Ground-based observations of equatorial thermosphere dynamics with a Fabry-Perot interferometer

Fabry-Perot determinations of thermospheric temperatures from 630.0 nm nightglow line width measurements were carried out for the period April to August, 1983. The nightly variation of the thermospheric temperature measured on 53 nights is compared with MSIS model predictions and found to agree occasionally with the model but, on the average, to exceed model predictions by approximately 180 K. The largest differences, 400 to 500 K occur during strongly increasing geomagnetic activity. Significant differences occur both during high geomagnetic/low solar activity and during low geomagnetic/high solar activity

Building Trust(s): Rethinking Asset Return in Kleptocracy Forfeitures

Kleptocracy, literally meaning “rule by thieves,” is a major destabilizing force in an already unstable world. Every year, corrupt government officials plunder billions of dollars rightfully belonging to their citizens and export them overseas. When these funds—often parked in luxury assets—reach the United States, federal prosecutors can seize them using a procedure known as nonconviction-based forfeiture. But after every such seizure, a question arises: How does the United States give stolen assets back to whom they belong? The United Nations Convention Against Corruption strongly encourages (or, in some circumstances, requires) forfeited assets to be returned to their state of origin or prior legitimate owners. Accordingly, the United States Department of Justice often executes sharing agreements with cooperating states. But asset return proves a more formidable challenge when the forfeiture was executed at the behest of a victim state whose government would likely misappropriate the assets again. This Note proposes a new type of fund, modeled on the charitable trust, that could provide an alternative mechanism to return assets in those cases. Depositing the assets in an independently managed trust would relieve the Justice Department of the administrative burden of managing a complex return and would bypass sovereigns to ensure benefits from the stolen assets accrue to the citizens to whom they belong

Plant communities of Italy. The vegetation prodrome

The Vegetation Prodrome of Italy was promoted in 2012 by the Italian "Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection", in collaboration with the "Italian Society of Botany", to provide a comprehensive and systematic catalogue and description of Italian plant communities. The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synthesis of the vegetation of Italy at the alliance syntaxonomic level. It fulfils several needs, the main one being a unified and comprehensive national framework that may make an important contribution to the definition of the European Vegetation Prodrome. Syntaxonomy, as well as taxonomy, is sometimes based on considerations that may in part diverge: several authors tend to favour models that are divisive or aggregative to a greater or lesser extent in terms of flora, biogeography and ecology. These different points of view stimulate the scientific debate and allow the adoption of a framework that is more widely supported. The Prodrome includes 75 classes, 2 subclasses, 175 orders, 6 suborders and 393 alliances. The classes were grouped into nine broad categories according to structural, physiognomic and synecological elements rather than to syntaxonomic criteria. The rank, full valid name, any synonymies and incorrect names are provided for each syntaxon. The short declaration highlights the physiognomy, synecology, syndynamics and distribution of the plant communities that belong to the syntaxon. The Prodrome of the Italian Vegetation is linked to the European Strategy for Biodiversity, the European Habitats Directive and the European Working Groups related to the ecosystems and their services. In addition to basic applications, the Prodrome can be used as a framework for scientific research related to the investigation of the relationships between plant communities and the environmental factors that influence their composition and distribution

Genomic imbalances are confined to non-proliferating cells in paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and a normal or incomplete karyotype

Copyright @ 2011 Ballabio et al.Leukaemia is often associated with genetic alterations such as translocations, amplifications and deletions, and recurrent chromosome abnormalities are used as markers of diagnostic and prognostic relevance. However, a proportion of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases have an apparently normal karyotype despite comprehensive cytogenetic analysis. Based on conventional cytogenetic analysis of banded chromosomes, we selected a series of 23 paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and performed whole genome array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) using DNA samples derived from the same patients. Imbalances involving large chromosomal regions or entire chromosomes were detected by aCGH in seven of the patients studied. Results were validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to both interphase nuclei and metaphase chromosomes using appropriate bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes. The majority of these copy number alterations (CNAs) were confirmed by FISH and found to localize to the interphase rather than metaphase nuclei. Furthermore, the proliferative states of the cells analyzed by FISH were tested by immunofluorescence using an antibody against the proliferation marker pKi67. Interestingly, these experiments showed that, in the vast majority of cases, the changes appeared to be confined to interphase nuclei in a non-proliferative status.This work was supported by a grant from Leukaemia Research UK (grant no. 0253). SJLK and RR were supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, with funding from the Department of Health’s NIHR Biomedical Research Centres funding schemeThis article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Radiocarbon Analysis Confirms the Annual Nature of Sagebrush Growth Rings

