Using Micro-Gravity Techniques to Map Alluvium Thickness and Pleistocene Location of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Near Muncy, Pennsylvania

Laurentide glaciation during the early Pleistocene (~970 ka) dammed the southeast-flowing West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR), scouring bedrock and creating 100-km-long glacial Lake Lesley near the Great Bend at Muncy, Pennsylvania (Ramage et al., 1998). Local drill logs and well data indicate that subsequent paleo-outwash floods and modern fluvial processes have deposited as much as 30 meters of alluvium in this area, but little is known about the valley fill architecture and the bedrock-alluvium interface. By gaining a greater understanding of the bedrock-alluvium interface the project will not only supplement existing depth to bedrock information, but also provide information pertinent to the evolution of the Muncy Valley landscape. This project determined if variations in the thickness of the valley fill were detectable using micro-gravity techniques to map the bedrock-alluvium interface. The gravity method was deemed appropriate due to scale of the study area (~30 km2), ease of operation by a single person, and the available geophysical equipment. A LaCoste and Romberg Gravitron unit was used to collect gravitational field readings at 49 locations over 5 transects across the Muncy Creek and Susquehanna River valleys (approximately 30 km2), with at least two gravity base stations per transect. Precise latitude, longitude and ground surface elevation at each location were measured using an OPUS corrected Trimble RTK-GPS unit. Base stations were chosen based on ease of access due to the necessity of repeat measurements. Gravity measurement locations were selected and marked to provide easy access and repeat measurements. The gravimeter was returned to a base station within every two hours and a looping procedure was used to determine drift and maximize confidence in the gravity measurements. A two-minute calibration reading at each station was used to minimize any tares in the data. The Gravitron digitally recorded finite impulse response filtered gravity measurements every 20 seconds at each station. A measurement period of 15 minutes was used for each base station occupation and a minimum of 5 minutes at all other locations. Longer or multiple measurements were utilized at some sites if drift or other externalities (i.e. train or truck traffic) were effecting readings. Average, median, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval were calculated for each station. Tidal, drift, latitude, free-air, Bouguer and terrain corrections were then applied. The results show that the gravitational field decreases as alluvium thickness increases across the axes of the Susquehanna River and Muncy Creek valleys. However, the location of the gravity low does not correspond with the present-day location of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR), suggesting that the WBSR may have been constrained along Bald Eagle Mountain by a glacial lobe originating from the Muncy Creek Valley to the northeast. Using a 3-D inversion model, the topography of the bedrock-alluvium interface was determined over the extent of the study area using a density contrast of -0.8 g/cm3. Our results are consistent with the bedrock geometry of the area, and provide a low-cost, non-invasive and efficient method for exploring the subsurface and for supplementing existing well data.

POOR PERFORMANCE OF BOOTSTRAP CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR THE LOCATION OF A QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOUCS

The aim of many genetic studies is to locate the genomic regions (called quantitative trait loci, QTLs) that contribute to variation in a quantitative trait (such as body weight). Confidence intervals for the locations of QTLs are particularly important for the design of further experiments to identify the gene or genes responsible for the effect. Likelihood support intervals are the most widely used method to obtain confidence intervals for QTL location, but the non-parametric bootstrap has also been recommended. Through extensive computer simulation, we show that bootstrap confidence intervals are poorly behaved and so should not be used in this context. The profile likelihood (or LOD curve) for QTL location has a tendency to peak at genetic markers, and so the distribution of the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of QTL location has the unusual feature of point masses at genetic markers; this contributes to the poor behavior of the bootstrap. Likelihood support intervals and approximate Bayes credible intervals, on the other hand, are shown to behave appropriately.

Polymorphism and chromosomal location of the MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor) gene in the dog and red fox

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is expressed in the hypothalamus and regulates energy intake and body weight. In silico screening of the canine chromosome 1 sequence and a comparison with the porcine MC4R sequence by BLAST were performed. The nucleotide sequence of the whole coding region and 3'- and 5'-flanking regions of the dog (1214 bp) and red fox (1177 bp) MC4R gene was established and high conservation of the nucleotide sequences was revealed (99%). Five sets of PCR primers were designed and a search for polymorphism was performed by the SSCP technique in a group of 31 dogs representing nineteen breeds and 35 farm red foxes. Sequencing of DNA fragments, representing the identified SSCP patterns, revealed three single nucleotide polymorphisms (including a missense one) in dogs and four silent SNPs in red foxes. An average SNP frequency was approx. 1/400 bp in the dog and 1/300 bp in the red fox. We mapped the MC4R gene by FISH to the canine chromosome 1 (CFA1q1.1) and to the red fox chromosome 5 (VVU5p1.2).

Weighted Majoritarian Rules for the Location of Multiple Public Facilities

We consider collective decision problems given by a profile of single-peaked preferences defined over the real line and a set of pure public facilities to be located on the line. In this context, Bochet and Gordon (2012) provide a large class of priority rules based on efficiency, object-population monotonicity and sovereignty. Each such rule is described by a fixed priority ordering among interest groups. We show that any priority rule which treats agents symmetrically — anonymity — respects some form of coherence across collective decision problems — reinforcement — and only depends on peak information — peakonly — is a weighted majoritarian rule. Each such rule defines priorities based on the relative size of the interest groups and specific weights attached to locations. We give an explicit account of the richness of this class of rules.

