Lidar depolarization characterization using a reference system

In this study, we present a new approach for the determination of polarization parameters of the Nicosia Cimel CE376 lidar system, using the PollyXT in Limassol as a reference instrument. The method is applied retrospectively to the measurements obtained during the 2021 Cyprus Fall Campaign. Lidar depolarization measurements represent valuable information for aerosol typing and for the quantification of some specific aerosol types such as dust and volcanic ash. An accurate characterization is required for quality measurements and to remove instrumental artifacts. In this article, we use the PollyXT, a widely used depolarization lidar, as our reference to evaluate the CE376 system's gain ratio and channel cross-talk. We use observations of transported dust from desert regions for this approach, with layers in the free troposphere. Above the boundary layer and the highest terrain elevation of the region, we can expect that, for long-range transport of aerosols, local effects should not affect the aerosol mixture enough for us to expect similar depolarization properties at the two stations (separated by ∼ 60 km). Algebraic equations are used to derive polarization parameters from the comparison of the volume depolarization ratio measured by the two systems. The applied methodology offers a promising opportunity to evaluate the polarization parameters of a lidar system, in cases where a priori knowledge of the cross-talk parameters is not available, or to transfer the polarization parameters from one system to the other.</p

Preterm birth: causes and consequences

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nicolae Testemitanu State Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Congresul III al Medicilor de Familie din Republica Moldova 17–18 mai, 2012, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaMajor importance is now given to prematurity, this explains still high incidence of preterm birth worldwide, which on average is 10%. Our aim was to assess risk factors of preterm birth complicated by abruptio placentae and postpartum endometritis occurred during 2010 in our clinic. The article was based on analysis of 190 medical records with preterm birth. The study established maternal risk factors of preterm birth: spontaneous and medical abortions, previous premature births and non-specific genital infections and others. As risk factors for development of abruptio placentae in preterm birth were designated: high blood pressure, extreme values of age, premature rupture of membranes, multiparity В настоящее время большое значение уделяется преждевременности, это объясняется всё ещё высокой частотой преждевременных родов во всём мире, которые составляют в среднем 10%. Нашей целью было оценить факторы риска преждевременных родов, осложнённые преждевременной отслойкой нормально расположенной плаценты и послеродовым эндометритом, которые произошли в течение 2010 в нашей клинике. Статья была основана на анализе 190 медицинских историй преждевременных родов. Исследование установило материнские факторы риска преждевременных родов: спонтанные и медицинские аборты, преждевременные роды в анамнезе, неспецифическая генитальная инфекция и другое. Были указаны факторы риска развития преждевременной отслойки нормально расположенной плаценты при преждевременных родах: высокое артериальное давление, критические цифры возраста, преждевременный разрыв плодных оболочек, многорожавшие

Long-range-transported Canadian smoke plumes in the lower stratosphere over northern France

Long-range-transported Canadian smoke layers in the stratosphere over northern France were detected by three lidar systems in August 2017. The peaked optical depth of the stratospheric smoke layer exceeds 0.20 at 532&thinsp;nm, which is comparable with the simultaneous tropospheric aerosol optical depth. The measurements of satellite sensors revealed that the observed stratospheric smoke plumes were transported from Canadian wildfires after being lofted by strong pyro-cumulonimbus. Case studies at two observation sites, Lille (lat 50.612, long 3.142, 60&thinsp;m&thinsp;a.s.l.) and Palaiseau (lat 48.712, long 2.215, 156&thinsp;m&thinsp;a.s.l.), are presented in detail. Smoke particle depolarization ratios are measured at three wavelengths: over 0.20 at 355&thinsp;nm, 0.18–0.19 at 532&thinsp;nm, and 0.04–0.05 at 1064&thinsp;nm. The high depolarization ratios and their spectral dependence are possibly caused by the irregular-shaped aged smoke particles and/or the mixing with dust particles. Similar results are found by several European lidar stations and an explanation that can fully resolve this question has not yet been found. Aerosol inversion based on lidar 2α+3β data derived a smoke effective radius of about 0.33&thinsp;µm for both cases. The retrieved single-scattering albedo is in the range of 0.8 to 0.9, indicating that the smoke plumes are absorbing. The absorption can cause perturbations to the temperature vertical profile, as observed by ground-based radiosonde, and it is also related to the ascent of the smoke plumes when exposed in sunlight. A direct radiative forcing (DRF) calculation is performed using the obtained optical and microphysical properties. The calculation revealed that the smoke plumes in the stratosphere can significantly reduce the radiation arriving at the surface, and the heating rate of the plumes is about 3.5&thinsp;K&thinsp;day−1. The study provides a valuable characterization for aged smoke in the stratosphere, but efforts are still needed in reducing and quantifying the errors in the retrieved microphysical properties as well as radiative forcing estimates.</p

