsumption and the obesity pandemic. The present study examined the relationships between dietary contribution of UPF, dietary proportional protein content and the absolute intakes of protein and energy. National representative cross-sectional study. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. Participants (n 9042) aged ≥2 years with at least one day of 24 h dietary recall data. We found a strong inverse relationship between consumption of UPF and dietary protein density, with mean protein content dropping from 18·2 to 13·3 % between the lowest and highest quintiles of dietary contribution of UPF. Consistent with the PLH, increase in the dietary contribution of UPF (previously shown to be inversely associated with protein density) was also associated with a rise in total energy intake, while absolute protein intake remained relatively constant. The protein-diluting effect of UPF might be one mechanism accounting for their association with excess energy intake. Reducing UPF contribution in the US diet may be an effective way to increase its dietary protein concentration and prevent excessive energy intake.

The Relationship between Implementation of the American School Counselor Association National Model and Secondary School Counselor Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camelford, Kellie Giorgio; Ebrahim, Christine H.; Herlihy, Barbara

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the implementation of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and burnout in secondary school counselors who were ASCA members (n = 494). An inverse relationship was discovered between implementation and burnout based on survey results. Results indicated…

The Relationship between Pedometer-Determined and Self-Reported Physical Activity and Body Composition Variables in College-Aged Men and Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mestek, Michael L.; Plaisance, Eric; Grandjean, Peter

2008-01-01

Pedometer-determined physical activity (PA) is inversely related to body composition in middle-aged adults; however, researchers have not established such a relationship in college students. Objective and Participants: In this study, the authors attempted to characterize PA and examine its relationship with body composition in undergraduate…

Female Work, Fertility, And Contraceptive Use In A Biracial Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Fred W.; Udry, J. Richard

1973-01-01

This paper has two purposes. First, the relationship between work and fertility is investigated for both white and black females and is found to be inverse in both cases. Second, the relationship between female work and fertility is found to be strong and essentially the same for blacks as for whites. The only relationship found between female…

Exploiting risk-reward structures in decision making under uncertainty.

PubMed

Leuker, Christina; Pachur, Thorsten; Hertwig, Ralph; Pleskac, Timothy J

2018-06-01

People often have to make decisions under uncertainty-that is, in situations where the probabilities of obtaining a payoff are unknown or at least difficult to ascertain. One solution to this problem is to infer the probability from the magnitude of the potential payoff and thus exploit the inverse relationship between payoffs and probabilities that occurs in many domains in the environment. Here, we investigated how the mind may implement such a solution: (1) Do people learn about risk-reward relationships from the environment-and if so, how? (2) How do learned risk-reward relationships impact preferences in decision-making under uncertainty? Across three experiments (N = 352), we found that participants can learn risk-reward relationships from being exposed to choice environments with a negative, positive, or uncorrelated risk-reward relationship. They were able to learn the associations both from gambles with explicitly stated payoffs and probabilities (Experiments 1 & 2) and from gambles about epistemic events (Experiment 3). In subsequent decisions under uncertainty, participants often exploited the learned association by inferring probabilities from the magnitudes of the payoffs. This inference systematically influenced their preferences under uncertainty: Participants who had been exposed to a negative risk-reward relationship tended to prefer the uncertain option over a smaller sure option for low payoffs, but not for high payoffs. This pattern reversed in the positive condition and disappeared in the uncorrelated condition. This adaptive change in preferences is consistent with the use of the risk-reward heuristic. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring Nurse Faculty Incivility and Resonant Leadership.

PubMed

Casale, Katherine R

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore the relationship between the frequency of interfaculty incivility among nurses in academia and observed levels of resonant leadership of immediate supervisors. Despite mandates to address incivility in health care, nurse faculty report high levels of horizontal incivility among their peers. No known quantitative research has measured the relationship between nurse faculty-to-faculty incivility and resonant leadership traits of leaders. Nursing faculty from 17 universities (n = 260) were emailed an anonymous link to answer survey questions about horizontal peer incivility and leaders' management styles. There was a significant inverse relationship (Pearson's r, -.560) between the frequency of experienced faculty-to-faculty incivility and the level of observed resonant leadership behaviors of participants' immediate supervisors. Resonant supervisory behaviors inversely correlated with nurse faculty peer incivility, with potential to impact satisfaction, recruitment, and retention.

Relationships between serum leptin levels and bone mineral parameters in school-aged children: a 3-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Kouda, Katsuyasu; Ohara, Kumiko; Fujita, Yuki; Nakamura, Harunobu; Tachiki, Takahiro; Iki, Masayuki

2018-02-02

Leptin regulates bone cell differentiation and functions via direct and indirect actions in experimental settings. Epidemiologically, however, the impact of leptin on the regulation of bone metabolism remains unclear. While some studies have reported a positive relationship between leptin and bone mineral parameters, other studies found an inverse or no association. We analyzed data from a population-based follow-up survey of community-dwelling children in Hamamatsu, Japan, to investigate relationships between leptin levels and bone mineral parameters. Multiple regression analysis was performed. Multicollinearity was quantified using the variance infiltration factor (VIF). Among 408 children who participated in the baseline survey (at age 11.2 years), 254 (121 boys and 133 girls) completed the follow-up survey (at age 14.2 years). Leptin levels were strongly related to fat mass (r = 0.87 in boys, r = 0.80 in girls). Leptin levels at baseline were significantly (P < 0.05) positively related to total body less head (TBLH) areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at follow-up in girls (standardized partial regression coefficient: β = 0.302, VIF = 2.246), after adjusting for body fat percentage (%). On the other hand, leptin levels were inversely related to TBLH aBMD in boys (β = - 0.395, VIF = 4.116), after adjusting for body fat mass (kg). Positive relationships between leptin levels and bone mineral parameters were observed with VIF values < 4.0, whereas inverse relationships were observed with VIF values ≥ 4.0. These findings suggest that positive relationships between leptin levels and bone mineral parameters are weak, or not always observed, due to statistical problems (i.e., multicollinearity) and other factors derived from adipose tissue.

Joint inversion of apparent resistivity and seismic surface and body wave data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garofalo, Flora; Sauvin, Guillaume; Valentina Socco, Laura; Lecomte, Isabelle

2013-04-01

A novel inversion algorithm has been implemented to jointly invert apparent resistivity curves from vertical electric soundings, surface wave dispersion curves, and P-wave travel times. The algorithm works in the case of laterally varying layered sites. Surface wave dispersion curves and P-wave travel times can be extracted from the same seismic dataset and apparent resistivity curves can be obtained from continuous vertical electric sounding acquisition. The inversion scheme is based on a series of local 1D layered models whose unknown parameters are thickness h, S-wave velocity Vs, P-wave velocity Vp, and Resistivity R of each layer. 1D models are linked to surface-wave dispersion curves and apparent resistivity curves through classical 1D forward modelling, while a 2D model is created by interpolating the 1D models and is linked to refracted P-wave hodograms. A priori information can be included in the inversion and a spatial regularization is introduced as a set of constraints between model parameters of adjacent models and layers. Both a priori information and regularization are weighted by covariance matrixes. We show the comparison of individual inversions and joint inversion for a synthetic dataset that presents smooth lateral variations. Performing individual inversions, the poor sensitivity to some model parameters leads to estimation errors up to 62.5 %, whereas for joint inversion the cooperation of different techniques reduces most of the model estimation errors below 5% with few exceptions up to 39 %, with an overall improvement. Even though the final model retrieved by joint inversion is internally consistent and more reliable, the analysis of the results evidences unacceptable values of Vp/Vs ratio for some layers, thus providing negative Poisson's ratio values. To further improve the inversion performances, an additional constraint is added imposing Poisson's ratio in the range 0-0.5. The final results are globally improved by the introduction of this constraint further reducing the maximum error to 30 %. The same test was performed on field data acquired in a landslide-prone area close by the town of Hvittingfoss, Norway. Seismic data were recorded on two 160-m long profiles in roll-along mode using a 5-kg sledgehammer as source and 24 4.5-Hz vertical geophones with 4-m separation. First-arrival travel times were picked at every shot locations and surface wave dispersion curves extracted at 8 locations for each profile. 2D resistivity measurements were carried out on the same profiles using Gradient and Dipole-Dipole arrays with 2-m electrode spacing. The apparent resistivity curves were extracted at the same location as for the dispersion curves. The data were subsequently jointly inverted and the resulting model compared to individual inversions. Although models from both, individual and joint inversions are consistent, the estimation error is smaller for joint inversion, and more especially for first-arrival travel times. The joint inversion exploits different sensitivities of the methods to model parameters and therefore mitigates solution nonuniqueness and the effects of intrinsic limitations of the different techniques. Moreover, it produces an internally consistent multi-parametric final model that can be profitably interpreted to provide a better understanding of subsurface properties.

The possible importance of synchrotron/inverse Compton losses to explain fast MM-wave and hard X-ray emission of a solar event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Correia, E.; Kaufmann, P.; Costa, J. E. R.; Vaz, A. M. Z.; Dennis, B. R.

1986-01-01

The solar burst of 21 May 1984 presented a number of unique features. The time profile consisted of seven major structures (seconds), with a turnover frequency or approx. 90 GHz, well correlated in time to hard X-ray emission. Each structure consisted of multiple fast pulses (.1 seconds), which were analyzed in detail. A proportionality between the repetition rate of the pulses and the burst fluxes at 90 GHz and or approx. 100 keV hard X-rays, and an inverse proportionality between repetition rates and hard X-rays power law indices have been found. A synchrotron/inverse Compton model has been applied to explain the emission of the fast burst structures, which appear to be possible for the first three or four structures.

The possible importance of synchrotron/inverse Compton losses to explain fast mm-wave and hard X-ray emission of a solar event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Correia, E.; Kaufmann, P.; Costa, J. E. R.; Zodivaz, A. M.; Dennis, B. R.

1986-01-01

The solar burst of 21 May 1984, presented a number of unique features. The time profile consisted of seven major structures (seconds), with a turnover frequency of greater than or approximately 90 GHz, well correlated in time to hard X-ray emission. Each structure consisted of multiple fast pulses (0.1 seconds), which were analyzed in detail. A proportionality between the repetition rate of the pulses and the burst fluxes at 90 GHz and greater than or approximately 100 keV hard X-rays, and an inverse proportionality between repetition rates and hard X-ray power law indices were found. A synchrotron/inverse Compton model was applied to explain the emission of the fast burst structures, which appear to be possible for the first three or four structures.

A Lie-Theoretic Perspective on O(n) Mass Matrix Inversion for Serial Manipulators and Polypeptide Chains.

PubMed

Lee, Kiju; Wang, Yunfeng; Chirikjian, Gregory S

2007-11-01

Over the past several decades a number of O(n) methods for forward and inverse dynamics computations have been developed in the multi-body dynamics and robotics literature. A method was developed in 1974 by Fixman for O(n) computation of the mass-matrix determinant for a serial polymer chain consisting of point masses. In other recent papers, we extended this method in order to compute the inverse of the mass matrix for serial chains consisting of point masses. In the present paper, we extend these ideas further and address the case of serial chains composed of rigid-bodies. This requires the use of relatively deep mathematics associated with the rotation group, SO(3), and the special Euclidean group, SE(3), and specifically, it requires that one differentiates functions of Lie-group-valued argument.

Relationship between air quality and economic development in the provincial capital cities of China.

PubMed

Chen, Nengcheng; Xu, Lei

2017-01-01

Air pollution in China has become increasingly severe with rapid economic growth in recent years. We analyzed the relationship between the gross regional product (GRP) per capita and the Integrated Air Pollution Index (IAPI) in all the provincial capital cities in China from 2003 to 2014 and clustered them into six urban development patterns. These patterns are as follows: inverse U-shaped, N-1-shaped, N-2-shaped, U-shaped, linear decline, and stable. The majority of the provincial capitals are N-1, N-2, and U types, suggesting that the air quality is deteriorating currently or will deteriorate in the future. Meteorological conditions and industrial structure are taken into consideration when testing the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis between the economy and air pollutant concentration. Results show that there exists no direct relationship between three main pollutants and GRP per capita, while an inverse U-shaped relationship with the secondary industry and a U-shaped relationship with the tertiary industry. These results will be a meaningful reference for policy makers to develop policies that coordinate the environmental protection and economic development.

Generalized Moore Penrose Inverse of Normal Elements in a Ring with Involution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titi Udjiani, SRRM; Harjito; Suryoto; Prima P, Nikken

2018-01-01

Based on the definition of a normal element in a ring with involution, it is found that each normal element is commutatively with the product of itself and the involution of itself. On the other hand, if the element of a ring with involution has generalized Moore Penrose inverse, then the element is also commutative with the product of itself and the involution of itself. In this paper, the phenomenon of the similarity properties from normal elements and generalized Moore Penrose inverse is used to establish the relationship between of them with them. .

The Relationship between Ground Permittivity and the Input Impedance of a Horizontal Dipole near Ground

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-01

only one of the terms. Thus, the inverse transform of the dyadic part of R is accomplished by simply replacing KK with -VtV t, where Vt is the x-y...KK/k2 . (2.30) The inverse transform of RTE can be found in the Laplace transform tables [18] or [19] to be L-I RE)=-2 J2 (kt4 iT)L-tRTE) = (2.31) -2...discussed in further detail in the next chapter. 9 The inverse transform of the second term of the reflection dyadic, Ro, is somewhat more difficult than

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.

The Inverse Relationship between Digital Media Exposure and Childhood Flourishing.

PubMed

Ruest, Stephanie; Gjelsvik, Annie; Rubinstein, Max; Amanullah, Siraj

2018-06-01

To describe the relationship between digital media exposure (DME) and parental perception of childhood flourishing, or overall positive well-being. It is hypothesized that there is an inverse association between parent-reported measures of childhood flourishing and increasing daily DME. Parental responses for children ages 6-17 years (N = 64 464) from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health were analyzed. Average weekday DME that was not school work related was categorized in 2-hour intervals: 0 to <2, 2 to < 4, 4 to < 6, and ≥6 hours. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between DME and parent-reported frequency of 5 childhood flourishing markers: completing homework, caring about academics, finishing tasks, staying calm when challenged, and showing interest in learning. Only 31% reported <2 hours of weekday DME. For the remaining children, daily DME was 2 to <4 hours (36%), 4 to <6 hours (17%), or ≥6 hours (17%). In a model adjusted for age, sex, race, poverty level, primary language spoken at home, and highest maternal education level, there was a dose-dependent decrease in the odds of demonstrating all 5 markers of flourishing as weekday DME increased (test for trend for each outcome P < .001). In stratified analyses, this relationship held true regardless of the child's age group, sex, or poverty level. This study provides evidence that, among school-aged children, increasing weekday DME has an inverse dose-dependent relationship with multiple childhood flourishing markers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

A thermally tunable inverse opal photonic crystal for monitoring glass transition.

PubMed

Sun, Liguo; Xie, Zhuoying; Xu, Hua; Xu, Ming; Han, Guozhi; Wang, Cheng; Bai, Xuduo; Gu, ZhongZe

2012-03-01

An optical method was developed to monitor the glass transition of the polymer by taking advantage of reflection spectrum change of the thermally tunable inverse opal photonic crystal. The thermally tunable photonic bands of the polymer inverse opal photonic crystal were traceable to the segmental motion of macromolecules, and the segmental motion was temperature dependent. By observing the reflection spectrum change of the polystyrene inverse opal photonic crystal during thermal treatment, the glass transition temperature of polystyrene was gotten. Both changes of the position and intensity of the reflection peak were observed during the glass transition process of the polystyrene inverse opal photonic crystal. The optical change of inverse opal photonic crystal was so large that the glass transition temperature could even be estimated by naked eyes. The glass transition temperature derived from this method was consistent with the values measured by differential scanning calorimeter.

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.

The Coronal Abundance Anomalies of M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Brian E.; Laming, J. Martin; Karovska, Margarita

2012-07-01

We analyze Chandra X-ray spectra of the M0 V+M0 V binary GJ 338. As quantified by X-ray surface flux, these are the most inactive M dwarfs ever observed with X-ray grating spectroscopy. We focus on measuring coronal abundances, in particular searching for evidence of abundance anomalies related to first ionization potential (FIP). In the solar corona and wind, low-FIP elements are overabundant, which is the so-called FIP effect. For other stars, particularly very active ones, an "inverse FIP effect" is often observed, with low-FIP elements being underabundant. For both members of the GJ 338 binary, we find evidence for a modest inverse FIP effect, consistent with expectations from a previously reported correlation between spectral type and FIP bias. This amounts to strong evidence that all M dwarfs should exhibit the inverse FIP effect phenomenon, not just the active ones. We take the first step toward modeling the inverse FIP phenomenon in M dwarfs, building on past work that has demonstrated that MHD waves coursing through coronal loops can lead to a ponderomotive force that fractionates elements in a manner consistent with the FIP effect. We demonstrate that in certain circumstances this model can also lead to an inverse FIP effect, pointing the way to more detailed modeling of M dwarf coronal abundances in the future.

Effective one-dimensional approach to the source reconstruction problem of three-dimensional inverse optoacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stritzel, J.; Melchert, O.; Wollweber, M.; Roth, B.

2017-09-01

The direct problem of optoacoustic signal generation in biological media consists of solving an inhomogeneous three-dimensional (3D) wave equation for an initial acoustic stress profile. In contrast, the more defiant inverse problem requires the reconstruction of the initial stress profile from a proper set of observed signals. In this article, we consider an effectively 1D approach, based on the assumption of a Gaussian transverse irradiation source profile and plane acoustic waves, in which the effects of acoustic diffraction are described in terms of a linear integral equation. The respective inverse problem along the beam axis can be cast into a Volterra integral equation of the second kind for which we explore here efficient numerical schemes in order to reconstruct initial stress profiles from observed signals, constituting a methodical progress of computational aspects of optoacoustics. In this regard, we explore the validity as well as the limits of the inversion scheme via numerical experiments, with parameters geared toward actual optoacoustic problem instances. The considered inversion input consists of synthetic data, obtained in terms of the effectively 1D approach, and, more generally, a solution of the 3D optoacoustic wave equation. Finally, we also analyze the effect of noise and different detector-to-sample distances on the optoacoustic signal and the reconstructed pressure profiles.

Expression levels of MHC class I molecules are inversely correlated with promiscuity of peptide binding

PubMed Central

Chappell, Paul E; Meziane, El Kahina; Harrison, Michael; Magiera, Łukasz; Hermann, Clemens; Mears, Laura; Wrobel, Antoni G; Durant, Charlotte; Nielsen, Lise Lotte; Buus, Søren; Ternette, Nicola; Mwangi, William; Butter, Colin; Nair, Venugopal; Ahyee, Trudy; Duggleby, Richard; Madrigal, Alejandro; Roversi, Pietro; Lea, Susan M; Kaufman, Jim

2015-01-01

Highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules are at the heart of adaptive immune responses, playing crucial roles in many kinds of disease and in vaccination. We report that breadth of peptide presentation and level of cell surface expression of class I molecules are inversely correlated in both chickens and humans. This relationship correlates with protective responses against infectious pathogens including Marek's disease virus leading to lethal tumours in chickens and human immunodeficiency virus infection progressing to AIDS in humans. We propose that differences in peptide binding repertoire define two groups of MHC class I molecules strategically evolved as generalists and specialists for different modes of pathogen resistance. We suggest that differences in cell surface expression level ensure the development of optimal peripheral T cell responses. The inverse relationship of peptide repertoire and expression is evidently a fundamental property of MHC molecules, with ramifications extending beyond immunology and medicine to evolutionary biology and conservation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05345.001 PMID:25860507

Learning of spatial relationships between observed and imitated actions allows invariant inverse computation in the frontal mirror neuron system.

PubMed

Oh, Hyuk; Gentili, Rodolphe J; Reggia, James A; Contreras-Vidal, José L

2011-01-01

It has been suggested that the human mirror neuron system can facilitate learning by imitation through coupling of observation and action execution. During imitation of observed actions, the functional relationship between and within the inferior frontal cortex, the posterior parietal cortex, and the superior temporal sulcus can be modeled within the internal model framework. The proposed biologically plausible mirror neuron system model extends currently available models by explicitly modeling the intraparietal sulcus and the superior parietal lobule in implementing the function of a frame of reference transformation during imitation. Moreover, the model posits the ventral premotor cortex as performing an inverse computation. The simulations reveal that: i) the transformation system can learn and represent the changes in extrinsic to intrinsic coordinates when an imitator observes a demonstrator; ii) the inverse model of the imitator's frontal mirror neuron system can be trained to provide the motor plans for the imitated actions.

Biomarkers used in studying air pollution exposure during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: a review.

PubMed

Desai, Gauri; Chu, Li; Guo, Yanjun; Myneni, Ajay A; Mu, Lina

2017-09-01

This review focuses on studies among pregnant women that used biomarkers to assess air pollution exposure, or to understand the mechanisms by which it affects perinatal outcomes. We searched PubMed and Google scholar databases to find articles. We found 29 articles, mostly consisting of cohort studies. Interpolation models were most frequently used to assess exposure. The most consistent positive association was between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure during entire pregnancy and cord blood PAH DNA adducts. Exposure to particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) showed consistent inverse associations with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, particularly in the third trimester of pregnancy. No single pollutant showed strong associations with all the biomarkers included in this review. C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and oxidative stress markers increased, whereas telomere length decreased with increasing air pollution exposure. Placental global DNA methylation and mtDNA methylation showed contrasting results with air pollution exposure, the mechanism behind which is unclear. Most studies except those on PAH DNA adducts and mtDNA content provided insufficient evidence for characterizing a critical exposure window. Further research using biomarkers is warranted to understand the relationship between air pollution and perinatal outcomes.

Megabase-Scale Inversion Polymorphism in the Wild Ancestor of Maize

PubMed Central

Fang, Zhou; Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Weber, Allison L.; Dawe, R. Kelly; Glaubitz, Jeffrey C.; González, José de Jesus Sánchez; Ross-Ibarra, Claudia; Doebley, John; Morrell, Peter L.; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

Chromosomal inversions are thought to play a special role in local adaptation, through dramatic suppression of recombination, which favors the maintenance of locally adapted alleles. However, relatively few inversions have been characterized in population genomic data. On the basis of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping across a large panel of Zea mays, we have identified an ∼50-Mb region on the short arm of chromosome 1 where patterns of polymorphism are highly consistent with a polymorphic paracentric inversion that captures >700 genes. Comparison to other taxa in Zea and Tripsacum suggests that the derived, inverted state is present only in the wild Z. mays subspecies parviglumis and mexicana and is completely absent in domesticated maize. Patterns of polymorphism suggest that the inversion is ancient and geographically widespread in parviglumis. Cytological screens find little evidence for inversion loops, suggesting that inversion heterozygotes may suffer few crossover-induced fitness consequences. The inversion polymorphism shows evidence of adaptive evolution, including a strong altitudinal cline, a statistical association with environmental variables and phenotypic traits, and a skewed haplotype frequency spectrum for inverted alleles. PMID:22542971

The ratio of glycated albumin to hemoglobin A1c measured in IFCC units accurately represents the glycation gap.

PubMed

Akatsuka, Junya; Mochizuki, Mie; Musha, Ikuma; Ohtake, Akira; Kobayashi, Kisho; Kikuchi, Toru; Kikuchi, Nobuyuki; Kawamura, Tomoyuki; Urakami, Tatsuhiko; Sugihara, Shigetaka; Hoshino, Tadao; Amemiya, Shin

2015-01-01

The glycation gap (G-gap: difference between measured hemoglobin A1c [A1C] and the value predicted by its regression on the fructosamine level) is stable and associated with diabetic complications. Measuring A1C level in International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) units (A1C-SI; mmol/mol) and National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program units (A1C-NGSP; %) and using glycated albumin (GA) level instead of fructosamine level for calculating the G-gap, we investigated whether the G-gap is better represented by GA/A1C ratio if expressed in SI units (GA/A1C-SI ratio) rather than in NGSP units (GA/A1C-% ratio). We examined 749 Japanese children with type 1 diabetes using simultaneous GA and A1C measurements. Of these, 369 patients were examined more than five times to assess the consistency of the G-gap and the GA/A1C ratio within individuals. The relationship of GA/A1C-% ratio to the corresponding A1C-NGSP was stronger than that of GA/A1C-SI ratio to A1C-IFCC. At enrollment, the inverse relationship between the GA/A1C-SI ratio and G-gap was highly significant (R(2) = 0.95) compared with that between the GA/A1C-% ratio and G-gap (R(2) = 0.69). A highly significant inverse relationship was also observed between the mean GA/A1C-SI ratio and the mean G-gaps obtained individually over time (R(2) = 0.95) compared with that using the corresponding A1C-NGSP (R(2) = 0.67). We conclude that the G-gap is better represented by the GA/A1C-SI ratio. We propose the use of mean GA/A1C-SI ratios easily obtained individually over time as reference values in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes (6.75 ± 0.60 [means ± SD]).

Nested Global Inversion for the Carbon Flux Distribution in Canada and USA from 1994 to 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. M.; Deng, F.; Ishizawa, M.; Ju, W.; Mo, G.; Chan, D.; Higuchi, K.; Maksyutov, S.

2007-12-01

Based on TransCom inverse modeling for 22 global regions, we developed a nested global inversion system for estimating carbon fluxes of 30 regions in North America (2 of the 22 regions are divided into 30). Irregular boundaries of these 30 regions are delineated based on ecosystem types and provincial/state borders. Synthesis Bayesian inversion is conducted in monthly steps using CO2 concentration measurements at 88 coastal and continental stations of the globe for the 1994-2003 period (NOAA GlobalView database). Responses of these stations to carbon fluxes from the 50 regions are simulated using the transport model of National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan and reanalysis wind fields of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Terrestrial carbon flux fields modeled using BEPS and Biome-BGC driven by NCEP reanalysis meteorological data are used as two different a priori to constrain the inversion. The inversion (top- down) results are compared with remote sensing-based ecosystem modeling (bottom-up) results in Canada's forests and wetlands. There is a broad consistency in the spatial pattern of the carbon source and sink distributions obtained using these two independent methods. Both sets of results also indicate that Canada's forests and wetlands are carbon sinks in 1994-2003, but the top-down method produces consistently larger sinks than the bottom-up results. Reasons for this discrepancy may lie in both methods, and several issues are identified for further investigation.

Path spectra derived from inversion of source and site spectra for earthquakes in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimasewski, A.; Sahakian, V. J.; Baltay, A.; Boatwright, J.; Fletcher, J. B.; Baker, L. M.

2017-12-01

A large source of epistemic uncertainty in Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) is derived from the path term, currently represented as a simple geometric spreading and intrinsic attenuation term. Including additional physical relationships between the path properties and predicted ground motions would produce more accurate and precise, region-specific GMPEs by reclassifying some of the random, aleatory uncertainty as epistemic. This study focuses on regions of Southern California, using data from the Anza network and Southern California Seismic network to create a catalog of events magnitude 2.5 and larger from 1998 to 2016. The catalog encompasses regions of varying geology and therefore varying path and site attenuation. Within this catalog of events, we investigate several collections of event region-to-station pairs, each of which share similar origin locations and stations so that all events have similar paths. Compared with a simple regional GMPE, these paths consistently have high or low residuals. By working with events that have the same path, we can isolate source and site effects, and focus on the remaining residual as path effects. We decompose the recordings into source and site spectra for each unique event and site in our greater Southern California regional database using the inversion method of Andrews (1986). This model represents each natural log record spectra as the sum of its natural log event and site spectra, while constraining each record to a reference site or Brune source spectrum. We estimate a regional, path-specific anelastic attenuation (Q) and site attenuation (t*) from the inversion site spectra and corner frequency from the inversion event spectra. We then compute the residuals between the observed record data, and the inversion model prediction (event*site spectra). This residual is representative of path effects, likely anelastic attenuation along the path that varies from the regional median attenuation. We examine the residuals for our different sets independently to see how path terms differ between event-to-station collections. The path-specific information gained from this can inform development of terms for regional GMPEs, through understanding of these seismological phenomena.

A depolarisation lidar-based method for the determination of liquid-cloud microphysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, D. P.; Klein Baltink, H.; Henzing, J. S.; de Roode, S. R.; Siebesma, A. P.

2015-01-01

The fact that polarisation lidars measure a depolarisation signal in liquid clouds due to the occurrence of multiple scattering is well known. The degree of measured depolarisation depends on the lidar characteristics (e.g. wavelength and receiver field of view) as well as the cloud macrophysical (e.g. cloud-base altitude) and microphysical (e.g. effective radius, liquid water content) properties. Efforts seeking to use depolarisation information in a quantitative manner to retrieve cloud properties have been undertaken with, arguably, limited practical success. In this work we present a retrieval procedure applicable to clouds with (quasi-)linear liquid water content (LWC) profiles and (quasi-)constant cloud-droplet number density in the cloud-base region. Thus limiting the applicability of the procedure allows us to reduce the cloud variables to two parameters (namely the derivative of the liquid water content with height and the extinction at a fixed distance above cloud base). This simplification, in turn, allows us to employ a fast and robust optimal-estimation inversion using pre-computed look-up tables produced using extensive lidar Monte Carlo (MC) multiple-scattering simulations. In this paper, we describe the theory behind the inversion procedure and successfully apply it to simulated observations based on large-eddy simulation (LES) model output. The inversion procedure is then applied to actual depolarisation lidar data corresponding to a range of cases taken from the Cabauw measurement site in the central Netherlands. The lidar results were then used to predict the corresponding cloud-base region radar reflectivities. In non-drizzling condition, it was found that the lidar inversion results can be used to predict the observed radar reflectivities with an accuracy within the radar calibration uncertainty (2-3 dBZ). This result strongly supports the accuracy of the lidar inversion results. Results of a comparison between ground-based aerosol number concentration and lidar-derived cloud-droplet number densities are also presented and discussed. The observed relationship between the two quantities is seen to be consistent with the results of previous studies based on aircraft-based in situ measurements.

A depolarisation lidar based method for the determination of liquid-cloud microphysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, D. P.; Klein Baltink, H.; Henzing, J. S.; de Roode, S. R.; Siebesma, A. P.

2014-09-01

The fact that polarisation lidars measure a depolarisation signal in liquid clouds due to the occurrence of multiple-scattering is well-known. The degree of measured depolarisation depends on the lidar characteristics (e.g. wavelength and receiver field-of-view) as well as the cloud macrophysical (e.g. liquid water content) and microphysical (e.g. effective radius) properties. Efforts seeking to use depolarisation information in a quantitative manner to retrieve cloud properties have been undertaken with, arguably, limited practical success. In this work we present a retrieval procedure applicable to clouds with (quasi-)linear liquid water content (LWC) profiles and (quasi-)constant cloud droplet number density in the cloud base region. Thus limiting the applicability of the procedure allows us to reduce the cloud variables to two parameters (namely the derivative of the liquid water content with height and the extinction at a fixed distance above cloud-base). This simplification, in turn, allows us to employ a fast and robust optimal-estimation inversion using pre-computed look-up-tables produced using extensive lidar Monte-Carlo multiple-scattering simulations. In this paper, we describe the theory behind the inversion procedure and successfully apply it to simulated observations based on large-eddy simulation model output. The inversion procedure is then applied to actual depolarisation lidar data corresponding to a range of cases taken from the Cabauw measurement site in the central Netherlands. The lidar results were then used to predict the corresponding cloud-base region radar reflectivities. In non-drizzling condition, it was found that the lidar inversion results can be used to predict the observed radar reflectivities with an accuracy within the radar calibration uncertainty (2-3 dBZ). This result strongly supports the accuracy of the lidar inversion results. Results of a comparison between ground-based aerosol number concentration and lidar-derived cloud droplet number densities are also presented and discussed. The observed relationship between the two quantities is seen to be consistent with the results of previous studies based on aircraft-based in situ measurements.

A Depolarisation lidar based method for the determination of liquid-cloud microphysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, David; Klein Baltink, Henk; Henzing, Bas; de Roode, Stephen; Siebesma, Pier

2015-04-01

The fact that polarisation lidars measure a~depolarisation signal in liquid clouds due to the occurrence of multiple-scattering is well-known. The degree of measured depolarisation depends on the lidar characteristics (e.g. wavelength and receiver field-of-view) as well as the cloud macrophysical (e.g. cloud base altitude) and microphysical (e.g. effective radius, liquid water content) properties. Efforts seeking to use depolarisation information in a~quantitative manner to retrieve cloud properties have been undertaken with, arguably, limited practical success. In this work we present a~retrieval procedure applicable to clouds with (quasi-)linear liquid water content (LWC) profiles and (quasi-)constant cloud droplet number density in the cloud base region. Thus limiting the applicability of the procedure allows us to reduce the cloud variables to two parameters (namely the derivative of the liquid water content with height and the extinction at a~fixed distance above cloud-base). This simplification, in turn, allows us to employ a~fast and robust optimal-estimation inversion using pre-computed look-up-tables produced using extensive lidar Monte-Carlo multiple-scattering simulations. In this paper, we describe the theory behind the inversion procedure and successfully apply it to simulated observations based on large-eddy simulation model output. The inversion procedure is then applied to actual depolarisation lidar data corresponding to a~range of cases taken from the Cabauw measurement site in the central Netherlands. The lidar results were then used to predict the corresponding cloud-base region radar reflectivities. In non-drizzling condition, it was found that the lidar inversion results can be used to predict the observed radar reflectivities with an accuracy within the radar calibration uncertainty (2--3 dBZ). This result strongly supports the accuracy of the lidar inversion results. Results of a~comparison between ground-based aerosol number concentration and lidar-derived cloud droplet number densities are also presented and discussed. The observed relationship between the two quantities is seen to be consistent with the results of previous studies based on aircraft-based in situ measurements.

Discovery and structural optimization of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones as RORc inverse agonists.

PubMed

Wu, Xi-Shan; Wang, Rui; Xing, Yan-Li; Xue, Xiao-Qian; Zhang, Yan; Lu, Yong-Zhi; Song, Yu; Luo, Xiao-Yu; Wu, Chun; Zhou, Yu-Lai; Jiang, Jian-Qin; Xu, Yong

2016-11-01

Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptors (RORs) are orphan nuclear receptors that show constitutive activity in the absence of ligands. Among 3 subtypes of RORs, RORc is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases. Here, we report novel RORc inverse agonists discovered through structure-based drug design. Based on the structure of compound 8, a previously described agonist of RORa, a series of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized. The interaction between the compounds and RORc was detected at molecular level using AlphaScreen assay. The compounds were further examined in 293T cells transfected with RORc and luciferase reporter gene. Thermal stability shift assay was used to evaluate the effects of the compounds on protein stability. A total of 27 derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among them, the compound 22b was identified as the most potent RORc inverse agonist. Its IC 50 values were 2.39 μmol/L in AlphaScreen assay, and 0.82 μmol/L in inhibition of the cell-based luciferase reporter activity. Furthermore, the compound 22b displayed a 120-fold selectivity for RORc over other nuclear receptors. Moreover, a molecular docking study showed that the structure-activity relationship was consistent with the binding mode of compound 22b in RORc. 4-(4-(Benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives are promising candidates for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis.

Problems in air traffic management. III., Implications of age for training and job performance of air traffic controllers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1962-02-01

The relationships between chronological age upon entry into ATC training and school and job performance were examined in five samples of air traffic controller trainees. The data confirm conclusively the existence of an inverse relationship such that...

Equilibrated moisture content of several carbon phenolics and their relationship to resin, fiber, and interface properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stokes, E. H.

1991-01-01

This study focuses on the relationship between relative humidity and the equilibrated moisture content of several variants of two distinctly different carbon phenolic composites. One of the materials gives a typical exponential relationship between RH and equilibrated moisture content while the second gives an inverse sigmoidal relationship with the largest increase in moisture between 45-60 percent relative humidity. The possible relationship between the shape of the curves and the nature of the material constituents is discussed.

Joint inversion of marine seismic AVA and CSEM data using statistical rock-physics models and Markov random fields: Stochastic inversion of AVA and CSEM data

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

Chen, J.; Hoversten, G.M.

2011-09-15

Joint inversion of seismic AVA and CSEM data requires rock-physics relationships to link seismic attributes to electrical properties. Ideally, we can connect them through reservoir parameters (e.g., porosity and water saturation) by developing physical-based models, such as Gassmann’s equations and Archie’s law, using nearby borehole logs. This could be difficult in the exploration stage because information available is typically insufficient for choosing suitable rock-physics models and for subsequently obtaining reliable estimates of the associated parameters. The use of improper rock-physics models and the inaccuracy of the estimates of model parameters may cause misleading inversion results. Conversely, it is easy tomore » derive statistical relationships among seismic and electrical attributes and reservoir parameters from distant borehole logs. In this study, we develop a Bayesian model to jointly invert seismic AVA and CSEM data for reservoir parameter estimation using statistical rock-physics models; the spatial dependence of geophysical and reservoir parameters are carried out by lithotypes through Markov random fields. We apply the developed model to a synthetic case, which simulates a CO{sub 2} monitoring application. We derive statistical rock-physics relations from borehole logs at one location and estimate seismic P- and S-wave velocity ratio, acoustic impedance, density, electrical resistivity, lithotypes, porosity, and water saturation at three different locations by conditioning to seismic AVA and CSEM data. Comparison of the inversion results with their corresponding true values shows that the correlation-based statistical rock-physics models provide significant information for improving the joint inversion results.« less

Inverse relationship between changes of maximal aerobic capacity and changes in walking economy after weight loss.

