Current guidelines for diagnosis and management of hepatic involvement in hereditary hemorrhagic teleangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic teleangiectasia (HHT), also known as Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome, is the most common cause of hepatic vascular malformations in adults. Different vascular shunts (arteriovenous, arterioportal or portovenous) lead to different clinical manifestations. Even though no hepatic-related symptoms are reported in the majority of cases, the severity of liver disease could lead to refractory medical conditions, in some cases requiring liver transplantation. The aim of this manuscript is to provide an updated overview of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of HHT liver involvement and liver-related complications

Monitoraggio geodetico dell’area vulcanica napoletana: risultati della livellazione geometrica di precisione eseguita ai Campi Flegrei a settembre 2008

Lo studio ed ilmonitoraggio deimovimenti verticali del suolo ai Campi Flegrei (Italy) sono effettuati con continuità da oltre 30 anni, operando su linee di livellazioni preesistenti istituite e/o ampliate da vari Enti a partire dal 1905 (IGM, Genio Civile e lo stesso INGV- NA Oss. Vesuviano). Attraverso i dati rilevati dal 1970 ad oggi sono state acquisite molte informazioni sulla deformazione del suolo durante le varie fasi di bradisismo discendente e ascendente ed attualmente si dispone di un importante data-base che può essere integrato con i risultati ottenuti dalle altre metodologie geodetiche. In questa nota presentiamo i risultati della campagna di livellazione geometrica di precisione eseguita su alcuni tratti della rete altimetrica dei Campi Flegrei nel Settembre 2008. Dopo la fase di lento sollevamento, iniziata nel 2004 e culminata alla fine del 2006 con un valore massimo di 55 mm rilevato a Pozzuoli (Lungomare Pertini) al caposaldo n. 23, nell’area flegrea è ripresa una fase di lenta subsidenza caratterizzata da una evidente decelerazione durante il 2008 rispetto all’anno precedente. Per delineare meglio e dettagliare l’attuale fase del bradisismo flegreo, si è ritenuto utile effettuare il confronto tra i dati altimetrici acquisiti nelle ultime 3 campagne (2006, 2007 e 2008) da cui è emersa una evidente disomogeneità del campo di spostamento verticale osservato

Kalman filter physical retrieval of surface emissivity and temperature from geostationary infrared radiances

The high temporal resolution of data acquisition by geostationary satellites and their capability to resolve the diurnal cycle allows for the retrieval of a valuable source of information about geophysical parameters. In this paper, we implement a Kalman filter approach to applying tempo-ral constraints on the retrieval of surface emissivity and temperature from radiance measurements made from geostationary platforms. Although we consider a case study in which we apply a strictly temporal constraint alone, the methodology will be presented in its general four-dimensional, i.e., space-time, setting. The case study we consider is the retrieval of emissivity and surface temperature from SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) observations over a target area encompassing the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa. The retrievals are then compared with in situ data and other similar satellite products. Our findings show that the Kalman filter strategy can simultaneously retrieve surface emissivity and temperature with an accuracy of ± 0.005 and ±0.2 K, respectively

Spatio-temporal constraints for emissivity and surface temperature retrieval: Preliminary results and comparisons for SEVIRI and IASI observation

Infrared instrumentation on geostationary satellites is now rapidly approaching the spectral quality and accuracy of modern sensors flying on polar platforms. Currently, the core of EUMETSAT geostationary meteorological programme is the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG). However, EUMETSAT is preparing for the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG). The capability of geostationary satellites to resolve the diurnal cycle and hence to provide time-resolved sequences or times series of observations is a source of information which could suitably constrain the derivation of geophysical parameters. Nowadays, also because of lack of time continuity, when dealing with observations from polar platforms, the problem of deriving geophysical parameters is normally solved by considering each single observation as independent of past and future events. For historical reason, the same approach is currently pursued with geostationary observations, which are still being dealt with as they were with polar observations. In this study we show some preliminary results on emissivity and surface temperature retrieval for SEVIRI observations, using the Kalman filter methodology (KF) and compare the retrievals with those obtained using IASI observations co-localized with SEVIRI ones using the times accumulation approach (Optimal Estimation OE). The Sahara desert was chosen as target area, and both SEVIRI and IASI data (infrared radiances and cloud mask) were acquired. The time period considered is that of July 2010 (the whole month). ECMWF analyses for the same date and target area have also been acquired, which comprise Ts, T(p), O(p), Q(p) for the canonical hours 0:00, 6:00, 12:00 and 18:00. Moreover, for the purpose of developing a suitable background for emissivity, the Global Infrared Land Surface Emissivity database developed at CIMSS, University of Wisconsin, derived by MODIS observations was used and was available from the year 2003 till 2011. Concerning the performance of the two methodologies, the retrieval of skin temperature is almost equivalent. The agreement between OE and KF is fairly good if compared with ECMWF analysis for sea surface, while for land surface, OE and KF agree fairly well with ECMWF during the night, but at midday ECMWF shows a cold bias of 10 K and more. For emissivity the comparison with the UW/BFEMIS database for the same date and location is fairly good for both methods

Technical note: Functional sliced inverse regression to infer temperature, water vapour and ozone from IASI data.

