Impact of multiscale dynamical processes and mixing on the chemical composition of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment–North America

We use high-frequency in situ observations made from the DC8 to examine fine-scale tracer structure and correlations observed in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during INTEX-NA. Two flights of the NASA DC-8 are compared and contrasted. Chemical data from the DC-8 flight on 18 July show evidence for interleaving and mixing of polluted and stratospheric air masses in the vicinity of the subtropical jet in the upper troposphere, while on 2 August the DC-8 flew through a polluted upper troposphere and a lowermost stratosphere that showed evidence of an intrusion of polluted air. We compare data from both flights with RAQMS 3-D global meteorological and chemical model fields to establish dynamical context and to diagnose processes regulating the degree of mixing on each day. We also use trajectory mapping of the model fields to show that filamentary structure due to upstream strain deformation contributes to tracer variability observed in the upper troposphere. An Eulerian measure of strain versus rotation in the large-scale flow is found useful in predicting filamentary structure in the vicinity of the jet. Higher-frequency (6–24 km) tracer variability is attributed to buoyancy wave oscillations in the vicinity of the jet, whose turbulent dissipation leads to efficient mixing across tracer gradients

Traumatismes du rachis dorsolombaire : étude rétrospective sur les traumatismes du rachis dorsolombaire A propos de 26 cas

Notre travail est une étude rétrospective des caractéristiques épidémiologiques, diagnostiques et thérapeutiques des traumatismes du rachis dorsolombaire dans le service de traumatologie du CHU Frantz Fanon, sur une période de 2 ans, allant du Janvier 2015 au Décembre 2016. ON a souligné les données suivantes : L’âge moyen de nos malades est de 29 ans. Le sexe masculin est le plus atteint (80,76%). Les étiologies sont dominées par les AVP avec un pourcentage de 53.84%, suivies des CHUTES (46,15%). La douleur rachidienne de la région traumatisée est le signe révélateur principal. Les déficits neurologiques sont fréquents (96,26%). Les fractures de la charnière dorsolombaire prédominent sur les atteintes lombaires et dorsales. La fracture- tassement est la lésion prédominante (65,35%) avec siège électif au niveau de la 1ère vertèbre lombaire. Le traitement chirurgical assurant une fixation efficace des lésions instables, a été réalisé chez tous les patients. L’évolution des paraplégiques reste encore menacée par certaines complications de la période initiale notamment les infections urinaires. L’évolution des troubles neurologiques étant dans l’ensemble variable. La lésion médullaire complète a un pronostic péjoratif.Notre travail est une étude rétrospective des caractéristiques épidémiologiques, diagnostiques et thérapeutiques des traumatismes du rachis dorsolombaire dans le service de traumatologie du CHU Frantz Fanon, sur une période de 2 ans, allant du Janvier 2015 au Décembre 2016. ON a souligné les données suivantes : L’âge moyen de nos malades est de 29 ans. Le sexe masculin est le plus atteint (80,76%). Les étiologies sont dominées par les AVP avec un pourcentage de 53.84%, suivies des CHUTES (46,15%). La douleur rachidienne de la région traumatisée est le signe révélateur principal. Les déficits neurologiques sont fréquents (96,26%). Les fractures de la charnière dorsolombaire prédominent sur les atteintes lombaires et dorsales. La fracture- tassement est la lésion prédominante (65,35%) avec siège électif au niveau de la 1ère vertèbre lombaire. Le traitement chirurgical assurant une fixation efficace des lésions instables, a été réalisé chez tous les patients. L’évolution des paraplégiques reste encore menacée par certaines complications de la période initiale notamment les infections urinaires. L’évolution des troubles neurologiques étant dans l’ensemble variable. La lésion médullaire complète a un pronostic péjoratif

Psychomotor delay, dysmorphsim and epilepsy with underlying genetic etiology: A case report of first child with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome on a hospital-based setting in Iraq

In this case report we discuss essential issue to be considered with regard to the clinical genetic testing in the epilepsies. The identification of genes that influence risk for the epilepsies has extremely important implications for both research and clinical practice. In a research context, information obtained may lead to the development of new treatments targeted to specific mechanisms, or even to ways of preventing epileptogenesis. In clinical practice, the use of genetic information can either clarify the diagnosis in people already known or suspected to have epilepsy (diagnostic testing), or to predict onset of epilepsy in people at risk of developing epilepsy because of a family history (predictive testing). This 8-year old girl presented because of rapid regression in the cognitive function and had disturbed consciousness which started few weeks before admission. History of delayed milestones, epilepsy, subtle facial dysmorphology, ataxic gait and happy demeanor collectively raised suspicion of genetic/metabolic disorder. Genetic study discovered a deletion involving the maternally derived chromosome 15q11 region and this deletion is associated with Angelman Syndrome

Guillian Barré Syndrome in a sample of Iraqi Children: Seasonal and sex variation

Background: Seasonal variation and gender preponderance have not been adequately studied in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Objective: This study aims to evaluate the seasonal variation and sex preponderance in children with Guillian Barré Syndrome. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out by reviewing wards’ registry of all cases with Guillian Barré Syndrome admitted to Children Welfare Teaching Hospital during a 10-year period (1999 - 2008). Age, sex, seasonal distribution, residence and outcome were analysed. Results: Guillian Barré Syndrome was diagnosed in 217 (126 boys, 91 girls) patients and the annual hospital rate of admission was 22.9 /100000 children. There was increase annual incidence from 1999 till 2008 with a drop in 2006, boys: girls ratio was 1.4:1 and boys were older than girls. Clustering of cases was found during January, March, May and November over the 10-year period, 37% of cases occurred during winter and 52.5% of patients were from Baghdad. Conclusion: Guillian Barré Syndrome is more common in boys. Boys were older than girls. Clustering of cases was found during winter season