PubMed

Borges, Juliano H; Carter, Stephen J; Singh, Harshvardhan; Hunter, Gary R

2018-05-16

The aims of this study were to: (1) determine the relationships between maximum oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O 2max ) and walking economy during non-graded and graded walking among overweight women and (2) examine potential differences in [Formula: see text]O 2max and walking economy before and after weight loss. One-hundred and twenty-four premenopausal women with a body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 30 kg/m 2 were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) diet only; (b) diet and aerobic exercise training; and (c) diet and resistance exercise training. All were furnished with standard, very-low calorie diet to reduce BMI to < 25 kg/m 2 . [Formula: see text]O 2max was measured using a modified-Bruce protocol while walking economy (1-net [Formula: see text]O 2 ) was obtained during fixed-speed (4.8 k·h -1 ), steady-state treadmill walking at 0% grade and 2.5% grade. Assessments were conducted before and after achieving target BMI. Prior to weight loss, [Formula: see text]O 2max was inversely related (P < 0.05) with non-graded and graded walking economy (r = - 0.28 to - 0.35). Similar results were also observed following weight loss (r = - 0.22 to - 0.28). Additionally, we also detected a significant inverse relationship (P < 0.05) between the changes (∆, after weight loss) in ∆[Formula: see text]O 2max , adjusted for fat-free mass, with non-graded and graded ∆walking economy (r = - 0.37 to - 0.41). Our results demonstrate [Formula: see text]O 2max and walking economy are inversely related (cross-sectional) before and after weight loss. Importantly though, ∆[Formula: see text]O 2max and ∆walking economy were also found to be inversely related, suggesting a strong synchrony between maximal aerobic capacity and metabolic cost of exercise.

Intrinsic paleointensity bias and the long-term history of the geodynamo.

PubMed

Smirnov, Aleksey V; Kulakov, Evgeniy V; Foucher, Marine S; Bristol, Katie E

2017-02-01

Many geodynamo models predict an inverse relationship between geomagnetic reversal frequency and field strength. However, most of the absolute paleointensity data, obtained predominantly by the Thellier method from bulk volcanic rocks, fail to confirm this relationship. Although low paleointensities are commonly observed during periods of high reversal rate (notably, in the late Jurassic), higher than present-day intensity values are rare during periods of no or few reversals (superchrons). We have identified a fundamental mechanism that results in a pervasive and previously unrecognized low-field bias that affects most paleointensity data in the global database. Our results provide an explanation for the discordance between the experimental data and numerical models, and lend additional support to an inverse relationship between the reversal rate and field strength as a fundamental property of the geodynamo. We demonstrate that the accuracy of future paleointensity analyses can be improved by integration of the Thellier protocol with low-temperature demagnetizations.

Intrinsic paleointensity bias and the long-term history of the geodynamo

PubMed Central

Smirnov, Aleksey V.; Kulakov, Evgeniy V.; Foucher, Marine S.; Bristol, Katie E.

2017-01-01

Many geodynamo models predict an inverse relationship between geomagnetic reversal frequency and field strength. However, most of the absolute paleointensity data, obtained predominantly by the Thellier method from bulk volcanic rocks, fail to confirm this relationship. Although low paleointensities are commonly observed during periods of high reversal rate (notably, in the late Jurassic), higher than present-day intensity values are rare during periods of no or few reversals (superchrons). We have identified a fundamental mechanism that results in a pervasive and previously unrecognized low-field bias that affects most paleointensity data in the global database. Our results provide an explanation for the discordance between the experimental data and numerical models, and lend additional support to an inverse relationship between the reversal rate and field strength as a fundamental property of the geodynamo. We demonstrate that the accuracy of future paleointensity analyses can be improved by integration of the Thellier protocol with low-temperature demagnetizations. PMID:28246644

Relationships of a growing magnetic flux region to flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, S. F.; Bentley, R. D.; Schadee, A.; Antalova, A.; Kucera, A.; Dezso, L.; Gesztelyi, L.; Harvey, K. L.; Jones, H.; Livi, S. H. B.

1984-01-01

The evolution of flare sites at the boundaries of major new and growing magnetic flux regions within complexes of active regions has been analyzed using H-alpha images. A spectrum of possible relationships of growing flux regions to flares is described. An 'intimate' interaction between old and new flux and flare sites occurs at the boundaries of their regions. Forced or 'intimidated' interaction involves new flux pushing older, lower flux density fields toward a neighboring old polarity inversion line, followed by the occurrence of a flare. In 'influential' interaction, magnetic lines of force over an old polarity inversion line reconnect to new emerging flux, and a flare occurs when the magnetic field overlying the filament becomes too weak to prevent its eruption. 'Inconsequential' interaction occurs when a new flux region is too small or has the wrong orientation for creating flare conditions. 'Incidental' interaction involves a flare occurring without any significant relationship to new flux regions.

Does Death of a Family Member Moderate the Relationship between Religious Attendance and Depressive Symptoms? The HUNT Study, Norway

PubMed Central

Sørensen, Torgeir; Danbolt, Lars J.; Holmen, Jostein; Koenig, Harold G.; Lien, Lars

2012-01-01

Background. The death of a family member is a stressful life event and can result in an increased level of depressive symptoms. Previous American research has shown inverse relationships between religious involvement and depression. European investigations are few and findings inconsistent; different contexts may have an important influence on findings. We therefore investigated the relationship between attendance at church/prayer house and depressive symptoms, and whether this relationship was moderated by the death of a close family member, in Norway. Methods. A population-based sample from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, Norway (HUNT 3, N = 37,981), was the population examined. Multiple regression and interaction tests were utilised. Results. Religious attendees had lower scores on depressive symptoms than non-attendees; death of a close family member moderated this relationship. The inverse relationships between attendance at church/prayer house and depressive symptoms were greater among those experiencing the death of an immediate family member in the last twelve months compared to those without such an experience, with men's decrease of depressive symptoms more pronounced than women's. Conclusion. In a population-based study in Norway, attendance at church/prayer house was associated with lower depressive symptoms, and the death of a close relative and gender moderated this relationship. PMID:22655182

Gender differences in the relationship between religiosity and health-related behaviour among adolescents.

PubMed

Pitel, Lukas; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; Kolarcik, Peter; Halama, Peter; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; van Dijk, Jitse P

2012-12-01

An inverse relationship between religiosity and adolescent health-related behaviour has been repeatedly documented, but evidence regarding gender is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the association between a wide range of adolescent health-related behaviours and religiosity as well as gender differences in these associations. Data were collected in 2010 in Slovakia on 3674 adolescents, with mean age of 14.9 years (response: 79.5%). ORs for levels of religiosity, measured by religious attendance and religious salience, were calculated for 15 behaviours, such as the use of various substances, nutritional behaviour and violent behaviour. The authors then assessed the interactions of religiosity and gender on these behaviours. Religiosity was inversely associated with health-risk behaviour in smoking, drunkenness, cannabis use, having breakfast, soft drinks consumption, screen-based activities and sexual intercourse among both genders and in truancy among girls only. This association was significantly stronger among girls than among boys in smoking, drunkenness and cannabis use. Religiosity was unrelated to the consumption of fruits, vegetables and sweets, physical inactivity, tooth brushing, fighting and bullying others in both genders. An inverse relationship between religiosity and health-risk behaviour was found in several behaviours (especially use of substances) but not in other behaviours (violent behaviours in particular). Gender seems to moderate this relationship in smoking, drunkenness and cannabis use. Further research is needed on the mechanisms leading to an association between religiosity and health behaviour and on the strength of this association in other countries and cultures.

Chromosomal inversion differences correlate with range overlap in passerine birds.

PubMed

Hooper, Daniel M; Price, Trevor D

2017-10-01

Chromosomal inversions evolve frequently but the reasons for this remain unclear. We used cytological descriptions of 411 species of passerine birds to identify large pericentric inversion differences between species, based on the position of the centromere. Within 81 small clades comprising 284 of the species, we found 319 differences on the 9 largest autosomes combined, 56 on the Z chromosome, and 55 on the W chromosome. We also identified inversions present within 32 species. Using a new fossil-calibrated phylogeny, we examined the phylogenetic, demographic and genomic context in which these inversions have evolved. The number of inversion differences between closely related species is consistently predicted by whether the ranges of species overlap, even when time is controlled for as far as is possible. Fixation rates vary across the autosomes, but inversions are more likely to be fixed on the Z chromosome than the average autosome. Variable mutagenic input alone (estimated by chromosome size, map length, GC content or repeat density) cannot explain the differences between chromosomes in the number of inversions fixed. Together, these results support a model in which inversions increase because of their effects on recombination suppression in the face of hybridization. Other factors associated with hybridization may also contribute, including the possibility that inversions contain incompatibility alleles, making taxa less likely to collapse following secondary contact.

Geophysical approaches to inverse problems: A methodological comparison. Part 1: A Posteriori approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidman, T. I.; Munteanu, M. J.

1979-01-01

The relationships of a variety of general computational methods (and variances) for treating illposed problems such as geophysical inverse problems are considered. Differences in approach and interpretation based on varying assumptions as to, e.g., the nature of measurement uncertainties are discussed along with the factors to be considered in selecting an approach. The reliability of the results of such computation is addressed.

Complete Sets of Radiating and Nonradiating Parts of a Source and Their Fields with Applications in Inverse Scattering Limited-Angle Problems

PubMed Central

Louis, A. K.

2006-01-01

Many algorithms applied in inverse scattering problems use source-field systems instead of the direct computation of the unknown scatterer. It is well known that the resulting source problem does not have a unique solution, since certain parts of the source totally vanish outside of the reconstruction area. This paper provides for the two-dimensional case special sets of functions, which include all radiating and all nonradiating parts of the source. These sets are used to solve an acoustic inverse problem in two steps. The problem under discussion consists of determining an inhomogeneous obstacle supported in a part of a disc, from data, known for a subset of a two-dimensional circle. In a first step, the radiating parts are computed by solving a linear problem. The second step is nonlinear and consists of determining the nonradiating parts. PMID:23165060

A Lie-Theoretic Perspective on O(n) Mass Matrix Inversion for Serial Manipulators and Polypeptide Chains

PubMed Central

Lee, Kiju; Wang, Yunfeng; Chirikjian, Gregory S.

2010-01-01

Over the past several decades a number of O(n) methods for forward and inverse dynamics computations have been developed in the multi-body dynamics and robotics literature. A method was developed in 1974 by Fixman for O(n) computation of the mass-matrix determinant for a serial polymer chain consisting of point masses. In other recent papers, we extended this method in order to compute the inverse of the mass matrix for serial chains consisting of point masses. In the present paper, we extend these ideas further and address the case of serial chains composed of rigid-bodies. This requires the use of relatively deep mathematics associated with the rotation group, SO(3), and the special Euclidean group, SE(3), and specifically, it requires that one differentiates functions of Lie-group-valued argument. PMID:20165563

Bayesian probabilistic approach for inverse source determination from limited and noisy chemical or biological sensor concentration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Eugene

2007-04-01

Although a great deal of research effort has been focused on the forward prediction of the dispersion of contaminants (e.g., chemical and biological warfare agents) released into the turbulent atmosphere, much less work has been directed toward the inverse prediction of agent source location and strength from the measured concentration, even though the importance of this problem for a number of practical applications is obvious. In general, the inverse problem of source reconstruction is ill-posed and unsolvable without additional information. It is demonstrated that a Bayesian probabilistic inferential framework provides a natural and logically consistent method for source reconstruction from a limited number of noisy concentration data. In particular, the Bayesian approach permits one to incorporate prior knowledge about the source as well as additional information regarding both model and data errors. The latter enables a rigorous determination of the uncertainty in the inference of the source parameters (e.g., spatial location, emission rate, release time, etc.), hence extending the potential of the methodology as a tool for quantitative source reconstruction. A model (or, source-receptor relationship) that relates the source distribution to the concentration data measured by a number of sensors is formulated, and Bayesian probability theory is used to derive the posterior probability density function of the source parameters. A computationally efficient methodology for determination of the likelihood function for the problem, based on an adjoint representation of the source-receptor relationship, is described. Furthermore, we describe the application of efficient stochastic algorithms based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for sampling from the posterior distribution of the source parameters, the latter of which is required to undertake the Bayesian computation. The Bayesian inferential methodology for source reconstruction is validated against real dispersion data for two cases involving contaminant dispersion in highly disturbed flows over urban and complex environments where the idealizations of horizontal homogeneity and/or temporal stationarity in the flow cannot be applied to simplify the problem. Furthermore, the methodology is applied to the case of reconstruction of multiple sources.

The Relationship between Bullying and Social Skills in Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larke, Ian D.; Beran, Tanya N.

2006-01-01

In this study we examined the relationship between children's social skills and bullying behaviours. Teachers rated social skills and indirect and direct physical bullying behaviours of 120 students in elementary school. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social skills are inversely related to both direct physical bullying (beta =…

Self-Efficacy Pathways between Relational Aggression and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buser, Trevor J.; Peterson, Christina Hamme; Kearney, Anne

2015-01-01

The authors recruited college students (N = 648) and investigated relationships among academic and social self-efficacy, relational aggression from parents and peers, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Results indicated that both types of self-efficacy were related inversely to NSSI. Academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between…

Religious Orientation and Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillen, Eileen K.; Helm, Herbert W., Jr.; McBride, Duane C.

2011-01-01

Religion is one of the major forces of control over sexuality, and many studies have observed an inverse relationship between religiosity and sexual permissiveness. The Religious Orientation Scale has been used to study the relationship between religious orientation and sexuality. It has been found that those with intrinsic views are more…

Lesbian and Gay Male Group Identity Attitudes and Self-Esteem: Implications for Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Karina L.; Simoni, Jane M.

1993-01-01

Ninety-six lesbians and gay men completed Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and modified version of Racial Identity Attitude Scale. Results indicated moderate inverse relationship between preencounter attitudes and self-esteem and positive relationship between internalization attitudes and self-esteem. Encounter and immersion-emersion attitudes were…

Relationship between Spirituality and Depressive Symptoms among Inpatient Individuals Who Abuse Substances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Naelys; Horton, E. Gail; Green, Diane; McIlveen, John; Weiner, Michael; Mullaney, Donald

2011-01-01

This study aims to examine the relationship between spirituality and believing in God's presence and depressive symptoms among 160 inpatient individuals who abuse substances. Findings indicated that both spirituality and believing in God's presence were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, whereby spirituality was inversely related to…

Occupational Status and Suicide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampert, Dominique I.; And Others

1984-01-01

Examined relationship between occupational status and suicide in California males since 1925. Findings show an inverse relationship between occupational status and suicide for all age groups. Over time, male suicide rates have increased, particularly for employed males over 65, employed males aged 14 to 24, and males in low-status occupations.…

Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality as a Moderator for the Influences of Parents' Religiousness on Adolescents' Religiousness and Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen; Longo, Gregory S.; McCullough, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Prior investigations have demonstrated that parents' religiousness is related inversely to adolescent maladjustment. However, research remains unclear about whether the link between parents' religiousness and adolescent adjustment outcomes--either directly or indirectly via adolescents' own religiousness--varies depending on relationship context…

Inverse Relationship Between Urban Green Space and Childhood Autism in California Elementary School Districts

EPA Science Inventory

Green space has a variety of health benefits. However, little is known about its impact on autism, the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disorder in children. This study examined the relationship between green space and childhood autism prevalence.Autism count data in 2010 were ...

Education and Happiness in the School-to-Work Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dockery, Alfred Michael

2010-01-01

Education is generally seen as enhancing people's lives. However, previous research has reported an inverse relationship between education and happiness or satisfaction with life: as education level goes up, happiness goes down. Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this report examines the relationship between…

The Relationship among Rank, Experience, and Accounting Faculty Effort Allocations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Clifford T.

1991-01-01

Analysis of questionnaires returned by 16 of 450 accounting faculty found that (1) experience is inversely related to the amount of effort allocated to research alone and to the aggregate of teaching, research, and service; and (2) a significant positive relationship was found between rank and administrative activity. (SK)

Sclerostin is positively associated with bone mineral density in men and women and negatively associated with carotid calcified atherosclerotic plaque in men from the African American-Diabetes Heart Study.

PubMed

Register, Thomas C; Hruska, Keith A; Divers, Jasmin; Bowden, Donald W; Palmer, Nicholette D; Carr, J Jeffrey; Wagenknecht, Lynne E; Hightower, R Caresse; Xu, Jianzhao; Smith, S Carrie; Dietzen, Dennis J; Langefeld, Carl D; Freedman, Barry I

2014-01-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) and calcified atherosclerotic plaque (CP) demonstrate inverse relationships. Sclerostin, an endogenous regulator of the Wnt pathway and bone formation, has been associated with impaired osteoblast activation and may play a role in vascular calcification. Our objective was to assess the relationships between sclerostin, BMD, and CP. Generalized linear models were fitted to test for associations between sclerostin, volumetric BMD (vBMD), and CP. A targeted population of 450 unrelated African Americans (AAs) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was 56% female with mean/SD/median age of 55.4/9.5/55.0 years and a diabetes duration of 10.3/8.2/8.0 years. Plasma sclerostin, computed tomography-derived thoracic and lumbar vertebrae trabecular vBMD, coronary artery, carotid artery, and aortoiliac CP were measured. Plasma sclerostin was 1119/401/1040 pg/mL, thoracic vBMD was 206.3/52.4/204.8 mg/cm3, lumbar vBMD was 180.7/47.0/179.0 mg/cm3, coronary artery CP score was 284/648/13, carotid artery CP score was 46/132/0, and aortoiliac CP score was 1613/2910/282. Sclerostin levels were higher in men than women (P<.0001). Before and after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, hemoglobin A1c, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, plasma sclerostin levels were positively associated with thoracic and lumbar vertebrae vBMD (P<.0001). Sex-stratified analyses verified significant relationships in both men and women (both P<.001). Sclerostin was not associated with CP except for an inverse relationship with carotid CP in men (fully adjusted model, P=.03). In this cross-sectional study of AA men and women with T2D, circulating sclerostin was positively associated with vBMD in the spine in both sexes and inversely associated with carotid artery CP in men. Sclerostin may play a role in skeletal mineral metabolism in AA but fails to explain inverse relationships between BMD and CP.

Does the Madden-Julian Oscillation influence aerosol variability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Baijun; Waliser, Duane E.; Kahn, Ralph A.; Li, Qinbin; Yung, Yuk L.; Tyranowski, Tomasz; Geogdzhayev, Igor V.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Torres, Omar; Smirnov, Alexander

2008-06-01

We investigate the modulation of aerosols by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) using multiple, global satellite aerosol products: aerosol index (AI) from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on Nimbus-7, and aerosol optical thickness (AOT) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra and Aqua and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on NOAA satellites. A composite MJO analysis indicates that large variations in the TOMS AI and MODIS/AVHRR AOT are found over the equatorial Indian and western Pacific Oceans where MJO convection is active, as well as the tropical Africa and Atlantic Ocean where MJO convection is weak but the background aerosol level is high. A strong inverse linear relationship between the TOMS AI and rainfall anomalies, but a weaker, less coherent positive correlation between the MODIS/AVHRR AOT and rainfall anomalies, were found. The MODIS/AVHRR pattern is consistent with ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network data. These results indicate that the MJO and its associated cloudiness, rainfall, and circulation variability systematically influence the variability in remote sensing aerosol retrieval results. Several physical and retrieval algorithmic factors that may contribute to the observed aerosol-rainfall relationships are discussed. Preliminary analysis indicates that cloud contamination in the aerosol retrievals is likely to be a major contributor to the observed relationships, although we cannot exclude possible contributions from other physical mechanisms. Future research is needed to fully understand these complex aerosol-rainfall relationships.

The association of relationship quality and social networks with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among older married adults: Findings from a cross-sectional analysis of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

PubMed

Santini, Ziggi Ivan; Koyanagi, Ai; Tyrovolas, Stefanos; Haro, Josep M

2015-07-01

Important associations have been found between social relationships and various mental health outcomes. However, limited data exists for these associations among older adults especially in terms of relationship quality in partnerships. This study aimed to examine the associations of positive and negative partner interactions and social networks with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Nationally-representative, cross-sectional data of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) was analyzed. The analytical sample consisted of 4988 community dwelling adults aged >50 years in spouse/partner relationships. Information on sociodemographics and social relationships were assessed using standard questions. Validated scales for depression and anxiety, and a single-item question for suicidal ideation were used to assess mental health outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between social relationships and depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. After adjusting for confounders, negative partner interactions were significantly associated with increased likelihood of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, while positive partner interactions were significantly and inversely related to anxiety and suicidal ideation. Higher levels of social integration were significantly associated with lower odds for depression. Given the cross-sectional nature of the research, no firm conclusions can be made in terms of directions of causality. By assessing the available social network of older adults, as well as the areas in their social relationships that need to be addressed, it may be possible for practitioners and policy makers to maximize the benefits of network integration and minimize the potentially harmful aspects of social relationships, thereby improving overall mental health and emotional well-being. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Workplace Violence and Job Outcomes of Newly Licensed Nurses.

PubMed

Chang, Hyoung Eun; Cho, Sung-Hyun

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of workplace violence toward newly licensed nurses and the relationship between workplace violence and job outcomes. An online survey was conducted of newly licensed registered nurses who had obtained their license in 2012 or 2013 in South Korea and had been working for 5-12 months after first being employed. The sample consisted of 312 nurses working in hospitals or clinics. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II was used to measure violence and nurse job outcomes. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between violence and job outcomes. Verbal abuse was most prevalent (59.6%), followed by threats of violence (36.9%), physical violence (27.6%), bullying (25.6%), and sexual harassment (22.4%). Approximately three quarters of the nurses had experienced at least one type of violence. The main perpetrators were patients and nurse colleagues, although the distribution of perpetrators varied depending on the type of violence. Bullying had a significant relationship with all four job outcomes (job satisfaction, burnout, commitment to the workplace, and intent to leave), while verbal abuse was associated with all job outcomes except for intent to leave. Violence perpetrated by nurse colleagues had a significant relationship with all four job outcomes, while violence by physicians had a significant inverse relationship with job satisfaction. Workplace violence is experienced by a high percentage of newly licensed nurses, and is associated with their job outcomes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The relationship between the ratio of strontium to calcium and sea-surface temperature in a modern Porites astreoides coral: Implications for using P. astreoides as a paleoclimate archive

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tess E. Busch,; Flannery, Jennifer A.; Richey, Julie N.; Stathakopoulos, Anastasios

2015-11-13

An inverse relationship has been demonstrated between water temperature and the ratio of strontium to calcium (Sr/Ca) in coral aragonite for a number of Pacific species of the genus Porites. This empirically determined relationship has been used to reconstruct past sea-surface temperature (SST) from modern and Holocene age coral archives. A study was conducted to investigate this relationship for Porites astreoides to determine the potential for using these corals as a paleotemperature archive in the Caribbean and western tropical Atlantic Ocean. Skeletal aragonite from a P. astreoides colony growing offshore of the southeast coast of Florida was subsampled with a mean temporal resolution of 14 samples per year and analyzed for Sr/Ca. The resulting Sr/Ca time series yielded well-defined annual cycles that correspond to annual growth bands in the coral. Sr/Ca was regressed against a monthly SST record from C-MAN buoy station FWYF1 (located at Fowey Rocks, Florida), resulting in the following Sr/Ca-SST relationship: Sr/Ca = –0.040*SST + 10.128 (R = –0.77). A 10-year time series of Sr/Ca-derived SST yields annual cycles with a 10–12 degree Celsius seasonal amplitude, consistent with available local instrumental records. We conclude that Sr/Ca in Porites astreoides from the Caribbean/Atlantic region has high potential for developing subannually resolved modern and recent Holocene SST records.

The Interactions between Insulin and Androgens in Progression to Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Gunter, Jennifer H.; Lubik, Amy A.; McKenzie, Ian; Pollak, Michael; Nelson, Colleen C.

2012-01-01

An association between the metabolic syndrome and reduced testosterone levels has been identified, and a specific inverse relationship between insulin and testosterone levels suggests that an important metabolic crosstalk exists between these two hormonal axes; however, the mechanisms by which insulin and androgens may be reciprocally regulated are not well described. Androgen-dependant gene pathways regulate the growth and maintenance of both normal and malignant prostate tissue, and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients exploits this dependence when used to treat recurrent and metastatic prostate cancer resulting in tumour regression. A major systemic side effect of ADT includes induction of key features of the metabolic syndrome and the consistent feature of hyperinsulinaemia. Recent studies have specifically identified a correlation between elevated insulin and high-grade PCa and more rapid progression to castrate resistant disease. This paper examines the relationship between insulin and androgens in the context of prostate cancer progression. Prostate cancer patients present a promising cohort for the exploration of insulin stabilising agents as adjunct treatments for hormone deprivation or enhancers of chemosensitivity for treatment of advanced prostate cancer. PMID:22548055

Loneliness and life satisfaction of boys with developmental coordination disorder: the impact of leisure participation and perceived freedom in leisure.

PubMed

Poulsen, Anne A; Ziviani, Jenny M; Johnson, Helen; Cuskelly, Monica

2008-04-01

A theoretical model linking motor ability with perceived freedom in leisure, participation in team sports, loneliness, and global life satisfaction was tested using linear confirmatory path analysis. Participants were 173 boys aged 10-13 years who filled in self-report questionnaires about perceived freedom in leisure, loneliness, and global life satisfaction. Parents of boys completed 7-day diaries and 12-month retrospective recall questionnaires about their son's leisure-time activity participation. Results of path analyses confirmed that the fit of the hypothetical model was consistent with predictions. The inferred direct pathways of influence between both total loneliness and global life satisfaction on motor ability were in the expected directions (i.e., inverse and positive relationships, respectively). Perceived Freedom in Leisure (PFL) and participation in team sports were two intermediate variables indirectly influencing these relationships. Although PFL was identified as a motivational process influencing participation levels in team sports it was noted that other psychological and environmental factors must also be considered when evaluating child-activity-environment fit for boys with developmental coordination disorder.

Exploring factors influencing the strength of the safety-in-numbers effect.

PubMed

Elvik, Rune

2017-03-01

Several studies have found a so-called safety-in-numbers effect for vulnerable road users. This means that when the number of pedestrians or cyclists increases, the number of accidents involving these road users and motor vehicles increases less than in proportion to the number of pedestrians or cyclists. In other words, travel becomes safer for each pedestrian or cyclist the more pedestrians or cyclists there are. This finding is highly consistent, but estimates of the strength of the safety-in-numbers effect vary considerably. This paper shows that the strength of the safety-in-numbers effect is inversely related to the number of pedestrians and cyclists. A stronger safety-in-numbers is found when there are few pedestrians or cyclists than when there are many. This finding is counterintuitive and one would expect the opposite relationship. The relationship between the ratio of the number of motor vehicles to the number of pedestrians or cyclists and the strength of the safety-in-numbers effect is ambiguous. Possible explanations of these tendencies are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in the Response of the Northern Hemisphere Carbon Uptake to Temperature Over the Last Three Decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yi; Ciais, Philippe; Chevallier, Frederic; Li, Wei; Bastos, Ana; Piao, Shilong; Wang, Tao; Liu, Hongyan

2018-05-01

The CO2 seasonal cycle amplitude (SCA) in the Northern Hemisphere has increased since the 1960s—a feature attributed mainly to enhanced vegetation activity along climate warming and CO2 increase. We identified a temporal change in the sign of the correlation between SCA and air temperature (T) from positive to negative around the year 2000 at most Northern Hemisphere ground stations, consistent with signals from satellite column CO2 measurements since the mid-2000s. Further, we explored potential causes of this change using net biome productivity estimates from three atmospheric inversions for the period 1980-2015. The change in the SCA-T relationship is primarily attributable to changes in the net biome productivity-T relationship: positive correlations weakened in the spring in the high latitudes, confirming a limit to the "warmer spring-bigger carbon sink" mechanism; negative correlations diminished in the autumn/winter in the mid-to-high latitudes, challenging the "warmer winter-larger carbon release" assumption and highlighting the complexity of carbon processes outside the peak growing season.

Mildly abnormal general movement quality in infants is associated with higher Mead acid and lower arachidonic acid and shows a U-shaped relation with the DHA/AA ratio.

PubMed

van Goor, S A; Schaafsma, A; Erwich, J J H M; Dijck-Brouwer, D A J; Muskiet, F A J

2010-01-01

We showed that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation was associated with more mildly abnormal (MA) general movements (GMs) in the infants. Since this finding was unexpected and inter-individual DHA intakes are highly variable, we explored the relationship between GM quality and erythrocyte DHA, arachidonic acid (AA), DHA/AA and Mead acid in 57 infants of this trial. MA GMs were inversely related to AA, associated with Mead acid, and associated with DHA/AA in a U-shaped manner. These relationships may indicate dependence of newborn AA status on synthesis from linoleic acid. This becomes restricted during the intrauterine period by abundant de novo synthesis of oleic and Mead acids from glucose, consistent with reduced insulin sensitivity during the third trimester. The descending part of the U-shaped relation between MA GMs and DHA/AA probably indicates DHA shortage next to AA shortage. The ascending part may reflect a different developmental trajectory that is not necessarily unfavorable. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health effects of protein intake in healthy adults: a systematic literature review

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Agnes N.; Kondrup, Jens; Børsheim, Elisabet

2013-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the evidence behind the dietary requirement of protein and to assess the health effects of varying protein intake in healthy adults. The literature search covered the years 2000–2011. Prospective cohort, case-control, and intervention studies were included. Out of a total of 5,718 abstracts, 412 full papers were identified as potentially relevant, and after careful scrutiny, 64 papers were quality graded as A (highest), B, or C. The grade of evidence was classified as convincing, probable, suggestive or inconclusive. The evidence is assessed as: probable for an estimated average requirement of 0.66 g good-quality protein/kg body weight (BW)/day based on nitrogen balance studies, suggestive for a relationship between increased all-cause mortality risk and long-term low-carbohydrate–high-protein (LCHP) diets; but inconclusive for a relationship between all-cause mortality risk and protein intake per se; suggestive for an inverse relationship between cardiovascular mortality and vegetable protein intake; inconclusive for relationships between cancer mortality and cancer diseases, respectively, and protein intake; inconclusive for a relationship between cardiovascular diseases and total protein intake; suggestive for an inverse relationship between blood pressure (BP) and vegetable protein; probable to convincing for an inverse relationship between soya protein intake and LDL cholesterol; inconclusive for a relationship between protein intake and bone health, energy intake, BW control, body composition, renal function, and risk of kidney stones, respectively; suggestive for a relationship between increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and long-term LCHP-high-fat diets; inconclusive for impact of physical training on protein requirement; and suggestive for effect of physical training on whole-body protein retention. In conclusion, the evidence is assessed as probable regarding the estimated requirement based on nitrogen balance studies, and suggestive to inconclusive for protein intake and mortality and morbidity. Vegetable protein intake was associated with decreased risk in many studies. Potentially adverse effects of a protein intake exceeding 20–23 E% remain to be investigated. PMID:23908602

Seismic stochastic inversion identify river channel sand body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Z.

2015-12-01

The technology of seismic inversion is regarded as one of the most important part of geophysics. By using the technology of seismic inversion and the theory of stochastic simulation, the concept of seismic stochastic inversion is proposed.Seismic stochastic inversion can play an significant role in the identifying river channel sand body. Accurate sand body description is a crucial parameter to measure oilfield development and oilfield stimulation during the middle and later periods. Besides, rational well spacing density is an essential condition for efficient production. Based on the geological knowledge of a certain oilfield, in line with the use of seismic stochastic inversion, the river channel sand body in the work area is identified. In this paper, firstly, the single river channel body from the composite river channel body is subdivided. Secondly, the distribution of river channel body is ascertained in order to ascertain the direction of rivers. Morever, the superimposed relationship among the sand body is analyzed, especially among the inter-well sand body. The last but not at the least, via the analysis of inversion results of first vacuating the wells and continuous infilling later, it is meeted the most needs well spacing density that can obtain the optimal inversion result. It would serve effective guidance for oilfield stimulation.

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.

Prediction of sedimentary facies of x-oilfield in northwest of China by geostatistical inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Zhao; Ling, Ke; Tingting, He

2017-03-01

In the early stage of oilfield development, there are only a few wells and well spacing can reach several kilometers. for the alluvial fans and other heterogeneous reservoirs, information from wells alone is not sufficient to derive detailed reservoir information. In this paper, the method of calculating sand thickness through geostatistics inversion is studied, and quantitative relationships between each sedimentary micro-facies are analyzed by combining with single well sedimentary facies. Further, the sedimentary facies plane distribution based on seismic inversion is obtained by combining with sedimentary model, providing the geological basis for the next exploration and deployment.

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.

Approximate non-linear multiparameter inversion for multicomponent single and double P-wave scattering in isotropic elastic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Wei; Mao, Weijian

2018-03-01

An asymptotic quadratic true-amplitude inversion method for isotropic elastic P waves is proposed to invert medium parameters. The multicomponent P-wave scattered wavefield is computed based on a forward relationship using second-order Born approximation and corresponding high-frequency ray theoretical methods. Within the local double scattering mechanism, the P-wave transmission factors are elaborately calculated, which results in the radiation pattern for P-waves scattering being a quadratic combination of the density and Lamé's moduli perturbation parameters. We further express the elastic P-wave scattered wavefield in a form of generalized Radon transform (GRT). After introducing classical backprojection operators, we obtain an approximate solution of the inverse problem by solving a quadratic non-linear system. Numerical tests with synthetic data computed by finite-differences scheme demonstrate that our quadratic inversion can accurately invert perturbation parameters for strong perturbations, compared with the P-wave single-scattering linear inversion method. Although our inversion strategy here is only syncretized with P-wave scattering, it can be extended to invert multicomponent elastic data containing both P-wave and S-wave information.

Approximate nonlinear multiparameter inversion for multicomponent single and double P-wave scattering in isotropic elastic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Wei; Mao, Weijian

2018-07-01

An asymptotic quadratic true-amplitude inversion method for isotropic elastic P waves is proposed to invert medium parameters. The multicomponent P-wave scattered wavefield is computed based on a forward relationship using second-order Born approximation and corresponding high-frequency ray theoretical methods. Within the local double scattering mechanism, the P-wave transmission factors are elaborately calculated, which results in the radiation pattern for P-wave scattering being a quadratic combination of the density and Lamé's moduli perturbation parameters. We further express the elastic P-wave scattered wavefield in a form of generalized Radon transform. After introducing classical backprojection operators, we obtain an approximate solution of the inverse problem by solving a quadratic nonlinear system. Numerical tests with synthetic data computed by finite-differences scheme demonstrate that our quadratic inversion can accurately invert perturbation parameters for strong perturbations, compared with the P-wave single-scattering linear inversion method. Although our inversion strategy here is only syncretized with P-wave scattering, it can be extended to invert multicomponent elastic data containing both P- and S-wave information.

The association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities among older adults.

PubMed

Wu, Chen-Yi; Hu, Hsiao-Yun; Chou, Yi-Chang; Huang, Nicole; Chou, Yiing-Jenq; Li, Chung-Pin

2015-03-01

To evaluate the association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities among older adults. A study sample consisting of 77,541 community-dwelling Taipei citizens aged ≥ 65 years was selected based on data obtained from the government-sponsored Annual Geriatric Health Examination Program between 2006 and 2010. Subjects were asked how many times they had physical activity for ≥ 30 min during the past 6 months. Mortality was determined by matching cohort identifications with national death files. Compared to subjects with no physical activity, those who had 1-2 times of physical activity per week had a decreased risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71-0.85). Subjects with 3-5 times of physical activity per week had a further decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.58-0.70). An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between physical activity and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. According to stratified analyses, physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of mortality in most subgroups. Physical activity had an inverse association with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among older adults. Furthermore, most elderly people can benefit from an active lifestyle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor promoter methylation and cortical thickness in recurrent major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Na, Kyoung-Sae; Won, Eunsoo; Kang, June; Chang, Hun Soo; Yoon, Ho-Kyoung; Tae, Woo Suk; Kim, Yong-Ku; Lee, Min-Soo; Joe, Sook-Haeng; Kim, Hyun; Ham, Byung-Joo

2016-02-15

Recent studies have reported that methylation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene promoter is associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to investigate the association between cortical thickness and methylation of BDNF promoters as well as serum BDNF levels in MDD. The participants consisted of 65 patients with recurrent MDD and 65 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Methylation of BDNF promoters and cortical thickness were compared between the groups. The right medial orbitofrontal, right lingual, right lateral occipital, left lateral orbitofrontal, left pars triangularis, and left lingual cortices were thinner in patients with MDD than in healthy controls. Among the MDD group, right pericalcarine, right medical orbitofrontal, right rostral middle frontal, right postcentral, right inferior temporal, right cuneus, right precuneus, left frontal pole, left superior frontal, left superior temporal, left rostral middle frontal and left lingual cortices had inverse correlations with methylation of BDNF promoters. Higher levels of BDNF promoter methylation may be closely associated with the reduced cortical thickness among patients with MDD. Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in MDD, and showed an inverse relationship with BDNF methylation only in healthy controls. Particularly the prefrontal and occipital cortices seem to indicate key regions in which BDNF methylation has a significant effect on structure.

Satellite DNA and cytogenetic evolution: molecular aspects and implications for man. [Kangaroo rats

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

Hatch, F.T.; Mazrimas, J.

1977-02-28

Simple, highly reiterated DNA sequences, often observed in density gradients as satellite DNAs, exist in condensed heterochromatin. This material is predominantly located at chromosomal centromeres, occasionally at telomeres, or intercalated within arms; in a few species it occupies entire chromosome arms. Satellite DNAs are a highly variable component of the genome of most higher eukaryotes, but their functions have remained speculative. The genus of kangaroo rats (Dipodomys) exhibits remarkable interspecies variations in content of three satellite DNAs, consisting of simple sequences 3 to 10 base pairs long, and in species karyotypes. A broad range of diploid-DNA content is correlated withmore » satellite-DNA content. The latter is correlated positively with predominance of biarmed over uniarmed chromosomes (high fundamental number FN) and inversely with two anatomical indices (leg-bone-length ratios) of specialization for the jumping gait. Karyotypic variation is achieved via chromosomal rearrangements, e.g., Robertsonian fusion, C-band heteromorphism, and pericentric inversion. Environmental adaptation is achieved, in part, by reassortment of gene-linkage groups and regulatory controls as a result of the chromosomal rearrangements. The foregoing relationships led to the postulation that highly reiterated DNA sequences play a supragenic, global role in environmental adaptation and the evolution of new species.« less

Longitudinal change in plasma total homocysteine during pregnancy and postpartum in Brazilian women and its relation with folate status and other factors.