A retrieval algorithm that uses a statistical strategy based on dimension reduction is proposed. The methodology and details of the implementation of the new algorithm are presented and discussed. The algorithm has been applied to high resolution spectra measured by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer instrument to retrieve atmospheric profiles of temperature, water vapour and ozone. The performance of the inversion strategy has been assessed by comparing the retrieved profiles to the ones obtained by co-locating in space and time profiles from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analysi

Changes in the Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Prunus persica Fruits after the Application of a Commercial Biostimulant Based on Seaweed and Yeast Extract

Plant biostimulants are formulations that are experiencing great success from the perspective of sustainable agriculture. In this work, we evaluated the effect derived from the application of a biostimulant based on algae and yeast extracts (Expando (R)) on the agronomic yield and nutraceutical profile of two different cultivars ("Sugar Time" and "West Rose") of Prunus persica (peach). Although, at the agronomic level, significant effects on production yields were not recorded, the biostimulant was able to reduce the ripening time, increase the fruit size, and make the number of harvestable fruits homogeneous. From a nutraceutical point of view, our determinations via spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) and chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) analysis showed that the biostimulant was able to boost the content of bioactive compounds in both the pulp (5.0 L/ha: +17%; 4.0 L/ha: +12%; 2.5 L/ha: +11%) and skin (4.0 L/ha: +38%; 2.5 L/ha: +15%). These changes seem to follow a dose-dependent effect, also producing attractive effects on the antioxidant properties of the fruits harvested from the treated trees. In conclusion, the biostimulant investigated in this work proved to be able to produce more marketable fruit in a shorter time, both from a pomological and a functional point of view

A detailed study of the rise phase of a long duration X-ray flare in the young star TWA 11B

We analyzed a long duration flare observed in a serendipitous XMM-Newton detection of the M star CD-39 7717B (TWA 11B), member of the young stellar association TW Hya (~ 8 Myr). Only the rise phase (with a duration of ~ 35 ks) and possibly the flare peak were observed. We took advantage of the high count-rate of the X-ray source to carry out a detailed analysis of its spectrum during the whole exposure. After a careful analysis, we interpreted the rise phase as resulting from the ignition of a first group of loops (event A) which triggered a subsequent two-ribbon flare (event B). Event A was analyzed using a single-loop model, while a two-ribbon model was applied for event B. Loop semi-lengths of ~ 4 R* were obtained. Such large structures had been previously observed in very young stellar objects (~ 1 - 4 Myr). This is the first time that they have been inferred in a slightly more evolved star. The fluorescent iron emission line at 6.4 keV was detected during event B. Since TWA 11B seems to have no disk, the most plausible explanation found for its presence in the X-ray spectrum of this star is collisional - or photo- ionization. As far as we are concerned, this is only the third clear detection of Fe photospheric fluorescence in stars other than the Sun.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 15 pages, 9 figure

The IASI Water Deficit Index to Monitor Vegetation Stress and Early Drying in Summer Heatwaves: An Application to Southern Italy

The boreal hemisphere has been experiencing increasing extreme hot and dry conditions over the past few decades, consistent with anthropogenic climate change. The continental extension of this phenomenon calls for tools and techniques capable of monitoring the global to regional scales. In this context, satellite data can satisfy the need for global coverage. The main objective we have addressed in the present paper is the capability of infrared satellite observations to monitor the vegetation stress due to increasing drought and heatwaves in summer. We have designed and implemented a new water deficit index (wdi) that exploits satellite observations in the infrared to retrieve humidity, air temperature, and surface temperature simultaneously. These three parameters are combined to provide the water deficit index. The index has been developed based on the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer or IASI, which covers the infrared spectral range 645 to 2760 cm−1 with a sampling of 0.25 cm−1. The index has been used to study the 2017 heatwave, which hit continental Europe from May to October. In particular, we have examined southern Italy, where Mediterranean forests suffer from climate change. We have computed the index’s time series and show that it can be used to indicate the atmospheric background conditions associated with meteorological drought. We have also found a good agreement with soil moisture, which suggests that the persistence of an anomalously high water deficit index was an essential driver of the rapid development and evolution of the exceptionally severe 2017 droughts

Point of View: What’s in a name?

Numerous concerns have been raised about the sustainability of the biomedical research enterprise in the United States. Improving the postdoctoral training experience is seen as a priority in addressing these concerns, but even identifying who the postdocs are is made difficult by the multitude of different job titles they can carry. Here, we summarize the detrimental effects that current employment structures have on training, compensation and benefits for postdocs, and argue that academic research institutions should standardize the categorization and treatment of postdocs. We also present brief case studies of two institutions that have addressed these challenges and can provide models for other institutions attempting to enhance their postdoctoral workforces and improve the sustainability of the biomedical research enterprise