Estonian total ozone climatology

International audienceThe climatological characteristics of total ozone over Estonia based on the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data are discussed. The mean annual cycle during 1979?2000 for the site at 58.3° N and 26.5° E is compiled. The available ground-level data interpolated before TOMS, have been used for trend detection. During the last two decades, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) corrected systematic decrease of total ozone from February?April was 3 ± 2.6% per decade. Before 1980, a spring decrease was not detectable. No decreasing trend was found in either the late autumn ozone minimum or in the summer total ozone. The QBO related signal in the spring total ozone has an amplitude of ± 20 DU and phase lag of 20 months. Between 1987?1992, the lagged covariance between the Singapore wind and the studied total ozone was weak. The spring (April?May) and summer (June?August) total ozone have the best correlation (coefficient 0.7) in the yearly cycle. The correlation between the May and August total ozone is higher than the one between the other summer months. Seasonal power spectra of the total ozone variance show preferred periods with an over 95% significance level. Since 1986, during the winter/spring, the contribution period of 32 days prevails instead of the earlier dominating 26 days. The spectral densities of the periods from 4 days to 2 weeks exhibit high interannual variability

Some new results in the investigation of the middle atmosphere from space using the daytime horizon scanning method

The results of the restoration of the optical parameters of the El Chichon aerosol cloud at Lambda 2.2 micron are presented. The eight channel teleradiometer FAZA for visible and near infrared spectral regions is described in some detail. Mathematical aspects of data processing for the ill-posed problems are discussed. The results of the restoration of the volume emission rate of the molecular oxygen on Lambda 1.27 micron in the middle atmosphere and of the aerosol on Lambda 0.84 micron are presented

Study of suitability of AvaSpec array spectrometer for solar UV field measurements

A system to record the ultraviolet (UV) spectra of atmospheric global irradiance with the miniature fiber optic spectrometer AvaSpec-256 was developed for continuous computer-aided spectrometry at Tartu Observatory in 2005. As a result, the database of spectra recorded with 15-min-interval round 24 h over 300–400 nm, has been developed. The quantities retrieved from the spectra have been compared with those measured by the Scintec erythemal UV-SET sensor and the Kipp & Zonen narrowband 306 nm sensor. Almost clear and overcast days were selected for comparison. Reliable results on the spectral distribution of the UV global irradiance as well as the integrated daily spectral doses could be obtained at least during the bright half-year. The results were compared with the calculations performed by means of the LibRadtran package. The biases in irradiance were significant at SZA above 70–75°. At dominating larger SZA the recorded values need sophisticated corrections and remain less reliable. At lower latitudes than that of the study site (58.3°), the reliability of the spectrometer is expected to increase due to a smaller contribution of data measured at large SZA. <br></br> The variations of the ratio of UV-A/UV-B irradiance, retrieved from the spectra, were investigated. Also the covariation of the narrowband 306 nm irradiance and the irradiance integrated over the whole UV-B range was studied. The biases between the UV-A/UV-B irradiances calculated by means of the LibRadtran package and measured with the AvaSpec were small at SZA below 70°. At larger SZA the values of the ratio as well as the biases increased, significantly depending on total ozone

Study of suitability of cheap AvaSpec array spectrometer for solar UV field measurements

International audienceA system to record the ultraviolet (UV) spectra of atmospheric global irradiance with the miniature fiber optic spectrometer AvaSpec-256 was developed for continuous computer-aided spectrometry at Tartu Observatory in 2005. As a result, the database of spectra recorded with 15-min-interval round 24 h over 300?400 nm, has been developed. The quantities retrieved from the spectra have been compared with those measured by the Scintec erythemal UV-SET sensor and the Kipp&Zonen narrowband 306 nm sensor. Almost clear and overcast days were selected for comparison. Reliable results on the spectral distribution of the UV global irradiance as well as the integrated daily spectral doses could be obtained at least during the bright half-year. The results were compared with the calculations performed by means of the LibRadtran package. The biases in irradiance were significant at SZA above 70?75°. At dominating larger SZA the recorded values need sophisticated corrections and remain less reliable. At lower latitudes than that of the study site (58.3 degrees), the reliability of the spectrometer is expected to increase due to a smaller contribution of data measured at large SZA. The variations of the ratio of UV-A/UV-B irradiance, retrieved from the spectra, were investigated. Also the covariation of the narrowband 306 nm irradiance and the irradiance integrated over the whole UV-B range was studied. The biases between calculated by means of the LibRadtran package and the measured ratio of UV-A/UV-B irradiance were small at SZA below 70°. At larger SZA the values of the ratio as well as the biases increased, significantly depending on total ozone

Serum Amyloid Alpha Is Downregulated in Peripheral Tissues of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

