The Van Allen radiation belts contain ultrarelativistic electrons trapped in Earth's magnetic field. Since their discovery in 1958, a fundamental unanswered question has been how electrons can be ...accelerated to such high energies. Two classes of processes have been proposed: transport and acceleration of electrons from a source population located outside the radiation belts (radial acceleration) or acceleration of lower-energy electrons to relativistic energies in situ in the heart of the radiation belts (local acceleration). We report measurements from NASA's Van Allen Radiation Belt Storm Probes that clearly distinguish between the two types of acceleration. The observed radial profiles of phase space density are characteristic of local acceleration in the heart of the radiation belts and are inconsistent with a predominantly radial acceleration process.
The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)-Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) suite contains an innovative complement of particle instruments to ensure the highest quality ...measurements ever made in the inner magnetosphere and radiation belts. The coordinated RBSP-ECT particle measurements, analyzed in combination with fields and waves observations and state-of-the-art theory and modeling, are necessary for understanding the acceleration, global distribution, and variability of radiation belt electrons and ions, key science objectives of NASA’s Living With a Star program and the Van Allen Probes mission. The RBSP-ECT suite consists of three highly-coordinated instruments: the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS), the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) sensor, and the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT). Collectively they cover, continuously, the full electron and ion spectra from one eV to 10’s of MeV with sufficient energy resolution, pitch angle coverage and resolution, and with composition measurements in the critical energy range up to 50 keV and also from a few to 50 MeV/nucleon. All three instruments are based on measurement techniques proven in the radiation belts. The instruments use those proven techniques along with innovative new designs, optimized for operation in the most extreme conditions in order to provide unambiguous separation of ions and electrons and clean energy responses even in the presence of extreme penetrating background environments. The design, fabrication and operation of ECT spaceflight instrumentation in the harsh radiation belt environment ensure that particle measurements have the fidelity needed for closure in answering key mission science questions. ECT instrument details are provided in companion papers in this same issue.
In this paper, we describe the science objectives of the RBSP-ECT instrument suite on the Van Allen Probe spacecraft within the context of the overall mission objectives, indicate how the characteristics of the instruments satisfy the requirements to achieve these objectives, provide information about science data collection and dissemination, and conclude with a description of some early mission results.
Mesenchymal (stromal) stem cells (MSCs) constitute populations of mesodermal multipotent cells involved in tissue regeneration and homeostasis in many different organs. Here we performed ...comprehensive characterization of the transcriptional and epigenomic changes associated with osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation of human MSCs. We demonstrate that adipogenesis is driven by considerable remodeling of the chromatin landscape and de novo activation of enhancers, whereas osteogenesis involves activation of preestablished enhancers. Using machine learning algorithms for in silico modeling of transcriptional regulation, we identify a large and diverse transcriptional network of pro-osteogenic and antiadipogenic transcription factors. Intriguingly, binding motifs for these factors overlap with SNPs related to bone and fat formation in humans, and knockdown of single members of this network is sufficient to modulate differentiation in both directions, thus indicating that lineage determination is a delicate balance between the activities of many different transcription factors.
RBSP‐ECT Combined Spin‐Averaged Electron Flux Data Product Boyd, A. J.; Reeves, G. D.; Spence, H. E. ...
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics,
November 2019, 2019-Nov, 2019-11-00, 20191101, Volume:
124, Issue:
11
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We describe a new data product combining the spin‐averaged electron flux measurements from the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Energetic Particle Composition and Thermal Plasma (ECT) suite on the ...National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Van Allen Probes. We describe the methodology used to combine each of the data sets and produce a consistent set of spectra for September 2013 to the present. Three‐minute‐averaged flux spectra are provided spanning energies from 15 eV up to 20 MeV. This new data product provides additional utility to the ECT data and offers a consistent cross calibrated data set for researchers interested in examining the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere across a wide range of energies.
Key Points
A new combined electron flux data product for the Van Allen Probes mission is described
Results from cross calibration of the RBSP‐ECT instrument suite are presented
This data product represents the first ever complete electron spectra throughout the inner magnetosphere from tens of electron volts to tens of megaelectron volts
Background
Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal cancer has emerged as an alternative to the traditional abdominal approach. However, concerns have been raised about local ...recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate local recurrence after TaTME. Secondary aims included postoperative mortality, anastomotic leak and stoma rates.