Characterization and subchromosomal location of a novel tumor suppressor gene on human chromosome 7

Alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are considered to be critical steps in oncogenesis. Consistent deletions and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of polymorphic markers in a determinate chromosomal fragment are known to be indicative of a closely mapping TSG. Deletion of the long arm of chromosome 7 (hchr 7) is a frequent trait in many kinds of human primary tumors. LOH was studied with an extensive set of markers on chromosome 7q in several types of human neoplasias (primary breast, prostate, colon, ovarian and head and neck carcinomas) to determine the location of a putative TSG. The extent of LOH varied depending the type of tumor studied but all the LOH curves we obtained had a peak at (C-A)$\sb{\rm n}$ microsatellite repeat D7S522 at 7q31.1 and showed a Gaussian distribution. The high incidence of LOH in all tumor types studied suggests that a TSG relevant to the development of epithelial cancers is present on the 7q31.1. To investigate whether the putative TSG is conserved in the syntenic mouse locus, we studied LOH of 30 markers along mouse chromosome 6 (mchr 6) in chemically induced squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Tumors were obtained from SENCAR and C57BL/6 x DBA/2 F1 females by a two-stage carcinogenesis protocol. The high incidence of LOH in the tumor types studied suggests that a TSG relevant to the development of epithelial cancers is present on mchr 6 A1. Since this segment is syntenic with the hchr 7q31, these data indicate that the putative TSG is conserved in both species. Functional evidence for the existence of a TSG in hchr 7 was obtained by microcell fusion transfer of a single hchr 7 into a murine SCC-derived cell line. Five out of seven hybrids had two to three-fold longer latency periods for in vivo tumorigenicity assays than parental cells. One of the unrepressed hybrids had a deletion in the introduced chromosome 7 involving q31.1-q31.3, confirming the LOH data. ^

The location of majority and minority populations with respect to commercial treatment, storage, and disposal facilities in Texas

There is a growing interest in the location of Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSDF) sites in relation to minority communities. A number of studies have been completed, and the results of these studies have been varied. Some of the studies have shown a strong positive correlation between the location of TSDF sites and minority populations, while a few have shown no significance in that relationship. The major difference between these studies has been in the areal unit used.^ This study compared the minority populations of Texas census tracts and ZIP codes containing a TSDF using the associated county as the comparison population. The hypothesis of this study was that there was no difference between using census tracts and ZIP codes to analyze the relationship of minority populations and TSDF's. The census data used was from 1990, and the initial list of TSDF sites was supplied by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. The TSDF site locations were checked using graphical information systems (GIS) programs, in order to increase the accuracy of the identity of exposed ZIP codes and census tracts. The minority populations of the exposed areal units were compared using proportional differences, crosstables, maps, and logistic regression. The dependent variable used was the exposure status of the areal units under study, including counties, census tracts, and ZIP codes. The independent variables used included minority group proportion and grouping of the proportions, educational status, household income, and home value.^ In all cases, education was significant or near significant at the.05 level. Education rather than minority proportion was therefore the most significant predictor of the exposure status of a census tract or ZIP code. ^

Occlusion Location of Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke and Outcome after Endovascular Treatment.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the location of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion on recanalization, complications and outcome after endovascular therapy. METHODS Four-hundred sixty-four patients with acute MCA occlusions were treated with endovascular therapy. RESULTS Two-hundred ninety-three patients had M1 occlusions, 116 had M2, and 55 had M3/4 occlusions. Partial or complete recanalization was more frequently achieved in M1 (76.8%) than in M2 (59.1%) or M3/4 (47.3%, p < 0.001) occlusions, but favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) was less frequent in M1 (50.9%) than M2 (63.7%) or M3/4 (72.7%, p = 0.018) occlusions. Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) did not differ between occlusion sites, but asymptomatic ICH was more common in M1 (22.6%) than in M2 occlusions (8.6%, p = 0.003). Recanalization was associated with favorable outcome in M1 (p < 0.001) and proximal M2 (p = 0.003) but not in distal M2 or M3/4 occlusions. CONCLUSIONS Recanalization with endovascular therapy was more frequently achieved in patients with proximal than distal MCA occlusions, but recanalization was associated with favorable outcome only in M1 and proximal M2 occlusions. Outcome was better with distal than proximal occlusions. This study shows that recanalization can be used as a surrogate marker for clinical outcome only in patients with proximal occlusions.

