Detection of air within the northern hemisphere polar vortex at Wakkanai and at Tsukuba, Japan

Intensive ozonesonde observations were conducted at Wakkanai(45.4°N , 141.7°E ), the northernmost city of Japan, during the period 15th to 24th February 2001. Air in the polar vortex passed over Wakkanai on 19th February 2001 on the 700K isentropic surface. An increase of potential vorticity and a decrease of ozone mixing ratio on the 700K isentropic surface over Wakkanai were observed on the same day, 19th February 2001. On the other hand, on the 450K isentropic surface the air in the polar vortex passed over Tsukuba(36.1°N , 140.1°E ), Japan, where the Aerological Observatory and the Meteorological Research Institute are located, on 20th February 2001. Decrease of the ratio of observed HCl(hydrogen chloride) to HCl estimated from HF(hydrogen fluoride) and increases of the potential vorticity and ozone mixing ratio on the 450K isentropic surface were observed over Tsukuba on 20th February 2001. These facts indicate that the polar vortex passed over Tsukuba on the 450K isentropic surface on 20th February 2001. Observations show that the polar vortex on the 700K isentropic surface existed over Europe and Siberia on 14th February 2001 moved eastward, and reached Wakkanai, Japan on 19th February 2001. Observations also show that the polar vortex on the 450K isentropic surface found over Europe and Siberia on the 14th moved eastward and reached Wakkanai, Japan between 15th and 20th February 2001 and covered Tsukuba, Japan on 20th February 2001. The ozone mixing ratio derived from ozonesonde data shows the possibility of decrease of ozone mixing ratio with ozone destructive chemical reactions in the northern hemisphere polar vortex on the 450K isentropic surface

Report on the method for determining the location of the polar vortex boundary region

To determine the boundary region of the polar vortex objectively using the PV distribution on isentropic surfaces, the equivalent latitude(Eql) of the polar vortex boundary was calculated using a slightly modified form of the technique of E.R. Nash et al.(J. Geophys. Res., 101D, 9471, 1996). Using the NCEP/NCAR reanal- ysis data, the Eql of the polar vortex boundary region in the winter of 1999/2000 was calculated, and compared with the ozone mixing ratio in the lower stratosphere over Eureka observatory(80°N , 86°W ). The results indicate that this method determines the boundary region of the polar vortex well

Systematic Improvement of Teaching to Realize the School’s Educational Goals -Japanese Language Instruction as the core of the Program-

　本研究の目的は、「目指す生徒像」を意識した学校の組織改善の具体を報告し、そのあり方を提言することにある。いつの時代においても、授業改善は教師に求められることである。教師は、よりよい授業をしたいと願うものの、本質的に授業はおもしろくないものとして、子どもたちには認識されているのが現状である。本研究では、共有ビジョンである「目指す生徒像」を軸とした協働的な授業改善の取り組みを報告する。そして、「目指す生徒像」を教職員が一丸となって作り、解釈、実践、検討していく営みの中で、生徒の実態や授業の問題点を明確に認識し、同じ視点での授業の改善や学校の組織力の向上につながる可能性を見出すこととする。さらに、こうした取り組みを進めていく中で、教師一人ひとりのメンタル・モデルにどのようにアプローチしていくのかということの視座も明らかにしていくこととする

Apparent stratospheric ozone loss rate over Eureka in 1994/95, 1995/96, and 1996/97 inferred from ECC ozonesonde observations

Many ECC-type ozonesondes were launched at the Canadian Arctic Eureka observatory(80°N , 86°W ), one of the most northern stations in the Arctic, during winters from 1993/94 to 2001/02, and the temporal evolutions of the vertical ozone profiles were obtained in detail. The lower stratospheric temperature over Eureka was very low inside the polar vortex and the largest ozone loss was observed in 1999/2000, as reported in a previous paper. Similarly, Eureka was often or persistently inside the vortex in the lower stratosphere(around the 470K isentropic surface level) in the winters of 1994/95, 1995/96, and 1996/97. Very low temperatures were observed inside the vortex in the lower stratosphere over Eureka, as indicated by detection of PSCs by Mie lidar. Observations of tracers(N_2O, total reactive nitrogen species(NOy), and others) inside the vortex during these winters using an ER-2 aircraft and balloons indicated that the effect of air parcel mixing across the vortex edge was minimal, based on the tracer-tracer relationship(e.g., Y. Kondo et al.; J. Geophys. Res., 104D, 8215, 1999). Therefore, significant decreases of the in-travortex ozone mixing ratio in the lower stratosphere were considered to be chemical ozone losses due to chlorine activation of PSCs following diabatic descent. The apparent ozone loss rate inside the vortex over Eureka was estimated for each year. The rates ranged from 0.01 to 0.03ppmv/day, less than that observed in 1999/2000(0.04ppmv/day). The observations were conducted at a single station; however, the apparent ozone loss rate over Eureka inside the vortex each year agrees with loss rates obtained in other studies

Induction of tumour necrosis factor receptor-expressing macrophages by interleukin-10 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor in rheumatoid arthritis

Despite its potent ability to inhibit proinflammatory cytokine synthesis, interleukin (IL)-10 has a marginal clinical effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Recent evidence suggests that IL-10 induces monocyte/macrophage maturation in cooperation with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In the present study, we found that the inducible subunit of the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R), type 1 IL-10R (IL-10R1), was expressed at higher levels on monocytes in RA than in healthy controls, in association with disease activity, while their expression of both type 1 and 2 tumour necrosis factor receptors (TNFR1/2) was not increased. The expression of IL-10R1 but not IL-10R2 was augmented on monocytes cultured in the presence of RA synovial tissue (ST) cell culture supernatants. Cell surface expression of TNFR1/2 expression on monocytes was induced by IL-10, and more efficiently in combination with M-CSF. Two-color immunofluorescence labeling of RA ST samples showed an intensive coexpression of IL-10R1, TNFR1/2, and M-CSF receptor in CD68(+ )lining macrophages. Adhered monocytes, after 3-day preincubation with IL-10 and M-CSF, could produce more IL-1β and IL-6 in response to TNF-α in the presence of dibutyryl cAMP, as compared with the cells preincubated with or without IL-10 or M-CSF alone. Microarray analysis of gene expression revealed that IL-10 activated various genes essential for macrophage functions, including other members of the TNFR superfamily, receptors for chemokines and growth factors, Toll-like receptors, and TNFR-associated signaling molecules. These results suggest that IL-10 may contribute to the inflammatory process by facilitating monocyte differentiation into TNF-α-responsive macrophages in the presence of M-CSF in RA