Methods
Data on all patients who underwent TaTME were recorded and compared with those from national cohorts in the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry (NCCR) and the Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery (NoRGast). Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to compare local recurrence.
Results
In Norway, 157 patients underwent TaTME for rectal cancer between October 2014 and October 2018. Three of seven hospitals abandoned TaTME after a total of five procedures. The local recurrence rate was 12 of 157 (7·6 per cent); eight local recurrences were multifocal or extensive. The estimated local recurrence rate at 2·4 years was 11·6 (95 per cent c.i. 6·6 to 19·9) per cent after TaTME compared with 2·4 (1·4 to 4·3) per cent in the NCCR (P < 0·001). The adjusted hazard ratio was 6·71 (95 per cent c.i. 2·94 to 15·32). Anastomotic leaks resulting in reoperation occurred in 8·4 per cent of patients in the TaTME cohort compared with 4·5 per cent in NoRGast (P = 0·047). Fifty‐six patients (35·7 per cent) had a stoma at latest follow‐up; 39 (24·8 per cent) were permanent.
Conclusion
Anastomotic leak rates after TaTME were higher than national rates; local recurrence rates and growth patterns were unfavourable.
Antecedentes
La resección total del mesorrecto transanal (transanal total mesorectal excision, TaTME) para el cáncer de recto se ha propuesto como una alternativa al abordaje abdominal tradicional. Sin embargo, la recidiva local (local recurrence, LR) después de este procedimiento es motivo de preocupación. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la LR en pacientes operados mediante TaTME. Los objetivos secundarios incluyeron la mortalidad postoperatoria, las fugas anastomóticas y el porcentaje de estomas.
Métodos
Se registraron los datos de todos los pacientes operados mediante TaTME y se compararon con las cohortes nacionales del Registro Noruego de Cáncer Colorrectal (Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry, NCCR) y del Registro Noruego de Cirugía Gastrointestinal (Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery, NoRGast) utilizando estimaciones de Kaplan‐Meier y la prueba de log‐rank para comparar curvas de LR.
Resultados
En Noruega, 157 pacientes se sometieron a TaTME por cáncer de recto entre octubre de 2014 y octubre de 2018. Tres de siete hospitales abandonaron el TaTME después de un total de cinco procedimientos. La LR observada fue 12/157 (7,6%), siendo ocho de ellas multifocales o extensas. La tasa estimada de LR a 2,4 años fue de 11,6 % (i.c. del 95% 6,6 a 19,9) versus 2,4 % (1,4 a 4,3) en el NCCR (log rank P < 0,001). El cociente de riesgos instantáneos (hazard ratio, HR) ajustado fue 6,7 (i.c. del 95% 2,9 a 15,3). Las fugas anastomóticas que precisaron una reintervención después de TaTME ocurrieron en un 8,4% versus 4,5% en el registro NoRGast (P = 0,047). Cincuenta y seis pacientes (35,7%) tenían un estoma en el último seguimiento; 39 (24,8%) eran permanentes.
Conclusión
Las tasas de fuga anastomótica tras una TaTME fueron más altas que los datos nacionales con tasas de LR y patrones de crecimiento desfavorables.
The local recurrence rate after transanal total mesorectal excision was high. The adjusted estimated hazard ratio compared with the national cohort after 2·4 years was 6·71. The anastomotic leak rate and the rate of permanent stomas were unfavourable.
Worrying results
•Electrification of bus fleets in most cities is expected to rise.•The bus planning process has to be adapted to support the use of electric buses.•An overview of the problems at different stages of ...electric bus planning is given.•Approaches to solve the electric vehicle scheduling problem are reviewed.•Integrated electric bus planning is recognized as a future area of research.
