Coseismic Slip and Afterslip of the Great M_w 9.15 Sumatra–Andaman Earthquake of 2004

We determine coseismic and the first-month postseismic deformation associated with the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 from near- field Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys in northwestern Sumatra and along the Nicobar-Andaman islands, continuous and campaign GPS measurements from Thailand and Malaysia, and in situ and remotely sensed observations of the vertical motion of coral reefs. The coseismic model shows that the Sunda subduction megathrust ruptured over a distance of about 1500 km and a width of less than 150 km, releasing a total moment of 6.7–7.0 x 10^(22) N m, equivalent to a magnitude M_w 9.15. The latitudinal distribution of released moment in our model has three distinct peaks at about 4° N, 7° N, and 9° N, which compares well to the latitudinal variations seen in the seismic inversion and of the analysis of radiated T waves. Our coseismic model is also consistent with interpretation of normal modes and with the amplitude of very-long-period surface waves. The tsunami predicted from this model fits relatively well the altimetric measurements made by the JASON and TOPEX satellites. Neither slow nor delayed slip is needed to explain the normal modes and the tsunami wave. The near-field geodetic data that encompass both coseismic deformation and up to 40 days of postseismic deformation require that slip must have continued on the plate interface after the 500-sec-long seismic rupture. The postseismic geodetic moment of about 2.4 x 10^(22) N m (M_w 8.8) is equal to about 30 ± 5% of the coseismic moment release. Evolution of postseismic deformation is consistent with rate-strengthening frictional afterslip

Wolbachia and DNA barcoding insects: patterns, potential and problems

Wolbachia is a genus of bacterial endosymbionts that impacts the breeding systems of their hosts. Wolbachia can confuse the patterns of mitochondrial variation, including DNA barcodes, because it influences the pathways through which mitochondria are inherited. We examined the extent to which these endosymbionts are detected in routine DNA barcoding, assessed their impact upon the insect sequence divergence and identification accuracy, and considered the variation present in Wolbachia COI. Using both standard PCR assays (Wolbachia surface coding protein – wsp), and bacterial COI fragments we found evidence of Wolbachia in insect total genomic extracts created for DNA barcoding library construction. When >2 million insect COI trace files were examined on the Barcode of Life Datasystem (BOLD) Wolbachia COI was present in 0.16% of the cases. It is possible to generate Wolbachia COI using standard insect primers; however, that amplicon was never confused with the COI of the host. Wolbachia alleles recovered were predominantly Supergroup A and were broadly distributed geographically and phylogenetically. We conclude that the presence of the Wolbachia DNA in total genomic extracts made from insects is unlikely to compromise the accuracy of the DNA barcode library; in fact, the ability to query this DNA library (the database and the extracts) for endosymbionts is one of the ancillary benefits of such a large scale endeavor – for which we provide several examples. It is our conclusion that regular assays for Wolbachia presence and type can, and should, be adopted by large scale insect barcoding initiatives. While COI is one of the five multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) genes used for categorizing Wolbachia, there is limited overlap with the eukaryotic DNA barcode region

F11RS SGB No. 14 (Part-Time Student Exclusion)

A BILL To amend the Student Government Bylaw

Decision trees to characterise the roles of permeability and solubility on the prediction of oral absorption

Oral absorption of compounds depends on many physiological, physiochemical and formulation factors. Two important properties that govern oral absorption are in vitro permeability and solubility, which are commonly used as indicators of human intestinal absorption. Despite this, the nature and exact characteristics of the relationship between these parameters are not well understood. In this study a large dataset of human intestinal absorption was collated along with in vitro permeability, aqueous solubility, melting point, and maximum dose for the same compounds. The dataset allowed a permeability threshold to be established objectively to predict high or low intestinal absorption. Using this permeability threshold, classification decision trees incorporating a solubility-related parameter such as experimental or predicted solubility, or the melting point based absorption potential (MPbAP), along with structural molecular descriptors were developed and validated to predict oral absorption class. The decision trees were able to determine the individual roles of permeability and solubility in oral absorption process. Poorly permeable compounds with high solubility show low intestinal absorption, whereas poorly water soluble compounds with high or low permeability may have high intestinal absorption provided that they have certain molecular characteristics such as a small polar surface or specific topology. © 2014 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS

