The Effects of the Atmospheric Pressure Changes on Seismic Signals or How to Improve the Quality of a Station

Seismic investigations are mainly limited by seismic noise. Two microbarometers have been installed in the seismic vault of two different GEOSCOPE stations, one at SSB and the other at TAM. All vertical components and most of the horizontal components show a significant correlation with pressure. In order to correct the seismic signals from the atmospheric pressure noise, a transfer function between the pressure data and the seismic data is inverted. Results show that, after correction, the noise levels reached on the horizontal components are similar between the two stations, and the vertical components display noise levels below the low-noise model as defined by Peterson (1993). This technique reduces part of the noise and allows detection of small earthquakes and a better extraction of normal modes. The analysis of the lowest normal modes of the Earth excited by the M_S = 8.2 Macquarie Island earthquake is given to illustrate the perspectives of the method

Adjuvant high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate for early breast cancer: 13 years update in a multicentre randomized trial

The authors updated their report on a randomized trial initiated in 1982 comparing, in early breast cancer, high-dose IM Medroxyprogesterone acetate (HD-MPA) adjuvant hormonotherapy during 6 months with no hormonotherapy; node-positive patients also received 6 courses of IV CMF (day 1, day 8; q.4 weeks). 246 node-negative (NN) and 270 node-positive (NP) patients had been followed for a median duration of 13 years. Previous results were confirmed in this analysis on mature data. In NN patients, relapse-free survival (RFS) was improved in the adjuvant hormonotherapy arm, regardless of age while overall survival (OAS) was also increased in younger (less then 50 years) patients. In the whole group of NP patients, no difference was seen regarding RFS or OAS. However, an age-dependant opposite effect was observed: younger patients (< 50) experienced a worse and significant outcome of relapse-free and overall survivals when receiving adjuvant HD-MPA while older patients (> = 50) enjoyed a significant improvement of their relapse-free survival. For both NN and NP patients, differences in overall survivals observed in older women with a shorter follow-up, were no longer detected. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Characterizing swells in the southern Pacific from seismic and infrasonic noise analyses

International audienceA temporary network of 10 broad-band seismic stations has been installed in French Polynesia for the Polynesian Lithosphere and Upper Mantle Experiment (PLUME). All the seismic stations were installed either on volcanic islands or on atolls of the various archipelagos of French Polynesia in a manner which complements the geographic coverage provided by the regional permanent stations. The primary aim of PLUME is to image the upper mantle structures related to plate motion and hotspot activity. However, because of its proximity to all sites, the ocean is responsible for a high level of noise in the seismic data and we show that these data can also be used to analyse ocean wave activity. The power spectral density (PSD) analyses of the seismic data recorded in French Polynesia show clear peaks in the 0.05– 0.10 Hz band (periods between 10 and 20 s), which corresponds to swell frequencies. Clear peaks in this frequency band are also observed in infrasonic data recorded on Tahiti. Ground motion analysis shows that the swell-related seismic noise (SRSN) is linearly polarized in the horizontal plane and its amplitude decreases rapidly with the distance from the shore. The microseismic and the infrasonic 'noise' amplitudes show very similar variations from station to station and both are strongly correlated with the swell amplitudes predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), wind-forced, 'WaveWatch' models. The swell direction can be estimated from SRSN polarization analysis but this has to be done with care since, for some cases, the ground motions are strongly controlled by the islands' anisometric shapes and by swell refraction processes. We find cases, however, such as Tahiti or roughly circular Tuamotu atolls, where the azimuth of the swell is in good agreement with the seismic estimates. We, therefore, demonstrate that the SRSN and the infrasonic signal observed in French Polynesia can be used in such cases as a proxy for swell amplitude and azimuth. From the continuous analysis of the data recorded in 2003 at the permanent seismic station PPTL in Tahiti, transfer functions have been obtained. This could provide a way to quantify the swell activity during the last two decades and, therefore, assist in the investigation of climate changes

Oral versus intramuscular high-oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (HD-MPA) in advanced breast cancer. A randomized study of the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Dose-dependent interleukin-3 stimulation of thrombopoiesis and neutropoiesis in patients with small-cell lung carcinoma before and following chemotherapy: a placebo-controlled randomized phase Ib study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, tolerance, and hematologic effects of recombinant human interleukin-3 (IL-3) in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) before and following multiagent antineoplastic therapy in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (22 men and six women; median age, 60 years) with previously untreated SCLC entered the study. Patients were assigned to six groups of escalating-dose IL-3 ranging from 0.25 to 10 micrograms/kg/d administered by continuous infusion for 7 days, with one patient in each group receiving placebo. After a 1-week interval, the first of three cycles of carboplatin, etoposide (VP16), and epirubicin (CVE) given every 3 weeks was administered. The second cycle of CVE was followed by 7 days of IL-3 administered at the same daily dose as administered during the first infusion. RESULTS: The maximum-tolerated dose was not encountered in this study. Fever was the most frequently observed side effect. Before any chemotherapy, World Health Organization (WHO) grade II fever only appeared at doses > or = 2.5 micrograms/kg/d. Other side effects included rash, headache, and myalgia. During the first infusion of IL-3, before administration of chemotherapy, dose-dependent increases in peripheral-platelet counts (r = .613; P or = 2.5 micrograms/kg of IL-3 (P = .036). Compared with an age-matched historical group receiving identical chemotherapy (n = 191), administration of IL-3 did not modify either disease-free survival or overall patient survival rates. CONCLUSION: IL-3 is well tolerated at doses up to 10 micrograms/kg/d. In the absence of chemotherapy, biologic effects on both neutrophils and platelets were seen at doses > or = 2.5 micrograms/kg/d. IL-3 infusion following the second cycle of CVE appears to reduce chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, but does not alter tumor response or patient survival rates

The Response of Repetitive Very‐Long‐Period Seismic Signals at Aso Volcano to Periodic Loading

Triggering of volcano seismic activity and eruptions by tides, atmosphere pressure, rainfall, and earthquakes have been in constant debate. However, there is limited evidence concerning the triggering of very-long-period signals (VLPs), which are closely linked to volcano conduit dynamics. Persistent and repetitive VLP event beneath the Aso volcano, historically termed long-period tremor (LPT), manifests episodic pressurization and depressurization events in a crack-like shallow conduit. Here we show that LPT activity display no appreciable spectral peaks associated with major diurnal/semidiurnal tidal constituents or barometric pressure. Instead, passing surface waves of ∼0.01 m/s from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake elevated LPT activity and preferentially increased the likelihood of depressurization events. We suggest that the hydrothermal reservoir near the LPT source behaves like a confined (unconfined) aquifer against short-period (long-period) stress. A high stress rate of ∼10^{2}  Pa/s is sufficient to enhance the permeability of the conduit plug/wall and preferentially promotes depressurization events