251 research outputs found
Fuzzy set approach to calibrating distributed flood inundation models using remote sensing observations
The paper presents a methodology for the estimation of uncertainty of inundation extent, which takes account of the uncertainty in the observed spatially distributed information and implements a fuzzy evaluation methodology. The Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) technique and the 2-D LISFLOOD-FP model were applied to derive the set of uncertain inundation realisations and resulting flood inundation maps. Conditioning of the inundation maps on fuzzified Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images results in much more realistic inundation risk maps which can better depict the variable pattern of inundation extent than previously used methods. It has been shown that the evaluation methodology compares well to traditional approaches and can produce flood hazard maps that reflect the uncertainties in model evaluation
Genetic polymorphism of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) 1334G/A in patients with colorectal cancer
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A Refined Approach to Model Anisotropy in the Lowermost Mantle
© 2018 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved. Seismic anisotropy in the lowermost mantle has been attributed to texture development during mantle convection. This study models texture evolution in a subducting slab impinging on the core-mantle boundary. Using a 3-dimensional geodynamic model with tracers recording the deformation history, a visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) model for polycrystal deformation, and relying on experimentally determined slip systems, aggregate grains with volume fractions of 60% orthorhombic silicate perovskite (MgSiO3), 20% cubic calcium perovskite (CaSiO3), and 20% cubic ferropericlase ((Mg,Fe)O) were deformed plastically and developed crystal preferred orientation. Forward and reverse perovskite (Pv)-postperovskite (PPv) phase transitions were included by allowing for likely orientation variant selections. Grain orientations, P (compression) and S (shear) wave velocity pole figures were calculated for each phase as well as the aggregate. The results show that dominant (001) slip on PPv can produce strong texture and shear wave anisotropy of 0.01-3.07% with VSH >VSV which agrees with seismological observations in selected areas of the D" layer
Global variation of body‐wave attenuation in the upper mantle from teleseismic P wave and S wave spectra
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95463/1/grl27917.pd
Association between the c.*229C>T polymorphism of the topoisomerase IIb binding protein 1 (TopBP1) gene and breast cancer
Topoisomerase IIb binding protein 1 (TopBP1)
is involved in cell survival, DNA replication, DNA damage
repair and cell cycle checkpoint control. The biological
function of TopBP1 and its close relation with BRCA1
prompted us to investigate whether alterations in the
TopBP1 gene can influence the risk of breast cancer.
The aim of this study was to examine the association
between five polymorphisms (rs185903567, rs116645643,
rs115160714, rs116195487, and rs112843513) located in
the 30UTR region of the TopBP1 gene and breast cancer
risk as well as allele-specific gene expression. Five hundred
thirty-four breast cancer patients and 556 population controls
were genotyped for these SNPs. Allele-specific Top-
BP1 mRNA and protein expressions were determined by
using real time PCR and western blotting methods,
respectively. Only one SNP (rs115160714) showed an
association with breast cancer. Compared to homozygous
common allele carriers, heterozygous and homozygous for
the T variant had significantly increased risk of breast
cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 3.81, 95 % confidence
interval: 1.63–8.34, p = 0.001). Mean TopBP1 mRNA and
protein expression were higher in the individuals with the
CT or TT genotype. There was a significant association
between the rs115160714 and tumor grade and stage. Most
carriers of minor allele had a high grade (G3) tumors
classified as T2-T4N1M0. Our study raises a possibility
that a genetic variation of TopBP1 may be implicated in
the etiology of breast cancer
Tracing very high energy neutrinos from cosmological distances in ice
Astrophysical sources of ultrahigh energy neutrinos yield tau neutrino fluxes
due to neutrino oscillations. We study in detail the contribution of tau
neutrinos with energies above PeV relative to the contribution of the other
flavors. We consider several different initial neutrino fluxes and include tau
neutrino regeneration in transit through the Earth and energy loss of charged
leptons. We discuss signals of tau neutrinos in detectors such as IceCube, RICE
