Retrieval of cloud properties using CALIPSO Imaging Infrared Radiometer. Part I: effective emissivity and optical depth

International audienceThe paper describes the operational analysis of the Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR) data, which have been collected in the framework of the CALIPSO mission for the purpose of retrieving high altitude (above 7 km) cloud effective emissivity and optical depth that can be used in synergy with the vertically resolved CALIOP lidar co-located observations. After an IIR scene classification is built under the CALIOP track, the analysis is applied to features detected by CALIOP when found alone in the atmospheric column or when CALIOP identifies an opaque layer underneath. The fast-calculation radiative transfer FASRAD model fed by ancillary meteorological and surface data is used to compute the different components involved in the effective emissivity retrievals under the CALIOP track. The track analysis is extended to the IIR swath using homogeneity criteria based on radiative equivalence. The effective optical depth at 12.05 μm is shown to be a good proxy for about half of the cloud optical depth, allowing direct comparisons with other data bases in the visible spectrum. A step-by-step quantitative sensitivity and performance analysis is provided. The method is validated through comparisons of co-located IIR and CALIOP optical depths for elevated single layered semi-transparent cirrus clouds, showing an excellent agreement (within 20%) for values ranging from 1 down to 0.05. Uncertainties have been determined from the identified error sources. The optical depth distribution of semi-transparent clouds is found to have a nearly exponential shape with a mean value of about 0.5 to 0.6

Soft tissue sarcoma in children, adolescents and young adults: Outcomes according to compliance with international initial care guidelines

International audienc

Abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor without extraperitoneal metastases: Is there a benefit for HIPEC after macroscopically complete cytoreductive surgery?

<div><p>Background</p><p>Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT) is a rare disease affecting predominantly children and young adults and for which the benefit of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after complete cytoreductive surgery (CCRS) remains unknown.</p><p>Methods</p><p>To identify patients with DSRCT without extraperitoneal metastases (EPM) who underwent CCRS between 1991 and 2015, a retrospective nation-wide survey was conducted by crossing the prospective and retrospective databases of the French Network for Rare Peritoneal Malignancies, French Reference Network in Sarcoma Pathology, French Sarcoma Clinical Network and French Pediatric Cancer Society.</p><p>Results</p><p>Among the 107 patients with DSRCT, 48 had no EPM and underwent CCRS. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 9 (range: 2–27). Among these 48 patients, 38 (79%) had pre- and/or postoperative chemotherapy and 23 (48%) postoperative whole abdominopelvic radiotherapy (WAP-RT). Intraperitoneal chemotherapy was administered to 11 patients (23%): two received early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) and nine HIPEC. After a median follow-up of 30 months, the median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 42 months. The 2-y and 5-y OS were 72% and 19%. The 2-y and 5-y disease-free survival (DFS) were 30% and 12%. WAP-RT was the only variable associated with longer peritoneal recurrence-free survival and DFS after CCRS. The influence of HIPEC/EPIC on OS and DFS was not statistically conclusive.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The benefit of HIPEC is still unknown and should be evaluated in a prospective trial. The value of postoperative WAP-RT seems to be confirmed.</p></div

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

<p>Intraperitoneal chemotherapy.</p

Abdomen

Clinical expression of abdominal surgical problems in children comprises a spectrum of symptoms, many of them shared by different diseases. Consequently, a complete and well-oriented medical history and physical examination are the main tools for establishing the diagnosis and the guidelines to request radiological studies. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Novel Secondary Somatic Mutations in Ewing's Sarcoma and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors

Ewing's sarcoma (ES) and desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT) are small round blue cell tumors driven by an N-terminal containing EWS translocation. Very few somatic mutations have been reported in ES, and none have been identified in DSRCT. The aim of this study is to explore potential actionable mutations in ES and DSRCT.Twenty eight patients with ES or DSRCT had tumor tissue available that could be analyzed by one of the following methods: 1) Next-generation exome sequencing platform; 2) Multiplex PCR/Mass Spectroscopy; 3) Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single- gene mutation screening; 4) Sanger sequencing; 5) Morphoproteomics.Novel somatic mutations were identified in four out of 18 patients with advanced ES and two of 10 patients with advanced DSRCT (six out of 28 (21.4%));KRAS (n = 1), PTPRD (n = 1), GRB10 (n = 2), MET (n = 2) and PIK3CA (n = 1). One patient with both PTPRD and GRB10 mutations and one with a GRB10 mutation achieved a complete remission (CR) on an Insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) inhibitor based treatment. One patient, who achieved a partial remission (PR) with IGF1R inhibitor treatment, but later developed resistance, demonstrated a KRAS mutation in the post-treatment resistant tumor, but not in the pre-treatment tumor suggesting that the RAF/RAS/MEK pathway was activated with progression.We have reported several different mutations in advanced ES and DSRCT that have direct implications for molecularly-directed targeted therapy. Our technology agnostic approach provides an initial mutational roadmap used in the path towards individualized combination therapy