In the Great Basin of North America, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) growth rings can be used to reconstruct environmental changes with annual resolution in areas where there is otherwise little such information available. We tested the annual nature of big sagebrush wood layers using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating. Four cross-sections from 3 sagebrush plants were collected near Ely, Nevada, USA, and analyzed using dendrochronological methods. Ten 14C measurements were then used to trace the location of the 1963–64 "bomb spike." Although the number of rings on each section did not exceed 60, crossdating was possible within a section and between sections. Years assigned to individual wood layers by means of crossdating aligned with their expected 14C values, matching the location of the 14C peak. This result confirmed the annual nature of growth rings formed by big sagebrush, and will facilitate the development of spatially explicit, well-replicated proxy records of environmental change, such as wildfire regimes, in Great Basin valleys

Incidence of Rejection in Renal Transplant Surgery in the LVHN Population Leading to Graft Failure: 6 Year Review

Incidence of Rejection in Renal Transplant Surgery in the LVHN Population Leading to Graft Failure: 6 Year Review Jessica Ludolph1 Lynsey Biondi, MD1,2 and Michael Moritz, MD1,2 1Department of Surgery, Lehigh Valley Health Network 2Research Scholar Program Mentor Abstract To obtain optimal outcomes, it is vital to continually investigate variables potentially effecting rejection and graft failures. 407 renal transplant recipients who were transplanted at The Transplant Center of the Lehigh Valley from January 2009 to December 2014 were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Variables potentially influencing graft survival, including delayed graft function, and cell mediated and antibody mediated rejection, were compared. Demographic information, donor characteristics, and cold ischemic time were also investigated. Rejection of one or more types occurred in 39% of patients. Cellular rejection (35% of total patients) occurred more commonly than antibody mediated rejection (8% of total patients), with borderline cellular rejection the most common (40% of rejections). Antibody mediated rejection negatively impacted graft survival (p=0.0917) whereas cellular rejection did not show a statistically significant effect. Delayed graft function was common (29% of patients), but patients with delayed graft function have similar rejection rates as patients without delayed graft function (29% for both). Delayed graft function was associated with significantly lower graft survival. Background Typical solid organs transplanted are the kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, and lungs. Kidneys are the most common solid organ transplant performed. The Transplant Center of the Lehigh Valley performs a large volume of kidney transplant surgeries and maintains a large database with the details of these procedures. This project will quantify recent outcomes data related to incidences of the different types of rejection as compared to other variables. These variables include transplant type, cause of renal failure, and time on dialysis prior to transplantation. Currently, there is debate about the impact of acute rejection episodes on graft survival. More recent studies demonstrate a reduction in incidences of rejection over time, but not a similar reduction in renal graft failure.5 Further studies have also seen that graft failures are less dependent on the acute rejection episode itself but rather that an acute rejection can initiate a chronic pathological process that ultimately leads to graft failure.8 Rejection can be broken down into two major types; cell-mediated and antibody mediated rejection. Severity is graded on the Banff ’97 scale. This scale is broken down into seven different categories, in order of increasing severity: Borderline, Grade 1A, Grade 1B, Grade 2A, Grade 2B, Grade 3, and Grade 4, aimed at providing a standard classification system for the varying pathologies seen on histological examination. In addition to the Banff scale, clinical vs. subclinical rejection becomes an important metric for evaluating the ultimate outcome of the allograft. An incidence of subclinical rejection is diagnosed from biopsies performed routinely based on protocol rather than for a change in transplant function. LVHN performs protocol biopsies at 1, 6, and 12 months post-transplant. Additional biopsies are performed when clinically indicated, usually a negative change in transplant function. In some studies, rejection episodes that do not