The representation of location by a regional climate model in complex terrain

To assess potential impacts of climate change for a specific location, one typically employs climate model simulations at the grid box corresponding to the same geographical location. But based on regional climate model simulations, we show that simulated climate might be systematically displaced compared to observations. In particular in the rain shadow of moutain ranges, a local grid box is therefore often not representative of observed climate: the simulated windward weather does not flow far enough across the mountains; local grid boxes experience the wrong airmasses and atmospheric circulation. In some cases, also the local climate change signal is deteriorated. Classical bias correction methods fail to correct these location errors. Often, however, a distant simulated time series is representative of the considered observed precipitation, such that a non-local bias correction is possible. These findings also clarify limitations of bias correcting global model errors, and of bias correction against station data

Propionibacterium acnes infections in patients with idiopathic scoliosis: a case-control study and review of the literature.

Purpose:Surgical site infection (SSI) caused by Propionibacterium acnes is an infrequent but devastating complication after spinal fusion. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for SSI with Propionibacterium acnes after spinal fusion for juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (JIS and AIS). Methods:A case-control study was performed. Each case was matched 2:1 for age, gender and diagnosis. Retrospective chart review was performed to obtain relevant demographic, surgical and clinical data for all cases and controls. Statistical analysis included paired t-test and McNemar test, as well as exact logistic regression and robust regression models. Results:This study included ten infection cases (eight AIS, two JIS) and 20 controls (16 AIS, four JIS). In total, six infected cases presented within two weeks of the index procedure (acute infection) and four infected cases presented more than one year from the index procedure (delayed infection). The most common presentation for acute infections was wound drainage, while back pain was more common in delayed infections. All infections were successfully treated with surgical irrigation and debridement and postoperative antibiotics. Hardware was removed for patients with delayed infections. The strongest risk factor for infection was increased requirement for blood transfusion, but it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion:SSI with Propionibacterium acnes is an important complication after spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. These infections can be successfully treated, but larger studies are needed to further identify risk factors and establish standardized guidelines for the treatment and prevention of this complication. Level of Evidence Level III

On-line and off-line data assimilation in palaeoclimatology: a case study

Different ensemble-based data assimilation (DA) approaches for palaeoclimate reconstructions have been recently undertaken, but no systematic comparison among them has been attempted. We compare an off-line and an on-line ensemble-based method, with the testing period being the 17th century, which led into the Maunder Minimum. We use a low-resolution version of Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model (MPI-ESM) to assimilate the Past Global Changes (PAGES) 2k continental temperature reconstructions. In the off-line approach, the ensemble for the entire simulation period is generated first and then the ensemble is used in combination with the empirical information to produce the analysis. In contrast, in the on-line approach, the ensembles are generated sequentially for sub-periods based on the analysis of previous sub-periods. Both schemes perform better than the simulations without DA. The on-line method would be expected to perform better if the assimilation led to states of the slow components of the climate system that are close to reality and the system had sufficient memory to propagate this information forward in time. In our comparison, which is based on analysing correlations and differences between the analysis and the proxy-based reconstructions, we find similar skill for both methods on the continental and hemispheric scales. This indicates either a lack of control of the slow components in our setup or a lack of skill in the information propagation on decadal timescales. Additional experiments are however needed to check whether the conclusions reached in this particular setup are valid in other cases. Although the performance of the two schemes is similar and the on-line method is more difficult to implement, the temporal consistency of the analysis in the on-line method makes it in general preferable

Numerical Simulations of Hyperfine Transitions of Antihydrogen

One of the ASACUSA (Atomic Spectroscopy And Collisions Using Slow Antiprotons) collaboration's goals is the measurement of the ground state hyperfine transition frequency in antihydrogen, the antimatter counterpart of one of the best known systems in physics. This high precision experiment yields a sensitive test of the fundamental symmetry of CPT. Numerical simulations of hyperfine transitions of antihydrogen atoms have been performed providing information on the required antihydrogen events and the achievable precision

Precise laser spectroscopy of the antiprotonic helium atom and CPT test on antiproton mass and charge

We have measured twelve transition frequencies of the antiprotonic helium atom (pbar-He+) with precisions of 0.1--0.2 ppm using a laser spectroscopic method. The agreement between the experiment and theories was so good that we can put a limit on the proton-antiproton mass (or charge) difference. The new limit is expected to be much smaller than the already published value, 60 ppb.Comment: proceeding of the conference, "PANIC02

Wildlife Trade in Southern Palawan, Philippines

Southern Palawan is one of the hottest hotspots for illegal trade of wildlife in the Philippines. Large numbers of wildlife are transported either by fishing vessels or private chartered planes from the south of Palawan to Zamboanga, Cebu, Manila, Batangas and even to Malaysia. Parrots and mynas are among the species of birds most traded due to their huge demand in the market. Other birds that are also under considerable pressure of poaching are Palawan hornbill and White-bellied sea eagle. Apart from birds, other Palawan wildlife included in the illegal shipments are Palawan pangolin, Balabac mouse deer, Palawan bearcat, Palawan bearded pig, Southern Palawan tree squirrel, freshwater turtles and beetles. The present study identified species of conservation priority involved in trade. The study also presents data on traded wildlife species in Palawan including their market value, modes of transport, operation of wildlife traders in Palawan and trade routes