Describing Earth System Simulations with the Metafor CIM

The Metafor project has developed a common information model (CIM) using the ISO19100 series for- malism to describe numerical experiments carried out by the Earth system modelling community, the models they use, and the simulations that result. Here we describe the mechanism by which the CIM was developed, and its key properties. We introduce the conceptual and application ver- sions and the controlled vocabularies developed in the con- text of supporting the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). We describe how the CIM has been used in experiments to describe model coupling properties and de- scribe the near term expected evolution of the CIM

Adenosine receptors in COPD and asymptomatic smokers: effects of smoking cessation

Our group has shown that 1-year smoking cessation persisted or increased airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We compared adenosine and adenosine receptor (AR) expression in COPD and asymptomatic smokers (AS) before and after 1-year smoking cessation. Sputum cytospins and bronchial biopsies of (ex)smoking COPD patients and AS were studied for A(1)R, A(2A)R, A(2B)R, and A(3)R expression. Adenosine and inflammatory mediators were measured in sputum supernatants. At baseline, COPD patients had lower levels of adenosine and higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in sputum than AS. Smoking cessation induced significantly different effects in COPD than in AS, i.e. an increase in percentages of A(3)R expressing neutrophils and A(1)R expressing macrophages in COPD as increase in adenosine and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels in sputum. Adenosine-related effector mechanisms may contribute to the persistence and progression of airway inflammation in COPD following 1-year smoking cessation