Stratosphere chemistry in a 2-D model with residual circulation

The objective of this research was to examine the effects of chemical perturbations on the stratosphere using models which can incorporate fully interactive radiative, chemical, and dynamical responses, in the context of a zonally averaged model. Model runs for the unperturbed, chlorine-perturbed and simultaneously chlorine-and CO2-perturbed cases were completed using the JPL-87 chemical kinetics data. The base case was analyzed and submitted for publication. The perturbed cases show substantial sensitivity of the predicted column ozone depletion to the perturbations affecting lower stratosphere temperature, but less to far dynamical perturbations. The column ozone distribution changed substantially when the kinetics data was changed. This implies a greater-than-expected uncertainty in predicted latitude distributions of ozone depletion, due to uncertainty about the accuracy and completeness of the chemical kinetics data set

Results of abundance surveys of juvenile Atlantic and gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus and B. patronus

The estuarine populations of juvenile Atlantic and gulf menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus and B. patronus) were sampled during two-boat, surface-trawl, abundance surveys extensively conducted in the 1970s. Juvenile Atlantic menhaden were sampled in 39 estuarine streams along the U.S. Atlantic coast from northern Florida into Massachusetts. Juvenile gulf menhaden were sampled in 29 estuarine streams along the Gulf of Mexico from southeast Texas into western Florida. A stratified, two-stage, cluster sampling design was used. Annual estimates of relative juvenile abundance for each species of menhaden were obtained from catch-effort data from the surveys. There were no significant correlations, for either species, between the relative juvenile abundance estimates and fishery-dependent estimates of year-class strength. From 1972 to 1975, the relative abundance of juvenile Atlantic menhaden in north Atlantic estuaries decreased to near zero. (PDF file contains 22 pages.

Urban-rural contrasts in Arbor Week in South Africa

Trees provide people with environmental benefits. Greening projects have been implemented worldwide, but many of them have frustratingly low participation levels. In South Africa, tree-planting campaigns such as the national Arbor Week are generally aimed at schools. Because of the remoteness of rural schools, there are urban / rural disparities in standards of education, infrastructure and support provided at schools, and hence we hypothesized that these disparities would be mirrored in tree-planting activities associated with national Arbor Week. In the study reported here, 236 urban and rural schools were assessed by means of postal surveys and subsampled via direct interviews, as to their participation in Arbor Week activities, the provision of trees, constraints to participation, and the perceived benefits of planting trees. Very few urban schools had never participated in any Arbor Week activities, whereas one-fifth of rural ones had never participated in any way. Urban schools participated in a greater number of Arbor Week activities than rural schools, including tree-planting, displaying posters and having speeches. Thus, overall information about Arbor Week is lacking in rural areas compared to urban ones. Rural schools derived more benefits from planting trees, with shade and education being the primary benefits overall. Rural schools were supplied with trees by NGOs, whereas urban schools received trees from individual or company donations. The major constraints to tree-planting are livestock damage, water shortages, vandalism and theft. These obstacles need to be addressed in a holistic fashion in order to improve the participation and success of National Arbor Week as a vehicle for tree-planting and environmental awareness

Effect of Preventive Primary Care Outreach on Health Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults at Risk of Functional Decline: Randomised Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a provider initiated primary care outreach intervention compared with usual care among older adults at risk of functional decline. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Patients enrolled with 35 family physicians in five primary care networks in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Participants: Patients were eligible if they were 75 years of age or older and were not receiving home care services. Of 3166 potentially eligible patients, 2662 (84%) completed the validated postal questionnaire used to determine risk of functional decline. Of 1724 patients who met the risk criteria, 769 (45%) agreed to participate and 719 were randomised. Intervention: The 12 month intervention, provided by experienced home care nurses in 2004-6, consisted of a comprehensive initial assessment using the resident assessment instrument for home care; collaborative care planning with patients, their families, and family physicians; health promotion; and referral to community health and social support services. Main outcome measures: Quality adjusted life years (QALYs), use and costs of health and social services, functional status, self rated health, and mortality. Results: The mean difference in QALYs between intervention and control patients during the study period was not statistically significant (0.017, 95% confidence interval ?0.022 to 0.056; P=0.388). The mean difference in overall cost of prescription drugs and services between the intervention and control groups was not statistically significant, (-$C165 (£107; 118;$162), 95% confidence interval -$C16 545 to$$16 214; P=0.984). Changes over 12 months in functional status and self rated health were not significantly different between the intervention and control groups. Ten patients died in each group. Conclusions: The results of this study do not support adoption of this preventive primary care intervention for this target population of high risk older adults

Fast two-dimensional model

A two dimensional (altitude and latitude) model of the atmosphere is used to investigate problems relating to the variability of the dynamics and temperature of the atmosphere on the ozone distribution, solar cycle variations of atmospheric constituents, the sensitivity of model results to tropospheric trace gas sources, and assessment computations of changes in ozone related to manmade influences. In a comparison between two dimensional model results in which the odd nitrogen family was transported together and model results in which the odd nitrogen species was transported separately, it was found that the family approximations are adequate for perturbation scenario calculations

