Improved near real time surface wind resolution over the Mediterranean Sea

International audienceSeveral scientific programs, including the Mediterranean Forecasting System Toward Environmental Predictions (MFSTEP project), request high space and time resolutions of surface wind speed and direction. The purpose of this paper is to focus on surface wind improvements over the global Mediterranean Sea, based on the blending near real time remotely sensed wind observations and ECMWF wind analysis. Ocean surface wind observations are retrieved from QuikSCAT scatterometer and from SSM/I radiometers available at near real time at Météo-France. Using synchronous satellite data, the number of remotely sensed data available for each analysis epoch (00:00 h; 06:00 h; 12:00 h; 18:00 h) is not uniformly distributed as a function of space and time. On average two satellite wind observations are available for each analysis time period. The analysis is performed by optimum interpolation (OI) based on the kriging approach. The needed covariance matrixes are estimated from the satellite wind speed, zonal and meridional component observations. The quality of the 6-hourly resulting blended wind fields on 0.25° grid are investigated trough comparisons with the remotely sensed observations as well as with moored buoy wind averaged wind estimates. The blended wind data and remotely wind observations, occurring within 3 h and 0.25° from the analysis estimates, compare well over the global basin as well as over the sub-basins. The correlation coefficients exceed 0.95 while the rms difference values are less than 0.30 m/s. Using measurements from moored buoys, the high-resolution wind fields are found to have similar accuracy as satellite wind retrievals. Blended wind estimates exhibit better comparisons with buoy moored in open sea than near shore

Accuracy of citrulline, I-FABP and d-lactate in the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia

Data availability: Research data are not shared.Supplementary Information oi available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98012-w#Sec14 .Early diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) remains a clinical challenge, and no biomarker has been consistently validated. We aimed to assess the accuracy of three promising circulating biomarkers for diagnosing AMI—citrulline, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), and D-lactate. A cross-sectional diagnostic study enrolled AMI patients admitted to the intestinal stroke center and controls with acute abdominal pain of another origin. We included 129 patients—50 AMI and 79 controls. Plasma citrulline concentrations were significantly lower in AMI patients compared to the controls [15.3 μmol/L (12.0–26.0) vs. 23.3 μmol/L (18.3–29.8), p = 0.001]. However, the area under the receiver operating curves (AUROC) for the diagnosis of AMI by Citrulline was low: 0.68 (95% confidence interval = 0.58–0.78). No statistical difference was found in plasma I-FABP and plasma D-lactate concentrations between the AMI and control groups, with an AUROC of 0.44, and 0.40, respectively. In this large cross-sectional study, citrulline, I-FABP, and D-lactate failed to differentiate patients with AMI from patients with acute abdominal pain of another origin. Further research should focus on the discovery of new biomarkers.Grants from MSD-Avenir and APHP funded the SURVIBIO study; Alexandre Nuzzo received Ph.D. Grants from “Fondation de l'Avenir” and the French Gastroenterology Society (SNFGE)

Ocean Surface Wave spectrum from ENVISAT ASAR observations, during the VALPARESO experiment compared to airborne radar observations, in situ data, and wave prediction models

International audienc

Hepatic hemangiomas: Factors associated with T2 shine-through effect on diffusion-weighted MR sequences.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency and factors associated with the presence of T2 shine-through effect in hepatic hemangiomas on diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) sequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by institutional review board with waiver of informed consent. One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with 388 hepatic hemangiomas who underwent a liver MR between January 2010 and November 2011 were included. MR analysis evaluated the lesion characteristics (signal intensities and enhancement patterns (classical, rapidly filling, delayed filling)), the presence of T2 shine-through effect on DW sequences (b values of 0, 150, and 600s/mm(2)), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. Multivariate analysis was performed to study the factors associated with the T2 shine-through effect. RESULTS: T2 shine-through effect was observed in 204/388 (52.6%) of hepatic hemangiomas and in 100 (67.1%) patients. Mean ADC value of hemangiomas with T2 shine-through effect was significantly lower than hemangiomas without (2.0±0.48 vs 2.38±0.45, P<.0001). On multivariate analysis, high signal intensity on fat-suppressed T2-weighted fast spin-echo images, hemangiomas with classical or delayed enhancement, and the ADC of the liver were the only significant factors associated with T2 shine-through effect. CONCLUSION: T2 shine-through effect is commonly observed in hepatic hemangiomas and is related to hemangiomas characteristics. Radiologists should be aware of this phenomenon which could lead to misdiagnosis. Its presence should not question the diagnosis of hemangiomas when typical MR findings are found

