Comparison of continuous and intermittent renal replacement therapy for acute renal failure

Background. Mortality rates of critically ill patients with acute renal failure (ARF) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) are high. Intermittent and continuous RRT are available for these patients on the intensive care units (ICUs). It is unknown which technique is superior with respect to patient outcome. Methods. We randomized 125 patients to treatment with either continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) or intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) from a total of 191 patients with ARF in a tertiary-care university hospital ICU. The primary end-point was ICU and in-hospital mortality, while recovery of renal function and hospital length of stay were secondary end-points. Results. During 30 months, no patient escaped randomization for medical reasons. Sixty-six patients were not randomized for non-medical reasons. Of the 125 randomized patients, 70 were treated with CVVHDF and 55 with IHD. The two groups were comparable at the start of RRT with respect to age (62±15 vs 62±15 years, CVVHDF vs IHD), gender (66 vs 73% male sex), number of failed organ systems (2.4±1.5 vs 2.5±1.6), Simplified Acute Physiology Scores (57±17 vs 58±23), septicaemia (43 vs 51%), shock (59 vs 58%) or previous surgery (53 vs 45%). Mortality rates in the hospital (47 vs 51%, CVVHDF vs IHD, P = 0.72) or in the ICU (34 vs 38%, P = 0.71) were independent of the technique of RRT applied. Hospital length of stay in the survivors was comparable in patients on CVVHDF [median (range) 20 (6-71) days, n = 36] and in those on IHD [30 (2-89) days, n = 27, P = 0.25]. The duration of RRT required was the same in both groups. Conclusion. The present investigation provides no evidence for a survival benefit of continuous vs intermittent RRT in ICU patients with AR

Wavelet analysis applied on temporal data sets in order to reveal possible pre-seismic radio anomalies and comparison with the trend of the raw data

Since 2009, several radio receivers have been installed throughout Europe in order to realize the INFREP European radio network for studying the VLF (10-50 kHz) and LF (150-300 kHz) radio precursors of earthquakes. Precursors can be related to “anomalies” in the night-time behavior of VLF signals. A suitable method of analysis is the use of the Wavelet spectra. Using the “Morlet function”, the Wavelet transform of a time signal is a complex series that can be usefully represented by its square amplitude, i.e. considering the so-called Wavelet power spectrum. The power spectrum is a 2D diagram that, once properly normalized with respect to the power of the white noise, gives information on the strength and precise time of occurrence of the various Fourier components, which are present in the original time series. The main difference between the Wavelet power spectra and the Fourier power spectra for the time series is that the former identifies the frequency content along the operational time, which cannot be done with the latter. Anomalies are identified as regions of the Wavelet spectrogram characterized by a sudden increase in the power strength. On January 30, 2020 an earthquake with Mw= 6.0 occurred in Dodecanese Islands. The results of the Wavelet analysis carried out on data collected some INFREP receivers is compared with the trends of the raw data. The time series from January 24, 2020 till January 31, 2000 was analyzed. The Wavelet spectrogram shows a peak corresponding to a period of 1 day on the days before January 30. This anomaly was found for signals transmitted at the frequencies 19,58 kHz, 20, 27 kHz, 23,40 kHz with an energy in the peak increasing from 19,58 kHz to 23,40 kHz. In particular, the signal at the frequency 19,58 kHz, shows a peak on January 29, while the frequencies 20,27 kHz and 23,40 kHz are characterized by a peak starting on January 28 and continuing to January 29. The results presented in this work shows the perspective use of the Wavelet spectrum analysis as an operational tool for the detection of anomalies in VLF and LF signal potentially related to EQ precursors

Study of VLF/LF wave propagations above seismic areas

Abstract: We report on radio transmitter signals recorded in Europe by INFREP network which is mainly devoted to search for earthquakes electromagnetic precursors (Biagi et al., 2011). We consider in this analysis the detection of transmitter signals recorded by INFREP receivers located in different regions of Europe, i.e. Romania, Italy, Greece and Austria. The aim is the investigation of the electromagnetic environment above earthquakes regions. We selected seismic events which occurred in the year 2016 and characterized by a moment magnitude (Mw) above 5.0 and a depth of less than 50 km. A common method is applied to all events and which involves the analysis of the VLF/LF signal detection taking into consideration the following parameters: (a) the distance transmitters-receivers, (b) the signal to noise ratio during the diurnal and night observations, (c) the daily and night averaged amplitude and (d) the sunset and sunrise termination times. This leads us to specify the key factors which can be considered as criteria to distinguish and to identify earthquakes precursors. We discuss in this contribution the radio wave propagation in the D- and E-layers and their impacts on the VLF/LF amplitude signal. We show that the 'seismic anomaly' requests a more precise analysis of the 'quiet' and 'disturbed' ionospheric conditions and their corresponding spectral traces on the VLF/LF transmitter signals