Applications of Remote Sensing in Geoscience

Remote sensing is becoming an important and useful tool in mapping large, remote areas and has many applications in geosciences such as geologic and geo-structural mapping, mineral and water exploration, hydrocarbon exploration, natural hazards analysis, and geomorphology. The recent advances in remote-sensing imaging acquisition and availability of images can help geoscientists to explore and prepare maps quickly and evaluate the geo-potential of any specific area on the globe. Advances in remote-sensing data analysis techniques have improved the capacity to map the geological structures and regional characteristics and can serve in mineral exploration in complex and poorly understood regions. In this chapter, geophysical remotely sensed data (airborne geophysics) are integrated with other sources of remotely sensed data to analyze three separate areas, one each for geological structure, lineament presence and orientation, and geothermal potential. Three case studies are discussed in this chapter from three countries—Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, and Algeria—to show the effectiveness of remote sensing in mapping and detecting geo-structural, geomorphological, and geothermal characteristics of ground surfaces

Constitutive TRIM22 expression in the respiratory airway confers a pre-existing defence against influenza A virus infection

The induction of antiviral effector proteins as part of a homeostatically controlled innate immune response to infection plays a critical role in limiting the propagation and transmission of respiratory pathogens. However, the prolonged induction of this immune response can lead to lung hyperinflammation, tissue damage, and respiratory failure. We hypothesized that tissues exposed to the constant threat of infection may constitutively express higher levels of antiviral effector proteins to reduce the need to activate potentially harmful innate immune defences. By analysing transcriptomic data derived from a range of human tissues, we identify lung tissue to express constitutively higher levels of antiviral effector genes relative to that of other mucosal and non-mucosal tissues. By using primary cell lines and the airways of rhesus macaques, we show the interferon-stimulated antiviral effector protein TRIM22 (TRIpartite Motif 22) to be constitutively expressed in the lung independently of viral infection or innate immune stimulation. These findings contrast with previous reports that have shown TRIM22 expression in laboratory-adapted cell lines to require interferon stimulation. We demonstrate that constitutive levels of TRIM22 are sufficient to inhibit the onset of human and avian influenza A virus (IAV) infection by restricting the onset of viral transcription independently of interferon-mediated innate immune defences. Thus, we identify TRIM22 to confer a pre-existing (intrinsic) intracellular defence against IAV infection in cells derived from the respiratory tract. Our data highlight the importance of tissue-specific and cell-type dependent patterns of pre-existing immune gene expression in the intracellular restriction of IAV from the outset of infection

Evapotranspiration and evaporation/transpiration partitioning with dual source energy balance models in agricultural lands

EvapoTranspiration (ET) is an important component of the water cycle, especially in semi-arid lands. Its quantification is crucial for a sustainable management of scarce water resources. A way to quantify ET is to exploit the available surface temperature data from remote sensing as a signature of the surface energy balance, including the latent heat flux. Remotely sensed energy balance models enable to estimate stress levels and, in turn, the water status of most continental surfaces. The evaporation and transpiration components of ET are also just as important in agricultural water management and ecosystem health monitoring. Single temperatures can be used with dual source energy balance models but rely on specific assumptions on raw levels of plant water stress to get both components out of a single source of information. Additional information from remote sensing data are thus required, either something specifically related to evaporation (such as surface water content) or transpiration (such as PRI or fluorescence). This works evaluates the SPARSE dual source energy balance model ability to compute not only total ET, but also water stress and transpiration/evaporation components. First, the theoretical limits of the ET component retrieval are assessed through a simulation experiment using both retrieval and prescribed modes of SPARSE with the sole surface temperature. A similar work is performed with an additional constraint, the topsoil surface soil moisture level, showing the significant improvement on the retrieval. Then, a flux dataset acquired over rainfed wheat is used to check the robustness of both stress levels and ET retrievals. In particular, retrieval of the evaporation and transpiration components is assessed in both conditions (forcing by the sole temperature or the combination of temperature and soil moisture). In our example, there is no significant difference in the performance of the total ET retrieval, since the evaporation rate retrieved from the sole surface temperature is already fairly close to the one we can reconstruct from observed surface soil moisture time series, but current work is underway to test it over other plots.</p

Chemical data assimilation estimates of continental U.S. ozone and nitrogen budgets during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-North America

Global ozone analyses, based on assimilation of stratospheric profile and ozone column measurements, and NOy predictions from the Real-time Air Quality Modeling System (RAQMS) are used to estimate the ozone and NOy budget over the continental United States during the July-August 2004 Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-North America (INTEX-A). Comparison with aircraft, satellite, surface, and ozonesonde measurements collected during INTEX-A show that RAQMS captures the main features of the global and continental U.S. distribution of tropospheric ozone, carbon monoxide, and NOy with reasonable fidelity. Assimilation of stratospheric profile and column ozone measurements is shown to have a positive impact on the RAQMS upper tropospheric/lower stratosphere ozone analyses, particularly during the period when SAGE III limb scattering measurements were available. Eulerian ozone and NOy budgets during INTEX-A show that the majority of the continental U.S. export occurs in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere poleward of the tropopause break, a consequence of convergence of tropospheric and stratospheric air in this region. Continental U.S. photochemically produced ozone was found to be a minor component of the total ozone export, which was dominated by stratospheric ozone during INTEX-A. The unusually low photochemical ozone export is attributed to anomalously cold surface temperatures during the latter half of the INTEX-A mission, which resulted in net ozone loss during the first 2 weeks of August. Eulerian NOy budgets are shown to be very consistent with previously published estimates. The NOy export efficiency was estimated to be 24%, with NOx + PAN accounting for 54% of the total NOy export during INTEX-A. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union