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Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a devastating disease, ranking as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as promising treatments; however, their efficacy is largely restricted to a subgroup of microsatellite instable (MSI) CRCs. In contrast, microsatellite stable (MSS) CRCs, which account for the majority of cases, exhibit variable and generally weaker response to ICIs, with only a subset demonstrating exceptional responsiveness. Identifying novel cancer-specific tissue (CST) markers predictive of immunotherapy response is crucial for refining patient selection and overcoming treatment resistance. In this study, we developed clinically relevant CRC organoids and autologous immune system interaction platforms to model ICI response. We conducted a comprehensive molecular characterization of both responder and non-responder models, identifying CST markers that predict ICI response. Validation of these findings was performed using an independent cohort of patient specimens through multiplex immunofluorescence. Furthermore, we demonstrated that knocking out a key gene from the identified predictive signature in resistant organoids restored immune sensitivity and induced T-cell-mediated apoptosis. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance and suggest new markers for enhancing patient selection. These findings may pave the way for new therapeutic options in MSS patients, potentially broadening the cohort of individuals eligible for immunotherapy.

Summary: Background & aims: Olfactory disorders impact mental health, with adverse effects on quality of life, particularly in the area of eating. Despite their high prevalence in the population, olfactory disorders are poorly managed, with patients still lacking easy access to rapid diagnosis and treatment. In this context, the present study offers a new screening tool and compares the efficiency of different olfactory training protocols. Methods: A screening test was set up and different olfactory training paradigms were compared for their effect on the recovery of the sense of smell on the one hand, and quality of life on the other. The study population was composed of post-COVID-19 dysosmic patients (with a loss of more than 6 weeks). Three training protocols were used, differing in terms of number of odors and in format (either lab-supplied odorant kits, or the use of odorants found at home). All three protocols were implemented over a 12-week period. Results: The screening test distinguished dysosmics from normosmics with an accuracy of 73%. During training, 69% of patients completed the evaluation protocol and 77% of them performed more than half of the training sessions, resulting in a 53% completion rate. Olfactory performances improved significantly after training, irrespective of the training paradigm and 59% of patients displayed a clinically significant improvement of their sense of smell. These improvements were positively associated with assiduity along training. Finally, olfactory disorders negatively affected quality of life. After olfactory training, this overall negative impact on quality of life was reduced, especially with regard to the pleasure of eating. Conclusion: This study introduces a new screening tool for olfactory deficits. It also provides important insights into the optimization of olfactory training protocols and their effects on quality of life, and on eating behavior in particular.

Abstract Here we provide data from an online survey of 639 people diagnosed with COVID-19 and resident in France, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between 30th Jan 2020 and 29th August 2022. In addition to demographic information the survey includes questions about participants’ symptoms (by category), symptom onset and persistence, and the effects these symptoms had on their daily lives. Participants were able to include information related to their perceived medical, social and professional needs. These data are needed in order to create effective care policies addressing post-COVID sequelae. Information related to symptom association & dynamics is expected to be useful to clinicians and may also inform more fundamental studies.

Summary: An International Altered Taste Consortium (I-eAT) is proposed that seeks to utilise gastronomic and biopsychosocial insights to understand and help people who experience taste alterations. Altered eating experiences and a changed experience of taste is a common and disabling trans-diagnostic, multi-causal entity which has for too long been poorly understood and supported in health research and practice. The phrase Altered Taste is employed (using “taste” in its most commonly understood sense to refer to the overall multi-sensory flavour experience) to emphasise the lived sensory experience of those living with an altered relationship with food. Interdisciplinary collaboration between the domains of medicine, health care, physiology, psychology and gastronomy is considered key to understanding, working with and improving altered taste. This manifesto emerged from ongoing research and practice, and was formulated at a workshop of interdisciplinary experts and patient representatives at the Second International Altered Taste Symposium (2022). Between them they collectively agreed on 1. A shared terminology to maximise stakeholder involvement and 2. An overall research aim to better understand, manage and treat Altered Taste. This aim is implemented in 4 key research objectives.