Mixing of rhyolite, trachyte and basalt magma erupted from a vertically and laterally zoned reservoir, composite flow P1, Gran Canaria

The 14.1 Ma composite welded ignimbrite P1 (45 km3 DRE) on Gran Canaria is compositionally zoned from a felsic lower part to a basaltic top. It is composed of four component magmas mixed in vertically varying proportions: (1) Na-rhyolite (10 km3) zoned from crystal-poor to highly phyric; (2) a continuously zoned, evolved trachyte to sodic trachyandesite magma group (6 km3); (3) a minor fraction of Na-poor trachyandesite (<1 km3); and (4) nearly aphyric basalt (26 km3) zoned from 4.3 to 5.2 wt% MgO. We distinguish three sites and phases of mixing: (a) Mutual mineral inclusions show that mixing between trachytic and rhyolitic magmas occurred during early stages of their intratelluric crystallization, providing evidence for long-term residence in a common reservoir prior to eruption. This first phase of mixing was retarded by increasing viscosity of the rhyolite magma upon massive anorthoclase precipitation and accumulation. (b) All component magmas probably erupted through a ring-fissure from a common upper-crustal reservoir into which the basalt intruded during eruption. The second phase of mixing occurred during simultaneous withdrawal of magmas from the chamber and ascent through the conduit. The overall withdrawal and mixing pattern evolved in response to pre-eruptive chamber zonation and density and viscosity relationships among the magmas. Minor sectorial variations around the caldera reflect both varying configurations at the conduit entrance and unsteady discharge. (c) During each eruptive pulse, fragmentation and particulate transport in the vent and as pyroclastic flows caused additional mixing by reducing the length scale of heterogeneities. Based on considerations of magma density changes during crystallization, magma temperature constraints, and the pattern of withdrawal during eruption, we propose that eruption tapped the P1 magma chamber during a transient state of concentric zonation, which had resulted from destruction of a formerly layered zonation in order to maintain gravitational equilibrium. Our model of magma chamber zonation at the time of eruption envisages a basal high-density Na-poor trachyandesite layer that was overlain by a central mass of highly phyric rhyolite magma mantled by a sheath of vertically zoned trachyte-trachyandesite magma along the chamber walls. A conventional model of vertically stacked horizontal layers cannot account for the deduced density relationships nor for the withdrawal pattern

IONO/INSPIRE-SAT 7 Experiment for a Better Understanding of the Variability and Wave Propagation in the Earth’s Ionosphere

International audienceThe IONO experiment embarked on INSPIRE-SAT 7 is dedicated to the sounding of the Earth’s ionosphere. INSPIRE-SAT 7 is a French 2U CubeSat, the main purpose of which is the measurement of the Earth’s radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere. It is very similar to the satellite UVSQ-SAT which was launched on 24 January 2021. Its total mass will be 3.0 kg and its averaged power consumption 3 W. It will orbit at a maximum altitude of 600 km on a Sun-synchronous orbit with a descending node at ~0930 LT. The Earth’s ionosphere results from the ionization of the upper atmosphere due to UV radiations and X-rays coming from the Sun. The electron density in the ionosphere depends on the local time, the season, and the solar activity. The propagation of the radio waves is affected by the electron density and also by refraction and reflection phenomena. We consider the following goals for the IONO instrument: improving ionosphere models, in particular the IRI (International Reference Ionosphere); study of the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the ionosphere and the factors which can disturb it (e.g., thunderstorms); analysis of temporal and spatial variability at different scales; study of the coupling between ionosphere and magnetosphere, and the electrical circuit between ionosphere and lithosphere. The observations collected by IONO will be compared to those produced by a VLF-LF antenna network designed for investigating the perturbations of the ionosphere, and the wave propagation, by seismic phenomena

IONO/INSPIRE-SAT 7 Experiment for a Better Understanding of the Variability and Wave Propagation in the Earth’s Ionosphere

International audienceThe IONO experiment embarked on INSPIRE-SAT 7 is dedicated to the sounding of the Earth’s ionosphere. INSPIRE-SAT 7 is a French 2U CubeSat, the main purpose of which is the measurement of the Earth’s radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere. It is very similar to the satellite UVSQ-SAT which was launched on 24 January 2021. Its total mass will be 3.0 kg and its averaged power consumption 3 W. It will orbit at a maximum altitude of 600 km on a Sun-synchronous orbit with a descending node at ~0930 LT. The Earth’s ionosphere results from the ionization of the upper atmosphere due to UV radiations and X-rays coming from the Sun. The electron density in the ionosphere depends on the local time, the season, and the solar activity. The propagation of the radio waves is affected by the electron density and also by refraction and reflection phenomena. We consider the following goals for the IONO instrument: improving ionosphere models, in particular the IRI (International Reference Ionosphere); study of the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the ionosphere and the factors which can disturb it (e.g., thunderstorms); analysis of temporal and spatial variability at different scales; study of the coupling between ionosphere and magnetosphere, and the electrical circuit between ionosphere and lithosphere. The observations collected by IONO will be compared to those produced by a VLF-LF antenna network designed for investigating the perturbations of the ionosphere, and the wave propagation, by seismic phenomena

