Search

Objectives: To investigate the effects of two different exercise interventions on cost of care, functional capacity, falls occurrence, muscle strength, and executive function in institutionalized oldest old. Design: A pilot study of a randomized clinical trial investigating 12 months of two exercise interventions compared to a usual care group in oldest old residents of a nursing home. Setting and Participants: 69 older patients (mean age 89.4 ± 5.1 years) completed the full baseline and post intervention measurements. Participants were randomly allocated into multicomponent exercise group (MG, n=23), calisthenics group (CALG, n = 23), and usual care group (UCG, n=23). Methods: Primary outcome was individual cost of care, and secondary outcomes included different physical and cognitive functioning tests, as well as number of falls. Results: MG reduced the cost of care compared to the pre-intervention period, with the greatest difference from baseline achieved in month 12 [mean change 95% confidence interval (CI)=−330.43 (−527.06, −133.80), P=0.006], while UCG increased this outcome, with the greatest difference from baseline observed in month 12 [mean change (95%CI)=300.00 (170.27, 429.72), P=0.013]. In addition, MG significantly improved SPPB score [mean change (95% CI) = 1.21 (0.55, 1.88), P<0.001], whereas the UCG exhibited a decline in scores [mean change (95% CI) = −1.43 (−1.90, −0.97), P<0.001]. Moreover, MG group demonstrated an improvement in the number of falls [mean change (CI 95%) = −1.0 (−1.73, −0.27), P=0.003], while no significant changes were observed in UCG. Additionally, MG exhibited a significant increase in the handgrip strength (HGS) and leg press strength (P<0.001), while a decrease was observed in UCG (P<0.001). No significant changes were observed in the CALG. Conclusions and Implications: A one-year multicomponent exercise intervention reduced the cost of care, improved functional capacity and muscle strength, as well as reduced falls in institutionalized oldest old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport / Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y del Deporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A scheme for terahertz (THz) generation from intraband transition in a self-assembled quantum dot (QD) molecule coupled to a metallic nanoparticle (MNP) is analyzed. The QD structure is described as a three-level atom-like system using the density matrix formalism. The MNP with spherical geometry is considered in the quasistatic approximation. A femtosecond laser pulse creates a coherent superposition of two subbands in the quantum dots and produces localized surface plasmons in the nanoparticle which act back upon the QD molecule via dipole-dipole interaction. As a result, coherent THz radiation with a frequency corresponding to the interlevel spacing can be obtained, which is strongly modified by the presence of the MNP. The peak value of the terahertz signal is analyzed as a function of nanoparticle's size, the MNP to QD distance, and the area of the applied laser field. In addition, we theoretically demonstrate that the terahertz pulse generation can be effectively controlled by making use of a train of femtosecond laser pulses. We show that by a proper choice of the parameters characterizing the pulse train a huge enhancement of the terahertz signal is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement generation and control of two spatially separated asymmetric quantum dots with broken inversion symmetry and mediated by a photonic cavity is studied using a quantum master equation formalism. The quantum dots are coherently driven by a bichromatic laser consisting of a strong optical field nearly resonant with the optical transition of each quantum dot, and a low frequency field. The optical field dresses each quantum dot, and due to the presence of large permanent dipole moments in the quantum dots they are coupled by the low frequency field. We make use of the generated dressed-state scheme for entanglement control. The master equation which describes the interaction with the cavity modes and the coherent fields is numerically solved. In order to gain some insight on the role of the external parameters on entanglement, an effective Hamiltonian for the atomic subsystem is derived in the dressed state representation by adiabatically eliminating the cavity field operators. It is found that steady-state entanglement can be controlled by means of the amplitude and frequency of the low frequency field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury has been the focus of environmental concern and scientific research for decades due to the risks associated with its use, release and emission. An international agreement established in 2017 during the UN Minamata Convention highlighted the need for innovative approaches and technology to tackle these problems. The use of regenerable sorbents for mercury removal in the gas phase is a possible solution that can avoid the generation of new mercury-contaminated waste. However, to make significant progress in this field, it is necessary to develop efficient, economic and environmentally friendly sorbents, for which, a good understanding of the mechanism of adsorption in this type of process is needed. In this study, several kinetic models were applied to determine the rate-controlling step in the adsorption process of elemental mercury by regenerable sorbents based on gold. Three diffusional models (Weber and Morris, Bangham and pseudo-first order models) and two adsorptive models (pseudo-second order and Elovich models) were tested. The results of this study show that external diffusion from the gaseous phase to the sorbent particles is the rate-limiting step. The complexity of the process is also reflected in the results obtained, which indicate that pore diffusion plays a significant role over most of the mass transfer zone, while adsorption itself becomes determinant only when the saturation of the sorbent is near. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Chronic alcohol consumption alters the gut-brain axis, but little is known about alcohol binge episodes on the functioning of the intestinal barrier. We investigated the influence of ethanol binges on bacterial translocation, gut inflammation and immunity, and tight junction (TJ) structure and the ability of the biolipid oleoylethanolamide (OEA) to prevent ethanol binge-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.Experimental Approach: OEA was injected i.p. before repeated ethanol administration by oral gavage. Plasma, spleen, liver and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) were collected in sterile conditions for determination of bacterial load. Immune/inflammatory parameters, TJ proteins and apoptotic markers were determined in colonic tissue by RT-PCR and Western blotting. TJ ultrastructure was examined by transmission electron microscopy.Key Results: Ethanol binges induced bacterial translocation to the MLN (mainly) and spleen. Colonic tissues showed signs of inflammation, and activation of innate (Toll-like receptor-4) and adaptive (IgA) immune systems and TJ proteins (occludin and claudin-3) were decreased after ethanol binges. Pretreatment with OEA reduced intestinal inflammation and immune activation and partially preserved the TJ structure affected by alcohol binges but had no effect on alcohol-induced apoptosis. Ultrastructural analyses of colonic TJs revealed dilated TJs in all ethanol groups, with less electron-dense material in non-pretreated rats. The protective effects of i.p. OEA did not reduce bacterial translocation to the MLN. However, intragastric OEA administration significantly reduced plasma LPS levels and bacterial translocation to the MLN.Conclusion and Implications: OEA-based pharmacotherapies could potentially be useful to treat disorders characterized by intestinal barrier dysfunction, including alcohol abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Meniscus injury is one of the causes of secondary osteoarthritis (OA). However, the role of meniscus is still unclear. Human meniscal distribution of cells and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and their changes in advanced OA were analyzed.Patients and Methods: Thirty-one medial menisci from patients with knee OA that underwent a total knee arthroplasty were studied. Normal meniscal tissue was obtained from partial arthroscopic meniscectomy. Meniscal samples were processed for histology, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, for cell assessment including density, active divisions, apoptosis, COMP distribution and proteoglycan content.Results: Osteoarthritic menisci demonstrated areas of cell depletion and significant decrease in COMP immunostaining. Actively dividing cells were only found in the meniscectomy group, but not in the osteoarthritic group. Proteoglycan staining was less prominent in menisci from the osteoarthritis group.Conclusions: Our results show a decreased cell population, with low COMP and altered matrix organization in osteoarthritis menisci that suggest an altered meniscal scaffold and potential impairment of meniscal function. These meniscal changes may be associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Allicin has shown antileishmanial activity in vitro and in vivo. However the mechanism of action underlying its antiproliferative effect against Leishmania has been virtually unexplored. In this paper, we present the results obtained in L.infantum and a mechanistic basis is proposed. Methodology/Principal Finding Exposure of the parasites to allicin led to high Ca2+ levels and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced production of ATP and elevation of cytosolic ROS. The incubation of the promastigotes with SYTOX Green revealed that decrease of ATP was not associated with plasma membrane permeabilization. Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining indicated that allicin did not induce phospholipids exposure on the plasma membrane. Moreover, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and TUNEL analysis demonstrated that allicin did not provoke DNA fragmentation. Analysis of the cell cycle with PI staining showed that allicin induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that allicin induces dysregulation of calcium homeostasis and oxidative stress, uncontrolled by the antioxidant defense of the cell, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and a bioenergetic catastrophe leading to cell necrosis and cell cycle arrest in the premitotic phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the ozone is one of the most relevant variables in the climate system, to get further in its long-term characterization is a critical issue. In this study, measurements of total ozone column (TOC) from five well-calibrated Brewer spectrophotometers placed in the Iberian Peninsula are analyzed. The temporal trend rate for TOC is +9.3 DU per decade for the period 1993-2012 in Central Iberian Peninsula. However, the low TOC levels during 2011 and 2012 over the study region notably reduce this rate. Empirical linear relationships are established between TOC and pressure, height, and temperature of the tropopause. The linear fits showed seasonal and latitudinal dependence, with stronger relationships during winter and spring. Events with the presence of a double tropopause (DT) are proved to be characteristic of the study region. The decrease in TOC levels when these anomalous events occur is quantified around 10 % in winter and spring with respect to the usual cases with a single tropopause. The total weight of the DT events with respect to the annual values is about 20 %, with a negligible occurrence in summer and autumn and being latitudinal-dependent. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index explains 30 % of the total ozone variability in winter. The DT events are found to be more frequent during phases with positive NAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to validate the total water vapour column (TWVC) measured by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) satellite sensor and generated using the GOME Data Processor (GDP) retrieval algorithm developed by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). For this purpose, spatially and temporally collocated TWVC data from highly accurate sounding measurements for the period January 2009-May 2014 at six sites are used. These balloon-borne data are provided by the GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN). The correlation between GOME-2 and sounding TWVC data is reasonably good (determination coefficient, R2, of 0.89) when all available radiosondes (1400) are employed in the intercomparison. When cloud-free cases (544) are selected by means of the satellite cloud fraction (CF<5 %), the correlation exhibits a remarkable improvement (R2 ∼0.95). Nevertheless, the analysis of the relative differences between GOME-2 and GRUAN data shows a mean absolute bias error (weighted with the combined uncertainty derived from the estimated errors of both data sets) of 15% for all-sky conditions (9% for cloud-free cases). These results evidence a notable bias in the satellite TWVC data against the reference balloon-borne measurements, partially related to the cloudy conditions during the satellite overpass. The detailed analysis of the influence of cloud properties - CF, cloud top albedo (CTA) and cloud top pressure (CTP) - on the satellitesounding differences reveals, as expected, a large effect of clouds in the GOME-2 TWVC data. For instance, the relative differences exhibit a large negative dependence on CTA, varying from -6 to -23% when CTA rises from 0.3 to 0.8. Furthermore, the satellite-sounding TWVC differences show a strong dependence on the satellite solar zenith angle (SZA) for values above 50°. Hence the smallest relative differences found in this satellite-sounding comparison are achieved for those cloud-free cases with satellite SZA below 50°. Finally, the relative differences also show a negative dependence on the reference TWVC values, e.g. changing from C10% (TWVC below 10 mm) to -10% (TWVC above 40 mm) when cloud-free conditions with SZA below 50° are selected. Overall, relative differences within +10% with respect to reference sounding data for a large range of TWVC values can be considered as a good result for satellite retrievals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of aerosol radiative properties is a crucial challenge for climate change studies. This study aims at providing a complete characterization of aerosol radiative effects in different spectral ranges within the shortwave (SW) solar spectrum. For this purpose, longterm data sets of aerosol properties from six AERONET stations located in the Iberian Peninsula (southwestern Europe) have been analyzed in terms of climatological characterization and inter-annual changes. Aerosol information was used as input for the libRadtran model in order to determine the aerosol radiative effect (ARE) at the surface in the ultraviolet (AREUV), visible (AREVIS), near-infrared (ARENIR), and the entire SW range (ARESW) under cloudfree conditions. Over the whole Iberian Peninsula, yearly aerosol radiative effects in the different spectral ranges were found to be -1.1 UV <-0.7, -5.7 VIS <-3.5, -2.6 NIR <-1.6, and -8.8 SW <-5.7 (in Wm-2). Monthly means of ARE showed a seasonal pattern with larger values in spring and summer. The aerosol forcing efficiency (AFE), ARE per unit of aerosol optical depth, has also been evaluated in the four spectral ranges. AFE exhibited a dependence on single scattering albedo as well as a weaker one on the Ångström exponent. AFE is larger (in absolute value) for small and absorbing particles. The contributions of the UV, VIS, and NIR ranges to the SW efficiency varied with the aerosol types. The predominant aerosol size determined the fractions AFEVIS/AFESW and AFENIR/AFESW. The AFEVIS was the dominant contributor for all aerosol types, although non-absorbing large particles caused more even contribution of VIS and NIR intervals. The AFEUV / AFESW ratio showed a higher value in the case of absorbing fine particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two styrene-6.7 % divinylbenzene copolymers functionalized with aminophosphonate groups and phosphonic acid groups by means of 'one-pot' reactions were evaluated for gaseous mercury removal. The results were compared with those obtained using a commercial activated carbon. These materials exhibit a significant capacity for mercury oxidation (13-25 %) with low mercury capture (9-30 μg g-1). The mercury retention capacity was observed