Electrification of bus fleets in most cities is expected to rise due to its significant environmental benefits. However, electric buses have limited driving range and long recharging times. Additionally, electric buses require special charging infrastructure, which overall makes them less flexible than conventional diesel buses. Due to the limitations of the electric bus technologies, further adjustments have to be made to the current bus transport planning problems. The scheduling of electric vehicles is recognized as a fast-growing area of research. In this paper, we review 43 articles related to the electric bus technologies and give an overview of the different problems in the electric bus planning process (strategic, tactical and operational). The different problems are: 1) investment of electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure, 2) placement of charging infrastructure, 3) the electric vehicle scheduling problem (E-VSP) and 4) the charging scheduling problem. Given a set of timetabled trips and recharging stations, the E-VSP is concerned with finding a vehicle schedule that covers the trips and satisfies the driving range and recharging requirements of electric buses while minimizing operational cost. A detailed literature review of the constraints associated with the E-VSP and the solution approaches proposed to solve it is given. Rescheduling aspects or considerations of robustness for scheduling of electric vehicles is identified as a future area of research. Furthermore, integrated electric bus planning is considered as a crucial area of research and integrated approaches could further improve the efficiency of electric bus transport systems.
We describe an automated computer algorithm designed to remove background contamination from the Van Allen Probes Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) electron flux measurements. We provide a ...detailed description of the algorithm with illustrative examples from on‐orbit data. We find two primary sources of background contamination in the MagEIS electron data: inner zone protons and bremsstrahlung X‐rays generated by energetic electrons interacting with the spacecraft material. Bremsstrahlung X‐rays primarily produce contamination in the lower energy MagEIS electron channels (∼30–500 keV) and in regions of geospace where multi‐MeV electrons are present. Inner zone protons produce contamination in all MagEIS energy channels at roughly L < 2.5. The background‐corrected MagEIS electron data produce a more accurate measurement of the electron radiation belts, as most earlier measurements suffer from unquantifiable and uncorrectable contamination in this harsh region of the near‐Earth space environment. These background‐corrected data will also be useful for spacecraft engineering purposes, providing ground truth for the near‐Earth electron environment and informing the next generation of spacecraft design models (e.g., AE9).
Key Points
MagEIS instrument can quantify and remove background contamination from electron measurements
Most earlier measurements suffer from unquantifiable and uncorrectable contamination
Two primary sources of contamination are found: inner zone protons and bremsstrahlung X‐rays generated by energetic electrons
We describe a new data product combining pitch angle resolved electron flux measurements from the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Energetic Particle Composition and Thermal Plasma (ECT) suite on ...the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Van Allen Probes. We describe the methodology used to combine each of the data sets and produce a consistent set of pitch‐angle‐resolved spectra for the entire Van Allen Probes mission. Three‐minute‐averaged flux spectra are provided spanning energies from 15 eV up to 20 MeV. This new data product offers researchers a consistent cross calibrated data set to explore the particle dynamics of the inner magnetosphere across a wide range of energies.
Key Points
A new combined pitch angle resolved electron flux data product, spanning 15 eV up to 20 MeV, for the Van Allen Probes mission is described
Results from cross‐calibration of angular distributions of the RBSP‐ECT data are presented
Criteria used to determine data quality flags for each energy channel are also described
Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) carrying BRAF (mutBRAF) or KRAS mutation (mutKRAS) have an inferior prognosis after liver or lung surgery, whereas the prognostic role in the context ...of peritoneal metastasis (PM) after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been less investigated.
In total, 257 patients with non-appendiceal PM-CRC were included from the Norwegian National Unit for CRS-HIPEC.
In total, 180 patients received CRS-HIPEC with Mitomycin C, 77 patients received palliative surgery only. In the CRS-HIPEC group, mutBRAF was found in 24.7%, mutKRAS 33.9% and double wild-type 41.4% without differences in survival. MSI was found in 29.3% of mutBRAF cases. Patients with mutBRAF/MSI had superior 5-year survival compared to mutBRAF with MSS (58.3% vs 25.2%, P = 0.022), and better 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) compared to mutKRAS (48.6% vs 17.2%, P = 0.049). Peritoneal Cancer Index and the number of lymph node metastasis were prognostic for OS, and the same two, location and gender prognostic for DFS in multivariate analysis.
PM-CRC with CRS-HIPEC patients has a surprisingly high proportion of mutBRAF (24.7%). Survival was similar comparing mutBRAF, mutKRAS and double wild-type cases, whereas a small subgroup with mutBRAF and MSI had better survival. Patients with mutBRAF tumours and limited PM should be considered for CRS-HIPEC.
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