On the relation between coronal hole latitude range and the speed of the solar wind at Earth’s bowshock

This study is based on latitude measurements at the helio-meridian of two trans-equatorial coronal holes. After applying a simple algorithm based on super-radial expansion to the observation times, and translating these times to Earth’s bowshock, the measurements are compared with those of solar wind speed observed by the Wind and ACE spacecraft at those times. These comparisons reveal a causal relationship between the latitude range of the coronal hole open flux and the solar wind speed at the bowshock. Regression formulae are provided for predicting the speed of the fast solar wind from the latitude range of the coronal hole boundary within20±of the helioequator

EGFR feedback-inhibition by Ran-binding protein 6 is disrupted in cancer

Transport of macromolecules through the nuclear pore by importins and exportins plays a critical role in the spatial regulation of protein activity. How cancer cells co-opt this process to promote tumorigenesis remains unclear. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in normal development and in human cancer. Here we describe a mechanism of EGFR regulation through the importin β family member RAN-binding protein 6 (RanBP6), a protein of hitherto unknown functions. We show that RanBP6 silencing impairs nuclear translocation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), reduces STAT3 binding to the EGFR promoter, results in transcriptional derepression of EGFR, and increased EGFR pathway output. Focal deletions of the RanBP6 locus on chromosome 9p were found in a subset of glioblastoma (GBM) and silencing of RanBP6 promoted glioma growth in vivo. Our results provide an example of EGFR deregulation in cancer through silencing of components of the nuclear import pathway.This research was supported by the National Brain Tumor Society (I.K.M.), the National Institutes of Health grants 1R01NS080944-01 (I.K.M.), 1 R35 NS105109 01 (I.K.M.), and P30CA008748 (MSKCC Core Grant), the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Foundation (I.K.M.), the Cycle of Survival (I.K.M.), and the Seve Ballesteros Foundation (M.S.). B.O. was supported by an American–Italian Cancer Foundation fellowship and a MSKCC Brain Tumor Center grant. W.-Y.H. is the recipient of a FY15 Horizon Award from the U.S. Department of Defense (W81XWH-15-PRCRP-HA). A.C.-G. is the recipient of the Severo-Ochoa PhD fellowship. Further support was provided by the Sontag Foundation (B.S.T.). We thank all members of the Mellinghoff laboratory for helpful suggestions. We thank Dr. Fiona Ginty (Diagnostic Imaging and Biomedical Technologies, GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, New York, USA) for assistance with multiplexed immunofluorescence. We thank A.J. Schuhmacher and C.S. Clemente-Troncone for assistance with the in vivo experiments, M. Kaufmann for assistance in the luciferase assays and N. Yannuzzi for assistance in cloning.S

Sunspot numbers and proton events in solar cycles 19 to 24

In this study we compare the mean annual sunspot numbers for the six most recent solar cycles (19 to 24) with the number of solar energetic proton events occurring in those years. Though most of the individual cycles exhibit quite strong correlations, when they are combined into a generic solar cycle the result is very significant ( = 0.98). For cycles 21 to 24 (when spacecraft observations have been regularly available), we also investigate the variation in the source location of the solar energetic proton events in relation to four peak flux thresholds in orders of magnitude from 10 to 10,000 pfu. For helio-latitudes within 40° (the range within which active regions usually occur) there is negligible variation in the helio-longitude of the source regardless of the peak flux threshold. However, the effect on the helio-longitude of varying the peak flux threshold is very significant: the higher the threshold the closer is the median source longitude to 0°, the variation being almost uniform from 10 pfu (32°W) to 10,000 pfu (2°W). Finally, of the 10 events in cycles 19 to 24 with peak flux 10,000 pfu, all occurred between years 4 and 8 after solar minimum, all were the result of M- or X-class flares with associated halo CMEs and shock fronts, and the three most intense events (40,000 pfu) were all related to X-class flares which occurred in the longitude range 10–28°E. These results support and extend previous work by the cited authors, and have implications for solar-terrestrial relations and the effects of space weather within geospace

Properties of auroral radio absorption patches observed in the morning sector using imaging riometer and incoherent-scatter radar

The investigation concerns the size and motion of spatial fine structure in auroral radio absorption as observed by imaging riometer. Electron density profiles in the D and E regions determined by simultaneous incoherent-scatter radar were inverted to provide an estimate of the energy spectrum of the incoming electrons, and it is shown that the gradient-curvature drift at these energies is not consistent with the observed motion of the absorption fine structure, being too large by a factor of 5 or 6. However, a comparison with F-region drifts determined by the SuperDARN radar network supports a hypothesis that the cause lies in moving structures within the magnetosphere

Patients hospitalised with heart failure across different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic show consistent clinical characteristics and outcomes

BACKGROUND: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, admissions for cardiovascular disease, including Heart Failure (HF), were reduced. Patients hospitalised for HF were sicker and with increased in-hospital mortality. So far, whether following waves had a different impact on HF patients is unknown. METHODS: All consecutive patients hospitalised for acute heart failure during three different COVID-19 related national lockdowns were analysed. The lockdown periods were defined according to Government guidelines as 23/3/2020 to 4/7/2020 (First Lockdown), 4/11/2020 to 2/12/2020 (Second Lockdown) and 5/1/2021 to 28/2/2021 (Third Lockdown). RESULTS: Overall, 184 patients hospitalised for HF were included in the study, 95 during the 1st lockdown, 30 during the 2nd lockdown and 59 during the 3rd lockdown. Across the three groups had comparable clinical characteristics, comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors. Specialist in-hospital care was uninterrupted during the pandemic showing comparable mortality rates (p = 0.10). Although medical therapy for HF was comparable between the three lockdowns, a significantly higher proportion of patients received Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors (ARNI) in the second and third lockdowns (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although public health approaches changed throughout the pandemic, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of HF patients were consistent across different waves. For patients hospitalised in the subsequent waves, a more rapid optimization of medical therapy was observed during hospitalization. Particular attention should be devoted to prevent collateral cardiovascular damage during public health emergencies

Prognostic relevance of demographic factors in cardiac magnetic resonance-proven acute myocarditis:A cohort study

AIM: Acute myocarditis (AM) is a heterogeneous condition with variable estimates of survival. Contemporary criteria for the diagnosis of clinically suspected AM enable non-invasive assessment, resulting in greater sensitivity and more representative cohorts. We aimed to describe the demographic characteristics and long-term outcomes of patients with AM diagnosed using non-invasive criteria. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 199 patients with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-confirmed AM were included. The majority (n = 130, 65%) were male, and the average age was 39 ± 16 years. Half of the patients were White (n = 99, 52%), with the remainder from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. The most common clinical presentation was chest pain (n = 156, 78%), with smaller numbers presenting with breathlessness (n = 25, 13%) and arrhythmias (n = 18, 9%). Patients admitted with breathlessness were sicker and more often required inotropes, steroids, and renal replacement therapy (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.01, respectively). Over a median follow-up of 53 (IQR 34–76) months, 11 patients (6%) experienced an adverse outcome, defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Patients in the arrhythmia group had a worse prognosis, with a nearly sevenfold risk of adverse events [hazard ratio (HR) 6.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.87–26.00, p = 0.004]. Sex and ethnicity were not significantly associated with the outcome. CONCLUSION: AM is highly heterogeneous with an overall favourable prognosis. Three-quarters of patients with AM present with chest pain, which is associated with a benign prognosis. AM presenting with life-threatening arrhythmias is associated with a higher risk of adverse events