Length of the Mitral Isthmus But Not Anatomical Location of Ablation Line Predicts Bidirectional Mitral Isthmus Block in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION Mitral isthmus (MI) ablation is an effective option in patients undergoing ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Achieving bidirectional conduction block across the MI is challenging, and predictors of MI ablation success remain incompletely understood. We sought to determine the impact of anatomical location of the ablation line on the efficacy of MI ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 40 consecutive patients (87% male; 54 ± 10 years) undergoing stepwise AF ablation were included. MI ablation was performed in sinus rhythm. MI ablation was performed from the left inferior PV to either the posterior (group 1) or the anterolateral (group 2) mitral annulus depending on randomization. The length of the MI line (measured with the 3D mapping system) and the amplitude of the EGMs at 3 positions on the MI were measured in each patient. MI block was achieved in 14/19 (74%) patients in group 1 and 15/21 (71%) patients in group 2 (P = NS). Total MI radiofrequency time (18 ± 7 min vs. 17 ± 8 min; P = NS) was similar between groups. Patients with incomplete MI block had a longer MI length (34 ± 6 mm vs. 24 ± 5 mm; P < 0.001), a higher bipolar voltage along the MI (1.75 ± 0.74 mV vs. 1.05 ± 0.69 mV; P < 0.01), and a longer history of continuous AF (19 ± 17 months vs. 10 ± 10 months; P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, decreased length of the MI was an independent predictor of successful MI block (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.1; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Increased length but not anatomical location of the MI predicts failure to achieve bidirectional MI block during ablation of persistent AF.

Selective sampling during catastrophic disruption: Mapping the location of reaccumulated fragments in the original parent body

In this paper, we simulate numerically the catastrophic disruption of a large asteroid as a result of a collision with a smaller projectile and the subsequent reaccumulation of fragments as a result of their mutual gravitational attractions. We then investigate the original location within the parent body of the small pieces that eventually reaccumulate to form the largest offspring of the disruption as a function of the internal structure of the parent body. We consider four cases that may represent the internal structure of such a body (whose diameter is fixed at 250 km) in various early stages of the Solar System evolution: fully molten, half molten (i.e., a 26 km-deep outer layer of melt containing half of the mass), solid except a thin molten layer (8 km thick) centered at 10 km depth, and fully solid. The solid material has properties of basalt. We then focus on the three largest offspring that have enough reaccumulated pieces to consider. Our results indicate that the particles that eventually reaccumulate to form the largest reaccumulated bodies retain a memory of their original locations in the parent body. Most particles in each reaccumulated body are clustered from the same original region, even if their reaccumulations take place far away. The extent of the original region varies considerably depending on the internal structure of the parent. It seems to shrink with the solidity of the body. The fraction of particles coming from a given depth is computed for the four cases, which can give constraints on the internal structure of parent bodies of some meteorites. As one example, we consider the ureilites, which in some petrogenetic models are inferred to have formed at particular depths within their parent body. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surplus Labor in Indian Manufacturing: Evidence from the Annual Survey of Industries

In this paper we analyze state level data for total manufacturing constructed from the Annual Survey of Industries for the period 1986-2000 using the nonparametric method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). We assess the extent of surplus labor in the manufacturing sector in the individual states in India. The study also investigates whether the same states show the maximum incidence of surplus labor every year in the sample period and if there any evidence that the extent of surplus labor in manufacturing has been reduced or eliminated in the post-reform era. Our study shows the presence of considerable measure of surplus labor in all of the years in a majority of the states. Things have worsened rather than improved after the reform. Also, the regional distribution of surplus labor has remain fairly unchanged with the same states performing inefficiently both before and after the reform.

(Table 1) Iceberg characteristics and start and end date and location of iceberg buoys in the Weddell Sea

The drift of 52 icebergs tagged with GPS buoys in the Weddell Sea since 1999 has been investigated with respect to prevalent drift tracks, sea ice/iceberg interaction, and freshwater fluxes. Buoys were deployed on small- to medium-sized icebergs (edge lengths ? 5 km) in the southwestern and eastern Weddell Sea. The basin-scale iceberg drift of this size class was established. In the western Weddell Sea, icebergs followed a northward course with little deviation and mean daily drift rates up to 9.5 ± 7.3 km/d. To the west of 40°W the drift of iceberg and sea ice was coherent. In the highly consolidated perennial sea ice cover of 95% the sea ice exerted a steering influence on the icebergs and was thus responsible for the coherence of the drift tracks. The northward drift of buoys to the east of 40°W was interrupted by large deviations due to the passage of low-pressure systems. Mean daily drift rates in this area were 11.5 ± 7.2 km/d. A lower threshold of 86% sea ice concentration for coherent sea ice/iceberg movement was determined by examining the sea ice concentration derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) satellite data. The length scale of coherent movement was estimated to be at least 200 km, about half the value found for the Arctic Ocean but twice as large as previously suggested. The freshwater fluxes estimated from three iceberg export scenarios deduced from the iceberg drift pattern were highly variable. Assuming a transit time in the Weddell Sea of 1 year, the iceberg meltwater input of 31 Gt which is about a third of the basal meltwater input from the Filchner Ronne Ice Shelf but spreads across the entire Weddell Sea. Iceberg meltwater export of 14.2 × 103 m3 s?1, if all icebergs are exported, is in the lower range of freshwater export by sea ice.