PubMed

Glorimar, R; Pereira, S E A; Trugo, N M F

2004-03-01

Fasting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration was determined in a cohort of pregnant Brazilian women (n = 46) supplemented with folic acid from the second trimester of pregnancy. Blood samples were obtained in the first and third trimesters from all women, and 30-40 days postpartum from seventeen women. Plasma tHcy decreased during pregnancy from 10.3 to 8.7 micromol/L, and was 11.6 micromol/L in the postpartum. Plasma and erythrocyte folate increased, consistent with use of the folate supplement, but decreased slightly in the postpartum, whereas the opposite occurred for plasma vitamin B12. tHcy was inversely correlated with plasma and erythrocyte folate in the third trimester (r = -0.585 and -0.460, respectively). This relationship occurred despite the fact that all women had attained what could be considered adequate levels of folate indices. Furthermore, the change (third trimester minus first trimester levels) of tHcy was inversely correlated (p < 0.01) with the changes in plasma (r = -0.573) and erythrocyte folate (r = -0.525). tHcy had no correlation in any of the periods tested with plasma vitamin B12, plasma albumin, hematocrit, hemoglobin, iron indices, dietary intakes of folate, vitamins B12 and B6, and levels of folate supplement.

Comparison of the cohesion-adhesion balance approach to colloidal probe atomic force microscopy and the measurement of Hansen partial solubility parameters by inverse gas chromatography for the prediction of dry powder inhalation performance.

PubMed

Jones, Matthew D; Buckton, Graham

2016-07-25

The abilities of the cohesive-adhesive balance approach to atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the measurement of Hansen partial solubility parameters by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) to predict the performance of carrier-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations were compared. Five model drugs (beclometasone dipropionate, budesonide, salbutamol sulphate, terbutaline sulphate and triamcinolone acetonide) and three model carriers (erythritol, α-lactose monohydrate and d-mannitol) were chosen, giving fifteen drug-carrier combinations. Comparison of the AFM and IGC interparticulate adhesion data suggested that they did not produce equivalent results. Comparison of the AFM data with the in vitro fine particle delivery of appropriate DPI formulations normalised to account for particle size differences revealed a previously observed pattern for the AFM measurements, with a slightly cohesive AFM CAB ratio being associated with the highest fine particle fraction. However, no consistent relationship between formulation performance and the IGC data was observed. The results as a whole highlight the complexity of the many interacting variables that can affect the behaviour of DPIs and suggest that the prediction of their performance from a single measurement is unlikely to be successful in every case. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between volume and in-hospital mortality in digestive oncological surgery.

PubMed

Pérez-López, Paloma; Baré, Marisa; Touma-Fernández, Ángel; Sarría-Santamera, Antonio

2016-03-01

The results previously obtained in Spain in the study of the relationship between surgical caseload and in-hospital mortality are inconclusive. The aim of this study is to evaluate the volume-outcome association in Spain in the setting of digestive oncological surgery. An analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted with data from patients who underwent surgical procedures with curative intent of esophageal, gastric, colorectal and pancreatic neoplasms between 2006-2009 with data from the Spanish MBDS. In-hospital mortality was used as outcome variable. Control variables were patient, health care and hospital characteristics. Exposure variable was the number of interventions for each disease, dividing the hospitals in 3 categories: high volume (HV), mid volume (MV) and low volume (LV) according to the number of procedures. An inverse, statistically significant relationship between procedure volume and in-hospital mortality was observed for both volume categories in both gastric (LV: OR=1,50 [IC 95%: 1,28-1,76]; MV: OR=1,49 (IC 95%: 1,28-1,74)) and colorectal (LV: OR=1,44 [IC 95%: 1,33-1,55]; MV: OR=1,24 [IC 95%: 1,15-1,33]) cancer surgery. In pancreatic procedures, this difference was only statistically significant between LV and HV categories (LV: OR=1,89 [IC 95%: 1,29-2,75]; MV: OR=1,21 [IC 95%: 0,82-1,79]). Esophageal surgery also showed an inverse relationship, which was not statistically significant (LV: OR=1,89 [IC 95%: 0,98-3,64]; MV: OR=1,05 [IC 95%: 0,50-2,21]). The results of this study suggest the existence in Spain of an inverse relationship between caseload and in-hospital mortality in digestive oncological surgery for the procedures analyzed. Copyright © 2015 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Relationship between viscosity of the ankle joint complex and functional ankle instability for inversion ankle sprain patients.

PubMed

Lin, Che-Yu; Kang, Jiunn-Horng; Wang, Chung-Li; Shau, Yio-Wha

2015-03-01

Measurement of viscosity of the ankle joint complex is a novel method to assess mechanical ankle instability. In order to further investigate the clinical significance of the method, this study intended to investigate the relationship between ankle viscosity and severity of functional ankle instability. Cross-sectional study. 15 participants with unilateral inversion ankle sprain and 15 controls were recruited. Their ankles were further classified into stable and unstable ankles. Ankle viscosity was measured by an instrumental anterior drawer test. Severity of functional ankle instability was measured by the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. Unstable ankles were compared with stable ankles. Injured ankles were compared with uninjured ankles of both groups. The spearman's rank correlation coefficient was applied to determine the relationship between ankle viscosity and severity of functional ankle instability in unstable ankles. There was a moderate relationship between ankle viscosity and severity of functional ankle instability (r=-0.64, p<0.0001). Unstable ankles exhibited significantly lower viscosity (p<0.005) and more severe functional ankle instability (p<0.0001) than stable ankles. Injured ankles exhibited significantly lower viscosity and more severe functional ankle instability than uninjured ankles (p<0.0001). There was a moderate relationship between ankle viscosity and severity of functional ankle instability. This finding suggested that, severity of functional ankle instability may be partially attributed to mechanical insufficiencies such as the degenerative changes in ankle viscosity following the inversion ankle sprain. In clinical application, measurement of ankle viscosity could be a useful tool to evaluate severity of chronic ankle instability. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of the relationship between work schedule and its effect on the fatigue of rescue personnel in Isfahan with a standard method of CIS202

PubMed Central

Habibi, Ehsanollah; Soury, Shiva; Vardanjani, Hassan Rajabi; Khodarahmi, Behnam; Dehghan, Habibollah; Hosseini, Mohsen; Esmaeli, Hamid; Khademi, Abolfazl

2015-01-01

Context: Fatigue is a factor that can have negative effects on family life, social relationship and work. Work schedule is one of the affective factors on personnel's fatigue in different jobs. In this study, the work schedule and its effect on rescue personnel in Isfahan are explored. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work schedules and fatigue among rescue personnel. Settings and Design: This study is periodical and has been conducted on 72 employees of rescue personnel in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: Random sampling was done and the primary data that was collected through fatigue assessment questionnaire after being conducted as a pilot study on 10% of samples were collected to confirm the validity of this study. Finally, the data was given to SPSS11.5 software and were analyzed by descriptive statistics and linear digression. Results: The results showed that from the statistical point of view some parts of work schedules like work hours satisfaction, resting time and work order on total fatigue are effective in linear and inverse way but the item “predictibility of work conditions” does not have a meaningful relationship with total fatigue. Furthermore, the results showed that there is a meaningful and inverse relationship with work hours, resting time and work order with mental fatigue and also the work schedule has a meaningful, linear and inverse relation with mental fatigue and total fatigue. Conclusions: By increasing the satisfaction of working hours, increasing resting time and also with an increase of work order the total fatigue of rescue personnel will decrease. PMID:27462640

Bioavailable Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Inversely Related to Weight Gain in Postmenopausal Women regardless of Exogenous Estrogen

PubMed Central

Jung, Su Yon; Hursting, Stephen D.; Guindani, Michele; Vitolins, Mara Z.; Paskett, Electra; Chang, Shine

2014-01-01

Background Weight gain, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels, and excess exogenous steroid hormone use are putative cancer risk factors, yet their interconnected pathways have not been fully characterized. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between plasma IGF-I levels and weight gain according to body mass index (BMI), leptin levels, and exogenous estrogen use among postmenopausal women. Methods This study included 794 postmenopausal women who enrolled in an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study between February 1995 and July 1998. The relationship between IGF-I levels and weight gain was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. We used the molar ratio of IGF-I to IGF binding protein-3 (IGF-I/IGFBP-3) or circulating IGF-I levels adjusting for IGFBP-3 as a proxy of bioavailable IGF-I. The plasma concentrations were expressed as quartiles. Results Among the obese group, women in the third quartile (Q3) of IGF-I and highest quartile of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were less likely to gain weight (>3% from baseline) than were women in the first quartiles (Q1). Among the normal weight group, women in Q2 and Q3 of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were 70% less likely than those in Q1 to gain weight. Among current estrogen users, Q3 of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 had 0.5 times the odds of gaining weight than Q1. Conclusions Bioavailable IGF-I levels were inversely related to weight gain overall. Impact Although weight gain was not consistent with increases in IGF-I levels among postmenopausal women in this report, avoidance of weight gain as a strategy to reduce cancer risk may be recommend. PMID:24363252

Personal and workplace psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled study cohort.

PubMed

Harris-Adamson, Carisa; Eisen, Ellen A; Dale, Ann Marie; Evanoff, Bradley; Hegmann, Kurt T; Thiese, Matthew S; Kapellusch, Jay M; Garg, Arun; Burt, Susan; Bao, Stephen; Silverstein, Barbara; Gerr, Fred; Merlino, Linda; Rempel, David

2013-08-01

Between 2001 and 2010, six research groups conducted coordinated multiyear, prospective studies of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) incidence in US workers from various industries and collected detailed subject-level exposure information with follow-up symptom, physical examination, electrophysiological measures and job changes. This analysis of the pooled cohort examined the incidence of dominant-hand CTS in relation to demographic characteristics and estimated associations with occupational psychosocial factors and years worked, adjusting for confounding by personal risk factors. 3515 participants, without baseline CTS, were followed-up to 7 years. Case criteria included symptoms and an electrodiagnostic study consistent with CTS. Adjusted HRs were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. Workplace biomechanical factors were collected but not evaluated in this analysis. Women were at elevated risk for CTS (HR=1.30; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.72), and the incidence of CTS increased linearly with both age and body mass index (BMI) over most of the observed range. High job strain increased risk (HR=1.86; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.14), and social support was protective (HR=0.54; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.95). There was an inverse relationship with years worked among recent hires with the highest incidence in the first 3.5 years of work (HR=3.08; 95% CI 1.55 to 6.12). Personal factors associated with an increased risk of developing CTS were BMI, age and being a woman. Workplace risk factors were high job strain, while social support was protective. The inverse relationship between CTS incidence and years worked among recent hires suggests the presence of a healthy worker survivor effect in the cohort.

Human Placental Arterial Distensibility, Birth Weight, and Body Size Are Positively Related to Fetal Homocysteine Concentration.

PubMed

D'Souza, Stephen W; Solanky, Nita; Guarino, Jane; Moat, Stuart; Sibley, Colin P; Taggart, Michael; Glazier, Jocelyn D

2017-07-01

Methionine demethylation during metabolism generates homocysteine (Hcy) and its remethylation requires folate and cobalamin. Elevated Hcy concentrations are associated with vascular-related complications of pregnancy, including increased vascular stiffness, predictive of clinical vascular disease. Maternal and fetal total Hcy (tHcy) concentrations are positively related, yet the influence of Hcy on fetoplacental vascular function in normal pregnancy has not been examined. We hypothesized that Hcy alters fetoplacental vascular characteristics with influences on fetal growth outcomes. We investigated (1) placental chorionic plate artery distensibility and neonatal blood pressure in relation to umbilical plasma tHcy; (2) relationships between cord venous (CV) and cord arterial (CA) plasma tHcy, folate, and cobalamin concentrations; and (3) tHcy associations with birth weight and anthropometric measurements of body size as indices of fetal growth in normal pregnancies with appropriate weight-for-gestational age newborns. Maternal plasma tHcy, folate, and cobalamin concentrations were consistent with published data. Placental chorionic plate artery distensibility index (β; measure of vessel stiffness) was inversely related to CA tHcy, yet neonatal blood pressure was not significantly affected. CV and CA tHcy concentrations were positively related and CV tHcy negatively related to CV cobalamin but not folate. CV tHcy concentration positively related to birth weight, corrected birth weight percentile, length, head circumference, and mid-arm circumference of newborns. CV cobalamin was inversely related to fetal growth indices but not to folate concentration. Our study demonstrates a potential relationship between fetal tHcy and placental artery distensibility, placing clinical relevance to cobalamin in influencing Hcy concentration and maintaining low vascular resistance to facilitate nutrient exchange favorable to fetal growth.

Using speed of sound imaging to characterize breast density

PubMed Central

Sak, Mark; Duric, Neb; Littrup, Peter; Bey-Knight, Lisa; Ali, Haythem; Vallieres, Patricia; Sherman, Mark E.; Gierach, Gretchen L.

2017-01-01

A population of 165 women with negative mammographic screens also received an ultrasound tomography (UST) exam at the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) in Detroit, MI. Standard statistical techniques were employed to measure the associations between the various mammographic and UST related density measures and various participant characteristics such as age, weight and height. The Mammographic percent density (MPD) was found to have similar strength associations with UST mean sound speed (Spearman coefficient, rs = 0.722, p < 0.001) and UST median sound speed (rs = 0.737, p < 0.001). Both were stronger than the associations between MPD with two separate measures of UST percent density, a k-means (rs = 0.568, p < 0.001) or a threshold (rs = 0.715, p < 0.001) measure. Segmentation of the UST sound speed images into dense and non-dense volumes showed weak to moderate associations with the mammographically equivalent measures. Relationships were found to be inversely and weakly associated between age and the UST mean sound speed (rs = −0.239, p = 0.002), UST median sound speed (rs = −0.226, p= 0.004) and MPD (rs = −0.204, p= 0.008). Relationships were found to be inversely and moderately associated between BMI and the UST mean sound speed (rs = −0.429, p < 0.001), UST median sound speed (rs = −0.447, p < 0.001) and MPD (rs = −0.489, p < 0.001). The results confirm and strengthen findings presented in previous work indicating that UST sound speed imaging yields viable markers of breast density in a manner consistent with mammography, the current clinical standard. These results lay the groundwork for further studies to assess the role of sound speed imaging in risk prediction. PMID:27692872

Soup consumption is associated with a reduced risk of overweight and obesity but not metabolic syndrome in US adults: NHANES 2003-2006.

PubMed

Zhu, Yong; Hollis, James H

2013-01-01

A limited number of studies have found that soup consumption is related to a lower risk of overweight and obesity in Asian and European populations, however, these studies do not provide a consistent picture regarding the association between soup consumption and markers of metabolic syndrome. To date, no study examining the relationship between soup and body weight or metabolic syndrome have been conducted in the US population. The present study used a sample of 4158 adults aged 19-64 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2006. The frequency of soup consumption was determined using a food frequency questionnaire. The weighted prevalence of soup consumption was 94%, with a seasonal variation in the frequency of soup consumption being found. Non-consumers of soup were at a higher risk of being overweight or obese (adjusted odds ratio = 1.381, P = 0.013), with a higher adjusted prevalence of reduced HDL cholesterol (adjusted odds ratio = 1.280, P = 0.045), but there was no association between soup consumption and metabolic syndrome (P = 0.520). The frequency of soup consumption was inversely associated with covariate-adjusted body mass index and waist circumference (P<0.05), but not with biomarkers of metabolic syndrome, except for a lower fasting insulin level in frequent soup consumers (P = 0.022). Results from the present study suggest soup consumption is not associated with metabolic syndrome. However, there is an inverse relationship between soup consumption and body weight status in US adults, which support laboratory studies showing a potential benefit of soup consumption for body weight management.

Soup Consumption Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Overweight and Obesity but Not Metabolic Syndrome in US Adults: NHANES 2003–2006

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yong; Hollis, James H.

2013-01-01

A limited number of studies have found that soup consumption is related to a lower risk of overweight and obesity in Asian and European populations, however, these studies do not provide a consistent picture regarding the association between soup consumption and markers of metabolic syndrome. To date, no study examining the relationship between soup and body weight or metabolic syndrome have been conducted in the US population. The present study used a sample of 4158 adults aged 19–64 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2006. The frequency of soup consumption was determined using a food frequency questionnaire. The weighted prevalence of soup consumption was 94%, with a seasonal variation in the frequency of soup consumption being found. Non-consumers of soup were at a higher risk of being overweight or obese (adjusted odds ratio = 1.381, P = 0.013), with a higher adjusted prevalence of reduced HDL cholesterol (adjusted odds ratio = 1.280, P = 0.045), but there was no association between soup consumption and metabolic syndrome (P = 0.520). The frequency of soup consumption was inversely associated with covariate-adjusted body mass index and waist circumference (P<0.05), but not with biomarkers of metabolic syndrome, except for a lower fasting insulin level in frequent soup consumers (P = 0.022). Results from the present study suggest soup consumption is not associated with metabolic syndrome. However, there is an inverse relationship between soup consumption and body weight status in US adults, which support laboratory studies showing a potential benefit of soup consumption for body weight management. PMID:24098709

Atopic dermatitis and the hygiene hypothesis revisited.

PubMed

Flohr, Carsten; Yeo, Lindsey

2011-01-01

We published a systematic review on atopic dermatitis (AD) and the hygiene hypothesis in 2005. Since then, the body of literature has grown significantly. We therefore repeated our systematic review to examine the evidence from population-based studies for an association between AD risk and specific infections, childhood immunizations, the use of antibiotics and environmental exposures that lead to a change in microbial burden. Medline was searched from 1966 until June 2010 to identify relevant studies. We found an additional 49 papers suitable for inclusion. There is evidence to support an inverse relationship between AD and endotoxin, early day care, farm animal and dog exposure in early life. Cat exposure in the presence of skin barrier impairment is positively associated with AD. Helminth infection at least partially protects against AD. This is not the case for viral and bacterial infections, but consumption of unpasteurized farm milk seems protective. Routine childhood vaccinations have no effect on AD risk. The positive association between viral infections and AD found in some studies appears confounded by antibiotic prescription, which has been consistently associated with an increase in AD risk. There is convincing evidence for an inverse relationship between helminth infections and AD but no other pathogens. The protective effect seen with early day care, endotoxin, unpasteurized farm milk and animal exposure is likely to be due to a general increase in exposure to non-pathogenic microbes. This would also explain the risk increase associated with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Future studies should assess skin barrier gene mutation carriage and phenotypic skin barrier impairment, as gene-environment interactions are likely to impact on AD risk. Copyright © 041_ S. Karger AG, Basel.

Personal and workplace psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled study cohort

PubMed Central

Harris-Adamson, Carisa; Eisen, Ellen A; Dale, Ann Marie; Evanoff, Bradley; Hegmann, Kurt T; Thiese, Matthew S; Kapellusch, Jay M; Garg, Arun; Burt, Susan; Bao, Stephen; Silverstein, Barbara; Gerr, Fred; Merlino, Linda; Rempel, David

2015-01-01

Background Between 2001 and 2010, six research groups conducted coordinated multiyear, prospective studies of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) incidence in US workers from various industries and collected detailed subject-level exposure information with follow-up symptom, physical examination, electrophysiological measures and job changes. Objective This analysis of the pooled cohort examined the incidence of dominant-hand CTS in relation to demographic characteristics and estimated associations with occupational psychosocial factors and years worked, adjusting for confounding by personal risk factors. Methods 3515 participants, without baseline CTS, were followed-up to 7 years. Case criteria included symptoms and an electrodiagnostic study consistent with CTS. Adjusted HRs were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. Workplace biomechanical factors were collected but not evaluated in this analysis. Results Women were at elevated risk for CTS (HR=1.30; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.72), and the incidence of CTS increased linearly with both age and body mass index (BMI) over most of the observed range. High job strain increased risk (HR=1.86; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.14), and social support was protective (HR=0.54; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.95). There was an inverse relationship with years worked among recent hires with the highest incidence in the first 3.5 years of work (HR=3.08; 95% CI 1.55 to 6.12). Conclusions Personal factors associated with an increased risk of developing CTS were BMI, age and being a woman. Workplace risk factors were high job strain, while social support was protective. The inverse relationship between CTS incidence and years worked among recent hires suggests the presence of a healthy worker survivor effect in the cohort. PMID:23645610

3D inversion of SPECTREM and ZTEM airborne electromagnetic data from the Pebble Cu-Au-Mo porphyry deposit, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pare, Pascal; Gribenko, Alexander V.; Cox, Leif H.; Čuma, Martin; Wilson, Glenn A.; Zhdanov, Michael S.; Legault, Jean; Smit, Jaco; Polome, Louis

2012-04-01

Geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys have been conducted in the area of the Pebble Cu-Au-Mo porphyry deposit in south-west Alaska since 1985. This case study compares three-dimensional (3D) inversion results from Anglo American's proprietary SPECTREM 2000 fixed-wing time-domain airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and Geotech's ZTEM airborne audio-frequency magnetics (AFMAG) systems flown over the Pebble deposit. Within the commonality of their physics, 3D inversions of both SPECTREM and ZTEM recover conductivity models consistent with each other and the known geology. Both 3D inversions recover conductors coincident with alteration associated with both Pebble East and Pebble West. The high grade CuEqn 0.6% ore shell is not consistently following the high conductive trend, suggesting that the SPECTREM and ZTEM responses correspond in part to the sulphide distribution, but not directly with the ore mineralization. As in any exploration project, interpretation of both surveys has yielded an improved understanding of the geology, alteration and mineralization of the Pebble system and this will serve well for on-going exploration activities. There are distinct practical advantages to the use of both SPECTREM and ZTEM, so we draw no recommendation for either system. We can conclude however, that 3D inversion of both AEM and ZTEM surveys is now a practical consideration and that it has added value to exploration at Pebble.

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.

Trophic relationships of small nonnative fishes in a natural creek and several agricultural drains flowing into the Salton Sea, and their potential, effects on the endangered desert pupfish

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Barbara A.; Saiki, Michael K.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to characterize trophic relationships of small nonnative fishes and to determine if predation by these fishes contributes to the decline of desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius), an endangered cyprinodont on the verge of extinction. We sampled 403 hybrid Mozambique tilapias (Oreochromis mossambica by O. urolepis), 107 redbelly tilapias (Tilapia zillii), 32 longjaw mudsuckers (Gillkhthys mirabilis), 182 western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), 222 sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), 63 shortfin mollies (Poecilia mexicana), and 235 porthole livebearers (Poecilurpsis gracilis) from a natural creek and four agricultural drains during September 1999- December 2001. Evidence of piscivory was in gastrointestinal contents of 14 hybrid Mozambique tilapias, 3 redbelly tilapias, 10 longjaw mudsuckers, 8 western mosquitofish, 2 sailfin mollies, and 8 porthole livebearers. Although digestion often was too advanced for identification of fishes consumed by nonnative fishes, remains of desert pupfish were in gastrointestinal contents of a longjaw mudsucker. Our findings, along with Field evidence from other studies that inverse relationships exist between abundances of desert pupfish and nonnative species, are consistent with the hypothesis that predation by nonnative species is contributing to decline of desert pupfish. We suspect that competitive interactions with nonnative fishes might also adversely affect abundance of desert pupfish.

The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: A systematic review of methods, study quality, and results.

PubMed

Cobb, Laura K; Appel, Lawrence J; Franco, Manuel; Jones-Smith, Jessica C; Nur, Alana; Anderson, Cheryl A M

2015-07-01

To examine the relationship between local food environments and obesity and assess the quality of studies reviewed. Systematic keyword searches identified studies from US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to local food environments. We applied a quality metric based on design, exposure and outcome measurement, and analysis. We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. Among non-null associations, we saw a trend toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 negative, 4 positive, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29 positive, 6 negative, 71 null) in adults. We saw direct associations between fast food availability and obesity in lower income children (12 positive, 7 null). Indices including multiple food outlets were most consistently associated with obesity in adults (18 expected, 1 not expected, 17 null). Limiting to higher quality studies did not affect results. Despite the large number of studies, we found limited evidence for associations between local food environments and obesity. The predominantly null associations should be interpreted cautiously due to the low quality of available studies. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

Quantifying pollen-vegetation relationships to reconstruct ancient forests using 19th-century forest composition and pollen data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dawson, Andria; Paciorek, Christopher J.; McLachlan, Jason S.; Goring, Simon; Williams, John W.; Jackson, Stephen T.

2016-01-01

Mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its effects relies partly on how effectively land-atmosphere interactions can be quantified. Quantifying composition of past forest ecosystems can help understand processes governing forest dynamics in a changing world. Fossil pollen data provide information about past forest composition, but rigorous interpretation requires development of pollen-vegetation models (PVMs) that account for interspecific differences in pollen production and dispersal. Widespread and intensified land-use over the 19th and 20th centuries may have altered pollen-vegetation relationships. Here we use STEPPS, a Bayesian hierarchical spatial PVM, to estimate key process parameters and associated uncertainties in the pollen-vegetation relationship. We apply alternate dispersal kernels, and calibrate STEPPS using a newly developed Euro-American settlement-era calibration data set constructed from Public Land Survey data and fossil pollen samples matched to the settlement-era using expert elicitation. Models based on the inverse power-law dispersal kernel outperformed those based on the Gaussian dispersal kernel, indicating that pollen dispersal kernels are fat tailed. Pine and birch have the highest pollen productivities. Pollen productivity and dispersal estimates are generally consistent with previous understanding from modern data sets, although source area estimates are larger. Tests of model predictions demonstrate the ability of STEPPS to predict regional compositional patterns.

Studying the relationship between redox and cell growth using quantitative phase imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridharan, Shamira; Leslie, Matthew T.; Bapst, Natalya; Smith, John; Gaskins, H. Rex; Popescu, Gabriel

2016-03-01

Quantitative phase imaging has been used in the past to study the dry mass of cells and study cell growth under various treatment conditions. However, the relationship between cellular redox and growth rates has not yet been studied in this context. This study employed the recombinant Glrx-roGFP2 redox biosensor targeted to the mitochondrial matrix or cytosolic compartments of A549 lung epithelial carcinoma cells. The Glrx-roGFP2s biosensor consists of a modified GFP protein containing internal cysteine residues sensitive to the local redox environment. The formation/dissolution of sulfide bridges contorts the internal chromophore, dictating corresponding changes in florescence emission that provide direct measures of the local redox potential. Combining 2-channel florescent imaging of the redox sensor with quantitative phase imaging allowed observation of redox homeostasis alongside measurements of cellular mass during full cycles of cellular division. The results indicate that mitochondrial redox showed a stronger inverse correlation with cell growth than cytoplasmic redox states; although redox changes are restricted to a 5% range. We are now studying the relationship between mitochondrial redox and cell growth in an isogenic series of breast cell lines built upon the MCF-10A genetic background that vary both in malignancy and metastatic potential.

The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: A systematic review of methods, study quality and results

PubMed Central

Cobb, Laura K; Appel, Lawrence J; Franco, Manuel; Jones-Smith, Jessica C; Nur, Alana; Anderson, Cheryl AM

2015-01-01

Objective To examine the relationship between local food environments and obesity and assess the quality of studies reviewed. Methods Systematic keyword searches identified studies from US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to local food environments. We applied a quality metric based on design, exposure and outcome measurement, and analysis. Results We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. Among non-null associations, we saw a trend toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 negative, 4 positive, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29 positive, 6 negative, 71 null) in adults. We saw direct associations between fast food availability and obesity in lower income children (12 positive, 7 null). Indices including multiple food outlets were most consistently associated with obesity in adults (18 expected, 1 not expected, 17 null). Limiting to higher quality studies did not affect results. Conclusions Despite the large number of studies, we found limited evidence for associations between local food environments and obesity. The predominantly null associations should be interpreted cautiously due to the low quality of available studies. PMID:26096983

Quantifying pollen-vegetation relationships to reconstruct ancient forests using 19th-century forest composition and pollen data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Andria; Paciorek, Christopher J.; McLachlan, Jason S.; Goring, Simon; Williams, John W.; Jackson, Stephen T.

2016-04-01

Mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its effects relies partly on how effectively land-atmosphere interactions can be quantified. Quantifying composition of past forest ecosystems can help understand processes governing forest dynamics in a changing world. Fossil pollen data provide information about past forest composition, but rigorous interpretation requires development of pollen-vegetation models (PVMs) that account for interspecific differences in pollen production and dispersal. Widespread and intensified land-use over the 19th and 20th centuries may have altered pollen-vegetation relationships. Here we use STEPPS, a Bayesian hierarchical spatial PVM, to estimate key process parameters and associated uncertainties in the pollen-vegetation relationship. We apply alternate dispersal kernels, and calibrate STEPPS using a newly developed Euro-American settlement-era calibration data set constructed from Public Land Survey data and fossil pollen samples matched to the settlement-era using expert elicitation. Models based on the inverse power-law dispersal kernel outperformed those based on the Gaussian dispersal kernel, indicating that pollen dispersal kernels are fat tailed. Pine and birch have the highest pollen productivities. Pollen productivity and dispersal estimates are generally consistent with previous understanding from modern data sets, although source area estimates are larger. Tests of model predictions demonstrate the ability of STEPPS to predict regional compositional patterns.

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

Statistical methods for incomplete data: Some results on model misspecification.

PubMed

McIsaac, Michael; Cook, R J

2017-02-01

Inverse probability weighted estimating equations and multiple imputation are two of the most studied frameworks for dealing with incomplete data in clinical and epidemiological research. We examine the limiting behaviour of estimators arising from inverse probability weighted estimating equations, augmented inverse probability weighted estimating equations and multiple imputation when the requisite auxiliary models are misspecified. We compute limiting values for settings involving binary responses and covariates and illustrate the effects of model misspecification using simulations based on data from a breast cancer clinical trial. We demonstrate that, even when both auxiliary models are misspecified, the asymptotic biases of double-robust augmented inverse probability weighted estimators are often smaller than the asymptotic biases of estimators arising from complete-case analyses, inverse probability weighting or multiple imputation. We further demonstrate that use of inverse probability weighting or multiple imputation with slightly misspecified auxiliary models can actually result in greater asymptotic bias than the use of naïve, complete case analyses. These asymptotic results are shown to be consistent with empirical results from simulation studies.

Growth hormone-binding protein activity is inversely related to 24-hour growth hormone release in normal boys.

PubMed

Martha, P M; Rogol, A D; Blizzard, R M; Shaw, M A; Baumann, G

1991-07-01

To investigate the physiological relationship between serum GH-binding proteins and 24-h GH release, we compared the 24-h GH pulse attributes in serum samples obtained at 20-min intervals to the serum GH-binding protein activity (GH-BP) from 38 normal boys between 7 5/12 and 18 4/12 yr of age. GH-BP was determined in a serum sample from each study (containing less than 1.0 micrograms/L GH) using a standardized GH-BP assay. GH-BP results are expressed as the percentage of [125I]human GH bound to the high affinity GH-BP complex (peak II) per 160 microL serum. There were significant inverse relationships between the high affinity (receptor-related) GH-BP and several characteristics of 24-h GH release. Specifically, GH-BP was significantly (P less than 0.005 for all), but negatively, correlated with mean 24-h GH concentration (r = -0.62), sum of the GH pulse amplitudes (r = -0.57), sum of the GH pulse areas (r = -0.55), interpulse mean GH concentration (r = -0.53), and number of GH pulses per 24 h (r = -0.53). In addition, GH-BP correlated positively with the mean time interval between pulses (r = 0.59). There was also a significant positive correlation (r = 0.75; P less than 0.001) between GH-BP and the subject's age-adjusted body mass index SD score (BMI-SDS). Each characteristic of 24-h GH release correlating inversely with GH-BP also correlated inversely with BMI-SDS (P less than 0.01 for all comparisons). GH-BP did not, however, correlate with plasma insulin-like growth factor-I levels, serum testosterone concentrations, or height SDS. Binding to the low affinity GH-BP (peak I) did not correlate significantly with any of the examined GH pulse attributes, BMI-SDS, or the degree of binding to the high affinity GH-BP (peak II). We conclude that an inverse relationship exists between the high affinity serum GH-BP and 24-h GH release in boys under normal physiological conditions. We speculate that abnormalities in this relationship probably also exist and may underlie some disorders of growth.

Hospital staff registered nurses' perception of horizontal violence, peer relationships, and the quality and safety of patient care.

PubMed

Purpora, Christina; Blegen, Mary A; Stotts, Nancy A

2015-01-01

To test hypotheses from a horizontal violence and quality and safety of patient care model: horizontal violence (negative behavior among peers) is inversely related to peer relations, quality of care and it is positively related to errors and adverse events. Additionally, the association between horizontal violence, peer relations, quality of care, errors and adverse events, and nurse and work characteristics were determined. A random sample (n= 175) of hospital staff Registered Nurses working in California. Nurses participated via survey. Bivariate and multivariate analyses tested the study hypotheses. Hypotheses were supported. Horizontal violence was inversely related to peer relations and quality of care, and positively related to errors and adverse events. Including peer relations in the analyses altered the relationship between horizontal violence and quality of care but not between horizontal violence, errors and adverse events. Nurse and hospital characteristics were not related to other variables. Clinical area contributed significantly in predicting the quality of care, errors and adverse events but not peer relationships. Horizontal violence affects peer relationships and the quality and safety of patient care as perceived by participating nurses. Supportive peer relationships are important to mitigate the impact of horizontal violence on quality of care.

Relationship between salivary flow rates and Candida counts in subjects with xerostomia.

PubMed

Torres, Sandra R; Peixoto, Camila Bernardo; Caldas, Daniele Manhães; Silva, Eline Barboza; Akiti, Tiyomi; Nucci, Márcio; de Uzeda, Milton

2002-02-01

This study evaluated the relationship between salivary flow and Candida colony counts in the saliva of patients with xerostomia. Sialometry and Candida colony-forming unit (CFU) counts were taken from 112 subjects who reported xerostomia in a questionnaire. Chewing-stimulated whole saliva was collected and streaked in Candida plates and counted in 72 hours. Species identification was accomplished under standard methods. There was a significant inverse relationship between salivary flow and Candida CFU counts (P =.007) when subjects with high colony counts were analyzed (cutoff point of 400 or greater CFU/mL). In addition, the median sialometry of men was significantly greater than that of women (P =.003), even after controlling for confounding variables like underlying disease and medications. Sjögren's syndrome was associated with low salivary flow rate (P =.007). There was no relationship between the median Candida CFU counts and gender or age. There was a high frequency (28%) of mixed colonization. Candida albicans was the most frequent species, followed by C parapsilosis, C tropicalis, and C krusei. In subjects with high Candida CFU counts there was an inverse relationship between salivary flow and Candida CFU counts.

The Drainage of Thin, Vertical, Model Polyurethane Liquid Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, Steven; Pernisz, Udo; Braun, Richard; Naire, Shailesh

1999-11-01

We have successfully measured the drainage rate of thin, vertically-aligned, liquid films prepared from model polyurethane foam formulations. The pattern of interference fringes in these films was consistent with a wedge-shaped film profile. The time evolution of this wedge shape (the ``collapsing wedge") obeyed a power law relationship between fringe density s and time t of s = k t^m. Experimentally, m ranged from -0.47 to -0.92. The lower bound for m represented a case where the surface viscosity of the film was very high (a ``rigid" surface). Theoretical modeling of this case yielded m = -0.5, in excellent agreement with experiment. Instantaneous film drainage rate (dV/dt) could be extracted from the ``Collapsing Wedge" model. As expected, dV/dt scaled inversely with bulk viscosity. As surfactant concentration was varied at constant bulk viscosity, dV/dt passed through a maximum value, consistent with a model where the rigidity of the surface was a function of both the intensity of surface tension gradients and the surface viscosity of the film. The influence of surface viscosity on dV/dt was also modeled theoretically.

GPS-derived Coseismic deformations of the 2016 Aktao Ms6.7 earthquake and source modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Zhao, B.; Xiaoqiang, W.; Daiqing, L.; Yushan, A.

2017-12-01

On 25th November 2016, a Ms6.7 earthquake occurred on Aktao, a county of Xinjiang, China. This earthquake was the largest earthquake occurred in the northeastern margin of the Pamir Plateau in the last 30 years. By GPS observation, we get the coseismic displacement of this earthquake. The maximum displacement site is located in the Muji Basin, 15km from south of the causative fault. The maximum deformation is down to 0.12m, and 0.10m for coseismic displacement, our results indicate that the earthquake has the characteristics of dextral strike-slip and normal-fault rupture. Based on the GPS results, we inverse the rupture distribution of the earthquake. The source model is consisted of two approximate independent zones with a depth of less than 20km, the maximum displacement of one zone is 0.6m, the other is 0.4m. The total seismic moment is Mw6.6.1 which is calculated by the geodetic inversion. The source model of GPS-derived is basically consistent with that of seismic waveform inversion, and is consistent with the surface rupture distribution obtained from field investigation. According to our inversion calculation, the recurrence period of strong earthquakes similar to this earthquake should be 30 60 years, and the seismic risk of the eastern segment of Muji fault is worthy of attention. This research is financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41374030)

Mathematics of Computed Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, William Grant

A review of the applications of the Radon transform is presented, with emphasis on emission computed tomography and transmission computed tomography. The theory of the 2D and 3D Radon transforms, and the effects of attenuation for emission computed tomography are presented. The algebraic iterative methods, their importance and limitations are reviewed. Analytic solutions of the 2D problem the convolution and frequency filtering methods based on linear shift invariant theory, and the solution of the circular harmonic decomposition by integral transform theory--are reviewed. The relation between the invisible kernels, the inverse circular harmonic transform, and the consistency conditions are demonstrated. The discussion and review are extended to the 3D problem-convolution, frequency filtering, spherical harmonic transform solutions, and consistency conditions. The Cormack algorithm based on reconstruction with Zernike polynomials is reviewed. An analogous algorithm and set of reconstruction polynomials is developed for the spherical harmonic transform. The relations between the consistency conditions, boundary conditions and orthogonal basis functions for the 2D projection harmonics are delineated and extended to the 3D case. The equivalence of the inverse circular harmonic transform, the inverse Radon transform, and the inverse Cormack transform is presented. The use of the number of nodes of a projection harmonic as a filter is discussed. Numerical methods for the efficient implementation of angular harmonic algorithms based on orthogonal functions and stable recursion are presented. The derivation of a lower bound for the signal-to-noise ratio of the Cormack algorithm is derived.

