Ricostruzione di un data-set ad alta risoluzione (30 secondi d'arco) di temperature massime e minime giornaliere per un'area ad orografia complessa (Trentino Alto-Adige)

Dati climatici ad alta risoluzione sono attualmente molto richiesti essendo indispensabili per la valutazione degli impatti dei cambiamenti climatici alla scala locale in svariati campi d'applicazione. Per aumentare l'offerta di tali dati per il territorio italiano viene presentata in questo studio la realizzazione di un data-set con risoluzione di trenta secondi d'arco, per le temperature massime e minime giornaliere per il Trentino Alto Adige, per il periodo che va dal 1951 al 2014. La metodologia utilizzata per proiettare i dati meteorologici di un set di stazioni su di un grigliato ad alta risoluzione si basa sull'assunzione che la struttura spazio-temporale del campo di una variabile meteorologica su una determinata area possa essere descritta dalla sovrapposizione di due campi:i valori normali relativi e un periodo standard, ovvero la climatologia,e le deviazioni da questi, ovvero le anomalie. La climatologia mensile verrà interpolata sull'intero dominio tramite una regressione lineare pesata della temperatura rispetto alla quota,stimata separatamente per ogni nodo del grigliato,con pesi legati alla topografia del territorio,in modo da attribuire di volta in volta la massima importanza alle stazioni con caratteristiche più simili a quella del punto di griglia considerato. Da questa sarà possibile tramite la sovrapposizione con le anomalie mensili ricostruite sul medesimo grigliato, ottenute mediante un'interpolazione basata su una media pesata,ottenere un grigliato a 30 secondi d'arco, di serie temporali mensili in valori assoluti. Combinando poi l'interpolazione dei rapporti delle anomalie giornaliere relative alla media mensile per un set di stazioni con i campi mensili precedentemente stimati,sarà possibile costruire il data-set a risoluzione giornaliera. Prima di quest'ultima fase sarà necessario effettuare un'operazione di sincronizzazione dei dati giornalieri per assicurarsi che non vi siano sfasamenti nelle serie utilizzate. I risultati confermano l'efficacia nell'utilizzo di tale metodo su regioni orograficamente complesse, sia nel confronto diretto con i casi di studio,nei quali si nota bene la discriminazione spaziale effettuata dal modello, che nella valutazione dell'accuratezza e della precisione dei risultati. I dati ottenuti non sono affetti da errori sistematici,mentre l'errore medio assoluto risulta pari od inferiore ai $2^{\circ}$C, in linea con precedenti studi realizzati su altre aree alpine. Il metodo e i risultati risultano soddisfacenti ma ulteriormente migliorabili, sia tramite un ulteriore ottimizzazione del modello usato, che con un aumento nella qualità dei dati sui quali è stato svolto lo studio.

Cerebral air embolism caused by a bronchogenic cyst

An unusual case is presented of a tourist who developed fatal cerebral air embolism, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium while ascending from low altitude to Europe's highest railway station. Presumably the air embolism originated from rupture of the unsuspected bronchogenic cyst as a result of pressure changes during the ascent. Cerebral air embolism has been observed during surgery, in scuba diving accidents, submarine escapes and less frequently during exposure to very high altitude. People with known bronchogenic cysts should be informed about the risk of cerebral air embolism and surgical removal should be considered. Cerebral air embolism is a rare cause of coma and stroke in all activities with rapid air pressure changes, including alpine tourism, as our unfortunate tourist illustrates.

Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) of mountaineering casualties in the Swiss Alps - Advantages and limitations

As an Alpine country, Switzerland has not only a thriving mountaineering tourist industry, but also many mountaineering casualties. At the request of the state attorney, most of the victims undergo only an external inspection without autopsy. One of the main tasks of the forensic pathologist under these circumstances is the correct identification of the deceased for a fast release to their kin. Nevertheless, detailed knowledge of the injuries sustained may lead to improved safety measures, such as better protective equipment. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using cross-sectional imaging with postmortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) to detect lesions of the skeletal structures and internal organs. For this purpose, we used whole-body MSCT to examine 10 corpses that suffered fatal falls from great height while climbing in the Swiss part of the European Alps from the years 2007 to 2009. We conclude that postmortem CT imaging is a valuable tool for dental identification and is superior to plain X-rays as a viable compromise between a solely external legal inspection and an autopsy because it delivers otherwise irretrievable additional internal findings non-invasively. This fact is of great importance in cases where an autopsy is refused.

Rapid parallel adaptive radiations from a single hybridogenic ancestral population

The Alpine lake whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) species complex is a classic example of a recent radiation, associated with colonization of the Alpine lakes following the glacial retreat (less than 15 kyr BP). They have formed a unique array of endemic lake flocks, each with one to six described sympatric species differing in morphology, diet and reproductive ecology. Here, we present a genomic investigation of the relationships between and within the lake flocks. Comparing the signal between over 1000 AFLP loci and mitochondrial control region sequence data, we use phylogenetic tree-based and population genetic methods to reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the group and to delineate the principal centres of genetic diversity within the radiation. We find significant cytonuclear discordance showing that the genomically monophyletic Alpine whitefish clade arose from a hybrid swarm of at least two glacial refugial lineages. Within this radiation, we find seven extant genetic clusters centred on seven lake systems. Most interestingly, we find evidence of sympatric speciation within and parallel evolution of equivalent phenotypes among these lake systems. However, we also find the genetic signature of human-mediated gene flow and diversity loss within many lakes, highlighting the fragility of recent radiations.

