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The bone marrow provides a protected environment for generating a vast array of cell types. Bones are thus a dynamic source of structural components and soluble factors used either locally or at a distance from their site of production. We discuss the role of ectoenzymes in the bone niche where human myeloma grows. Selected ectoenzymes have been tested for their ability to promote production of substrates involved in signaling, synthesis of growth factors and hormones, and modulation of the immune response. Because of the difficulty of simultaneously tracking all these activities, we narrow our focus to events potentially influencing synthesis of adenosine (ADO), an important regulator of multiple biological functions, including local immunological tolerance. Our working hypothesis, to be discussed and partially tested herein, is that CD38, and likely BST1/CD157--both NAD(+) -consuming enzymes, are active in the myeloma niche and lead a discontinuous chain of ectoenzymes whose final products are exploited by the neoplastic plasma cell as part of its local survival strategy. Coadjuvant ectoenzymes include PC-1/CD203a, CD39, and CD73, which control the production of ADO. Results discussed here and from ongoing experiments indicate that the myeloma niche hosts the canonical, as well as alternative, pathways of ADO generation. Other possibilities are presented and discussed.

Introduction: Pain complicates hypertrophic post-burn pathologic scars (PPS) Methods: To investigate the possible neuropathic origin of pain, 13 patients with painful PPS involving at least 1 hand underwent clinical examination, including the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4) questionnaire; median, ulnar, and radial nerve conduction studies (NCS); cold- (CDT) and heat-induced pain threshold evaluation by quantitative sensory testing; and cutaneous silent period (CSP) testing of the abductor pollicis brevis. Controls included 9 patients with non-painful PPS, 52 healthy subjects, and 28 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Results: All patients with painful PPS had possible neuropathic pain (DN4 score ≥4). NCS signs of CTS were similarly present in PPS subjects with or without pain. Hands with painful PPS had lower CDT and CSP duration, more frequent cold- and heat-pain hypesthesia, and more thermal allodynia than controls. Conclusions: In PPS, possible neuropathic pain is associated with psychophysical and neurophysiological abnormalities suggestive of small-fiber damage. Muscle Nerve 45: 883–890, 2012

International audience; Real-time surface and upper-air observations are crucial to the analysis and forecasting of the West African monsoon (WAM). This paper will focus on the African Monsoon--Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA)-driven reactivation and modernisation of the radiosonde network over West Africa, its potential long-term impact on upper-air operations in the region, the influence of the additional data in WAM analyses and forecasting, and the AMMA-related development and usage of the West African Analysis/Forecasting (WASA/F) forecast method.

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an incurable malignancy. GBM patients have a short life expectancy despite aggressive therapeutic approaches based on surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and concomitant chemotherapy. Glioblastoma growth is characterized by a high motility of tumour cells, their resistance to both chemo/radio-therapy, apoptosis inhibition leading to failure of conventional therapy. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), identified in GBM as well as in many other cancer types, express the membrane antigen prominin-1 (namely CD133). These cells and normal Neural Stem Cells (NSC) share surface markers and properties, i.e. are able to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types. Stem cell self-renewal depends on microenvironmental cues, including Extracellular Matrix (ECM) composition and cell types. Therefore, the role of microenvironment needs to be evaluated to clarify its importance in tumour initiation and progression through CSCs. The specific microenvironment of CSCs was found to mimic in part the vascular niche of normal stem cells. The targeting of GMB CSCs may represent a powerful treatment approach. Lastly, in GBM patients cancer-initiating cells contribute to the profound immune suppression that in turn correlated with CSCs STAT3 (CD133 + ). Further studies of microenvironment are needed to better understand the origin of GMB/GBM CSCs and its immunosuppressive properties.

Serum aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide (sPIIIP) has been proposed as an index of hepatic fibroplasia. sPIIIP was retrospectively evaluated in 34 treated and five untreated patients affected by chronic active hepatitis with or without cirrhosis by an RIA test. Serum samples taken before and after 6 months of treatment were tested in all cases. In 15 of the treated and all untreated patients, 6-20 (median 13) sera, corresponding to a median follow-up of 43 months were studied. Before treatment, the sPIIIP median value was 18.6 ng/ml; after 6 months of treatment, it decreased to 13.6 ng/ml (p less than 0.005). Follow-up sPIIIP levels were significantly lower in treated than in untreated patients (p less than 0.05), at each interval considered, except for the last control (39 months). In seven patients, treatment was discontinued: sPIIIP rose rapidly in six; four of them were retreated and this was followed by a new decrease. In four patients, sPIIIP was tested weekly from the onset of the treatment: it reverted to normal values within the first week in all cases, while GOT decreased later. sPIIIP is significantly and rapidly reduced by steroids. Steroid withdrawal is generally followed by a rebound, with a new decrease when treatment is restarted. Since sPIIIP is more rapidly lowered than GOT levels, the above data support the hypothesis that steroids can directly affect collagen metabolism.

The impact of the data assimilation of high-density (space and time) data on the precipitation forecast is evaluated by improving the initial conditions of a mesoscale model. The high-frequency data allow for improving the three-hourly initial and boundary conditions as well. The data assimilation is performed using initial objective analysis (Cressman and multiquadric schemes) and 3D-Var. The MM5 (version 3) mesoscale model from Penn State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research is used to evaluate the impact of the improved initial and boundary conditions on the model simulations. The comparison of model results with observations shows: (i) the forecast of the precipitation at high resolution produces better results than those without data assimilation only if three-hourly data are assimilated by multiquadric; (ii) the mean error of the model rainfall largely decreases only if 3D-Var is used, but no comparable improvement in the spatial distribution of the precipitation is found; (iii) the improvement for the rainfall is not as good as it is for the initial conditions for all experiments. Moreover, the observations ingested by objective analysis modify both the amount and the timing of the precipitation on the Po valley. On the other hand, 3D-Var modifies only the amount of the precipitation, but both techniques barely recover large-model failure. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society