Sedimentological characteristics of a late Miovene Contourite Channel System (The Rifian Corridor, Morocco)

Bottom currents are widely and increasingly more often recognized in deep-marine environments. However, the processes driving and controlling these bottom currents remain poorly understood. This partially results from their occurrence in near inaccessible deep-marine environments. Consequently, our knowledge of bottom currents significantly depends on studying their deposits.Idealized facies of bottom current deposits (contourites) have been established for fine-grained contourite drifts in modern deep-marine sedimentary environments however, their sand-rich counter parts, related to stronger bottom-currents, have remained more elusive. Equivalent contourite facies in the ancient record have only been scarcely recognized, hindering the development of models that can be applied to industry geosciences and the reconstruction of past ocean circulation.This Thesis presents a multidisciplinary field-focussed study on contourite deposits from the late Miocene Rifian Corridor in Morocco. A detailed geological analysis was carried out in the study area to characterise the paleogeographic setting and to analyse the potential of outcrops having a contouritic origin. Four sections were selected for detailed sedimentological analysis, including the characterisation of morphological, sedimentological, petrological, and ichnological elements. The results of these characterisations allowed us to reconstruct the newly identified contourite channel system associated to the late Miocene Mediterranean Outflow Water (paleo-MOW). Detailed facies analysis enables the characterisation of different contourite elements and the proposal of a novel contourite facies model.The new findings of this research project furthermore include the characterisation of control factors on the behaviour of overflow, and thus the controls on bottom-current formation and their evolution. These control factors range from tectonically induced re-configuration of overflow controlling geological features, multi-scale orbitally controlled climate change and its effects on overflow behaviour as well as a strong modulation by tides. Unravelling these control factors from the sedimentary record, enabled the evaluation of the evolution of contourite depositional systems. This in-turn allows for the predictability of bottom-current induced sedimentary systems and strategies for both energy geosciences and hydrocarbon exploration

Determining Static Hyperinflation in Patients with Severe Emphysema:Relation Between Lung Function Parameters and Patient-Related Outcomes

Background Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction techniques are minor invasive treatment modalities for severely hyperinflated emphysema patients. The severity of static lung hyperinflation determines eligibility and success rate for these treatments. However, it is not exactly known what parameter should be used to optimally reflect hyperinflation. Commonly used parameters are residual volume (RV) and the RV/Total lung capacity (TLC) ratio. Other parameters reflecting hyperinflation are Inspiratory Capacity/TLC and forced vital capacity. Objectives To define which of these function parameters is the most optimal reflection of hyperinflationin in relation to patient-related outcomes. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, data from measurements during baseline visits of eight studies were pooled. Primary outcomes were RV/TLC ratio and RV as percentage of predicted (RV%pred), both measured by bodyplethysmography, compared to the patient-related outcome variables: 6-min walk distance (6MWD), the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC). Results Two hundred seventy-four COPD patients (mean age 59 years; 66% female), FEV(1)0.74 +/- 0.28 L, RV 4.94 +/- 1.06 L, 6MWD of 339 +/- 95 m, were included in the analysis. Significant correlations (allp <0.01) were found between RV%pred and 6MWD (r = - 0.358), SGRQ (r = 0.184), and mMRC (r = 0.228). Also, there was a significant correlation between RV/TLC ratio and 6MWD (r = - 0.563), SGRQ (r = 0.289) and mMRC (r = 0.354). Linear regression analyses showed that RV/TLC ratio was a better predictor of patient outcomes than RV%pred. Conclusion This study demonstrates that both RV/TLC ratio and RV%pred are relevant indicators of hyperinflation in patients with severe emphysema in relation to patient-related outcomes. RV/TLC ratio is more strongly related to the patient-related outcomes than RV%pred

Late Miocene contourite channel system reveals intermittent overflow behavior

Paleoceanographic information from submarine overflows in the vicinity of oceanic gateways is of major importance for resolving the role of ocean circulation in modulating Earth’s climate. Earth system models are currently the favored way to study the impact of gateways on global-scale processes, but studies on overflow-related deposits are more suitable to understand the detailed changes. Such deposits, however, had not yet been documented in outcrop. Here, we present a unique late Miocene contourite channel system from the Rifian Corridor (Morocco) related to the initiation of Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). Two channel branches were identified consisting of three vertically stacked channelized sandstone units encased in muddy deposits. Both branches have different channel-fill characteristics. Our findings provide strong evidence for intermittent behavior of overflow controlled by tectonic processes and regional climatic change. These fluctuations in paleo-MOW intermittently influenced global ocean circulation

The dilemma of open or double-blind food challenges in diagnosing food allergy in children:Design of the ALDORADO trial

BACKGROUND: It is of major importance to diagnose food allergy accurately. Current guidelines support the use of oral food challenges to do so. The double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) has been regarded as the 'gold standard' for decades. However, DBPCFCs are costly, and time- and resource-intensive procedures. Structural implementation of less demanding open food challenges will only find support if research demonstrates that their outcome is comparable to DBPCFC, yet this has been proven difficult to investigate. METHODS: We performed a literature review to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of oral food challenges and interviewed 19 parents of children with proven or suspected food allergy about the design of a trial to study this. RESULTS: An overview of the dilemma of diagnosing food allergy using oral food challenges, and the methodological issues and parents' opinions to study this. No comparative studies have been performed using the latest guidelines on oral food challenges. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of different oral food challenge protocols. We present the rationale and design of the ALDORADO trial (ALlergy Diagnosed by Open oR DOuble-blind food challenge) that has been set up to investigate whether the outcome of the open food challenge is comparable to DBPCFC

