ALBERT

Description: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection can cause delayed leukocyte recovery after bone marrow transplantation and often associated with suppression of granulocyte/macrophage progenitor. Leukocyte lineage may be one of the major sites of HCMV infection. However, whether HCMV can interfere with CFU-GM formation and induce apoptosis in granulocyte/macrophage progenitor have not been well investigated. Human bone marrow mononuclear cells (Ficoll), promyelocyte cell line HL-60 and HCMV AD169 strain were co-cultured. Each bone marrow specimen was HCMV DNA and HCMV IgM negative by PCR and ELISA test. Our results showed that HCMV significantly inhibited the formation of CFU-GM as shown in two different concentrations of viral infection groups: 139.26 ± 5.42 (2×105pfu/ml), and 124.19 ± 8.82 (2×106pfu/ml) (colonies/2×105cells/ml, n=26). These were significant differences compared with the blank control group (P

Description: Abstract 2413 Poster Board II-390 Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause life-threatening infection in immunocomprimised individuals, such as patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. Thrombocytopenia is one of the manifestations in active HCMV infection, which may be a consequence of viral suppression on megakaryopoiesis. The exact underline mechanisms remain uncertain. Our previous studies suggested that HCMV directly infects megakaryocytic progenitors and inhibits their proliferation. Colony-formation of HCMV-infected CFU-MK decreased in a dose-dependent manner (Blood, 2003, abstract). In present study, we explored the mechanisms further by using a phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulating polyploidization to mimic the late stage of megakaryocytic differentiation and maturation in vitro. After co-culture of a megakaryocytic cell line CHRF-288-11 with HCMV AD169 experimental strain from day 0 to day 3 (multiple of infection, MOI=1), the polyploidization of megakaryocyte was determined by DNA content analysis using flow cytometry. Compared with negative control, the proportion of polyploidy (ploidy N ≥ 8) megakaryocytes decreased by 52%, 32% and 16% in HCMV-infected cell at day 3, day 6 and day 9 respectively. As a specific receptor for megakaryopoietic differentiation, the c-Mpl protein (TPO receptor) was also examined in CHRF-288-11 cell line. The proportion of c-Mpl positive cells showed a 23% decrease in HCMV-infected group in compared to the mock infection control (using ultralviolet treated HCMV) at day 5. In addition, apoptotic signals from megakaryocytic surface, cytoplasma and mitochondria were detected in HCMV-infected cells by flow cytometry with Annexin V, Caspase-3 and JC-1 assay. Compared to mock infection control at day 5, annexin-V positive cells population increased by 57%; active caspase-3 signal increased by 125% in viable cell population; and cell population with damaged mitochondial membrane showed a 5-times increase. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that: (1) HCMV inhibited megakaryocytic differentiation and maturation at late stage; (2) HCMV reduced c-Mpl positive cell population; (3) HCMV induced megakaryocytic apoptosis through intrinsic apoptotic pathway as shown by the functional alteration of mitochodial membrane, activation of caspase-3 and structural damage of outer cellular membrane. HCMV-induced thrombocytopenia is the consequence of multiple processes involving inhibition of megakaryocytic proliferation, differentiation, maturation and also increased megakaryocytic apoptosis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Data paucity is a severe barrier to the characterization of Himalayan near-surface climates. Regional climate modeling can help to fill this gap, but the resulting data products need critical evaluation before use. This study aims to extend the appraisal of one such dataset, the High Asia Refined Analysis (HAR). Focusing on the upper Indus basin (UIB), the climatologies of variables needed for process-based hydrological and cryospheric modeling are evaluated, leading to three main conclusions. First, precipitation in the 10-km HAR product shows reasonable correspondence with most in situ measurements. It is also generally consistent with observed runoff, while additionally reproducing the UIB’s strong vertical precipitation gradients. Second, the HAR shows seasonally varying bias patterns. A cold bias in temperature peaks in spring but reduces in summer, at which time the high bias in relative humidity diminishes. These patterns are concurrent with summer overestimation (underestimation) of incoming shortwave (longwave) radiation. Finally, these seasonally varying biases are partly related to deficiencies in cloud, snow, and albedo representations. In particular, insufficient cloud cover in summer leads to the overestimation of incoming shortwave radiation. This contributes to the reduced cold bias in summer by enhancing surface warming. A persistent high bias in albedo also plays a critical role, particularly by suppressing surface heating in spring. Improving representations of cloud, snow cover, and albedo, and thus their coupling with seasonal climate transitions, would therefore help build upon the considerable potential shown by the HAR to fill a vital data gap in this immensely important basin.

