Dust Devil Sediment Transport: From Lab to Field to Global Impact

The impact of dust aerosols on the climate and environment of Earth and Mars is complex and forms a major area of research. A difficulty arises in estimating the contribution of small-scale dust devils to the total dust aerosol. This difficulty is due to uncertainties in the amount of dust lifted by individual dust devils, the frequency of dust devil occurrence, and the lack of statistical generality of individual experiments and observations. In this paper, we review results of observational, laboratory, and modeling studies and provide an overview of dust devil dust transport on various spatio-temporal scales as obtained with the different research approaches. Methods used for the investigation of dust devils on Earth and Mars vary. For example, while the use of imagery for the investigation of dust devil occurrence frequency is common practice for Mars, this is less so the case for Earth. Modeling approaches for Earth and Mars are similar in that they are based on the same underlying theory, but they are applied in different ways. Insights into the benefits and limitations of each approach suggest potential future research focuses, which can further reduce the uncertainty associated with dust devil dust entrainment. The potential impacts of dust devils on the climates of Earth and Mars are discussed on the basis of the presented research results

Epithelial IL-6 trans-signaling defines a new asthma phenotype with increased airway inflammation

Background: Although several studies link high levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) to asthma severity and decreased lung function, the role of IL-6 trans-signaling (IL-6TS) in asthmatic patients is unclear. Objective: We sought to explore the association between epithelial IL-6TS pathway activation and molecular and clinical phenotypes in asthmatic patients. Methods: An IL-6TS gene signature obtained from air-liquid interface cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated with IL-6 and sIL-6R was used to stratify lung epithelial transcriptomic data (Unbiased Biomarkers in Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes [U-BIOPRED] cohorts) by means of hierarchical clustering. IL-6TS-specific protein markers were used to stratify sputum biomarker data (Wessex cohort). Molecular phenotyping was based on transcriptional profiling of epithelial brushings, pathway analysis, and immunohistochemical analysis of bronchial biopsy specimens. Results: Activation of IL-6TS in air-liquid interface cultures reduced epithelial integrity and induced a specific gene signature enriched in genes associated with airway remodeling. The IL-6TS signature identified a subset of patients with IL-6TS-high asthma with increased epithelial expression of IL-6TS-inducible genes in the absence of systemic inflammation. The IL-6TS-high subset had an overrepresentation of frequent exacerbators, blood eosinophilia, and submucosal infiltration of T cells and macrophages. In bronchial brushings Toll-like receptor pathway genes were upregulated, whereas expression of cell junction genes was reduced. Sputum sIL-6R and IL-6 levels correlated with sputum markers of remodeling and innate immune activation, in particular YKL-40, matrix metalloproteinase 3, macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta, IL-8, and IL-1 beta. Conclusions: Local lung epithelial IL-6TS activation in the absence of type 2 airway inflammation defines a novel subset of asthmatic patients and might drive airway inflammation and epithelial dysfunction in these patients.Peer reviewe

ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma a

Temporal Fluctuation of Systemic Markers in Urine During a Nasal Rhinovirus Challenge in Healthy and Asthmatic Subjects

International audienceBiological processes are dynamic as reflected by temporal fluctuations of biomarkers. These dynamics underline the adaptive capacity of physiological systems to respond to external perturbations. We have captured differences in the pattern of fluctuations in biomarkers sampled locally at the sites of respiratory infection between healthy individuals and asthma patients, before and after perturbation by rhinovirus exposure [Sinha et al, eLife]. The detection of fluctuating biomarker signals in a systemic matrix, e.g. urine could aid in the development of better prognostic, non-invasive markers for monitoring disease progression especially during loss-of-control/exacerbation events due to viral exposures in asthma. Aims:Probe and compare temporal fluctuations of metabolomic signatures in the systemic circulation (urine) after a rhinovirus (RV-16) challenge in healthy and asthmatic subjects. Methods: In this prospective follow-up study, urine from 12 healthy individuals and 12 asthma patients was sampled thrice weekly for 3 months. After two months (stable phase) individuals were exposed to a 100 TCID50 Rhinovirus 16 and followed for another month (unstable phase). Non-targeted metabolomics data were acquiredwith liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) using HILIC chromatography in positive ionization mode. Urine specific gravity (SG) was measured to normalize urine concentration and to reduce matrix effects. Data was processed independently using MZmine, MS-DIAL and Profinder software packages.A modified robust regression analysis technique, LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) was applied on the mass spectrometric fragments to compare healthy and asthma groups both before and after rhinovirus challenge interventions. The machine learning pipeline was applied to the non-targeted metabolomics dataset and selected features were identified using an in-house chemical library. Results: We have identified a total of 164 metabolites in urine, several of which were found differentially regulated in healthy and asthmatic volunteers before and after the challenge (See Figure 1). Interestingly carnitine species decreased during the Rhinovirus challenge. Decreases in urinary carnitines have been previously observed in relationto asthma severity levels which confirm and substantiate our findings. Derivates of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) were also found to be differentially regulated. Conclusions: Our studyreports for the first time the fluctuating signals of metabolites in systemic signals in response to an exogenous trigger in the local nasal compartment in healthy and asthmaticsubjects. Carnitine compounds could prove to be useful markers of viral infection. The differential regulation of urinary metabolites could be useful to monitor patient prognosis andspot viral infections

Increase in non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness as an early marker of bronchial response to occupational agents during specific inhalation challenges.

BACKGROUND: Specific bronchial reactivity to occupational agents may decline after exposure in the workplace ceases leading to falsely negative specific inhalation challenges. A study was carried out to assess prospectively whether increases in nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness could be useful in detecting the bronchial response to occupational agents during specific inhalation challenges. METHODS: Specific inhalation challenges were performed in 66 subjects with possible occupational asthma due to various agents. After a control day the subjects were challenged with the suspected agent for up to two hours on the first test day. Those subjects who did not show an asthmatic reaction were rechallenged on the next day for 2-3 hours. The provocative concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall (PC20) in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was assessed at the end of the control day as well as six hours after each challenge that did not cause a > or = 20% fall in FEV1. The subjects who had a significant (> or = 3.1-fold) reduction in PC20 value at the end of the second challenge day were requested to perform additional specific inhalation challenges. RESULTS: The first test day elicited an asthmatic reaction in 25 subjects. Of the other 41 subjects five (12%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4% to 26%) exhibited a > or = 3.1-fold fall in the PC20 value after the inhalation challenge and developed an asthmatic reaction during the second (n = 3) or third (n = 2) challenge exposure. The offending agents included persulphate (n = 1), wood dust (n = 2), isocyanate (n = 1), or amoxycillin (n = 1). These five subjects had left their workplace for a longer period (mean (SD) 21 (14) months) than those who reacted after the first specific inhalation challenge (8 (11) months). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness after a specific inhalation challenge can be an early and sensitive marker of bronchial response to occupational agents, especially in subjects removed from workplace exposure for a long time. Non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness should be systematically assessed after specific inhalation challenges in the absence of changes in airway calibre

Modules, networks and systems medicine for understanding disease and aiding diagnosis

10.1186/s13073-014-0082-6Genome Medicine6108