to decrease when acid gases are present in the gas atmosphere. The highest retention capacity corresponded to the highest oxidation ratio and was obtained using the AMINOPHOS sample. These results suggest a mercury oxidation and a subsequent chemical adsorption mechanism in which the amino groups play a role in mercury capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to investigate the modulation of the stress responses by the environmental conditions and its putative neurobiological mechanisms. For that an integrative study on the effects of environmental enrichment and isolation housing on (1) the corticosterone, dopamine and acetylcholine responses to acute restraint stress in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the awake rat; (2) the mRNA levels of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the PFC, and (3) the behavioral responses to stress, related to the PFC (habituation to a novel environment, spatial-working memory and inhibitory avoidance response) was performed. Male Wistar rats were maintained from 3 to 6 months of age in two different conditions: enriched (EC) or impoverished (IC). Animals were stereotaxically implanted with bilateral guide cannulae in the PFC to perform microdialysis experiments to evaluate the concentrations of corticosterone, dopamine and acetylcholine. EC animals showed lower increases of corticosterone and dopamine but not of acetylcholine than IC animals in the PFC in response to acute restraint stress (20 min). In the PFC, GR mRNA levels showed a trend towards an enhancement in EC animals. EC reduced the days to learn the spatial working memory task (radial-water maze). Spatial working memory, however, was not different between groups in either basal or stress conditions. Inhibitory avoidance response was reduced in EC rats. The changes produced by EC in the neurochemical, neuroendocrine and behavioral parameters evaluated suggest that EC rats could show a better coping during an acute stress challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology to obtain the total ozone column (TOC) from the direct-sun spectral measurements of a Bentham spectroradiometer located at Granada (Spain) is presented in this paper. The method relies on the differential absorption technique using two pairs of direct irradiance at adjacent wavelengths between 305 and 340 nm. The extraterrestrial constant was determined from the extrapolation to zero air mass of each wavelength pair (Langley plot method). We checked the strong influence of the cloud cover on the Bentham TOC measurements using simultaneous sky images taken with an all-sky camera. Thus, reliable TOC data are exclusively obtained during cloud-free conditions or partly cloudy conditions without the solar disk obstructed. In this work, the hourly TOC averages retrieved by the Bentham instrument with a standard deviation smaller than 3% (∼10 Dobson Unit) are selected as high-quality TOC data. The analysis of the diurnal TOC variations during cloud-free days in late spring and summer showed different TOC values between the morning and afternoon periods. Thus, while the mornings exhibit an almost stable pattern, the afternoons display a monotonic TOC increase which could be partially related to photochemical processes in the lower troposphere associated with the formation of surface ozone. Finally, the Bentham TOC measurements were compared against the satellite data derived from three satellite instruments: OMI, GOME and SCIAMACHY. The mean absolute values of the relative differences between satellite and ground-based data were smaller than 3%, highlighting the high reliability of the retrieval method proposed in this paper to derive TOC data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of a strong desert dust episode over the Iberian Peninsula, and its effect on the spectral ultraviolet (UV) irradiance in Granada, Spain. Remote sensing measurements, forecast models, and synoptic analysis are used to identify a Saharan desert dust outbreak that affected the Iberian Peninsula starting 20 July 2009. Additionally, a Bentham DMc150 spectroradiometer is employed to obtain global, direct and diffuse spectral UV irradiances every 15 minutes in Granada. The desert dust caused a large attenuation of the direct UV irradiance (up to 55%), while the diffuse UV irradiance increased up to 40% at 400 nm. The UVSPEC/LibRadtran radiative transfer model is used to study the spectral dependence of the experimental UV irradiance ratios (ratios of spectral irradiance for the day with the highest aerosol load to that measured in days with low-moderate load). The spectral increase or decrease of the UV direct irradiance ratios depends on a new parameter: a threshold wavelength. The spectral dependence of the UV diffuse irradiance ratio can be explained because under the influence of the intense dust outbreak, the Mie scattering by aerosols at shorter wavelengths is stronger than the Rayleigh scattering by gases. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of the aerosol absorption properties shows a substantial attenuation of UV spectral irradiance with a weak spectral dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that aims at measuring the total ozone column (TOC) in a Bentham spectroradiometer located at Granada, Spain. It describes the methodology of the study in which the differential absorption technique is used with direct irradiance at wavelengths between 305 and 340 nm. The study reveals a monotonic TOC increase during afternoon due to photochemical processes in the troposphere.

