Search

Detecting the emergence of a forced anthropogenic climate change signal from observations is critical for informing adaptation responses. By regressing local variations in climate onto annual Global Mean Surface Temperature (GMST), we track the emergence of an anthropogenic signal in long-term quality assured observations of temperature and precipitation for the island of Ireland, a sentinel location on the western European Atlantic seaboard. Analysis of station based observations, together with island scale composite series is undertaken for annual and seasonal means, together with 16 indices of extremes, with the derived signal-to-noise ratio classified as normal, unusual or unfamiliar relative to early industrial climate. More than half of indices show the emergence of at least unusual conditions relative to early industrial climate. The increase in annual mean temperature has led to the emergence of unfamiliar climate at six of eleven stations. Warming at the island scale is estimated at 0.88 °C per degree warming in GMST. While many stations show the emergence of unusual climate for spring, summer and autumn mean temperature, no forced signal of change is found for winter mean temperature. Changes in cool/warm days and nights are unfamiliar relative to early industrial climate. However, no anthropogenic signal is found for the hottest day annually or in summer – an extreme often associated with climate change in public consciousness. Increases in annual precipitation totals have emerged as unusual for western stations with large increases in winter totals per degree warming in GMST (e.g., 25.2% and 19.7% at Malin Head and Markree, respectively), indicating heightened flood risk with continued warming. By contrast, summer precipitation shows no significant relationship with GMST. Increases in rainfall intensity have emerged as unusual for 30% of stations, with increases consistent with the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship. Our analysis shows that an emerging climate change signal is discernible for Ireland, a location strongly influenced by climate variability.

IntroductionQuercetin (Que) is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavonoid with cardioprotective potential. However, very little is known about the signaling pathways and gene regulatory proteins Que may interfere with, especially in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Therefore, we aimed to study the potential cardioprotective effects of Que on the cardiac phenotype of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accompanied by obesity.MethodsFor this experiment, we used Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats (fa/fa) and their age-matched lean controls (fa/+) that were treated with either vehicle or 20 mg/kg/day of Que for 6 weeks. Animals underwent echocardiographic (echo) examination before the first administration of Que and after 6 weeks. ResultsAfter the initial echo examination, the diabetic rats showed increased E/A ratio, a marker of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, in comparison to the control group which was selectively reversed by Que. Following the echo analysis, Que reduced LV wall thickness and exhibited an opposite effect on LV luminal area. In support of these results, the total collagen content measured by hydroxyproline assay was decreased in the LVs of diabetic rats treated with Que. The follow-up immunoblot analysis of proteins conveying cardiac remodeling pathways revealed that Que was able to interfere with cardiac pro-hypertrophic signaling. In fact, Que reduced relative protein expression of pro-hypertrophic transcriptional factor MEF2 and its counter-regulator HDAC4 along with pSer246-HDAC4. Furthermore, Que showed potency to decrease GATA4 transcription factor, NFAT3 and calcineurin, as well as upstream extracellular signal-regulated kinase Erk5 which orchestrates several pro-hypertrophic pathways.DiscussionIn summary, we showed for the first time that Que ameliorated pro-hypertrophic signaling on the level of epigenetic regulation and targeted specific upstream pathways which provoked inhibition of pro-hypertrophic signals in ZDF rats. Moreover, Que mitigated T2DM and obesity-induced diastolic dysfunction, therefore, might represent an interesting target for future research on novel cardioprotective agents.

The presence of the Izvorul Crisului local territorial administrative unit (commune), in the western part of the Transylvanian Depression, not far from its border with the Apuseni Mountains, implies the existence of various natural hazardous processes. Their manifestation, in the presence of anthropic components and their activities and goods, determines their hazard attributes. Of the possible natural hazards (geological, geomorphological, atmospheric, hydrological, biological, etc.), only the geomorphological, hydrological, and meteorological ones will be addressed in this paper. The presence of these natural processes may cause material damage and victims, for this it is necessary to know their magnitude. Thus, the present study aims to identify the potential hazards which exist in the Izvorul Crisului administrative unit and to assess the susceptibility to these natural processes. To achieve this objective, specific maps will be made, which finally, beside the supporting role for the analysis of natural processes, will become tools for the management of these conditions, tools to reduce the induced risks.