Reducing vulnerability to climate change in the Swiss Alps: a study of adaptive planning

The Swiss Alps will experience pronounced effects of climate change due to the combination of their latitudinal positioning, altitude and unique ecosystems, placing socio-economic stresses on alpine communities, many of which rely on seasonal tourism. Studies into tourism adaptation within the Swiss Alps have so far focused on the technical adaptation options of alpine stakeholders, rather than perceptions of adaptation to climate change at the operational and community level. This article investigates attitudes to adaptation in two alpine regions within Switzerland's well-established decentralized political framework, through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Stakeholders focused almost entirely on maintaining the status quo of winter tourism, through technical or marketing measures, with mixed attitudes towards climatic impacts. A matrix based on the relative internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats of adaptation measures (a SWOT framework) was used to assess the measures and suggest how stakeholders could capitalize on the new opportunities thrown up by climate change to create a competitive advantage. A comprehensive and collaborative planning approach is vital to enable policy makers and stakeholders to maximize opportunities, minimize the adverse effects of climate change on the local economy, and develop inclusive adaptation measures that benefit the entire region in order to create more sustainable social, economic and environmental structures.

Eutrophication causes speciation reversal in whitefish adaptive radiations

Species diversity can be lost through two different but potentially interacting extinction processes: demographic decline and speciation reversal through introgressive hybridization. To investigate the relative contribution of these processes, we analysed historical and contemporary data of replicate whitefish radiations from 17 pre-alpine European lakes and reconstructed changes in genetic species differentiation through time using historical samples. Here we provide evidence that species diversity evolved in response to ecological opportunity, and that eutrophication, by diminishing this opportunity, has driven extinctions through speciation reversal and demographic decline. Across the radiations, the magnitude of eutrophication explains the pattern of species loss and levels of genetic and functional distinctiveness among remaining species. We argue that extinction by speciation reversal may be more widespread than currently appreciated. Preventing such extinctions will require that conservation efforts not only target existing species but identify and protect the ecological and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain species.

Improving prehospital trauma management for skiers and snowboarders - need for on-slope triage?

Background Injuries from skiing and snowboarding became a major challenge for emergency care providers in Switzerland. In the alpine setting, early assessment of injury and health status is essential for the initiation of adequate means of care and transport. Nevertheless, validated standardized protocols for on-slope triage are missing. This article can assist in understanding the characteristics of injured winter sportsmen and exigencies for future on-slope triage protocols. Methods Six-year review of trauma cases in a tertiary trauma centre. Consecutive inclusion of all injured skiers and snowboarders aged >15 (total sample) years with predefined, severe injury to the head, spine, chest, pelvis or abdomen (study sample) presenting at or being transferred to the study hospital. Descriptive analysis of age, gender and injury pattern. Results Amongst 729 subjects (total sample) injured from skiing or snowboarding, 401 (55%, 54% of skiers and 58% of snowboarders) suffered from isolated limb injury. Amongst the remaining 328 subjects (study sample), the majority (78%) presented with monotrauma. In the study sample, injury to the head (52%) and spine (43%) was more frequent than injury to the chest (21%), pelvis (8%), and abdomen (5%). The three most frequent injury combinations were head/spine (10% of study sample), head/thorax (9%), and spine/thorax (6%). Fisher's exact test demonstrated an association for injury combinations of head/thorax (p < 0.001), head/abdomen (p = 0.019), and thorax/abdomen (p < 0.001). Conclusion The data presented and the findings from previous investigations indicate the need for development of dedicated on-slope triage protocols. Future research must address the validity and practicality of diagnostic on-slope tests for rapid decision making by both professional and lay first responders. Thus, large-scale and detailed injury surveillance is the future research priority.

Approaching water stress in the Alps: Transdisciplinary co-production of systems, target and transformation knowledge

There is increasing recognition that transdisciplinary approaches are needed to create suitable knowledge for sustainable water management. However, there is no common understanding of what transdisciplinary research may be and there is very limited debate on potentials and challenges regarding its implementation. Against this background, this paper presents a conceptual framework for transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge in water management projects oriented towards more sustainable use of water. Moreover, first experiences with its implementation are discussed. In so doing, the focus lies on potentials and challenges related to the co-production of systems, target and transformation knowledge by researchers and local stakeholders.

ARIS-Campaign: Intercomparison of three ground based 22 GHz radiometers for middle atmospheric water vapor at the Zugspitze in winter 2009

This paper presents the Alpine Radiometer Intercomparison at the Schneefernerhaus (ARIS), which took place in winter 2009 at the high altitude station at the Zugspitze, Germany (47.42° N, 10.98° E, 2650 m). This campaign was the first direct intercomparison between three new ground based 22 GHz water vapor radiometers for middle atmospheric profiling with the following instruments participating: MIRA 5 (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), cWASPAM3 (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau) and MIAWARA-C (Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern). Even though the three radiometers all measure middle atmospheric water vapor using the same rotational transition line and similar fundamental set-ups, there are major differences between the front ends, the back ends, the calibration concepts and the profile retrieval. The spectrum comparison shows that all three radiometers measure spectra without severe baseline artifacts and that the measurements are in good general agreement. The measurement noise shows good agreement to the values theoretically expected from the radiometer noise formula. At the same time the comparison of the noise levels shows that there is room for instrumental and calibration improvement, emphasizing the importance of low elevation angles for the observation, a low receiver noise temperature and an efficient calibration scheme. The comparisons of the retrieved profiles show that the agreement between the profiles of MIAWARA-C and cWASPAM3 with the ones of MLS is better than 0.3 ppmv (6%) at all altitudes. MIRA 5 has a dry bias of approximately 0.5 ppm (8%) below 0.1 hPa with respect to all other instruments. The profiles of cWASPAM3 and MIAWARA-C could not be directly compared because the vertical region of overlap was too small. The comparison of the time series at different altitude levels show a similar evolution of the H2O volume mixing ratio (VMR) for the ground based instruments as well as the space borne sensor MLS.