Coffee consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese

PubMed Central

Lin, Wen-Yuan; Pi-Sunyer, F. Xaiver; Chen, Ching-Chu; Davidson, Lance E.; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Li, Tsai-Chung; Wu, Mei-Fong; Li, Chia-Ing; Chen, Walter; Lin, Cheng-Chieh

2011-01-01

Background Coffee consumption has been shown to be inversely associated to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but evidence in Chinese populations is limited. We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and T2DM in a population-based cohort of middle-aged Chinese. Materials and Methods We studied 2,332 subjects who participated in the Taichung Community Health Study in Taiwan in 2004. The relationships between coffee consumption, T2DM and fasting glucose were assessed. Results The prevalence of T2DM was 14.0% and 10.4% in men and women. After adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol drinking, betel nut chewing, physical activity, income, education level, fat%, protein%, carbohydrate%, and magnesium, coffee intake was inversely associated with T2DM. Habitual coffee drinkers had 38–46% lower risk of T2DM than non-drinkers. Compared to non-drinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM according to subjects with habitual coffee consumption (<1, 1–6, ≥ 7 times per week) were 0.77(0.52–1.13), 0.46(0.28–0.76), and 0.37(0.16–0.83), respectively. The decreasing ORs indicate a dose-response effect of coffee consumption on the likelihood of having T2DM (p < 0.001). A similar relationship was also evident in newly-diagnosed T2DM (p < 0.05). The adjusted mean fasting glucose levels gradually decreased as the frequency of coffee consumption increased (p < 0.05). Conclusions Coffee intake is inversely associated with T2DM in Chinese. Coffee may be a protective agent for T2DM in Chinese. PMID:21226707

MRI-measured pelvic bone marrow adipose tissue is inversely related to DXA-measured bone mineral in younger and older adults.

PubMed

Shen, W; Chen, J; Gantz, M; Punyanitya, M; Heymsfield, S B; Gallagher, D; Albu, J; Engelson, E; Kotler, D; Pi-Sunyer, X; Gilsanz, V

2012-09-01

Recent research has shown an inverse relationship between bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) and bone mineral density (BMD). There is a lack of evidence at the macro-imaging level to establish whether increased BMAT is a cause or effect of bone loss. This cross-sectional study compared the BMAT and BMD relationship between a younger adult group at or approaching peak bone mass (PBM; age 18.0-39.9 years) and an older group with potential bone loss (PoBL; age 40.0-88.0 years). Pelvic BMAT was evaluated in 560 healthy men and women with T1-weighted whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. BMD was measured using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. An inverse correlation was observed between pelvic BMAT and pelvic, total and spine BMD in the younger PBM group (r=-0.419 to -0.461, P<0.001) and in the older PoBL group (r=-0.405 to -0.500, P<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, menopausal status, total body fat, skeletal muscle, subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, neither subject group (younger PBM vs older PoBL) nor its interaction with pelvic BMAT significantly contributed to the regression models with BMD as dependent variable and pelvic BMAT as independent variable (P=0.434-0.928). Our findings indicate that an inverse relationship between pelvic BMAT and BMD is present both in younger subjects who have not yet experienced bone loss and also in older subjects. These results provide support at the macro-imaging level for the hypothesis that low BMD may be a result of preferential differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from osteoblasts to adipocytes.

MRI-measured pelvic bone marrow adipose tissue is inversely related to DXA-measured bone mineral in younger and older Adults

PubMed Central

Shen, Wei; Chen, Jun; Gantz, Madeleine; Punyanitya, Mark; Heymsfield, Steven B; Gallagher, Dympna; Albu, Jeanine; Engelson, Ellen; Kotler, Donald; Pi-Sunyer, Xavier; Gilsanz, Vicente

2012-01-01

Background/Objective Recent research has shown an inverse relationship between bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) and bone mineral density (BMD). There is a lack of evidence at the macro-imaging level to establish whether increased BMAT is a cause or effect of bone loss. This cross-sectional study compared the BMAT and BMD relationship between a younger adult group at or approaching peak bone mass (PBM) (age 18.0-39.9 yrs) and an older group with potential bone loss (PoBL) (age 40.0-88 yrs). Subjects/Methods Pelvic BMAT was evaluated in 560 healthy men and women with T1-weighted whole body magnetic resonance imaging. BMD was measured using whole body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results An inverse correlation was observed between pelvic BMAT and pelvic, total, and spine BMD in the younger PBM group (r=-0.419 to -0.461, P<0.001) and in the older PoBL group (r=-0.405 to -0.500, P<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, menopausal status, total body fat, skeletal muscle, subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, neither subject group (younger PBM vs. older PoBL) nor its interaction with pelvic BMAT significantly contributed to the regression models with BMD as dependent variable and pelvic BMAT as independent variable (P=0.434 to 0.928). Conclusion Our findings indicate that an inverse relationship between pelvic BMAT and BMD is present both in younger subjects who have not yet experienced bone loss and also in older subjects. These results provide support at the macro-imaging level for the hypothesis that low BMD may be a result of preferential differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from osteoblasts to adipocytes. PMID:22491495

Symbolic inversion of control relationships in model-based expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Stan

1988-01-01

Symbolic inversion is examined from several perspectives. First, a number of symbolic algebra and mathematical tool packages were studied in order to evaluate their capabilities and methods, specifically with respect to symbolic inversion. Second, the KATE system (without hardware interface) was ported to a Zenith Z-248 microcomputer running Golden Common Lisp. The interesting thing about the port is that it allows the user to have measurements vary and components fail in a non-deterministic manner based upon random value from probability distributions. Third, INVERT was studied as currently implemented in KATE, its operation documented, some of its weaknesses identified, and corrections made to it. The corrections and enhancements are primarily in the way that logical conditions involving AND's and OR's and inequalities are processed. In addition, the capability to handle equalities was also added. Suggestions were also made regarding the handling of ranges in INVERT. Last, other approaches to the inversion process were studied and recommendations were made as to how future versions of KATE should perform symbolic inversion.

Moderating Influences of Student-Faculty Interactions on Students' Graduate and Professional School Aspirations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trolian, Teniell L.; Parker, Eugene T., III.

2017-01-01

There is an inverse relationship between lifetime unemployment rates and attainment of advanced college degrees, as well as a positive relationship between levels of human capital and graduate degree attainment (Carnevale, Cheah, & Strohl, 2012). This suggests that there is a need to better understand college experiences that may promote…

The Analysis of Extracurricular Activities and Their Relationship to Youth Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linville, Deanna C.; Huebner, Angela J.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how extracurricular activities relate to rural youth violence. Gender differences were examined across all of the study variables. Self-report data were collected from 235 teenagers from a rural, ethnically diverse, Virginia community. Correlations revealed a significant inverse relationship between church…

Evidence for the production of marine fluorescence dissolved organic matter in coastal environments and a possible mechanism for formation and dispersion

EPA Science Inventory

A positive linear relationship between salinity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) was observed on several occasions along the West Florida shelf at salinities greater than 36.5. This represents a departure from the typical inverse relationship between FDOM and salin...

Mental Health Needs of Poor Suburban and Rural Children and Their Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Vestena; Dollard, Norin; Armstrong, Beth Jordan; Kutash, Krista; Vergon, Keren S.

2008-01-01

The inverse relationship between economic status and mental illness is well established. Less is known, however, about the nature of this relationship. A comparison of poor suburban and rural youth receiving services for their emotional and behavioral problems revealed more similarities than differences. Family income increased during the first…

Criterion-Related Validity of the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale with Academic Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunn, Gary D.; And Others

1986-01-01

Investigated the relationships between student locus of control and academic achievement in grades five through eight. The Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (NSLOCS) was used to measure motivation, and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) to assess academic achievement. Results indicated moderate inverse relationships between level of…

The Relationship among Family Interaction Patterns and Career Indecision and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiston, Susan C.

1996-01-01

Undergraduate women with higher levels of organization and control in their families experienced less career indecision but not higher career self-efficacy. Males and females whose families had intellectual/cultural orientation had higher self-efficacy in using occupational information. An inverse relationship appeared between this type of…

Dietary carbohydrate modifies the inverse association between saturated fat intake and cholesterol on very low-density lipoproteins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary saturated fat on fasting triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels, and any mediation of this relationship by dietary carbohydrate intake. Men and women in the NHLBI Genetics of Lipid-Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study (n = 1036, mea...

Relationship between areas of popliteal cysts and radiological damage in rheumatoid arthritis and in osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Manganelli, P; Salaffi, F; Nervetti, A; Chierici, P; Ferraccioli, G F; Ambanelli, U

1987-01-01

Fifty-five patients, (30 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and 25 Osteoarthritis (OA], with knee synovial effusion and popliteal cysts, visualized through arthrograms, were studied. A relationship was sought between radiological findings and area of the cysts, measured through a millimeter grid. Ten radiological parameters were graded and summed up to obtain a "total knee score". A "total geode score" was also obtained by scoring, separately, the geodes. In addition two specific indexes were used--for comparison--the erosive index, modified after Berens and Lin, in RA and the Kelligren's index in OA. In RA a statistically significant, inverse correlation was found between the x-ray scores and the area of the cysts, while such a relationship was not observed in OA. However, only a third of the cysts accounted for the inverse relationship in RA. Furthermore, two control groups of RA and OA patients revealed a striking association between degree of radiological damage and frequency of popliteal cysts. Therefore, the hypothesis that popliteal cysts might have a protective effect against the articular-bone damage in RA, can be held only in few cases.

Refractive index inversion based on Mueller matrix method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Huaxi; Wu, Wenyuan; Huang, Yanhua; Li, Zhaozhao

2016-03-01

Based on Stokes vector and Jones vector, the correlation between Mueller matrix elements and refractive index was studied with the result simplified, and through Mueller matrix way, the expression of refractive index inversion was deduced. The Mueller matrix elements, under different incident angle, are simulated through the expression of specular reflection so as to analyze the influence of the angle of incidence and refractive index on it, which is verified through the measure of the Mueller matrix elements of polished metal surface. Research shows that, under the condition of specular reflection, the result of Mueller matrix inversion is consistent with the experiment and can be used as an index of refraction of inversion method, and it provides a new way for target detection and recognition technology.

73Ge, 119Sn and 207Pb: general cooperative effects of single atom ligands on the NMR signals observed in tetrahedral [MXnY4-n] (M = Ge, Sn, Pb; 1 ≤ n ≤ 4; X, Y = Cl, Br, I) coordination compounds of heavier XIV group elements.

PubMed

Benedetti, M; De Castro, F; Fanizzi, F P

2017-02-28

An inverse linear relationship between 73 Ge, 119 Sn and 207 Pb NMR chemical shifts and the overall sum of ionic radii of coordinated halido ligands has been discovered in tetrahedral [MX n Y 4-n ] (M = Ge, Sn, Pb; 1 ≤ n ≤ 4; X, Y = Cl, Br, I) coordination compounds. This finding is consistent with a previously reported correlation found in octahedral, pentacoordinate and square planar platinum complexes. The effect of the coordinated halido ligands acting on the metal as shielding conducting rings is therefore confirmed also by 73 Ge, 119 Sn and 207 Pb NMR spectroscopy.

Global atmospheric carbon budget: results from an ensemble of atmospheric CO2 inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peylin, P.; Law, R. M.; Gurney, K. R.; Chevallier, F.; Jacobson, A. R.; Maki, T.; Niwa, Y.; Patra, P. K.; Peters, W.; Rayner, P. J.; Rödenbeck, C.; Zhang, X.

2013-03-01

Atmospheric CO2 inversions estimate surface carbon fluxes from an optimal fit to atmospheric CO2 measurements, usually including prior constraints on the flux estimates. Eleven sets of carbon flux estimates are compared, generated by different inversions systems that vary in their inversions methods, choice of atmospheric data, transport model and prior information. The inversions were run for at least 5 yr in the period between 1990 and 2009. Mean fluxes for 2001-2004, seasonal cycles, interannual variability and trends are compared for the tropics and northern and southern extra-tropics, and separately for land and ocean. Some continental/basin-scale subdivisions are also considered where the atmospheric network is denser. Four-year mean fluxes are reasonably consistent across inversions at global/latitudinal scale, with a large total (land plus ocean) carbon uptake in the north (-3.3 Pg Cy-1 (±0.6 standard deviation)) nearly equally spread between land and ocean, a significant although more variable source over the tropics (1.6 ± 1.0 Pg Cy-1) and a compensatory sink of similar magnitude in the south (-1.4 ± 0.6 Pg Cy-1) corresponding mainly to an ocean sink. Largest differences across inversions occur in the balance between tropical land sources and southern land sinks. Interannual variability (IAV) in carbon fluxes is larger for land than ocean regions (standard deviation around 1.05 versus 0.34 Pg Cy-1 for the 1996-2007 period), with much higher consistency amoung the inversions for the land. While the tropical land explains most of the IAV (stdev ∼ 0.69 Pg Cy-1), the northern and southern land also contribute (stdev ∼ 0.39 Pg Cy-1). Most inversions tend to indicate an increase of the northern land carbon uptake through the 2000s (around 0.11 Pg Cy-1), shared by North America and North Asia. The mean seasonal cycle appears to be well constrained by the atmospheric data over the northern land (at the continental scale), but still highly dependent on the prior flux seasonality over the ocean. Finally we provide recommendations to interpret the regional fluxes, along with the uncertainty estimates.

Global carbon monoxide cycle: Modeling and data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano, Avelino F., Jr.

The overarching goal of this dissertation is to develop robust, spatially and temporally resolved CO sources, using global chemical transport modeling, CO measurements from Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory (CMDL) and Measurement of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT), under the framework of Bayesian synthesis inversion. To rigorously quantify the CO sources, I conducted five sets of inverse analyses, with each set investigating specific methodological and scientific issues. The first two inverse analyses separately explored two different CO observations to estimate CO sources by region and sector. Under a range of scenarios relating to inverse methodology and data quality issues, top-down estimates using CMDL CO surface and MOPITT CO remote-sensed measurements show consistent results particularly on a significantly large fossil fuel/biofuel (FFBF) emission in East Asia than present bottom-up estimates. The robustness of this estimate is strongly supported by forward and inverse modeling studies in the region particularly from TRansport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) campaign. The use of high-resolution measurement for the first time in CO inversion also draws attention to a methodology issue that the range of estimates from the scenarios is larger than posterior uncertainties, suggesting that estimate uncertainties may be underestimated. My analyses highlight the utility of top-down approach to provide additional constraints on present global estimates by also pointing to other discrepancies including apparent underestimation of FFBF from Africa/Latin America and biomass burning (BIOM) sources in Africa, southeast Asia and north-Latin America, indicating inconsistencies on our current understanding of fuel use and land-use patterns in these regions. Inverse analysis using MOPITT is extended to determine the extent of MOPITT information and estimate monthly regional CO sources. A major finding, which is consistent with other atmospheric observations but differ with satellite area-burned observations, is a significant overestimation in southern Africa for June/July relative to satellite-and-model-constrained BIOM emissions of CO. Sensitivity inverse analyses on observation error covariance and structure, and sequential inversion using NOAA CMDL to fully exploit available information, confirm the robustness of the estimates and further recognize the limitations of the approach, implying the need to further improve the methodology and to reconcile discrepancies.

Plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity is inversely associated with betaine in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.

PubMed

Dullaart, R P F; Garcia, Erwin; Jeyarajah, Elias; Gruppen, Eke G; Connelly, Margery A

2016-08-31

The choline metabolite, betaine, plays a role in lipid metabolism, and may predict the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) require phosphatidylcholine as substrate, raising the possibility that there is an intricate relationship of these protein factors with choline metabolism. Here we determined the relationships of PLTP and LCAT activity with betaine in subjects with and without T2DM. Plasma betaine (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy), PLTP activity (liposome-vesicle HDL system), LCAT activity (exogenous substrate assay) and (apo)lipoproteins were measured in 65 type 2 diabetic (T2DM) and in 55 non-diabetic subjects. PLTP and LCAT activity were elevated in T2DM (p < 0.05), whereas the difference in betaine was not significant. In age-, sex- and diabetes status-controlled correlation analysis, betaine was inversely correlated with triglycerides and positively with HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05 to 0.01). PLTP and LCAT activity were positively correlated with triglycerides and inversely with HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05 to 0.001). PLTP (r = -0.245, p = 0.006) and LCAT activity (r = -0.195, p = 0.035) were correlated inversely with betaine. The inverse association of PLTP activity with betaine remained significant after additional adjustment for body mass index and lipoprotein variables (β = -0.179, p = 0.034), whereas its association with LCAT activity lost significance (β = -0.056, p = 0.44). Betaine may influence lipoprotein metabolism via an effect on PLTP activity.

Estimate of the soil water retention curve from the sorptivity and β parameter calculated from an upward infiltration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moret-Fernández, D.; Latorre, B.

2017-01-01

The water retention curve (θ(h)), which defines the relationship between the volumetric water content (θ) and the matric potential (h), is of paramount importance to characterize the hydraulic behaviour of soils. Because current methods to estimate θ(h) are, in general, tedious and time consuming, alternative procedures to determine θ(h) are needed. Using an upward infiltration curve, the main objective of this work is to present a method to determine the parameters of the van Genuchten (1980) water retention curve (α and n) from the sorptivity (S) and the β parameter defined in the 1D infiltration equation proposed by Haverkamp et al. (1994). The first specific objective is to present an equation, based on the Haverkamp et al. (1994) analysis, which allows describing an upward infiltration process. Secondary, assuming a known saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, calculated on a finite soil column by the Darcy's law, a numerical procedure to calculate S and β by the inverse analysis of an exfiltration curve is presented. Finally, the α and n values are numerically calculated from Ks, S and β. To accomplish the first specific objective, cumulative upward infiltration curves simulated with HYDRUS-1D for sand, loam, silt and clay soils were compared to those calculated with the proposed equation, after applying the corresponding β and S calculated from the theoretical Ks, α and n. The same curves were used to: (i) study the influence of the exfiltration time on S and β estimations, (ii) evaluate the limits of the inverse analysis, and (iii) validate the feasibility of the method to estimate α and n. Next, the θ(h) parameters estimated with the numerical method on experimental soils were compared to those obtained with pressure cells. The results showed that the upward infiltration curve could be correctly described by the modified Haverkamp et al. (1994) equation. While S was only affected by early-time exfiltration data, the β parameter had a significant influence on the long-time exfiltration curve, which accuracy increased with time. The 1D infiltration model was only suitable for β < 1.7 (sand, loam and silt). After omitting the clay soil, an excellent relationship (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.005) was observed between the theoretical α and n values of the synthetic soils and those estimated from the inverse analysis. Consistent results, with a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between the n values estimated with the pressure cell and the upward infiltration analysis, were also obtained on the experimental soils.

A Mathematical Relationship for Hydromorphone Loading into Liposomes with Trans-Membrane Ammonium Sulfate Gradients

PubMed Central

TU, SHENG; MCGINNIS, TAMARA; KRUGNER-HIGBY, LISA; HEATH, TIMOTHY D.

2014-01-01

We have studied the loading of the opioid hydromorphone into liposomes using ammonium sulfate gradients. Unlike other drugs loaded with this technique, hydromorphone is freely soluble as the sulfate salt, and, consequently, does not precipitate in the liposomes after loading. We have derived a mathematical relationship that can predict the extent of loading based on the ammonium ion content of the liposomes and the amount of drug added for loading. We have adapted and used the Berthelot indophenol assay to measure the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes. Plots of the inverse of the fraction of hydromorphone loaded versus the amount of hydromorphone added are linear, and the slope should be the inverse of the amount of ammonium ions present in the liposomes. The inverse of the slopes obtained closely correspond to the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes measured with the Berthelot indophenol assay. We also show that loading can be less than optimal under conditions where osmotically driven loss of ammonium ions or leakage of drug after loading may occur. PMID:20014429

A mathematical relationship for hydromorphone loading into liposomes with trans-membrane ammonium sulfate gradients.

PubMed

Tu, Sheng; McGinnis, Tamara; Krugner-Higby, Lisa; Heath, Timothy D

2010-06-01

We have studied the loading of the opioid hydromorphone into liposomes using ammonium sulfate gradients. Unlike other drugs loaded with this technique, hydromorphone is freely soluble as the sulfate salt, and, consequently, does not precipitate in the liposomes after loading. We have derived a mathematical relationship that can predict the extent of loading based on the ammonium ion content of the liposomes and the amount of drug added for loading. We have adapted and used the Berthelot indophenol assay to measure the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes. Plots of the inverse of the fraction of hydromorphone loaded versus the amount of hydromorphone added are linear, and the slope should be the inverse of the amount of ammonium ions present in the liposomes. The inverse of the slopes obtained closely correspond to the amount of ammonium ions in the liposomes measured with the Berthelot indophenol assay. We also show that loading can be less than optimal under conditions where osmotically driven loss of ammonium ions or leakage of drug after loading may occur. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of the first nonpeptidergic inverse agonists for the human cytomegalovirus encoded chemokine receptor US28.

PubMed

Hulshof, Janneke W; Casarosa, Paola; Menge, Wiro M P B; Kuusisto, Leena M S; van der Goot, Henk; Smit, Martine J; de Esch, Iwan J P; Leurs, Rob

2005-10-06

US28 is a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encoded G-protein-coupled receptor that signals in a constitutively active manner. Recently, we identified 1 [5-(4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidin-1-yl)-2,2-diphenylpentanenitrile] as the first reported nonpeptidergic inverse agonist for a viral-encoded chemokine receptor. Interestingly, this compound is able to partially inhibit the viral entry of HIV-1. In this study we describe the synthesis of 1 and several of its analogues and unique structure-activity relationships for this first class of small-molecule ligands for the chemokine receptor US28. Moreover, the compounds have been pharmacologically characterized as inverse agonists on US28. By modification of lead structure 1, it is shown that a 4-phenylpiperidine moiety is essential for affinity and activity. Other structural features of 1 are shown to be of less importance. These compounds define the first SAR of ligands on a viral GPCR (US28) and may therefore serve as important tools to investigate the significance of US28-mediated constitutive activity during viral infection.

Plasma homovanillic acid correlates inversely with history of childhood trauma in personality disordered and healthy control adults.

PubMed

Lee, Royce; Coccaro, Emil F

2010-11-01

Studies of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) level of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA), suggest a relationship between CSF HVA concentration and history of childhood trauma. In this study, the authors test the hypothesis that this relationship is also present using peripheral levels of HVA in healthy volunteers and in personality disordered subjects. 68 personality disordered (PD) and healthy control (HC) subjects were chosen, in whom morning basal plasma HVA (pHVA) concentrations and an assessment of childhood trauma were obtained. History of childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). A significant inverse correlation was found between CTQ Total scores and pHVA concentration across all subjects. In addition, pHVA was lower, and CTQ scores were higher, in PD as compared with HC subjects. Correlations with other personality and behavioral measures were not statistically significant. The data suggest that pHVA concentrations are inversely correlated with history of childhood trauma and that variability in this index of dopamine function may be affected by the history of childhood trauma in healthy and personality disordered subjects.

Zinc Levels in Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

PubMed

Huang, Lei; Teng, Tianming; Bian, Bo; Yao, Wei; Yu, Xuefang; Wang, Zhuoqun; Xu, Zhelong; Sun, Yuemin

2017-03-01

Zinc is one of the most important trace elements in the body and zinc homeostasis plays a critical role in maintaining cellular structure and function. Zinc dyshomeostasis can lead to many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to investigate whether there is a relationship between zinc and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). A total of 519 patients was enrolled and their serum zinc levels were measured in this study. We performed analyses on the relationship between zinc levels and LVH and the four LV geometry pattern patients: normal LV geometry, concentric remodeling, eccentric LVH, and concentric LVH. We performed further linear and multiple regression analyses to confirm the relationship between zinc and left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and relative wall thickness (RWT). Our data showed that zinc levels were 710.2 ± 243.0 μg/L in the control group and were 641.9 ± 215.2 μg/L in LVH patients. We observed that zinc levels were 715 ± 243.5 μg/L, 694.2 ± 242.7 μg/L, 643.7 ± 225.0 μg/L, and 638.7 ± 197.0 μg/L in normal LV geometry, concentric remodeling, eccentric LVH, and concentric LVH patients, respectively. We further found that there was a significant inverse linear relationship between zinc and LVM (p = 0.001) and LVMI (p = 0.000) but did not show a significant relationship with RWT (p = 0.561). Multiple regression analyses confirmed that the linear relationship between zinc and LVM and LVMI remained inversely significant. The present study revealed that serum zinc levels were significantly decreased in the LVH patients, especially in the eccentric LVH and concentric LVH patients. Furthermore, zinc levels were significantly inversely correlated with LVM and LVMI.

Associations among Physical Activity, Diet Quality, and Weight Status in U.S. Adults

PubMed Central

Pate, Russell R.; Taverno Ross, Sharon E.; Liese, Angela D.; Dowda, Marsha

2015-01-01

Purpose Nearly 70% of adult Americans are overweight or obese, but the associations between physical activity, diet quality, and weight status have not been examined in a representative sample of U.S. adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), diet quality, and weight status within and across age groups in U.S. adults. Methods Participants included 2,587 men and 2,412 women ages 20 to ≥70 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004 and 2005–2006. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry. Diet quality was assessed with overall Healthy Eating Index-2005 scores. Measures of weight status, BMI and waist circumference, were assessed using standard NHANES protocols. Results Across age groups, MVPA was lower in the older age groups for both men and women while diet quality was higher (P<.001). BMI and waist circumference were also higher in the older age groups (P<0.05). Within age groups, MVPA was inversely associated with BMI and waist circumference for men and women in nearly every age group (P<0.05). Diet quality was inversely associated with the weight status variables only in men ages 30–39, 40–49 (BMI only), and 50–59 years, and women ages 50–59 years (P<0.05). Conclusions We observed clear age-related trends for measures of weight status, physical activity, and diet quality in U.S. men and women. MVPA was very consistently related to weight status in both genders. The relationship between diet quality and weight status was less consistent. These findings provide support for public health efforts to prevent obesity by promoting increased physical activity in adult Americans. PMID:25058328

Joint two-dimensional inversion of magnetotelluric and gravity data using correspondence maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrillo, Jonathan; Gallardo, Luis A.

2018-05-01

An accurate characterization of subsurface targets relies on the interpretation of multiple geophysical properties and their relationships. There are mainly two links to jointly invert different geophysical parameters: structural and petrophysical relationships. Structural approaches aim at minimizing topological differences and are widely popular since they need only a few assumptions about models. Conversely, methods based on petrophysical links rely mostly on the property values themselves and can provide a strong coupling between models, but they need to be treated carefully because specific direct relationship must be known or assumed. While some petrophysical relationships are widely accepted, it remains the question whether we may be able to detect them directly from the geophysical data. Currently, there is no reported development that takes full advantage of the flexibility of jointly estimating in-situ empirical relationships and geophysical models for a given geological scenario. We thus developed an algorithm for the two dimensional joint inversion of gravity and magnetotelluric data that seeks simultaneously for a density-resistivity relationship optimal for each studied site described trough a polynomial function. The iterative two-dimensional scheme is tested using synthetic and field data from Cerro Prieto, Mexico. The resulting models show an enhanced resolution with an increased structural and petrophysical correlation. We show that by fitting a functional relationship we increased significantly the coupled geological sense of the models at a little cost in terms of data misfit.

Associations between maternal antioxidant intakes in pregnancy and infant allergic outcomes.

PubMed

West, Christina E; Dunstan, Janet; McCarthy, Suzi; Metcalfe, Jessica; D'Vaz, Nina; Meldrum, Suzanne; Oddy, Wendy H; Tulic, Meri K; Prescott, Susan L

2012-11-14

Antioxidant intakes in pregnancy may influence fetal immune programming and the risk of allergic disease. We investigated associations between maternal intakes of β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper and zinc, and infant allergic outcomes. Antioxidant intakes of pregnant women (n = 420) assessed prospectively by a food frequency questionnaire, were examined in relation to allergic outcomes at 1 year of age (n = 300). The main relationships with allergic outcomes were seen with dietary vitamin C and copper. Specifically, higher maternal dietary vitamin C intake was associated with a reduced risk of any diagnosed infant allergic disease and wheeze. After adjustment for potential confounders the relationship with wheeze remained statistically significant. There was also an inverse linear relationship between vitamin C and food allergy. Higher dietary copper intake was associated with reduced risk of eczema, wheeze and any allergic disease. The relationship with wheeze and any allergic disease remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis, and there was also an inverse linear relationship between copper and food allergy. However, these relationships were only seen for nutrients present in food. There were no relationships between β-carotene, vitamin E or zinc and any allergic outcomes. In summary, this study suggests that maternal diet of fresh foods rich in vitamin C is associated with reduced risk of infant wheeze, and that copper intake is associated with reduced risk of several allergic outcomes.

Is the core top modern? Observations from the eastern equatorial Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekik, Figen; Anderson, Robert

2018-04-01

A compilation of ages from 67 core tops in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) does not display an easily discernible regional pattern. The ages range from 790 to over 15,000 years. The youngest core tops with the highest sediment focusing factors are located in the Panama Basin. There are weak but statistically significant inverse relationships between core top age and age-model based mass accumulation rates, bioturbation depth, linear sedimentation rate and sediment focusing factors. However, we found no statistically significant relationship between core top age and calcite dissolution in sediments or 230Th-normalized mass accumulation rates. We found evidence suggesting that greater amount of sediment focusing helps to preserve the carbonate fraction of the sediment where focusing is taking place. When focusing factors are plotted against percent calcite dissolved, we observe a strong inverse relationship, and core tops younger than 4500 years tend to occur where focusing factors are high and percent calcite dissolved values are low. Using labile organic carbon fluxes to estimate bioturbation depth in the sediments results in the observation that where bioturbation depth is shallow (<4 cm), the core top age has a strong, inverse relationship with sediment accumulation rate. We used the Globorotalia menardii Fragmentation Index (MFI) as an indicator of percent calcite dissolved in deep sea sediments. There is a distinct pattern to core top calcite dissolution in the EEP which delineates bands of high surface ocean productivity as well as the clear increase in dissolution downward on the flanks of the East Pacific Rise.

Substance use and regional gray matter volume in individuals at high risk of psychosis.

PubMed

Stone, James M; Bhattacharyya, Sagnik; Barker, Gareth J; McGuire, Philip K

2012-02-01

Individuals with an at risk mental state (ARMS) are at greatly increased risk of developing a psychotic illness. Risk of transition to psychosis is associated with regionally reduced cortical gray matter volume. There has been considerable interest in the interaction between psychosis risk and substance use. In this study we investigate the relationship between alcohol, cannabis and nicotine use with gray matter volume in ARMS subjects and healthy volunteers. Twenty seven ARMS subjects and 27 healthy volunteers took part in the study. All subjects underwent volumetric MRI imaging. The relationship between regional gray matter volume and cannabis use, smoking, and alcohol use in controls and ARMS subjects was analysed using voxel-based morphometry. In any region where a significant relationship with drug was present, data were analysed to determine if there was any group difference in this relationship. Alcohol intake was inversely correlated with gray matter volume in cerebellum, cannabis intake was use was inversely correlated with gray matter volume in prefrontal cortex and tobacco intake was inversely correlated with gray matter volume in left temporal cortex. There were no significant interactions by group in any region. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis of increased susceptibility to harmful effects of drugs and alcohol on regional gray matter in ARMS subjects. However, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis at low to moderate intake may be associated with lower gray matter in both ARMS subjects and healthy volunteers-possibly representing low-level cortical damage or change in neural plasticity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) and the 4-hour rule: time to review the target.

PubMed

Sullivan, Clair; Staib, Andrew; Khanna, Sankalp; Good, Norm M; Boyle, Justin; Cattell, Rohan; Heiniger, Liam; Griffin, Bronwyn R; Bell, Anthony Jr; Lind, James; Scott, Ian A

2016-05-16

We explored the relationship between the National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) compliance rate, defined as the proportion of patients admitted or discharged from emergency departments (EDs) within 4 hours of presentation, and the risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality of patients admitted to hospital acutely from EDs. Retrospective observational study of all de-identified episodes of care involving patients who presented acutely to the EDs of 59 Australian hospitals between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2014. The relationship between the risk-adjusted mortality of inpatients admitted acutely from EDs (the emergency hospital standardised mortality ratio [eHSMR]: the ratio of the numbers of observed to expected deaths) and NEAT compliance rates for all presenting patients (total NEAT) and admitted patients (admitted NEAT). ED and inpatient data were aggregated for 12.5 million ED episodes of care and 11.6 million inpatient episodes of care. A highly significant (P < 0.001) linear, inverse relationship between eHSMR and each of total and admitted NEAT compliance rates was found; eHSMR declined to a nadir of 73 as total and admitted NEAT compliance rates rose to about 83% and 65% respectively. Sensitivity analyses found no confounding by the inclusion of palliative care and/or short-stay patients. As NEAT compliance rates increased, in-hospital mortality of emergency admissions declined, although this direct inverse relationship is lost once total and admitted NEAT compliance rates exceed certain levels. This inverse association between NEAT compliance rates and in-hospital mortality should be considered when formulating targets for access to emergency care.

Synchronization of spin-transfer torque oscillators by spin pumping, inverse spin Hall, and spin Hall effects

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

Elyasi, Mehrdad; Bhatia, Charanjit S.; Yang, Hyunsoo, E-mail: eleyang@nus.edu.sg

2015-02-14

We have proposed a method to synchronize multiple spin-transfer torque oscillators based on spin pumping, inverse spin Hall, and spin Hall effects. The proposed oscillator system consists of a series of nano-magnets in junction with a normal metal with high spin-orbit coupling, and an accumulative feedback loop. We conduct simulations to demonstrate the effect of modulated charge currents in the normal metal due to spin pumping from each nano-magnet. We show that the interplay between the spin Hall effect and inverse spin Hall effect results in synchronization of the nano-magnets.

A combined direct/inverse three-dimensional transonic wing design method for vector computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weed, R. A.; Carlson, L. A.; Anderson, W. K.

1984-01-01

A three-dimensional transonic-wing design algorithm for vector computers is developed, and the results of sample computations are presented graphically. The method incorporates the direct/inverse scheme of Carlson (1975), a Cartesian grid system with boundary conditions applied at a mean plane, and a potential-flow solver based on the conservative form of the full potential equation and using the ZEBRA II vectorizable solution algorithm of South et al. (1980). The accuracy and consistency of the method with regard to direct and inverse analysis and trailing-edge closure are verified in the test computations.

Upsetting the apple cart: a community anticoagulation clinic survey of life event factors that undermine safe therapy.

PubMed

Edmundson, Sarah; Stuenkel, Diane L; Connolly, Phyllis M

2005-09-01

Anticoagulation therapy is a life-enhancing therapy for patients who are at risk for embolic events secondary to atrial fibrillation, valve replacement, and other comorbidities. Clinicians are motivated to decrease the amount of time that patients are either under- or over-anticoagulated, common conditions that decrease patient safety at either extreme. The primary purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship between personal life event factors as measured by Norbeck's Life Events Questionnaire, core demographics such as age and income, and anticoagulation regulation. Although many factors affect anticoagulation therapy, the precise impact of life events, positive or negative, is unknown. The salient findings of this study (n = 202) showed a small, though statistically significant, inverse relationship (r = -0.184, P < .01) between negative life events and decreased time within therapeutic international normalized ratio. Total Life Event scores showed a statistically significant inverse relationship (r = -0.159, P < .05) to international normalized ratio time within therapeutic level. Lower income was inversely associated with higher negative Life Event scores (r = -0.192, P < .01). The findings demonstrate the need for strategies that address the potential impact of life events in conjunction with coexisting screening measures used in anticoagulation clinics. Implications for this study are limited by lack of methodology documenting concurrent social support factors and limitations of the research tool to reflect life event issues specific to outpatient seniors.

Music algorithm for imaging of a sound-hard arc in limited-view inverse scattering problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Won-Kwang

2017-07-01

MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm for a non-iterative imaging of sound-hard arc in limited-view inverse scattering problem is considered. In order to discover mathematical structure of MUSIC, we derive a relationship between MUSIC and an infinite series of Bessel functions of integer order. This structure enables us to examine some properties of MUSIC in limited-view problem. Numerical simulations are performed to support the identified structure of MUSIC.

Sediment Acoustics: Wideband Model, Reflection Loss and Ambient Noise Inversion

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-30

between 1 and 10 kHz. The model is also capable of explaining the apparent discrepancy between the data and the Kramers- Kronig relationship (K-K...of in-situ measurements of sediment sound speed and attenuation from SAX99, SAX04 and SW06 with the commonly used Kramers- Kronig equation (black...inverse quality factor. The data is overlaid by the Kramers- Kronig estimate of sound speed from measured attenuation, by both the commonly used equation

Association Between 17q12-21 Variants and Asthma in Japanese Women: rs11650680 Polymorphism as Potential Genetic Marker for Asthma

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Keiko; Arakawa, Masashi

2014-01-01

Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7216389 and rs11650680 on chromosome 17q12-21 and asthma is inconsistent. We examined this issue in young adult Japanese women. Case subjects were 202 women who had been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor, while 1290 women without doctor-diagnosed asthma served as control subjects. Adjustments were made for age and the presence of older siblings. There were no significant associations between SNP rs7216389 and asthma. Compared with the CC genotype of SNP rs11650680, the CT genotype, but not the TT genotype, was significantly inversely associated with asthma: the adjusted odds ratio for the CT genotype was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.96). This inverse relationship was significant in women with late-onset asthma, but not in those with early-onset asthma. Under the dominant model, a significant inverse association was found between rs11650680 and asthma in women without older siblings, but not in those with older siblings; the interaction, however, was not significant. This is the first study to show that the CT genotype of SNP rs11650680 was significantly inversely associated with asthma, especially adult-onset asthma. We could not find evidence for interactions between rs11650680 and older siblings affecting asthma. PMID:24735179

Daily and Developmental Modulation of “Premotor” Activity in the Birdsong System

PubMed Central

Day, Nancy F.; Kinnischtzke, Amanda K.; Adam, Murtaza; Nick, Teresa A.

