Generalized optical theorems for the reconstruction of Green's function of an inhomogeneous elastic medium

This paper investigates the reconstruction of elastic Green's function from the cross-correlation of waves excited by random noise in the context of scattering theory. Using a general operator equation, -the resolvent formula-, Green's function reconstruction is established when the noise sources satisfy an equipartition condition. In an inhomogeneous medium, the operator formalism leads to generalized forms of optical theorem involving the off-shell $T$-matrix of elastic waves, which describes scattering in the near-field. The role of temporal absorption in the formulation of the theorem is discussed. Previously established symmetry and reciprocity relations involving the on-shell $T$-matrix are recovered in the usual far-field and infinitesimal absorption limits. The theory is applied to a point scattering model for elastic waves. The $T$-matrix of the point scatterer incorporating all recurrent scattering loops is obtained by a regularization procedure. The physical significance of the point scatterer is discussed. In particular this model satisfies the off-shell version of the generalized optical theorem. The link between equipartition and Green's function reconstruction in a scattering medium is discussed

Generating Self-Organizing Stomach Tissue from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Advances in developmental research have allowed for the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into various somatic cells in vitro. Recently, it was revealed that the aggregation of pluripotent stem cells or their derivatives during differentiation in three-dimensional (3D) cultures with collagen gel could mimic the process of spontaneous organogenesis in vitro as mimicking proper development in vivo. These methods are thought to be useful for monitoring the progress of organ formation and disease physiology, as could be done in an experimental animal. Here, we introduce a recently established method for stomach lineage differentiation from pluripotent stem cells with Matrigel-based 3D culture leading to stomach development. This method induces embryonic stem cell (ES cell) aggregates to spontaneously self-organize into stomach tissue; therefore, it has potential for modeling stomach organogenesis and development in vitro. We further discuss the ability of these in vitro stomach tissues to serve as a new model for gastric disease

Analyst B: Analysis of the UTexas1 Passive Linear Surface Wave Dataset

A linear array consisting of 24 1 Hz geophones at 10 m spacing was used to measure the passive surface waves at the UTexas1 site. This paper describes analysis of this dataset using three different methods: ESPAC (extended spatial autocorrelation), f-k (frequency-wavenumber), and ReMi (refraction microtremor). Dispersion curves were developed using each method and the median trends as well as the uncertainty about the medians are compared. The dispersion curves were then individually inverted to estimate shear wave velocity profiles. The inversion results are compared, and a bounded best-estimate shear wave velocity profile is presented. For the site conditions, specific recording equipment, and array geometry the ESPAC method was the most consistent between recordings and able to resolve the lowest frequency Rayleigh waves. The shear wave velocity of all three methods were in close agreement in the upper 20 m above a stiff layer, but were increasing disparate as depth increased. All three methods resolved a velocity inversion, a stiff layer, at roughly 20 m to 55 m depth overlying softer material. As is expected with surface wave methods, and particularly with passive methods that are measuring ambient noise along single linear array, the uncertainty in the dispersion curves increased with decreasing frequency, and the uncertainty in the shear wave velocity profiles increased with increasing depth

Regulation of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A2 (PAPPA2) in a human placental trophoblast cell line (BeWo)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A2 (PAPPA2) is an insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP) protease expressed at high levels in the placenta and upregulated in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and HELLP (Hemolytic anemia, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet count) syndrome. However, it is unclear whether elevated PAPPA2 expression causes abnormal placental development, or whether upregulation compensates for placental pathology. In the present study, we investigate whether PAPPA2 expression is affected by hypoxia, oxidative stress, syncytialization factors or substances known to affect the expression of PAPPA2's paralogue, PAPPA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>BeWo cells, a model of placental trophoblasts, were treated with one of the following: hypoxia (2% O2), oxidative stress (20 microM hydrogen peroxide), forskolin (10 microM and 100 microM), TGF-beta (10 and 50 ng/mL), TNF-alpha (100 ng/mL), IL-1beta (100 ng/mL) or PGE2 (1 microM). We used quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to quantify the mRNA levels of PAPPA2, as well as those of PAPPA and ADAM12 since these proteases have similar substrates and are also highly expressed in the placenta. Where we observed significant effects on PAPPA2 mRNA levels, we tested for effects at the protein level using an in-cell Western assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Hypoxia, but not oxidative stress, caused a 47-fold increase in PAPPA2 mRNA expression, while TNF-alpha resulted in a 6-fold increase, and both of these effects were confirmed at the protein level. PGE2 resulted in a 14-fold upregulation of PAPPA2 mRNA but this was not reflected at the protein level. Forskolin, TGF-beta and IL-1beta had no significant effect on PAPPA2 mRNA expression. We observed no effects of any treatment on PAPPA or ADAM12 expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study demonstrates that factors previously known to be highly expressed in preeclamptic placentae (PGE2 and TNF-alpha), contribute to the upregulation of PAPPA2. Hypoxia, known to occur in preeclamptic placentae, also increased PAPPA2 expression. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that PAPPA2 is upregulated as a consequence of placental pathology, rather than elevated PAPPA2 levels being a cause of preeclampsia.</p

