Diurnal to annual variability of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over West Africa: A comprehensive view by remote sensing observations

Weather and climate in West Africa are determined by the pronounced contrast between tropical, moist air masses over the Gulf of Guinea in the south and the dry desert climate over the Sahara in the north. The sharp border between the two air masses exhibits a pronounced meridional annual cycle and follows the path of the sun northward. This circulation system is called "West African monsoon". In the past, the knowledge about the factors that control the monsoon and its strength was limited due to the small number of high-quality observations. Therefore, little is known about the reasons for the significant decline of annual rainfall over the Sahel area during the past 40 years which represents the most pronounced climatic signal worldwide. During the past few years, intensive atmospheric observations were performed in the framework of the international project "African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses" (AMMA) in order to obtain high-quality data and to improve the process understanding. This work gathered and analyzed ground-based remote sensing observations which were performed in Benin and Niger during the AMMA field campaigns. These data give an insight into diurnal and annual cycles of atmospheric parameters, such as water vapor, temperature profiles, cloud cover, cloud liquid water content, or wind with a temporal resolution never reached before. Particular attention is paid to the atmospheric water which is recognized to be a critical parameter for many other atmospheric variables, e.g. the vertical temperature distribution, the long-wave radiation balance, and many more. The new type of observations revealed a diurnal cycle of the position of the Intertropical Discontinuity (ITD) prior to the start of the rainy season. The ITD represents the convergence zone at the surface between the dry and hot north-easterly trade winds and the moist and cooler south-westerly monsoon flow. Associated with this sharp front between the two air masses, strong water vapour changes occurred which could be observed in detail. This data set was then used for a comparison with the mesoscale atmospheric model Méso-NH which was run for a case study in April 2006. It is shown that the model reproduces the observed processes quite well, despite the low number of in-situ data which were assimilated in the model. Therefore, the model is suited to describe the processes in the lower atmospheric layers around the ITD

Circumventing Control

My creative process emerges from the struggle between two contrasting impulses: a habitual desire to control my internal and external environments, and an instinctive need to overcome these constraints. The discoveries I have made in the studio have fostered my desire to confront anxiety and make critical decisions in the face of uncertain outcomes. For me, the process of making has become a mode of thinking. It has become a way of remembering the past, envisioning the future, and experiencing the present moment. I find that working with collage in combined analog and digital formats, allows me to experiment with images and materials in an immediate way. As a result, my studio practice has provided a way for me to circumvent the controlling mind, and to re-examine some of the old, outdated paradigms I have about life and art

Optimal estimation of water vapour profiles using a combination of Raman lidar and microwave radiometer

In this work, a two-step algorithm to obtain water vapour profiles from a combination of Raman lidar and microwave radiometer is presented. Both instruments were applied during an intensive 2-month measurement campaign (HOPE) close to Julich, western Germany, during spring 2013. To retrieve reliable water vapour information from inside or above the cloud a two-step algorithm is applied. The first step is a Kalman filter that extends the profiles, truncated at cloud base, to the full height range (up to 10 km) by combining previous information and current measurement. Then the complete water vapour profile serves as input to the one-dimensional variational (1D-VAR) method, also known as optimal estimation. A forward model simulates the brightness temperatures which would be observed by the microwave radiometer for the given atmospheric state. The profile is iteratively modified according to its error bars until the modelled and the actually measured brightness temperatures sufficiently agree. The functionality of the retrieval is presented in detail by means of case studies under different conditions. A statistical analysis shows that the availability of Raman lidar data (night) improves the accuracy of the profiles even under cloudy conditions. During the day, the absence of lidar data results in larger differences in comparison to reference radiosondes. The data availability of the full-height water vapour lidar profiles of 17% during the 2-month campaign is significantly enhanced to 60% by applying the retrieval. The bias with respect to radiosonde and the retrieved a posteriori uncertainty of the retrieved profiles clearly show that the application of the Kalman filter considerably improves the accuracy and quality of the retrieved mixing ratio profiles

A single-centre study from the Czech Republic

The goal of this study is to describe the temporary state of faecal occult blood screening in the Czech Republic. Qualitative and quantitative methods of faecal immunochemical testing for haemoglobin were compared and evaluated retrospectively for a period of four years. Screening was actively offered to asymptomatic individuals within their preventive check-ups, starting at the age of 50. Two types of faecal immunochemical tests were used for screening: a qualitative and a quantitative method. Any positive tests detected during screening were followed up by a total colonoscopy. The research sample contained 454 persons; 191 individuals (42.07%) were tested using the qualitative method and 263 individuals (57.83%) were tested through the quantitative method. The qualitative test’s specificity for our sample was 75.84%. Better results were yielded by the quantitative test, where the specificity of the sample reached 94.69%. The latter represented an improvement in faecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening in the Czech Republic that can result in more frequent detection of the disease and a lower mortality rate. Occult blood test screening is ideal for the successful prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) developing from polyps.peer-reviewe