The daily (24 h) averages of the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated during desert dust events over Granada (southeastern Spain) from 2005 to 2010. A radiative transfer model (SBDART) was utilized to simulate the solar irradiance values (0.31-2.8 µm) at the surface and TOA, using as input aerosol properties retrieved from CIMEL sun photometer measurements via an inversion methodology that uses the sky radiance measurements in principal plane configuration and a spheroid particle shape approximation. This inversion methodology was checked by means of simulated data from aerosol models, and the derived aerosol properties were satisfactorily compared against well-known AERONET products. Good agreement was found over a common spectral interval (0.2-4.0 µm) between the simulated SBDART global irradiances at surface and those provided by AERONET. In addition, simulated SBDART solar global irradiances at the surface have been successfully validated against CM-11 pyranometer measurements. The comparison indicates that the radiative transfer model slightly overestimates (mean bias of 3%) the experimental solar global irradiance. These results show that the aerosol optical properties used to estimate ARF represent appropriately the aerosol properties observed during desert dust outbreak over the study area. The ARF mean monthly values computed during desert dust events ranged from -13±8 W m-2 to -34±15 W m-2 at surface, from -4±3 W m-2 to -13±7 W m-2 at TOA and from +6±4 to +21±12 W m-2 in the atmosphere. We have checked if the differences found in aerosol optical properties among desert dust sectors translate to differences in ARF. The mean ARF at surface (TOA) were -20±12 (-5±5) W m-2, -21±9 (-7±5) W m-2 and -18±9 (-6±5) W m-2 for sector A (northern Morocco; northwestern Algeria), sector B (western Sahara, northwestern Mauritania and southwest- ern Algeria), and sector C (eastern Algeria, Tunisia), respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test revealed that daily ARF values at TOA for sector A were significantly different from the other two sectors, likely as a result of the lower values of single scattering albedo obtained for sector A. The mean values of aerosol radiative forcing efficiency at surface (TOA) were -74±12 W m-2 (-17±7 W m-2) for sector A, -70±14 W m-2 (-20±9 W m-2) for sector B, and -65±16 W m-2 (-22±10 W m-2) for sector C, and thus comparable between the three sectors in all seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the calibration of an all-sky camera in obtaining sky radiances at three wavelengths from hemispherical sky images. The study used an All-Sky Imager, a sunphotometer, and a radiative transfer model. Results show that there were absolute differences between 2% and 15% on the camera radiances for pixels near the Sun and the high scattering angles.

This paper evaluates the relationship between the cloud modification factor (CMF) in the ultraviolet erythemal range and the cloud optical depth (COD) retrieved from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) "cloud mode" algorithm under overcast cloudy conditions (confirmed with sky images) at Granada (Spain). Empirical CMF showed a clear exponential dependence on experimental COD values, decreasing approximately from 0.7 for COD = 10 to 0.25 for COD = 50. In addition, these COD measurements were used as input in the LibRadtran radiative transfer code allowing the simulation of CMF values for the selected overcast cases. The modeled CMF exhibited a dependence on COD similar to the empirical CMF, but modeled values present a strong underestimation with respect to the empirical factors (mean bias of 22%). To explain this high bias, an exhaustive comparison between modeled and experimental UV erythemal irradiance (UVER) data was performed. This exercise revealed that a significant part of the bias (~8%) may be related to code's overestimation of the experimental data for clear-sky conditions. The rest of the bias (~14%) may be attributed to the substantial underestimation of modeled UVER with respect to experimental UVER un- der overcast conditions, although the correlation between both dataset was high (R² ~0.93). A sensitive test showed that the main responsible for that underestimation is the experimental AERONET COD used as input in the simulations, which has been retrieved from zenith radiances in the visible range. In this sense, effective COD in the erythemal interval were derived from an iteration procedure based on searching the best match between modeled and experimental UVER values for each selected overcast case. These effective COD values were smaller than AERONET COD data in about 80% of the overcast cases with a mean relative difference of 22%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instantaneous values of the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated during desert dust events occurred at Granada (Southeastern Spain) from 2005 to 2010. For that, the SBDART radiative transfer model was utilized to simulate the global irradiance values (0.3-2.8 µm) at the surface and TOA using as input the aerosol properties derived from a CIMEL sunphotometer measurements and an inversion methodology that uses the sky radiance measurements in principal plane configuration and non-spherical particle shapes