The Effects of Exposure to Appropriated Slurs on Stereotype Threat

Appropriated slurs are refurbished forms of derogatory terms that originate from an outgroup but are adapted by the target group as ingroup terms with specific contextual and application norms. However, the use of appropriated slurs is often debated within the appropriating social group. Within the Black American community, one side of the argument views appropriated slurs as empowering while the other side holds that the underlying slur in its appropriated form causes harm to the integrity of the Black American culture and psyche. Recent survey research supports the perspective that appropriated slurs may have some social benefits; however, social science research has not yet examined how appropriated slurs affect cognition or behaviors. Therefore, the current study addressed this gap by examining how exposure to appropriated slurs affects stereotype activation and academic task performance within the context of the stereotype threat model. In a posttest-only with control group research design, 2x2 ANOVA models were used to compare the mean differences of the dependent variables (stereotype activation and academic performance task) along two independent variables (exposure or no exposure to the selected appropriated slur and racial identity) in 118 Black American adults. The results suggest that appropriated slurs had no effect on the components of stereotype threat. The results have implications for positive social change such that they provide a launching point for further research on the complexity and effects of appropriated slurs

Pleistocene, Holocene and Recent Bird Gastroliths from Interior Alaska

Describes and discusses the origin of polished and rounded grains of quartz, secondary quartz, and chert from (probably) Holocene loess of Easter Egg Hill near Livengood townsite, peat on the Nenana Road, and redeposited Wisconsin loess from the Eva Creek Mine and Ready Bullion Creek Mine at 64 51 N, 148 02 W. The association of these grains with dull, angular grains of the same materials rules out soil or solifluction abrasion in place. Gizzard-bearing birds such as ptarmigan and grouse in Alaska produce glossy polish on their gizzard stones (gastroliths) comparable to that of the Pleistocene and Holocene gastroliths; the polish and roundness of the stones in living birds are more pronounced in late winter. Because the modal size classes of ancient and Recent polished gastroliths do not coincide, some of the ancient gastroliths are believed to have been produced by birds not now living in interior Alaska.Gastrolithes d'oiseaux pléistocènes, holocènes et récents de l'Alaska intérieur. On trouve dans le loess et la tourbe de l'Alaska intérieur des grains polis et arrondis de quartz, de quartz secondaire et de chert. Le diamètre intermédiaire de ces grains se situe entre 35 et 0.07 mm, les plus abondants mesurant 0.07 mm, de 2 à 4 mm et peut-être, de 10 à 20 mm. Le poli de ces grains est le produit de l'abrasion dans des gésiers d'oiseaux. Les oiseaux à gésier qui vivent aujourd'hui dans l'Alaska intérieur produisent sur leurs gastrolithes un fini poli comparable à celui des gastrolithes des dépôts holocènes et pléistocènes. Sur les gastrolithes d'oiseaux récents, le poli et l'arrondi varient directement, atteignant un maximum pour les oiseaux vivants à la fin de l'hiver. On peut croire que certaines gastrolithes polies de l'Holocène et du Pléistocène ont été produites par des oiseaux qui ne vivent plus aujourd'hui dans l'Alaska intérieur, car les classes dimensionnelles de ces gastrolithes anciennes ne coïncident plus avec celles des gastrolithes des oiseaux d'aujourd'hui

Report of the 1988 2-D Intercomparison Workshop, chapter 3

Several factors contribute to the errors encountered. With the exception of the line-by-line model, all of the models employ simplifying assumptions that place fundamental limits on their accuracy and range of validity. For example, all 2-D modeling groups use the diffusivity factor approximation. This approximation produces little error in tropospheric H2O and CO2 cooling rates, but can produce significant errors in CO2 and O3 cooling rates at the stratopause. All models suffer from fundamental uncertainties in shapes and strengths of spectral lines. Thermal flux algorithms being used in 2-D tracer tranport models produce cooling rates that differ by as much as 40 percent for the same input model atmosphere. Disagreements of this magnitude are important since the thermal cooling rates must be subtracted from the almost-equal solar heating rates to derive the net radiative heating rates and the 2-D model diabatic circulation. For much of the annual cycle, the net radiative heating rates are comparable in magnitude to the cooling rate differences described. Many of the models underestimate the cooling rates in the middle and lower stratosphere. The consequences of these errors for the net heating rates and the diabatic circulation will depend on their meridional structure, which was not tested here. Other models underestimate the cooling near 1 mbar. Suchs errors pose potential problems for future interactive ozone assessment studies, since they could produce artificially-high temperatures and increased O3 destruction at these levels. These concerns suggest that a great deal of work is needed to improve the performance of thermal cooling rate algorithms used in the 2-D tracer transport models

Welfare and Homelessness in Indianapolis: Populations at Risk and Barriers to Self-Sufficiency, Indianapolis

Who are the homeless in Indianapolis? How has welfare reform affected Indianapolis families who rely on public support? What barriers are preventing these populations from becoming self-sufficient? Two recent studies help answer these questions for policymakers and service providers. This issue brief summarizes the studies’ demographic findings, and the problems that erect barriers to self-sufficiency among the poor in Indianapolis