2009-01-01

Human speech and birdsong are shaped during a sensorimotor sensitive period in which auditory feedback guides vocal learning. To study brain activity as song learning occurred, we recorded longitudinally from developing zebra finches during the sensorimotor phase. Learned sequences of vocalizations (motifs) were examined along with contemporaneous neural population activity in the song nucleus HVC, which is necessary for the production of learned song (Nottebohm et al. [1976]: J Comp Neurol 165:457–486; Simpson and Vicario [1990]: J Neurosci 10:1541–1556). During singing, HVC activity levels increased as the day progressed and decreased after a night of sleep in juveniles and adults. In contrast, the pattern of HVC activity changed on a daily basis only in juveniles: activity bursts became more pronounced during the day. The HVC of adults was significantly burstier than that of juveniles. HVC bursting was relevant to song behavior because the degree of burstiness inversely correlated with the variance of song features in juveniles. The song of juveniles degrades overnight (Deregnaucourt et al. [2005]: Nature 433:710–716). Consistent with a relationship between HVC activity and song plasticity (Day et al. [2008]: J Neurophys 100:2956–2965), HVC burstiness degraded overnight in young juveniles and the amount of overnight degradation declined with developmental song learning. Nocturnal changes in HVC activity strongly and inversely correlated with the next day's change, suggesting that sleep-dependent degradation of HVC activity may facilitate or enable subsequent diurnal changes. Collectively, these data show that HVC activity levels exhibit daily cycles in adults and juveniles, whereas HVC burstiness and song stereotypy change daily in juveniles only. In addition, the data indicate that HVC burstiness increases with development and inversely correlates with song variability, which is necessary for trial and error vocal learning. PMID:19650042

Discovery and structural optimization of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones as RORc inverse agonists

PubMed Central

Wu, Xi-shan; Wang, Rui; Xing, Yan-li; Xue, Xiao-qian; Zhang, Yan; Lu, Yong-zhi; Song, Yu; Luo, Xiao-yu; Wu, Chun; Zhou, Yu-lai; Jiang, Jian-qin; Xu, Yong

2016-01-01

Aim: Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptors (RORs) are orphan nuclear receptors that show constitutive activity in the absence of ligands. Among 3 subtypes of RORs, RORc is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases. Here, we report novel RORc inverse agonists discovered through structure-based drug design. Methods: Based on the structure of compound 8, a previously described agonist of RORa, a series of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized. The interaction between the compounds and RORc was detected at molecular level using AlphaScreen assay. The compounds were further examined in 293T cells transfected with RORc and luciferase reporter gene. Thermal stability shift assay was used to evaluate the effects of the compounds on protein stability. Results: A total of 27 derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among them, the compound 22b was identified as the most potent RORc inverse agonist. Its IC50 values were 2.39 μmol/L in AlphaScreen assay, and 0.82 μmol/L in inhibition of the cell-based luciferase reporter activity. Furthermore, the compound 22b displayed a 120-fold selectivity for RORc over other nuclear receptors. Moreover, a molecular docking study showed that the structure-activity relationship was consistent with the binding mode of compound 22b in RORc. Conclusion: 4-(4-(Benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives are promising candidates for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis. PMID:27374490

Overweight and weight dissatisfaction related to socio-economic position, integration and dietary indicators among south Asian immigrants in Oslo.

PubMed

Råberg, Marte; Kumar, Bernadette; Holmboe-Ottesen, Gerd; Wandel, Margareta

2010-05-01

To investigate how socio-economic position, demographic factors, degree of integration and dietary indicators are related to BMI/waist:hip ratio (WHR) and to weight dissatisfaction and slimming among South Asians in Oslo, Norway. Cross-sectional study consisting of a health check including anthropometric measures and two self-administered questionnaires. Oslo, Norway. Pakistanis and Sri Lankans (n 629), aged 30-60 years, residing in Oslo. BMI was positively associated with female gender (P = 0.004) and Pakistani origin (P < 0.001), and inversely associated with years of education (P = 0.011) and eating more hot meals (P = 0.016). WHR was positively associated with male gender (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001) and a dietary pattern with high-fat foods (P = 0.005), and inversely associated with degree of integration (measured by a composite index, independent of duration of residence; P = 0.017). One-third of those with normal weight and most of those obese were dissatisfied with their weight. Among these, about 40 % had attempted to slim during the past year. Dissatisfaction with weight was positively associated with education in women (P = 0.006) and with integration in men (P = 0.026), and inversely associated with physical activity (P = 0.044) in men. Women who had made slimming attempts had breakfast and other meals less frequently than others (P < 0.05). Weight dissatisfaction exists among South Asian immigrants. More research is needed regarding bodily dissatisfaction and the relationship between perception of weight and weight-change attempts among immigrants in Norway, in order to prevent and treat both obesity and eating disorders.

Crustal Stress and Strain Distribution in Sicily (Southern Italy) from Joint Analysis of Seismicity and Geodetic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presti, D.; Neri, G.; Aloisi, M.; Cannavo, F.; Orecchio, B.; Palano, M.; Siligato, G.; Totaro, C.

2014-12-01

An updated database of earthquake focal mechanisms is compiled for the Sicilian region (southern Italy) and surrounding off-shore areas where the Nubia-Eurasia convergence coexists with the very-slow residual rollback of the Ionian subducting slab. High-quality solutions selected from literature and catalogs have been integrated with new solutions estimated in the present work using the Cut And Paste (CAP) waveform inversion method. In the CAP algorithm (Zhao and Helmberger, 1994; Zhu and Helmberger, 1996), each waveform is broken up into Pnl and surface wave segments, which are weighted differently during the inversion procedure. Integration of the new solutions with the ones selected from literature and official catalogs led us to collect a database consisting exclusively of waveform inversion data relative to earthquakes with minimum magnitude 2.6. The seismicity and focal mechanism distributions have been compared with crustal motion and strain data coming from GNSS analyses. For this purpose GNSS-based observations collected over the investigated area by episodic measurements (1994-2013) as well as continuous monitoring (since 2006) were processed by the GAMIT/GLOBK software packages (Herring et al., 2010) following the approach described in Palano et al. (2011). To adequately investigate the crustal deformation pattern, the estimated GNSS velocities were aligned to a fixed Eurasian reference frame. The good agreement found between seismic and geodetic information contributes to better define seismotectonic domains characterized by different kinematics. Moving from the available geophysical information and from an early application of FEM algorithms, we have also started to investigate stress/strain fields in the crust of the study area including depth dependence and relationships with rupture of the main seismogenic structures.

Siblings, asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema: a worldwide perspective from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood

PubMed Central

Strachan, D P; Aït-Khaled, N; Foliaki, S; Mallol, J; Odhiambo, J; Pearce, N; Williams, H C

2015-01-01

Background Associations of larger families with lower prevalences of hay fever, eczema and objective markers of allergic sensitization have been found fairly consistently in affluent countries, but little is known about these relationships in less affluent countries. Methods Questionnaire data for 210 200 children aged 6–7 years from 31 countries, and 337 226 children aged 13–14 years from 52 countries, were collected by Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Associations of disease symptoms and labels of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema were analysed by numbers of total, older and younger siblings, using mixed (multi-level) logistic regression models to adjust for individual covariates and at the centre level for region, language and national affluence. Results In both age groups, inverse trends (P < 0.0001) were observed for reported ‘hay fever ever’ and ‘eczema ever’ with increasing numbers of total siblings, and more specifically older siblings. These inverse associations were significantly (P < 0.005) stronger in more affluent countries. In contrast, symptoms of severe asthma and severe eczema were positively associated (P < 0.0001) with total sibship size in both age groups. These associations with disease severity were largely independent of position within the sibship and national GNI per capita. Conclusions These global findings on sibship size and childhood asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema suggest at least two distinct trends. Inverse associations with older siblings (observations which prompted the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ for allergic disease) are mainly a phenomenon of more affluent countries, whereas greater severity of symptoms in larger families is globally more widespread. PMID:24912652

Prognostic Significance of Spot Urine Na/K for Longitudinal Changes in Blood Pressure and Renal Function: The Nagahama Study.

PubMed

Tabara, Yasuharu; Takahashi, Yoshimitsu; Setoh, Kazuya; Kawaguchi, Takahisa; Kosugi, Shinji; Nakayama, Takeo; Matsuda, Fumihiko

2017-09-01

Urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na/K) represents a simple measure of sodium load and has been reported to be associated with blood pressure (BP) levels in a cross-sectional setting even with spot measurements. The aim of the present large-scale cohort study is to determine prognostic significance of spot urine Na/K for longitudinal changes in BP levels and renal function. The present study population consisted of 7,063 individuals from the general population. Clinical parameters were measured at baseline and at a follow-up interval of 5 years. Mean systolic BP was slightly increased during the follow-up period (overall, 124 ± 17 to 125 ± 18 mm Hg; nontreated participants, 119 ± 15 to 122 ± 17 mm Hg). Although, the urinary Na/K demonstrated a linear association with BP in a cross-sectional analysis (P < 0.001), analysis of repeated measured BP values identified baseline Na/K * time interaction, i.e., an intraindividual effect, as an inverse determinant (F = 76.9, P < 0.001) independently of hypertension status and fasting conditions possibly due to regression to the mean of temporary high baseline Na/K values at baseline. Spot urine Na/K values were found to be positively associated with renal function in a cross-sectional analysis (P < 0.001). Although baseline Na/K * time interaction showed inverse associated with renal functional decline (F = 85.8, P < 0.001), this inverse association might not represent physiological relationship in likewise fashion with the analysis for BP. Spot urine Na/K may have limited utility as a prognostic marker of longitudinal BP change, as well as renal functional decline. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

PROTECTED-UK - Clinical pharmacist interventions in the UK critical care unit: exploration of relationship between intervention, service characteristics and experience level.

PubMed

Rudall, Nicola; McKenzie, Catherine; Landa, June; Bourne, Richard S; Bates, Ian; Shulman, Rob

2017-08-01

Clinical pharmacist (CP) interventions from the PROTECTED-UK cohort, a multi-site critical care interventions study, were further analysed to assess effects of: time on critical care, number of interventions, CP expertise and days of week, on impact of intervention and ultimately contribution to patient care. Intervention data were collected from 21 adult critical care units over 14 days. Interventions could be error, optimisation or consults, and were blind-coded to ensure consistency, prior to bivariate analysis. Pharmacy service demographics were further collated by investigator survey. Of the 20 758 prescriptions reviewed, 3375 interventions were made (intervention rate 16.1%). CPs spent 3.5 h per day (mean, ±SD 1.7) on direct patient care, reviewed 10.3 patients per day (±SD 4.2) and required 22.5 min (±SD 9.5) per review. Intervention rate had a moderate inverse correlation with the time the pharmacist spent on critical care (P = 0.05; r = 0.4). Optimisation rate had a strong inverse association with total number of prescriptions reviewed per day (P = 0.001; r = 0.7). A consultant CP had a moderate inverse correlation with number of errors identified (P = 0.008; r = 0.6). No correlation existed between the presence of electronic prescribing in critical care and any intervention rate. Few centres provided weekend services, although the intervention rate was significantly higher on weekends than weekdays. A CP is essential for safe and optimised patient medication therapy; an extended and developed pharmacy service is expected to reduce errors. CP services should be adequately staffed to enable adequate time for prescription review and maximal therapy optimisation. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON INVERSE POLYGON MAPPING TO CALCULATE GRAVITATIONAL LENSING MAGNIFICATION MAPS: OPTIMIZED COMPUTATIONS

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

Mediavilla, E.; Lopez, P.; Mediavilla, T.

2011-11-01

We derive an exact solution (in the form of a series expansion) to compute gravitational lensing magnification maps. It is based on the backward gravitational lens mapping of a partition of the image plane in polygonal cells (inverse polygon mapping, IPM), not including critical points (except perhaps at the cell boundaries). The zeroth-order term of the series expansion leads to the method described by Mediavilla et al. The first-order term is used to study the error induced by the truncation of the series at zeroth order, explaining the high accuracy of the IPM even at this low order of approximation.more » Interpreting the Inverse Ray Shooting (IRS) method in terms of IPM, we explain the previously reported N {sup -3/4} dependence of the IRS error with the number of collected rays per pixel. Cells intersected by critical curves (critical cells) transform to non-simply connected regions with topological pathologies like auto-overlapping or non-preservation of the boundary under the transformation. To define a non-critical partition, we use a linear approximation of the critical curve to divide each critical cell into two non-critical subcells. The optimal choice of the cell size depends basically on the curvature of the critical curves. For typical applications in which the pixel of the magnification map is a small fraction of the Einstein radius, a one-to-one relationship between the cell and pixel sizes in the absence of lensing guarantees both the consistence of the method and a very high accuracy. This prescription is simple but very conservative. We show that substantially larger cells can be used to obtain magnification maps with huge savings in computation time.« less

Coseismic and post-seismic activity associated with the 2008 Mw 6.3 Damxung earthquake, Tibet, constrained by InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bie, Lidong; Ryder, Isabelle; Nippress, Stuart E. J.; Bürgmann, Roland

2014-02-01

The 2008 Mw 6.3 Damxung earthquake on the Tibetan Plateau is investigated to (i) derive a coseismic slip model in a layered elastic Earth; (ii) reveal the relationship between coseismic slip, afterslip and aftershocks and (iii) place a lower bound on mid/lower crustal viscosity. The fault parameters and coseismic slip model were derived by inversion of Envisat InSAR data. We developed an improved non-linear inversion scheme to find an optimal rupture geometry and slip distribution on a fault in a layered elastic crust. Although the InSAR data for this event cannot distinguish between homogeneous and layered crustal models, the maximum slip of the latter model is smaller and deeper, while the moment release calculated from both models are similar. A ˜1.6 yr post-seismic deformation time-series starting 20 d after the main shock reveals localized deformation at the southern part of the fault. Inversions for afterslip indicate three localized slip patches, and the cumulative afterslip moment after 615 d is at least ˜11 per cent of the coseismic moment. The afterslip patches are distributed at different depths along the fault, showing no obvious systematic depth-dependence. The deeper of the three patches, however, shows a slight tendency to migrate to greater depth over time. No linear correlation is found for the temporal evolution of afterslip and aftershocks. Finally, modelling of viscoelastic relaxation in a Maxwell half-space yields a lower bound of 1 × 1018 Pa s on the viscosity of the mid/lower crust. This is consistent with viscosity estimates in other studies of post-seismic deformation across the Tibetan Plateau.

Uplift rates of marine terraces as a constraint on fault-propagation fold kinematics: Examples from the Hawkswood and Kate anticlines, North Canterbury, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oakley, David O. S.; Fisher, Donald M.; Gardner, Thomas W.; Stewart, Mary Kate

2018-01-01

Marine terraces on growing fault-propagation folds provide valuable insight into the relationship between fold kinematics and uplift rates, providing a means to distinguish among otherwise non-unique kinematic model solutions. Here, we investigate this relationship at two locations in North Canterbury, New Zealand: the Kate anticline and Haumuri Bluff, at the northern end of the Hawkswood anticline. At both locations, we calculate uplift rates of previously dated marine terraces, using DGPS surveys to estimate terrace inner edge elevations. We then use Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to fit fault-propagation fold kinematic models to structural geologic data, and we incorporate marine terrace uplift into the models as an additional constraint. At Haumuri Bluff, we find that marine terraces, when restored to originally horizontal surfaces, can help to eliminate certain trishear models that would fit the geologic data alone. At Kate anticline, we compare uplift rates at different structural positions and find that the spatial pattern of uplift rates is more consistent with trishear than with a parallel-fault propagation fold kink-band model. Finally, we use our model results to compute new estimates for fault slip rates ( 1-2 m/ka at Kate anticline and 1-4 m/ka at Haumuri Bluff) and ages of the folds ( 1 Ma), which are consistent with previous estimates for the onset of folding in this region. These results are consistent with previous work on the age of onset of folding in this region, provide revised estimates of fault slip rates necessary to understand the seismic hazard posed by these faults, and demonstrate the value of incorporating marine terraces in inverse fold kinematic models as a means to distinguish among non-unique solutions.

Disadvantaged family background and depression among young adults in the United States: the roles of chronic stress and self-esteem.

PubMed

Mossakowski, Krysia N

2015-02-01

Although several longitudinal studies have demonstrated that having a disadvantaged family background is a risk factor for subsequent symptoms of depression, few studies have examined the mediating mechanisms that explain this long-term relationship. Thus, this study uses US national longitudinal data and integrates social stress theory with the life course perspective by focusing on two mediating mechanisms-the chronic stress of poverty and self-esteem during the transition to adulthood. Results reveal that self-esteem largely mediates the inverse relationship between parental education and levels of depressive symptoms in young adulthood. However, the inverse relationship between parental occupational prestige and depressive symptoms among young adults is not mediated by self-esteem, but rather long durations of poverty across 16 years. Overall, these findings suggest that different components of family socioeconomic status can leave a lasting imprint on mental health via the self-concept and the chronic stress of poverty throughout the journey to adulthood. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-compassion moderates body comparison and appearance self-worth's inverse relationships with body appreciation.

PubMed

Homan, Kristin J; Tylka, Tracy L

2015-09-01

Although research on positive body image has increased, little research has explored which variables protect body appreciation during body-related threats. Self-compassion may be one such variable. Individuals high in self-compassion are mindful, kind, and nurturing toward themselves during situations that threaten their adequacy, while recognizing that being imperfect is part of "being human." In this study, we investigated whether two body-related threats (i.e., body comparison and appearance contingent self-worth) were more weakly related to body appreciation when self-compassion was high among an online sample of 263 women (Mage=35.26, SD=12.42). Results indicated that self-compassion moderated the inverse relationships between body related threats and body appreciation. Specifically, when self-compassion was very high, body comparison and appearance contingent self-worth were unrelated to body appreciation. However, when self-compassion was low, these relationships were strong. Self-compassion, then, may help preserve women's body appreciation during body-related threats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the Student Perceptions of School Cohesion Scale in a sample of Salvadoran secondary school students

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Despite a growing body of research from the United States and other industrialized countries on the inverse association between supportive social relationships in the school and youth risk behavior engagement, research on the measurement of supportive school social relationships in Central America is limited. We examined the psychometric properties of the Student Perceptions of School Cohesion (SPSC) scale, a 10-item scale that asks students to rate with a 5-point Likert-type response scale their perceptions of the school social environment, in a sample of public secondary school students (mean age = 15 years) living in central El Salvador. Methods Students (n = 982) completed a self-administered questionnaire that included the SPSC scale along with measures of youth health risk behaviors based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the scale, and two internal consistency estimates of reliability were computed. Construct validity was assessed by examining whether students who reported low school cohesion were significantly more likely to report physical fighting and illicit drug use. Results Results indicated that the SPSC scale has three latent factors, which explained 61.6% of the variance: supportive school relationships, student-school connectedness, and student-teacher connectedness. The full scale and three subscales had good internal consistency (rs = .87 and α = .84 for the full scale; rs and α between .71 and .75 for the three subscales). Significant associations were found between the full scale and all three subscales with physical fighting (p ≤ .001) and illicit drug use (p < .05). Conclusion Findings provide evidence of reliability and validity of the SPSC for the measurement of supportive school relationships in Latino adolescents living in El Salvador. These findings provide a foundation for further research on school cohesion and health risk behavior in Latino adolescents living in the U.S. and other Latin American countries. PMID:19939259

Relation of summit deformation to east rift zone eruptions on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

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

Epp, D.; Decker, R.W.; Okamura, A.T.

1983-07-01

An inverse relationship exists between the summit deflation of Kilauea, as recorded by summit tilt, and the elevation of associated eruptive vents on the East Rift Zone. This relationship implies that East Rift eruptions drain the summit magma reservior to pressure levels that are dependent on the elevation of the eruptive vents.

Unemployment Rates and Starting Salaries: Are Australian Graduates at the Whim of the Wage Curve?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, David

2011-01-01

The existence of an inverse relationship between wage levels and regional unemployment rates, commonly referred to as the wage curve, is well established in the economic literature and was described by Card (1995) as being "close to an empirical law of economics". This microeconomic wage-unemployment relationship, first identified by…

Influences of spatial and temporal variation on fish-habitat relationships defined by regression quantiles

Treesearch

Jason B. Dunham; Brian S. Cade; James W. Terrell

2002-01-01

We used regression quantiles to model potentially limiting relationships between the standing crop of cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki and measures of stream channel morphology. Regression quantile models indicated that variation in fish density was inversely related to the width:depth ratio of streams but not to stream width or depth alone. The...

Mineral inversion for element capture spectroscopy logging based on optimization theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jianpeng; Chen, Hui; Yin, Lu; Li, Ning

2017-12-01

Understanding the mineralogical composition of a formation is an essential key step in the petrophysical evaluation of petroleum reservoirs. Geochemical logging tools can provide quantitative measurements of a wide range of elements. In this paper, element capture spectroscopy (ECS) was taken as an example and an optimization method was adopted to solve the mineral inversion problem for ECS. This method used the converting relationship between elements and minerals as response equations and took into account the statistical uncertainty of the element measurements and established an optimization function for ECS. Objective function value and reconstructed elemental logs were used to check the robustness and reliability of the inversion method. Finally, the inversion mineral results had a good agreement with x-ray diffraction laboratory data. The accurate conversion of elemental dry weights to mineral dry weights formed the foundation for the subsequent applications based on ECS.

Inferring Temperature Inversions in Hot Jupiters Via Spitzer Emission Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garhart, Emily; Deming, Drake; Mandell, Avi

2016-10-01

We present a systematic study of 35 hot Jupiter secondary eclipses, including 16 hot Jupiters never before characterized via emission, observed at the 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm bandpasses of Warm Spitzer in order to classify their atmospheric structure, namely, the existence of temperature inversions. This is a robust study in that these planets orbit stars with a wide range of compositions, temperatures, and activity levels. This diverse sample allows us to investigate the source of planetary temperature inversions, specifically, its correlation with stellar irradiance and magnetic activity. We correct for systematic and intra-pixel sensitivity effects with a pixel level decorrelation (PLD) method described in Deming et al. (2015). The relationship between eclipse depths and a best-fit blackbody function versus stellar activity, a method described in Knutson et al. (2010), will ultimately enable us to appraise the current hypotheses of temperature inversions.

Inverse Theory for Petroleum Reservoir Characterization and History Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Dean S.; Reynolds, Albert C.; Liu, Ning

This book is a guide to the use of inverse theory for estimation and conditional simulation of flow and transport parameters in porous media. It describes the theory and practice of estimating properties of underground petroleum reservoirs from measurements of flow in wells, and it explains how to characterize the uncertainty in such estimates. Early chapters present the reader with the necessary background in inverse theory, probability and spatial statistics. The book demonstrates how to calculate sensitivity coefficients and the linearized relationship between models and production data. It also shows how to develop iterative methods for generating estimates and conditional realizations. The text is written for researchers and graduates in petroleum engineering and groundwater hydrology and can be used as a textbook for advanced courses on inverse theory in petroleum engineering. It includes many worked examples to demonstrate the methodologies and a selection of exercises.

Quantifying the relationship between PM2.5 concentration, visibility and planetary boundary layer height for long-lasting haze and fog-haze mixed events in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luan, Tian; Guo, Xueliang; Guo, Lijun; Zhang, Tianhang

2018-01-01

Air quality and visibility are strongly influenced by aerosol loading, which is driven by meteorological conditions. The quantification of their relationships is critical to understanding the physical and chemical processes and forecasting of the polluted events. We investigated and quantified the relationship between PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter is 2.5 µm and less) mass concentration, visibility and planetary boundary layer (PBL) height in this study based on the data obtained from four long-lasting haze events and seven fog-haze mixed events from January 2014 to March 2015 in Beijing. The statistical results show that there was a negative exponential function between the visibility and the PM2.5 mass concentration for both haze and fog-haze mixed events (with the same R2 of 0.80). However, the fog-haze events caused a more obvious decrease of visibility than that for haze events due to the formation of fog droplets that could induce higher light extinction. The PM2.5 concentration had an inversely linear correlation with PBL height for haze events and a negative exponential correlation for fog-haze mixed events, indicating that the PM2.5 concentration is more sensitive to PBL height in fog-haze mixed events. The visibility had positively linear correlation with the PBL height with an R2 of 0.35 in haze events and positive exponential correlation with an R2 of 0.56 in fog-haze mixed events. We also investigated the physical mechanism responsible for these relationships between visibility, PM2.5 concentration and PBL height through typical haze and fog-haze mixed event and found that a double inversion layer formed in both typical events and played critical roles in maintaining and enhancing the long-lasting polluted events. The variations of the double inversion layers were closely associated with the processes of long-wave radiation cooling in the nighttime and short-wave solar radiation reduction in the daytime. The upper-level stable inversion layer was formed by the persistent warm and humid southwestern airflow, while the low-level inversion layer was initially produced by the surface long-wave radiation cooling in the nighttime and maintained by the reduction of surface solar radiation in the daytime. The obvious descending process of the upper-level inversion layer induced by the radiation process could be responsible for the enhancement of the low-level inversion layer and the lowering PBL height, as well as high aerosol loading for these polluted events. The reduction of surface solar radiation in the daytime could be around 35 % for the haze event and 94 % for the fog-haze mixed event. Therefore, the formation and subsequent descending processes of the upper-level inversion layer should be an important factor in maintaining and strengthening the long-lasting severe polluted events, which has not been revealed in previous publications. The interactions and feedbacks between PM2.5 concentration and PBL height linked by radiation process caused a more significant and long-lasting deterioration of air quality and visibility in fog-haze mixed events. The interactions and feedbacks of all processes were particularly strong when the PM2.5 mass concentration was larger than 150-200 µg m-3.

The shape of facial features and the spacing among them generate similar inversion effects: a reply to Rossion (2008).

PubMed

Yovel, Galit

2009-11-01

It is often argued that picture-plane face inversion impairs discrimination of the spacing among face features to a greater extent than the identity of the facial features. However, several recent studies have reported similar inversion effects for both types of face manipulations. In a recent review, Rossion (2008) claimed that similar inversion effects for spacing and features are due to methodological and conceptual shortcomings and that data still support the idea that inversion impairs the discrimination of features less than that of the spacing among them. Here I will claim that when facial features differ primarily in shape, the effect of inversion on features is not smaller than the one on spacing. It is when color/contrast information is added to facial features that the inversion effect on features decreases. This obvious observation accounts for the discrepancy in the literature and suggests that the large inversion effect that was found for features that differ in shape is not a methodological artifact. These findings together with other data that are discussed are consistent with the idea that the shape of facial features and the spacing among them are integrated rather than dissociated in the holistic representation of faces.

Full-Physics Inverse Learning Machine for Satellite Remote Sensing Retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loyola, D. G.

2017-12-01

The satellite remote sensing retrievals are usually ill-posed inverse problems that are typically solved by finding a state vector that minimizes the residual between simulated data and real measurements. The classical inversion methods are very time-consuming as they require iterative calls to complex radiative-transfer forward models to simulate radiances and Jacobians, and subsequent inversion of relatively large matrices. In this work we present a novel and extremely fast algorithm for solving inverse problems called full-physics inverse learning machine (FP-ILM). The FP-ILM algorithm consists of a training phase in which machine learning techniques are used to derive an inversion operator based on synthetic data generated using a radiative transfer model (which expresses the "full-physics" component) and the smart sampling technique, and an operational phase in which the inversion operator is applied to real measurements. FP-ILM has been successfully applied to the retrieval of the SO2 plume height during volcanic eruptions and to the retrieval of ozone profile shapes from UV/VIS satellite sensors. Furthermore, FP-ILM will be used for the near-real-time processing of the upcoming generation of European Sentinel sensors with their unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution and associated large increases in the amount of data.

A chromosome 10 variant with a 12 Mb inversion [inv(10)(q11.22q21.1)] identical by descent and frequent in the Swedish population.

PubMed

Entesarian, Miriam; Carlsson, Birgit; Mansouri, Mahmoud Reza; Stattin, Eva-Lena; Holmberg, Eva; Golovleva, Irina; Stefansson, Hreinn; Klar, Joakim; Dahl, Niklas

2009-03-01

We identified a paracentric inversion of chromosome 10 [inv(10)(q11.22q21.1)] in 0.20% of Swedish individuals (15/7,439) referred for cytogenetic analysis. A retrospective analysis of 8,896 karyotypes from amniocenteses in Sweden revealed a carrier frequency of 0.079% (7/8,896) for the inversion. Cloning and detailed analysis of the inversion breakpoint regions show enrichment for interspersed repeat elements and AT-stretches. The centromeric breakpoint coincides with that of a predicted inversion from HapMap data, which suggests that this region is involved in several chromosome 10 variants. No known gene or predicted transcript are disrupted by the inversion which spans approximately 12 Mb. Carriers from four non-related Swedish families have identical inversion breakpoints and haplotype analysis confirmed that the rearrangement is identical by descent. Diagnosis was retrieved in 6 out of the 15 carriers referred for cytogenetic analysis. No consistent phenotype was found to be associated with the inversion. Our study demonstrates that the inv(10)(q11.22q21.1) is a rare and inherited chromosome variant with a broad geographical distribution in Sweden. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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.

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.

PERCEIVED STRESS AND BIOLOGICAL RISK: IS THE LINK STRONGER IN RUSSIANS THAN IN TAIWANESE AND AMERICANS?

PubMed Central

Glei, Dana A.; Goldman, Noreen; Shkolnikov, Vladimir M.; Jdanov, Dmitri; Shkolnikova, Maria; Vaupel, James W.; Weinstein, Maxine

2013-01-01

Allostatic load theory implies a relationship between exposure to psychological stress and multi-system physiological dysregulation. We used data from population-based samples in Russia (Moscow), Taiwan, and the United States (US)—which are likely to vary widely with respect to levels of stress exposure and biological markers—to determine the magnitude of the association between perceived stress and physiological dysregulation. The measure of overall dysregulation is based on 15 markers including standard cardiovascular/metabolic risk factors as well as markers of inflammation and neuroendocrine activity. Subjective psychological stress was measured by the perceived stress scale. Only the Moscow sample demonstrated a positive association with overall dysregulation in both sexes. In the US, we found an association among women but not men. Among the Taiwanese, who report the lowest perceived stress, there was no association in women but an unexpected inverse relationship in men. The effects also varied across system-level subscores: the association with perceived stress was most consistent for standard cardiovascular/metabolic factors. Perceived stress was associated with inflammation and neuroendocrine activity in some samples. Although the evidence that exposure to stressors or perceived stress is the primary source of physiological dysregulation is generally modest, it is stronger in Russia where the level of perceived stress is particularly high. For Russia only, we also have information about heart function based on a 24h ambulatory electrocardiogram; perceived stress was consistently associated with heart rate dysregulation in Russian men and women. PMID:23534869

Evoked effective connectivity of the human neocortex.

PubMed

Entz, László; Tóth, Emília; Keller, Corey J; Bickel, Stephan; Groppe, David M; Fabó, Dániel; Kozák, Lajos R; Erőss, Loránd; Ulbert, István; Mehta, Ashesh D

2014-12-01

The role of cortical connectivity in brain function and pathology is increasingly being recognized. While in vivo magnetic resonance imaging studies have provided important insights into anatomical and functional connectivity, these methodologies are limited in their ability to detect electrophysiological activity and the causal relationships that underlie effective connectivity. Here, we describe results of cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) mapping using single pulse electrical stimulation in 25 patients undergoing seizure monitoring with subdural electrode arrays. Mapping was performed by stimulating adjacent electrode pairs and recording CCEPs from the remainder of the electrode array. CCEPs reliably revealed functional networks and showed an inverse relationship to distance between sites. Coregistration to Brodmann areas (BA) permitted group analysis. Connections were frequently directional with 43% of early responses and 50% of late responses of connections reflecting relative dominance of incoming or outgoing connections. The most consistent connections were seen as outgoing from motor cortex, BA6-BA9, somatosensory (SS) cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and Broca's area. Network topology revealed motor, SS, and premotor cortices along with BA9 and BA10 and language areas to serve as hubs for cortical connections. BA20 and BA39 demonstrated the most consistent dominance of outdegree connections, while BA5, BA7, auditory cortex, and anterior cingulum demonstrated relatively greater indegree. This multicenter, large-scale, directional study of local and long-range cortical connectivity using direct recordings from awake, humans will aid the interpretation of noninvasive functional connectome studies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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-lapse AI variations mapped within and near the reservoir zone suggest correlations with CO2 injection. By extending this procedure to elastic impedances, additional constraints on the variations of physical properties within the reservoir can be obtained.

Nitrous oxide emissions estimated with the Carbon Tracker Lagrange regional inversion framework suggest the North American source comes predominantly from agricultural regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevison, C. D.; Andrews, A. E.; Thoning, K. W.; Saikawa, E.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Sweeney, C.; Benmergui, J. S.

2016-12-01

The Carbon Tracker Lagrange (CTL) regional inversion framework is used to estimate North American nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions of 1.6 ± 0.4 Tg N/yr over 2008-2013. More than half of the North American emissions are estimated to come from the central agricultural belt, extending from southern Canada to Texas, and are strongest in spring and early summer, consistent with a nitrogen fertilizer-driven source. The estimated N2O flux from the Midwestern corn/soybean belt and the more northerly wheat belt corresponds to 5% of synthetic + organic N fertilizer applied to those regions. While earlier regional atmospheric inversion studies have suggested that global inventories such as EDGAR may be underestimating U.S. anthropogenic N2O emissions by a factor of 3 or more, our results, integrated over a full calendar year, are generally consistent with those inventories and with global inverse model results and budget constraints. The CTL framework is a Bayesian method based on footprints from the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model applied to atmospheric N2O data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, including surface, aircraft and tall tower platforms. The CTL inversion results are sensitive to the prescribed boundary condition or background value of N2O, which is estimated based on a new Empirical BackGround (EBG) product derived from STILT back trajectories applied to NOAA data. Analysis of the N2O EBG products suggests a significant, seasonally-varying influence on surface N2O data due to the stratospheric influx of N2O-depleted air. Figure 1. Posterior annual mean N2O emissions for 2010 estimated with the CTL regional inversion framework. The locations of NOAA surface and aircraft data used in the inversion are superimposed as black circles and grey triangles, respectively. Mobile surface sites are indicated with asterisks.

Relationships Among Microbial Communities, Maternal Cells, Oligosaccharides, and Macronutrients in Human Milk.

PubMed

Williams, Janet E; Price, William J; Shafii, Bahman; Yahvah, Katherine M; Bode, Lars; McGuire, Mark A; McGuire, Michelle K

2017-08-01

Human milk provides all essential nutrients necessary for early life and is rich in nonnutrients, maternally derived (host) cells, and bacteria, but almost nothing is known about the interplay among these components. Research aim: The primary objective of this research was to characterize relationships among macronutrients, maternal cells, and bacteria in milk. Milk samples were collected from 16 women and analyzed for protein, lipid, fatty acid, lactose, and human milk oligosaccharide concentrations. Concentrations of maternal cells were determined using microscopy, and somatic cell counts were enumerated. Microbial ecologies were characterized using culture-independent methods. Absolute and relative concentrations of maternal cells were mostly consistent within each woman as were relative abundances of bacterial genera, and there were many apparent relationships between these factors. For instance, relative abundance of Serratia was negatively associated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.47, p < .0001) and neutrophil concentration ( r = -.38, p < .0006). Concentrations of several oligosaccharides were correlated with maternally derived cell types as well as somatic cell counts; for example, lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neotetraose were inversely correlated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.64, p = .0082; r = -.52, p = .0387, respectively), and relative abundance of Staphylococcus was positively associated with total oligosaccharide concentration ( r = .69, p = .0034). Complex relationships between milk nutrients and bacterial community profile, maternal cells, and milk oligosaccharides were also apparent. These data support the possibility that profiles of maternally derived cells, nutrient concentrations, and the microbiome of human milk might be interrelated.

Probabilistic inversion of expert assessments to inform projections about Antarctic ice sheet responses.

PubMed

Fuller, Robert William; Wong, Tony E; Keller, Klaus

2017-01-01

The response of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) to changing global temperatures is a key component of sea-level projections. Current projections of the AIS contribution to sea-level changes are deeply uncertain. This deep uncertainty stems, in part, from (i) the inability of current models to fully resolve key processes and scales, (ii) the relatively sparse available data, and (iii) divergent expert assessments. One promising approach to characterizing the deep uncertainty stemming from divergent expert assessments is to combine expert assessments, observations, and simple models by coupling probabilistic inversion and Bayesian inversion. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study that uses probabilistic inversion to fuse a simple AIS model and diverse expert assessments. We demonstrate the ability of probabilistic inversion to infer joint prior probability distributions of model parameters that are consistent with expert assessments. We then confront these inferred expert priors with instrumental and paleoclimatic observational data in a Bayesian inversion. These additional constraints yield tighter hindcasts and projections. We use this approach to quantify how the deep uncertainty surrounding expert assessments affects the joint probability distributions of model parameters and future projections.