approximation. The SBDART modeled global irradiances at surface have been successfully validated against experimental measurements obtained by CM-11 pyranometer, indicating the reliability of the radiative transfer model used in this work for the ARF calculations. The monthly ARF values at surface ranged from -32Wm-2 to -46Wm-2, being larger in April and July than in the rest of months. The seasonal ARF evolution was inconsistent with seasonal aerosol optical depth (AOD) variation due to the effects induced by other aerosol parameter such as the single scattering albedo. The ARF at TOA changed from -9Wm-2 to -29Wm-2. Thus, the atmospheric ARF values (ARF at TOA minus ARF at surface) ranged from +15 to +35Wm-2. These results suggest that the African dust caused local atmospheric heating over the study location. The instantaneous aerosol radiative forcing efficiency (ARFE), aerosol radiative forc- ing per unit of AOD (440 nm), at surface and TOA during African desert dust events was evaluated according to the desert dust source origins. The ARFE values at surface were relatively high (in absolute term) and were -157±20 (Sector A), -154±23 Sector B), and -147±23 (Sector C) Wm-2. These values were larger than many of the values found in literature which could be due to the presence of more absorb- ing atmospheric particles during African desert dust intrusions over our study area. Finally, our ARF computations showed good agreement with the corresponding ARF calculated by AERONET network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the application of a simple analytical parameterization to the filling of the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) data gaps, and the reconstruction of past UVI values at Badajoz and Caceres (Southwestern Spain). The empirical model involves three independent variables: the solar zenith angle, the total ozone column and the clearness index. Regarding the first application, daily UVI was estimated for more than 30 days when UV measurements were not available in 2007. For these cases, the missing UVI data were replaced by estimated values, thus affecting the UVI annual mean and median. Regarding the second application, the reconstruction of past UVI time-series (1950-2000) is performed only for clear-sky cases (cloud and aerosol free conditions) using the COST 726 total ozone climatology. The linear UVI trends for two periods (1957-1978 and 1979-2000) are calculated for summer months using linear least squares fits. Both locations show statistically significant UVI trends for the most recent period 1979-2000, with values of +4.4 ± 1.6% per decade for Badajoz, and +4.9 ± 1.8% per decade for Caceres. This result is mainly driven by the ozone decline at northern mid-latitudes during this period. No significant trend is found for the other analysed period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Secondary knee osteoarthritis (OA) is currently associated with meniscal injuries, but the pathogenesis is unclear. We analyzed the distribution of cells and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and its changes in the early stages of degeneration in meniscus. Method: Ten New Zealand rabbits underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-transection of the right knee-joint. Left knee-joints were used as controls. The animals were killed at 4 and 12 weeks. Gross injuries in meniscus and articular cartilage were scored. Meniscal tissues were immunostained with a specific antibody against COMP, with Ki-67, using TUNEL-assay and alcian blue stain. The number of cells was counted. Results: At 4 weeks post-ACL-transection, 2/5 of the operated knees showed articular damages and medial menisci tears. Menisci showed a weak increase of cells, higher in cells under division and an increase of apoptosis, COMP and proteoglycans. At 12 weeks, 5/5 of the medial menisci and 2/5 of lateral menisci presented tears, and osteoarthritic changes were seen in the cartilage of all the operated knees. Meniscal cells reverted to normal number, while active cell division decreased below normal, apoptotic events were still high, COMP remained elevated, and glycosaminoglycans were even more elevated. Conclusion: Extracellular matrix changes and altered cell distribution occur early in the degenerative meniscus. There is a close relationship between changes in the articular cartilage and the menisci at the onset of secondary OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the influence of using one-step and two-steps method on the experimental ultraviolet index (UVI) measured by a YES UVB-1 radiometer located in Granada, Spain for 2006-2009. Also, the study analyzes the deviation from the UVI values taken from the application of the calibration factors. Based on results, absolute mean differences between measured and modeled UVI data of the methods indicate an excellent performance for obtaining UVI data.

The article discusses the influence of the calibration on experimental ultraviolet (UV) Index at a midlatitude site in Granada, Spain. It provides an overview of the instrumentation and data used in the study. It talks about the calibration methods used in this work to obtain experimental UV Index values. It also presents and discusses the application of the different methods for obtaining UV Index.

