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We use Aura/MLS stratospheric water vapor measurements to infer interannual variations in the speed of the Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC) from 2004 to 2011. Stratospheric water vapor (H2O) is utilized as a tracer for dynamics and we follow its path along the vertical and meridional branch of the BDC from the tropics to mid-latitudes. We correlate one year time series of H2O in the lower stratosphere at two subsequent altitude levels (68 hPa, ~18.8 km and 56 hPa, ~19.9 km at the Equator) and determine the time lag for best correlation. The same calculation is made on the horizontal on the 100 hPa (~16.6 km) level by correlating the H2O time series at the Equator with the ones at 40° N and 40° S. From these lag coefficients we derive the vertical and horizontal speeds of the BDC in the tropics and extra-tropics respectively. We observe a clear interannual variability of the vertical and horizontal branch. The variability reflects signatures of the Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO). Our measurements confirm the QBO meridional circulation anomalies and show that the speed variations in the two branches of the BDC are out of phase and fairly well anti-correlated. Maximum ascent rates are found during the QBO easterly phase. We also find that the transport towards the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is on the average two times faster than to the Southern Hemisphere (SH) with a mean speed of 1.15m s-1 at 100 hPa. Furthermore, the speed towards the NH shows much more variability with an amplitude of about 21% whilst the speed towards the SH varies by only 10%. An amplitude of 21% is also observed in the variability of the ascent rate at the Equator which is on the average 0.2mms-1 and hence about 5000 times slower than the meridional branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water vapor in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) has a significant radiative cooling effect on the Earth's climate system. As a source for cirrus clouds, however, it can also indirectly produce infrared heating. The amount of water vapor in the TTL is strongly controlled by temperature (correlation r =0.94) with a seasonal cycle of ~ 1-2 ppm vmr in amplitude at 100 hPa and minimum values in Northern Hemisphere winter (December-January-February, DJF). Studying the A-Train CALIPSO cirrus and MLS water vapor measurements, we find that the cirrus seasonal cycle is highly (r =-0.9) anticorrelated with the water vapor variation in the TTL, showing higher cloud occurrence during DJF. We further investigate the anticorrelation on a regional scale and find that the high anticorrelation occurs generally in the ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone). The seasonal cycle of the cirrus ice water content is also highly anticorrelated to water vapor (r = -0.91) and our results support the hypothesis that the total water is roughly constant in the TTL at 100 hPa. Temperature acts as a main regulator for balancing the partition between water vapor and cirrus clouds. Thus, to a large extent, the depleting water vapor in the TTL during DJF is a manifestation of cirrus formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two minor and one major stratospheric warming happened in January and February 2008 when the polar vortex was shifted toward midlatitudes. The analysis of temperature profiles from radiosondes in Payerne (Switzerland) during this period reveals an enhancement of gravity wave amplitudes between 25 and 30 km altitude especially during the two minor warmings around 20 January and 1 February. Increases of gravity wave amplitudes in the mid-stratosphere are associated with a strong tropopause jet and the presence of the polar vortex edge over Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation with no cure and limited treatment options that often have systemic side effects. In this study, we developed a target-specific system to potentially treat IBD by engineering the probiotic bacterium Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN). Our modular system comprises three components: a transcription factor-based sensor (NorR) capable of detecting the inflammation biomarker nitric oxide (NO), a type 1 hemolysin secretion system, and a therapeutic cargo consisting of a library of humanized anti-TNFα nanobodies. Despite a reduction in sensitivity, our system demonstrated a concentration-dependent response to NO, successfully secreting functional nanobodies with binding affinities comparable to the commonly used drug Adalimumab, as confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in vitro assays. This newly validated nanobody library expands EcN therapeutic capabilities. The adopted secretion system, also characterized for the first time in EcN, can be further adapted as a platform for screening and purifying proteins of interest. Additionally, we provided a mathematical framework to assess critical parameters in engineering probiotic systems, including the production and diffusion of relevant molecules, bacterial colonization rates, and particle interactions. This integrated approach expands the synthetic biology toolbox for EcN-based therapies, providing novel parts, circuits, and a model for tunable responses at inflammatory hotspots.

