Site selection of the Colombian antarctic research station based on fuzzy-topsis algorithm

By 2025 the Republic of Colombia aims to be an advisory member of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and the installation of a scientific station is necessary to upscale the scientific capabilities. The aim of this paper is showing the results of the implementation of a Fuzzy TOPSIS algorithm for site selection of the Colombian Antarctic Scientific Station. A three-phase methodology was AQ1 proposed, and the obtained results allowed to identify the optimum location for the station, considering key success factors and regulatory constraints

The impact of using assimilated Aeolus wind data on regional WRF-Chem dust simulations

Land–atmosphere interactions govern the process of dust emission and transport. An accurate depiction of these physical processes within numerical weather prediction models allows for better estimating the spatial and temporal distribution of the dust burden and the characterisation of source and recipient areas. In the presented study, the ECMWF-IFS (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast – Integrated Forecasting System) outputs, produced with and without the assimilation of Aeolus quality-assured Rayleigh–clear and Mie–cloudy horizontal line-of-sight wind profiles, are used as initial or boundary conditions in the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to simulate 2-month periods in the spring and autumn of 2020, focusing on a case study in October. The experiments have been performed over the broader eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region, which is frequently subjected to dust transport, as it encompasses some of the most active erodible dust sources. Aerosol- and dust-related model outputs (extinction coefficient, optical depth and concentrations) are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated against ground- and satellite-based observations. Ground-based columnar and vertically resolved aerosol optical properties are acquired through AERONET sun photometers and PollyXT lidar, while near-surface concentrations are taken from EMEP. Satellite-derived vertical dust and columnar aerosol optical properties are acquired through LIVAS (LIdar climatology of Vertical Aerosol Structure) and MIDAS (ModIs Dust AeroSol), respectively. Overall, in cases of either high or low aerosol loadings, the model predictive skill is improved when WRF-Chem simulations are initialised with the meteorological fields of Aeolus wind profiles assimilated by the IFS. The improvement varies in space and time, with the most significant impact observed during the autumn months in the study region. Comparison with observation datasets saw a remarkable improvement in columnar aerosol optical depths, vertically resolved dust mass concentrations and near-surface particulate concentrations in the assimilated run against the control run. Reductions in model biases, either positive or negative, and an increase in the correlation between simulated and observed values was achieved for October 2020.</p

Predictive biomarkers for survival benefit with ramucirumab in urothelial cancer in the RANGE trial

The RANGE study (NCT02426125) evaluated ramucirumab (an anti-VEGFR2 monoclonal antibody) in patients with platinum-refractory advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Here, we use programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry (IHC) and transcriptome analysis to evaluate the association of immune and angiogenesis pathways, and molecular subtypes, with overall survival (OS) in UC. Higher PD-L1 IHC and immune pathway scores, but not angiogenesis scores, are associated with greater ramucirumab OS benefit. Additionally, Basal subtypes, which have higher PD-L1 IHC and immune/angiogenesis pathway scores, show greater ramucirumab OS benefit compared to Luminal subtypes, which have relatively lower scores. Multivariable analysis suggests patients from East Asia as having lower immune/angiogenesis signature scores, which correlates with decreased ramucirumab OS benefit. Our data highlight the utility of multiple biomarkers including PD-L1, molecular subtype, and immune phenotype in identifying patients with UC who might derive the greatest benefit from treatment with ramucirumab

Ramucirumab plus docetaxel versus placebo plus docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based therapy (RANGE): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial

Few treatments with a distinct mechanism of action are available for patients with platinum-refractory advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. We assessed the efficacy and safety of treatment with docetaxel plus either ramucirumab-a human IgG1 VEGFR-2 antagonist-or placebo in this patient population

