A survey on tidal analysis and forecasting methods for Tsunami detection

Accurate analysis and forecasting of tidal level are very important tasks for human activities in oceanic and coastal areas. They can be crucial in catastrophic situations like occurrences of Tsunamis in order to provide a rapid alerting to the human population involved and to save lives. Conventional tidal forecasting methods are based on harmonic analysis using the least squares method to determine harmonic parameters. However, a large number of parameters and long-term measured data are required for precise tidal level predictions with harmonic analysis. Furthermore, traditional harmonic methods rely on models based on the analysis of astronomical components and they can be inadequate when the contribution of non-astronomical components, such as the weather, is significant. Other alternative approaches have been developed in the literature in order to deal with these situations and provide predictions with the desired accuracy, with respect also to the length of the available tidal record. These methods include standard high or band pass filtering techniques, although the relatively deterministic character and large amplitude of tidal signals make special techniques, like artificial neural networks and wavelets transform analysis methods, more effective. This paper is intended to provide the communities of both researchers and practitioners with a broadly applicable, up to date coverage of tidal analysis and forecasting methodologies that have proven to be successful in a variety of circumstances, and that hold particular promise for success in the future. Classical and novel methods are reviewed in a systematic and consistent way, outlining their main concepts and components, similarities and differences, advantages and disadvantages

Identification of Sequence Variants in the UBL5 (Ubiquitin-like 5 or BEACON) Gene in Obese Children by PCR-SSCP: No Evidence for Association with Obesity RID A-1555-2012

Background: Childhood obesity has a strong genetic background. The human UBL5 (BEACON) gene has been suggested as a candidate gene for obesity. Previous studies in populations of different ethnicities have shown a significant association between UBL5 variants and measures of body fatness. Aims: To identify mutations that may cause early-onset obesity we screened the UBL5 gene for sequence variations in a cohort of obese children who also had at least one obese parent (BMI >30 kg/m(2)) diagnosed before the age of 30 years. Methods: We screened the UBL5 gene by PCR-SSCP and sequencing in a cohort (n = 30) of obese children (mean age 6.9 +/- 3 yr), and then analysed SNPs by HRMA in a population of 160 obese and 140 lean individuals. Results: Three sequence variations were detected: -422T>C in the 5'-UTR region, and -8007>A (rs10418248) and -8606>T in the promoter region. The SNPs -422 T>C in the 5'-UTR region and -8606>T have never been described before. These two SNPs did not co-segregate with obesity in relatives of the obese carriers. However, since in silico analysis of the -8606>T SNP region predicted a loss of the consensus binding site for RXR-alpha and RXR-beta, both involved in adipose cell regulation, we screened the -8606>T variant in a cohort of 300 individuals, 160 young obese (mean age 33 years) and 140 lean individuals. No differences in genotype distribution or in -860T allele frequencies were found between the two groups (1.8% vs 1.4%, p = NS). In addition, no association was found between obesity and the previously described -800T>A SNP (rs10418248). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the UBL5 gene is unlikely to play a major role in the genetic susceptibility to early-onset obesity in our population

The glucose clamp reveals an association between adiponectin gene polymorphisms and insulin sensitivity in obese subjects

Results concerning the association of adiponectin gene polymorphisms (single-nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic disorders and insulin resistance have not lead to definite conclusions. The aim of our study was to investigate a possible association between the -11391G>A and -11377C>G SNPs of adiponectin gene and measure of insulin sensitivity evaluated by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in a group of 'uncomplicated' obese subjects (with no associated comorbidities) (n=99, mean age 35 years) with a history of obesity lasting at least 10 years. The study of uncomplicated obese subjects, free of possible confounding factors that could interfere with insulin sensitivity, such as pharmacological treatment, provides a good model to assess insulin sensitivity per se. We observed that subjects homozygous for the G allele at locus -11391 had lower M (mg/kg min)/fat-free mass (FFM) index and adiponectin levels compared to subjects with GA+AA genotypes (P=0.002 and P=0.03, respectively) and subjects carrying the -11377G variant had lower M (mg/kg min)/FFM index and adiponectin levels compared to noncarriers (P=0.003 and P=0.03, respectively). Our results imply that the two promoter SNPs, -11391G>A and -11377C>G, of the adiponectin gene are associated with a reduced insulin sensitivity evaluated by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in obese subjects. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved