Relationship between Indian Ocean dipole mode and summer monsoon

Utilizing the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode (IODM) and Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) data for the period 1960-2002 the relationships between the IODM and monsoon onset over Kerala and rainfall distribution over the country have been studied. It has been found that stronger/weaker western pole during April-May is associated with delayed/early monsoon onset over Kerala. Stronger eastern pole during March-April seems to be associated with enhanced seasonal (June-September) rainfall over peninsular India. The IODM index of July-August can provide good indications of summer monsoon activity over peninsular India during the withdrawal phase of the monsoon, i.e., during September.

Mechanical ventilation strategy in quadriplegic patients for the intensivist

In France, the number of spinal cord injuries is around 2000 new cases per year, often affecting young men, and thus having a real impact on public health. Seventy percent of patients with spinal cord injury upper than C5 require mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization. The need for this mechanical ventilation expose the spinal cord injury (SCI) patients to 2 risk periods: the intubation phase with a high risk of displacement and compression during the course of the procedure, and the withdrawal phase, which is particularly difficult in this context, resulting in an increase in morbidity and hospitalization times. Recently, the latest guidelines from SFAR-SFMU experts on the management of spinal cord injuries published. In this context, we report on good practices in the management of these patients, particularly in the field of ventilation.

Recent Trends in Precipitation Over the Myanmar Coast During Onset and Withdrawal Phases of Monsoon Season

Monsoon precipitation is the major driver of agricultural productivity in the Myanmar Coast, it is crucial to quantify and understand recent changes in precipitation during the monsoon season over this region. By using multiple precipitation datasets, we demonstrate that total precipitation during monsoon season over the Myanmar Coast has increased slightly but not significantly, but precipitation during the onset and withdrawal phases of monsoon season exhibit a significant increasing trend during 1979–2015, and the contribution of precipitation during the two phases to total monsoon precipitation has increased significantly. The increased precipitation during the onset phase over the Myanmar Coast directly results from the earlier onset of the South Asian Summer Monsoon in recent decades, which is associated with the phase transition of the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation in the late 1990s. And the precipitation increase during the withdrawal phase is directly due to the enhances of the ascending motion and convection around this region, which is dynamically correlated to the anomalous cyclone-like circulation around the Bay of Bengal as well as the strengthening of the cross-equatorial flow around the equatorial Indian Ocean.

Prolonged Peripheral Immunosuppressive Responses as Consequences of Random Amphetamine Treatment, Amphetamine Withdrawal and Subsequent Amphetamine Challenges in Rats

Drug-induced immunosuppression may underline increased hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to stress observed following chronic psychostimulant treatment. However, the consequences of random amphetamine (AMPH) treatment, withdrawal and AMPH challenge after withdrawal on the peripheral immunity and systemic corticosterone response are unknown. In this study, the total blood and spleen leukocyte, lymphocyte, T, B, NK, TCD4+/TCD8+ cell numbers and ratio, pro-inflammatory interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and anti-inflammatory interleukin-4 (IL-4) production, and plasma corticosterone concentration in Wistar rats were investigated after: chronic, random AMPH/SAL treatment alone (20 injections in 60 days, 1 mg/kg b.w., i.p.), AMPH/SAL withdrawal (for 20 consecutive days after random AMPH/SAL exposure) or AMPH/SAL challenge after withdrawal (single injection after the AMPH/SAL withdrawal phase). The results showed blood and spleen leukopenia, lymphopenia, lower blood production of IFN-ɤ, and increased plasma corticosterone concentration after the AMPH treatment, which were more pronounced in the AMPH after withdrawal group. In contrast, an increased number of blood NK cells and production of IL-4 after chronic, random AMPH treatment alone, were found. Blood AMPH-induced leukopenia and lymphopenia were due to decreased total number of T, B lymphocytes and, at least in part, of granulocytes and monocytes. Moreover, decreases in the number of blood TCD4+ and TCD8+ lymphocytes both in the AMPH chronic alone and withdrawal phases, were found.The major findings of this study are that AMPH treatment after the long-term withdrawal from previous random AMPH exposure, accelerates the drug-induced immunosuppressive and systemic corticosterone responses, suggesting prolonged immunosuppressive effects and an increase in incidence of infectious diseases. Graphical Abstract Prolonged peripheral immunosuppressive responses as consequences of random amphetamine…The results indicate that the chronic and random AMPH exposure alone and the acute (single injection) challenge of the drug after the withdrawal phase induced long-term immunosuppressive effects, which were similar to those occurring during the stress response, and sensitized the peripheral immunosuppressive and corticosterone responses of the rat to the disinhibitory effects of this stressor.