Expanding understanding of optical variability in Lake Superior with a 4-year dataset

Lake Superior is one of the largest freshwater lakes on our planet, but few optical observations have been made to allow for the development and validation of visible spectral satellite remote sensing products. The dataset described here focuses on coincidently observing inherent and apparent optical properties along with biogeochemical parameters. Specifically, we observe remote sensing reflectance, absorption, scattering, backscattering, attenuation, chlorophyll concentration, and suspended particulate matter over the ice-free months of 2013–2016. The dataset substantially increases the optical knowledge of the lake. In addition to visible spectral satellite algorithm development, the dataset is valuable for characterizing the variable light field, particle, phytoplankton, and colored dissolved organic matter distributions, and helpful in food web and carbon cycle investigations. The compiled data can be freely accessed at https://seabass.gsfc.nasa.gov/archive/URI/Mouw/LakeSuperior/

Improved outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma with a new fotemustine-based high-dose chemotherapy regimen

High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation is the standard of care for relapsed/refractory (RR) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Given that HDT may cure a sizeable proportion of patients refractory to first salvage, development of newer conditioning regimens remains a priority. We present the results of a novel HDT regimen in which carmustine was substituted by a third-generation chloroethylnitrosourea, fotemustine, with improved pharmacokinetics and safety (FEAM; fotemustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) in 122 patients with RR-HL accrued into a prospective registry-based study. Application of FEAM resulted in a 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 73·8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0·64-0·81] with median PFS, overall survival and time to progression yet to be reached. The 2-year risk of progression adjusted for the competitive risk of death was 19·4% (95% CI, 0·12-0·27) for the entire patient population. Most previously established independent risk factors, except for fluorodeoxyglucose (18FFDG)-uptake, were unable to predict for disease progression and survival after FEAM. Although 32% of patients had 18FFDG-positrin emission tomography-positive lesions before HDT, the 2-year risk of progression adjusted for competitive risk of death was 19·4% (95% CI; 0·12-0·27). No unusual acute toxicities or early/late pulmonary adverse events were registered. FEAM emerges as an ideal HDT regimen for RR-HL patients typically pre-exposed to lung-damaging treatments

Measurement of optical blurring in a turbulent cloud chamber

© 2016 SPIE. Earth\u27s atmosphere can significantly impact the propagation of electromagnetic radiation, degrading the performance of imaging systems. Deleterious effects of the atmosphere include turbulence, absorption and scattering by particulates. Turbulence leads to blurring, while absorption attenuates the energy that reaches imaging sensors. The optical properties of aerosols and clouds also impact radiation propagation via scattering, resulting in decorrelation from unscattered light. Models have been proposed for calculating a point spread function (PSF) for aerosol scattering, providing a method for simulating the contrast and spatial detail expected when imaging through atmospheres with significant aerosol optical depth. However, these synthetic images and their predicating theory would benefit from comparison with measurements in a controlled environment. Recently, Michigan Technological University (MTU) has designed a novel laboratory cloud chamber. This multiphase, turbulent Pi Chamber is capable of pressures down to 100 hPa and temperatures from -55 to +55°C. Additionally, humidity and aerosol concentrations are controllable. These boundary conditions can be combined to form and sustain clouds in an instrumented laboratory setting for measuring the impact of clouds on radiation propagation. This paper describes an experiment to generate mixing and expansion clouds in supersaturated conditions with salt aerosols, and an example of measured imagery viewed through the generated cloud is shown. Aerosol and cloud droplet distributions measured during the experiment are used to predict scattering PSF and MTF curves, and a methodology for validating existing theory is detailed. Measured atmospheric inputs will be used to simulate aerosol-induced image degradation for comparison with measured imagery taken through actual cloud conditions. The aerosol MTF will be experimentally calculated and compared to theoretical expressions. The key result of this study is the proposal of a closure experiment for verification of theoretical aerosol effects using actual clouds in a controlled laboratory setting

Short-course R-CHOP followed by 90Y-Ibritumomab tiuxetan in previously untreated high-risk elderly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients: 7-year long-term results

An update at 7 years was conceived for our multicenter phase II study in which 55 elderly high-risk untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients were treated with (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan after a short course of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) as long-term follow-up analyses of this combined therapeutic modality are lacking. The overall response rate to the entire regimen was 80%, including 73% (40/55) of complete response (CR) rate and 7% (4/55) of partial response rate. At the time of writing, 24/55 (43.6%) patients experienced a progression disease and 20 of 40 (50%) patients who obtained a CR are still alive in continuous CR. With a median follow-up of 7 years, the disease-free survival was 43.3% and the progression-free survival was 36.1%. The overall survival at 7.9 years was 38.9% (27 deaths mainly because of lymphoma). Two patients developed secondary hematological malignancies, an acute myeloid leukemia and a myelodysplastic syndrome, at 4 and 3 years from radioimmunotherapy, respectively. Our data confirm the feasibility, efficacy and safety of four cycles of R-CHOP followed by radioimmunotherapy consolidation even in the long term: this combination allows dispensing less chemotherapy in a frail group of patients without invalidating response quality and duration

Safety and efficacy of 90Yttrium-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan for untreated follicular lymphoma patients. An Italian cooperative study

Summary: 90Yttrium (90Y)-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan combines the targeting advantage of a monoclonal antibody with the radiosensitivity of Follicular Lymphoma (FL). Previous studies showed that 90Y-IT is safe and effective in relapsed/refractory indolent FL, irrespective of prior treatment with rituximab. This multicentre trial aimed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of "upfront" single-agent (90Y)-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan in advanced-stage FL. The primary objective was the incidence of responses in terms of complete (CR) and partial remission (PR). Fifty patients with stage II "bulky", III or IV FL received a single treatment course with (90Y)-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan as initial therapy. The median age was 60 years. Bone marrow involvement (<25%) was observed in 24 patients (48%) and 7 (14%) had an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level. The overall response (ORR) and CR rates were 94% and 86%, respectively with a median follow-up of 38·8 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached, whereas the 3-year estimated PFS and overall survival (OS) rate was 63·4% and 90%, respectively. Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 30% and 26% of patients respectively; none experienced grade 3/4 non-haematological toxicity. No cases of secondary haematological malignancies were observed. (90Y)-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan was demonstrated to be highly effective and safe as first-line treatment for advanced-stage FL. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd