The electric structure of the schizosphere in SE Thessaly, Greece, and its correlation with active tectonics

Παρουσιάζονται τα αποτελέσματα μίας μαγνητοτελλουρικής (ΜΤ) μελέτης στην ΝΑ Θεσσαλία, και η συσχέτιση τους με την ενεργό τεκτονική της περιοχής. Τα δεδομένα απαρτίζονται από 14 βαθοσκοπήσεις ευρέος φάσματος (150-0.005 Hz), εκτελεσθείσες στην περιφέρεια των πόλεων Βόλου, Βελεστίνου και Ν. Αγχιάλου. Η χωρική ανάλυση των ΜΤ τανυστών δείχνει την ύπαρξη μετάβασης από ρηχή (3 km) σχιζόσφαιρα, η οποία σχετίζεται με δομές μεγάλης κλίμακας και ΑΝΑ-ΔΒΔ έως ΝΑ-ΒΔ προσανατολισμό. Ποσοτική ανάλυση ερμηνεία έλαβε με 2-διάστατη αντιστροφή και απέδωσε υψηλής ποιότητας είδωλα της γεωηλεκτρικής δομής σε βάθη 3-15 km. Αυτό το εύρος βαθών αντιστοιχεί στο σεισμογόνο στρώμα (σχιζόσφαιρα), όπου ανιχνεύθηκαν αγώγιμες δομές με γενικό προσανατολισμό Α-Δ, συσχετιζόμενες με νεοτεκτονικά ρήγματα. Επιπλέον, ανιχνεύθηκε ένα πιθανό υπόλειμμα του εσβεσμμένου πλέον «'ηφαιστείου» των Μικροθηβών (1.5±0.1 Μα). Εντός του σεισμογόνου στρώματος, τα χωρικά ΜΤ δεδομένα συσχετίζονται σχεδόν ακριβώς με το πεδίο τάσεων που προκύπτει από την αντιστροφή μηχανισμών γένεσης τοπικών σεισμών και προσφέρουν ένα γεωηλεκτρικό είδωλο του εντατικού καθεστώτος της περιοχήςWe report the results of a magnetotelluric study in SE Thessaly, Greece, and their correlation with the active tectonics of the area. The data comprised 14 wide-band (150-0.005 Hz) soundings performed in the periphery of the cities of Volos, Velestino and N. Anghialos. The spatial analysis of the MT impedance tensor shows a transition from a shallow ( 3 km) schizosphere associated with large scale structures with ESE-WNW to SE -NW orientation. Quantitative interpretation was carried out with 2-D inversion and yielded high quality images of the geoelectric structure at depths 3-15 km; this depth range corresponds to the seismogenic layer. Conductive structures in the general E-W direction could be detected and correlated with neotectonic faults. In addition, a possible relic of the now extinct Mikrothivai volcano (1.5±0.1 Ma BCE) has been identified. Within the seismogenic layer the spatial MT data correlate almost exactly with the stress field calculated by inversion of focal mechanisms from local earthquakes and appear to provide an electrical image of the transition from the dextral NE-SW transformation associated with the N. Aegean trench to approximately N-S extension in the study are

The WISDOM Radar: Unveiling the Subsurface Beneath the ExoMars Rover and Identifying the Best Locations for Drilling

The search for evidence of past or present life on Mars is the principal objective of the 2020 ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Rover mission. If such evidence is to be found anywhere, it will most likely be in the subsurface, where organic molecules are shielded from the destructive effects of ionizing radiation and atmospheric oxidants. For this reason, the ExoMars Rover mission has been optimized to investigate the subsurface to identify, understand, and sample those locations where conditions for the preservation of evidence of past life are most likely to be found. The Water Ice Subsurface Deposit Observation on Mars (WISDOM) ground-penetrating radar has been designed to provide information about the nature of the shallow subsurface over depth ranging from 3 to 10 m (with a vertical resolution of up to 3 cm), depending on the dielectric properties of the regolith. This depth range is critical to understanding the geologic evolution stratigraphy and distribution and state of subsurface H2O, which provide important clues in the search for life and the identification of optimal drilling sites for investigation and sampling by the Rover's 2-m drill. WISDOM will help ensure the safety and success of drilling operations by identification of potential hazards that might interfere with retrieval of subsurface samples

Investigation of genetically regulated gene expression and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis highlights an association between IL18RAP expression and treatment response.

This article has been accepted for publication in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2020 following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217204OBJECTIVES: In this study, we sought to investigate whether there was any association between genetically regulated gene expression (as predicted using various reference panels) and anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) treatment response (change in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)) using 3158 European ancestry patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: The genetically regulated portion of gene expression was estimated in the full cohort of 3158 subjects (as well as within a subcohort consisting of 1575 UK patients) using the PrediXcan software package with three different reference panels. Estimated expression was tested for association with anti-TNF treatment response. As a replication/validation experiment, we also investigated the correlation between change in ESR with measured gene expression at the Interleukin 18 Receptor Accessory Protein (IL18RAP) gene in whole blood and synovial tissue, using an independent replication data set of patients receiving conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, with directly measured (via RNA sequencing) gene expression. RESULTS: We found that predicted expression of IL18RAP showed a consistent signal of association with treatment response across the reference panels. In our independent replication data set, IL18RAP expression in whole blood showed correlation with the change in ESR between baseline and follow-up (r=-0.35, p=0.0091). Change in ESR was also correlated with the expression of IL18RAP in synovial tissue (r=-0.28, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that IL18RAP expression is worthy of further investigation as a potential predictor of treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis that is not specific to a particular drug type

Comparison and complementary use of in situ and remote sensing aerosol measurements in the Athens Metropolitan Area

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.In the summer of 2014 in situ and remote sensing instruments were deployed in Athens, in order to study the concentration, physical properties, and chemical composition of aerosols. In this manuscript we aim to combine the measurements of collocated in situ and remote sensing instruments by comparison and complementary use, in order to increase the accuracy of predictions concerning climate change and human health. We also develop a new method in order to select days when a direct comparison on in situ and remote sensing instruments is possible. On selected days that displayed significant turbulence up to approximately 1000 m above ground level (agl), we acquired the aerosol extinction or scattering coefficient by in situ instruments using three approaches. In the first approach the aerosol extinction coefficient was acquired by adding a Nephelometer scattering coefficient in ambient conditions and an Aethalometer absorption coefficient. The correlation between the in situ and remote sensing instruments was good (coefficient of determination R2 equal to 0.69). In the second approach we acquired the aerosol refractive index by fitting dry Nephelometer and Aethalometer measurements with Mie algorithm calculations of the scattering and absorption coefficients for the size distribution up to a maximum diameter of 1000 nm obtained by in situ instruments. The correlation in this case was relatively good (R2 equal to 0.56). Our next step was to compare the extinction coefficient acquired by remote sensing instruments to the scattering coefficient calculated by Mie algorithm using the size distribution up to a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and the equivalent refractive index (ERICOR), which is acquired by the comparison of the size distributions obtained by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and an Optical Particle Counter (OPC). The agreement between the in situ and remote sensing instruments in this case was not satisfactory (R2 equal to 0.35). The last comparison for the selected days was between the aerosol extinction Ångström exponent acquired by in situ and remote sensing instruments. The correlation was not satisfactory (R2 equal to 0.4), probably due to differences in the number size distributions present in the air volumes measured by in situ and remote sensing instruments. We also present a day that a Saharan dust event occurred in Athens in order to demonstrate the information we obtain through the synergy of in situ and remote sensing instruments on how regional aerosol is added to local aerosol, especially during pollution events due to long range transport.Peer reviewe

Thirty loci identified for heart rate response to exercise and recovery implicate autonomic nervous system.

