Aerosol climatology from ground-based measurements for the southern North Sea

An aerosol climatology over the southern North Sea region has been set up using aerosol optical properties derived from regular sunphotometer (AERONET) and lidar (EARLINET) measurements between April and September for the years 2000–2003. Data from four AERONET sites in the North Sea coastal region (Helgoland Island, Oostende, Hamburg and Lille) and, for comparison purposes, also from two “maritime sites” (Rame Head and Azores Island) are selected. The variability of the aerosol optical depth τa(500) and the spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth τa(500), Ångström wavelength exponent α440−870 , as well as of retrieved microphysical aerosol parameters (single scattering albedo, index of refraction, particle size distribution) are studied. The 4 years of observations show great similarities between the North Sea coastal sites and Helgoland Island. Although 70 km separated from the coast, the aerosol optical properties found at the island are much closer to those at Hamburg, Oostende and Lille than at the maritime sites Rame Head and Azores. Compared to the standard aerosol models differences in the Ångström wavelength exponent α440−870 , the single scattering albedo and the refractive index are detected. Based on these observations a new aerosol model for the atmospheric correction of coastal water reflectance spectra of the imaging spectrometer MERIS/ENVISAT was set up, which meets in particular the higher Ångström wavelength exponent of the coastal sites compared to standard maritime conditions. © 2007 Published by Elsevier B.

NUP98-NSD1 Driven MDS/MPN in Childhood Masquerading as JMML

Overlapping myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are clonal hematopoietic disorders with features of myelodysplasia and myeloproliferation. The only well-characterized MDS/MPN in children is juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, an aggressive disorder of infants and toddlers. The biochemical hallmark of this disease is hyperactivation of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway caused by mutations in Ras pathway genes in more than 90% of patients. Translocations involving receptor tyrosine kinases have been identified in rare cases. Here, we report a 2-year-old patient who presented with MDS/MPN driven by a cytogenetically cryptic NUP98-NSD1 fusion, a translocation thought to exclusively occur in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

NUP98-NSD1 Driven MDS/MPN in Childhood Masquerading as JMML.

Overlapping myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are clonal hematopoietic disorders with features of myelodysplasia and myeloproliferation. The only well-characterized MDS/MPN in children is juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, an aggressive disorder of infants and toddlers. The biochemical hallmark of this disease is hyperactivation of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway caused by mutations in Ras pathway genes in more than 90% of patients. Translocations involving receptor tyrosine kinases have been identified in rare cases. Here, we report a 2-year-old patient who presented with MDS/MPN driven by a cytogenetically cryptic NUP98-NSD1 fusion, a translocation thought to exclusively occur in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Social support and hippocampal volume are negatively associated in adults with previous experience of childhood maltreatment

Background: Childhood maltreatment has been associated with reduced hippocampal volume in healthy individuals, whereas social support, a protective factor, has been positively associated with hippocampal volumes. In this study, we investigated how social support is associated with hippocampal volume in healthy people with previous experience of childhood maltreatment. Methods: We separated a sample of 446 healthy participants into 2 groups using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: 265 people without maltreatment and 181 people with maltreatment. We measured perceived social support using a short version of the Social Support Questionnaire. We examined hippocampal volume using automated segmentation (Freesurfer). We conducted a social support × group analysis of covariance on hippocampal volumes controlling for age, sex, total intracranial volume, site and verbal intelligence. Results: Our analysis revealed significantly lower left hippocampal volume in people with maltreatment (left F1,432 = 5.686, p = 0.018; right F1,433 = 3.371, p = 0.07), but no main effect of social support emerged. However, we did find a significant social support × group interaction for left hippocampal volume (left F1,432 = 5.712, p = 0.017; right F1,433 = 3.480, p = 0.06). In people without maltreatment, we observed a trend toward a positive association between social support and hippocampal volume. In contrast, social support was negatively associated with hippocampal volume in people with maltreatment. Limitations: Because of the correlative nature of our study, we could not infer causal relationships between social support, maltreatment and hippocampal volume. Conclusion: Our results point to a complex dynamic between environmental risk, protective factors and brain structure — in line with previous evidence — suggesting a detrimental effect of maltreatment on hippocampal development