Diversification of surgical technique-s in the atrial septal defect treatment

IMSP Spitalul Clinic RepublicanÎn perioada anilor 2006-2011 în secţia chirurgia malformatiilor cardiace congenitale a Spitalului Clinic Republican au fost operaţi 350 pacienți cu DSA, care aveau vârsta cuprinsă între 4 luni şi 66 ani, media fiind 13,4 ani, raportul barbaţi şi femei constituie 1:2. În dependenţă de tipul şi dimensiunea DSA, precum şi de locul de drenare a venelor pulmonare parţial aberante, au fost aplicate câteva tehnici chirurgicale. Închiderea DSA a fost efectuată la 215 (61,4%) pacienţi prin suturare, pericardul autolog la103 (29,4%) şi la 26 (7,4%) începând cu anul 2007 s-a folosit petecul din peretele atriului drept, care sa dovedit a fi un material uşor modelabil, elastic, cu margini netede din ambele parţi. Au fost înregistrate 2 (1,9%) cazuri de recanalizare postoperator la bolnavii la care am folosit pericardul autolog. În 2009, 5 pacienţi, au beneficiat de închiderea DSA cu ocluderul AMPLATZ. Concluzie. Perfecţionarea tehnicilor chirurgicale în tratamentul DSA este continuă şi are ca scop micşorarea traumatismului operator, asigurarea unei corecţii efective şi durabile în timp.During 2006-2011 the Department of congenital heart diseases’ surgery of Republican Clinical Hospital were operated 350 patients with ASD, who were aged between 4 months and 66 years, averaging 13.4 years, male and female ratio was 1:2. Depending on the type and size of the DSA, and the place of partially anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, several surgical techniques have been applied. ASD closure was performed in 215 (61.4%) patients by suture, autologous pericardium in 103 (29.4%) and 26 (7.4%). Since 2007 we started to use patch of wall right atrium, which proved to be easily shaped, elastic, with smooth edges on both sides. There were 2 (1.9%) cases of postoperative recanalization in patients where we used autologous pericardium. In 2009, five patients underwent DSA closure with AMPLATZ occluder. Conclusion. Improvement of surgical techniques to treat DSA is ongoing and aims to decrease operation trauma, ensuring effective and durable corrections

Prestarea serviciilor de prevenire a infecției cu HIV în rândul persoanelor din grupa cu risc înalt de infectare