cause a decrease in renal function have a lesser impact on graft survival.5 It can be postulated then, that subclinical rejection episodes do not have as significant of an impact on graft survival as clinical rejection episodes. The occurrence of cell mediated versus antibody mediated rejection can have vastly different effects on outcomes. These two types of rejection should not be thought of as completely separate entities, but rather overlapping, where an episode of unresolved cell-mediated rejection can lead to antibody mediated rejection.8 This study aims to further investigate the relationships between the different types of rejection and the graft failure as well as look at other compounding factors that might also show correlation with either the incidence of rejection or the ultimate outcome of the graft. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at the Transplant Center of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The 407 patients that underwent renal transplantation from January 2009 to December 2014 were included in the study. During this period, a uniform protocol for immunosuppression, post-transplant care, and biopsy by protocol and clinical indication was in place. Patient data was collected from the Organ Transplant Tracking Record (OTTR) database and included transplant date, graft survival time, patient survival time, donor type, types of rejections, treatments received, and demographic information. Those patients who experienced one or more episodes of rejection were then further analyzed to see if there is a correlation between the other factors including, transplant type (living vs. deceased donor, PHS higher risk), demographics (age, sex), delayed graft function (defined as the patient needing dialysis within 7 days of transplant), time on dialysis prior to transplant, cold ischemic time, and the ultimate outcome of the graft. Data from the OTTR was coded so it could be statistically analyzed. Primary disease category was done based on the categories used by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR): Glomerular diseases, Tubular and Interstitial diseases, Polycystic Kidneys, congenital/familial/metabolic, Diabetes, Renovascular and Vascular diseases, Neoplasms, and Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis. Most of the data was coded using 0=No and 1=Yes for types or rejection, delayed graft function, and whether or not the patient received a particular treatment. Cell mediated rejection and antibody mediated rejection were compared for history of delayed graft function and graft survival. Descriptive statistics were performed on age, gender, type of donor (living vs. deceased), graft failure, delay of graft function, time on dialysis, cold ischemic time, and incidence of rejection and the proportion of each type of rejection. Patients who died with a functioning graft were excluded in graft survival. Survival analysis was used to analyze cell mediated rejection, antibody mediated rejection, and delayed graft function, versus graft survival time. Results Of 407 total patients included in the study, 159 experienced at least one episode of rejection (39%) and 248 experienced no rejection (61%). (See Table 1) Of those who experienced rejection, the mean age was 57 years old, 32% were female, 19% had a living donor, 23% had graft failure (p=.0254), 29% had delay of graft function. The mean time on dialysis was 1401 days, and the mean cold ischemic time was 712 minutes. Looking at those who experienced no rejection, the mean age was 58 years old, 30% were female, 23% had a living donor, 16% had graft failure, 29% had a delay in graft function, the mean time on dialysis was 925 days, and the mean cold ischemic time was 719 minutes. Only graft failure was statistically significantly different. Regarding all types of rejection, cell mediated borderline rejection was the most common encompassing 40% of all rejections, followed by Acute Cellular Rejection Banff Grade 1B (20%), Acute Cellular Rejection Banff Grade 1A (19%), Antibody mediated rejection (17%), and Grade 2A and 2B (2%). Antibody mediated rejection is associated with a statistically higher incidence (p Delayed graft function was also shown to have an influence on graft survival time (p Discussion In the LVHN population of renal transplant patients, less severe types of cellular rejection are more common (i.e. Borderline, Grade 1B). Overall, there were fewer instances of antibody mediated rejection compared to cell mediated rejection; 31% of the antibody mediated rejections ended in graft failure while only 10% of cell mediated rejections ended in graft failure. While there was a correlation between antibody mediated rejection