Summary: Food liking is an essential component of the food intake experience. However, some conditions may alter the perception, thus the liking of food, leading to a reduced intake and increasing the risk of malnutrition. Particularly, in the context of cancer and related therapies, malnutrition is a major challenge with 25%–80% of cancer patients experiencing malnutrition at different degrees. The aim of the present exploratory study was to examine the effect of flavor enhancement on food liking in a group of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and with varying self-reported taste/smell abilities.The liking of four eggplant creams enhanced with either salt, lemon, garlic or cumin was evaluated in comparison to a reference eggplant cream by a group of 154 cancer patients. Patients were stratified in two subgroups according to their self-reported taste and smell perception abilities. Results showed that adding salt and garlic significantly increased patients' liking of the eggplant cream (P0.05), while adding lemon reduced liking compared to the reference (P

A novel organometallic complex adsorbent was synthesized owing to a co-precipitation reaction of iron extracted from pyrrhotite ash residues of the mining activities, catechin extract from green tea, and propylene glycol. Hereafter, the adsorbent (catechin-PG-Fe) was characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, SEM, PZC, and N2 adsorption–desorption. Catechin-PG-Fe shows spherical-like iron oxide nanoparticles of 80 nm dispersed on an amorphous surface, while the specific area was revealed to be significant (230.82 m2/g). Catechin-PG-Fe was then tested for adsorption of Reactive Yellow 145 Azo Dye. The uptake capacity was optimized by the central complex design and response surface methodology, where four adsorption parameters have been considered, including pH (1–5), adsorbent dose (0.6–1.4 g/L), dye concentration (20–260 mg/L) and time (50–250 min). Hence, the adsorbent shows an important capacity for Reactive Yellow 145 of 345.41 mg g−1 at optimum conditions of pH = 1, adsorbent dose = 0.6 g/L, dye concentration = 260 mg/L, and a contact time of 200 min. The experimental data are best fitted to the second-order model, while the equilibrium data fit well to the Freundlich model, which reflects multilayer adsorption on the heterogeneous surface. A comparison within intraparticle and Boyd’s diffusion models confirmed that film diffusion is the rate-limiting step.

Abstract Background Violence against women is a global problem affecting different social and economic classes. The present study aimed to identify the impact of domestic violence on the health status of women abused by their intimate partner. Methods This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of a sample of women who were examined at the forensic exploration unit of Annaba Hospital over a period of 3 months (first quarter of 2018). In all, 200 women were recruited among those who had been abused by the intimate partner. Results One in ten women who consulted was a victim of domestic violence (9.36%). The average age was 33.91+/−9.02 years, with extremes from 19 to 65 years. There were multiple consequences, including physical injuries (bruises, fractures), many sequelae (neurosensory and functional deficits), and acute stress and anxiety disorders requiring appropriate care and social consequences (lack of resources, divorce). Forty percent of the interviewed victims had a general comorbidity, three quarters of whom had a worsening of their previous pathology. All forms of violence were present with varying frequencies, especially psychological violence with an extremely high frequency and sexual violence of remarkable severity. Many negative effects were identified; an association of suicide attempts and sexual violence (P = 0.0020) was rated. Conclusions The impact of this form of abuse is considerable and concerns mental, physical, and social health. We have to anticipate and raise the awareness of care providers of its consequences.

We perform a search for continuous nearly monochromatic gravitational waves from the central compact objects associated with the supernova remnants Vela Jr. and G347.3. Over 10 ^18 different waveforms are considered, covering signal frequencies between 20 and 1300 Hz (20 and 400 Hz) for G347.3-0.5 (Vela Jr.) and a very broad range of frequency derivatives. The data set used for this first search is from the second observing run of LIGO (O2). Thousands of volunteers donating compute cycles through the computing project Einstein@Home have made this endeavor possible. Following the Einstein@Home search, we perform multistage follow-ups of over 5 million waveforms. The threshold for selecting candidates from the Einstein@Home search is such that, after the multistage follow-up, we do not expect any surviving candidate due to noise. The very last stage uses a different data set, namely, the LIGO O3 data. We find no significant signal candidate for either targets. Based on this null result, for G347.3-0.5, we set the most constraining upper limits to date on the amplitude of gravitational-wave signals, corresponding to deformations below 10 ^−6 in a large part of the search band. At the frequency of best strain sensitivity, near 161 Hz, we set 90% confidence upper limits on the gravitational-wave intrinsic amplitude of ${h}_{0}^{90 \% }\approx 6.2\times {10}^{-26}$ . Over most of the frequency range, our upper limits are a factor of 10 smaller than the indirect age-based upper limit. For Vela Jr., near 163 Hz, we set ${h}_{0}^{90 \% }\approx 6.4\times {10}^{-26}$ . Over most of the frequency range, our upper limits are a factor of 15 smaller than the indirect age-based upper limit. The Vela Jr. upper limits presented here are slightly less constraining than the most recent upper limits of R. Abbott et al., but they apply to a broader set of signals.

Current glacier melt rates in West Antarctica substantially exceed those around the East Antarctic margin. The exception is Wilkes Land, where for example Totten Glacier underwent significant retreat between 2000 and 2012, underlining its sensitivity to climate change. This process is strongly influenced by ocean dynamics, which in turn changes in accordance with the evolution of the ice caps. Here, we present new oceanographic data (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen) collected during austral summer 2017 offshore the Sabrina Coast (East Antarctica) from the continental shelf break to ca 3000 m depth. This area is characterized by very few oceanographic in situ observations. The main water masses of the study area, identified by analysing thermohaline properties, are the Antarctic Surface Water with potential temperature θ>-1.5 ∘C and salinity S (σθ kg m−3), the Winter Water with -1.92<θ<-1.75 ∘C and 34.00 ∘C and S>34.5 (σθ>27.7 kg m−3), and Antarctic Bottom Water with -0.50<θ<0 ∘C and 34.6328.30 kg m−3). The latter is a mixture of dense waters from the Ross Sea and Adélie Land continental shelves. Such waters are influenced by the mixing processes they undergo as they move westward along the Antarctic margin, also interacting with the warmer Circumpolar Deep Water. The spatial distribution of water masses offshore the Sabrina Coast also appears to be strongly linked with the complex morpho-bathymetry of the slope and rise area, supporting the hypothesis that downslope processes contribute to shaping the architecture of the distal portion of the continental margin. Oceanographic data presented here can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.25919/yyex-t381 (CSIRO; Van Graas, 2021).

Abstract Background Being expressed in all stages of B-cell development and having a significant value on the European Group for the Immunological Characterization of Acute Leukemias scoring system, CD79a is considered as an excellent pan-marker for lineage assignment of B cells by flow cytometry. Therefore, any lack or decrease in CD79a expression makes the diagnosis of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases very challenging, especially in developing country laboratories where flow cytometry analyses are not always available and, when they are, they are limited in the number of markers used for lineage assignment. Since this case is potentially interesting, we report a B acute lymphoblastic leukemia case with a lack of expression CD79a associated with intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 genetic abnormality. We further discuss the practical challenges in the diagnosis of this case. Case presentation We present the case of an 8-year-old Caucasian boy from eastern Morocco who was initially hospitalized for a hemorrhagic syndrome. Peripheral blood smear examination showed a significant number of blasts suggesting acute leukemia. Bone marrow was studied for morphology, cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, and cytogenetics. Flow cytometry analyses showed expression of CD19, CD22, CD10, CD34, and HLA-DR markers by leukemic blasts. The expression of CD79a, which was checked with two different monoclonal antibodies, confirms that this marker was severely decreased in this case. Cytogenetic study performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed the presence of intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21, a cytogenetic abnormality that is specific for B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Conclusion CD79a is one of the critical markers in the assignment of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In our case, we were lucky enough to be assisted by a few other markers of the B lineage that were positive in this case. Also, we mention the importance of proceeding to cytogenetic study, which in our case helped us to confirm the diagnosis made by flow cytometry by highlighting a cytogenetic abnormality that is specific to B acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The North Ionian Gyre (NIG) displays prominent inversions on decadal scales. We investigate the role of internal forcing induced by changes in the horizontal pressure gradient due to the varying density of Adriatic Deep Water (AdDW), which spreads into the deep layers of the northern Ionian Sea. In turn, the AdDW density fluctuates according to the circulation of the NIG through a feedback mechanism known as the bimodal oscillating system. We set up laboratory experiments with a two-layer ambient fluid in a circular rotating tank, where densities of 1000 and 1015 kg m−3 characterize the upper and lower layers, respectively. From the potential vorticity evolution during the dense-water outflow from a marginal sea, we analyze the response of the open-sea circulation to the along-slope dense-water flow. In addition, we show some features of the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies that form in the upper layer over the slope area. We illustrate the outcome of the experiments of varying density and varying discharge rates associated with dense-water injection. When the density is high (1020 kg m−3) and the discharge is large, the kinetic energy of the mean flow is stronger than the eddy kinetic energy. Conversely, when the density is lower (1010 kg m−3) and the discharge is reduced, vortices are more energetic than the mean flow – that is, the eddy kinetic energy is larger than the kinetic energy of the mean flow. In general, over the slope, following the onset of dense-water injection, the cyclonic vorticity associated with current shear develops in the upper layer. The vorticity behaves in a two-layer fashion, thereby becoming anticyclonic in the lower layer of the slope area. Concurrently, over the deep flat-bottom portion of the basin, a large-scale anticyclonic gyre forms in the upper layer extending partly toward a sloping rim. The density record shows the rise of the pycnocline due to the dense-water sinking toward the flat-bottom portion of the tank. We show that the rate of increase in the anticyclonic potential vorticity is proportional to the rate of the rise of the interface, namely to the rate of decrease in the upper-layer thickness (i.e., the upper-layer squeezing). The comparison of laboratory experiments with the Ionian Sea is made for a situation when the sudden switch from cyclonic to anticyclonic basin-wide circulation took place following extremely dense Adriatic water overflow after the harsh winter in 2012. We show how similar the temporal evolution and the vertical structure are in both laboratory and oceanic conditions. The demonstrated similarity further supports the assertion that the wind-stress curl over the Ionian Sea is not of paramount importance in generating basin-wide circulation inversions compared with the internal forcing.

An epidermoid cyst is a slowly growing, typically benign tumour, which requires surgical treatment. It usually develops in the cerebellopontine angle or the parasellar region, and occasionally appears in the ventricular system. It is unusual for an epidermoid cyst to place itself in the fourth ventricle. There have only been few published reports on this subject in recent years, and therefore, we would like to present a comprehensive description of a fourth ventricle epidermoid cyst diagnosed in two patients in a short period of time. Optimal recovery of the patient, with a minimal risk of tumour recurrence, is best accomplished by total microscopic removal of the tumour and its capsule.

We present the results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in the public LIGO O3 data. The search covers signal frequencies 20.0 Hz ≤ f ≤ 800.0 Hz and a spin-down range down to −2.6 × 10 ^−9 Hz s ^−1 , motivated by detectability studies on synthetic populations of Galactic neutron stars. This search is the most sensitive all-sky search to date in this frequency/spin-down region. The initial search was performed using the first half of the public LIGO O3 data (O3a), utilizing graphical processing units provided in equal parts by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home computing project and by the ATLAS cluster. After a hierarchical follow-up in seven stages, 12 candidates remain. Six are discarded at the eighth stage, by using the remaining O3 LIGO data (O3b). The surviving six can be ascribed to continuous-wave fake signals present in the LIGO data for validation purposes. We recover these fake signals with very high accuracy with our last stage search, which coherently combines all O3 data. Based on our results, we set upper limits on the gravitational-wave amplitude h _0 and translate these into upper limits on the neutron star ellipticity and on the r -mode amplitude. The most stringent upper limits are at 203 Hz, with h _0 = 8.1 × 10 ^−26 at the 90% confidence level. Our results exclude isolated neutron stars rotating faster than 5 ms with ellipticities greater than $5\times {10}^{-8}\left[\tfrac{d}{100\,\mathrm{pc}}\right]$ within a distance d from Earth and r -mode amplitudes $\alpha \geqslant {10}^{-5}\left[\tfrac{d}{100\,\mathrm{pc}}\right]$ for neutron stars spinning faster than 150 Hz.

The aim of this research is to analyse the reliability of the existing methods, and find new ones, for assessing brick resistance to freeze-thaw cycles. A series of bricks were tested against a range of properties; compressive strength ratios pre- to post-freezing and Maage’s factor, were calculated. Using a database created in this way, an analysis of existing classifiers was carried out and new ones were established based on which bricks could be classified into resistant and non-resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. The median pore radius, the ratio of compressive strengths pre- to post-freezing and the water desorption coefficient at 180-360 minutes proved to be good classifiers with a clearly specified cut-off for the distinction between resistant and non-resistant bricks with an acceptable risk of a wrong decision. The ratio of compressive strengths pre to post freezing and the water desorption coefficient at 180-360 minutes were described using the pore system in the brick.

Unicellular algae play important roles in the biogeochemical cycles of numerous elements, particularly through the biomineralization capacity of certain species (e.g., coccolithophores greatly contributing to the organic carbon pump of the oceans), and unidentified actors of these cycles are still being discovered. This is the case of the unicellular alga Tetraselmis cordiformis (Chlorophyta) that was recently discovered to form intracellular mineral inclusions, called micropearls, which had been previously overlooked. These intracellular inclusions of hydrated amorphous calcium carbonates (ACCs) were first described in Lake Geneva (Switzerland) and are the result of a novel biomineralization process. The genus Tetraselmis includes more than 30 species that have been widely studied since the description of the type species in 1878.The present study shows that many other Tetraselmis species share this biomineralization capacity: 10 species out of the 12 tested contained micropearls, including T. chui, T. convolutae, T. levis, T. subcordiformis, T. suecica and T. tetrathele. Our results indicate that micropearls are not randomly distributed inside the Tetraselmis cells but are located preferentially under the plasma membrane and seem to form a definite pattern, which differs among species. In Tetraselmis cells, the biomineralization process seems to systematically start with a rod-shaped nucleus and results in an enrichment of the micropearls in Sr over Ca (the Sr∕Ca ratio is more than 200 times higher in the micropearls than in the surrounding water or growth medium). This concentrating capacity varies among species and may be of interest for possible bioremediation techniques regarding radioactive 90Sr water pollution.The Tetraselmis species forming micropearls live in various habitats, indicating that this novel biomineralization process takes place in different environments (marine, brackish and freshwater) and is therefore a widespread phenomenon.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with chronic, low grade inflammation. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and secretion of its target interleukin-1β (IL-1β) have been implicated in pancreatic β cell failure in T2D. Specific targeting of the NLRP3 inflammasome to prevent pancreatic β cell death could allow for selective T2D treatment without compromising all IL-1β-associated immune responses. We hypothesized that treating a mouse model of T2D with MCC950, a compound that specifically inhibits NLRP3, would prevent pancreatic β cell death, thereby preventing the onset of T2D. Methods: Diabetic db/db mice were treated with MCC950 via drinking water for 8 weeks from 6 to 14 weeks of age, a period over which they developed pancreatic β cell failure. We assessed metabolic parameters such as body composition, glucose tolerance, or insulin secretion over the course of the intervention. Results: MCC950 was a potent inhibitor of NLRP3-induced IL-1β in vitro and was detected at high levels in the plasma of treated db/db mice. Treatment of pre-diabetic db/db mice with MCC950, however, did not prevent pancreatic dysfunction and full onset of the T2D pathology. When examining the NLRP3 pathway in the pancreas of db/db mice, we could not detect an activation of this pathway nor increased levels of its target IL-1β. Conclusions: NLRP3 driven-pancreatic IL-1β inflammation does not play a key role in the pathogenesis of the db/db murine model of T2D. Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Inflammasome, Interleukin-1β, MCC950, db/db mice

Abstract  This review summarizes the strategy of cellular immortalization based on the principle of targeted oncogenesis in transgenic mice, used to establish models of transimmortalized renal proximal tubule cells, referred to as PKSV-PCT and PKSV-PR-cells, and collecting duct principal cells, referred to as mpkCCDcl4cells. These cell lines have maintained for long-term passages the main biochemical and functional properties of the parental cells from which they were derived. Proximal tubule PKSV-PCT and PKSV-PR cells have been proved to be suitable cell systems for toxicological and pharmacological studies. They also permitted the establishment of a model of multidrug-resistant (MDR) renal epithelial tubule cells, PKSV-PRcol50, which have served for the study of both MDR-dependent extrusion of chemotherapeutic drugs and inappropriate accumulation of weak base anthracyclines in intracellular acidic organelles. The novel collecting duct cell line mpkCCDcl4, which has maintained the characteristics of tight epithelial cells, in particular Na+absorption stimulated by aldosterone, has been extensively used for pharmacological studies related to the regulation of ion transport. These cells have permitted the identification of several aldosterone-induced proteins playing a key role in the regulation of Na+absorption mediated by the epithelial Na+channel ENaC. Recent studies have also provided evidence that these cell lines represent valuable cell systems for the study of host–pathogen interactions and the analysis of the role of renal tubule epithelial cells in the induction of inflammatory response caused by uropathogens that may lead to severe renal damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A forced convection air-cooling of two identical heat sources mounted in a horizontal channel is numerically studied. Four effects of Reynolds number, separation distance, height and width of the components on the flow structure and heat transfer inside the channel have been examined. The entropy generation minimization method (EGM) is employed to optimize the heat transfer and fluid flow in the channel. The flow field is governed by the Navier–Stokes equation and the thermal field by the energy equation. The finite volume method and the SIMPLER algorithm are used to solve the continuity, momentum, energy and entropy generation equations. Results show that the mean Nusselt number increases with increase of the following parameters: Reynolds number, separation distance, height and width of the components. However, these parameters increase the total entropy generation, and thus provokes the degradation of the fan energy. The optimal values of separation distance, height and width heat source are: [(Sopt= 1 with W=0.25, C=0.25, Re=50, η=1.134), (Copt=0.3 with W=0.25, S=0.25, Re=100, η=0.895) and (Wopt= 0.1 S=0.25, C=0.25, Re=200, η=1.004)], respectively, where η is the optimization factor (=Num/S_T^*) and is defined as the ratio of Nusselt number to the total entropy generation. Finally, the optimal and the best configuration for maximum heat transfer and minimum entropy generation is observed at Re=50, S=1, C=0.25 and W=0.25.

Titanium dioxide was synthesized by the sol–gel method and platinum supported on titanium dioxide were prepared by a wet impregnation chemical process at different platinum contents. The prepared samples were dried over night at 110 °C and then calcined at 500 °C for 4 h. Structural and morphological characterization has been carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry–thermogravimetric analysis (DSC–TGA), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement (BET) and transmission electron microscopy coupled to the energy dispersive spectroscopy (TEM/EDX). The adsorption performance and photocatalytic activity of the samples were investigated using two chlorophenoxy herbicides: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid (2,4-DP) as models of organic pollutants in water. The obtained results show that Pt/TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2 particles for the degradation of the two selected herbicides. The photocatalytic activity increases by increasing the platinum yield in the catalyst.

A series of mixed oxide catalysts CexZr1−xO2 with different compositions (x = 0.93, 0.80, 0.75, 0.60, 0.55, and 0.50) were synthesized by co-precipitation technique using ammonia as the precipitant agent. Textural and structural properties of calcined ceria–zirconia oxides were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The redox properties were investigated by temperature-programmed reduction measurement using H2. The procedure of preparation as well as the composition has a great influence on the structural and textural properties of mixed oxides. Fluorite type oxides were shown to be a very interesting support for the total oxidation, since these materials led to the complete decomposition of ethyl acetate at rather low temperatures. Of the synthesized materials, Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 showed the best catalytic activity.

Temperature, salinity and oxygen data collected during April and June 2011 (M84/3 and P414 cruises respectively) are analysed to derive the oceanographic characteristics of the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) basin. These observed characteristics are compared with those from previous cruises over the period 1987–2011. As a result, the interannual and decadal variability of the EM thermohaline properties are discussed in the context of the evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) and of the general circulation of the basin. We found that the state of the EM is still far from the pre-EMT conditions, though the 2011 results possibly indicate a slow return to this status. In particular, a comparison between thermohaline property evolution deriving from interannual variability of the preconditioning and air–sea interaction (heat fluxes) in the South Adriatic and the Cretan Seas reveals aspects of the alternation of the two dense water sources (Adriatic and Aegean) during the last three decades, which have strong implications for the hydrographic characteristics of the intermediate and deep layers of the Ionian and Levantine basins.

