Improvement of Odin/SMR water vapour and temperature measurements and validation of the obtained data sets

Its long photochemical lifetime makes H2O a good tracer for mesospheric dynamics. Temperature observations are also critical to study middle atmospheric dynamics. In this study, we present the reprocessing of 18 years of mesospheric H2O and temperature measurements from the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) aboard the Odin satellite, resulting in a part of the SMR version 3.0 level 2 data set. The previous version of the data set showed poor accordance with measurements from other instruments, which suggested that the retrieved concentrations and temperature were subject to instrumental artefacts. Different hypotheses have been explored, and the idea of an underestimation of the singlesideband leakage turned out to be the most reasonable one. The value of the lowest transmission achievable has therefore been raised to account for greater sideband leakage, and new retrievals have been performed with the new settings. The retrieved profiles extend between 40-100 km altitude and cover the whole globe to reach 85\ub0 latitudes. A validation study has been carried out, revealing an overall better accordance with the compared instruments. In particular, relative differences in H2O mixing ratio are always in the \ub120% range between 40 and 70 km and diverge at higher altitudes, while temperature absolute differences are within \ub15K between 40-80 km and also diverge at higher altitudes

Effectiveness of Statins as Primary Prevention in People With Different Cardiovascular Risk: A Population-Based Cohort Study

The purpose was to analyze statin effectiveness in a general population with differing levels of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Patients (35-74 years) without previous cardiovascular disease were included and stratified according to 10-year CHD risk ( < 5%, 5-7.4%, 7.5-9.9%, and 10-19.9%). New users were categorized according to their medical possession ratio (MPR). The main outcome was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke). In adherent patients (MPR 70%), statin treatment decreased ASCVD risk across the range of coronary risk (from 16-30%). The 5-year number needed to treat (NNT) was 470 and 204 in the risk categories < 5% and 5-7.4%, respectively, and 75 and 62 in the 7.5-9.9% category than in the 10-19.9% category, respectively. Statin therapy should remain a priority in patients at high 10-year CHD risk (10-19.9%). Most patients with intermediate risk could benefit from statin treatment, but the treatment decision should focus on the net benefit, safety, and patient preference, given the higher NNT

Large Abundances of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Titan's Upper Atmosphere

In this paper, we analyze the strong unidentified emission near 3.28 micron in Titan's upper daytime atmosphere recently discovered by Dinelli et al.We have studied it by using the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), after absorbing UV solar radiation, are able to emit strongly near 3.3 micron. By using current models for the redistribution of the absorbed UV energy, we have explained the observed spectral feature and have derived the vertical distribution of PAH abundances in Titan's upper atmosphere. PAHs have been found to be present in large concentrations, about (2-3) 10(exp 4) particles / cubic cm. The identified PAHs have 9-96 carbons, with a concentration-weighted average of 34 carbons. The mean mass is approx 430 u; the mean area is about 0.53 sq. nm; they are formed by 10-11 rings on average, and about one-third of them contain nitrogen atoms. Recently, benzene together with light aromatic species as well as small concentrations of heavy positive and negative ions have been detected in Titan's upper atmosphere. We suggest that the large concentrations of PAHs found here are the neutral counterpart of those positive and negative ions, which hence supports the theory that the origin of Titan main haze layer is located in the upper atmosphere

Errors in Sounding of the Atmosphere Using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) Kinetic Temperature Caused by Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium Model Parameters

The vast set of near global and continuous atmospheric measurements made by the SABER instrument since 2002, including daytime and nighttime kinetic temperature (T(sub k)) from 20 to 105 km, is available to the scientific community. The temperature is retrieved from SABER measurements of the atmospheric 15 micron CO2 limb emission. This emission separates from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions in the rarefied mesosphere and thermosphere, making it necessary to consider the CO2 vibrational state non-LTE populations in the retrieval algorithm above 70 km. Those populations depend on kinetic parameters describing the rate at which energy exchange between atmospheric molecules take place, but some of these collisional rates are not well known. We consider current uncertainties in the rates of quenching of CO2 (v2 ) by N2 , O2 and O, and the CO2 (v2 ) vibrational-vibrational exchange to estimate their impact on SABER T(sub k) for different atmospheric conditions. The T(sub k) is more sensitive to the uncertainty in the latter two and their effects depend on altitude. The T(sub k) combined systematic error due to non-LTE kinetic parameters does not exceed +/- 1.5 K below 95 km and +/- 4-5 K at 100 km for most latitudes and seasons (except for polar summer) if the Tk profile does not have pronounced vertical structure. The error is +/- 3 K at 80 km, +/- 6 K at 84 km and +/- 18 K at 100 km under the less favourable polar summer conditions. For strong temperature inversion layers, the errors reach +/- 3 K at 82 km and +/- 8 K at 90 km. This particularly affects tide amplitude estimates, with errors of up to +/- 3 K