This article focuses on the comparison of the total ozone column data from three satellite instruments; Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS) on board the Earth Probe (EP), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board AURA and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on board ERS/2, with ground-based measurement recorded by a well calibrated Brewer spectrophotometer located in Madrid during the period 1996-2008. A cluster classification based on solar radiation (global, direct and diffuse), cloudiness and aerosol index allow selecting hazy, cloudy, very cloudy and clear days. Thus, the differences between Brewer and satellite total ozone data for each cluster have been analyzed. The accuracy of EP-TOMS total ozone data is affected by moderate cloudiness, showing a mean absolute bias error (MABE) of 2.0%. In addition, the turbidity also has a significant influence on EP-TOMS total ozone data with a MABE ∼1.6%. Those data are in contrast with clear days with MABE ∼1.2%. The total ozone data derived from the OMI instrument show clear bias at clear and hazy days with small uncertainties (∼0.8%). Finally, the total ozone observations obtained with the GOME instrument show a very smooth dependence with respect to clouds and turbidity, showing a robust retrieval algorithm over these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several validation studies have shown a notable overestimation of the clear sky ultraviolet (UV) irradiance at the Earth's surface derived from satellite sensors such as the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) with respect to ground-based UV data at many locations. Most of this positive bias is attributed to boundary layer aerosol absorption that is not accounted for in the TOMS/OMI operational UV algorithm. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to analyse the aerosol effect on the bias between OMI erythemal UV irradiance (UVER) and spectral UV (305 nm, 310nm and 324 nm) surface irradiances and ground-based Brewer spectroradiometer measurements from October 2004 to December 2008 at El Arenosillo station, with meteorological conditions representative of the south-west of Spain. The effect of other factors as clouds, ozone and the solar elevation over this intercomparison were analysed in detail in a companion paper (Antón et al., 2010). In that paper the aerosol effects were analysed making only a rough evaluation based on aerosol optical depth (AOD) information at 440nm wavelength (visible range) without applying any correction. Here, the correction of the OMI UV data is proposed based on a detailed study about the determination of absorbing aerosols provided by AERONET data. Because of the difficulty to have reliable data about absorbing aerosol properties at many sites, first we consider AOD, Angstrom exponent and also OMI-Aerosol Index for this determination, but finally single scattering albedo (SSA) from AERONET was used since it represents a much more precise information. An aerosol correction expression was applied to the OMI operational UV data using two approaches to estimate the UV absorption aerosol optical depth, AAOD. The first approach was based on an assumption of constant SSA value of 0.91. This approach reduces OMI UVER bias from 13.4 to 8.4%. Second approach uses daily AERONET SSA values reducing the bias only to 11.6%. Therefore we have obtained a 37% and 12% of improvement, respectively. Similar results were obtained for spectral irradi ances at 305 nm, 310nm and 324 nm, where for 324nm the OMI bias is reduced from 10.5 to 6.98% for constant SSA and to 9.03% for variable SSA. Contrary to what was expected, the constant SSA approach has a greater bias reduction than variable SSA, but this is a reasonable result according to the discussion about the reliability of SSA values. Our results reflect the level of accuracy that may be reached at the present time in this type of comparison, which may be considered as satisfactory taking into account the remaining dependence on other factors. Nevertheless, improvements must be accomplished to determine reliable absorbing aerosol properties, which appear as a limiting factor for improving OMI retrievals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to compare the erythemal UV irradiance (UVER) and spectral UV irradiances (at 305, 310 and 324 nm) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA EOS/Aura polar sun-synchronous satellite (launched in July 2004, local equator crossing time 01:45 p.m.) with ground-based measurements from the Brewer spectrophotometer #150 located at El Arenosillo (South of Spain). The analyzed period comprises more than four years, from October 2004 to December 2008. The effects of several factors (clouds, aerosols and the solar elevation) on OMI-Brewer comparisons were analyzed. The proxies used for each factor were: OMI Lambertian Equivalent Reflectivity (LER) at 360 nm (clouds), the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 440 nm measured from the ground-based Cimel sun-photometer (http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov), and solar zenith angle (SZA) at OMI overpass time. The comparison for all sky conditions reveals positive biases (OMI higher than Brewer) 12.3% for UVER, 14.2% for UV irradiance at 305 nm, 10.6% for 310 nm and 8.7% for 324 nm. The OMI-Brewer root mean square error (RMSE) is reduced when cloudy cases are removed from the analysis, (e.g., RMSE~20% for all sky conditions and RMSE smaller than 10% for cloud-free conditions). However, the biases remain and even become more significant for the cloud-free cases with respect to all sky conditions. The mentioned overestimation is partially due to aerosol extinction