Quasinormal ringing of acoustic black holes in Laval nozzles: Numerical simulations

Quasinormal ringing of acoustic black holes in Laval nozzles is discussed. The equation for sounds in a transonic flow is written into a Schr\"{o}dinger-type equation with a potential barrier, and the quasinormal frequencies are calculated semianalytically. From the results of numerical simulations, it is shown that the quasinormal modes are actually excited when the transonic flow is formed or slightly perturbed, as well as in the real black hole case. In an actual experiment, however, the purely-outgoing boundary condition will not be satisfied at late times due to the wave reflection at the end of the apparatus, and a late-time ringing will be expressed as a superposition of "boxed" quasinormal modes. It is shown that the late-time ringing damps more slowly than the ordinary quasinormal ringing, while its central frequency is not greatly different from that of the ordinary one. Using this fact, an efficient way for experimentally detecting the quasinormal ringing of an acoustic black hole is discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Phase statistics of seismic coda waves

We report the analysis of the statistics of the phase fluctuations in the coda of earthquakes recorded during a temporary experiment deployed at Pinyon Flats Observatory, California. The practical measurement of the phase is discussed and the main pitfalls are underlined. For large values, the experimental distributions of the phase first, second and third derivatives obey universal power-law decays whose exponents are remarkably well predicted by circular Gaussian statistics. For small values, these distributions are flat. The details of the transition between the plateau and the power-law behavior are governed by the wavelength. The correlation function of the first phase derivative along the array shows a simple algebro-exponential decay with the mean free path as the only length scale. Although only loose bounds are provided in this study, our work suggests a new method to estimate the degree of heterogeneity of the crComment: 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

CSDP: The seismology of continental thermal regimes: Final report for period April 1, 1986-April 1, 1987

This report describes progress in the study of both wave propagation in complex structures and source mechanism of geothermal seismic events. The following work was accomplished in the past one-year period: (1) interpretation of long-period events observed at Mt. St. Helens and at the Fenton Hill hot-dry-rock experimental site in terms of seismic radiation from a fluid-filled crack; (2) interpretation of teleseismic data collected in and near the Valles caldera in terms of a model with irregular topography, caldera fill, and magma chamber; (3) interpretation of VSP (Vertical Seismic Profiling) data from the Oroville fault zone by ray tracing and polarization calculation for P, SV, and SH waves in heterogeneous and anisotropic media containing aligned fluid-filled and/or dry cracks; and (4) development of a new powerful method for calculating seismic motions in media with irregular topography and interfaces by the superposition of Gaussian Beams

Optical Coronagraphic Spectroscopy of AU Mic: Evidence of Time Variable Colors?

We present coronagraphic long slit spectra of AU Mic's debris disk taken with the STIS instrument aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Our spectra are the first spatially resolved, scattered light spectra of the system's disk, which we detect at projected distances between approximately 10 and 45 AU. Our spectra cover a wavelength range between 5200 and 10200 angstroms. We find that the color of AU Mic's debris disk is bluest at small (12-35 AU) projected separations. These results both confirm and quantify the findings qualitatively noted by Krist et al. (2005), and are different than IR observations that suggested a uniform blue or gray color as a function of projected separation in this region of the disk. Unlike previous literature that reported the color of AU Mic's disk became increasingly more blue as a function of projected separation beyond approximately 30 AU, we find the disk's optical color between 35-45 AU to be uniformly blue on the southeast side of the disk and decreasingly blue on the northwest side. We note that this apparent change in disk color at larger projected separations coincides with several fast, outward moving "features" that are passing through this region of the southeast side of the disk. We speculate that these phenomenon might be related, and that the fast moving features could be changing the localized distribution of sub-micron sized grains as they pass by, thereby reducing the blue color of the disk in the process. We encourage follow-up optical spectroscopic observations of the AU Mic to both confirm this result, and search for further modifications of the disk color caused by additional fast moving features propagating through the disk.Comment: Accepted by AJ, 13 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

CSDP: Seismology of continental thermal regime

This is a progress report for the past one year of research (year 2 of 5-year project) under the project titled CSDP: Seismology of Continental Thermal Regime'', in which we proposed to develop seismological interpretation theory and methods applicable to complex structures encountered in continental geothermal areas and apply them to several candidate sites for the Continental Scientific Drilling Project. During the past year, two Ph.D. thesis works were completed under the present project. One is a USC thesis on seismic wave propagation in anisotropic media with application to defining fractures in the earth. The other is a MIT thesis on seismic Q and velocity structure for the magma-hydrothermal system of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico. The P.I. co-organized the first International Workshop on Volcanic Seismology at Capri, Italy in October 1988, and presented the keynote paper on the state-of-art of volcanic seismology''. We presented another paper at the workshop on Assorted Seismic Signals from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. Another international meeting, namely, the Chapman Conference on seismic anisotropy in the earth's crust at Berkeley, California in May 1988, was co-organized by the co-P.I. (P.C.L), and we presented our work on seismic waves in heterogeneous and anisotropic media. Adding the publications and presentations made in the past year to the list for the preceding year, the following table lists 21 papers published, submitted or presented in the past two years of the present project. 65 refs., 334 figs., 1 tab