Closed-Loop Control of Postprandial Glycemia Using an Insulin-on-Board Limitation Through Continuous Action on Glucose Target

This is a copy of an article published in the Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics © 2017 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics is available online at: https://www.liebertpub.com/.[EN] Background: Postprandial (PP) control remains a challenge for closed-loop (CL) systems. Few studies with inconsistent results have systematically investigated the PP period. Objective: To compare a new CL algorithm with current pump therapy (open loop [OL]) in the PP glucose control in type 1 diabetes (T1D) subjects. Methods: A crossover randomized study was performed in two centers. Twenty T1D subjects (F/M 13/7, age 40.7 -10.4 years, disease duration 22.6 +/- 9.9 years, and A1c 7.8% +/- 0.7%) underwent an 8-h mixed meal test on four occasions. In two (CL1/CL2), after meal announcement, a bolus was given followed by an algorithmdriven basal infusion based on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Alternatively, in OL1/OL2 conventional pump therapy was used. Main outcome measures were as follows: glucose variability, estimated with the coefficient of variation (CV) of the area under the curve (AUC) of plasma glucose (PG) and CGM values, and from the analysis of the glucose time series; mean, maximum (C-max), and time to C-max glucose concentrations and time in range (180 mg/dL). Results: CVs of the glucose AUCs were low and similar in all studies (around 10%). However, CL achieved greater reproducibility and better PG control in the PP period: CL1 = CL2 0.05) nor the need for oral glucose was significantly different (CL 40.0% vs. OL 22.5% of meals; P = 0.054). Conclusions: This novel CL algorithm effectively and consistently controls PP glucose excursions without increasing hypoglycemia. Study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: study number NCT02100488.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through Grants DPI2013-46982-C2-1-R and DPI2013-46982-C2-2-R, and the EU through FEDER funds. C.Q. is the recipient of a grant from the Hospital Clinic i Universitari of Barcelona ("Ajut a la recerca Josep Font 2014-2017").Rossetti, P.; Quirós, C.; Moscardo-Garcia, V.; Comas, A.; Giménez, M.; Ampudia-Blasco, F.; León, F.... (2017). Closed-Loop Control of Postprandial Glycemia Using an Insulin-on-Board Limitation Through Continuous Action on Glucose Target. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. 19(6):355-362. https://doi.org/10.1089/dia.2016.0443S35536219

PaCTS 1.0: A Crowdsourced Reporting Standard for Paleoclimate Data

The progress of science is tied to the standardization of measurements, instruments, and data. This is especially true in the Big Data age, where analyzing large data volumes critically hinges on the data being standardized. Accordingly, the lack of community-sanctioned data standards in paleoclimatology has largely precluded the benefits of Big Data advances in the field. Building upon recent efforts to standardize the format and terminology of paleoclimate data, this article describes the Paleoclimate Community reporTing Standard (PaCTS), a crowdsourced reporting standard for such data. PaCTS captures which information should be included when reporting paleoclimate data, with the goal of maximizing the reuse value of paleoclimate data sets, particularly for synthesis work and comparison to climate model simulations. Initiated by the LinkedEarth project, the process to elicit a reporting standard involved an international workshop in 2016, various forms of digital community engagement over the next few years, and grassroots working groups. Participants in this process identified important properties across paleoclimate archives, in addition to the reporting of uncertainties and chronologies; they also identified archive-specific properties and distinguished reporting standards for new versus legacy data sets. This work shows that at least 135 respondents overwhelmingly support a drastic increase in the amount of metadata accompanying paleoclimate data sets. Since such goals are at odds with present practices, we discuss a transparent path toward implementing or revising these recommendations in the near future, using both bottom-up and top-down approaches

PaCTS 1.0: A Crowdsourced Reporting Standard for Paleoclimate Data

The progress of science is tied to the standardization of measurements, instruments, and data. This is especially true in the Big Data age, where analyzing large data volumes critically hinges on the data being standardized. Accordingly, the lack of community-sanctioned data standards in paleoclimatology has largely precluded the benefits of Big Data advances in the field. Building upon recent efforts to standardize the format and terminology of paleoclimate data, this article describes the Paleoclimate Community reporTing Standard (PaCTS), a crowdsourced reporting standard for such data. PaCTS captures which information should be included when reporting paleoclimate data, with the goal of maximizing the reuse value of paleoclimate data sets, particularly for synthesis work and comparison to climate model simulations. Initiated by the LinkedEarth project, the process to elicit a reporting standard involved an international workshop in 2016, various forms of digital community engagement over the next few years, and grassroots working groups. Participants in this process identified important properties across paleoclimate archives, in addition to the reporting of uncertainties and chronologies; they also identified archive-specific properties and distinguished reporting standards for new versus legacy data sets. This work shows that at least 135 respondents overwhelmingly support a drastic increase in the amount of metadata accompanying paleoclimate data sets. Since such goals are at odds with present practices, we discuss a transparent path toward implementing or revising these recommendations in the near future, using both bottom-up and top-down approaches