influence. In addition, the differences OMI-Brewer typically decrease with SZA except days with high aerosol loading, when the bias is near constant. The seasonal dependence of the OMI-Brewer difference for cloud-free conditions is driven by aerosol climatology. To account for the aerosol effect, a first evaluation in order to compare with previous TOMS results (Antón et al., 2007) was performed. This comparison shows that the OMI bias is between +14% and +19% for UVER and spectral UV irradiances for moderately-high aerosol load (AOD>0.25). The OMI bias is decreased by a factor of 2 (the typical bias varies from +8% to +12%) under cloud-free and low aerosol load conditions (AOD<0.1). More detailed analysis of absorbing aerosols influence on OMI bias at our station is presented in a companion paper (Cachorro et al., 2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to compare the erythemal UV irradiance (UVER) and spectral UV irradiances (at 305, 310 and 324 nm) from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA EOS/Aura polar sun-synchronous satellite (launched in July 2004, local equator crossing time 01:45 p.m.) with ground-based measurements from the Brewer spectroradiometer #150 located at El Arenosillo (South of Spain). The analyzed period comprises more than four years, from October 2004 to December 2008. The effects of several factors (clouds, aerosols, ozone and the solar elevation) on OMI-Brewer comparisons were analyzed. The proxies used for each factor were: OMI Lambertian Equivalent Reflectivity (LER) at 360nm (clouds), the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 440nm measured from the ground-based Cimel sun-photometer (http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov), OMI total column ozone, and solar elevation at OMI overpass time. The comparison for all sky conditions reveals positive biases (OMI higher than Brewer) 12.3% for UVER, 14.2% for UV irradiance at 305 nm, 10.6% for 310 nm and 8.7% for 324 nm. The OMI-Brewer Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is reduced when cloudy cases are removed from the analysis, (e.g., RMSE ∼20% for all sky conditions and RMSE smaller than 10% for cloud-free conditions). However, the biases remain and even become more significant for the cloud-free cases with respect to all sky conditions. The mentioned overestimation is clearly documented as due to aerosol extinction influence. The differences OMI-Brewer typically decrease with increasing the Solar Zenith Angle (SZA). The seasonal dependence of the OMI-Brewer difference for cloud-free conditions is driven by aerosol climatology. To account for the aerosol effect, a first evaluation in order to compare with previous TOMS results (Anton et al., 2007) was performed. This comparison shows that the OMI bias is between +14% and +19% for UVER and spectral UV irradiances for moderately-high aerosol load (AOD>0.25). The OMI bias is decreased by a factor of 2 (the typical bias varies from +8% to +12%) under cloud-free and low aerosol load conditions (AOD<0.1). More detailed analysis of absorbing aerosols influence on OMI bias at our station is presented in a companion paper (Cachorro et al., 2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Better knowledge of the accuracy of a skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) levels to egg allergens would help to identify persistent egg-allergic children, avoiding unnecessary risky challenges. This study was designed to assess the accuracy of a SPT and sIgE levels to egg allergens in order to determine persistent egg allergy in IgE-mediated allergic children after an egg-free diet. Methods Children below 16 years were prospectively and consecutively recruited. Inclusion criteria were: allergy to egg proteins (children with a positive clinical case of IgE-mediated egg allergy and a positive SPT to egg allergens and/or positive sIgE levels), and strict egg avoidance diet followed for at least 6 months. Clinical histories were recorded and all patients underwent SPTs, sIgE levels to egg allergens and the gold standard -a double-blind placebo-controlled egg challenge (DBPCFG). DBPCFG was interpreted without knowledge of the results of the other tests and vice-versa. A SPT and sIgE levels' ROC curves analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic performance of the different tests. Results Finally, 157 children were included in the study. One hundred out of these 157 children (63.7%) had a positive oral challenge. Ninety-six were male (61%), and the median age was 2.5 years. One hundred and three (66.9%) had atopic dermatitis. A 7 mm egg white prick test had a positive likelihood ratio (+LR) of 6.7, and a level of 1.3 KU/L egg white-sIgE had a +LR of 5.1. A 7 mm egg white SPT had a positive predictive value of 92.3% (95% CI 85.1–99.5), and for a 9 mm egg white SPT this value was 95.6% (95% CI 87.3–100.0). For egg white-sIgE, 1.5 KU/L had a positive predictive value of 90.4% (95% CI 82.4–98.4) and for 25 KU/L it was 100.0% (95% CI 100.0–100.0). SPTs with ovotransferrin and lysozyme showed the lowest accuracy, followed by yolk and ovalbumin SPTs. Conclusion This study is the first to evaluate both tests (SPT and sIgE levels) and all egg allergens to determine the persistence of egg allergy in IgE-mediated allergic children. Measuring the SPT and sIgE levels is useful to predict persistent allergy in these children, especially with the egg white complete extract. An oral challenge should not be performed in egg allergic paediatric patients with either an egg white prick test above 7 mm or a white egg-sIgE determination above 1.3 KU/L, because there is a 90% probability of remaining allergic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]