and graft survival time, the same correlation was not as strong for cell mediated rejection with a p value of (\u3e0.05). Antibody mediated rejection appears to have a greater negative effect on graft survival than cell mediated rejection. In addition to examining the impact of rejection on the outcome of the graft, it is important to also consider factors that can impact episodes of rejection. In this study, delayed graft function and the presence and type of rejection were examined. For all patients, cell mediated rejection was more common than antibody mediated rejection. The incidence of all types of rejection was similar for delayed graft function and non-delayed graft function patients. Previous studies show delayed graft function after Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) donors does not have the same negative influence on survival as delayed graft function after brain death. Further investigation into delayed graft function patients and types of donors is warranted. When analyzing graft survival as a continuous variable delayed graft function had a large impact, with the lowest mean graft survival time with a standard error of 53, and cell mediated rejection had the second lowest graft survival time with a similar standard error of 51. Interestingly, antibody mediated rejection had the highest mean graft survival time, but it also had the largest standard error of 114, indicating that its mean is not as well-known as the other two. This can be due to the smaller number of individuals experiencing antibody mediated rejection (36) compared to 118 with delayed graft function and 143 with cell mediated rejection. Late rejections may also influence this data. A survival analysis would have to be run on this data to determine the true relationship between these conditions and graft survival time. Comparing low level (Borderline/1A) with high level cellular rejection may also be useful. This study serves to provide a brief overview of the characteristics of the LVHN Renal transplant population. It is a springboard for future investigation of the rejection process and graft survival. Conclusions Acute cellular rejection (particularly borderline) is more common than antibody mediated rejection. Antibody mediated rejection has a statistically significant (p References Controversial Issues. (n.d.) West\u27s Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved February 23 2015 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Controversial+Issues Lamb, K.E., Lodhi, S., & Meier-Kriesche, H.U. Long-term renal allograft survival in the United States: a critical reappraisal. Am J Transplant 2011, 11:450-462. Racusen, L.C., Colvin, R.B., Solez, K., et al. Antibody-Mediated Rejection Criteria-an Addition to the Banff ’97 Classification of Renal Allograft Rejection. American Journal of Transplantation 2003, 3: 708-714. Gaber, L.W., Moore, L.W., Alloway, R.R., et al. Correlation between Banff classification, acute renal rejection scores and reversal of rejection. Kidney International 1996, 49: 481-487. Meier-Kriesche, H.U., Schold, J.D., Srinivas, T.R., & Kaplan, B. Lack of Improvement in Renal Allograft Survival Despite a Marked Decrease in Acute Rejection Rates Over the Most Recent Era. American Journal of Transplantation 2004, 4:378-383. El-Zoghby, Z.M., Stegall, M.D., Lager, D.J., et al. Identifying Specific Causes of Kidney Allograft Loss. American Journal of Transplantation 2009, 9:527-535. Wu, K., Budde K., Lu, H., et al. The Severity of Acute Cellular Rejection Defined by Banff Classification Is Associated With Kidney Allograft Outcomes. Transplantation 2014, 97:1146-1154. El Terse, M., Grande, J.P., Keddis, M.T., Rodrigo, E., et al. Kidney Allograft Survival After Acute Rejection, the Value of Follow-Up Biopsies. American Journal of Transplantation 2013, 13:2334-2341. Appendix Table 1: Characteristics of patients with at least one incidence of rejection vs. those with none (n=407) *Influence of rejection as the independent variable. All other variables show incidence of rejection as the dependent variable. Graft failure only includes those who had graft failure unrelated to patient death. Figure 1: Includes types of cell mediated rejections Banff Scale (Grade 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3, 4, Borderline) Figure 2: Delayed graft function is defined as anyone receiving dialysis within 7 days post-transplant. {Mean graft survival time in days} Delayed Graft Function (DGF) Figure 3: Graft failure only included patients who had graft failure unrelated to patient death. Effect of antibody mediated rejection on graft failure p\u3c0.0001 Figure 4: Delayed Graft Function p Cell Mediated Rejection p=.053