A haptic-robotic platform for upper-limb reaching stroke therapy: Preliminary design and evaluation results

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been shown that intense training can significantly improve post-stroke upper-limb functionality. However, opportunities for stroke survivors to practice rehabilitation exercises can be limited because of the finite availability of therapists and equipment. This paper presents a haptic-enabled exercise platform intended to assist therapists and moderate-level stroke survivors perform upper-limb reaching motion therapy. This work extends on existing knowledge by presenting: 1) an anthropometrically-inspired design that maximizes elbow and shoulder range of motions during exercise; 2) an unobtrusive upper body postural sensing system; and 3) a vibratory elbow stimulation device to encourage muscle movement.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multi-disciplinary team of professionals were involved in identifying the rehabilitation needs of stroke survivors incorporating these into a prototype device. The prototype system consisted of an exercise device, postural sensors, and a elbow stimulation to encourage the reaching movement. Eight experienced physical and occupational therapists participated in a pilot study exploring the usability of the prototype. Each therapist attended two sessions of one hour each to test and evaluate the proposed system. Feedback about the device was obtained through an administered questionnaire and combined with quantitative data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven of the nine questions regarding the haptic exercise device scored higher than 3.0 (somewhat good) out of 4.0 (good). The postural sensors detected 93 of 96 (97%) therapist-simulated abnormal postures and correctly ignored 90 of 96 (94%) of normal postures. The elbow stimulation device had a score lower than 2.5 (neutral) for all aspects that were surveyed, however the therapists felt the rehabilitation system was sufficient for use without the elbow stimulation device.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>All eight therapists felt the exercise platform could be a good tool to use in upper-limb rehabilitation as the prototype was considered to be generally well designed and capable of delivering reaching task therapy. The next stage of this project is to proceed to clinical trials with stroke patients.</p

Beyond the Colours: Discovering Hidden Diversity in the Nymphalidae of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico through DNA Barcoding

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of DNA barcoding in the discovery of overlooked species and in the connection of immature and adult stages. In this study, we use DNA barcoding to examine diversity patterns in 121 species of Nymphalidae from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Our results suggest the presence of cryptic species in 8 of these 121 taxa. As well, the reference database derived from the analysis of adult specimens allowed the identification of nymphalid caterpillars providing new details on host plant use. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We gathered DNA barcode sequences from 857 adult Nymphalidae representing 121 different species. This total includes four species (Adelpha iphiclus, Adelpha malea, Hamadryas iphtime and Taygetis laches) that were initially overlooked because of their close morphological similarity to other species. The barcode results showed that each of the 121 species possessed a diagnostic array of barcode sequences. In addition, there was evidence of cryptic taxa; seven species included two barcode clusters showing more than 2% sequence divergence while one species included three clusters. All 71 nymphalid caterpillars were identified to a species level by their sequence congruence to adult sequences. These caterpillars represented 16 species, and included Hamadryas julitta, an endemic species from the Yucatan Peninsula whose larval stages and host plant (Dalechampia schottii, also endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula) were previously unknown. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This investigation has revealed overlooked species in a well-studied museum collection of nymphalid butterflies and suggests that there is a substantial incidence of cryptic species that await full characterization. The utility of barcoding in the rapid identification of caterpillars also promises to accelerate the assembly of information on life histories, a particularly important advance for hyperdiverse tropical insect assemblages

Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program.

The growing demand for healthcare services and the burden of diseases such as cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires locally-led and setting-relevant evidence that should be driven by local investigators. However, there is a huge gap in the health research capacity to generate such evidence in most of SSA, particularly in Rwanda. With a changing focus and the willingness of investigators and funders from high-income countries (HICs) to support investigators and research from SSA, it is important to build strong, successful, and sustained partnerships. In this perspective, we describe the Einstein-Rwanda Research and Capacity Building Program (ER-RCBP), which represents almost two decades of a fruitful and sustained partnership that has contributed to the development of research physical and human resources in Rwanda. We have established a broad range of health research infrastructure that involves human resources, including training three pathologists, leadership and administrative personnel and structures, clinical research operations, laboratory capacity, and data collection and management systems, and are implementing a long-term plan to transfer most of the leadership to local investigators and the local lead institution. Our experience demonstrates that collaborations between high- and low-income countries can be leveraged to strengthen research capacity in SSA but that such efforts require putting in place structures and systems to ensure success. Building strong partnerships and collaborations, good leadership, empowering local teams, and having buy-in from national governments are key to achieving sustainable research capacity in SSA