Analysis of VLF and LF signal fluctuations recorded by Graz facility prior to earthquakes occurrences

International audienceWe report in our study on earthquakes that occurred in Croatia and Slovenia in the period from 1 Jan. 2020 to 31 Dec. 2021. Those seismic events happened in a localized region confined between 13.46°E and 17.46°E in longitude and 45.03°N and 49.03°N in latitude. Maximum magnitudes Mw6.4 and Mw5.4 occurred, respectively, on 29 Dec. 2020, at 11:19 UT, and 22 March 2020, at 05:24 UT. We use two-radio system, INFREP (Biagi et al., 2019) and UltraMSK (Schwingenschuh et al., 2011) to investigate the reception conditions of LF-VLF transmitter signals. The selected earthquakes occurred at distances less than 300km from the Graz station (47.03°N, 15.46°E) in Austria. First, we emphasize on the time evolutions of earthquakes that occurred along a same meridian, i.e. at a geographical longitude of 16°E. Second, we study the daily VLF-LF transmitter signals that exhibit a minimum around local sunrises and sunsets. This daily variations are specifically considered two/three weeks before the occurrence of the two intense events with magnitudes Mw6.4 and Mw5.4. We discuss the unusual terminator time motions of VLF-LF signals linked to earthquakes occurrences, and their appearances at sunrise- or sunset-times. Such observational features are interpreted as disturbances of the transmitter signal propagations in the ionospheric D- and E-layers above the earthquakes preparation zone (Hayakawa, 2015)

Study of VLF phase and amplitude variations before the Turkey Syria Mw 7.8 EQs

International audienceWe investigate the recent earthquakes (EQs) that occurred on 06 February 2023 principally in the central southern part of Turkey and north western of Syria. The tectonic plate movements between Anatolian, Arabian and African plates are well known to be subject to EQs. The coordinate of the epicenter was 37.08°E and 37.17°N with depth in the order of 10 km and a magnitude Mw7.8. Beside aftershocks, a few hours later a strong Mw7.7 earthquake occurred in the same region . We consider in this analysis the Bafa VLF transmitter (TBB) signal emitting at frequency of 26.7 kHz and localized in the Anatolia region (Turkey) at longitude of 27.31°E and latitude of 37.40°N. TBB transmitter signal is daily monitored by the VLF Graz facility (Biagi et al., 2019; Galopeau et al., 2023) with a sufficient signal to noise ratio principally during night observations. We study the variations of the phase and amplitude of TBB signals, as detected by Graz facility (15.43°E, 47.06°N) few weeks before the earthquakes occurrence. It is essential to note that the geographical latitudes of the epicenter and the TBB transmitter are about 37°N, and the distance, in the order of 850 km, is found smaller than the radius of the earthquake preparation zone, as derived from Dobrovolsky et al. (1979), when considering the magnitude of the seismic event, i.e. Mw7.8. We have applied the terminator time (TT) method to make evident the presence of sunrise and sunset time shifts at terminators one week to ten days before EQs. We discuss essentially the anomalies, in the phase and the amplitude of TBB transmitter, which are probably linked to the electron density variations at the formation and the destruction of the ionospheric D-E-layers

EFD experiment onboard CSES satellite: Characterization of hiss and chorus whistler emissions during geomagnetic activity

International audienceWe study the geomagnetic activity effects on whistler emissions recorded by the Electric Field Detector (EFD) experiment onboard the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES). This mission is devoted to investigate the ionospheric disturbances linked to the seismic activity. The satellite has a circular sun-synchronous orbit with a descending node at 14 LT and an altitude of 507 km [1]. Four probes are used to measure the electric field recorded by EDF instrument covering a frequency range from DC up to 3.5 MHz [2]. We consider in this analysis geomagnetic events which occurred in the year 2018 after the launch of the CSES satellite, i.e. on 02nd February 2018. The Kp-index leads us to estimate the variation of the geomagnetic activity which is found to have sudden enhancements on the following days: 21st April, 05th May, 26th Aug. and 10th Sept. We show in this analysis that the whistler emissions, i.e. hiss and chorus occurring in the frequency bandwidth 1 kHz to 20 kHz, are influenced by the Earth's magnetic activity. Hence whistler spectral shapes are globally found to develop towards higher frequencies. Two aspects are discussed: (a) the way to characterize an ionospheric disturbance index taking into consideration the CSES geographical configuration orbit and (b) the comparison of the electric field power levels as derived from EFD/CSES instrument and from ICE/DEMETER experiment [3]