Manejo del neonato con coartación de aorta e hipoplasia de arco

ResumenIntroducciónLa coartación aórtica del neonato puede asociar en un porcentaje importante hipoplasia del arco aórtico, llegando en algunas series al 60%.Cuando existe hipoplasia del arco aórtico distal el tratamiento estándar consiste en la resección de la zona de coartación y anastomosis termino-terminal extendida.En casos de hipoplasia severa del arco aórtico distal y arco distal largo, podría no ser suficiente con la resección y anastomosis termino-terminal extendida, por lo que sería razonable realizar alguna técnica adicional para ampliar el arco aórtico distal, evitando así un abordaje anterior, el uso de parada circulatoria con o sin perfusión cerebral selectiva y el aumento de la morbimortalidad perioperatoria.MétodosPresentamos los resultados de 4 neonatos, a los que se les realizó una ampliación del arco aórtico distal, según técnica de Amato (anastomosis latero-lateral entre las arterias carótida y subclavia izquierdas), para posteriormente resecar la zona de coartación y anastomosar la aorta descendente al arco aórtico previamente ampliado.ResultadosEn todos los casos el ecocardiograma postoperatorio mostró arco reconstruido con flujo laminar. No se ha presentado ningún caso de recoartación durante un período de seguimiento medio de 12 meses.ConclusiónConsideramos que la técnica de elección en la coartación con hipoplasia de arco distal es la resección y anastomosis termino-terminal extendida.En casos seleccionados, con arco aórtico distal muy largo y severamente hipoplásico, la técnica de Amato es una alternativa atractiva, con el objeto de evitar un abordaje anterior y el uso de CEC. Además, puede realizarse en un primer tiempo, manteniendo perfusión sistémica ductus-dependiente.AbstractIntroductionNeonatal aortic coarctation can be combined with a significant percentage of aortic arch hypoplasia, reaching 60% in some series.When there is hypoplasia of the distal aortic arch, the standard treatment consists of resection of the coarctation zone and extended end-to-end anastomosis.In cases of severe distal aortic arch hypoplasia and a long distal arch, resection and extended end-to-end anastomosis would not be sufficient, making it reasonable to perform an additional technique to widen the distal aortic arch, thus avoiding an anterior approach and interrupting the blood circulation with or without selective cerebral infusion, with the resulting risk of an increase in perioperative morbidity and mortality.MethodsThe results are presented on 4 neonates on whom a widening of the distal aortic arch was performed using the Amato technique (side-to-side anastomosis between the left carotid and subclavian arteries), in order to subsequently resect the coarctation zone and perform an anastomosis of the descending aorta to the previously widened aortic arch.ResultsThe post-operative echocardiogram showed a reconstructed arch with laminar flow in all cases. There has been no recurrence of coarctation in any of the cases during a mean follow-up of 12 months.ConclusionWe believe that resection with extended end-to-end anastomosis is the technique of choice in coarctation with distal arch hypoplasia.The Amato technique is an attractive alternative in selected cases with a very long and severely hypoplastic distal arch, with the aim of avoiding an anterior approach and the use of extracorporeal circulation. This could also be performed initially, maintaining ductal-dependent systemic perfusion

Investigating Local Patterns of Mumps Virus Circulation, Using a Combination of Molecular Tools

Mumps is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the mumps virus (MuV). However, MuV has re-emerged in many countries with high vaccine coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends molecular surveillance based on sequencing of the small hydrophobic (SH) gene. Additionally, the combined use of SH and non-coding regions (NCR) has been described in different studies, proving to be a useful complement marker to discriminate general patterns of circulation at national and international levels. The aim of this work is to test local-level usefulness of the combination of SH and MF-NCR sequencing in tracing hidden transmission clusters and chains during the last epidemic wave (2015-2020) in Spain. A database with 903 cases from the Autonomous Community of Madrid was generated by the integration of microbiological and epidemiological data. Of these, 453 representative cases were genotyped. Eight different SH variants and thirty-four SH haplotypes were detected. Local MuV circulation showed the same temporal pattern previously described at a national level. Only two of the thirteen previously identified outbreaks were caused by more than one variant/haplotype. Geographical representation of SH variants allowed the identification of several previously undetected clusters, which were analysed phylogenetically by the combination of SH and MF-NCR, in a total of 90 cases. MF-NCR was not able to improve the discrimination of geographical clusters based on SH sequencing, showing limited resolution for outbreak investigations.A.M.G. was funded by CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), ISCIII. This work was supported by the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (PI15CIII/00023 and PI19ICIII/0041).S