THE ADVANCED SCATTEROMETER PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR ERS DATA: THIRTEEN YEARS OF OCEAN WINDS FROM SPACE

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Assimilation of reprocessed ERS scatterometer data into ECMWF weather analysis on the Mediterranean Sea

International audienceSince the launch of ERS-1 in 1991 and ERS-2 in 1995, carrying a C-band Scatterometer, a data set of more than thirteen years of backscattered signal from the Earth surface is available for exploitation. With its global coverage, day or night and all-weather operation, ERS Scatterometer data offer unique opportunity for long-term studies and research. To fulfill the needs of the scientific community, the European Space Agency (ESA) has developed the project: Advanced Scatterometer Processing System (ASPS). Main scope of the project is to provide with state-of-the-art algorithm, high quality and homogenous Scatterometer measurements (sigma nought) of the Earth surface and high quality wind field over the Oceans by re-processing the entire ERS mission. Additional scope is to provide on experimental basis scientific products in high resolution tailored for the emerging Scatterometer application on Ice and Land. The ASPS project is now in a pre-operational phase and the scope of the paper is to give to the scientific community an overview of the ASPS data and show the assimilation of the data into the ECMWF weather analysis system. ASPS data hopefully will help the scientific community to better understand and monitor the Earth's climate changes and to protect our environment

The role of the family doctor’s language in modulating people's attitudes towards hearing loss and hearing aids

Despite widespread hearing problems among older adults, only a minority of them use hearing aids. The decision to rely on hearing aids is influenced by several psychosocial factors, which may include attitudes influenced by significant others, particularly caregivers and health professionals. The language used by professionals when approaching this topic is particularly important. The purpose of this study was to deepen the role played by different communication styles in the area of hearing impairment by analysing the impact of language—medical versus everyday—used in the doctor–patient interaction on attitudes and behavioural intentions in a sample of potential caregivers of older adults. 209 Italian volunteers aged between 19 and 60 completed an online experimental study. The results suggested that, when interacting with doctors, exposure to a language that includes medical words promotes negative attitudes towards hearing loss. Nevertheless, medical language induces positive attitudes towards hearing aids and encourages people to adopt them when needed as well as recommending them to relatives and friends. Overall, the use of formal, medical language in doctor–patient communication, despite sounding less reassuring, is more effective in persuading people with hearing loss to rely on hearing aids

THE ADVANCED SCATTEROMETER PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR ERS DATA: THIRTEEN YEARS OF OCEAN WINDS FROM SPACE

Since the launch of ERS-1 in 1991 and ERS-2 in 1995, carrying a C-band Scatterometer, a data set of more than thirteen years of backscattered signal from the Earth surface is available for exploitation. With its global coverage, day or night and all-weather operation, ERS Scatterometer data offer a unique opportunity for long-term studies and research. To fulfill the needs of the scientific community, the European Space Agency (ESA) has developed the project: Advanced Scatterometer Processing System (ASPS). Main scope of the project is to provide with state of the art algorithm, high quality and homogenous Scatterometer measurements (sigma nought) of the Earth surface and high quality wind field over the Oceans by re-processing the entire ERS mission. Additional scope is to provide on experimental basis scientific products in high resolution tailored for the emerging Scatterometer application on Ice and Land. The ASPS project is now in a pre-operational phase and the scope of the paper is to give to the scientific community an overview of the ASPS system. Those new data, available in the next years, hopefully will help the scientific community to better understand and monitor the Earth's climate changes and to protect our environmen