The first part of the study analyzes the precipitations recorded in June over the 1961-2020 period for 22 climatological weather stations over different regions of Romania in order to determine if precipitations in June 2020 were higher than those recorded before 2020. For this, 5 precipitation indices have been used: number of heavy and very heavy precipitation days, 24-, 48- and 72-hours precipitation amounts. The second part is dedicated to precipitations recorded in June 2020, registered at 157 weather stations from Romania, divided in historical regions; it analyzes the number of heavy and very heavy precipitation days, synoptic and mesoscale conditions from different periods of time using the specific methods of investigation (charts of sea level pressure, geopotential height, temperature and humidity, atmospheric soundings, different stability indices, vertical wind shear, infrared and visible satellite images and radar images of convective storms). The main findings are: precipitations recorded in June 2020 at 22 climatological weather stations did not exceed the absolute maximum precipitation recorded between 1961-2019, and precipitations recorded in 24, 48 and 72 hours were higher only at 2 or 3 weather stations; the number of heavy and very heavy precipitation days recorded in June 2020 were higher in the Carpathians, the North and Center, and the West regions of Romania; synoptic conditions were determined by low values of atmospheric pressure at the surface and/or by the atmospheric depressions, while in the middle troposphere, an atmospheric trough or a cut-off low was present; mesoscale conditions presented low or medium values of Convective Available Potential Energy, negative values of Lifted Index, and weak or medium wind shear in the 0-3 km layer.

Background and Objectives: Osteoporosis is a major risk of fractures, harming patients’ quality of life. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which can detect osteoporosis early, is too expensive to be conducted on a regular basis. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate a screening method using chest radiographs developed in Japan applied to another population. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five patients who had a chest radiograph and DXA and applied within three months of each test were recruited from the patient database of Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary). Graphical analysis of the chest radiographs was conducted to identify the ratio of the cortical bone in the clavicle of each patient. Two researchers performed the analysis, and multiple regression was conducted to determine the bone mineral density of each patient provided by DXA. Results: The Pearson correlation between two examiners’ determinations of the cortical bone ratio was 0.769 (p < 0.001). The multiple regression model proved to be statistically significant in identifying osteoporosis, but the model adopted for the Hungarian population was different compared to the Japanese population. Conclusions: This simple, economic Japanese graphical analysis method for chest radiographs may be feasible in detecting osteoporosis. Further studies with a larger population of patients with greater variety of ethnicity would be of value in improving the accuracy of this model.

Extensive research work has been carried out to define the exact significance and contribution of regulated necrosis-like cell death program, such as necroptosis to cardiac ischemic injury. This cell damaging process plays a critical role in the pathomechanisms of myocardial infarction (MI) and post-infarction heart failure (HF). Accordingly, it has been documented that the modulation of key molecules of the canonical signaling pathway of necroptosis, involving receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIP1 and RIP3) as well as mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL), elicit cardioprotective effects. This is evidenced by the reduction of the MI-induced infarct size, alleviation of myocardial dysfunction, and adverse cardiac remodeling. In addition to this molecular signaling of necroptosis, the non-canonical pathway, involving Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-mediated regulation of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, and phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5)–dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp-1)-induced mitochondrial fission, has recently been linked to ischemic heart injury. Since MI and HF are characterized by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and degradation as well as the occurrence of necroptosis in the heart, it is likely that oxidative stress (OS) may be involved in the mechanisms of this cell death program for inducing cardiac damage. In this review, therefore, several observations from different studies are presented to support this paradigm linking cardiac OS, the canonical and non-canonical pathways of necroptosis, and ischemia-induced injury. It is concluded that a multiple therapeutic approach targeting some specific changes in OS and necroptosis may be beneficial in improving the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) is a convergence point of multiple signalling pathways, including necroptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress; however, it is completely unknown whether it underlies acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts subjected to 30 min ischemia followed by 10 min reperfusion exhibited compromised cardiac function which was not abrogated by pharmacological intervention of RIP3 inhibition. An immunoblotting analysis revealed that the detrimental effects of I/R were unlikely mediated by necroptotic cell death, since neither the canonical RIP3–MLKL pathway (mixed lineage kinase-like pseudokinase) nor the proposed non-canonical molecular axes involving CaMKIIδ–mPTP (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIδ–mitochondrial permeability transition pore), PGAM5–Drp1 (phosphoglycerate mutase 5–dynamin-related protein 1) and JNK–BNIP3 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase–BCL2-interacting protein 3) were activated. Similarly, we found no evidence of the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome signalling (NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3) in such injury. RIP3 inhibition prevented the plasma membrane rupture and delayed mPTP opening which was associated with the modulation of xanthin oxidase (XO) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Taken together, this is the first study indicating that RIP3 regulates early reperfusion injury via oxidative stress- and mitochondrial activity-related effects, rather than cell loss due to necroptosis.

