Error estimation in multitemporal InSAR deformation time series, with application to Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a reliable technique for measuring crustal deformation. However, despite its long application in geophysical problems, its error estimation has been largely overlooked. Currently, the largest problem with InSAR is still the atmospheric propagation errors, which is why multitemporal interferometric techniques have been successfully developed using a series of interferograms. However, none of the standard multitemporal interferometric techniques, namely PS or SB (Persistent Scatterers and Small Baselines, respectively) provide an estimate of their precision. Here, we present a method to compute reliable estimates of the precision of the deformation time series. We implement it for the SB multitemporal interferometric technique (a favorable technique for natural terrains, the most usual target of geophysical applications). We describe the method that uses a properly weighted scheme that allows us to compute estimates for all interferogram pixels, enhanced by a Montecarlo resampling technique that properly propagates the interferogram errors (variance-covariances) into the unknown parameters (estimated errors for the displacements). We apply the multitemporal error estimation method to Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands), where no active magmatic activity has been reported in the last decades. We detect deformation around Timanfaya volcano (lengthening of line-of-sight ∼ subsidence), where the last eruption in 1730–1736 occurred. Deformation closely follows the surface temperature anomalies indicating that magma crystallization (cooling and contraction) of the 300-year shallow magmatic body under Timanfaya volcano is still ongoing.Peer reviewe

Toward Culture-Free Raman Spectroscopic Identification of Pathogens in Ascitic Fluid

The identification of pathogens in ascitic fluid is standardly performed by ascitic fluid culture, but this standard procedure often needs several days. Additionally, more than half of the ascitic fluid cultures are negative in case of suspected spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). It is therefore important to identify and characterize the causing pathogens since not all of them are covered by the empirical antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this study is to show that pathogen identification in ascitic fluid is possible by means of Raman microspectroscopy and chemometrical evaluation with the advantage of strongly increased speed. Therefore, a Raman database containing more than 10000 single-cell Raman spectra of 34 bacterial strains out of 13 different species was built up. The performance of the used statistical model was validated with independent bacterial strains, which were grown in ascitic fluid

Culture Independent Raman Spectroscopic Identification of Urinary Tract Infection Pathogens: A Proof of Principle Study

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a very common infection. Up to every second woman will experience at least one UTI episode during her lifetime. The gold standard for identifying the infectious microorganisms is the urine culture. However, culture methods are time-consuming and need at least 24 h until the results are available. Here, we report about a culture independent identification procedure by using Raman microspectroscopy in combination with innovative chemometrics. We investigated, for the first time directly, urine samples by Raman microspectroscopy on a single-cell level. In a first step, a database of eleven important UTI bacterial species, which were grown in sterile filtered urine, was built up. A support vector machine (SVM) was used to generate a statistical model, which allows a classification of this data set with an accuracy of 92% on a species level. This model was afterward used to identify infected urine samples of ten patients directly without a preceding culture step. Thereby, we were able to determine the predominant bacterial species (seven Escherichia coli and three Enterococcus faecalis) for all ten patient samples. These results demonstrate that Raman microspectroscopy in combination with support vector machines allow an identification of important UTI bacteria within two hours without the need of a culture step

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of Short-term treatment with taurolidine is associated with liver injury

Cell survival and LC50 of HepaRG cells after tauroldine treatment for 24 h was assessed by WST-assay. The LC50 for taurolidine was about 125 μg/ml (n = 6 per concentration, error bars = standard deviation). (TIFF 169 kb

Patient baseline characteristics and data on surgery in the two groups.

<p>Data are presented as median (range) (not normally distributed data), as mean ± SD (normally distributed data) or as</p><p>absolute numbers (with the percentage (%) of the whole). * p<0.05</p><p>[95% CI]  =  95% Confidence intervall on the mean</p><p>CABG  =  coronary artery bypass grafting; CPB  =  cardiopulmonary bypass, MI  =  myocardial infarction, PRBC = packed red blood cells.</p

Receiver operating characteristic curve (all patients).

<p>Receiver operating characteristic curve for the significance of postoperative (admission to ICU) selenium, GPx, ADMA and CK-MB concentrations in all patients to predict the development of organ dysfunction in the postoperative period. AUC, area under the receiver operating curve.</p

Outcome characteristics of the two groups.

<p>Data are presented as median (range) (not normally distributed data), as mean ± SD (normally distributed data) or as absolute numbers (with the percentage (%) of the whole). CABG  =  coronary artery bypass grafting; CPB  =  cardiopulmonary bypass, MI  =  myocardial infarction.</p

Star-Shaped Drug Carriers for Doxorubicin with POEGMA and POEtOxMA Brush-like Shells: A Structural, Physical, and Biological Comparison

The synthesis of amphiphilic star-shaped poly­(ε-caprolactone)-<i>block</i>-poly­(oligo­(ethylene glycol)­methacrylate)­s ([PCL₁₈-<i>b</i>-POEGMA]₄) and poly­(ε-caprolactone)-<i>block</i>-poly­(oligo­(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)­methacrylate)­s ([PCL₁₈-<i>b</i>-POEtOxMA]₄) is presented. Unimolecular behavior in aqueous systems is observed with the tendency to form loose aggregates for both hydrophilic shell types. The comparison of OEGMA and OEtOxMA reveals that the molar mass of the macromonomer in the hydrophilic shell rather than the mere length is the crucial factor to form an efficiently stabilizing hydrophilic shell. A hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of 0.8 is shown to stabilize unimolecular micelles in water. An extensive in vitro biological evaluation shows neither blood nor cytotoxicity. The applicability of the polymers as drug delivery systems was proven by the encapsulation of the anticancer drug doxorubicin, whose cytotoxic effect was retarded in comparison to the free drug

Flowchart.

<p>According to the <i>CONSORT-statement</i> for randomised clinical trials. From the initially screened 60 patients, 46 patients received the allocated intervention. 6 patients had to be excluded from further analysis.</p

Perioperative inflammatory response and myocardial damage.

<p><b>A</b>) Comparison of serum IL-6 levels between the on-pump group (open circles) and the OPCAB-group (closed circles) at baseline (preoperative) and at ICU admission (postoperative). Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.01 versus baseline, analyzed with 2-way ANOVA. <b>B</b>) Correlation of whole blood selenium levels and IL-6 levels in serum, between the two groups. Data are depicted as linear regression (black line) with 95% confidence intervals (long dashed line). <b>C</b>) Comparison of serum CK-MB levels between the on-pump group (open circles) and the OPCAB-group (closed circles) at baseline (preoperative) and at ICU admission (postoperative). Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.01 versus baseline, analyzed with 2-way ANOVA. <b>D</b>) Correlation of whole blood selenium levels and CK-MB in serum between the two groups. Data are depicted as linear regression (black line) with 95% confidence intervals (long dashed line).</p