Rain gauges, weather radars, satellite sensors and modelled data from weather centres are used operationally for estimating the spatial-temporal variability of rainfall. However, the associated uncertainties can be very high, especially in poorly equipped regions of the world. Very recently, an innovative method, named SM2RAIN, that uses soil moisture observations to infer rainfall, has been proposed by Brocca et al. (2013) with very promising results when applied with in situ and satellite-derived data. However, a thorough analysis of the physical consistency of the SM2RAIN algorithm has not been carried out yet. In this study, synthetic soil moisture data generated from a physically-based soil water balance model are employed to check the reliability of the assumptions made in the SM2RAIN algorithm. Next, high quality and multiyear in situ soil moisture observations, at different depths (5-30 cm), and rainfall for ten sites across Europe are used for testing the performance of the algorithm, its limitations and applicability range. SM2RAIN shows very high accuracy in the synthetic experiments with a correlation coefficient, R, between synthetically generated and simulated data, at daily time step, higher than 0.940 and an average Bias lower than 4%. When real datasets are used, the agreement between observed and simulated daily rainfall is slightly lower with average R-values equal to 0.87 and 0.85 in the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Overall, the performance is found to be better in humid temperate climates and for sensors installed vertically. Interestingly, algorithms of different complexity in the reproduction of the underlying hydrological processes provide similar results. The average contribution of surface runoff and evapotranspiration components amounts to less than 4% of the total rainfall, while the soil moisture variations (63%) and subsurface drainage (30%) terms provide a much higher contribution. Overall, the SM2RAIN algorithm is found to perform well both in the synthetic and real data experiments, thus offering a new and independent source of data for improving rainfall estimation, and consequently enhancing hydrological, meteorological and climatic studies.
The interception was recognized as an important part of the catchment water balance in temperate climate. The mountainous forest ecosystem at experimental headwater catchment Liz has been subject of long-term monitoring. Unique dataset in terms of time resolution serves to determine canopy storage capacity and free throughfall. Spatial variability of throughfall was studied using one weighing and five tipping bucket rain gauges. The basic characteristics of forest affecting interception process were determined for the Norway spruce stand at the experimental area - the leaf area index was 5.66 - 6.00 m2 m-2, the basal area was 55.7 m2 ha-1, and the crown closure above individual rain gauges was between 19 and 95%. The total interception loss in both growing seasons analyzed was 34.5%. The mean value of the interception capacity determined was about 2 mm. Throughfall exhibited high variability from place to place and it was strongly affected by character of rainfall. On the other hand, spatial pattern of throughfall in average showed low variability.
Rain is not uniform in time and space in semiarid areas and its distribution is very important for the runoff process. Hydrological studies usually divide rainfall into events. However, defining rain events is complicated, and rain characteristics vary depending on how the events are delimited. Choosing a minimum inter-event time (MIT) is a commonly used criterion. Our hypothesis is that there will be an optimal MIT that explains the maximum part of the variance of the runoff, with time to runoff used as a surrogate. The objective is to establish a procedure in order to decide upon this optimal MIT. We developed regressions between time to runoff (T0) and three descriptive variables of rain. Our results show that the optimum MIT is 1 hour, which seems to be the minimum period of time required for water in larger macropores to drain and sufficiently modify the effect of antecedent soil moisture on the runoff generation process. Rain events are classified into three significantly different groups: (1) large and intense rains, (2) light rains on wet soil, and (3) light rains on dry soil. Intense rains produce most of the runoff, but there were significant differences between small events in the runoff generated. Of rain events, 63.75% are single-tip events, and many could be dew.