Regional climate projections are widely used in impact studies such as adaptations in agronomy. The big challenge of the climate modeling community is to serve valuable instructions regarding the reliability of these simulations to encourage agronomists to use this kind of information properly. The study validates 15 high-resolution ensembles from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment-European Domain (EURO-CORDEX) for maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation to fulfill this task. Three evaluation metrics are calculated (mean absolute error, root mean square error, and correlation) for the means and the 5th and 95th percentiles. The analyses are elaborated for annual and monthly means and the vegetation periods of maize and winter wheat. Only arable lands are considered to exclude the effects of the topography. Furthermore, an ensemble selection is applied based on the evaluation metrics to reduce the data use. The five models with the best performance in the case of winter wheat are CNRM-CM5-CLMcom-CCLM4-8-17_v1, MOHC-HadGEM2-ES-IPSL-WRF381P_v1, MOHC-HadGEM2-ES-KNMI-RACMO22E_v2, MOHC-HadGEM2-ES-CLMcom-CCLM4-8-17_v1, and MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR-KNMI-RACMO22E_v1. In the case of the vegetation period of maize, the models with the best skills are MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR-KNMI-RACMO22E_v1, CNRM-CM5-IPSL-WRF381P_v2, MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR-SMHI-RCA4_v1a, MOHC-HadGEM2-ES-IPSL-WRF381P_v1, and MOHC-HadGEM2-ES-KNMI-RACMO22E_v2. Quantifying the errors in climate simulations against observations and elaborating a selection procedure, we developed a consistent ensemble of high time and space resolution climate projections for agricultural use in Romania.

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated that risk of hip fracture is at least partly heritable. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of the genetic component of bone mineral density (BMD), using both X-ray and ultrasound assessment at multiple sites. Materials and Methods: 216 adult, healthy Hungarian twins (124 monozygotic, MZ, 92 dizygotic, DZ; mean age 54.2 ± 14.3 years), recruited from the Hungarian Twin Registry with no history of oncologic disease underwent cross-sectional BMD studies. We measured BMD, T- and Z-scores with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at multiple sites (lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip and radius). Quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) was also performed, resulting in a calculated value of estimated bone mineral density (eBMD) in the heel bone. Heritability was calculated using the univariate ACE model. Results: Bone density had a strong genetic component at all sites with estimates of heritability ranging from 0.613 to 0.838 in the total sample. Lumbar BMD and calcaneus eBMD had major genetic components with estimates of 0.828 and 0.838 respectively, and least heritable (0.653) at the total hip. BMD of the radius had also a strong genetic component with an estimate of 0.806. No common environmental effect was found. The remaining variance was influenced by unique environment (0.162 to 0.387). In females only, slightly higher additive genetic estimates were found, especially in the case of the femoral neck and total hip. Conclusion: Bone mineral density is strongly heritable, especially in females at all locations using both DEXA and QUS, which may explain the importance of family history as a risk factor for bone fractures. Unshared environmental effects account for the rest of the variance with slight differences in magnitude across various bone regions, supporting the role of lifestyle in preventing osteoporotic fractures with various efficacy in different bone regions.

Highly accurate and precise heave decay tests on a sphere with a diameter of 300 mm were completed in a meticulously designed test setup in the wave basin in the Ocean and Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Aalborg University, Denmark. The tests were dedicated to providing a rigorous benchmark dataset for numerical model validation. The sphere was ballasted to half submergence, thereby floating with the waterline at the equator when at rest in calm water. Heave decay tests were conducted, wherein the sphere was held stationary and dropped from three drop heights: a small drop height, which can be considered a linear case, a moderately nonlinear case, and a highly nonlinear case with a drop height from a position where the whole sphere was initially above the water. The precision of the heave decay time series was calculated from random and systematic standard uncertainties. At a 95% confidence level, uncertainties were found to be very low—on average only about 0.3% of the respective drop heights. Physical parameters of the test setup and associated uncertainties were quantified. A test case was formulated that closely represents the physical tests, enabling the reader to do his/her own numerical tests. The paper includes a comparison of the physical test results to the results from several independent numerical models based on linear potential flow, fully nonlinear potential flow, and the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. A high correlation between physical and numerical test results is shown. The physical test results are very suitable for numerical model validation and are public as a benchmark dataset.

The intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of computerized nuclear morphometry was determined in repeated measurements of 212 samples of invasive breast cancer. The influence of biological variation and the selection of the measurement area was also tested. Morphometrically determined mean nuclear profile area (Pearson’s r 0.89, grading efficiency (GE) 0.95) and standard deviation (SD) of nuclear profile area (Pearson’s r 0.84, GE 0.89) showed high reproducibility. In this respect, nuclear morphometry equals with other established methods of quantitative pathology and exceeds the results of subjective grading of nuclear atypia in invasive breast cancer. A training period of eight days was sufficient to produce clear improvement in consistency of nuclear morphometry results. By estimating the sources of variation it could be shown that the variation associated with the measurement procedure itself is small. Instead, sample associated variation is responsible for the majority of variation in the measurements (82.9% in mean nuclear profile area and 65.9% in SD of nuclear profile area). This study points out that when standardized methods are applied computerized morphometry is a reproducible and reliable method of assessing nuclear atypia in invasive breast cancer. For further improvement special emphasize should be put on sampling rules of selecting the microscope fields and measurement areas.

Abstract Aims As necroptosis involving receptor‐interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) and dynamin‐related protein 1 (Drp1)‐mediated signalling is a crucial mechanism of cell loss in heart failure (HF), we aimed to determine the potential diagnostic use of these molecules. Methods and results The serum samples of the healthy subjects (n = 8) and patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (n = 31), being subdivided according to the aetiology and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, were used to measure RIP3 and Drp1 levels by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Although the serum levels of Drp1 in the patients with HF were comparable with those seen in healthy individuals, we found a trend of increase in the levels of RIP3 (P = 0.0697) in the diseased group. These changes were unlikely dependent on the HF aetiology or NYHA class. The circulating RIP3 correlated with neither the main parameters assessing cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter, and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide) nor the marker of inflammation (C‐reactive protein). Conclusions In this pilot study, findings on serum RIP3 supported the importance of necroptosis in HF pathomechanisms. The potential diagnostic use of circulating RIP3, unlike Drp1, as an additional biomarker of HF has also been indicated; however, further large studies are needed to prove this concept.

This study navigates the intricate landscape of the Mureș River's upper course, specifically through the contrasting terrains of the Giurgeu Depression and the Toplița-Deda Gorge. It examines the unique relief features and substrates that define the vertical dynamics of the riverbed. The investigation focuses on data collected from four pivotal hydrometric stations: Suseni, Toplița, Stânceni, and Gălăoaia. Here, we determine the thickness of the rock layer (hp) by calculating the difference between the water level and the maximum depth, in relation to the gauge's zero plane. Our analysis highlights the riverbed's monthly regradation patterns within these locales. We uncover notable variations in the scope of vertical dynamics, delineate characteristic periods, and decipher both linear and polynomial trends.