Description: Rainfall over northern Australia (NA) in austral summer is the largest water source of Australia. Previous studies have suggested a strong zonal-dipole trend pattern in austral summer rainfall since 1950, with rainfall increasing in northwest Australia (NWA) but decreasing in northeast Australia (NEA). The dynamics of rainfall increase in NWA was linked to sea surface temperature (SST) in the south Indian Ocean and the rainfall decrease in NEA was associated with SST in the northeast Indian Ocean. This study reports that, in contrast to a zonal-dipole trend pattern, a dominant wetting pattern over NA has recently been observed in the post-1979 satellite era. The recent NA rainfall increase also manifests as the first leading mode of summer rainfall variability over the Australian continent. Further investigation reveals that SST in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) has replaced the SST in the south and northeast Indian Ocean as the controlling factor responsible for the recent NA rainfall increase. Direct thermal forcing by increasing TWP SST gives rise to an anomalous Gill-type cyclone centered around NA, leading to anomalously high rainfall. As such, the increasing SST in the TWP induces over 50% of the observed rainfall wetting trend over NA. The increased rainfall in turn induces land surface cooling in NA. This mechanism can be confirmed with results obtained from sensitivity experiments of a numerical spectral atmospheric general circulation model. Thus, increasing SST in the TWP has contributed much of the recent summer rainfall increase and consequently the surface cooling over NA.

Description: The middle–lower valley of the Yangtze River (MLY), located in the middle of eastern China, has been one of the largest economic centers of China since ancient times. Winter precipitation variability over the MLY is important for China because of its significant influence on the local economy. However, few studies have focused on the long-term variability of winter precipitation over the MLY. This study reports a significant wetting trend over the MLY in winter during the three decades since the late 1970s, forming a “mid-east-China winter wetting” pattern, which has become an important feature of precipitation change under the weakening East Asian winter monsoon. This wetting trend in the MLY also implies the poleward extension of the precipitation belts of southern China. Further investigation reveals that the increasing sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is the dominant factor responsible for recent increases in precipitation over the MLY. The thermal forcing driven by warming of the TIO SST gives rise to an anomalous cyclonic circulation along the coast of eastern China. This transports more water vapor onto the Chinese mainland, shifts and causes anomalous convergence over the MLY, and generates the increase in precipitation there. As such, the increasing SST in the TIO induces over 80% of the observed wetting trend over the MLY. This mechanism was verified by results obtained from two sets of sensitivity experiments using a numerical spectral atmospheric general circulation model. Thus, increasing SST in the TIO has made a dominant contribution to the recent winter precipitation increase over the MLY.

Description: Extreme short-duration rainfall can cause devastating flooding that puts lives, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems at risk. It is therefore essential to understand how this type of extreme rainfall will change in a warmer world. A significant barrier to answering this question is the lack of sub-daily rainfall data available at the global scale. To this end, a global sub-daily rainfall dataset based on gauged observations has been collated. The dataset is highly variable in its spatial coverage, record length, completeness and, in its raw form, quality. This presents significant difficulties for many types of analyses. The dataset currently comprises 23 687 gauges with an average record length of 13 years. Apart from a few exceptions, the earliest records begin in the 1950s. The Global Sub-Daily Rainfall Dataset (GSDR) has wide applications, including improving our understanding of the nature and drivers of sub-daily rainfall extremes, improving and validating of high-resolution climate models, and developing a high-resolution gridded sub-daily rainfall dataset of indices.