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

Kitanidis, Peter

As large-scale, commercial storage projects become operational, the problem of utilizing information from diverse sources becomes more critically important. In this project, we developed, tested, and applied an advanced joint data inversion system for CO 2 storage modeling with large data sets for use in site characterization and real-time monitoring. Emphasis was on the development of advanced and efficient computational algorithms for joint inversion of hydro-geophysical data, coupled with state-of-the-art forward process simulations. The developed system consists of (1) inversion tools using characterization data, such as 3D seismic survey (amplitude images), borehole log and core data, as well as hydraulic,more » tracer and thermal tests before CO 2 injection, (2) joint inversion tools for updating the geologic model with the distribution of rock properties, thus reducing uncertainty, using hydro-geophysical monitoring data, and (3) highly efficient algorithms for directly solving the dense or sparse linear algebra systems derived from the joint inversion. The system combines methods from stochastic analysis, fast linear algebra, and high performance computing. The developed joint inversion tools have been tested through synthetic CO 2 storage examples.« less

Relationship between Carotenoids, Retinol, and Estradiol Levels in Older Women

PubMed Central

Maggio, Marcello; de Vita, Francesca; Lauretani, Fulvio; Bandinelli, Stefania; Semba, Richard D.; Bartali, Benedetta; Cherubini, Antonio; Cappola, Anne R.; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Ferrucci, Luigi

2015-01-01

Background. In vitro evidence suggests anti-estrogenic properties for retinol and carotenoids, supporting a chemo-preventive role of these phytochemicals in estrogen-dependent cancers. During aging there are significant reductions in retinol and carotenoid concentrations, whereas estradiol levels decline during menopause and progressively increase from the age of 65. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis of a potential relationship between circulating levels of retinol, carotenoids, and estradiol (E2) in a cohort of late post-menopausal women. Methods. We examined 512 women ≥ 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Retinol, α-caroten, β-caroten, β-criptoxantin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene levels were assayed at enrollment (1998–2000) by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Estradiol and testosterone (T) levels were assessed by Radioimmunometry (RIA) and testosterone-to-estradiol ratio (T/E2), as a proxy of aromatase activity, was also calculated. General linear models adjusted for age (Model 1) and further adjusted for other confounders including Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI, smoking, intake of energy, lipids, and vitamin A; C-Reactive Protein, insulin, total cholesterol, liver function, and testosterone (Model 2) were used to investigate the relationship between retinol, carotenoids, and E2 levels. To address the independent relationship between carotenoids and E2 levels, factors significantly associated with E2 in Model 2 were also included in a fully adjusted Model 3. Results. After adjustment for age, α-carotene (β ± SE = −0.01 ± 0.004, p = 0.02) and β-carotene (β ± SE = −0.07 ± 0.02, p = 0.0007) were significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels. α-Carotene was also significantly and positively associated with T/E2 ratio (β ± SE = 0.07 ± 0.03, p = 0.01). After adjustment for other confounders (Model 2), the inverse relationship between α-carotene (β ± SE = −1.59 ± 0.61, p = 0.01), β-carotene (β ± SE = −0.29 ± 0.08, p = 0.0009), and E2 persisted whereas the relationship between α-carotene and T/E2 ratio was attenuated (β ± SE = 0.22 ± 0.12, p = 0.07). In a fully adjusted model (Model 3), only β-carotene (β ± SE = −0.05 ± 0.02, p = 0.03) was significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels independent of α-carotene. No association was found between retinol, total non-pro-vitamin A carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene, and E2 levels. Conclusions: In older women, β-carotene levels are independently and inversely associated with E2. PMID:26251919

Relationship between Carotenoids, Retinol, and Estradiol Levels in Older Women.

PubMed

Maggio, Marcello; de Vita, Francesca; Lauretani, Fulvio; Bandinelli, Stefania; Semba, Richard D; Bartali, Benedetta; Cherubini, Antonio; Cappola, Anne R; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Ferrucci, Luigi

2015-08-05

In vitro evidence suggests anti-estrogenic properties for retinol and carotenoids, supporting a chemo-preventive role of these phytochemicals in estrogen-dependent cancers. During aging there are significant reductions in retinol and carotenoid concentrations, whereas estradiol levels decline during menopause and progressively increase from the age of 65. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis of a potential relationship between circulating levels of retinol, carotenoids, and estradiol (E2) in a cohort of late post-menopausal women. We examined 512 women ≥ 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Retinol, α-caroten, β-caroten, β-criptoxantin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene levels were assayed at enrollment (1998-2000) by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Estradiol and testosterone (T) levels were assessed by Radioimmunometry (RIA) and testosterone-to-estradiol ratio (T/E2), as a proxy of aromatase activity, was also calculated. General linear models adjusted for age (Model 1) and further adjusted for other confounders including Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI, smoking, intake of energy, lipids, and vitamin A; C-Reactive Protein, insulin, total cholesterol, liver function, and testosterone (Model 2) were used to investigate the relationship between retinol, carotenoids, and E2 levels. To address the independent relationship between carotenoids and E2 levels, factors significantly associated with E2 in Model 2 were also included in a fully adjusted Model 3. After adjustment for age, α-carotene (β ± SE = -0.01 ± 0.004, p = 0.02) and β-carotene (β ± SE = -0.07 ± 0.02, p = 0.0007) were significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels. α-Carotene was also significantly and positively associated with T/E2 ratio (β ± SE = 0.07 ± 0.03, p = 0.01). After adjustment for other confounders (Model 2), the inverse relationship between α-carotene (β ± SE = -1.59 ± 0.61, p = 0.01), β-carotene (β ± SE = -0.29 ± 0.08, p = 0.0009), and E2 persisted whereas the relationship between α-carotene and T/E2 ratio was attenuated (β ± SE = 0.22 ± 0.12, p = 0.07). In a fully adjusted model (Model 3), only β-carotene (β ± SE = -0.05 ± 0.02, p = 0.03) was significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels independent of α-carotene. No association was found between retinol, total non-pro-vitamin A carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene, and E2 levels. In older women, β-carotene levels are independently and inversely associated with E2.

Growth curve analyses of the relationship between early maternal age and children's mathematics and reading performance.

PubMed

Torres, D Diego

2015-03-01

Regarding the methods used to examine the early maternal age-child academic outcomes relationship, the extant literature has tended to examine change using statistical analyses that fail to appreciate that individuals vary in their rates of growth. Of the one study I have been able to find that employs a true growth model to estimate this relationship, the authors only controlled for characteristics of the maternal household after family formation; confounding background factors of mothers that might select them into early childbearing, a possible source of bias, were ignored. The authors' findings nonetheless suggested an inverse relationship between early maternal age, i.e., a first birth between the ages of 13 and 17, and Canadian adolescents' mean math performance at age 10. Early maternal age was not related to the linear slope of age. To elucidate whether the early maternal age-child academic outcomes association, treated in a growth context, is consistent with this finding, the present study built on it using US data and explored children's mathematics and reading trajectories from age 5 on. Its unique contribution is that it further explicitly controlled for maternal background factors and employed a three-level growth model with repeated measures of children nested within their mothers. Though the strength of the relationship varied between mean initial academic performance and mean academic growth, results confirmed that early maternal age was negatively related to children's mathematics and reading achievement, net of post-teen first birth child-specific and maternal household factors. Once maternal background factors were included, there was no statistically significant relationship between early maternal age and either children's mean initial mathematics and reading scores or their mean mathematics and reading growth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Family size, the physical environment, and socioeconomic effects across the stature distribution.

PubMed

Carson, Scott Alan

2012-04-01

A neglected area in historical stature studies is the relationship between stature and family size. Using robust statistics and a large 19th century data set, this study documents a positive relationship between stature and family size across the stature distribution. The relationship between material inequality and health is the subject of considerable debate, and there was a positive relationship between stature and wealth and an inverse relationship between stature and material inequality. After controlling for family size and wealth variables, the paper reports a positive relationship between the physical environment and stature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Traveltime inversion and error analysis for layered anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Fan; Zhou, Hua-wei

2011-02-01

While tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) is a good approximation of the velocity structure for many dipping and fractured strata, it is still challenging to estimate anisotropic depth models even when the tilted angle is known. With the assumption of weak anisotropy, we present a TTI traveltime inversion approach for models consisting of several thickness-varying layers where the anisotropic parameters are constant for each layer. For each model layer the inversion variables consist of the anisotropic parameters ɛ and δ, the tilted angle φ of its symmetry axis, layer velocity along the symmetry axis, and thickness variation of the layer. Using this method and synthetic data, we evaluate the effects of errors in some of the model parameters on the inverted values of the other parameters in crosswell and Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) acquisition geometry. The analyses show that the errors in the layer symmetry axes sensitively affect the inverted values of other parameters, especially δ. However, the impact of errors in δ on the inversion of other parameters is much less than the impact on δ from the errors in other parameters. Hence, a practical strategy is first to invert for the most error-tolerant parameter layer velocity, then progressively invert for ɛ in crosswell geometry or δ in VSP geometry.

Bayesian Approach to the Joint Inversion of Gravity and Magnetic Data, with Application to the Ismenius Area of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jewell, Jeffrey B.; Raymond, C.; Smrekar, S.; Millbury, C.

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews a Bayesian approach to the inversion of gravity and magnetic data with specific application to the Ismenius Area of Mars. Many inverse problems encountered in geophysics and planetary science are well known to be non-unique (i.e. inversion of gravity the density structure of a body). In hopes of reducing the non-uniqueness of solutions, there has been interest in the joint analysis of data. An example is the joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data, with the assumption that the same physical anomalies generate both the observed magnetic and gravitational anomalies. In this talk, we formulate the joint analysis of different types of data in a Bayesian framework and apply the formalism to the inference of the density and remanent magnetization structure for a local region in the Ismenius area of Mars. The Bayesian approach allows prior information or constraints in the solutions to be incorporated in the inversion, with the "best" solutions those whose forward predictions most closely match the data while remaining consistent with assumed constraints. The application of this framework to the inversion of gravity and magnetic data on Mars reveals two typical challenges - the forward predictions of the data have a linear dependence on some of the quantities of interest, and non-linear dependence on others (termed the "linear" and "non-linear" variables, respectively). For observations with Gaussian noise, a Bayesian approach to inversion for "linear" variables reduces to a linear filtering problem, with an explicitly computable "error" matrix. However, for models whose forward predictions have non-linear dependencies, inference is no longer given by such a simple linear problem, and moreover, the uncertainty in the solution is no longer completely specified by a computable "error matrix". It is therefore important to develop methods for sampling from the full Bayesian posterior to provide a complete and statistically consistent picture of model uncertainty, and what has been learned from observations. We will discuss advanced numerical techniques, including Monte Carlo Markov

Inverse relationship between Alzheimer's disease and cancer, and other factors contributing to Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review.

PubMed

Shafi, Ovais

2016-11-22

The AD etiology is yet not properly known. Interactions among environmental factors, multiple susceptibility genes and aging, contribute to AD. This study investigates the factors that play role in causing AD and how changes in cellular pathways contribute to AD. PUBMED database, MEDLINE database and Google Scholar were searched with no date restrictions for published articles involving cellular pathways with roles in cancers, cell survival, growth, proliferation, development, aging, and also contributing to Alzheimer's disease. This research explores inverse relationship between AD and cancer, also investigates other factors behind AD using several already published research literature to find the etiology of AD. Cancer and Alzheimer's disease have inverse relationship in many aspects such as P53, estrogen, neurotrophins and growth factors, growth and proliferation, cAMP, EGFR, Bcl-2, apoptosis pathways, IGF-1, HSV, TDP-43, APOE variants, notch signals and presenilins, NCAM, TNF alpha, PI3K/AKT/MTOR pathway, telomerase, ROS, ACE levels. AD occurs when brain neurons have weakened growth, cell survival responses, maintenance mechanisms, weakened anti-stress responses such as Vimentin, Carbonic anhydrases, HSPs, SAPK. In cancer, these responses are upregulated and maintained. Evolutionarily conserved responses and maintenance mechanisms such as FOXO are impaired in AD. Countermeasures or compensatory mechanisms by AD affected neurons such as Tau, Beta Amyloid, S100, are last attempts for survival which may be protective for certain time, or can speed up AD in Alzheimer's microenvironment via C-ABL activation, GSK3, neuro-inflammation. Alzheimer's disease and Cancer have inverse relationship; many factors that are upregulated in any cancer to sustain growth and survival are downregulated in Alzheimer's disease contributing to neuro-degeneration. When aged neurons or genetically susceptible neurons have weakened growth, cell survival and anti-stress responses, age related gene expression changes, altered regulation of cell death and maintenance mechanisms, they contribute to Alzheimer's disease. Countermeasures by AD neurons such as Beta Amyloid Plaques, NFTs, S100, are last attempts for survival and this provides neuroprotection for certain time and ultimately may become pathological and speed up AD. This study may contribute in developing new potential diagnostic tests, interventions and treatments.

Minor Structural Change to Tertiary Sulfonamide RORc Ligands Led to Opposite Mechanisms of Action

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A minor structural change to tertiary sulfonamide RORc ligands led to distinct mechanisms of action. Co-crystal structures of two compounds revealed mechanistically consistent protein conformational changes. Optimized phenylsulfonamides were identified as RORc agonists while benzylsulfonamides exhibited potent inverse agonist activity. Compounds behaving as agonists in our biochemical assay also gave rise to an increased production of IL-17 in human PBMCs whereas inverse agonists led to significant suppression of IL-17 under the same assay conditions. The most potent inverse agonist compound showed >180-fold selectivity over the ROR isoforms as well as all other nuclear receptors that were profiled. PMID:25815138

Crustal Thickness Mapping of the Rifted Margin Ocean-Continent Transition using Satellite Gravity Inversion Incorporating a Lithosphere Thermal Correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurst, N. W.; Kusznir, N. J.

2005-05-01

A new method of inverting satellite gravity at rifted continental margins to give crustal thickness, incorporating a lithosphere thermal correction, has been developed which does not use a priori information about the location of the ocean-continent transition (OCT) and provides an independent prediction of OCT location. Satellite derived gravity anomaly data (Sandwell and Smith 1997) and bathymetry data (Gebco 2003) are used to derive the mantle residual gravity anomaly which is inverted in 3D in the spectral domain to give Moho depth. Oceanic lithosphere and stretched continental margin lithosphere produce a large negative residual thermal gravity anomaly (up to -380 mgal), which must be corrected for in order to determine Moho depth. This thermal gravity correction may be determined for oceanic lithosphere using oceanic isochron data, and for the thinned continental margin lithosphere using margin rift age and beta stretching estimates iteratively derived from crustal basement thickness determined from the gravity inversion. The gravity inversion using the thermal gravity correction predicts oceanic crustal thicknesses consistent with seismic observations, while that without the thermal correction predicts much too great oceanic crustal thicknesses. Predicted Moho depth and crustal thinning across the Hatton and Faroes rifted margins, using the gravity inversion with embedded thermal correction, compare well with those produced by wide-angle seismology. A new gravity inversion method has been developed in which no isochrons are used to define the thermal gravity correction. The new method assumes all lithosphere to be initially continental and a uniform lithosphere stretching age is used corresponding to the time of continental breakup. The thinning factor produced by the gravity inversion is used to predict the thickness of oceanic crust. This new modified form of gravity inversion with embedded thermal correction provides an improved estimate of rifted continental margin crustal thinning and an improved (and isochron independent) prediction of OCT location. The new method uses an empirical relationship to predict the thickness of oceanic crust as a function of lithosphere thinning factor controlled by two input parameters: a critical thinning factor for the start of ocean crust production and the maximum oceanic crustal thickness produced when the thinning factor = 1, corresponding to infinite lithosphere stretching. The disadvantage of using a uniform stretching age corresponding to the age of continental breakup is that the inversion fails to predict increasing thermal gravity correction towards the ocean ridge and incorrectly predicts thickening of oceanic crust with decreasing oceanic age. The new gravity inversion method has been applied to N. Atlantic rifted margins. This work forms part of the NERC Margins iSIMM project. iSIMM investigators are from Liverpool and Cambridge Universities, Badley Geoscience & Schlumberger Cambridge Research supported by the NERC, the DTI, Agip UK, BP, Amerada Hess Ltd, Anadarko, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Statoil and WesternGeco. The iSIMM team comprises NJ Kusznir, RS White, AM Roberts, PAF Christie, A Chappell, J Eccles, R Fletcher, D Healy, N Hurst, ZC Lunnon, CJ Parkin, AW Roberts, LK Smith, V Tymms & R Spitzer.

Fast, Nonlinear, Fully Probabilistic Inversion of Large Geophysical Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtis, A.; Shahraeeni, M.; Trampert, J.; Meier, U.; Cho, G.

2010-12-01

Almost all Geophysical inverse problems are in reality nonlinear. Fully nonlinear inversion including non-approximated physics, and solving for probability distribution functions (pdf’s) that describe the solution uncertainty, generally requires sampling-based Monte-Carlo style methods that are computationally intractable in most large problems. In order to solve such problems, physical relationships are usually linearized leading to efficiently-solved, (possibly iterated) linear inverse problems. However, it is well known that linearization can lead to erroneous solutions, and in particular to overly optimistic uncertainty estimates. What is needed across many Geophysical disciplines is a method to invert large inverse problems (or potentially tens of thousands of small inverse problems) fully probabilistically and without linearization. This talk shows how very large nonlinear inverse problems can be solved fully probabilistically and incorporating any available prior information using mixture density networks (driven by neural network banks), provided the problem can be decomposed into many small inverse problems. In this talk I will explain the methodology, compare multi-dimensional pdf inversion results to full Monte Carlo solutions, and illustrate the method with two applications: first, inverting surface wave group and phase velocities for a fully-probabilistic global tomography model of the Earth’s crust and mantle, and second inverting industrial 3D seismic data for petrophysical properties throughout and around a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir. The latter problem is typically decomposed into 104 to 105 individual inverse problems, each solved fully probabilistically and without linearization. The results in both cases are sufficiently close to the Monte Carlo solution to exhibit realistic uncertainty, multimodality and bias. This provides far greater confidence in the results, and in decisions made on their basis.

Aerosol characteristics inversion based on the improved lidar ratio profile with the ground-based rotational Raman-Mie lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Hongzhu; Zhang, Yinchao; Chen, Siying; Chen, He; Guo, Pan

2018-06-01

An iterative method, based on a derived inverse relationship between atmospheric backscatter coefficient and aerosol lidar ratio, is proposed to invert the lidar ratio profile and aerosol extinction coefficient. The feasibility of this method is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Simulation results show the inversion accuracy of aerosol optical properties for iterative method can be improved in the near-surface aerosol layer and the optical thick layer. Experimentally, as a result of the reduced insufficiency error and incoherence error, the aerosol optical properties with higher accuracy can be obtained in the near-surface region and the region of numerical derivative distortion. In addition, the particle component can be distinguished roughly based on this improved lidar ratio profile.

A Durkheimian analysis of youth suicide: Canada, 1971 and 1981.

PubMed

Trovato, F

1992-01-01

Durkheim hypothesized that suicide varies inversely with the extent of social integration in family, religious, political, and economic life. In this study I examine the relationship between three of these sources of social integration on young Canadians' (aged 15-29) suicide rate for 1971 and 1981: family integration (as measured by divorce), religious integration (as measured by the percent of the population reporting no religious affiliation), and economic anomie (unemployment). The findings of this research provide confirmation for the hypothesis that religious detachment among the young is associated with increased proneness to commit suicide. The effect of family dissolution was positive and significant for both young men and women in 1981 but not in 1971, giving partial confirmation for the family integration explanation of suicide. These results pertaining to unemployment are not consistent with the American-based literature that calls for a significant and positive impact on the odds of self-destruction.

Information matrix estimation procedures for cognitive diagnostic models.

PubMed

Liu, Yanlou; Xin, Tao; Andersson, Björn; Tian, Wei

2018-03-06

Two new methods to estimate the asymptotic covariance matrix for marginal maximum likelihood estimation of cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs), the inverse of the observed information matrix and the sandwich-type estimator, are introduced. Unlike several previous covariance matrix estimators, the new methods take into account both the item and structural parameters. The relationships between the observed information matrix, the empirical cross-product information matrix, the sandwich-type covariance matrix and the two approaches proposed by de la Torre (2009, J. Educ. Behav. Stat., 34, 115) are discussed. Simulation results show that, for a correctly specified CDM and Q-matrix or with a slightly misspecified probability model, the observed information matrix and the sandwich-type covariance matrix exhibit good performance with respect to providing consistent standard errors of item parameter estimates. However, with substantial model misspecification only the sandwich-type covariance matrix exhibits robust performance. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Increased Physical Activity Leads to Improved Health-Related Quality of Life Among Employees Enrolled in a 12-Week Worksite Wellness Program.

PubMed

Macaluso, Stephanie; Marcus, Andrea Fleisch; Rigassio-Radler, Diane; Byham-Gray, Laura D; Touger-Decker, Riva

2015-11-01

To determine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life among university employees who enrolled in a worksite wellness program (WWP). The study was an interim analysis of data collected in a WWP. The sample consisted of 64 participants who completed 12- and 26-week follow-up appointments. Self-reported anxiety days significantly decreased from baseline to week 12. There were positive trends in self-rated health, vitality days, and summative unhealthy days from baseline to week 26. Among those with a self-reported history of hypertension (HTN), there was an inverse correlation between PA and summative physically and mentally unhealthy days at week 12. Among participants in this WWP with HTN, as PA increased there was a significant decrease in summative physically and mentally unhealthy days at week 12.

Ordering kinetics in the long-period superlattice alloy Cu0.79 Pd0.21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Mainville, J.; Ludwig, K.; Flament, X.; Finel, A.; Caudron, R.

2005-07-01

The kinetics of long-period superlattice (LPS) formation from the disordered state has been examined in a Cu0.79Pd0.21 alloy that exhibits a one-dimensional LPS ordered state. Time-resolved x-ray scattering shows that, following a rapid temperature quench from the disordered state into the LPS region of the phase diagram, the satellite peaks initially grow more quickly than do the central integer-order superlattice peaks. During this process, the satellite peak position, which is inversely related to the average modulation wavelength 2M , initially decreases rapidly, then reaches a minimum and relaxes slowly back toward its new equilibrium position. In the later stages of the LPS formation process, the satellite and central integer-order superlattice peaks narrow in a manner consistent with t1/2 domain coarsening. A simple stochastic model of the partially ordered structure was developed to better understand the relationships between peak widths.

Evidence for airborne transmission of Norwalk-like virus (NLV) in a hotel restaurant.

PubMed

Marks, P J; Vipond, I B; Carlisle, D; Deakin, D; Fey, R E; Caul, E O

2000-06-01

An outbreak of gastroenteritis followed a meal in a large hotel during which one of the diners vomited. The clinical features of the illness suggested Norwalk-like virus (NLV, small round structured virus) infection, and this was confirmed by electron microscopy and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of stool samples. Further characterization of the virus by nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons revealed identical strains in all the affected individuals. The foods served at the meal could not be demonstrated to be the cause of the outbreak. Analysis of attack rates by dining table showed an inverse relationship with the distance from the person who vomited. No one eating in a separate restaurant reported illness. Transmission from person-to-person or direct contamination of food seems unlikely in this outbreak. However, the findings are consistent with airborne spread of NLV with infection by inhalation with subsequent ingestion of virus particles.

Nonequilibrium electromagnetics: Local and macroscopic fields and constitutive relationships

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

Baker-Jarvis, James; Kabos, Pavel; Holloway, Christopher L.

We study the electrodynamics of materials using a Liouville-Hamiltonian-based statistical-mechanical theory. Our goal is to develop electrodynamics from an ensemble-average viewpoint that is valid for microscopic and nonequilibrium systems at molecular to submolecular scales. This approach is not based on a Taylor series expansion of the charge density to obtain the multipoles. Instead, expressions of the molecular multipoles are used in an inverse problem to obtain the averaging statistical-density function that is used to obtain the macroscopic fields. The advantages of this method are that the averaging function is constructed in a self-consistent manner and the molecules can either bemore » treated as point multipoles or contain more microstructure. Expressions for the local and macroscopic fields are obtained, and evolution equations for the constitutive parameters are developed. We derive equations for the local field as functions of the applied, polarization, magnetization, strain density, and macroscopic fields.« less

Thermal adaptation in North American cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

PubMed

Sanborn, Allen F; Heath, James E; Heath, Maxine S; Phillips, Polly K

2017-10-01

We determine and summarize the thermal responses for 118 species and subspecies of North American cicadas representing more than 50 years of fieldwork and experimentation. We investigate the role that habitat and behavior have on the thermal adaptation of the North American cicadas. There are general patterns of increasing thermal responses in warmer floristic provinces and increasing maximum potential temperature within a habitat. Altitude shows an inverse relationship with thermal responses. Comparison of thermal responses of species emerging early or late in the season within the same habitat show increases in the thermal responses along with the increasing environmental temperatures late in the summer. However, behavior, specifically the use of endothermy as a thermoregulatory strategy, can influence the values determined in a particular habitat. Subspecies generally do not differ in their thermal tolerances and thermal tolerances are consistent within a species over distances of more than 7600km. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protection motivation theory and adolescent drug trafficking: relationship between health motivation and longitudinal risk involvement.

PubMed

Wu, Ying; Stanton, Bonita F; Li, Xiaoming; Galbraith, Jennifer; Cole, Matthew L

2005-03-01

To assess health protection motivation as explained by the constructs of protection motivation theory (PMT) and its association with drug trafficking over 2 years. The sample included 817 African American youth (13-16 years old) participating in an adolescent risk-reduction program. We developed an instrument measuring the level of health protection motivation (LHPM) using factor analysis. Changes in LHPM over time were examined among drug traffickers, abstainers, initiators, and nonrisk youths. In sum, 151 participants reported selling and/or delivering drugs during the study period. The significant inverse correlation between drug-trafficking intention and health protection motivation was consistent with PMT. Changes in LHPM were strongly associated with the dynamics of behavior over 2 years. Adolescent drug trafficking can be predicted by an overall level of health protection motivation. PMT and related theories should be considered in the design of drug-trafficking prevention intervention.

Different patterns of social support perceived and their association with physical (hypertension, diabetes) or mental diseases in the context of primary health care.

PubMed

Aragão, Ellen Ingrid Souza; Portugal, Flávia Batista; Campos, Mônica Rodrigues; Lopes, Claudia de Souza; Fortes, Sandra Lúcia Correia Lima

2017-07-01

This work discusses the relationship between hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and social support in primary health care. This research aimed to identify the association between physical disease, mental disease, support network and perceived social support in the research sample. This is a cross-sectional study inserted in a larger research project funded by the Pan American Health Organization and carried out in 2002 in Petrópolis, RJ. The sample consisted of 714 patients with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years old. Results showed association between variables from support network either with evidence of hypertension or diabetes, or with the existence of common mental disorders, but with different patterns. Associations with the perceived support were positive in patients with hypertension and diabetes; Common Mental Disorder patients showed negative associations, inversely associated to the level of mental disease.

Executive functions in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs.

PubMed

Wain, Omar; Spinella, Marcello

2007-01-01

Moral, religious, and paranormal beliefs share some degree of overlap and play important roles in guiding peoples' behavior. Although partly cultural phenomena, they also have neurobiological components based on functional neuroimaging studies and research in clinical populations. Because all three show relationships to prefrontal system functioning, the current study examined whether they related to executive functions as measured by the Executive Function Inventory in a community sample. As in previous research, religious beliefs related positively to both moral attitudes and paranormal beliefs. Moral attitudes, however, did not relate to paranormal beliefs. Paranormal beliefs related inversely to impulse control and organization, whereas small positive correlations occurred between traditional religious beliefs, impulse control, and empathy. Moral attitudes, on the other hand, showed consistent positive correlations with all executive functions measured, independent of demographic influences. These findings concordantly support that prefrontal systems play a role in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs.

Thyroid hormone-induced oxidative stress.

PubMed

Venditti, P; Di Meo, S

2006-02-01

Hypermetabolic state in hyperthyroidism is associated with tissue oxidative injury. Available data indicate that hyperthyroid tissues exhibit an increased ROS and RNS production. The increased mitochondrial ROS generation is a side effect of the enhanced level of electron carriers, by which hyperthyroid tissues increase their metabolic capacity. Investigations of antioxidant defence system have returned controversial results. Moreover, other thyroid hormone-linked biochemical changes increase tissue susceptibility to oxidative challenge, which exacerbates the injury and dysfunction they suffer under stressful conditions. Mitochondria, as a primary target for oxidative stress, might account for hyperthyroidism linked tissue dysfunction. This is consistent with the inverse relationship found between functional recovery of ischemic hyperthyroid hearts and mitochondrial oxidative damage and respiration impairment. However, thyroid hormone-activated mitochondrial mechanisms provide protection against excessive tissue dysfunction, including increased expression of uncoupling proteins, proteolytic enzymes and transcriptional coactivator PGC-1, and stimulate opening of permeability transition pores.

Telomere length is inversely correlated with urinary stress hormone levels in healthy controls but not in un-medicated depressed individuals-preliminary findings.

PubMed

Fair, Brittany; Mellon, Synthia H; Epel, Elissa S; Lin, Jue; Révész, Dóra; Verhoeven, Josine E; Penninx, Brenda W; Reus, Victor I; Rosser, Rebecca; Hough, Christina M; Mahan, Laura; Burke, Heather M; Blackburn, Elizabeth H; Wolkowitz, Owen M

2017-08-01

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of cellular aging affected by chronic stress. The relationship of LTL to the stress hormones, cortisol and catecholamines, is unclear, as are possible differences between healthy controls (HC) and individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This small pilot study is the first to examine the relationship between cortisol, catecholamines and LTL specifically in un-medicated MDD in comparison with HC. Participants included 16 un-medicated MDD subjects and 15 HC for assay of LTL, 12-hour overnight urinary free cortisol and catecholamine levels. LTL, cortisol and catecholamine levels did not significantly differ between groups. In HC, a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of cortisol were correlated with shorter LTL (p=0.003) above and beyond age and sex. Higher catecholamine levels were nearly-significant with shorter LTL (p=0.055). Neither hormone was correlated with shorter LTL in MDD (p's>0.28). To assess a possible cumulative effect of stress hormone activation, a summary score was calculated for each subject based on the number of stress hormone levels above the median for that group (HC or MDD). A significant inverse graded relationship was observed between LTL and the number of activated systems in HC (p=0.001), but not in MDD (p=0.96). This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that stress hormone levels, especially cortisol, are inversely related to LTL in HC, but not in un-medicated MDD. Clarification of these relationships in larger samples could aid in understanding differential mechanisms underlying stress-related cellular aging in healthy and depressed populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hemodynamic and neurochemical determinates of renal function in chronic heart failure.

PubMed

Gilbert, Cameron; Cherney, David Z I; Parker, Andrea B; Mak, Susanna; Floras, John S; Al-Hesayen, Abdul; Parker, John D

2016-01-15

Abnormal renal function is common in acute and chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) and is related to the severity of congestion. However, treatment of congestion often leads to worsening renal function. Our objective was to explore basal determinants of renal function and their response to hemodynamic interventions. Thirty-seven patients without CHF and 59 patients with chronic CHF (ejection fraction; 23 ± 8%) underwent right heart catheterization, measurements of glomerular filtration rate (GFR; inulin) and renal plasma flow (RPF; para-aminohippurate), and radiotracer estimates of renal sympathetic activity. A subset (26 without, 36 with CHF) underwent acute pharmacological intervention with dobutamine or nitroprusside. We explored the relationship between baseline and drug-induced hemodynamic changes and changes in renal function. In CHF, there was an inverse relationship among right atrial mean pressure (RAM) pressure, RPF, and GFR. By contrast, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), and measures of renal sympathetic activity were not significant predictors. In those with CHF there was also an inverse relationship among the drug-induced changes in RAM as well as pulmonary artery mean pressure and the change in GFR. Changes in MAP and CI did not predict the change in GFR in those with CHF. Baseline values and changes in RAM pressure did not correlate with GFR in those without CHF. In the CHF group there was a positive correlation between RAM pressure and renal sympathetic activity. There was also an inverse relationship among RAM pressure, GFR, and RPF in patients with chronic CHF. The observation that acute reductions in RAM pressure is associated with an increase in GFR in patients with CHF has important clinical implications. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Endogenous ouabain and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system: distinct effects on Na handling and blood pressure in human hypertension.

PubMed

Manunta, Paolo; Hamlyn, John M; Simonini, Marco; Messaggio, Elisabetta; Lanzani, Chiara; Bracale, Maria; Argiolas, Giuseppe; Casamassima, Nunzia; Brioni, Elena; Glorioso, Nicola; Bianchi, Giuseppe

2011-02-01

To evaluate whether the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and endogenous ouabain system differently affect renal Na handling and blood pressure. Three hundred and one patients in whom we compared blood pressure, and renal Na tubular reabsorption in the basal condition and 2 h (T120) after saline infusion. Following multivariate-adjusted linear and quartiles analysis, baseline mean blood pressure (MBP) was significantly higher (113.7 ± 1.33 mmHg) in the fourth versus the first endogenous ouabain quartile (103.8 ± 1.04 mmHg) and the trend across the quartiles was highly significant (β = 0.23, P = 3.53e-04). In contrast, an inverse relationship was present in the renin activity (PRA) quartiles with MBP highest in the first (112.5 ± 1.26) and lowest in the fourth PRA quartile (107.6 ± 1.48, P = 0.039). Following an acute saline load, changes in MBP and the slope of the pressure-natriuresis relationship were inversely related across the PRA quartiles. The fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) showed a negative linear trend going from the first to the third endogenous ouabain quartiles (2.35 ± 0.17 and 1.90 ± 0.14%, P = 0.05). Patients in the fourth endogenous ouabain quartile (>323 pmol/l) showed increased FENa T120 (2.78 ± 0.18%, P < 0.01) and increased Na tubular rejection fraction (P = 0.007) after Na load. After the saline load, there was a biphasic relationship between plasma endogenous ouabain and FENa favoring Na retention at low endogenous ouabain and Na excretion at high endogenous ouabain levels. The RAAS and endogenous ouabain system are two independent and complementary systems having an inverse (RAAS) or a direct (endogenous ouabain system) relationship with hemodynamic parameters.

The Ways of the Hand: A Study of Hand Function among Blind, Visually Impaired and Visually Impaired Multi-Handicapped Children and Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogow, Sally M.

1987-01-01

The manual development of 148 blind, visually impaired, and visually impaired multi-handicapped students, aged 3-19, was studied. Results indicated a significant relationship between object manipulation and speech, and an inverse relationship between object manipulation and stereotypic hand mannerisms. Optimal development of manual functions and…

A Reanalysis of the Need to Achieve and Its Relationship to Education. Theoretical Paper No. 42.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marliave, Richard

A review of the literature indicates that measures of the McClelland-Atkinson need-Achievement (nAch) construct are weak in terms of both reliability and validity. The most serious weakness of the model's validity is the lack of evidence for the hypothesized positive relationship between nAch and performance. In addition, the inverse relationship…

An Inquiry into the Relationship between Projected Changes in Earnings per Share and Subsequent Security Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbee, William C., Jr.

The purpose of this study was to examine the variable of estimated earnings in order to determine how forecasts might be utilized to develop a securities portfolio strategy. The hypothesis stated that there is an inverse relationship between projected change in earnings per share and security performance. Ninety-one New York Stock Exchange…

A Student's Dilemma: Is There a Trade-Off between a Higher Salary or Higher GPA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diette, Timothy M.; Raghav, Manu

2016-01-01

In this paper, we explore whether there is a relationship between average grades earned in a course and the national average salaries of graduates of the major associated with the course. Using student-level data from a selective private liberal arts college, we find an inverse relationship. The result suggests that students face a trade-off…

International Workshop on Gamma Aluminide Alloy Technology. Section Three

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-04-18

Structure / Property Relationships General Mechanical Behavior Tensile Fracture Toughness Creep Fatigue; FCG, Inverse Ductility/FT Relationship...Workshop on Gamma Titanium Aluminide Alloy Technology. 1 May 1996-3 May 1996 The Topics covered include: Fundamental research issues for...understanding the emerging class of Gamma Titanium Aluminide Alloy Technologies 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 16. PRICE CODE N/A 17. SECURITY

Relationship Between Insertion Torque and Resonance Frequency Measurements, Performed by Resonance Frequency Analysis, in Micromobility of Dental Implants: An In Vitro Study.

PubMed

Brizuela-Velasco, Aritza; Álvarez-Arenal, Ángel; Gil-Mur, Francisco Javier; Herrero-Climent, Mariano; Chávarri-Prado, David; Chento-Valiente, Yelko; Dieguez-Pereira, Markel

2015-10-01

To evaluate the micromobility of dental implants under occlusal loading in relation to stability measurements of resonance frequency analysis and insertion torque. The sample comprised of 24 implants inserted in 12 fresh cow ribs. Insertion torque and Osstell implant stability quotient (ISQ) measurements were recorded. An "ad hoc" acrylic premolar was made on a temporary abutment and screwed to each implant, and a force of 100 N was subsequently applied at an angle of 6 degrees. Implant micromotion was measured using a Questar microscope with a resolution of 2 μm and an image analysis program. Data show a statistically significant inverse correlation between the ISQ values and implant micromotion under a load of 100 N (R = 0.86, P < 0.0001). The same relationship is found between insertion torque and implant micromotion, although the relationship is linear up to 34 N·cm and becomes exponential for higher values (R = 0.78, P < 0.0001). A direct correlation is established between insertion torque and ISQ values. There is an inverse relationship between both ISQ and insertion torque values and implant micromotion under a load of 100 N.

Inverse problem for multispecies ferromagneticlike mean-field models in phase space with many states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedele, Micaela; Vernia, Cecilia

2017-10-01

In this paper we solve the inverse problem for the Curie-Weiss model and its multispecies version when multiple thermodynamic states are present as in the low temperature phase where the phase space is clustered. The inverse problem consists of reconstructing the model parameters starting from configuration data generated according to the distribution of the model. We demonstrate that, without taking into account the presence of many states, the application of the inversion procedure produces very poor inference results. To overcome this problem, we use the clustering algorithm. When the system has two symmetric states of positive and negative magnetizations, the parameter reconstruction can also be obtained with smaller computational effort simply by flipping the sign of the magnetizations from positive to negative (or vice versa). The parameter reconstruction fails when the system undergoes a phase transition: In that case we give the correct inversion formulas for the Curie-Weiss model and we show that they can be used to measure how close the system gets to being critical.

TOMOGRAPHY OF PLASMA FLOWS IN THE UPPER SOLAR CONVECTION ZONE USING TIME-DISTANCE INVERSION COMBINING RIDGE AND PHASE-SPEED FILTERING

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

Svanda, Michal, E-mail: michal@astronomie.cz; Astronomical Institute, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, CZ-18000 Prague 8

2013-09-20

The consistency of time-distance inversions for horizontal components of the plasma flow on supergranular scales in the upper solar convection zone is checked by comparing the results derived using two k-{omega} filtering procedures-ridge filtering and phase-speed filtering-commonly used in time-distance helioseismology. I show that both approaches result in similar flow estimates when finite-frequency sensitivity kernels are used. I further demonstrate that the performance of the inversion improves (in terms of a simultaneously better averaging kernel and a lower noise level) when the two approaches are combined together in one inversion. Using the combined inversion, I invert for horizontal flows inmore » the upper 10 Mm of the solar convection zone. The flows connected with supergranulation seem to be coherent only for the top {approx}5 Mm; deeper down there is a hint of change of the convection scales toward structures larger than supergranules.« less

Global atmospheric carbon budget: results from an ensemble of atmospheric CO2 inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peylin, P.; Law, R. M.; Gurney, K. R.; Chevallier, F.; Jacobson, A. R.; Maki, T.; Niwa, Y.; Patra, P. K.; Peters, W.; Rayner, P. J.; Rödenbeck, C.; van der Laan-Luijkx, I. T.; Zhang, X.

