An ensemble study of extreme storm surge related water levels in the North Sea in a changing climate

The height of storm surges is extremely important for a low-lying country like The Netherlands. By law, part of the coastal defence system has to withstand a water level that on average occurs only once every 10 000 years. The question then arises whether and how climate change affects the heights of extreme storm surges. Published research points to only small changes. However, due to the limited amount of data available results are usually limited to relatively frequent extremes like the annual 99%-ile. We here report on results from a 17-member ensemble of North Sea water levels spaning the period 1950–2100. It was created by forcing a surge model of the North Sea with meteorological output from a state-of-the-art global climate model which has been driven by greenhouse gas emissions following the SRES A1b scenario. The large ensemble size enables us to calculate 10 000 year return water levels with a low statistical uncertainty. In the one model used in this study, we find no statistically significant change in the 10 000 year return values of surge heights along the Dutch during the 21st century. Also a higher sea level resulting from global warming does not impact the height of the storm surges. As a side effect of our simulations we also obtain results on the interplay between surge and tide

Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering Studies of Elementary Excitations

In the past decade, Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) has made remarkable progress as a spectroscopic technique. This is a direct result of the availability of high-brilliance synchrotron X-ray radiation sources and of advanced photon detection instrumentation. The technique's unique capability to probe elementary excitations in complex materials by measuring their energy-, momentum-, and polarization-dependence has brought RIXS to the forefront of experimental photon science. We review both the experimental and theoretical RIXS investigations of the past decade, focusing on those determining the low-energy charge, spin, orbital and lattice excitations of solids. We present the fundamentals of RIXS as an experimental method and then review the theoretical state of affairs, its recent developments and discuss the different (approximate) methods to compute the dynamical RIXS response. The last decade's body of experimental RIXS data and its interpretation is surveyed, with an emphasis on RIXS studies of correlated electron systems, especially transition metal compounds. Finally, we discuss the promise that RIXS holds for the near future, particularly in view of the advent of x-ray laser photon sources.Comment: Review, 67 pages, 44 figure

Impact of borderline personality disorder traits on the association between age and health-related quality of life:A cohort study in the general population

Background Increasing age as well as borderline personality pathology are associated with a lower level of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Our objective was to investigate whether the presence of borderline personality traits modifies the association between age and HR-QoL in the general population. Methods Cross-sectional data from 5,303 respondents (aged 21-72 years) of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 were analyzed. Borderline personality traits were assessed with the International Personality Disorder Examination questionnaire. Mental and physical HR-QoL were measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association of borderline personality traits, age and their interaction on mental as well as physical HR-QoL, adjusted for demographic variables as well as somatic and mental disorders. Results A total of 1,520 (28.7%) respondents reported one or more borderline personality traits of which 58 (1.1%) reported five or more indicative of a borderline personality disorder. A higher age was associated with lower physical HR-QoL. This negative association became significantly stronger in the presence of borderline personality traits. The association between increasing age and mental HR-QoL was positive in the absence of borderline personality traits and negative in the presence of borderline personality traits. Conclusion Borderline personality traits negatively interfere with the association between age and HR-QoL irrespective of somatic and mental disorders. Attention of clinicians and researchers for subthreshold borderline personality pathology is needed in middle-aged and older persons

A Comparative Study of the Interactions of Two Calcium Phosphates, PEO/PBT Copolymer (Polyactive) and a Silicone Rubber with Bone and Fibrous Tissue

In this study, hydroxyapatite, tetracalcium phosphate, HPEO/PBT 55145 copolymer, PEO/PBT 55!45 copolymer (Polyactive) and silicone rubber were implanted as dense blocks, subcutaneously and. into the tibia of rats. Biocompatibility and degradation were investigated but most attention was directed to .the bone/biomaterial interactions. None of the materials showed any significant adverse tissue reactions. With exception of the silicone rubber, all materials sho~ed bone bonding phenomena based on both morphological and mechanical evaluations. (H)PEO/PBT 55145 copolymer is the first polymer reported to be bonded by bone and thus widens the spectrum of bone bonding materials with a low modulus, degradable, elastomer in contrast to the high modulus glasses and ceramics that are available to date. The possible associated bone-bonding mechanism is briefly discussed