Introduction: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly strict restrictions were imposed on the activities of the Swiss population, with a peak from 21 March to 27 April 2020. Changes in trauma patterns during the pandemic and the lockdown have been described in various studies around the world, and highlight some particularly exposed groups of people. The objective of this study was to assess changes in trauma-related presentations to the emergency department (ED) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to the same period in the previous year, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations., Materials and Methods: All trauma-related admissions to our ED in the first half of 2019 and 2020 were included. Patient demographics, trauma mechanism, affected body region, injury severity and discharge type were extracted from our hospital information system. Trauma subpopulations, such as interpersonal violence, self-inflicted trauma, geriatric trauma and sports-related trauma were analysed., Results: A total of 5839 ED presentations were included in our study, of which 39.9% were female. Median age was 40 years (interquartile range: 27-60). In comparison to 2019, there was a 15.5% decrease in trauma-related ED presentations in the first half of 2020. This decrease was particularly marked in the 2-month March/April period, with a drop of 36.8%. In 2020, there was a reduction in injuries caused by falls of less than 3 metres or by mechanical force. There was a marked decrease in sports-related trauma and an increase in injuries related to pedal cycles. Geriatric trauma, self-harm and assault-related injuries remained stable., Conclusion: This study described changes in trauma patterns and highlighted populations at risk of trauma during the pandemic in Switzerland in the context of previous international studies.These results may contribute to resource management in a future pandemic.

Introduction: In a guinea pig herd with 26 breeding animals, several individuals of all age categories died (16/26) after three animals had been newly introduced from another herd. Furthermore, the population suffered of apathy, anorexia, severe weight loss and conjunctivitis, as well as abortions and stillbirths. At the same time, the owner experienced a SARS-CoV-2 infection with pneumonia, which was confirmed by taking a PCR test. Chlamydia caviae was detected from the conjunctiva and vagina/uterus in one juvenile animal together with an intestinal Cryptosporidium wrairi infection. Oocysts were found histologically in the small intestine, which was confirmed by PCR. C. wairi is a parasite adapted to guinea pigs with zoonotic potential, which causes diarrhoea with frequent deaths in larger guinea pig herds. C. caviae is also a zoonotic pathogen and often the cause of conjunctivitis, pneumonia and abortions in guinea pigs and can lead to upper respiratory tract disease, conjunctivitis but also severe pneumonia in humans. The increased death cases and the clinical signs could be traced back to an infection with Cryptosporidium wrairi, complicated by a co-infection of C. caviae. We suspect that the abortions were caused by C. caviae, but since the population was treated with various antibiotics effective against chlamydial infections, it was no longer possible to verify this by PCR testing. Unfortunately, more animals succumbed and finally only two animals of the originally 26 were left. With this case report, we would like to point out to veterinarians that guinea pigs can be an important source of zoonotic infections for various pathogens, especially since they are popular pets and often come into close contact with children where hygiene might not always be strictly followed.

Within the framework of the Swiss Radium Action Plan 2015-22, which aims to investigate and remediate sites contaminated by the radium used in the Swiss watch industry, a reference level of 1 mSv per y has been defined for the exposure of residents. An additional protection objective has been set for soil contamination, which should not exceed the value of 1000 Bq per kg 226Ra. Based on measurements on the study sites, the doses received by residents were calculated accordingly to the methodology, in both indoor and outdoor areas, taking into account external exposure and ingestion. The site diagnosis approach consists of a screening procedure based on a rapid measurement, followed, if necessary, by additional analysis to estimate doses. Sites where modelling indicates that the reference level or the complementary protection objective for soil contamination have been exceeded are subject to remediation. The application of the methodology based on these radiological criteria to 752 sites diagnosed until December 2020 indicates a rate of sites (buildings and outdoor areas) requiring remediation of ~16%. The annual doses to residents calculated by modelling are between 1 and 20 mSv per y for these sites., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Industrial activities involving radium sources, such as watchmaking, were still common up until the 1960s. They produced contaminations in building materials and the soil in a large variety of geometries. The potential remediation of such places requires instruments that are properly calibrated as well as adequate procedures. We have developed a model that estimates the rate of ambient dose equivalent H˙ ∗ (10) at 10 cm and 1 m from a source of 226 Ra and its progeny in both the soil or the building materials. Our model, described here, uses Monte Carlo (GEANT4) computed yield functions of H˙ ∗ (10) per unit activity induced by point-like sources in different contaminated materials. Fit functions of the yield curve of H˙ ∗ (10) are provided for outdoor contamination. The model can be used for any geometrical activity distribution and we present an example showing the dependency of H˙ ∗ (10) on the diameter and the depth profile of the sources, for both outdoor and indoor contamination., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The need for documentation in cartilage defects is as obvious as in other medical specialties. Cartilage defects can cause significant pain, and lead to reduced quality of life and loss of function of the affected joint. The risk of developing osteoarthritis is high. Therefore, the socioeconomic burden of cartilage defects should not be underestimated., Objective: The objective of our study was to implement and maintain a registry of all patients undergoing surgical treatment of cartilage defects., Methods: We designed this multicenter registry for adults whose cartilage defects of a knee, ankle, or hip joint are treated surgically. The registry consists of two parts: one for the physician and one for the patient. Data for both parts will be gathered at baseline and at 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 60-, and 120-month follow-ups., Results: To date, a wide range of German, Swiss, and Austrian trial sites are taking part in the German Cartilage Registry, soon to be followed by further sites. More than 2124 (as of January 31, 2016) cases are already documented and the first publications have been released., Conclusions: The German Cartilage Registry addresses fundamental issues regarding the current medical care situation of patients with cartilage defects of knee, ankle, and hip joints. In addition, the registry will help to identify various procedure-specific complications, along with putative advantages and disadvantages of different chondrocyte products. It provides an expanding large-scale, unselected, standardized database for cost and care research for further retrospective studies., Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00005617; https://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/ drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00005617 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6hbFqSws0).