We report the changed levels of serum amyloid alpha, an immunologically active protein, in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ peripheral tissues. We have previously shown that Saa-1 and -2 (serum amyloid alpha-1,-2, genes) were among the top downregulated genes in PD patients’ skin, using whole-genome RNA sequencing. In the current study, we characterized the gene and protein expression profiles of skin and blood samples from patients with confirmed PD diagnosis and age/sex matched controls. qRT-PCR analysis of PD skin demonstrated downregulation of Saa-1 and -2 genes in PD patients. However, the lowered amount of protein could not be visualized using immunohistochemistry, due to low quantity of SAA (Serum Amyloid Alpha, protein) in skin. Saa-1 and -2 expression levels in whole blood were below detection threshold based on RNA sequencing, however significantly lowered protein levels of SAA1/2 in PD patients’ serum were shown with ELISA, implying that SAA is secreted into the blood. These results show that SAA is differentially expressed in the peripheral tissues of PD patients

Bi-allelic variants in TSPOAP1, encoding the active zone protein RIMBP1, cause autosomal recessive dystonia

Dystonia is a debilitating hyperkinetic movement disorder, which can be transmitted as a monogenic trait. Here, we describe homozygous frameshift, nonsense and missense variants in TSPOAP1, encoding the active zone RIM-binding protein 1 (RIMBP1), as a novel genetic cause of autosomal recessive dystonia in seven subjects from three unrelated families. Subjects carrying loss-of-function variants presented with juvenile-onset progressive generalized dystonia, associated with intellectual disability and cerebellar atrophy. Conversely, subjects carrying a pathogenic missense variant (p.Gly1808Ser) presented with isolated adult-onset focal dystonia. In mice, complete loss of RIMBP1, known to reduce neurotransmission, led to motor abnormalities reminiscent of dystonia, decreased Purkinje cell dendritic arborization, and reduced numbers of cerebellar synapses. In vitro analysis of the p.Gly1808Ser variant showed larger spike-evoked calcium transients and enhanced neurotransmission, suggesting that RIMBP1-linked dystonia can be caused by either reduced or enhanced rates of spike-evoked release in relevant neural networks. Our findings establish a direct link between dysfunction of the presynaptic active zone and dystonia and highlight the critical role played by well-balanced neurotransmission in motor control and disease pathogenesis

Biallelic variants in TSPOAP1, encoding the active-zone protein RIMBP1, cause autosomal recessive dystonia.

Dystonia is a debilitating hyperkinetic movement disorder, which can be transmitted as a monogenic trait. Here, we describe homozygous frameshift, nonsense, and missense variants in TSPOAP1, which encodes the active-zone RIM-binding protein 1 (RIMBP1), as a genetic cause of autosomal recessive dystonia in 7 subjects from 3 unrelated families. Subjects carrying loss-of-function variants presented with juvenile-onset progressive generalized dystonia, associated with intellectual disability and cerebellar atrophy. Conversely, subjects carrying a pathogenic missense variant (p.Gly1808Ser) presented with isolated adult-onset focal dystonia. In mice, complete loss of RIMBP1, known to reduce neurotransmission, led to motor abnormalities reminiscent of dystonia, decreased Purkinje cell dendritic arborization, and reduced numbers of cerebellar synapses. In vitro analysis of the p.Gly1808Ser variant showed larger spike-evoked calcium transients and enhanced neurotransmission, suggesting that RIMBP1-linked dystonia can be caused by either reduced or enhanced rates of spike-evoked release in relevant neural networks. Our findings establish a direct link between dysfunction of the presynaptic active zone and dystonia and highlight the critical role played by well-balanced neurotransmission in motor control and disease pathogenesis

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

Estonian total ozone climatology

The climatological characteristics of total ozone over Estonia based on the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data are discussed. The mean annual cycle during 1979–2000 for the site at 58.3° N and 26.5° E is compiled. The available ground-level data interpolated before TOMS, have been used for trend detection. During the last two decades, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) corrected systematic decrease of total ozone from February–April was 3 ± 2.6% per decade. Before 1980, a spring decrease was not detectable. No decreasing trend was found in either the late autumn ozone minimum or in the summer total ozone. The QBO related signal in the spring total ozone has an amplitude of ± 20 DU and phase lag of 20 months. Between 1987–1992, the lagged covariance between the Singapore wind and the studied total ozone was weak. The spring (April–May) and summer (June–August) total ozone have the best correlation (coefficient 0.7) in the yearly cycle. The correlation between the May and August total ozone is higher than the one between the other summer months. Seasonal power spectra of the total ozone variance show preferred periods with an over 95% significance level. Since 1986, during the winter/spring, the contribution period of 32 days prevails instead of the earlier dominating 26 days. The spectral densities of the periods from 4 days to 2 weeks exhibit high interannual variability.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (middle atmosphere – composition and chemistry; volcanic effects) – Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (climatology