PEARL – environmental management system for port authorities

Platforma PEARL to system dostosowany do potrzeb portów morskich, który pozwala na integrację danych satelitarnych oraz naziemnych w celu jak najlepszego zarządzania środowiskiem portowym. Dane satelitarne uzupełnione informacjami pozyskanymi z pomiarów insitu, dotyczącymi: jakości wody i powietrza, jakości osadów, prądów morskich, prędkości i kierunku rozchodzenia się fal morskich, zostały wykorzystane między innymi do monitorowania: pól wiatrów, plam ropy, prądów morskich, temperatury powierzchniowej wody, ruchu statków. Dostęp do danych naziemnych został zapewniony przez porty. Wybór danych satelitarnych był uwarunkowany możliwościami ich wykorzystania, a także związany z indywidualnymi potrzebami użytkowników. Platforma jest gotowa do implementacji. Jej działanie zostało sprawdzone w trzech europejskich portach w Barcelonie (Hiszpania), Southampton (Wielka Brytania) oraz Tallinie (Estonia).The PEARL system is a tailor-made platform based on a modular structure which provides an Environmental Management System for Port Authorities that allows the incorporation of future data sources (new in-situ sensors, future space missions, etc) as they become available. The EO data are used to monitor physical parameters related to the Port environment, such as sea surface winds, coastal swell fields, oil spills, currents, ship traffic, sea surface temperature, and can be integrated to complement in-situ sensors in the same port area. The selection of the EO data was made taking into account the end-users’ environmental needs and the EO data limitations. Each port gave access to their in-situ sensors to provide data for integration with EO information. The selected in-situ sensors measured: air and water quality, turbidity, sediment quality currents, wave speed and direction.The paper gives an overview on the system architecture, data selection and on the results of the PEARL platform validation. The platform is ready to use and was validated in three European ports: the ports of Barcelona, Southampton and Tallinn

Acute extrahepatic infectious or inflammatory diseases are a cause of transient mosaic pattern on CT and MR imaging related to sinusoidal dilatation of the liver

Purpose: To report the association of a mosaic enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT or MR imaging and hepatic sinusoidal dilatation (SD) with acute inflammatory conditions affecting extrahepatic organs. Methods: From 2007 to 2012, patients with acute inflammatory diseases who underwent contrast-enhanced CT and/or MRI of the liver with a mosaic enhancement pattern were selected. Clinico-biological and other imaging features were collected at diagnosis and during follow-up. Results: Sixteen patients were included (15 women, median age 27\ua0years; range 18\u201368). Five women (33\ua0%) were receiving oral contraceptives. Acute inflammatory diseases included pyelonephritis (n = 10), pancreatitis (n = 2), pneumonia (n = 1), septicemia (n = 1), active Crohn's disease (n = 1), and infectious colitis (n = 1). Median white blood cell count was 13,250 cells/\u3bcL (range 11,500-18,000 cells/\u3bcL) and CRP level 94\ua0mg/L (range 60\u2013121\ua0mg/L). Mosaic enhancement pattern was present in the whole liver and was prominent in the subcapsular areas. Four patients underwent liver biopsy confirming SD. Eleven patients underwent follow-up imaging showing normalized aspect in 9/11 patients after a median of 2\ua0months. Conclusion: Acute diseases of extrahepatic organs, associated with a marked systemic inflammatory syndrome should be added to the list of conditions causing a reversible hepatic sinusoidal dilatation as manifested by a mosaic enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced CT or MR imaging. Key Points: \u2022 Acute extrahepatic infectious/inflammatory diseases are a cause of transient MP. \u2022 In most patients, MP was seen during both arterial and portal venous phase. \u2022 In all patients, the mosaic enhancement pattern was diffuse, but more conspicuous in subcapsular areas. \u2022 MP was no longer seen after resolution of the acute disease. \u2022 No liver biopsy should be performed