The efficacy of all major insecticide classes continues to be eroded by the development of resistance mediated, in part, by selection of alleles encoding insecticide insensitive target proteins. The discovery of new insecticide classes acting at novel protein binding sites is therefore important for the continued protection of the food supply from insect predators, and of human and animal health from insect borne disease. Here we describe a novel class of insecticides (Spiroindolines) encompassing molecules that combine excellent activity against major agricultural pest species with low mammalian toxicity. We confidently assign the vesicular acetylcholine transporter as the molecular target of Spiroindolines through the combination of molecular genetics in model organisms with a pharmacological approach in insect tissues. The vesicular acetylcholine transporter can now be added to the list of validated insecticide targets in the acetylcholine signalling pathway and we anticipate that this will lead to the discovery of novel molecules useful in sustaining agriculture. In addition to their potential as insecticides and nematocides, Spiroindolines represent the only other class of chemical ligands for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter since those based on the discovery of vesamicol over 40 years ago, and as such, have potential to provide more selective tools for PET imaging in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease. They also provide novel biochemical tools for studies of the function of this protein family.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH) is responsible for the surveillance of environmental radioactivity in Switzerland and for the protection of the public from ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. In order to improve the Swiss radioactivity monitoring network, a new high volume air sampler (DIGITEL DHA-80) was tested in Fribourg and at the Jungfraujoch High Altitude Research Station at 3454 m. The filters are analyzed in the laboratory by a high purity coaxial germanium detector. In the test period natural radio nuclides and traces of 137Cs, due to the Chernobyl accident of April 1986, were measured and are in good agreement with values from Germany and Poland. Albeit, the main purpose of this radioactivity monitoring network is to detect rapidly any input of artificial radioactivity, it is also helpful to understand transport of natural radio nuclides in the atmosphere, as for example the cosmogenic 7Be and the long-lived radon daughter 210Pb. The DIGITEL sampler proved to be sufficiently reliable for aerosol radioactivity monitoring even in extreme meteorological conditions at Jungfraujoch. A detection limit for artificial 137Cs of 2 microBq/m3 is obtained.

Substituted alpha-(phenylhydrazono)phenylacetonitrile derivatives have been discovered which constitute a series of potent uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Systematic variation of substituents on both benzene rings has clearly demonstrated the importance of steric congestion around the ionisation site and delocalisation of negative charge in the anionic form. Replacement of the cyano group by other electron-withdrawing groups leads to a dramatic decrease in uncoupling activity. The sub-nanomolar levels of uncoupling activity found in certain members indicate that these compounds are the most potent uncouplers yet reported.

Pro-pesticides of alpha-(2,6-dichloro-4-trifluoromethylphenylhydrazono)-4-nitrophenylacetonitrile have been prepared and tested against mite and insect pests. Variations in potency and spectrum were observed depending on the choice of cleavable pro-moiety. Cleavage of the pro-moiety was demonstrated in one case by measuring the rate of increase in the uncoupling activity using a mitochondrial preparation. Irradiation experiments have demonstrated a rapid isomerisation of the planar Z isomer to the E isomer, which is reversible.

Aim of the Study: To investigate the effect of febrile seizures on the behaviour and emotional situation of parents in order to improve our attitude towards these children and parents in future., Methods: We analysed 135 questionnaires on parents' behaviour and emotional situation during and after a febrile seizure in their children., Results: Febrile seizures were unknown to 44% of the parents. 121 parents (91%) reported severe anxiety on witnessing the first febrile seizure. In 69% the anxiety was so strong, that the parents believed their child would die. Severe anxiety was significantly associated with lack of knowledge about febrile seizures: 79% (no knowledge of febrile seizures) versus 59% (with knowledge). The level of anxiety appeared to be associated with low educational level, but not with ethnic background or income., Conclusions: Our study shows that knowledge of febrile seizures among concerned parents in our region remains insufficient. The results are ambiguous. On the one hand we found an association between severe anxiety and lack of knowledge on febrile seizures, suggesting that information prior to the first febrile seizure might reduce the anxiety level and thus lead to appropriate reactions in case of recurrence. On the other hand although parents knew about febrile seizures, they still had very high anxiety levels and would react inappropriately in case of recurrence. Therefore if information is provided to parents, it must be specific, especially about which measures are to be taken or avoided respectively. A prospective study to observe positive and negative effects of preventive information is needed.