IMSP Spitalul de Dermatologie și Maladii Comunicabile, Congresul al VIII-lea al specialiștilor din domeniul sănătății publice și managementului sanitar 24-25 octombrie 2019 Chișinău, Republica MoldovaInfecția cu HIV reprezintă o problemă stringentă de sănătate publică la nivel global și la nivel național. În Republica Moldova se înregistrează o epidemie de infecție HIV concentrată în grupele cu risc sporit de infectare (GRSI): utilizatorii de droguri injectabile (UDI), lucrătorii sexului comercial (LSC), bărbații care practică sex cu bărbați (BSB), precum și partenerii sexuali și clienții acestor grupe. Prevenirea infecției HIV în mediul populației-cheie este bazată pe programele de reducere a riscurilor, care sunt specifice pentru fiecare grupă de risc și sunt desfășurate de către organizații neguvernamentale (ONG). În R. Moldova, prestarea serviciilor de prevenire în rândul persoanelor din GRSI se efectuează din anul 1997. Conform datelor estimative, în anul 2017 au fost înregistrate 36.900 persoane UDI, 26.100 LSC și 17.100 BSB. În Republica Moldova se implementează al VI-lea program în acest domeniu – Programul Național de prevenire și control al infecției HIV/SIDA și al infecțiilor cu transmitere sexuală pentru anii 2016- 2020, aprobat prin HG nr. 1164 din 22.10.2016, care este axat pe trei componente de bază, una dintre care este prevenirea transmiterii HIV și a infecțiilor cu transmitere sexuală (ITS), în special în populațiilecheie. În țara noastră, serviciile de prevenire sunt inteligibile, asigură abordarea multifactorială a vulnerabilității acestora și răspund specificului epidemiei HIV. La furnizarea serviciilor de prevenire se ține cont de specificul fiecărei GRSI, de resursele disponibile, de prezența și capacitatea instituțiilor publice și a ONG-lor active în prevenirea infecției cu HIV în GRSI. Pachetele inteligibile de servicii de prevenire pentru fiecare GRSI au fost elaborate în conformitate cu recomandările UNAIDS, OMS și UNODC, inclusiv prestarea serviciilor prin intermediul echipelor mobile multidisciplinare. Serviciile de prevenire se acordă pe întreg teritoriul țării și sunt disponibile pentru beneficiarii din sectorul civil și pentru cei din instituțiile penitenciare. În Republica Moldova este implementată acordarea serviciilor de prevenire a HIV prin intermediul farmaciilor comerciale. Până în 2017, serviciile respective erau finanțate exclusiv din sursele Fondului Global de Combatere a HIV, Tuberculozei și Malariei (GFTAM). Pentru prima dată în Moldova, începând cu 2017, două proiecte de reducere a riscurilor au fost finanțate din fondurile de profilaxie ale CNAM cu suma totală de finanțare de 2 milioane lei. O parte componentă a serviciilor de prevenire a HIV este tratamentul de substituție cu metadonă (TSO), care este disponibil în 8 localități din țară și în 13 instituții penitenciare

Dynamics of an anisotropic Haldane antiferromagnet in strong magnetic field

We report the results of elastic and inelastic neutron scattering experiments on the Haldane gap quantum antiferromagnet Ni(C5D14N2)2N3(PF6) performed at mK temperatures in a wide range of magnetic field applied parallel to the S = 1 spin chains. Even though this geometry is closest to an ideal axially symmetric configuration, the Haldane gap closes at the critical field Hc~4T, but reopens again at higher fields. The field dependence of the two lowest magnon modes is experimentally studied and the results are compared with the predictions of several theoretical models. We conclude that of several existing theories, only the recently proposed model [Zheludev et al., cond-mat/0301424 ] is able to reproduce all the features observed experimentally for different field orientations.Comment: 11 pages 8 figures submitted to Phys. Rev.

Enhancing mobile aerosol monitoring with CE376 dual-wavelength depolarization lidar