Time Evolution of tunneling and decoherence: soluble model

Decoherence effects associated to the damping of a tunneling two-level system are shown to dominate the tunneling probability at short times in strong coupling regimes in the context of a soluble model. A general decomposition of tunneling rates in dissipative and unitary parts is implemented. Master equation treatments fail to describe the model system correctly when more than a single relaxation time is involved

The 3^3He(e, e′'d)p Reaction in qω\omega-constant Kinematics

The cross section for the $^3$He(e, e$'$d)p reaction has been measured as a function of the missing momentum $p_m$ in q$\omega$ -constant kinematics at beam energies of 370 and 576 MeV for values of the three-momentum transfer $q$ of 412, 504 and 604 \mevc. The L(+TT), T and LT structure functions have been separated for $q$ = 412 and 504 \mevc. The data are compared to three-body Faddeev calculations, including meson-exchange currents (MEC), and to calculations based on a covariant diagrammatic expansion. The influence of final-state interactions and meson-exchange currents is discussed. The $p_m$-dependence of the data is reasonably well described by all calculations. However, the most advanced Faddeev calculations, which employ the AV18 nucleon-nucleon interaction and include MEC, overestimate the measured cross sections, especially the longitudinal part, and at the larger values of $q$. The diagrammatic approach gives a fair description of the cross section, but under(over)estimates the longitudinal (transverse) structure function.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure

Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy in the treatment of trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis:a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this double anonymized, randomized controlled trial was to determine whether total joint arthroplasty has superior outcomes than trapeziectomy 1 year after surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A total of 62 women aged 40 years and older, scheduled for surgery for stage II or III osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint, were included and randomized to trapeziectomy or total joint arthroplasty. The primary outcome was the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire subscale scores, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, active range of motion, strength, return to work, patient satisfaction and complications. Data were collected at baseline and at 3 and 12 months. At 1 year, we found no superiority of total joint arthroplasty over trapeziectomy regarding the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. The total joint arthroplasty did show a significant advantage in strength and range of motion. Level of evidence: I. </p

Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy in the treatment of trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis:a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this double anonymized, randomized controlled trial was to determine whether total joint arthroplasty has superior outcomes than trapeziectomy 1 year after surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A total of 62 women aged 40 years and older, scheduled for surgery for stage II or III osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint, were included and randomized to trapeziectomy or total joint arthroplasty. The primary outcome was the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire subscale scores, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, active range of motion, strength, return to work, patient satisfaction and complications. Data were collected at baseline and at 3 and 12 months. At 1 year, we found no superiority of total joint arthroplasty over trapeziectomy regarding the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. The total joint arthroplasty did show a significant advantage in strength and range of motion. Level of evidence: I. </p

Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy in the treatment of trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis:a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this double anonymized, randomized controlled trial was to determine whether total joint arthroplasty has superior outcomes than trapeziectomy 1 year after surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A total of 62 women aged 40 years and older, scheduled for surgery for stage II or III osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint, were included and randomized to trapeziectomy or total joint arthroplasty. The primary outcome was the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire subscale scores, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, active range of motion, strength, return to work, patient satisfaction and complications. Data were collected at baseline and at 3 and 12 months. At 1 year, we found no superiority of total joint arthroplasty over trapeziectomy regarding the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. The total joint arthroplasty did show a significant advantage in strength and range of motion. Level of evidence: I. </p

Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy in the treatment of trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis:a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this double anonymized, randomized controlled trial was to determine whether total joint arthroplasty has superior outcomes than trapeziectomy 1 year after surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A total of 62 women aged 40 years and older, scheduled for surgery for stage II or III osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint, were included and randomized to trapeziectomy or total joint arthroplasty. The primary outcome was the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire subscale scores, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, active range of motion, strength, return to work, patient satisfaction and complications. Data were collected at baseline and at 3 and 12 months. At 1 year, we found no superiority of total joint arthroplasty over trapeziectomy regarding the total score of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. The total joint arthroplasty did show a significant advantage in strength and range of motion. Level of evidence: I. </p