2013-10-01

Atmospheric CO2 inversions estimate surface carbon fluxes from an optimal fit to atmospheric CO2 measurements, usually including prior constraints on the flux estimates. Eleven sets of carbon flux estimates are compared, generated by different inversions systems that vary in their inversions methods, choice of atmospheric data, transport model and prior information. The inversions were run for at least 5 yr in the period between 1990 and 2010. Mean fluxes for 2001-2004, seasonal cycles, interannual variability and trends are compared for the tropics and northern and southern extra-tropics, and separately for land and ocean. Some continental/basin-scale subdivisions are also considered where the atmospheric network is denser. Four-year mean fluxes are reasonably consistent across inversions at global/latitudinal scale, with a large total (land plus ocean) carbon uptake in the north (-3.4 Pg C yr-1 (±0.5 Pg C yr-1 standard deviation), with slightly more uptake over land than over ocean), a significant although more variable source over the tropics (1.6 ± 0.9 Pg C yr-1) and a compensatory sink of similar magnitude in the south (-1.4 ± 0.5 Pg C yr-1) corresponding mainly to an ocean sink. Largest differences across inversions occur in the balance between tropical land sources and southern land sinks. Interannual variability (IAV) in carbon fluxes is larger for land than ocean regions (standard deviation around 1.06 versus 0.33 Pg C yr-1 for the 1996-2007 period), with much higher consistency among the inversions for the land. While the tropical land explains most of the IAV (standard deviation ~ 0.65 Pg C yr-1), the northern and southern land also contribute (standard deviation ~ 0.39 Pg C yr-1). Most inversions tend to indicate an increase of the northern land carbon uptake from late 1990s to 2008 (around 0.1 Pg C yr-1, predominantly in North Asia. The mean seasonal cycle appears to be well constrained by the atmospheric data over the northern land (at the continental scale), but still highly dependent on the prior flux seasonality over the ocean. Finally we provide recommendations to interpret the regional fluxes, along with the uncertainty estimates.

Secondary outcome analysis for data from an outcome-dependent sampling design.

PubMed

Pan, Yinghao; Cai, Jianwen; Longnecker, Matthew P; Zhou, Haibo

2018-04-22

Outcome-dependent sampling (ODS) scheme is a cost-effective way to conduct a study. For a study with continuous primary outcome, an ODS scheme can be implemented where the expensive exposure is only measured on a simple random sample and supplemental samples selected from 2 tails of the primary outcome variable. With the tremendous cost invested in collecting the primary exposure information, investigators often would like to use the available data to study the relationship between a secondary outcome and the obtained exposure variable. This is referred as secondary analysis. Secondary analysis in ODS designs can be tricky, as the ODS sample is not a random sample from the general population. In this article, we use the inverse probability weighted and augmented inverse probability weighted estimating equations to analyze the secondary outcome for data obtained from the ODS design. We do not make any parametric assumptions on the primary and secondary outcome and only specify the form of the regression mean models, thus allow an arbitrary error distribution. Our approach is robust to second- and higher-order moment misspecification. It also leads to more precise estimates of the parameters by effectively using all the available participants. Through simulation studies, we show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. Data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project are analyzed to illustrate our method. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Social Desirability Bias Against Admitting Anger: Bias in the Test-Taker or Bias in the Test?

PubMed

Fernandez, Ephrem; Woldgabreal, Yilma; Guharajan, Deepan; Day, Andrew; Kiageri, Vasiliki; Ramtahal, Nirvana

2018-05-09

The veracity of self-report is often questioned, especially in anger, which is particularly susceptible to social desirability bias (SDB). However, could tests of SDB be themselves susceptible to bias? This study aimed to replicate the inverse correlation between a common test of SDB and a test of anger, to deconstruct this relationship according to anger-related versus non-anger-related items, and to reevaluate factor structure and reliability of the SDB test. More than 200 students were administered the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Short Version [M-C1(10)] and the Anger Parameters Scale (APS). Results confirmed that anger and SDB scores were significantly and inversely correlated. This intercorrelation became nonsignificant when the 4 anger-related items were omitted from the M-C1(10). Confirmatory factor analyses showed excellent fit for a model comprising anger items of the M-C1(10) but not for models of the entire instrument or nonanger items. The first model also attained high internal consistency. Thus, the significant negative correlation between anger and SDB is attributable to 4 M-C1(10) anger items, for which low ratings are automatically scored as high SDB; this stems from a tenuous assumption that low anger reports are invariably biased. The SDB test risks false positives of faking good and should be used with caution.

Delineating chalk sand distribution of Ekofisk formation using probabilistic neural network (PNN) and stepwise regression (SWR): Case study Danish North Sea field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haris, A.; Nafian, M.; Riyanto, A.

2017-07-01

Danish North Sea Fields consist of several formations (Ekofisk, Tor, and Cromer Knoll) that was started from the age of Paleocene to Miocene. In this study, the integration of seismic and well log data set is carried out to determine the chalk sand distribution in the Danish North Sea field. The integration of seismic and well log data set is performed by using the seismic inversion analysis and seismic multi-attribute. The seismic inversion algorithm, which is used to derive acoustic impedance (AI), is model-based technique. The derived AI is then used as external attributes for the input of multi-attribute analysis. Moreover, the multi-attribute analysis is used to generate the linear and non-linear transformation of among well log properties. In the case of the linear model, selected transformation is conducted by weighting step-wise linear regression (SWR), while for the non-linear model is performed by using probabilistic neural networks (PNN). The estimated porosity, which is resulted by PNN shows better suited to the well log data compared with the results of SWR. This result can be understood since PNN perform non-linear regression so that the relationship between the attribute data and predicted log data can be optimized. The distribution of chalk sand has been successfully identified and characterized by porosity value ranging from 23% up to 30%.

Anatomical substrates of cognitive and clinical dimensions in first episode schizophrenia.

PubMed

Rigucci, S; Rossi-Espagnet, C; Ferracuti, S; De Carolis, A; Corigliano, V; Carducci, F; Mancinelli, I; Cicone, F; Tatarelli, R; Bozzao, A; Girardi, P; Comparelli, A

2013-10-01

To explore gray (GM) and white matter (WM) abnormalities and the relationships with neuropsychopathology in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). Nineteen patients with first episode of non-affective psychosis and 18 controls underwent a magnetic resonance voxel-based morphometry. Additionally, WM fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated. For correlative analysis, symptoms and neuropsychological performances were scored by PANSS and by a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment respectively. Patients showed significantly decreased volume of left temporal lobe and disarray of all major WM tracts. Disorganized PANSS factor was inversely related to left cerebellar GM volume (corrected P = 0.03) and to WM FA of the left cerebellum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi (IFOF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). PANSS negative factor was inversely related to FA in the IFOF and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). Impairment in facial emotion identification showed associations with temporo-occipital GM volume decrease (corrected P = 0.003) and WM disarray of superior and middle temporal gyri, anterior thalamic radiation, and superior longitudinal fasciculi (corrected P < 0.05). Speed of processing and visual memory correlated with WM abnormalities in fronto-temporal tracts. These results confirm how the structural development of key brain regions is related to neuropsychopathological dysfunction in FES, consistently with a neurodevelopmentally derived misconnection syndrome. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[EFFECT OF EARLY PROTEIN-CALORIE MALNUTRITION ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE METABOLIC SYNDROME IN YOUNG ADULTS].

PubMed

Escaffi Fonseca, María José; Moreira Carrasco, Loreto; Rodríguez Osiac, Lorena; Pizarro Quevedo, Tito; Cavada Chacón, Gabriel; Villarroel del Pino, Luis; Salas Guzmán, Natalia; Muzzo Benavides, Santiago; Mönckeberg Barros, Fernando; Rozowski Narkunska, Jaime; Castillo Valenzuela, Oscar

2015-09-01

during recent years consistent studies have characterized the relationship between moderate and severe protein-calorie malnutrition and the appearance of non-communicable diseases in adulthood like metabolic syndrome (MS). to analyze the relationship between moderate and severe protein-calorie malnutrition during the first 1 000 days of life and the MS in a cohort of adults from Curicó, Chile. we studied 49 young adults who had suffered moderate to severe protein-calorie malnutrition during their first two years of life. Anthropometry, blood pressure measurement and laboratory tests were performed, and the burden of MS attributes was determined. the prevalence of MS was 14.3% with no significant differences by gender, showing a direct and significant association between burden of MS and body mass index, waist / height index, blood pressure, plasma levels of glucose and triglyceride, and an inverse association with HDL. systolic blood pressure and plasma level of triglyceride represented the most important risk factors for SM in this cohort. We found no association between the presence of protein-calorie malnutrition and MS. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Do the factors associated with female HIV infection vary by socioeconomic status in Cameroon?

PubMed

Mumah, Joyce N; Jackson-Smith, Douglas

2014-07-01

One of the most consistent findings in social epidemiology is an inverse relationship between indicators of SES and most types of illness. However, a growing body of research on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa suggests an intriguing reversal of this pattern, particularly with respect to HIV among women. In Cameroon, specifically, high-SES women have higher rates of HIV infection compared with low-SES women. Using data from the 2004 Cameroon DHS, this study explored the relationships between SES and HIV and tested a multivariate model designed to highlight the distinctive factors associated with increased risk of HIV among women in different SES classes. The results revealed that high-SES women who reported engaging in riskier sexual behaviour had the highest levels of HIV infection. Surprisingly, among this group increased knowledge of HIV, more domestic decision-making authority and access to health care did not reduce vulnerability. Meanwhile, among low-SES women relative gender inequality was significantly related to HIV risk. Specifically, among this group of women, having a partner with higher education was strongly associated with greater HIV risk. The results suggest that different approaches targeting each sub-group are needed to effectively combat the disease.

Acoustic sounding in the planetary boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, E. H.

1974-01-01

Three case studies are presented involving data from an acoustic radar. The first two cases examine data collected during the passage of a mesoscale cold-air intrusion, probably thunderstorm outflow, and a synoptic-scale cold front. In these studies the radar data are compared to conventional meteorological data obtained from the WKY tower facility for the purpose of radar data interpretation. It is shown that the acoustic radar echoes reveal the boundary between warm and cold air and other areas of turbulent mixing, regions of strong vertical temperature gradients, and areas of weak or no wind shear. The third case study examines the relationship between the nocturnal radiation inversion and the low-level wind maximum or jet in the light of conclusions presented by Blackadar (1957). The low-level jet is seen forming well above the top of the inversion. Sudden rapid growth of the inversion occurs which brings the top of the inversion to a height equal that of the jet. Coincident with the rapid growth of the inversion is a sudden decrease in the intensity of the acoustic radar echoes in the inversion layer. It is suggested that the decrease in echo intensity reveals a decrease in turbulent mixing in the inversion layer as predicted by Blackadar. It is concluded that the acoustic radar can be a valuable tool for study in the lower atmosphere.

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

A new, double-inversion mechanism of the F- + CH3Cl SN2 reaction in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Liu, Peng; Wang, Dunyou; Xu, Yulong

2016-11-23

Atomic-level, bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction mechanisms have been studied mostly in the gas phase, but the gas-phase results cannot be expected to reliably describe condensed-phase chemistry. As a novel, double-inversion mechanism has just been found for the F - + CH 3 Cl S N 2 reaction in the gas phase [Nat. Commun., 2015, 6, 5972], here, using multi-level quantum mechanics methods combined with the molecular mechanics method, we discovered a new, double-inversion mechanism for this reaction in aqueous solution. However, the structures of the stationary points along the reaction path show significant differences from those in the gas phase due to the strong influence of solvent and solute interactions, especially due to the hydrogen bonds formed between the solute and the solvent. More importantly, the relationship between the two double-inversion transition states is not clear in the gas phase, but, here we revealed a novel intermediate complex serving as a "connecting link" between the two transition states of the abstraction-induced inversion and the Walden-inversion mechanisms. A detailed reaction path was constructed to show the atomic-level evolution of this novel double reaction mechanism in aqueous solution. The potentials of mean force were calculated and the obtained Walden-inversion barrier height agrees well with the available experimental value.

Uncertainty in prostate cancer. Ethnic and family patterns.

PubMed

Germino, B B; Mishel, M H; Belyea, M; Harris, L; Ware, A; Mohler, J

1998-01-01

Prostate cancer occurs 37% more often in African-American men than in white men. Patients and their family care providers (FCPs) may have different experiences of cancer and its treatment. This report addresses two questions: 1) What is the relationship of uncertainty to family coping, psychological adjustment to illness, and spiritual factors? and 2) Are these patterns of relationship similar for patients and their family care givers and for whites and African-Americans? A sample of white and African-American men and their family care givers (N = 403) was drawn from an ongoing study, testing the efficacy of an uncertainty management intervention with men with stage B prostate cancer. Data were collected at study entry, either 1 week after post-surgical catheter removal or at the beginning of primary radiation treatment. Measures of uncertainty, adult role behavior, problem solving, social support, importance of God in one's life, family coping, psychological adjustment to illness, and perceptions of health and illness met standard criteria for internal consistency. Analyses of baseline data using Pearson's product moment correlations were conducted to examine the relationships of person, disease, and contextual factors to uncertainty. For family coping, uncertainty was significantly and positively related to two domains in white family care providers only. In African-American and white family care providers, the more uncertainty experienced, the less positive they felt about treatment. Uncertainty for all care givers was related inversely to positive feelings about the patient recovering from the illness. For all patients and for white family members, uncertainty was related inversely to the quality of the domestic environment. For everyone, uncertainty was related inversely to psychological distress. Higher levels of uncertainty were related to a poorer social environment for African-American patients and for white family members. For white patients and their family members, higher levels of uncertainty were related to lower scores on adult role behavior (shopping, running errands). For white family members, higher levels of uncertainty were related to less active problem solving and less perceived social support. Finally, higher levels of uncertainty were related to the importance of God for white patients and family care providers. The clearest finding of the present study is that there are ethnic differences in the relationship of uncertainty to a number of quality-of-life and coping variables. This has immediate implications for the assessment of psychosocial responses to cancer and cancer treatment. Much of what is in curricula is based on clinical and research experience primarily with white individuals. The experience of uncertainty related to cancer and its treatment is influenced by the cultural perspectives of patients and their families. To assist patients and families with the inevitable uncertainties of the cancer experience, healthcare providers need to reconsider their ethnocentric assumptions and develop more skill in assessing patient and family beliefs, values, cultural perspectives, and the influence of these on patient and family uncertainties.

Urinary cortisol and psychopathology in obese binge eating subjects.

PubMed

Lavagnino, Luca; Amianto, Federico; Parasiliti Caprino, Mirko; Maccario, Mauro; Arvat, Emanuela; Ghigo, Ezio; Abbate Daga, Giovanni; Fassino, Secondo

2014-12-01

Investigations on the relationship between obesity, binge eating and the function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have led to inconsistent results. General psychopathology affects HPA axis function. The present study aims to examine correlations between binge eating, general psychopathology and HPA axis function in obese binge eaters. Twenty-four hour urinary free cortisol (UFC/24 h) was measured in 71 obese binge eating women. The patients were administered psychometric tests investigating binge eating, psychopathology and clinical variables. The relationship between binge eating, psychopathology and urinary cortisol was investigated, controlling for age and BMI. We found an inverse correlation between UFC/24 h and binge eating, depression, obsessive-compusive symptoms, somatization and sensitivity. In a regression model a significant inverse correlation between urinary cortisol and psychopathology was confirmed. Urinary cortisol levels in obese patients with binge eating disorder show an inverse correlation with several dimensions of psychopathology which are considered to be typical of a cluster of psychiatric disorders characterized by low HPA axis function, and are very common in obese binge eating patients. If these results are confirmed, UFC/24 h might be considered a biomarker of psychopathology in obese binge eaters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Widespread Chromosomal Inversion Polymorphism Contributes to a Major Life-History Transition, Local Adaptation, and Reproductive Isolation

PubMed Central

Lowry, David B.; Willis, John H.

2010-01-01

The role of chromosomal inversions in adaptation and speciation is controversial. Historically, inversions were thought to contribute to these processes either by directly causing hybrid sterility or by facilitating the maintenance of co-adapted gene complexes. Because inversions suppress recombination when heterozygous, a recently proposed local adaptation mechanism predicts that they will spread if they capture alleles at multiple loci involved in divergent adaptation to contrasting environments. Many empirical studies have found inversion polymorphisms linked to putatively adaptive phenotypes or distributed along environmental clines. However, direct involvement of an inversion in local adaptation and consequent ecological reproductive isolation has not to our knowledge been demonstrated in nature. In this study, we discovered that a chromosomal inversion polymorphism is geographically widespread, and we test the extent to which it contributes to adaptation and reproductive isolation under natural field conditions. Replicated crosses between the prezygotically reproductively isolated annual and perennial ecotypes of the yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, revealed that alternative chromosomal inversion arrangements are associated with life-history divergence over thousands of kilometers across North America. The inversion polymorphism affected adaptive flowering time divergence and other morphological traits in all replicated crosses between four pairs of annual and perennial populations. To determine if the inversion contributes to adaptation and reproductive isolation in natural populations, we conducted a novel reciprocal transplant experiment involving outbred lines, where alternative arrangements of the inversion were reciprocally introgressed into the genetic backgrounds of each ecotype. Our results demonstrate for the first time in nature the contribution of an inversion to adaptation, an annual/perennial life-history shift, and multiple reproductive isolating barriers. These results are consistent with the local adaptation mechanism being responsible for the distribution of the two inversion arrangements across the geographic range of M. guttatus and that locally adaptive inversion effects contribute directly to reproductive isolation. Such a mechanism may be partially responsible for the observation that closely related species often differ by multiple chromosomal rearrangements. PMID:20927411

Multi-scale invertigation of the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties in dual phase steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fan

Dual phase steel alloys belong to the first generation of advanced high strength steels that are widely used in the automotive industry to form body structure and closure panels of vehicles. A deeper understanding of the microstructural features, such as phase orientation and morphology are needed in order to establish their effect on the mechanical performance and to design a material with optimized attributes. In this work, our goal is to establish what kind of relationship exist between the mechanical properties and the microstructural representation of dual phase steels obtained from experimental observations. Microstructure in different specimens are characterized with advanced experimental techniques as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction pattern, scanning probe microscopy, and nanoindentation. Nanoindentation, Vickers hardness and tensile testing are conducted to reveal a multi-scale mechanical performance on original material and also specimens under a variety combinations of temperatures, cooling rates, and rolling conditions. To quantify the single phase properties in each sample, an inverse method is adopted using experimental nanoindentation load-depth curves to obtain tensile stress-strain curves for each phase, and the inverse results were verified with the true stress-strain curves from tensile tests. This work also provides the insight on spatial phase distribution of different phases through a 2-point correlation statistical methodology and relate to material strength and formability. The microstructure information is correlated with the results of mechanical tests. The broken surfaces from tensile testing are analyzed to discover the fracture mechanism in relation to martensite morphology and distribuion. Viscoplastic self-consistent fast Fourier Transformation simulations is also used to compute efficiently the local and the homogenized viscoplastic response of the polycrystalline microstructure. The specific objectives of this work are 1) the development of etching techniques and electron backscatter diffraction strategies to characterize ferrite and martensite phases in steel; 2) the uncovering of a relationship between strength/ductility and material microstructure, 3) a statistical description to quantify the spatial distributions of these phases; and finally 4) the simulation of the microstructural evolution using parameters obtained from the experiments.

Dog behavior co-varies with height, bodyweight and skull shape.

PubMed

McGreevy, Paul D; Georgevsky, Dana; Carrasco, Johanna; Valenzuela, Michael; Duffy, Deborah L; Serpell, James A

2013-01-01

Dogs offer unique opportunities to study correlations between morphology and behavior because skull shapes and body shape are so diverse among breeds. Several studies have shown relationships between canine cephalic index (CI: the ratio of skull width to skull length) and neural architecture. Data on the CI of adult, show-quality dogs (six males and six females) were sourced in Australia along with existing data on the breeds' height, bodyweight and related to data on 36 behavioral traits of companion dogs (n = 8,301) of various common breeds (n = 49) collected internationally using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Stepwise backward elimination regressions revealed that, across the breeds, 33 behavioral traits all but one of which are undesirable in companion animals correlated with either height alone (n = 14), bodyweight alone (n = 5), CI alone (n = 3), bodyweight-and-skull shape combined (n = 2), height-and-skull shape combined (n = 3) or height-and-bodyweight combined (n = 6). For example, breed average height showed strongly significant inverse relationships (p<0.001) with mounting persons or objects, touch sensitivity, urination when left alone, dog-directed fear, separation-related problems, non-social fear, defecation when left alone, owner-directed aggression, begging for food, urine marking and attachment/attention-seeking, while bodyweight showed strongly significant inverse relationships (p<0.001) with excitability and being reported as hyperactive. Apart from trainability, all regression coefficients with height were negative indicating that, across the breeds, behavior becomes more problematic as height decreases. Allogrooming increased strongly (p<0.001) with CI and inversely with height. CI alone showed a strong significant positive relationship with self-grooming (p<0.001) but a negative relationship with chasing (p = 0.020). The current study demonstrates how aspects of CI (and therefore brain shape), bodyweight and height co-vary with behavior. The biological basis for, and significance of, these associations remain to be determined.

Erythrocyte linoleic acid, but not oleic acid, is associated with improvements in body composition in men and women.

PubMed

Belury, Martha A; Cole, Rachel M; Bailey, Brittney E; Ke, Jia-Yu; Andridge, Rebecca R; Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K

2016-05-01

Supplementation with linoleic acid (LA; 18:2Ω6)-rich oils increases lean mass and decreases trunk adipose mass in people. Erythrocyte fatty acids reflect the dietary pattern of fatty acid intake and endogenous metabolism of fatty acids. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship of erythrocyte LA, with aspects of body composition, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Additionally, we tested for relationships of oleic acid (OA) and the sum of long chain omega-three fatty acids (LC-Ω3-SUM), on the same outcomes. Men and women (N = 139) were evaluated for body composition, insulin resistance, and serum inflammatory markers, IL-6, and c-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte fatty acid composition after an overnight fast. LA was positively related to appendicular lean mass/body mass index and inversely related to trunk adipose mass. Additionally, LA was inversely related to insulin resistance and IL-6. While there was an inverse relationship between OA or LC-Ω3-SUM with markers of inflammation, there were no relationships between OA or LC-Ω3-SUM with body composition or HOMA-IR. Higher erythrocyte LA was associated with improved body composition, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Erythrocyte OA or LC-Ω3-SUM was unrelated to body composition and insulin resistance. There is much controversy about whether all unsaturated fats have the same benefits for metabolic syndrome and weight gain. We sought to test the strength of the relationships between three unsaturated fatty acid in erythrocytes with measurements of body composition, metabolism, and inflammation in healthy adults. Linoleic acid, but not oleic acid or the sum of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids (w3), was associated with increased appendicular lean mass and decreased trunk adipose mass and insulin resistance. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Alcohol Control Policies and Alcohol Consumption by Youth: A Multi-National Study

PubMed Central

Paschall, Mallie J.; Grube, Joel W.; Kypri, Kypros

2009-01-01

Aims The study examined relationships between alcohol control policies and adolescent alcohol use in 26 countries. Design Cross-sectional analyses of alcohol policy ratings based on the Alcohol Policy Index (API), per capita consumption, and national adolescent survey data. Setting Data are from 26 countries. Participants Adolescents (15-17 years old) who participated in the 2003 ESPAD (European countries) or national secondary school surveys in Spain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Measurements Alcohol control policy ratings based on the API; prevalence of alcohol use, heavy drinking, and first drink by age 13 based on national secondary school surveys; per capita alcohol consumption for each country in 2003. Analysis Correlational and linear regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between alcohol control policy ratings and past-30-day prevalence of adolescent alcohol use, heavy drinking, and having first drink by age 13. Per capita consumption of alcohol was included as a covariate in regression analyses. Findings More comprehensive API ratings and alcohol availability and advertising control ratings were inversely related to the past-30-day prevalence of alcohol use and prevalence rates for drinking 3-5 times and 6 or more times in the past 30 days. Alcohol advertising control was also inversely related to the prevalence of past-30-day heavy drinking and having first drink by age 13. Most of the relationships between API, alcohol availability and advertising control and drinking prevalence rates were attenuated and no longer statistically significant when controlling for per capita consumption in regression analyses, suggesting that alcohol use in the general population may confound or mediate observed relationships between alcohol control policies and youth alcohol consumption. Several of the inverse relationships remained statistically significant when controlling for per capita consumption. Conclusions More comprehensive and stringent alcohol control policies, particularly policies affecting alcohol availability and marketing, are associated with lower prevalence and frequency of adolescent alcohol consumption and age of first alcohol use. PMID:19832785

Intake of Japanese and Chinese teas reduces risk of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Tanaka, Keiko; Miyake, Yoshihiro; Fukushima, Wakaba; Sasaki, Satoshi; Kiyohara, Chikako; Tsuboi, Yoshio; Yamada, Tatsuo; Oeda, Tomoko; Miki, Takami; Kawamura, Nobutoshi; Sakae, Nobutaka; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Hirota, Yoshio; Nagai, Masaki

2011-07-01

Studies that have addressed the association between the intake of coffee or caffeine and Parkinson's disease (PD) were conducted mainly in Western countries. Little is known about this relationship in an Asian population. Therefore, we performed an assessment of the association of the intake of coffee, other caffeine-containing beverages, and caffeine with the risk of PD in Japan. The study involved 249 PD cases and 368 control subjects. Information on dietary factors was obtained through a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Adjustment was made for sex, age, region of residence, educational level, pack-years of smoking, body mass index, the dietary glycemic index, and intake of cholesterol, vitamin E, β-carotene, vitamin B(6,) alcohol, and iron. Intake of coffee, black tea, and Japanese and Chinese teas was significantly inversely associated with the risk of PD: the adjusted odds ratios in comparison of the highest with the lowest quartile were 0.52, 0.58, and 0.59, respectively (95% confidence intervals = 0.30-0.90, 0.35-0.97, and 0.35-0.995, respectively). A clear inverse dose-response relationship between total caffeine intake and PD risk was observed. We confirmed that the intake of coffee and caffeine reduced the risk of PD. Furthermore, this is the first study to show a significant inverse relationship between the intake of Japanese and Chinese teas and the risk of PD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using seismically constrained magnetotelluric inversion to recover velocity structure in the shallow lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorkamp, M.; Fishwick, S.; Jones, A. G.

2015-12-01

Typical surface wave tomography can recover well the velocity structure of the upper mantle in the depth range between 70-200km. For a successful inversion, we have to constrain the crustal structure and assess the impact on the resulting models. In addition,we often observe potentially interesting features in the uppermost lithosphere which are poorly resolved and thus their interpretationhas to be approached with great care.We are currently developing a seismically constrained magnetotelluric (MT) inversion approach with the aim of better recovering the lithospheric properties (and thus seismic velocities) in these problematic areas. We perform a 3D MT inversion constrained by a fixed seismic velocity model from surface wave tomography. In order to avoid strong bias, we only utilize information on structural boundaries to combine these two methods. Within the region that is well resolved by both methods, we can then extract a velocity-conductivity relationship. By translating the conductivitiesretrieved from MT into velocities in areas where the velocity model is poorly resolved, we can generate an updated velocity model and test what impactthe updated velocities have on the predicted data.We test this new approach using a MT dataset acquired in central Botswana over the Okwa terrane and the adjacent Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons togetherwith a tomographic models for the region. Here, both datasets have previously been used to constrain lithospheric structure and show some similarities.We carefully asses the validity of our results by comparing with observations and petrophysical predictions for the conductivity-velocity relationship.

Flexibility and running economy in female collegiate track athletes.

PubMed

Beaudoin, C M; Whatley Blum, J

2005-09-01

Limited information exists regarding the association between flexibility and running economy in female athletes. This study examined relationships between lower limb and trunk flexibility and running economy in 17 female collegiate track athletes (20.12+/-1.80 y). Correlational design, subjects completed 4 testing sessions over a 2-week period. The 1st session assessed maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max=55.39+/-6.96 ml.kg-1.min-1). The 2nd session assessed trunk and lower limb flexibility. Two sets of 6 trunk and lower limb flexibility measures were performed after a 10-min treadmill warm-up at 2.68 m.s-1. The 3rd session consisted of 3 10-min accommodation runs at a speed of 2.68 m.s-1 which was approximately 60% VO2max. Each accommodation bout was separated by a 10-min rest. The 4th session assessed running economy. Subjects completed a 5-min warm-up at 2.68 m.s-1 followed by 10-min economy run at 2.68 m.s-1. Pearson product moment correlations revealed no significant correlations between running economy and flexibility measures. Results are in contrast to studies demonstrating an inverse relationship between trunk and/or lower limb flexibility and running economy in males. Furthermore, results are in contrast to studies reporting positive relationships between flexibility and running economy.

Relationship of psychological symptoms, antipsychotics and social data with psychosocial function in schizophrenia patients in Malaysia.

PubMed

Norlelawati, A Talib; Kartini, Abdullah; Norsidah, Kuzaifah; Ramli, Musa; Wan Azizi, Wan Sulaiman; Tariq, Abdul Razak

2015-03-01

The present study investigated the relationship between psychological symptoms and psychosocial function and the role of relevant sociodemographic data and antipsychotic use in the prediction of psychosocial function among multiracial schizophrenia outpatients in Malaysia. A total of 223 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study conducted from December 2010 to April 2011. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale whilst the psychosocial function was assessed using the Personal and Social Performance scale. Sociodemographic and treatment variables were gathered through interview or review of the medical records. All dimensions of psychosocial functions were inversely correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale sub-domains. Only the disorganization sub-domain significantly predicts all dimensions of psychosocial function. For social data, body mass index and employment status were significant predictors of all dimensions of psychosocial functions. Typical antipsychotics significantly predict social function negatively as compared to sulpiride (β = -0.152, P = 0.028). We found that the relationship between psychological symptoms and psychosocial functions were relatively consistent with the findings from the Caucasian population. Additionally, disorganization was the only significant predictor of all dimensions of psychosocial functions. This further emphasized the importance of cognition in psychosocial function. The roles of sulpiride, body mass index and employment status as predictors of psychosocial function were also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Full-wave Moment Tensor and Tomographic Inversions Based on 3D Strain Green Tensor

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-31

propagation in three-dimensional (3D) earth, linearizes the inverse problem by iteratively updating the earth model , and provides an accurate way to...self-consistent FD-SGT databases constructed from finite-difference simulations of wave propagation in full-wave tomographic models can be used to...determine the moment tensors within minutes after a seismic event, making it possible for real time monitoring using 3D models . 15. SUBJECT TERMS

Semiautomatic and Automatic Cooperative Inversion of Seismic and Magnetotelluric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Cuong V. A.; Harris, Brett D.; Pethick, Andrew M.; Takam Takougang, Eric M.; Howe, Brendan

2016-09-01

Natural source electromagnetic methods have the potential to recover rock property distributions from the surface to great depths. Unfortunately, results in complex 3D geo-electrical settings can be disappointing, especially where significant near-surface conductivity variations exist. In such settings, unconstrained inversion of magnetotelluric data is inexorably non-unique. We believe that: (1) correctly introduced information from seismic reflection can substantially improve MT inversion, (2) a cooperative inversion approach can be automated, and (3) massively parallel computing can make such a process viable. Nine inversion strategies including baseline unconstrained inversion and new automated/semiautomated cooperative inversion approaches are applied to industry-scale co-located 3D seismic and magnetotelluric data sets. These data sets were acquired in one of the Carlin gold deposit districts in north-central Nevada, USA. In our approach, seismic information feeds directly into the creation of sets of prior conductivity model and covariance coefficient distributions. We demonstrate how statistical analysis of the distribution of selected seismic attributes can be used to automatically extract subvolumes that form the framework for prior model 3D conductivity distribution. Our cooperative inversion strategies result in detailed subsurface conductivity distributions that are consistent with seismic, electrical logs and geochemical analysis of cores. Such 3D conductivity distributions would be expected to provide clues to 3D velocity structures that could feed back into full seismic inversion for an iterative practical and truly cooperative inversion process. We anticipate that, with the aid of parallel computing, cooperative inversion of seismic and magnetotelluric data can be fully automated, and we hold confidence that significant and practical advances in this direction have been accomplished.

The tropical tropopause inversion layer: variability and modulation by equatorial waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilch Kedzierski, Robin; Matthes, Katja; Bumke, Karl

2016-09-01

The tropical tropopause layer (TTL) acts as a transition layer between the troposphere and the stratosphere over several kilometers, where air has both tropospheric and stratospheric properties. Within this region, a fine-scale feature is located: the tropopause inversion layer (TIL), which consists of a sharp temperature inversion at the tropopause and the corresponding high static stability values right above, which theoretically affect the dispersion relations of atmospheric waves like Rossby or inertia-gravity waves and hamper stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE). Therefore, the TIL receives increasing attention from the scientific community, mainly in the extratropics so far. Our goal is to give a detailed picture of the properties, variability and forcings of the tropical TIL, with special emphasis on small-scale equatorial waves and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO).We use high-resolution temperature profiles from the COSMIC satellite mission, i.e., ˜ 2000 measurements per day globally, between 2007 and 2013, to derive TIL properties and to study the fine-scale structures of static stability in the tropics. The situation at near tropopause level is described by the 100 hPa horizontal wind divergence fields, and the vertical structure of the QBO is provided by the equatorial winds at all levels, both from the ERA-Interim reanalysis.We describe a new feature of the equatorial static stability profile: a secondary stability maximum below the zero wind line within the easterly QBO wind regime at about 20-25 km altitude, which is forced by the descending westerly QBO phase and gives a double-TIL-like structure. In the lowermost stratosphere, the TIL is stronger with westerly winds. We provide the first evidence of a relationship between the tropical TIL strength and near-tropopause divergence, with stronger (weaker) TIL with near-tropopause divergent (convergent) flow, a relationship analogous to that of TIL strength with relative vorticity in the extratropics.To elucidate possible enhancing mechanisms of the tropical TIL, we quantify the signature of the different equatorial waves on the vertical structure of static stability in the tropics. All waves show, on average, maximum cold anomalies at the thermal tropopause, warm anomalies above and a net TIL enhancement close to the tropopause. The main drivers are Kelvin, inertia-gravity and Rossby waves. We suggest that a similar wave modulation will exist at mid- and polar latitudes from the extratropical wave modes.

Conflicting relationship between age-dependent disorders, valvular heart disease and coronary artery disease by covariance structure analysis: Possible contribution of natriuretic peptide.

PubMed

Fukumoto, Risa; Kawai, Makoto; Minai, Kosuke; Ogawa, Kazuo; Yoshida, Jun; Inoue, Yasunori; Morimoto, Satoshi; Tanaka, Toshikazu; Nagoshi, Tomohisa; Ogawa, Takayuki; Yoshimura, Michihiro

2017-01-01

It is conceivable that contemporary valvular heart disease (VHD) is affected largely by an age-dependent atherosclerotic process, which is similar to that observed in coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a comorbid condition of VHD and CAD has not been precisely examined. The first objective of this study was to examine a possible comorbid condition. Provided that there is no comorbidity, the second objective was to search for the possible reasons by using conventional risk factors and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) because BNP has a potentiality to suppress atherosclerotic development. The study population consisted of 3,457 patients consecutively admitted to our institution. The possible comorbid condition of VHD and CAD and the factors that influence the comorbidity were examined by covariance structure analysis and multivariate analysis. The distribution of the patients with VHD and those with CAD in the histograms showed that the incidence of VHD and the severity of CAD rose with seniority in appearance. The real statistical analysis was planned by covariance structure analysis. The current path model revealed that aging was associated with VHD and CAD severity (P < 0.001 for each); however, as a notable result, there was an inverse association regarding the comorbid condition between VHD and CAD (Correlation coefficient [β]: -0.121, P < 0.001). As the second objective, to clarify the factors leading to this inverse association, the contribution of conventional risk factors, such as age, gender, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia, to VHD and CAD were examined by multivariate analysis. However, these factors did not exert an opposing effect on VHD and CAD, and the inverse association defied explanation. Since different pathological mechanisms may contribute to the formation of VHD and CAD, a differentially proposed path model using plasma BNP revealed that an increase in plasma BNP being drawn by VHD suppressed the progression of CAD (β: -0.465, P < 0.001). The incidence of VHD and CAD showed a significant conflicting relationship. This result supported the likely presence of unknown diverse mechanisms on top of the common cascade of atherosclerosis. Among them, the continuous elevation of plasma BNP due to VHD might be one of the explicable factors suppressing the progression of CAD.

Radiation characteristics and effective optical properties of dumbbell-shaped cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heng, Ri-Liang; Pilon, Laurent

2016-05-01

This study presents experimental measurements of the radiation characteristics of unicellular freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. during their exponential growth in F medium. Their scattering phase function at 633 nm average spectral absorption and scattering cross-sections between 400 and 750 nm were measured. In addition, an inverse method was used for retrieving the spectral effective complex index of refraction of overlapping or touching bispheres and quadspheres from their absorption and scattering cross-sections. The inverse method combines a genetic algorithm and a forward model based on Lorenz-Mie theory, treating bispheres and quadspheres as projected area and volume-equivalent coated spheres. The inverse method was successfully validated with numerically predicted average absorption and scattering cross-sections of suspensions consisting of bispheres and quadspheres, with realistic size distributions, using the T-matrix method. It was able to retrieve the monomers' complex index of refraction with size parameter up to 11, relative refraction index less than 1.3, and absorption index less than 0.1. Then, the inverse method was applied to retrieve the effective spectral complex index of refraction of Synechocystis sp. approximated as randomly oriented aggregates consisting of two overlapping homogeneous spheres. Both the measured absorption cross-section and the retrieved absorption index featured peaks at 435 and 676 nm corresponding to chlorophyll a, a peak at 625 nm corresponding to phycocyanin, and a shoulder around 485 nm corresponding to carotenoids. These results can be used to optimize and control light transfer in photobioreactors. The inverse method and the equivalent coated sphere model could be applied to other optically soft particles of similar morphologies.