Full factorial experimental design technique was used to study the main effects and the interaction effects between operational parameters in the photocatalytic degradation of oxalic acid in a batch photo-reactor using TiO2 aqueous suspension. The important parameters which affect the removal efficiency of oxalic acid such as agitation, initial concentration, volume of the solution and TiO2 dosage were investigated. The parameters were coded as X1, X2, X3 and X4, consecutively, and were investigated at two levels (−1 and +1). The effects of individual variables and their interaction effects for dependent variables, namely, photocatalytic degradation efficiency (%) were determined. From the statistical analysis, the most effective parameters in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency were initial concentration and volume of solution. The interaction between initial concentration, volume of solution and TiO2 dosage was the most influencing interaction. However, the interaction between agitation, initial concentration and volume of solution was the least influencing parameter.

Aspects of hydrography and large-scale circulation observed in the Mediterranean Sea during the M84/3 and P414 cruises (April and June 2011, respectively) are presented. In contrast to most of the recent expeditions, which were limited to special areas of the basin, these two cruises, especially the M84/3, offered the opportunity of delineating a quasi-synoptic picture of the distribution of the relevant physical parameters along a section extending through the whole Mediterranean, from the Lebanese coast up to the Strait of Gibraltar. The foci of our analysis are the observed water mass properties and velocity fields. The first are investigated through T–S diagrams and an optimum multiparameter (OMP) analysis and the results are discussed also in the context of recently identified modes of variability; the second are studied by comparing the velocity fields observed using a vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and those calculated from the observed density fields. Overall, a distribution of temperature, salinity and geostrophic velocities emerges, which is far from that observed before the beginning of the so-called "Eastern Mediterranean Transient", a major climatic shift in the hydrography and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea which began at the end of the 1980s. The picture which emerges helps to further address the complexity of long-term evolution of hydrography and large-scale circulation of the Mediterranean Sea.

Adriatic and Ionian seas are Mediterranean sub-basins linked through the Bimodal Oscillating System mechanism responsible for decadal reversals of the Ionian basin-wide circulation. Altimetric maps showed that the last cyclonic mode started in 2011 but unexpectedly in 2012 reversed to anticyclonic. We related this "premature" inversion to the extremely strong winter in 2012, which caused the formation of very dense Adriatic waters, flooding Ionian flanks in May and inverting the bottom pressure gradient. Using Lagrangian float measurements, the linear regression between the sea surface height and three isopycnal depths suggests that the southward deep-layer flow coincided with the surface northward geostrophic current and the anticyclonic circulation regime. Density variations at depth in the northwestern Ionian revealed the arrival of Adriatic dense waters in May and maximum density in September. Comparison between the sea level height in the northwestern Ionian and in the basin centre showed that in coincidence with the arrival of the newly formed Adriatic dense waters the sea level was lowered in the northwestern flank, inverting the surface pressure gradient. Toward the end of 2012, the density gradient between the basin flanks and its centre went to zero, coinciding with the weakening of the anticyclonic circulation and eventually with its return to the cyclonic pattern. Thus, the premature and transient reversal of Ionian surface circulation originated from the extremely harsh winter in the Adriatic, resulting in the formation and spreading of highly dense bottom waters. The present study highlights the remarkable sensitiveness of the Adriatic–Ionian BiOS to climatic forcing.

The long-term monitoring of basic hydrological parameters (temperature and salinity), collected as time series with adequate temporal resolution (i.e. with a sampling interval allowing the resolution of all important timescales) in key places of the Mediterranean Sea (straits and channels, zones of dense water formation, deep parts of the basins), constitute a priority in the context of global changes. This led CIESM (The Mediterranean Science Commission) to support, since 2002, the HYDROCHANGES programme (http//www.ciesm.org/marine/programs/hydrochanges.htm), a network of autonomous conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensors, deployed on mainly short and easily manageable subsurface moorings, within the core of a certain water mass. The HYDROCHANGES strategy is twofold and develops on different scales. To get information about long-term changes of hydrological characteristics, long time series are needed. But before these series are long enough they allow the detection of links between them at shorter timescales that may provide extremely valuable information about the functioning of the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this paper is to present the history of the programme and the current set-up of the network (monitored sites, involved groups) as well as to provide for the first time an overview of all the time series collected under the HYDROCHANGES umbrella, discussing the results obtained thanks to the programme.