On the use of ABACUS high resolution glider observations for the assessment of phytoplankton ocean biomass from CMEMS model products

Ocean biomass distribution has a growing importance in the world economy as a global strategic reserve, due to environmental and industrial applications and its variability related to climate change. Satellite imagery allows multi-resolution methodologies to obtain estimation, and hopefully classification, of biomass content over sea surface. This information is largely used in numerical simulations and nowadays represents an important contribute to future projections. Nevertheless, satellite, models and classical in situ monitoring resolution/accuracy sometimes cannot provide data at the finer spatial scales needed to describe the complex three-dimensional water column system. On the other hand, glider surveys allow scientists to collect observations of ocean phenomena at very high resolution along the water column, to assess numerical simulations reliability and, eventually, to assimilate these data into ocean models. In this study, we present a quantitative comparison between the glider observations collected in the Algerian Basin (Western Mediterranean Sea) during the ABACUS surveys from 2014 to 2018, and the daily outputs of two co-located CMEMS model products (i.e., GLB and IBI). The achieved results point out that model products are well correlated with glider potential temperature measurements but they still need improvements to provide a correct representation of the chlorophyll concentration variability in the study area. Generally, IBI daily simulations present higher linear correlation with concurrent glider in situ data than GLB ones. IBI products also reproduce better the pattern of the local maxima of chlorophyll concentration across the Algerian Basin. Nevertheless, they largely underestimate glider chlorophyll measurements and present significant differences that limit their capability to reproduce its upper ocean concentration that is needed for accomplishing advanced ecological studies.This work was realized in the framework of the PON R&I 2014–2020 “AIM – Attraction and International Mobility” at Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope. Glider missions were performed in the framework of the Algerian BAsin Circulation Unmanned Survey (ABACUS) observational projects. The ABACUS 1 missions (2014) were supported by the Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatories (JERICO) TransNational Access (TNA) third call (grant agreement no. 262584). The ABACUS 2 missions (2015) were realized through the SOCIB glider facility open access programme. The research leading to ABACUS 3 (2016) and ABACUS 4 (2017 and 2018) was supported by the European Union's H2020 Framework Programme (h2020-INFRAIA-2014–2015) (JERICOsingle bondNEXT grant agreement no. 654410).Peer reviewe

Characterization of neuropathic component of back pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures

BACKGROUND: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) are often followed by chronic back pain which may have a nociceptive, neuropathic, or mixed component. However, literature on this topic is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study is to characterize the neuropathic component of chronic back pain in patients with OVFs. METHODS: Spine fractures were detected by morphometric examination. Pain severity and its impact on daily living activities (ADL) were evaluated through the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Neuropathic pain was investigated through the Italian Versions of the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale (LANSS) and the painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q). RESULTS: We included 72 patients, mainly women (88.8%), with mean age of 69.2 years. The 70.8% of patients had multiple OVFs, of which 47% located at the thoracic spine, 43.1% at the thoracic and at lumbar spine, and 9.8% at the lumbar spine. The BPI showed moderate back pain in 23.6% of cases and severe in 8.3% of cases, with high interference with ADL in 38.9% of patients. The PD-Q revealed the presence of neuropathic pain in 5.5% of cases, while the S-LANSS in 23.6% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the prevalence of neuropathic component of chronic back pain ranged from 5.5% to 23.6%, according to PD-Q and LANSS respectively, in patients with OVFs. Further studies should investigate if the characterization of chronic back pain might contribute to appropriateness of interventions for this population

results of the first wave glider experiment in the southern tyrrhenian sea

A wave-propelled autonomous vehicle (Wave Glider) instrumented with a variety of oceanographic and meteorological sensors was launched from Gulf of Naples on the 12th of September 2012 for a two-week mission in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. The main objective of the mission was a preliminary evaluation of the potential of commercial autonomous platforms to provide reliable measurements of sea surface parameters which can complement existing satellite based products moving from the local to the synoptic scale. To this aim Wave Glider measurements were compared to equivalent, or near-equivalent, satellite products achieved from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensors onboard the EOS (Earth Observing System) satellite platforms and from AVISO (Archiving Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic Data). Level-3 near real time and Level-4 reprocessed sea surface foundation temperature products provided by the CMEMS (Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service) were also included in this study as well as high resolution model output supplied by NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean). The Wave Glider was equipped with sensors to measure temperature, salinity, currents, as well as Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), turbidity and refined fuels fluorescence. The achieved results confirmed the emerging value of Wave Gliders in the framework of multiplatform monitoring systems of the ocean surface parameters. In particular, they showed that Wave Glider measurements captured the southern Tyrrhenian Sea major surface oceanographic features, including the coast to open sea haline gradient and the presence of a cyclone-anticyclone system in the southeastern sub-region. The Wave Glider also had the capability to monitor upper ocean currents at finer spatial and temporal scales than satellite altimetric observations and model outputs. Nonetheless, results stressed the existence of several limits in the combined use of satellite and Wave Glider observations and the necessity of further analyses concerning the monitoring of the ocean optical properties. In fact, Wave Glider and satellite-based products agree in terms of sea surface temperature and currents patterns, while bio-optical properties turned out to be less well correlated. No significant traces of refined fuels have been detected along the WG track.</p

Multi-platform experiments, numerical simulations and data science techniques for generation of new altimetric products: focus on mesoscale and sub- mesoscale variability (MANATEE – OSTST proposal)

Trabajo presentado en la Ocean Surface Topography Science Team Meeting (OSTST), celebrada online del 19 al 23 de octubre de 2020

Satellite Observations for Detecting and Forecasting Sea-Ice Conditions: A Summary of Advances Made in the SPICES Project by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme

The detection, monitoring, and forecasting of sea-ice conditions, including their extremes, is very important for ship navigation and offshore activities, and for monitoring of sea-ice processes and trends. We summarize here recent advances in the monitoring of sea-ice conditions and their extremes from satellite data as well as the development of sea-ice seasonal forecasting capabilities. Our results are the outcome of the three-year (2015–2018) SPICES (Space-borne Observations for Detecting and Forecasting Sea-Ice Cover Extremes) project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. New SPICES sea-ice products include pancake ice thickness and degree of ice ridging based on synthetic aperture radar imagery, Arctic sea-ice volume and export derived from multisensor satellite data, and melt pond fraction and sea-ice concentration using Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) radiometer data. Forecasts of July sea-ice conditions from initial conditions in May showed substantial improvement in some Arctic regions after adding sea-ice thickness (SIT) data to the model initialization. The SIT initialization also improved seasonal forecasts for years with extremely low summer sea-ice extent. New SPICES sea-ice products have a demonstrable level of maturity, and with a reasonable amount of further work they can be integrated into various operational sea-ice services.</jats:p

A New Orbiting Deployable System for Small Satellite Observations for Ecology and Earth Observation

In this paper, we present several study cases focused on marine, oceanographic, and atmospheric environments, which would greatly benefit from the use of a deployable system for small satellite observations. As opposed to the large standard ones, small satellites have become an effective and affordable alternative access to space, owing to their lower costs, innovative design and technology, and higher revisiting times, when launched in a constellation configuration. One of the biggest challenges is created by the small satellite instrumentation working in the visible (VIS), infrared (IR), and microwave (MW) spectral ranges, for which the resolution of the acquired data depends on the physical dimension of the telescope and the antenna collecting the signal. In this respect, a deployable payload, fitting the limited size and mass imposed by the small satellite architecture, once unfolded in space, can reach performances similar to those of larger satellites. In this study, we show how ecology and Earth Observations can benefit from data acquired by small satellites, and how they can be further improved thanks to deployable payloads. We focus on DORA—Deployable Optics for Remote sensing Applications—in the VIS to TIR spectral range, and on a planned application in the MW spectral range, and we carry out a radiometric analysis to verify its performances for Earth Observation studies

Altimetry for the future: Building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the ‘‘Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P &lt; 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

Altimetry for the future: building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the “Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion