Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Supported by F. Hoffmann–La Roche

Enhanced discrimination of boreal forest covers with directional reflectances from the airborne polarization and directionality of Earth reflectances (POLDER) instrument

International audienceDuring the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), directional and spectral reflectance measurements were acquired from May to July 1994 with the polarization and directionality of Earth reflectances (POLDER) instrument on board a NASA C-130 aircraft. The instrument has a wide field-of-view optics, a two-dimensional CCD array, and a rotating wheel carrying filters in the visible and near infrared. Measurements were obtained (1) over coniferous forests at the young and old jack pine and old black spruce sites, (2) over a deciduous forest at the old aspen site, and (3) over a fen at the fen site. A prominent hot spot feature was apparent at each site, with an additional strong peak in the specular direction for the fen site. Strong variations of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) with sun zenith angle were observed. For a constant sun zenith angle, the variation of the BRDF of conifer stands between May and July was relatively weak. A key objective of this paper is to quantify the improvement of discrimination of various forest covers when remotely sensed directional signatures are added to the more conventional spectral signatures. The experimental protocol consisted of the following steps. First, 150 pixels pertaining to five different classes of forest covers were selected on land cover maps available in the BOREAS Information System (BORIS) data base. Second, the BRDF measurements acquired by POLDER at each pixel were adjusted against a three-parameter semiempirical BRDF model and processed to retrieve the reflectance seen in three different viewing directions. Third, the results of supervised classifications were compared on all selected pixels, using as input, either the reflectances in only one direction (this simulates the case of conventional spectral signatures), or reflectances acquired in three directions (this simulates the case of spectral + directional signatures). The results showed that when only one spectral band was used, the proportion of correctly classified pixels increased from 36-59% with one viewing direction to 64-84% with three viewing directions. When three spectral bands were considered, this proportion improved from 72-87% to 83-97%. These results demonstrate that the account of directional information enhances the ability to discriminate forest covers by remote sensing

Variations of IL2, IL6, TNF alpha plasmatic levels in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

We performed a longitudinal analysis of serum IL2, IL6 and TNF alpha concentrations in 40 relapsing remitting MS patients and 20 healthy subjects. Disease activity was quantified by Minimal Record of Disease (M. R. D.) for MS, every 2 or 3 months. IL2, IL6, TNF alpha production was analysed without and with PHA stimulation of whole blood for 2 hours at 37 degrees C. No significant change in IL2 level was found in MS serum. Individual TNF alpha production was significantly increased (P < 0.007) during relapses. The global spontaneous IL6 production was markedly higher in the relapse group than in the control group (p < 0.01) and than in the remission group (P < 0.002) without significant individual variations of cytokine levels regarding the disease activity. Productions of cytokines were enhanced by PHA stimulation, a condition that however suppressed the differences observed without mitogen stimulation. Our data suggest that TNF alpha could be a marker for relapses while IL6 might reflect the global activity of the immune system in MS