and ANITA.Comment: 27 pages, 19 figure
Geo-neutrinos: A systematic approach to uncertainties and correlations
Geo-neutrinos emitted by heat-producing elements (U, Th and K) represent a
unique probe of the Earth interior. The characterization of their fluxes is
subject, however, to rather large and highly correlated uncertainties. The
geochemical covariance of the U, Th and K abundances in various Earth
reservoirs induces positive correlations among the associated geo-neutrino
fluxes, and between these and the radiogenic heat. Mass-balance constraints in
the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE) tend instead to anti-correlate the radiogenic
element abundances in complementary reservoirs. Experimental geo-neutrino
observables may be further (anti)correlated by instrumental effects. In this
context, we propose a systematic approach to covariance matrices, based on the
fact that all the relevant geo-neutrino observables and constraints can be
expressed as linear functions of the U, Th and K abundances in the Earth's
reservoirs (with relatively well-known coefficients). We briefly discuss here
the construction of a tentative "geo-neutrino source model" (GNSM) for the U,
Th, and K abundances in the main Earth reservoirs, based on selected
geophysical and geochemical data and models (when available), on plausible
hypotheses (when possible), and admittedly on arbitrary assumptions (when
unavoidable). We use then the GNSM to make predictions about several
experiments ("forward approach"), and to show how future data can constrain - a
posteriori - the error matrix of the model itself ("backward approach"). The
method may provide a useful statistical framework for evaluating the impact and
the global consistency of prospective geo-neutrino measurements and Earth
models.Comment: 17 pages, including 4 figures. To appear on "Earth, Moon, and
Planets," Special Issue on "Neutrino Geophysics," Proceedings of Neutrino
Science 2005 (Honolulu, Hawaii, Dec. 2005
XRCC2 R188H (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M (rs861539) and R243H (rs77381814) single nucleotide polymorphisms in cervical cancer risk
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions. Transformation may be induced by several mechanisms, including oncogene activation and genome instability. Individual differences in DNA damage recognition and repair have been hypothesized to influence cervical cancer risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the double strand break gene polymorphisms XRCC2 R188H G>A (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M C>T (rs861539) and R243H G>A (rs77381814) are associated to cervical cancer in Argentine women. A case control study consisting of 322 samples (205 cases and 117 controls) was carried out. HPV DNA detection was performed by PCR and genotyping of positive samples by EIA (enzyme immunoassay). XRCC2 and 3 polymorphisms were determined by pyrosequencing. The HPV-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of XRCC2 188 GG/AG genotypes was OR = 2.4 (CI = 1.1-4.9, p = 0.02) for cervical cancer. In contrast, there was no increased risk for cervical cancer with XRCC3 241 TT/CC genotypes (OR = 0.48; CI = 0.2-1; p = 0.1) or XRCC3 241 CT/CC (OR = 0.87; CI = 0.52-1.4; p = 0.6). Regarding XRCC3 R243H, the G allele was almost fixed in the population studied. In conclusion, although the sample size was modest, the present data indicate a statistical association between cervical cancer and XRCC2 R188H polymorphism. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.Fil: Perez, Luis Orlando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Crivaro, Andrea Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Barbisan, Gisela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Poleri, Lucía Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Golijow, Carlos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentin
New approach to detect seismic surface waves in 1Hz-sampled GPS time series
Recently, co-seismic seismic source characterization based on GPS measurements has been completed in near- and far-field with remarkable results. However, the accuracy of the ground displacement measurement inferred from GPS phase residuals is still depending of the distribution of satellites in the sky. We test here a method, based on the double difference (DD) computations of Line of Sight (LOS), that allows detecting 3D co-seismic ground shaking. The DD method is a quasi-analytically free of most of intrinsic errors affecting GPS measurements. The seismic waves presented in this study produced DD amplitudes 4 and 7 times stronger than the background noise. The method is benchmarked using the GEONET GPS stations recording the Hokkaido Earthquake (2003 September 25th, Mw = 8.3)
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