Ramsay-Huntov syndróm je výsledkom reaktivácie varicella-zoster vírusu na úrovni ganglion geniculatum. Syndróm je charakterizovaný kombináciou periférnej tvárovej paralýzy, výsevom herpetiformnej vyrážky v oblasti tváre, najčastejšie v oblasti zvukovodu a ušnice, a možným pridružením kochleo-vestibulárnych symptómov. Zlatým štandardom v liečbe Ramsay-Huntovho syndrómu je aj naďalej dľa dostupných údajov kombinácia antivírusovej terapie s kortikosteroidmi a adekvátnou analgetickou terapiou. V kazuistike je prezentovaný prípad 55-ročnej pacientky., The Ramsay-Hunt syndrome results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus at the geniculate ganglion level. The syndrome is characterized by a combination of peripheral facial paralysis and a herpes-like rash occurring on the face, most commonly in the ear canal and the skin of the external ear, and the possible association with the cochlea-vestibular symptoms. According to the available data, combination of an antiviral therapy with corticosteroids and adequate analgesic therapy remains the gold standard of the treatment of the Ramsay-Hunt sydrome. We present a case of a 55-year-old patient. Key words: Ramsay-Hunt syndrome – varicella-zoster virus – facial paralysis The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and R. Rosoľanka, K. Šimeková
Úvod: Infekčná endokarditída u pacienta po transplantácii obličky je závažná infekčná komplikácia, ktorá zvyšuje riziko straty štepu ako aj mortalitu pacientov. Najdôležitejším predisponujúcim faktorom je imunosupresívna liečba – predovšetkým indukčná imunosupresia. Materiál a popis prípadu: V transplantačnom centre Martin podstúpilo v období 12 rokov transplantáciu obličky 250 pacientov. Z tohto súboru pacientov bolo 5 pacientov (2 %) po náhrade chlopne. Prezentujeme prípad pacienta po transplantácii obličky s rozvojom endokarditídy bioprotézy aortálnej chlopne mesiac po úspešnej transplantácii obličky. Diagnostika endokarditídy štandardnými postupmi (transtorakálne echokardiografické vyšetrenie, transezofageálne echokardiografické vyšetrenie, hemokultúry) bola neúspešná. Endokarditídu sme diagnostikovali raritne až pomocou PET-CT vyšetrenia s následnou zmenou antibiotickej liečby a úspešným zvládnutím tejto potransplantačnej komplikácie. Záver: Endokarditída po transplantácii obličky je vážna komplikácia, ktorá výrazne zhoršuje mortalitu príjemcov. Riziko rozvoja infekčnej endokarditídy po transplantácii zvyšuje aj indukcia, a to predovšetkým antitymocytárny globulín. Diagnostika iba pomocou PET-CT vyšetrenia je raritná, ale v prípade nášho popísaného prípadu, zásadne zmenila prístup k pacientovi a viedla k úspešnej liečbe. Kľúčové slová: endokarditída – indukcia – PET-CT – transplantácia obličky, Introduction: Infective endocarditis in a patient after kidney transplantation is a serious infective complication which increases the risk of loss of the graft and also the mortality of patients. The most important predisposing factor is the immunosuppressive therapy – mainly induction immunosuppression. Material and case description: 250 patients underwent kidney transplantation throughout the period of 12 years in the Transplant Center Martin. This set of patients included 5 patients (2 %) after heart valve replacement. We present the case of a patient after kidney transplantation with development of endocarditis of the bioprosthesis of the aortic valve one month after successful kidney transplantation. Diagnostics of endocarditis by standard procedures (examination by transthoracic echocardiogram, transesophageal echocardiography, hemocultures) was unsuccessful. We rarely diagnosed endocarditis only by PET-CT examination with a consequent change of the antibiotic treatment and successful managing of this post-transplant complication. Conclusion: Endocarditis after kidney transplantation is a serious complication which significantly worsens the mortality of patients. The risk of development of infective endocarditis after transplantation is also increased by induction, mainly by antithymocyte globulin. Diagnostics only by PET-CT examination is rare; however, in this case it fundamentally changed the approach to the patient and led to a successful treatment. Key words: endocarditis – induction – kidney transplantation – PET-CT, and Ivana Dedinská, Petra Skalová, Michal Mokáň, Katarína Martiaková, Denisa Osinová, Miroslav Pindura, Blažej Palkoci, Marián Vojtko, Janka Hubová, Denisa Kadlecová, Ivona Lendová, Radovan Zacharovský, Filip Pekar, Lucia Kaliská
It is commonly thought that one is irrationally akratic when one believes one ought to F but does not intend to F. However, some philosophers, following Robert Audi, have argued that it is sometimes rational to have this combination of attitudes. I here consider the question of whether rational akrasia is possible. I argue that those arguments for the possibility of rational akrasia advanced by Audi and others do not succeed. Specifically, I argue that cases in which an akratic agent acts as he has most reason to act, and cases in which an akratic agent achieves a kind of global coherence he wouldn’t have achieved had he instead formed intentions in line with his best judgment, do not establish the possibility of rational akrasia. However, I do think that rational akrasia is possible, and I present two arguments for this thesis. The first argument involves a case in which one is incapable of revising one’s belief about what one ought to do, where one also acknowledges this belief to be insufficiently supported by the evidence. The second argument involves a case in which one rationally believes that one ought to have an akratic combination of attitudes., To je obyčejně si myslel, že jeden je nesmyslně akratic když někdo věří, jeden mít F , ale nemá v úmyslu F . Nicméně, někteří filozofové, následovat Roberta Audi, argumentovali, že to je někdy rozumné mít tuto kombinaci postojů. Zvažuji otázku, zda je možná racionální akrasie . Tvrdím, že tyto argumenty týkající se možnosti racionální akrasie, kterou Audi a další předložili, nejsou úspěšné. Konkrétně tvrdím, že případy, ve kterých akratický agent jedná, když má nejvíc důvodů jednat, a případy, ve kterých akratický agent dosahuje určitého druhu globální soudržnosti, kterého by nedosáhl, kdyby místo toho vytvořil úmysly v souladu s jeho nejlepším úsudkem , nezavádějí možnost racionálníakrasia . Myslím si však, že racionální akrasie je možná a předkládám dva argumenty pro tuto práci. První argument se týká případu, kdy člověk není schopen revidovat svou víru v to, co by měl člověk dělat, a zároveň uznává, že tato víra není dostatečně podložena důkazy. Druhý argument se týká případu, ve kterém se člověk racionálně domnívá, že člověk by měl mít akrativní kombinaci postojů., and John Brunero
Claims that emotions are or can be rational, and crucially enabling of rationality, are now fairly common, also outside of philosophy, but with considerable diversity both in their assumptions about emotions and their conceptions of rationality. Three main trends are worth picking out, both in themselves and for the potential tensions between them: accounts that defend a case for the rationality of emotions A) by assimilating emotions closely to beliefs or judgements; B) in terms of the very features that traditional views of emotions as irrational/a-rational emphasized; C) by arguing that emotions exhibit a more sui generis kind of rationality, often one based on a narrative or dramaturgic ''inner logic''., Tvrdí, že emoce jsou nebo mohou být racionální a rozhodně umožňující racionalitu, jsou nyní poměrně běžné, i mimo filosofii, ale se značnou rozmanitostí jak v jejich předpokladech o emocích, tak v jejich pojmech racionality. Tři hlavní trendy stojí za to vyzvednout, a to jak v sobě, tak i pro potenciální napětí mezi nimi: účty, které obhajují případ racionality emocí A) tím, že se emoce úzce přizpůsobují vírám nebo úsudkům; B) z hlediska samotných rysů, které tradiční názory na emoce považují za iracionální / racionální; C) argumentací, že emoce vykazují více sui generis druh racionality, často založené na narativní nebo dramaturgické ,,vnitřní logice''., and Sophie Rietti
This paper reports on experience with developing the flood forecasting model for the Upper Danube basin and its operational use since 2006. The model system consists of hydrological and hydrodynamic components, and involves precipitation forecasts. The model parameters were estimated based on the dominant processes concept. Runoff data are assimilated in real time to update modelled soil moisture. An analysis of the model performance indicates 88% of the snow cover in the basin to be modelled correctly on more than 80% of the days. Runoff forecasting errors decrease with catchment area and increase with forecast lead time. The forecast ensemble spread is shown to be a meaningful indicator of the forecast uncertainty. During the 2013 flood, there was a tendency for the precipitation forecasts to underestimate event precipitation and for the runoff model to overestimate runoff generation which resulted in, overall, rather accurate runoff forecasts. It is suggested that the human forecaster plays an essential role in interpreting the model results and, if needed, adjusting them before issuing the forecasts to the general public.
Wilfrid Sellars’ philosophical system joins issues that have often been regarded as incompatible or at least in mutual tension. Two of these are his holistic approach to language and knowledge on the one hand and his realism on the other hand. In my paper I first outline this tension and then present a number of steps, including the rejection of semantic relations, picturing and the defense of realism, which can help us to accommodate it. I highlight the payoff of these steps for the question to be solved. In the last part of the paper I detect new and more refined tensions revealed by Sellars’ solution. I identify possible dissonances between his Kantian and his naturalist treatment of causality as well as between his two ways of conceiving of language arguing that these new questions furnish a more interesting approach to our initial problem., Filozofický systém Wilfrida Sellara spojuje otázky, které jsou často považovány za neslučitelné nebo alespoň ve vzájemném napětí. Dva z nich jsou jeho holistický přístup k jazyku a znalostem na jedné straně a jeho realismus na straně druhé. Ve svém příspěvku nejprve nastiňuji toto napětí a pak představuji řadu kroků, včetně odmítnutí sémantických vztahů, zobrazování a obrany realismu, které nám mohou pomoci vstříc. Zdůrazňuji výplatu těchto kroků za otázku, která má být vyřešena. V poslední části práce zjišťuji nová a rafinovanější napětí, která odhalila Sellarsova řešení. Identifikuji možné disonance mezi jeho kantiánskou a jeho naturalistickou léčbou kauzality, stejně jako mezi jeho dvěma způsoby chápání jazyka argumentující, že tyto nové otázky poskytují zajímavější přístup k našemu počátečnímu problému., and Stefanie Dach