Combination of TOPEX/POSEIDON Data with a Hydrographic Inversion for Determination of the Oceanic General Circulation and its Relation to Geoid Accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganachaud, Alexandre; Wunsch, Carl; Kim, Myung-Chan; Tapley, Byron

1997-01-01

A global estimate of the absolute oceanic general circulation from a geostrophic inversion of in situ hydrographic data is tested against and then combined with an estimate obtained from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetric data and a geoid model computed using the JGM-3 gravity-field solution. Within the quantitative uncertainties of both the hydrographic inversion and the geoid estimate, the two estimates derived by very different methods are consistent. When the in situ inversion is combined with the altimetry/geoid scheme using a recursive inverse procedure, a new solution, fully consistent with both hydrography and altimetry, is found. There is, however, little reduction in the uncertainties of the calculated ocean circulation and its mass and heat fluxes because the best available geoid estimate remains noisy relative to the purely oceanographic inferences. The conclusion drawn from this is that the comparatively large errors present in the existing geoid models now limit the ability of satellite altimeter data to improve directly the general ocean circulation models derived from in situ measurements. Because improvements in the geoid could be realized through a dedicated spaceborne gravity recovery mission, the impact of hypothetical much better, future geoid estimates on the circulation uncertainty is also quantified, showing significant hypothetical reductions in the uncertainties of oceanic transport calculations. Full ocean general circulation models could better exploit both existing oceanographic data and future gravity-mission data, but their present use is severely limited by the inability to quantify their error budgets.

Adjoint Sensitivity Method to Determine Optimal Set of Stations for Tsunami Source Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusman, A. R.; Hossen, M. J.; Cummins, P. R.; Satake, K.

2017-12-01

We applied the adjoint sensitivity technique in tsunami science for the first time to determine an optimal set of stations for a tsunami source inversion. The adjoint sensitivity (AS) method has been used in numerical weather prediction to find optimal locations for adaptive observations. We implemented this technique to Green's Function based Time Reverse Imaging (GFTRI), which is recently used in tsunami source inversion in order to reconstruct the initial sea surface displacement, known as tsunami source model. This method has the same source representation as the traditional least square (LSQ) source inversion method where a tsunami source is represented by dividing the source region into a regular grid of "point" sources. For each of these, Green's function (GF) is computed using a basis function for initial sea surface displacement whose amplitude is concentrated near the grid point. We applied the AS method to the 2009 Samoa earthquake tsunami that occurred on 29 September 2009 in the southwest Pacific, near the Tonga trench. Many studies show that this earthquake is a doublet associated with both normal faulting in the outer-rise region and thrust faulting in the subduction interface. To estimate the tsunami source model for this complex event, we initially considered 11 observations consisting of 5 tide gauges and 6 DART bouys. After implementing AS method, we found the optimal set of observations consisting with 8 stations. Inversion with this optimal set provides better result in terms of waveform fitting and source model that shows both sub-events associated with normal and thrust faulting.

A new algorithm for three-dimensional joint inversion of body wave and surface wave data and its application to the Southern California plate boundary region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Hongjian; Zhang, Haijiang; Yao, Huajian; Allam, Amir; Zigone, Dimitri; Ben-Zion, Yehuda; Thurber, Clifford; van der Hilst, Robert D.

2016-05-01

We introduce a new algorithm for joint inversion of body wave and surface wave data to get better 3-D P wave (Vp) and S wave (Vs) velocity models by taking advantage of the complementary strengths of each data set. Our joint inversion algorithm uses a one-step inversion of surface wave traveltime measurements at different periods for 3-D Vs and Vp models without constructing the intermediate phase or group velocity maps. This allows a more straightforward modeling of surface wave traveltime data with the body wave arrival times. We take into consideration the sensitivity of surface wave data with respect to Vp in addition to its large sensitivity to Vs, which means both models are constrained by two different data types. The method is applied to determine 3-D crustal Vp and Vs models using body wave and Rayleigh wave data in the Southern California plate boundary region, which has previously been studied with both double-difference tomography method using body wave arrival times and ambient noise tomography method with Rayleigh and Love wave group velocity dispersion measurements. Our approach creates self-consistent and unique models with no prominent gaps, with Rayleigh wave data resolving shallow and large-scale features and body wave data constraining relatively deeper structures where their ray coverage is good. The velocity model from the joint inversion is consistent with local geological structures and produces better fits to observed seismic waveforms than the current Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) model.

Visco-elastic controlled-source full waveform inversion without surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paschke, Marco; Krause, Martin; Bleibinhaus, Florian

2016-04-01

We developed a frequency-domain visco-elastic full waveform inversion for onshore seismic experiments with topography. The forward modeling is based on a finite-difference time-domain algorithm by Robertsson that uses the image-method to ensure a stress-free condition at the surface. The time-domain data is Fourier-transformed at every point in the model space during the forward modeling for a given set of frequencies. The motivation for this approach is the reduced amount of memory when computing kernels, and the straightforward implementation of the multiscale approach. For the inversion, we calculate the Frechet derivative matrix explicitly, and we implement a Levenberg-Marquardt scheme that allows for computing the resolution matrix. To reduce the size of the Frechet derivative matrix, and to stabilize the inversion, an adapted inverse mesh is used. The node spacing is controlled by the velocity distribution and the chosen frequencies. To focus the inversion on body waves (P, P-coda, and S) we mute the surface waves from the data. Consistent spatiotemporal weighting factors are applied to the wavefields during the Fourier transform to obtain the corresponding kernels. We test our code with a synthetic study using the Marmousi model with arbitrary topography. This study also demonstrates the importance of topography and muting surface waves in controlled-source full waveform inversion.

New Additions to the Toolkit for Forward/Inverse Problems in Electrocardiography within the SCIRun Problem Solving Environment.

PubMed

Coll-Font, Jaume; Burton, Brett M; Tate, Jess D; Erem, Burak; Swenson, Darrel J; Wang, Dafang; Brooks, Dana H; van Dam, Peter; Macleod, Rob S

2014-09-01

Cardiac electrical imaging often requires the examination of different forward and inverse problem formulations based on mathematical and numerical approximations of the underlying source and the intervening volume conductor that can generate the associated voltages on the surface of the body. If the goal is to recover the source on the heart from body surface potentials, the solution strategy must include numerical techniques that can incorporate appropriate constraints and recover useful solutions, even though the problem is badly posed. Creating complete software solutions to such problems is a daunting undertaking. In order to make such tools more accessible to a broad array of researchers, the Center for Integrative Biomedical Computing (CIBC) has made an ECG forward/inverse toolkit available within the open source SCIRun system. Here we report on three new methods added to the inverse suite of the toolkit. These new algorithms, namely a Total Variation method, a non-decreasing TMP inverse and a spline-based inverse, consist of two inverse methods that take advantage of the temporal structure of the heart potentials and one that leverages the spatial characteristics of the transmembrane potentials. These three methods further expand the possibilities of researchers in cardiology to explore and compare solutions to their particular imaging problem.

Uniform California earthquake rupture forecast, version 3 (UCERF3): the time-independent model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Field, Edward H.; Biasi, Glenn P.; Bird, Peter; Dawson, Timothy E.; Felzer, Karen R.; Jackson, David D.; Johnson, Kaj M.; Jordan, Thomas H.; Madden, Christopher; Michael, Andrew J.; Milner, Kevin R.; Page, Morgan T.; Parsons, Thomas; Powers, Peter M.; Shaw, Bruce E.; Thatcher, Wayne R.; Weldon, Ray J.; Zeng, Yuehua; ,

2013-01-01

In this report we present the time-independent component of the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 3 (UCERF3), which provides authoritative estimates of the magnitude, location, and time-averaged frequency of potentially damaging earthquakes in California. The primary achievements have been to relax fault segmentation assumptions and to include multifault ruptures, both limitations of the previous model (UCERF2). The rates of all earthquakes are solved for simultaneously, and from a broader range of data, using a system-level "grand inversion" that is both conceptually simple and extensible. The inverse problem is large and underdetermined, so a range of models is sampled using an efficient simulated annealing algorithm. The approach is more derivative than prescriptive (for example, magnitude-frequency distributions are no longer assumed), so new analysis tools were developed for exploring solutions. Epistemic uncertainties were also accounted for using 1,440 alternative logic tree branches, necessitating access to supercomputers. The most influential uncertainties include alternative deformation models (fault slip rates), a new smoothed seismicity algorithm, alternative values for the total rate of M≥5 events, and different scaling relationships, virtually all of which are new. As a notable first, three deformation models are based on kinematically consistent inversions of geodetic and geologic data, also providing slip-rate constraints on faults previously excluded because of lack of geologic data. The grand inversion constitutes a system-level framework for testing hypotheses and balancing the influence of different experts. For example, we demonstrate serious challenges with the Gutenberg-Richter hypothesis for individual faults. UCERF3 is still an approximation of the system, however, and the range of models is limited (for example, constrained to stay close to UCERF2). Nevertheless, UCERF3 removes the apparent UCERF2 overprediction of M6.5–7 earthquake rates and also includes types of multifault ruptures seen in nature. Although UCERF3 fits the data better than UCERF2 overall, there may be areas that warrant further site-specific investigation. Supporting products may be of general interest, and we list key assumptions and avenues for future model improvements.

Angelman syndrome associated with an inversion of chromosome 15q11.2q24.3

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

Greger, V.; Knoll, J.H.M.; Wagstaff, J.

1997-03-01

Angelman syndrome (AS) most frequently results from large ({ge}5 Mb) de novo deletions of chromosome 15q11-q13. The deletions are exclusively of maternal origin, and a few cases of paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15 have been reported. The latter finding indicates that AS is caused by the absence of a maternal contribution to the imprinted 15q11-q13 region. Failure to inherit a paternal 15q11-q13 contribution results in the clinically distinct disorder of Prader-Willi syndrome. Cases of AS resulting from translocations or pericentric inversions have been observed to be associated with deletions, and there have been no confirmed reports of balanced rearrangementsmore » in AS. We report the first such case involving a paracentric inversion with a breakpoint located {approximately}25 kb proximal to the reference marker D15S10. This inversion has been inherited from a phenotypically normal mother. No deletion is evident by molecular analysis in this case, by use of cloned fragments mapped to within {approximately}1 kb of the inversion breakpoint. Several hypotheses are discussed to explain the relationship between the inversion and the AS phenotype. 47 refs., 3 figs.« less

Inverts permittivity and conductivity with structural constraint in GPR FWI based on truncated Newton method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Qianci

2018-04-01

Full waveform inversion (FWI) of ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a promising technique to quantitatively evaluate the permittivity and conductivity of near subsurface. However, these two parameters are simultaneously inverted in the GPR FWI, increasing the difficulty to obtain accurate inversion results for both parameters. In this study, I present a structural constrained GPR FWI procedure to jointly invert the two parameters, aiming to force a structural relationship between permittivity and conductivity in the process of model reconstruction. The structural constraint is enforced by a cross-gradient function. In this procedure, the permittivity and conductivity models are inverted alternately at each iteration and updated with hierarchical frequency components in the frequency domain. The joint inverse problem is solved by the truncated Newton method which considering the effect of Hessian operator and using the approximated solution of Newton equation to be the perturbation model in the updating process. The joint inversion procedure is tested by three synthetic examples. The results show that jointly inverting permittivity and conductivity in GPR FWI effectively increases the structural similarities between the two parameters, corrects the structures of parameter models, and significantly improves the accuracy of conductivity model, resulting in a better inversion result than the individual inversion.

Physical activity inversely associated with the presence of depression among urban adolescents in regional China

PubMed Central

Hong, Xin; Li, JieQuan; Xu, Fei; Tse, Lap Ah; Liang, YaQiong; Wang, ZhiYong; Yu, Ignatius Tak-sun; Griffiths, Sian

2009-01-01

Background An inverse relationship between physical activity (PA) and depression among adolescents has been reported in developed communities without consideration of sedentary behaviors (SB, including sitting for course study, viewing TV, and sleeping). We explored the association between recreational PA time (hr/wk) and depression after adjustment with SB and other possible confounders among Chinese adolescents. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Nanjing municipality of China in 2004 using a multi-stage cluster sampling approach. A total of 72 classes were randomly selected from 24 urban junior high schools and all students completed the structured questionnaire. Adolescent depression was examined by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) of Chinese version with cutoff point value of 20 or above as the presence of depression. Recreational PA time was measured by a question on weekly hours of PA outside of school. Descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used in analysis. Results The overall prevalence of depression was 15.7% (95%CI: 14.3%, 17.1%) among 2,444 eligible participants. It was found that physical activity was negatively associated with depression. After adjustment for sedentary behaviors and other potential confounders, participants who spent 1–7 hr/wk, 8–14 hr/wk and 15+ hr/wk for recreational PA, respectively, had odds ratios of 0.70 (95% CI = 0.57, 0.86), 0.68 (95% CI = 0.53, 0.88) and 0.66 (95% CI = 0.50, 0.87) for likelihood of being depressive, compared to their counterparts who spent 0–0.9 hr/wk for PA. This inverse relationship between PA time and depression remained statistically significant by gender and grade. Conclusion This study, conducted among Chinese adolescents, strengthened the evidence that physical activity was inversely associated with depression. Our study has important implications for health officers and public health professionals to pay much attention to the relationship between physical activity and depression in Mainland China. PMID:19457241

Incidence of Temperature Inversion and their Impact on Air Quality: A Case Study of Delhi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, V. P.

2016-12-01

In troposphere, an increase in temperature with the altitude produces stable atmosphere which prohibits the air pollutants dispersion. This study investigates the phenomenon of temperature inversion (TI), Lapse rate (LR) and its effects on air quality in respect of Ozone (O3), CO2, CO & PM2.5 over a megacity- Delhi (Study Time Period: 2006-2012). Because of huge population, urban sprawl and orographic location, this study can be very helpful for Delhi and cities like Delhi. Radiosonde observations for temperature was used for TI calculations over the region. Results indicate that TI generally occurs at 975-850 hPa. Also, the maximum number of inversions occur during winter months (December and January) especially at night time and early mornings. Furthermore, during winter months, the incidence of inversion is highest at both 00UTC and 12UTC while it is least during the monsoon months (July and August) at 00UTC. The LR is maximum in terms of magnitude (i.e. highly negative) during the summer months (May & June) every year indicating the strong heating effects that takes place during the day time in summer and also because the sensible heat flux from the surface to the atmosphere is significant even at 12UTC (i.e. around 5.30 P.M.) The bivariate correlation analysis for air quality variables reveals negative relationship of all air quality variables except O3 with rainfall. A positive relationship of LR with all air quality variables, except O3, was observed indicating the increase in pollutants' concentrations with an increase in LR. The correlation coefficient between LR and air pollutants CO, NO, NO2, PM2.5 were found to be 0.463, 0.346, 0.249 and 0.673 respectively. A negative correlation was found between wind speed and most of the air pollutants. Also, significantly, O3 had been the only air pollutant having a negative relationship with LR (both at 00UTC &12UTC).

Acute small bowel toxicity and preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: Investigating dose-volume relationships and role for inverse planning

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

Tho, Lye Mun; Glegg, Martin; Paterson, Jennifer

2006-10-01

Purpose: The relationship between volume of irradiated small bowel (VSB) and acute toxicity in rectal cancer radiotherapy is poorly quantified, particularly in patients receiving concurrent preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Using treatment planning data, we studied a series of such patients. Methods and Materials: Details of 41 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were reviewed. All received 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks, 3-4 fields three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with daily 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid during Weeks 1 and 5. Toxicity was assessed prospectively in a weekly clinic. Using computed tomography planning software, the VSB was determined at 5 Gy dose intervalsmore » (V{sub 5}, V{sub 1}, etc.). Eight patients with maximal VSB had dosimetry and radiobiological modeling outcomes compared between inverse and conformal three-dimensional planning. Results: VSB correlated strongly with diarrheal severity at every dose level (p < 0.03), with strongest correlation at lowest doses. Median VSB differed significantly between patients experiencing Grade 0-1 and Grade 2-4 diarrhea (p {<=} 0.05). No correlation was found with anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, age, body mass index, sex, tumor position, or number of fields. Analysis of 8 patients showed that inverse planning reduced median dose to small bowel by 5.1 Gy (p = 0.008) and calculated late normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) by 67% (p = 0.016). We constructed a model using mathematical analysis to predict for acute diarrhea occurring at V{sub 5} and V{sub 15}. Conclusions: A strong dose-volume relationship exists between VSB and acute diarrhea at all dose levels during preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Our constructed model may be useful in predicting toxicity, and this has been derived without the confounding influence of surgical excision on bowel function. Inverse planning can reduce calculated dose to small bowel and late NTCP, and its clinical role warrants further investigation.« less

Ability of self-reported estimates of dietary sodium, potassium and protein to detect an association with general and abdominal obesity: comparison with the estimates derived from 24 h urinary excretion.

PubMed

Murakami, Kentaro; Livingstone, M Barbara E; Sasaki, Satoshi; Uenishi, Kazuhiro

2015-04-28

As under-reporting of dietary intake, particularly by overweight and obese subjects, is common in dietary surveys, biases inherent in the use of self-reported dietary information may distort true diet-obesity relationships or even create spurious ones. However, empirical evidence of this possibility is limited. The present cross-sectional study compared the relationships of 24 h urine-derived and self-reported intakes of Na, K and protein with obesity. A total of 1043 Japanese women aged 18-22 years completed a 24 h urine collection and a self-administered diet history questionnaire. After adjustment for potential confounders, 24 h urine-derived Na intake was associated with a higher risk of general obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference≥80 cm; both P for trend=0·04). For 24 h urine-derived protein intake, positive associations with general and abdominal obesity were observed (P for trend=0·02 and 0·053, respectively). For 24 h urine-derived K intake, there was an inverse association with abdominal obesity (P for trend=0·01). Conversely, when self-reported dietary information was used, only inverse associations between K intake and general and abdominal obesity were observed (P for trend=0·04 and 0·02, respectively), with no associations of Na or protein intake. In conclusion, we found positive associations of Na and protein intakes and inverse associations of K intake with obesity when using 24 h urinary excretion for estimating dietary intakes. However, no association was observed based on using self-reported dietary intakes, except for inverse association of K intake, suggesting that the ability of self-reported dietary information using the diet history questionnaire for investigating diet-obesity relationships is limited.

Observations of the boundary layer, cloud, and aerosol variability in the southeast Pacific coastal marine stratocumulus during VOCALS-REx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, X.; Albrecht, B.; Jonsson, H. H.; Khelif, D.; Feingold, G.; Minnis, P.; Ayers, K.; Chuang, P.; Donaher, S.; Rossiter, D.; Ghate, V.; Ruiz-Plancarte, J.; Sun-Mack, S.

2011-05-01

Aircraft observations made off the coast of northern Chile in the Southeastern Pacific (20° S, 72° W; named Point Alpha) from 16 October to 13 November 2008 during the VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study-Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx), combined with meteorological reanalysis, satellite measurements, and radiosonde data, are used to investigate the boundary layer (BL) and aerosol-cloud-drizzle variations in this region. The BL at Point Alpha was typical of a non-drizzling stratocumulus-topped BL on days without predominately synoptic and meso-scale influences. The BL had a depth of 1140 ± 120 m, was well-mixed and capped by a sharp inversion. The wind direction generally switched from southerly within the BL to northerly above the inversion. The cloud liquid water path (LWP) varied between 15 g m-2 and 160 g m-2. From 29 October to 4 November, when a synoptic system affected conditions at Point Alpha, the cloud LWP was higher than on the other days by around 40 g m-2. On 1 and 2 November, a moist layer above the inversion moved over Point Alpha. The total-water specific humidity above the inversion was larger than that within the BL during these days. Entrainment rates (average of 1.5 ± 0.6 mm s-1) calculated from the near cloud-top fluxes and turbulence (vertical velocity variance) in the BL at Point Alpha appeared to be weaker than those in the BL over the open ocean west of Point Alpha and the BL near the coast of the northeast Pacific. The accumulation mode aerosol varied from 250 to 700 cm-3 within the BL, and CCN at 0.2 % supersaturation within the BL ranged between 150 and 550 cm-3. The main aerosol source at Point Alpha was horizontal advection within the BL from south. The average cloud droplet number concentration ranged between 80 and 400 cm-3, which was consistent with the satellite-derived values. The relationship of cloud droplet number concentration and CCN at 0.2 % supersaturation from 18 flights is Nd =4.6 × CCN0.71. While the mean LWP retrieved from GOES was in good agreement with the in situ measurements, the GOES-derived cloud droplet effective radius tended to be larger than that from the aircraft {in situ} observations near cloud top. The aerosol and cloud LWP relationship reveals that during the typical well-mixed BL days the cloud LWP increased with the CCN concentrations. On the other hand, meteorological factors and the decoupling processes have large influences on the cloud LWP variation as well.

Joint inversion of active and passive seismic data in Central Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Diana; Koulakov, I.; Rabbel, W.; Luehr, B.-G.; Wittwer, A.; Kopp, H.; Bohm, M.; Asch, G.

2007-08-01

Seismic and volcanic activities in Central Java, Indonesia, the area of interest of this study, are directly or indirectly related to the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate. In the framework of the MERapi AMphibious EXperiments (MERAMEX), a network consisting of about 130 seismographic stations was installed onshore and offshore in Central Java and operated for more than 150 days. In addition, 3-D active seismic experiments were carried out offshore. In this paper, we present the results of processing combined active and passive seismic data, which contain traveltimes from 292 local earthquakes and additional airgun shots along three offshore profiles. The inversion was performed using the updated LOTOS-06 code that allows processing for active and passive source data. The joint inversion of the active and passive data set considerably improves the resolution of the upper crust, especially in the offshore area in comparison to only passive data. The inversion results are verified using a series of synthetic tests. The resulting images show an exceptionally strong low-velocity anomaly (-30 per cent) in the backarc crust northward of the active volcanoes. In the upper mantle beneath the volcanoes, we observe a low-velocity anomaly inclined towards the slab, which probably reflects the paths of fluids and partially melted materials in the mantle wedge. The crust in the forearc appears to be strongly heterogeneous. The onshore part consists of two high-velocity blocks separated by a narrow low-velocity anomaly, which can be interpreted as a weakened contact zone between two rigid crustal bodies. The recent Java Mw = 6.3 earthquake (2006/05/26-UTC) occurred at the lower edge of this zone. Its focal strike slip mechanism is consistent with the orientation of this contact.

Tomographic imaging of Central Java, Indonesia: Preliminary result of joint inversion of the MERAMEX and MCGA earthquake data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohadi, Supriyanto; Widiyantoro, Sri; Nugraha, Andri Dian; Masturyono

2013-09-01

The realization of local earthquake tomography is usually conducted by removing distant events outside the study region, because these events may increase errors. In this study, tomographic inversion has been conducted using the travel time data of local and regional events in order to improve the structural resolution, especially for deep structures. We used the local MERapi Amphibious EXperiments (MERAMEX) data catalog that consists of 292 events from May to October 2004. The additional new data of regional events in the Java region were taken from the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (MCGA) of Indonesia, which consist of 882 events, having at least 10 recording phases at each seismographic station from April 2009 to February 2011. We have conducted joint inversions of the combined data sets using double-difference tomography to invert for velocity structures and to conduct hypocenter relocation simultaneously. The checkerboard test results of Vp and Vs structures demonstrate a significantly improved spatial resolution from the shallow crust down to a depth of 165 km. Our tomographic inversions reveal a low velocity anomaly beneath the Lawu - Merapi zone, which is consistent with the results from previous studies. A strong velocity anomaly zone with low Vp, low Vs and low Vp/Vs is also identified between Cilacap and Banyumas. We interpret this anomaly as a fluid content material with large aspect ratio or sediment layer. This anomaly zone is in a good agreement with the existence of a large dome containing sediment in this area as proposed by previous geological studies. A low velocity anomaly zone is also detected in Kebumen, where it may be related to the extensional oceanic basin toward the land.

Tomographic imaging of Central Java, Indonesia: Preliminary result of joint inversion of the MERAMEX and MCGA earthquake data

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

Rohadi, Supriyanto; Widiyantoro, Sri; Nugraha, Andri Dian

The realization of local earthquake tomography is usually conducted by removing distant events outside the study region, because these events may increase errors. In this study, tomographic inversion has been conducted using the travel time data of local and regional events in order to improve the structural resolution, especially for deep structures. We used the local MERapi Amphibious EXperiments (MERAMEX) data catalog that consists of 292 events from May to October 2004. The additional new data of regional events in the Java region were taken from the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (MCGA) of Indonesia, which consist of 882 events,more » having at least 10 recording phases at each seismographic station from April 2009 to February 2011. We have conducted joint inversions of the combined data sets using double-difference tomography to invert for velocity structures and to conduct hypocenter relocation simultaneously. The checkerboard test results of Vp and Vs structures demonstrate a significantly improved spatial resolution from the shallow crust down to a depth of 165 km. Our tomographic inversions reveal a low velocity anomaly beneath the Lawu - Merapi zone, which is consistent with the results from previous studies. A strong velocity anomaly zone with low Vp, low Vs and low Vp/Vs is also identified between Cilacap and Banyumas. We interpret this anomaly as a fluid content material with large aspect ratio or sediment layer. This anomaly zone is in a good agreement with the existence of a large dome containing sediment in this area as proposed by previous geological studies. A low velocity anomaly zone is also detected in Kebumen, where it may be related to the extensional oceanic basin toward the land.« less

"Four and Twenty Blackbirds": How Transcoding Ability Mediates the Relationship between Visuospatial Working Memory and Math in a Language with Inversion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Ven, Sanne H. G.; Klaiber, Jonathan D.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2017-01-01

Writing down spoken number words (transcoding) is an ability that is predictive of math performance and related to working memory ability. We analysed these relationships in a large sample of over 25,000 children, from kindergarten to the end of primary school, who solved transcoding items with a computer adaptive system. Furthermore, we…

A Least-Squares Commutator in the Iterative Subspace Method for Accelerating Self-Consistent Field Convergence.

PubMed

Li, Haichen; Yaron, David J

2016-11-08

A least-squares commutator in the iterative subspace (LCIIS) approach is explored for accelerating self-consistent field (SCF) calculations. LCIIS is similar to direct inversion of the iterative subspace (DIIS) methods in that the next iterate of the density matrix is obtained as a linear combination of past iterates. However, whereas DIIS methods find the linear combination by minimizing a sum of error vectors, LCIIS minimizes the Frobenius norm of the commutator between the density matrix and the Fock matrix. This minimization leads to a quartic problem that can be solved iteratively through a constrained Newton's method. The relationship between LCIIS and DIIS is discussed. Numerical experiments suggest that LCIIS leads to faster convergence than other SCF convergence accelerating methods in a statistically significant sense, and in a number of cases LCIIS leads to stable SCF solutions that are not found by other methods. The computational cost involved in solving the quartic minimization problem is small compared to the typical cost of SCF iterations and the approach is easily integrated into existing codes. LCIIS can therefore serve as a powerful addition to SCF convergence accelerating methods in computational quantum chemistry packages.

Mapping Antarctic Crustal Thickness using Gravity Inversion and Comparison with Seismic Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusznir, Nick; Ferraccioli, Fausto; Jordan, Tom

2017-04-01

Using gravity anomaly inversion, we produce comprehensive regional maps of crustal thickness and oceanic lithosphere distribution for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Crustal thicknesses derived from gravity inversion are consistent with seismic estimates. We determine Moho depth, crustal basement thickness, continental lithosphere thinning (1-1/β) and ocean-continent transition location using a 3D spectral domain gravity inversion method, which incorporates a lithosphere thermal gravity anomaly correction (Chappell & Kusznir 2008). The gravity anomaly contribution from ice thickness is included in the gravity inversion, as is the contribution from sediments which assumes a compaction controlled sediment density increase with depth. Data used in the gravity inversion are elevation and bathymetry, free-air gravity anomaly, the Bedmap 2 ice thickness and bedrock topography compilation south of 60 degrees south and relatively sparse constraints on sediment thickness. Ocean isochrons are used to define the cooling age of oceanic lithosphere. Crustal thicknesses from gravity inversion are compared with independent seismic estimates, which are still relatively sparse over Antarctica. Our gravity inversion study predicts thick crust (> 45 km) under interior East Antarctica, which is penetrated by narrow continental rifts featuring relatively thinner crust. The largest crustal thicknesses predicted from gravity inversion lie in the region of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, and are consistent with seismic estimates. The East Antarctic Rift System (EARS), a major Permian to Cretaceous age rift system, is imaged by our inversion and appears to extend from the continental margin at the Lambert Rift to the South Pole region, a distance of 2500 km. Offshore an extensive region of either thick oceanic crust or highly thinned continental crust lies adjacent to Oates Land and north Victoria Land, and also off West Antarctica around the Amundsen Ridges. Thin crust is predicted under the Ross Sea and beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and delineates the regional extent of the broad West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). Substantial regional uplift is required under Marie Byrd Land to reconcile gravity and seismic estimates. A mantle dynamic uplift origin of the uplift is preferred to a thermal anomaly from a very young rift. The new maps produced by this study support the hypothesis that one branch of the WARS links through to the De Gerlache sea-mounts and Peter I Island in the Bellingshausen Sea region, while another branch may link to the George V Sound Rift in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Crustal thickness and lithosphere thinning derived from gravity inversion also allows the determination of circum-Antarctic ocean-continent transition structure and the mapping of continent-ocean boundary location. Superposition of illuminated satellite gravity data onto crustal thickness maps from gravity inversion provides improved determination of Southern Ocean rift orientation, pre-breakup rifted margin conjugacy and continental breakup trajectory. The continental lithosphere thinning distribution, used to define the initial thermal model temperature perturbation, is derived from the gravity inversion and uses no a priori isochron information; as a consequence the gravity inversion method provides a prediction of ocean-continent transition location, which is independent of ocean isochron information.

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.

Parts-based geophysical inversion with application to water flooding interface detection and geological facies detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Junwei

I built parts-based and manifold based mathematical learning model for the geophysical inverse problem and I applied this approach to two problems. One is related to the detection of the oil-water encroachment front during the water flooding of an oil reservoir. In this application, I propose a new 4D inversion approach based on the Gauss-Newton approach to invert time-lapse cross-well resistance data. The goal of this study is to image the position of the oil-water encroachment front in a heterogeneous clayey sand reservoir. This approach is based on explicitly connecting the change of resistivity to the petrophysical properties controlling the position of the front (porosity and permeability) and to the saturation of the water phase through a petrophysical resistivity model accounting for bulk and surface conductivity contributions and saturation. The distributions of the permeability and porosity are also inverted using the time-lapse resistivity data in order to better reconstruct the position of the oil water encroachment front. In our synthetic test case, we get a better position of the front with the by-products of porosity and permeability inferences near the flow trajectory and close to the wells. The numerical simulations show that the position of the front is recovered well but the distribution of the recovered porosity and permeability is only fair. A comparison with a commercial code based on a classical Gauss-Newton approach with no information provided by the two-phase flow model fails to recover the position of the front. The new approach could be also used for the time-lapse monitoring of various processes in both geothermal fields and oil and gas reservoirs using a combination of geophysical methods. A paper has been published in Geophysical Journal International on this topic and I am the first author of this paper. The second application is related to the detection of geological facies boundaries and their deforation to satisfy to geophysica data and prior distributions. We pose the geophysical inverse problem in terms of Gaussian random fields with mean functions controlled by petrophysical relationships and covariance functions controlled by a prior geological cross-section, including the definition of spatial boundaries for the geological facies. The petrophysical relationship problem is formulated as a regression problem upon each facies. The inversion is performed in a Bayesian framework. We demonstrate the usefulness of this strategy using a first synthetic case study, performing a joint inversion of gravity and galvanometric resistivity data with the stations all located at the ground surface. The joint inversion is used to recover the density and resistivity distributions of the subsurface. In a second step, we consider the possibility that the facies boundaries are deformable and their shapes are inverted as well. We use the level set approach to deform the facies boundaries preserving prior topological properties of the facies throughout the inversion. With the additional help of prior facies petrophysical relationships, topological characteristic of each facies, we make posterior inference about multiple geophysical tomograms based on their corresponding geophysical data misfits. The result of the inversion technique is encouraging when applied to a second synthetic case study, showing that we can recover the heterogeneities inside the facies, the mean values for the petrophysical properties, and, to some extent, the facies boundaries. A paper has been submitted to Geophysics on this topic and I am the first author of this paper. During this thesis, I also worked on the time lapse inversion problem of gravity data in collaboration with Marios Karaoulis and a paper was published in Geophysical Journal international on this topic. I also worked on the time-lapse inversion of cross-well geophysical data (seismic and resistivity) using both a structural approach named the cross-gradient approach and a petrophysical approach. A paper was published in Geophysics on this topic.

Joint inversion of regional and teleseismic earthquake waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Mark R.; Doser, Diane I.

1988-03-01

A least squares joint inversion technique for regional and teleseismic waveforms is presented. The mean square error between seismograms and synthetics is minimized using true amplitudes. Matching true amplitudes in modeling requires meaningful estimates of modeling uncertainties and of seismogram signal-to-noise ratios. This also permits calculating linearized uncertainties on the solution based on accuracy and resolution. We use a priori estimates of earthquake parameters to stabilize unresolved parameters, and for comparison with a posteriori uncertainties. We verify the technique on synthetic data, and on the 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho (M = 7.3), earthquake. We demonstrate the inversion on the August 1954 Rainbow Mountain, Nevada (M = 6.8), earthquake and find parameters consistent with previous studies.

Effects of shoot inversion on stem structure in Pharbitis nil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, T. K.; Sack, F. D.; Cline, M. G.

1988-01-01

The effects of shoot inversion on stem structure over 72 hr were investigated in Pharbitis nil by analyzing cell number, cell length, and the cross sectional areas of cells, tissues, and regions. An increase in stem diameter can be attributed to an increase in both cell number and cross sectional area of pith (primarily) and vascular tissue (secondarily). Qualitative observations of cell wall thickness in the light microscope did not reveal any significant effects of shoot inversion on this parameter. The inhibition of shoot elongation was accompanied by a significant decrease in cell length in the pith. The results are generally consistent with an ethylene effect on cell dimensions, especially in the pith.

How a European network may help with estimating methane emissions on the French national scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pison, Isabelle; Berchet, Antoine; Saunois, Marielle; Bousquet, Philippe; Broquet, Grégoire; Conil, Sébastien; Delmotte, Marc; Ganesan, Anita; Laurent, Olivier; Martin, Damien; O'Doherty, Simon; Ramonet, Michel; Spain, T. Gerard; Vermeulen, Alex; Yver Kwok, Camille

2018-03-01

Methane emissions on the national scale in France in 2012 are inferred by assimilating continuous atmospheric mixing ratio measurements from nine stations of the European network ICOS located in France and surrounding countries. To assess the robustness of the fluxes deduced by our inversion system based on an objectified quantification of uncertainties, two complementary inversion set-ups are computed and analysed: (i) a regional run correcting for the spatial distribution of fluxes in France and (ii) a sectorial run correcting fluxes for activity sectors on the national scale. In addition, our results for the two set-ups are compared with fluxes produced in the framework of the inversion inter-comparison exercise of the InGOS project. The seasonal variability in fluxes is consistent between different set-ups, with maximum emissions in summer, likely due to agricultural activity. However, very high monthly posterior uncertainties (up to ≈ 65 to 74 % in the sectorial run in May and June) make it difficult to attribute maximum emissions to a specific sector. On the yearly and national scales, the two inversions range from 3835 to 4050 Gg CH4 and from 3570 to 4190 Gg CH4 for the regional and sectorial runs, respectively, consistently with the InGOS products. These estimates are 25 to 55 % higher than the total national emissions from bottom-up approaches (biogeochemical models from natural emissions, plus inventories for anthropogenic ones), consistently pointing at missing or underestimated sources in the inventories and/or in natural sources. More specifically, in the sectorial set-up, agricultural emissions are inferred as 66% larger than estimates reported to the UNFCCC. Uncertainties in the total annual national budget are 108 and 312 Gg CH4, i.e, 3 to 8 %, for the regional and sectorial runs respectively, smaller than uncertainties in available bottom-up products, proving the added value of top-down atmospheric inversions. Therefore, even though the surface network used in 2012 does not allow us to fully constrain all regions in France accurately, a regional inversion set-up makes it possible to provide estimates of French methane fluxes with an uncertainty in the total budget of less than 10 % on the yearly timescale. Additional sites deployed since 2012 would help to constrain French emissions on finer spatial and temporal scales and attributing missing emissions to specific sectors.

Turbulent Equilibria for Charged Particles in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Peter

2017-04-01

The solar wind electron distribution function is apparently composed of several components including non-thermal tail population. The electron distribution that contains energetic tail feature is well fitted with the kappa distribution function. The solar wind protons also possess quasi power-law tail distribution function that is well fitted with an inverse power law model. The present paper discusses the latest theoretical development regarding the dynamical steady-state solution of electrons and Langmuir turbulence that are in turbulent equilibrium. According to such a theory, the Maxwellian and kappa distribution functions for the electrons emerge as the only two possible solution that satisfy the steady-state weak turbulence plasma kinetic equation. For the proton inverse power-law tail problem, a similar turbulent equilibrium solution can be conceived of, but instead of high-frequency Langmuir fluctuation, the theory involves low-frequency kinetic Alfvenic turbulence. The steady-state solution of the self-consistent proton kinetic equation and wave kinetic equation for Alfvenic waves can be found in order to obtain a self-consistent solution for the inverse power law tail distribution function.