Overshooting of Clean Tropospheric Air in the Tropical Lower Stratosphere as Seen by the CALIPSO Lidar

The evolution of aerosols in the tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere between June 2006 and October 2009 is examined using the observations of the space borne CALIOP lidar aboard the CALIPSO satellite. Superimposed on several volcanic plumes and soot from an extreme biomass-burning event in 2009, the measurements reveal the existence of fast cleansing episodes of the lower stratosphere to altitudes as high as 20 km. The cleansing of the full 14-20km layer takes place within 1-4 months. Its coincidence with the maximum of convective activity in the southern tropics, suggests that the cleansing is the result of a large number of overshooting towers, injecting aerosol-poor tropospheric air into the lower stratosphere. The enhancements of aerosols at the tropopause level during the NH summer may be due to the same transport process but associated with intense sources of aerosols at the surface. Since, the tropospheric air flux derived from CALIOP observations during North Hemisphere winter is 5 20 times larger than the slow ascent by radiative heating usually assumed, the observations suggest that convective overshooting is a major contributor to troposphere-to-stratosphere transport with concommitant implications to the Tropical Tropopause Layer top height, chemistry and thermal structure

Ozone loss derived from balloon-borne tracer measurements in the 1999/2000 Arctic winter

Balloon-borne measurements of CFC11 (from the DIRAC in situ gas chromatograph and the DESCARTES grab sampler), ClO and O3 were made during the 1999/2000 Arctic winter as part of the SOLVE-THESEO 2000 campaign, based in Kiruna (Sweden). Here we present the CFC11 data from nine flights and compare them first with data from other instruments which flew during the campaign and then with the vertical distributions calculated by the SLIMCAT 3D CTM. We calculate ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex between late January and early March using the relation between CFC11 and O3 measured on the flights. The peak ozone loss (~1200ppbv) occurs in the 440-470K region in early March in reasonable agreement with other published empirical estimates. There is also a good agreement between ozone losses derived from three balloon tracer data sets used here. The magnitude and vertical distribution of the loss derived from the measurements is in good agreement with the loss calculated from SLIMCAT over Kiruna for the same days

Ozone loss derived from balloon-borne tracer measurements and the SLIMCAT CTM

Balloon-borne measurements of CFC-11 (on flights of the DIRAC in situ gas chromatograph and the DESCARTES grab sampler), ClO and O3 were made during the 1999/2000 winter as part of the SOLVE-THESEO 2000 campaign. Here we present the CFC-11 data from nine flights and compare them first with data from other instruments which flew during the campaign and then with the vertical distributions calculated by the SLIMCAT 3-D CTM. We calculate ozone loss inside the Arctic vortex between late January and early March using the relation between CFC-11 and O3 measured on the flights, the peak ozone loss (1200 ppbv) occurs in the 440–470 K region in early March in reasonable agreement with other published empirical estimates. There is also a good agreement between ozone losses derived from three independent balloon tracer data sets used here. The magnitude and vertical distribution of the loss derived from the measurements is in good agreement with the loss calculated from SLIMCAT over Kiruna for the same days

Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

The subjective experiences of adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) were compared to those of their low-achieving and normally achieving peers. Three groups of juniors and seniors from one suburban high school district, 18 students with learning disabilities (15 males, 3 females), 17 low-achieving students (12 males, 5 females), and 20 average-achieving students (12 males, 8 females), were given electronic pagers and booklets for 1 week. They were signaled every 40 minutes during school hours, and every 2 hours after school. As soon as possible after receiving a signal, they responded to questions in their booklets. The questions provided subjective measures on levels of affect, activation, cognitive efficiency, self-esteem, motivation, and feedback from others. The students with learning disabilities reported feeling more positive and active than either of the other groups during school hours, while after school there were no differences on any of the subjective measures for the three groups. Specific LD school practices are highlighted for their probable impact on the heightened affect and activation of the students with learning disabilities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68706/2/10.1177_002221949302600912.pd

Effects and feasibility of a multi-disciplinary orientation program for newly registered cancer patients: design of a randomised controlled trial

Background Diagnosis and treatment of cancer can contribute to psychological distress and anxiety amongst patients. Evidence indicates that information giving can be beneficial in reducing patient anxiety, so oncology specific information may have a major impact on this patient group. This study investigates the effects of an orientation program on levels of anxiety and self-efficacy amongst newly registered cancer patients who are about to undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in the cancer care centre of a large tertiary Australian hospital. Methods The concept of interventions for orienting new cancer patients needs revisiting due to the dynamic health care system. Historically, most orientation programs at this cancer centre were conducted by one nurse. A randomised controlled trial has been designed to test the effectiveness of an orientation program with bundled interventions; a face-to-face program which includes introduction to the hospital facilities, introduction to the multi-disciplinary team and an overview of treatment side effects and self care strategies. The aim is to orientate patients to the cancer centre and to meet the health care team. We hypothesize that patients who receive this orientation will experience lower levels of anxiety and distress, and a higher level of self-efficacy. Discussion An orientation program is a common health care service provided by cancer care centres for new cancer patients. Such programs aim to give information to patients at the beginning of their encounter at a cancer care centre. It is clear in the literature that interventions that aim to improve self-efficacy in patients may demonstrate potential improvement in health outcomes. Yet, evidence on the effects of orientation programs for cancer patients on self-efficacy remains scarce, particularly with respect to the use of multidisciplinary team members. This paper presents the design of a randomised controlled trial that will evaluate the effects and feasibility of a multidisciplinary orientation program for new cancer patients

Observations of the Antarctic ozone hole from 2003-2010

Póster presentado en: EGU General Assembly 2011 celebrada del 3 al 8 de abril en Viena, Austria.The Global Atmosphere Watch of WMO includes several stations in Antarctica that keep a close eye on the ozone layer during the ozone hole season. Observations made during the ozone holes from 2003 to 2010 will be compared to each other and interpreted in light of the meteorological conditions. Satellite observations will be used to get a more general picture of the size and depth of the ozone hole and will also be used to calculate various metrics for ozone hole severity. In 2003, 2005 and 2006, the ozone hole was relatively large with more ozone loss than normal. This is in particular the case for 2006, which by most ozone hole metrics was the most severe ozone holeon record. On the other hand, the ozone holes of 2004, 2007 and 2010 were less severe than normal, and only the very special ozone hole of 2002 had less ozone depletion when one regards the ozone holes of the last decade. The interannual variability will be discussed with the help of meteorological data, such as temperature conditions, possibility for polar stratospheric clouds, vortex shape and vortex longevity. Observations will also be compared to 3-D chemical transport model calculations