Turismo funerario: caso cementerio de Miraflores, parte antigua, Trujillo - Perú 2017

RESUMEN En la última década, el turismo se ha incrementado sustancialmente adquiriendo nuevas tendencias que permiten la diversificación de la oferta turística. Asimismo, se observa un notable interés por visitar cementerios y conocer la historia y cultura del lugar a través de las representaciones y costumbres mortuorias de épocas pasadas. Además, se puede apreciar la impresionante arquitectura funeraria que albergan los camposantos. En la ciudad de Trujillo el 2 de diciembre de 1831, se inauguró un cementerio extramuros. Desde su construcción, inauguración y expansión, el cementerio de Miraflores ha sido marcado por acontecimientos históricos, que manifiestan las expresiones culturales de los ciudadanos del siglo XIX que imitaban patrones europeos. El cementerio es una fuente de cultura y conocimiento, cargado de valor antropológico, artístico, religioso e histórico, esto se ve reflejado entre sus pabellones, nichos y mausoleos. Para acercar el valor cultural y patrimonial al ciudadano local y al turista se necesita promover el turismo funerario como tipología del turismo cultural para fomentar recorridos y eventos culturales. La presente tesis titulada Turismo Funerario: Caso cementerio de Miraflores, parte antigua, Trujillo- Perú 2017, tiene como propósito determinar la aceptación de la población trujillana para realizar turismo en la parte antigua del cementerio de Miraflores. Por tal motivo se realizaron encuestas que fueron dirigidas para turistas potenciales y operadores turísticos del distrito de Trujillo. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos de los instrumentos, podemos afirmar que la aceptación para realizar turismo funerario en Trujillo es alta. Finalmente, con esta investigación queremos generar conocimiento e interés de esta modalidad de turismo que recién está teniendo acogida en la ciudad de Trujillo. PALABRAS CLAVE: turismo funerario, patrimonio y eventos.ABSTRACT In the last decade, tourism has increased a lot, acquiring new tendencies that allow the diversification of the tourist offer. Additionally, it is observed a prominent interest for visiting museums and for knowing the history and culture of a place through the representations and mortuary customs of past ages. Besides, it is possible to appreciate the impressive funerary architecture that the cemetery has. In the city of Trujillo, on November the 30th of 1831, an outside cemetery is opened, since their construction, opening and expansion, the cemetery of Miraflores has been marked by historical events that manifest the cultural expressions of the nineteenth-century citizens that imitated the European patterns. The cemetery is a source of culture and knowledge, full of anthropological, artistic, religious and historical value, this is reflected among its pavilions, niches and mausoleums. To bring cultural and heritage value to the local citizens and the tourists, it is necessary to foster funerary tourism as a typology of cultural tourism to promote cultural tours and events. The following thesis titled Funerary: Case cemetery of Miraflores, Old part, Trujillo-Peru 2017, has as a purpose to determine the acceptance of the population of Trujillo to carry out tourism in the old part of the cemetery of Miraflores. For this reason, surveys were conducted that were aimed at potential tourists and travel and touristic operator in the district of Trujillo. According to the results obtained from the instruments, we can affirm that the acceptance for tourism in funeral in Trujillo is quite high. At last, with this research we want to generate knowledge and interest of this modality of tourism that is just taking place in the city of Trujillo. KEYWORDS: funerary tourism, heritage, events

MicroRNA-Related Cofilin Abnormality in Alzheimer's Disease

Rod-like structures composed of actin and the actin-binding protein cofilin are found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, the mechanisms underlying formation of these structures and their pathological consequences are still largely unknown. We found that microRNAs 103 and 107 repress translation of cofilin, and that reduced levels of miR-103 or miR-107 are associated with elevated cofilin protein levels and formation of rod-like structures in a transgenic mouse model of AD. These results suggest that microRNAs may play an important role in cytoskeletal pathology in AD