The potential use of the linear depolarization ratio to distinguish between convective and stratiform rainfall to improve radar rain-rate estimates

A major source of errors in radar-derived quantitative precipitation estimates is the inhomogeneous nature of the vertical reflectivity profile (VPR). Operational radars generally scan in azimuth at constant elevation (PPI mode) and provide limited VPR information, so predetermined VPR shapes with limited degrees of freedom are needed to correct for the VPR in real time. Typical stratiform VPRs have a sharp peak below the 0° isotherm, known as the “bright band,” caused by the presence of large melting snowflakes, but this feature is not present in convective cores where the melting ice is in the form of graupel or compact ice. Inappropriate correction assuming a brightband VPR can lead to underestimation of rain rates, with particular impacts in intense convective storms. This paper proposes the use of high values of linear depolarization ratio (LDR) measurements to confirm the presence of large melting snowflakes and lower values for melting graupel or high-density ice as a prerequisite to selecting a suitable profile shape for VPR correction. Using a climatologically representative dataset of short-range, high-resolution C-band vertical profiles, the peak value of the LDR in the melting layer is shown to have robust skill in identifying VPRs without bright band, with the “best” performance at a threshold of −20 dB. Further work is proposed to apply this result to improving corrections for VPR at longer range, where the limited effect of beam broadening on LDR peaks could provide advantages over other available methods

Accurate and High Sensitivity Identification of PNH Clones by Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry performs a key role in the diagnosis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Careful selection and validation of antibody conjugates have allowed the development of reagent cocktails suitable for the high sensitivity detection of PNH red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs) in PNH and related diseases such as aplastic anemia (AA) and some subsets of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). A CD235a-FITC/CD59-PE assay was developed capable of detecting Type III PNH RBCs at a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01% or better. While separate 4-color Fluorescent Aerolysin (FLAER), CD24, CD15 and CD45-based neutrophil and FLAER, CD14, CD64 and CD45-based monocyte assays were developed to detect PNH WBC phenotypes, 5-, 6- and 7-color assays have subsequently been developed for more modern cytometers equipped with five or more fluorescence detectors. For instrumentation with five detectors, a single tube 5-color FLAER, CD157, CD15, CD64 and CD45-based assay to simultaneously detect PNH neutrophils and monocytes has been developed. For instruments with six or more detectors and multiple lasers, a variety of 5-, 6- and 7-color assays have been developed using combinations of FLAER, CD24, CD14 and CD157. All WBC assays have a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1% or better. Using these standardized approaches, results have demonstrated good intra- and inter-laboratory performance characteristics even in laboratories with little prior experience performing PNH testing

Mentoring In The Clinical Setting To Improve Student Decision-Making Competence

Introduction:  The physician-intern relationship can be difficult to develop. A new chiropractic intern in a teaching clinic undergoes a major transition from classroom to clinical practice and must learn to turn classroom knowledge into clinical application. The ability to start formulating clinical techniques and apply them on a patient is daunting. Developing a mentor relationship is difficult to do in a patient-care setting, but it can be done. Mentoring is a process of exchanging skills and values between 2 individuals with the goal of increasing the knowledge base and clinical skills of the intern. With this in mind, our group created short-duration small-group mentoring classes offered at different times on multiple days, permitting interns to have numerous opportunities to view procedure and ask questions about the topic of that day's presentation.Methods:  This project spanned a period of 3 months, during which time 6 clinicians were in charge of educating approximately 50 students. The mentorship model was developed so that in addition to the clinicians' regular duties of supervising patient care with interns, there would also be 3 15-minute sessions per week presenting a topic of a clinician's choice pertinent to the intern learning experience.Results:  209 evaluations were turned in, with 5 students not completing the evaluation. Students overwhelmingly believed that these sessions were beneficial to their learning and provided them with the opportunity to ask questions in regard to the topics.Conclusion:  Students agreed that these small group mentoring sessions provided them with more information than they previously had learned in the classroom. They thought that the sessions gave them enough information to be motivated to use the knowledge they learned from the session to make decisions on the topic when faced with a patient with a similar problem.  This is a small survey sample that will need further review and trials to determine if it will provide the necessary feedback to help improve small group presentations. It will also need to be spread to other clinical settings to determine if it is beneficial for this style of small groups to aid other learners and to evaluate its helpfulness to interns in putting clinical information and evaluations together for practice. Follow-up studies could also include evaluating students at a later date to determine if the students are using the information that they are learning from the sessions

Cfp1 integrates both CpG content and gene activity for accurate H3K4me3 deposition in embryonic stem cells

Trimethylation of histone H3 Lys 4 (H3K4me3) is a mark of active and poised promoters. The Set1 complex is responsible for most somatic H3K4me3 and contains the conserved subunit CxxC finger protein 1 (Cfp1), which binds to unmethylated CpGs and links H3K4me3 with CpG islands (CGIs). Here we report that Cfp1 plays unanticipated roles in organizing genome-wide H3K4me3 in embryonic stem cells. Cfp1 deficiency caused two contrasting phenotypes: drastic loss of H3K4me3 at expressed CGI-associated genes, with minimal consequences for transcription, and creation of “ectopic” H3K4me3 peaks at numerous regulatory regions. DNA binding by Cfp1 was dispensable for targeting H3K4me3 to active genes but was required to prevent ectopic H3K4me3 peaks. The presence of ectopic peaks at enhancers often coincided with increased expression of nearby genes. This suggests that CpG targeting prevents “leakage” of H3K4me3 to inappropriate chromatin compartments. Our results demonstrate that Cfp1 is a specificity factor that integrates multiple signals, including promoter CpG content and gene activity, to regulate genome-wide patterns of H3K4me3

A Ceph S3 Object Data Store for HEP

We present a novel data format design that obviates the need for data tiers by storing individual event data products in column objects. The objects are stored and retrieved through Ceph S3 technology, with a layout designed to minimize metadata volume and maximize data processing parallelism. Performance benchmarks of data storage and retrieval are presented.Comment: CHEP2023 proceedings, to be published in EPJ Web of Conference