The location of the Cuzdrioara Territorial Administrative Unit in the northern part of the Transylvanian Basin, at the meeting position of the Someşan Plateau and the Someşului Mare Corridor, indicates the existence of a fluvial relief. It is characterized by the presence of an alternation of valley passes and interfluvial passes, between which the connection is made through slopes. Their presence, to which are added the particularities of the geological substratum and land use, indicates the existence of some surfaces susceptible to landslides. To identify them, GIS techniques were used, which implied processing the existing information to obtain the map of landslide probability. It will be one of the necessary tools for the management of the hazardous phenomena created by landslides. At the same time, the information obtained can be used by decision-makers in the current and future urban planning actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of an ongoing gene conservation programme in the Tolna Hills Region, Hungary, a total of 41 site plots were selected on agricultural land that had recently been used as grassland, meadow or vineyard. Aims of our study were (i) to test the taxonomic status of relic oak trees growing out of forested lands; (ii) to verify the origin of relic trees whether they regenerated by sprouts and suckers or by seeds in order to estimate their age and origin (nativeness); (iii) to test their microhabitats to see if forest-specific plant and fungal species were presented; (iv) and to test species to see if their presence linked to any forest vegetation in the past. Furthermore, the land-use type did not show a significant effect on the abundance of woody, dicot herbaceous, or monocot herbaceous plants recorded on sites based on maps from 1941 or earlier. The follow-up univariate ANOVA revealed a significant direct effect of recent land-use type (of 2022) on monocot herbaceous plants (F(3,33) = 5.21, p < 0.01). Additionally, a significant but weaker effect was observed on woody plants (F(3,33) = 3.22, p < 0.05). The overall past effect of land-use type showed a significantly high positive correlation between the abundance of woody plants and the number of times the maps showed forest or forest boundary land-use types (R = 0.46, p < 0.01). The plots have likely preserved and sustained the microhabitats of the native forest vegetation that was once distributed in the region. The site plots of relic oak trees, considered as flagstone habitats, create opportunities for gene flow, not only for the species with dispersal or discontinuous distribution, but also for the Vergilius oak populations. Therefore, relic trees and their microhabitats might have an important role in the mating system of various species and might also be valuable resources for genetic conservation programmes.

Slow waves (SWs) represent the most prominent electrophysiological events in the thalamocortical system under anesthesia and during deep sleep. Recent studies have revealed that SWs have complex spatiotemporal dynamics and propagate across neocortical regions. However, it is still unclear whether neuronal activity in the thalamus exhibits similar propagation properties during SWs. Here, we report propagating population activity in the thalamus of ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized rats and mice visualized by high-density silicon probe recordings. In both rodent species, propagation of spontaneous thalamic activity during up-states was most frequently observed in dorsal thalamic nuclei such as the higher order posterior (Po), lateral posterior (LP) or laterodorsal (LD) nuclei. The preferred direction of thalamic activity spreading was along the dorsoventral axis, with over half of the up-states exhibiting a gradual propagation in the ventral-to-dorsal direction. Furthermore, simultaneous neocortical and thalamic recordings collected under anesthesia demonstrated that there is a weak but noticeable interrelation between propagation patterns observed during cortical up-states and those displayed by thalamic population activity. In addition, using chronically implanted silicon probes, we detected propagating activity patterns in the thalamus of naturally sleeping rats during slow-wave sleep. However, in comparison to propagating up-states observed under anesthesia, these propagating patterns were characterized by a reduced rate of occurrence and a faster propagation speed. Our findings suggest that the propagation of spontaneous population activity is an intrinsic property of the thalamocortical network during synchronized brain states such as deep sleep or anesthesia. Additionally, our data implies that the neocortex may have partial control over the formation of propagation patterns within the dorsal thalamus under anesthesia.

Using GIS for Landslides Graphical Representation. Case Study in Cornăţel (Hârtibaciului Plateau). This paper it's part of the present concern regarding the graphical representation of landslides. A very particular category of landslides is the glimee type. Of the territories in which they are frequently encountered, the Transylvanian Depression must be noted. Despite that these landslides are considered stable, since they occurred thousands of years ago, they were affected in time by various geomorphological processes. These include the recent (shallow) landslides, runoff on the slope, etc. For a correct graphical representation of both the old landslide and the current processes, which by their manifestation contribute to the genesis of new relief microforms, a GIS methodology was used. By using it, one can obtain both a graphical representation of various generations of landforms and can also make calculations allowing them to find out exactly their surface. This aspect has obvious practical connotations. As case study we used the landslide of Cornăţel, located in the south-western part of Hârtibaciului Plateau, an old glimee type landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temporal resolution concentration measurements in rapid gas flows pose a serious challenge for most analytical instruments. The interaction of such flows with solid surfaces can generate excessive aero-acoustic noise making the application of the photoacoustic detection method seemingly impossible. Yet, the fully open photoacoustic cell (OC) has proven to be operable even when the measured gas flows through it at a velocity of several m/s. The OC is a slightly modified version of a previously introduced OC based on the excitation of a combined acoustic mode of a cylindrical resonator. The noise characteristics and analytical performance of the OC are tested in an anechoic room and under field conditions. Here we present the first successful application of a sampling-free OC for water vapor flux measurements.