Impaired capacity to increase heart rate (HR) during exercise (ΔHRex), and a reduced rate of recovery post-exercise (ΔHRrec) are associated with higher cardiovascular mortality rates. Currently, the genetic basis of both phenotypes remains to be elucidated. We conduct genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for ΔHRex and ΔHRrec in ~40,000 individuals, followed by replication in ~27,000 independent samples, all from UK Biobank. Six and seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms for ΔHRex and ΔHRrec, respectively, formally replicate. In a full data set GWAS, eight further loci for ΔHRex and nine for ΔHRrec are genome-wide significant (P ≤ 5 × 10-8). In total, 30 loci are discovered, 8 being common across traits. Processes of neural development and modulation of adrenergic activity by the autonomic nervous system are enriched in these results. Our findings reinforce current understanding of HR response to exercise and recovery and could guide future studies evaluating its contribution to cardiovascular risk prediction.This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource (application 8256—Understanding genetic influences in the response of the cardiac electrical system to exercise) and is supported by Medical Research Council grant MR/N025083/1. We also wish to acknowledge the support of the NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Centre at Barts and Queen Mary University of London, UK. J.R. acknowledges support from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant agreement no. 608765. P.D.L. acknowledges support from the UCLH Biomedicine NIHR, Barts Heart Centre BRC. M.O. is supported by an IEF 2013 Marie Curie fellowship. B.M. holds an MRC eMedLab Medical Bioinformatics Career Development Fellowship, funded from award MR/L016311/1. This project was enabled through access to the MRC eMedLab Medical Bioinformatics infrastructure, award MR/L016311/1

Non-destructive Techniques Methodologies for the Detection of Ancient Structures under Heritage Buildings

[EN] Structures and elements buried beneath heritage buildings are frequent but are often unknown and inaccessible. Therefore, they are difficult to locate in general if an archaeological excavation is not carried out, with the economic cost and time involved. It is important to discover them in order to increase our knowledge of cultural heritage, as well as to know, recover and improve the state of conservation of the materials that make up these structures. This paper presents methodologies for locating old structures using a low-cost NDT approach, with a qualitative and quantitative analysis of GPR profiles in heritage buildings. Small perforations are performed at critical points and introducing an endoscope for verification. Various crypts have been located using the proposed methodologies in a real study case: The Church of the Asución of Llíria in Spain.Gil Benso, E.; Mas Tomas, MDLA.; Lerma Elvira, C.; Torner, ME.; Vercher Sanchis, J. (2021). Non-destructive Techniques Methodologies for the Detection of Ancient Structures under Heritage Buildings. International journal of architectural heritage (electronic). 15(10):1457-1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2019.1700320S14571473151

Quality of treatment and surgical approach for rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in a large European cohort

Background: Rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare tumours. Variability in the managementmay influence outcome, but there is a lack of understanding regarding contemporary variancein care. A multicenter, international, retrospective cohort study was performed to elucidate characteristicsand outcomes of rectal GIST in European practice, with particular reference to surgical approach.Methods: All rectal GIST patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2018 were identified from five Europeandatabases. Recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meiermethod. Possible confounders were identified using Cox regression analyses.Results: From 210 patients, 155 patients had surgery. The three main types of surgery were local tumourresection (LTR, n ¼ 46), low anterior resection (LAR, n ¼ 31) and abdomino-perineal resection (APR,n ¼ 32). Most patients received neoadjuvant (65%) and/or adjuvant imatinib therapy (66%). Localrecurrence rate after surgery was 15% and overall recurrence rate 28%. No significant differences werefound in terms of RFS nor OS between LTR, LAR and APR. However, locally resected tumours weresmaller, while LAR and APR patients more often received perioperative imatinib. General hospitalstreated smaller GISTs, offered imatinib less frequently, and had a higher tumour rupture rate. In the multivariate analysis in the group having LTR, APR or LAR, the only significant prognostic factor for localrecurrence was higher age (HR 1.06, CI 1.00e1.12, p ¼ 0.048).Conclusions: In European clinical practice for rectal GIST, LTR, LAR and APR have comparable localcontrol. Multimodal approach is higher and tumour rupture less frequent in specialist centres comparedto general hospitals.Experimentele farmacotherapi