Avalanche Defence Strategies and Monitoring of Two Sites in Mountain Permafrost Terrain, Pontresina, Eastern Swiss Alps

Snow-supporting avalanche defence structures are increasingly being built at high altitudes in potential permafrost areas. Special construction methods and guidelines have been developed to ensure a minimal stability of the structures, which have a vital role in the protection of underlying settlements and transport infrastructure against snow avalanches. If the avalanche slopes are located on ice-rich permafrost terrain, as is the case in a steep avalanche gully above Pontresina (Eastern Swiss Alps), other means of protection must be used - such as deflection or retention dams - as construction on ice-rich sediments can be very problematic. Experimental snow-supporting structures were built in 1997 in order to test different types of structures and their foundations, to develop specially adapted construction methods and to monitor the long-term behaviour of the structures in moderately creeping frozen ground with volumetric ice contents under 20%. Snow-nets were found to be the most suitable type of protection against avalanches in this type of permafrost terrain due to their deformability and because they are well adapted to rock fall. The structures do not improve slope stability but contribute towards maintaining permafrost as they delay snow melt by modifying the spatial and temporal distribution of the snow cover. The results of the project described have led to a better understanding of permafrost-related avalanche defence problem

Clinical Observation Reflections from Students in an Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Course

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how a brief clinical observation encounter contributed to students’ experiences in an interdisciplinary palliative care course. This course was required of all graduate nursing students and was available as an elective for medical and other healthcare professions students at a healthcare sciences university. The students were required to spend approximately 8 to 12 hours attending interdisciplinary team meetings or accompanying a team on rounds and patient visits. The students’ summary narratives of their observation experience were analyzed in this qualitative study that focused on six categories of feedback: (1) patients’ and families’ reactions, (2) communication issues with patients and families, (3) how the palliative care team speaks with the patient and family, (4) communication within the interdisciplinary team, (5) students’ reflections, and (6) students’ suffering. This study demonstrated that a clinical observation activity can be a valuable introduction to palliative care principles for healthcare students in an interdisciplinary course. Students benefited from gaining insight into family/practitioner communications regarding difficult issues, interdisciplinary roles and cooperation, and application of palliative care principles to clinical practice. Further research is required to identify appropriate interventions to deal with student distress resulting from such early career clinical encounters

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Snow as a driving factor of rock surface temperatures in steep rough rock walls

Observations show that considerable amounts of snow can accumulate in steep, rough rock walls. The heterogeneously distributed snow cover significantly affects the surface energy balance and hence the thermal regime of the rock walls.To assess the small-scale variability of snow depth and rock temperatures in steep north and south facing rock walls, a spatially distributed multi-method approach is applied at Gemsstock, Switzerland, combining 35 continuous near-surface rock temperature measurements, high resolution snow depth observations using terrestrial laser scanning, as well as in-situ snow pit investigations.The thermal regime of the rock surface is highly dependent on short- and longwave radiation, albedo, surface roughness, snow depth and on snow distribution in time and space. Around 2 m of snow can accumulate on slopes with angles up to 75°, due to micro-topographic structures like ledges. Hence, contrasts in mean annual rock surface temperature between the north and the south facing slopes are less than 4 °C. However, significant small-scale variability of up to 10 °C in mean daily rock surface temperature occurs within a few metres over the rock walls due to the variable snow distribution, revealing the heterogeneity and complexity of the thermal regime at a very local scale. In addition, multiple linear regression could explain up to 77% of near‐surface rock temperature variability, which underlines the importance of radiation and snow depth and thus also of the topography.In the rock faces the thermal insulation of the ground starts with snow depths exceeding 0.2 m. This is due to the high thermal resistance of a less densely packed snow cover, especially in the north facing slope. Additionally, aspect induced differences of snow cover characteristics and consequently thermal conductivities are observed in the rock walls

Phobia and Phobic Relationships: A Visual Exploration

Phobia and Phobic Relationships: A Visual Exploration is an in-depth study through visual media of the fears that exist in everyday life. My own personal view of how phobia takes form is explored through self-portraits filled with dynamic color, composition, value, texture and shape. Composition enforces each particular phobia and interprets it as honestly as possible. All of the works are open for interpretation by the viewer. This written thesis and the artwork encourages the viewer to participate as a helping hand to benefit through care-taking a mentally ill person or in self-care. My own work is rewarded by the fact that I know I have been honest and have used a public exhibition to promote hope for the mentally diseased

Thermal and mechanical responses resulting from spatial and temporal snow cover variability in permafrost rock slopes, steintaelli, swiss alps

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of snow on permafrost and rock stability at the Steintaelli (Swiss Alps). Snow depth distribution was observed using terrestrial laser scanning and time-lapse photography. The influence of snow on the rock thermal regime was investigated using near-surface rock temperature measurements, seismic refraction tomography and one-dimensional thermal modelling. Rock kinematics were recorded with crackmeters. The distribution of snow depth was strongly determined by rock slope micro-topography. Snow accumulated to thicknesses of up to 3.8 m on less steep rock slopes (<50°) and ledges, gradually covering steeper (up to 75°) slopes above. A perennial snow cornice at the flat ridge, as well as the long-lasting snow cover in shaded, gently inclined areas, prevented deep active-layer thaw, while patchy snow cover resulted in a deeper active-layer beneath steep rock slopes. The rock mechanical regime was also snow-controlled. During snow-free periods, high-frequency thermal expansion and contraction occurred. Rock temperature locally dropped to -10 °C, resulting in thermal contraction of the rock slopes. Snow cover insulation maintained temperatures in the frost- cracking window and favoured ice segregation. Daily thermal-induced and seasonal ice-induced fracture kinematics were dominant, and their repetitive occurrence destabilises the rock slope and can potentially lead to failure

Seasonally intermittent water flow through deep fractures in an Alpine Rock Ridge: Gemsstock, Central Swiss Alps

Geological investigations and seismic refraction tomography reveal a series of 70° steep, parallel and continuous fractures at 2950 m asl within the Gemsstock rock ridge (Central Swiss Alps), at the lower fringe of alpine permafrost. Temperature measurements in a 40 m horizontal borehole through the base of the ridge show that whilst conductive heat transfer dominates within the rock mass, brief negative and positive temperature anomalies are registered in summer. These have very small amplitudes and coincide with summer rainfall events lasting longer than 12 h. In contrast, a complete lack of anomalous thermal signals during spring snowmelt suggests that runoff does not penetrate the open joints, despite high snow water equivalents of around 400 mm. This is attributed to the development of an approximately 20 cm thick, continuous and impermeable basal ice layer which forms at the interface between the snow cover and the cold rock on the shady North facing rock wall during snowmelt. Spring snowmelt water therefore does not affect rock temperatures in the centre of the rock mass, despite the presence of deep open joints. The mechanical impact of snowmelt infiltration on rock wall stability at depth is thus assumed to be negligible at this site

B822: The Economic Benefits of Late-Season Black Fly Control

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) contracted with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maine to study the economic benefits of black fly control. The DEP requested that the study focus on the benefits of late-season black fly control. This decision was based on the belief that any control program for black flies would be initially directed toward the late-season varieties since they primarily exist along the Penobscot River between the towns of Millinocket and Howland. The purpose of this report is to present the results of a study to measure the economic benefits of late-season black fly control. The study objectives were to (I) determine the attitudes of residents toward early- and late-season black flies and other pests in the study area; (2) Measure the economic benefits of late-season black fly control that would accrue to residents of the study area; and (3) determine the factors that influence the magnitude of the economic benefits of late-season black fly control.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1052/thumbnail.jp