Detection of Salivary Tryptase Levels in Children following Oral Food Challenges

BACKGROUND: Oral food challenge (OFC) is commonly used to diagnose food allergy. This test is time and resource intensive, and conclusions are not always unequivocal as this relies on the interpretation of symptoms. Therefore, an objective marker would improve the accuracy of the diagnostic workup of food allergy. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether tryptase can be detected in saliva of children following OFC. METHOD: Children from 3 to 18 years of age were eligible for inclusion if an OFC for peanut or tree nut had been recommended. Saliva samples were collected prior to the first dose and 5, 10, and 15 min following the last administered dose during OFC. Assay precision, spike-and-recovery, and assessment of lower limit of detection of the tryptase immunoassay were examined before analysis of tryptase in saliva was performed. RESULTS: A total of 30 children were included (median age 8 years, 63.3% male, 53.3% positive OFC outcome). Tryptase was detected in saliva samples. The mean of the change in baseline tryptase value to each saliva collecting time point was significantly different in patients with a positive OFC outcome compared to a negative outcome (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that tryptase can be detected in saliva of children following OFC. Increased levels of tryptase compared to baseline were found if the OFC outcome was positive, suggesting that measuring tryptase in saliva may be useful in the diagnosis of food allergy. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential association between tryptase levels and symptoms

Late Miocene to Quaternary Contourites and Mixed Depositional Systems in the Gulf of Cadiz and West Portugal related to the Mediterranean - Atlantic Exchange evolution: decoding bottom currents behaviour and oceanographic processes associated with gateways

Trabajo presentado en la 4th Deepwater Circulation Research Conference (4DWC), celebrada en Gran Bretaña en mayo de 2023

Late Miocene to Quaternary Contourites Depositional Systems in the Gulf of Cadiz and West Portugal related to the Mediterranean - Atlantic exchange evolution: decoding bottom currents behaviour and oceanographic processes associated with gateways

Trabajo presentado en European Geophysical Union EGU General Assembly 2023, celebrada en Viena (Austria) entre el 23 y el 28 de mayo de 2023.Contourite depositional systems (CDS) represent the sedimentary records of paleoceanographic circulation and paleoclimatic changes throughout the geological timescale. These records offer expanded but contingent information relative to their adjacent marine gateways, documenting changes in the intensity and the direction of modern-day and paleo-current pathways on multicentennial, millennial and million-year timescales. This study investigates the late Miocene to Quaternary CDSs from the Gulf of Cadiz towards the West Iberian margin after the exit of the past Betic and Rifian corridors and most recent Strait of Gibraltar, the key gateways for the Mediterranean – Atlantic exchange trough time. A summary of the key results is presented as a representative study case for decoding the long- and short-term behaviour of oceanographic processes related to gateways and their associated overflows.This project was funded by the JIP#1 within the framework of “The Drifters” Research Group at Royal Holloway University of London and related to the projects, CTM2016-75129-C3 (INPULSE) and PID2021-123825OB-I00 (ALGEMAR)

High Resolution Systematic Digital Histological Quantification of Cardiac Fibrosis and Adipose Tissue in Phospholamban p.Arg14del Mutation Associated Cardiomyopathy

Myocardial fibrosis can lead to heart failure and act as a substrate for cardiac arrhythmias. In dilated cardiomyopathy diffuse interstitial reactive fibrosis can be observed, whereas arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is characterized by fibrofatty replacement in predominantly the right ventricle. The p.Arg14del mutation in the phospholamban (PLN) gene has been associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and recently also with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Aim of the present study is to determine the exact pattern of fibrosis and fatty replacement in PLN p.Arg14del mutation positive patients, with a novel method for high resolution systematic digital histological quantification of fibrosis and fatty tissue in cardiac tissue. Transversal mid-ventricular slices (n = 8) from whole hearts were collected from patients with the PLN p.Arg14del mutation (age 48±16 years; 4 (50%) male). An in-house developed open source MATLAB script was used for digital analysis of Masson's trichrome stained slides (http://sourceforge.net/projects/fibroquant/). Slides were divided into trabecular, inner and outer compact myocardium. Per region the percentage of connective tissue, cardiomyocytes and fatty tissue was quantified. In PLN p.Arg14del mutation associated cardiomyopathy, myocardial fibrosis is predominantly present in the left posterolateral wall and to a lesser extent in the right ventricular wall, whereas fatty changes are more pronounced in the right ventricular wall. No difference in distribution pattern of fibrosis and adipocytes was observed between patients with a clinical predominantly dilated and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy phenotype. In the future, this novel method for quantifying fibrosis and fatty tissue can be used to assess cardiac fibrosis and fatty tissue in animal models and a broad range of human cardiomyopathies