Identifying causes of Western Pacific ITCZ drift in ECMWF System 4 hindcasts

The development of systematic biases in climate models used in operational seasonal forecasting adversely affects the quality of forecasts they produce. In this study, we examine the initial evolution of systematic biases in the ECMWF System 4 forecast model, and isolate aspects of the model simulations that lead to the development of these biases. We focus on the tendency of the simulated intertropical convergence zone in the western equatorial Pacific to drift northwards by between 0.5° and 3° of latitude depending on season. Comparing observations with both fully coupled atmosphere–ocean hindcasts and atmosphere-only hindcasts (driven by observed sea-surface temperatures), we show that the northward drift is caused by a cooling of the sea-surface temperature on the Equator. The cooling is associated with anomalous easterly wind stress and excessive evaporation during the first twenty days of hindcast, both of which occur whether air-sea interactions are permitted or not. The easterly wind bias develops immediately after initialisation throughout the lower troposphere; a westerly bias develops in the upper troposphere after about ten days of hindcast. At this point, the baroclinic structure of the wind bias suggests coupling with errors in convective heating, although the initial wind bias is barotropic in structure and appears to have an alternative origin

Joint disorder; a contributory cause to reproductive failure in beef bulls?

The lame sire, unsound for breeding, can cause substantial economic loss due to reduced pregnancies in the beef-producing herd

Clinical Significance of Myocardial Injury in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: A Prospective, Multicenter, Cohort Study

\ua9 2024 The AuthorsBackground: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with troponin elevation have a higher prevalence of cardiac abnormalities than control individuals. However, the progression and impact of myocardial injury on COVID-19 survivors remain unclear. Objectives: This study sought to evaluate myocardial injury in COVID-19 survivors with troponin elevation with baseline and follow-up imaging and to assess medium-term outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal cohort study in 25 United Kingdom centers (June 2020 to March 2021). Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scans within 28 days and 6 months postdischarge. Outcomes were tracked for 12 months, with quality of life surveys (EuroQol-5 Dimension and 36-Item Short Form surveys) taken at discharge and 6 months. Results: Of 342 participants (median age: 61.3 years; 71.1% male) with baseline CMR, 338 had a 12-month follow-up, 235 had a 6-month CMR, and 215 has baseline and follow-up quality of life surveys. Of 338 participants, within 12 months, 1.2% died; 1.8% had new myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, or coronary revascularization; 0.8% had new myopericarditis; and 3.3% had other cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization. At 6 months, there was a minor improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (1.8% \ub1 1.0%; P < 0.001), stable right ventricular ejection fraction (0.4% \ub1 0.8%; P = 0.50), no change in myocardial scar pattern or volume (P = 0.26), and no imaging evidence of continued myocardial inflammation. All pericardial effusions (26 of 26) resolved, and most pneumonitis resolved (95 of 101). EuroQol-5 Dimension scores indicated an overall improvement in quality of life (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Myocardial injury in severe hospitalized COVID-19 survivors is nonprogressive. Medium-term outcomes show a low incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events and improved quality of life. (COVID-19 Effects on the Heart; ISRCTN58667920

Successful management of an iatrogenic biliary pseudocyst in a dog

A two-year-old, female Australian cattle dog was presented for treatment of a congenital, intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. The shunt was attenuated using a transportal approach. The dog developed an abdominal mass four weeks later. A 16-cm diameter, biliary pseudocyst arising from the hepatic surgical site was identified during ultrasonographic examination. The cyst was marsupialized to the right abdominal wall surgically. Bile-stained fluid drained from the stoma at an initial rate of 10 ml/kg body weight per day, decreasing to 1 ml/kg body weight per day over four weeks. The stoma closed five weeks after surgery, and no further evidence of fluid accumulation was detected ultrasonographically. Eighteen months postoperatively, the pseudocyst has not recurred.</jats:p

Training loads in typical junior-elite tennis training and competition: implications for transition periods in a high-performance pathway

The purpose of this study was to describe the differences in training and competition loads at three distinct development levels in a junior-elite tennis academy. A total of 39 junior-elite tennis players were recruited from three squads; U/12, U/15 and U/18. Metrics of global positioning systems, accelerometer microtechnology and hitting demands were quantified to determine the external load. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were used to quantify internal training and competition loads. Two training sessions and one competition match were quantified. The results showed an increase in training hitting demands as age increased from the U/15–U/18 squad (p < 0.05). Serve loads were greater in competition compared to training across all squads (p < 0.05). Perceptions of exertion were greater in competition for the U/12 males (p < 0.01) with the U/15 males showing higher RPE in training (p < 0.05). No differences in perceptions of exertion were seen between female groups in training however, the U/15 females found competition less demanding than training (p < 0.05). Overall, the findings suggest practitioners be aware that the U/15–U/18 transition involves significant increases in hitting loads