We present the capabilities of a compact dual-wavelength depolarization lidar to assess the spatiotemporal variations in aerosol properties aboard moving vectors. Our approach involves coupling the lightweight Cimel CE376 lidar, which provides measurements at 532 and 808 nm and depolarization at 532 nm, with a photometer to monitor aerosol properties. The assessments, both algorithmic and instrumental, were conducted at ATOLL (ATmospheric Observatory of LiLle) platform operated by the Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique (LOA), in Lille, France. An early version of the CE376 lidar co-located with the CE318-T photometer and with a multi-wavelength Raman lidar were considered for comparisons and validation. We developed a modified Klett inversion method for simultaneous two-wavelength elastic lidar and photometer measurements. Using this setup, we characterized aerosols during two distinct events of Saharan dust and dust smoke aerosols transported over Lille in spring 2021 and summer 2022. For validation purposes, comparisons against the Raman lidar were performed, demonstrating good agreement in aerosol properties with relative differences of up to 12 % in the depolarization measurements. Moreover, a first dataset of CE376 lidar and photometer performing on-road measurements was obtained during the FIREX-AQ (Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality) field campaign deployed in summer 2019 over the northwestern USA. By lidar and photometer mapping in 3D, we investigated the transport of released smoke from active fire spots at William Flats (northeast WA, USA). Despite extreme environmental conditions, our study enabled the investigation of aerosol optical properties near the fire source, distinguishing the influence of diffuse, convective, and residual smoke. Backscatter, extinction profiles, and column-integrated lidar ratios at 532 and 808 nm were derived for a quality-assured dataset. Additionally, the extinction Ångström exponent (EAE), color ratio (CR), attenuated color ratio (ACR), and particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR) were derived. In this study, we discuss the capabilities (and limitations) of the CE376 lidar in bridging observational gaps in aerosol monitoring, providing valuable insights for future research in this field.</p

A critical evaluation of network and pathway based classifiers for outcome prediction in breast cancer

Recently, several classifiers that combine primary tumor data, like gene expression data, and secondary data sources, such as protein-protein interaction networks, have been proposed for predicting outcome in breast cancer. In these approaches, new composite features are typically constructed by aggregating the expression levels of several genes. The secondary data sources are employed to guide this aggregation. Although many studies claim that these approaches improve classification performance over single gene classifiers, the gain in performance is difficult to assess. This stems mainly from the fact that different breast cancer data sets and validation procedures are employed to assess the performance. Here we address these issues by employing a large cohort of six breast cancer data sets as benchmark set and by performing an unbiased evaluation of the classification accuracies of the different approaches. Contrary to previous claims, we find that composite feature classifiers do not outperform simple single gene classifiers. We investigate the effect of (1) the number of selected features; (2) the specific gene set from which features are selected; (3) the size of the training set and (4) the heterogeneity of the data set on the performance of composite feature and single gene classifiers. Strikingly, we find that randomization of secondary data sources, which destroys all biological information in these sources, does not result in a deterioration in performance of composite feature classifiers. Finally, we show that when a proper correction for gene set size is performed, the stability of single gene sets is similar to the stability of composite feature sets. Based on these results there is currently no reason to prefer prognostic classifiers based on composite features over single gene classifiers for predicting outcome in breast cancer

Hormonal Signal Amplification Mediates Environmental Conditions during Development and Controls an Irreversible Commitment to Adulthood

Many animals can choose between different developmental fates to maximize fitness. Despite the complexity of environmental cues and life history, different developmental fates are executed in a robust fashion. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans serves as a powerful model to examine this phenomenon because it can adopt one of two developmental fates (adulthood or diapause) depending on environmental conditions. The steroid hormone dafachronic acid (DA) directs development to adulthood by regulating the transcriptional activity of the nuclear hormone receptor DAF-12. The known role of DA suggests that it may be the molecular mediator of environmental condition effects on the developmental fate decision, although the mechanism is yet unknown. We used a combination of physiological and molecular biology techniques to demonstrate that commitment to reproductive adult development occurs when DA levels, produced in the neuroendocrine XXX cells, exceed a threshold. Furthermore, imaging and cell ablation experiments demonstrate that the XXX cells act as a source of DA, which, upon commitment to adult development, is amplified and propagated in the epidermis in a DAF-12 dependent manner. This positive feedback loop increases DA levels and drives adult programs in the gonad and epidermis, thus conferring the irreversibility of the decision. We show that the positive feedback loop canalizes development by ensuring that sufficient amounts of DA are dispersed throughout the body and serves as a robust fate-locking mechanism to enforce an organism-wide binary decision, despite noisy and complex environmental cues. These mechanisms are not only relevant to C. elegans but may be extended to other hormonal-based decision-making mechanisms in insects and mammals

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions