Aircraft-based observations and high-resolution simulations of an Icelandic dust storm

The first aircraft-based observations of an Icelandic dust storm are presented. The measurements were carried out over the ocean near Iceland's south coast in February 2007. This dust event occurred in conjunction with an easterly barrier jet of more than 30 m s<sup>−1</sup>. The aircraft measurements show high particle mass mixing ratios in an area of low wind speeds in the wake of Iceland near the coast, decreasing abruptly towards the jet. Simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) indicate that the measured high mass mixing ratios and observed low visibility inside the wake are due to dust transported from Icelandic sand fields towards the ocean. This is confirmed by meteorological station data. Glacial outwash terrains located near the Mýrdalsjökull glacier are among simulated dust sources. Sea salt aerosols produced by the impact of strong winds on the ocean surface started to dominate as the aircraft flew away from Iceland into the jet. The present results support recent studies which suggest that Icelandic deserts should be considered as important dust sources in global and regional climate models

Analysis and Visualization of 3D Motion Data for UPDRS Rating of Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Remote monitoring of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients with inertia sensors is a relevant method for a better assessment of symptoms. We present a new approach for symptom quantification based on motion data: the automatic Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) classification in combination with an animated 3D avatar giving the neurologist the impression of having the patient live in front of him. In this study we compared the UPDRS ratings of the pronation-supination task derived from: (a) an examination based on video recordings as a clinical reference;(b) an automatically classified UPDRS;and (c) a UPDRS rating from the assessment of the animated 3D avatar. Data were recorded using Magnetic, Angular Rate, Gravity (MARG) sensors with 15 subjects performing a pronation- supination movement of the hand. After preprocessing, the data were classified with a J48 classifier and animated as a 3D avatar. Video recording of the movements, as well as the 3D avatar, were examined by movement disorder specialists and rated by UPDRS. The mean agreement between the ratings based on video and (b) the automatically classified UPDRS is 0.48 and with (c) the 3D avatar it is 0.47. The 3D avatar is similarly suitable for assessing the UPDRS as video recordings for the examined task and will be further developed by the research team

Invasion of ovarian cancer cells is induced by PITX2-mediated activation of TGF-β and Activin-A

Background:Most ovarian cancers are highly invasive in nature and the high burden of metastatic disease make them a leading cause of mortality among all gynaecological malignancies. The homeodomain transcription factor, PITX2 is associated with cancer in different tissues. Our previous studies demonstrated increased PITX2 expression in human ovarian tumours. Growing evidence linking activation of TGF-β pathway by homeodomain proteins prompted us to look for the possible involvement of this signalling pathway in PITX2-mediated progression of ovarian cancer. Methods: The status of TGF-β signalling in human ovarian tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The expression level of TGFB/INHBA and other invasion-associated genes was measured by quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR) and Western Blot after transfection/treatments with clones/reagents in normal/cancer cells. The physiological effect of PITX2 on invasion/motility was checked by matrigel invasion and wound healing assay. The PITX2- and activin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was evaluated by Q-PCR of respective markers and confocal/phase-contrast imaging of cells. Results: Human ovarian tumours showed enhanced TGF-β signalling. Our study uncovers the PITX2-induced expression of TGFB1/2/3 as well as INHBA genes (p < 0.01) followed by SMAD2/3-dependent TGF-β signalling pathway. PITX2-induced TGF-β pathway regulated the expression of invasion-associated genes, SNAI1, CDH1 and MMP9 (p < 0.01) that accounted for enhanced motility/invasion of ovarian cancers. Snail and MMP9 acted as important mediators of PITX2-induced invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells. PITX2 over-expression resulted in loss of epithelial markers (p < 0.01) and gain of mesenchymal markers (p < 0.01) that contributed significantly to ovarian oncogenesis. PITX2-induced INHBA expression (p < 0.01) contributed to EMT in both normal and ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions: Overall, our findings suggest a significant contributory role of PITX2 in promoting invasive behaviour of ovarian cancer cells through up-regulation of TGFB/INHBA. We have also identified the previously unknown involvement of activin-A in promoting EMT. Our work provides novel mechanistic insights into the invasive behavior of ovarian cancer cells. The extension of this study have the potential for therapeutic applications in future

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Upgrade verification note for the CAMS real-time global atmospheric composition service Evaluation of the e-suite for the CAMS upgrade of July 2019; e-suite experiments h4x1, h4xd (2017); e-suite run January-May 2019

This report reports on the evaluation of the upgrade of the CAMS global system of July 2019. Before each upgrade, the new model and assimilation configuration is operated in parallel (the e-suite)to the operational real-time service (the o-suite) for about half a year. In the report a set of quick-look validation results are presented from a comparison of the performance of the e-suite runs with the operational o-suite and independent observations. The main conclusions are listed, and the evidence for these findings is presented in the form of a series of plots comparing e-suite, o-suite and independent observations

Drug-drug-interactions in patients with atrial fibrillation admitted to the emergency department

IntroductionPolypharmacy is a growing concern in healthcare systems. While available data on potential drug-drug interactions (pDDI) from emergency department (ED) patients is derived from heterogenous populations, this study specifically focused on patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that patients with AF have similar comorbidities, receive similar drugs, and have similar pDDIs. The overarching aim was to highlight frequent pDDIs, providing practical guidance for treating healthcare professionals and consequently reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions.MethodsTwo hundred patients ≥18 years with AF, who received rate- or rhythm-controlling medication at the ED of the University Hospital Vienna, and who were on long-term medication before admission, were eligible. Long-term medication alone, as well as in combination with medication administered at the ED were analyzed for pDDIs using the Lexicomp® Drug interactions database.ResultsWithin the long-term medication of patients’, we identified 664 pDDIs. Drugs administered at the ED increased pDDIs more than 3-fold to 2085. Approximately, every fifth patient received a contraindicated drug combination (on average 0.24 per patient), while 70% received drug combinations for which therapy modifications are recommended (on average 1.59 per patient). The most frequently involved drugs included amiodarone, propofol, bisoprolol, enoxaparin, and acetylsalicylic acid. Increased risk of bleeding, QTc prolongation, and myopathy were among the most relevant potential consequences of these interactions.DiscussionIn conclusion, an optimization of medication would be advisable in almost every AF patient. Treating healthcare professionals should be cautious of drugs that increase bleeding risk, prolong QTc, or bear a risk for myopathy