Reliability tests of moment tensor inversion of anthropogenic seismicity

<p>Seismic moment tensor becomes part of basic seismic data processing. For anthropogenic events mostly common and available method to determine mechanism is amplitude inversion. However essential for correct amplitude inversion are good quality data. Factors commonly occurring in anthropogenic seismicity like high noise to signal ratio, low magnitude and shortage of seismic stations with unfavorable focal coverage can introduce undetected errors to inversion solution. In this work, synthetic tests for two seismic networks are presented to examine the reliability of P-wave first peak amplitude inversion for these areas. The synthetic tests of the noise influence on the results of full MT solutions were carried out for two surface networks monitoring anthropogenic seismicity: VERIS network in Vietnam and LUMINEOS network in Poland. Various mechanisms with double couple component variability from 10% to 100% were considered to take into account mechanisms caused by different types of human activity. High variability of solutions in tests shows that some spurious components cannot be avoided in full moment tensor solutions obtained for presented networks in certain cases.</p><p>This work was partially supported by research project no. 2017/27/B/ST10/01267, funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, under agreement no. UMO-2017/27/B/ST10/01267.</p>

Effect of trophic, osmotically active and solidifying components of nutrient medium on the direct embryognesis in spring barley anther culture in vitro

Aim. Ambryoidogenesis, or somatic embryogenesis, is known to be the most efficient mode of plant regeneration in plant cell, tissue and organ culture. The investigation was aimed to elucidate effects of trophic and osmogenic components of inductive medium on the frequency of direct embryoidogenesis in spring barley anther culture in vitro and to determine mechanism of morphogenesis improvement coursed by chemically modified starch D-5aM used as a gelling agent instead of agar. Methods. Anthers of DH-line with a high androgenetic capacity were inoculated on inductive media containing N6 macro-, MS micronutrients, organic supplements, maltose or mannitol (0.3 M) and solidified with agar or chemically modified starch. Results. A positive effect of combination of high maltose content and chemically modified starch on the induction and regeneration processes in spring barley anther culture in vitro was confirmed. It was also shown that mannitol didn’t keep any growth or development processes going in barley anther and embryo culture, but at the same time this substance had no toxic effect. Conclusions. In order to achieve a high frequency of induction in spring barley anther culture, it is necessary to use medium containing maltose – a low weight component both with trophic and with osmotic activity. Keywords: Hordeum vulgare L., anther culture in vitro, mannitol, maltose, embryo formation, plant regeneration.

Upper Limb Intention Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: To present the current knowledge on the characteristics, assessment, and treatment of upper limb intention tremor to inform and improve future intervention studies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), we conducted a literature review for articles on upper limb intention tremor in patients with MS. Methods: Two reviewers conducted searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE (Ovid). Relevant articles, sorted on inclusion criteria, were examined for descriptions and assessments of upper limb intention tremor, and intervention studies were evaluated based on treatment type. Results: Eight descriptive studies were found reporting on the incidence and severity of tremor, impairments, and lesion load. Ten studies focused on measurement of tremor using various assessments. Intervention studies included eight articles using a diverse set of noninvasive techniques mainly showing transient reduction in tremor amplitude and temporary increase in function. Eighteen studies on pharmacologic interventions were found, with most displaying positive outcomes and mediation of tremor; others showed little to no benefit. Surgical interventions included 17 studies on thalamotomy and 20 on deep brain stimulation. Most studies showed tremor improvement after surgery; however, most sample sizes were small, and interventions were highly invasive, with potential adverse effects resulting from surgery. Conclusions: The literature on upper limb intention tremor in MS is relatively sparse. More studies are required to determine mechanism of action and to provide more suitable and sustainable interventions to decrease upper limb intention tremor and improve quality of life of individuals with MS.

Improving the quality of cutting flat glass

The article deals with improving the quality of the cut flat glass. The aim of the study was to determine mechanism of origin temporary and permanent stress in the glass. This affects the quality of the cut flat glass. Of the commonly measured process parameters were adjusted following an evaluation, better cooling of flat glass between the furnace and the point of cutting into a prescribed format glass. The results are applicable for flat glass production lines.

Abstract WP116: Patterns of Vascular Calcification in Young Patients With Intracranial Stenosis

Introduction: Intravascular calcification is thought to be a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with stenosis and vascular risk factors. Little is known about the utility of quantifying intracranial calcification to help determine mechanism of stenosis. The objective of our study was to compare presence and patterns of intracranial calcification in patients with intracranial stenosis due to atherosclerosis and other etiologies. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 89 patients < 50 years with diagnosis of intracranial stenosis who had undergone CT angiogram from 2008-2013; 44 had presumed atherosclerosis as etiology ( > 3 vascular risk factors with no other identified cause). CTAs were reviewed for presence and location of intracranial calcification. Results: Of patients with atherosclerotic stenosis, 28 (64%) had intravascular calcification compared to 16 (36%) of those with stenosis of other etiologies (P=0.0039). There was no significant difference in pattern or location of stenosis between groups. One-third had calcification outside the region of stenosis in both groups. Distal internal carotid artery and distal vertebral artery were the most common sites of intracranial calcification (Table). Conclusion: Intracranial calcification is more commonly seen in patients < 50 years old with stenosis secondary to atherosclerosis, but the pattern and location was similar between groups. More research is needed to determine the utility of using the presence of vascular calcification to help determine mechanism of intracranial stenosis in the young.

Identification of Potent and Selective Inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum M18 Aspartyl Aminopeptidase (PfM18AAP) of Human Malaria via High-Throughput Screening

The target of this study, the PfM18 aspartyl aminopeptidase ( PfM18AAP), is the only AAP present in the genome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. PfM18AAP is a metallo-exopeptidase that exclusively cleaves N-terminal acidic amino acids glutamate and aspartate. It is expressed in parasite cytoplasm and may function in concert with other aminopeptidases in protein degradation, of, for example, hemoglobin. Previous antisense knockdown experiments identified a lethal phenotype associated with PfM18AAP, suggesting that it is a valid target for new antimalaria therapies. To identify inhibitors of PfM18AAP function, a fluorescence enzymatic assay was developed using recombinant PfM18AAP enzyme and a fluorogenic peptide substrate (H-Glu-NHMec). This was screened against the Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network collection of ~292,000 compounds (the Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository). A cathepsin L1 (CTSL1) enzyme-based assay was developed and used as a counterscreen to identify compounds with nonspecific activity. Enzymology and phenotypic assays were used to determine mechanism of action and efficacy of selective and potent compounds identified from high-throughput screening. Two structurally related compounds, CID 6852389 and CID 23724194, yielded micromolar potency and were inactive in CTSL1 titration experiments (IC50 >59.6 µM). As measured by the Ki assay, both compounds demonstrated micromolar noncompetitive inhibition in the PfM18AAP enzyme assay. Both CID 6852389 and CID 23724194 demonstrated potency in malaria growth assays (IC50 4 µM and 1.3 µM, respectively).