Improving road safety by affecting negative factors

© 2019 by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda. The current increase in automobilization leads to a decrease in road safety. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze and identify the causes that significantly affect the size and severity of accidents. Most often, only the time factor is analyzed, which includes the month, day of the week and directly the time of day when the accident occurred. However, among the influencing factors it is necessary to consider such as weather and climatic conditions, the parameters of the road and the surrounding infrastructure, the condition of the driver, the type of incident and the type of violation. The main problem in constructing a model explaining the dependence of target factors is the sparsity of the initial data and a large number of independent variables. In this regard, the construction of a unambiguous predictive model is difficult. However, general patterns and factors potentially influencing the result were identified. For this purpose, both the classical methods of descriptive statistics and the methods of intelligence and prognostic analysis were used. The adoption of measures affecting the selected factors will reduce human losses. At the same time, the evaluation of made decisions effectiveness should be based on feedback

Non-ionizing, laser radiation in Theranostics: The need for dosimetry and the role of Medical Physics

The discovery of coherent laser light in 1960 shifted and expanded the biomedical applications of radiation to the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum. As in the case of ionizing radiation, but considering the laser specific features, the effective, safe and ethically acceptable use of biomedical laser technology requires interdisciplinary collaboration between physicists, engineers and physicians. This should extend at the research, preclinical and clinical level, inspiring at this time the dynamic discipline of Medical Physics in new areas. With this work we aim to introduce the interested reader in the need of dosimetry in medical applications of laser radiation, as this field is still unexplored. After some necessary definitions, we give a brief review of the basic biophysical mechanisms of coherent light-matter interactions. The manuscript focuses on biomedical laser applications in diagnosis and therapy (i.e. in Theranostics). From the vast field of laser theranostic applications we have chosen some experimental and theoretical results – examples of quantification of the laser effect, particularly relevant to soft and hard tissue laser ablation, laser induced photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy of cancer. These topics intend to highlight the important role of Medical Physicists in the optimization of well-established laser based clinical procedures and mainly emerge the necessity of the relevant dosimetry for each application. Finally, we hope that this effort is going to give food for thought and highlight the importance of deep knowledge of the physics behind some everyday medical applications. © 2019 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medic

Improving road safety by affecting negative factors

© 2019 by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda. The current increase in automobilization leads to a decrease in road safety. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze and identify the causes that significantly affect the size and severity of accidents. Most often, only the time factor is analyzed, which includes the month, day of the week and directly the time of day when the accident occurred. However, among the influencing factors it is necessary to consider such as weather and climatic conditions, the parameters of the road and the surrounding infrastructure, the condition of the driver, the type of incident and the type of violation. The main problem in constructing a model explaining the dependence of target factors is the sparsity of the initial data and a large number of independent variables. In this regard, the construction of a unambiguous predictive model is difficult. However, general patterns and factors potentially influencing the result were identified. For this purpose, both the classical methods of descriptive statistics and the methods of intelligence and prognostic analysis were used. The adoption of measures affecting the selected factors will reduce human losses. At the same time, the evaluation of made decisions effectiveness should be based on feedback

Aerosols in the Mediterranean Region and Their Role in Cloud Formation

The physical and chemical characteristics of aerosols are considered as critical for nucleation processes, cloud formation and evolution. The Mediterranean Region is well known for the mixture of aerosols from different origins such as desert dust, sea salt and anthropogenic and biomass burning. Sea salt is in relatively small quantities compared to dust amounts during episodes but its constant presence plays a key role in cloud formation, especially concerning the initial stage. In this work we discuss modeling results related to nucleation processes and cloud formation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Emphasis is given in the impact of sea salt on Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) and orographic cloud formation. The role of other sources of aerosols is also discussed. The modeling tool used for the simulations is the RAMS/ICLAMS fully-coupled modeling system. Satellite data and in situ measurements have been also used for a more comprehensive analysis

The Dust Cycle in the Arabian Peninsula and Its Role in the Urban Air Quality

The dust cycle plays an important role in the atmospheric processes. The levels of dust concentration in the Arabian cities are quite high, a fact that affects air quality. A better understanding of this phenomenon may lead in reduced impacts. Towards this direction, an integrated modeling approach has been selected and applied in SW Saudi Arabia. More specifically, we discuss the characteristics of the dust production processes using the RAMS/ICLAMS multiscale model. A series of very high resolution simulations have been performed and potential mitigation actions are discussed. A reduction in dust concentration is evident by changing the landscape characteristics. Extreme dust events affect the study areas despite the tested activities and changes. A characteristic example is the “haboobs”