Optimal estimation of water vapour profiles using a combination of Raman lidar and microwave radiometer

In this work, a two-step algorithm to obtain water vapour profiles from a combination of Raman lidar and microwave radiometer is presented. Both instruments were applied during an intensive 2-month measurement campaign (HOPE) close to Jülich, western Germany, during spring 2013. To retrieve reliable water vapour information from inside or above the cloud a two-step algorithm is applied. The first step is a Kalman filter that extends the profiles, truncated at cloud base, to the full height range (up to 10 km) by combining previous information and current measurement. Then the complete water vapour profile serves as input to the one-dimensional variational (1D-VAR) method, also known as optimal estimation. A forward model simulates the brightness temperatures which would be observed by the microwave radiometer for the given atmospheric state. The profile is iteratively modified according to its error bars until the modelled and the actually measured brightness temperatures sufficiently agree. The functionality of the retrieval is presented in detail by means of case studies under different conditions. A statistical analysis shows that the availability of Raman lidar data (night) improves the accuracy of the profiles even under cloudy conditions. During the day, the absence of lidar data results in larger differences in comparison to reference radiosondes. The data availability of the full-height water vapour lidar profiles of 17 % during the 2-month campaign is significantly enhanced to 60 % by applying the retrieval. The bias with respect to radiosonde and the retrieved a posteriori uncertainty of the retrieved profiles clearly show that the application of the Kalman filter considerably improves the accuracy and quality of the retrieved mixing ratio profiles

Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten der Fernsehwerbung

Die Möglichkeiten der Werbespotgestaltung sind überaus vielfältig und reichen von Kamera und Schnitttechniken, unterschiedlicher Schauplatz- und Lichtgestaltung über die sprachliche und musikalische Umsetzung bis hin zu den verschiedenen Anordnungsmöglichkeiten von Darstellern und Objekten. Diese Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten aufzuzeigen und dabei einen Vergleich zwischen Werbespots aus den 1950er Jahren sowie den aktuellen 2000er Jahren zu realisieren und Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede zu ermitteln, ist das Ziel dieser Magisterarbeit. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden zunächst die theoretischen Aspekte der Thematik erläutert, wie die kommunikationstheoretischen Grundlagen oder jene der Werbung im allgemeinen Sinn. Der Fokus richtet sich allerdings auf die ästhetische und visuelle Gestaltung von TV-Werbungen, bei der vor allem Kriterien wie die Kameraeinstellung, -perspektive und –bewegung, Schnitt/Montage, Geräusche/Musik und Sprache als zentral gelten. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit widmet sich der empirischen Analyse der TV-Spots. Als Methode wurde die qualitative Inhaltsanalyse bzw. konkret die Filmanalyse von Werner Faulstich herangezogen. Es werden insgesamt acht verschiedene Werbespots der Marken Persil, Maggi, Nivea und Dr. Oetker analysiert. Um eine Untersuchung realisierbar zu machen wird jeweils ein Spot aus den 1950er Jahren und einer aus den 2000er Jahren von ein und derselben Marke einer Analyse unterzogen. Hierbei haben sich etliche Gemeinsamkeiten aber auch Unterschiedlichkeiten zwischen der Werbespotgestaltung der 1950er Jahre und jener von heute herauskristallisiert, wodurch am Ende eine umfassende Ergebnisinterpretation erfolgen kann

Characterization of Megatrypanum trypanosomes from European Cervidae

Megatrypanum trypanosomes have been isolated from a number of different European Cervidae, but on the basis of morphology it has not been possible to define the species to which these isolates belong. We isolated Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) theileri from 10 cattle, and Megatrypanum trypanosomes from 11 fallow deer (Cervus dama), 9 red deer (Cervus elaphus), and 4 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) by blood culture on a biphasic medium (NNN agar slopes). Trypanosomes were propagated in Schneider's Drosophila medium and characterized by isoenzyme analysis and molecular karyotyping. Isocitrate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase were visualized after starch gel electrophoresis of trypanosome lysates. By cluster analysis of this data all isolates from deer were clearly separated from the T. (M.) theileri isolates from cattle. Isolates from roe deer were different not only from T. (M.) theileri but also from the other deer isolates. Isolates from fallow deer and red deer were grouped together. Thus, there are probably at least two different species of Megatrypanum trypanosomes in the three Cervidae. One parasitizing roe deer, the other, apparently less host specific species, infecting red deer and fallow deer. Separation of the chromosomes of Megatrypanum trypanosomes by pulsed-field gradient gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that each isolate contained a large number (> 18) of chromosomes ranging in size from 300 to > 2200 kb. The molecular karyotypes were similar for all isolates, although no isolate was identical to anothe

Mediation. Determinanten der Inanspruchnahme in Bezug auf Scheidungsmediation

Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit und empirische Untersuchung befasst sich mit Mediation, im speziellen mit Scheidungsmediation. Das Angebot, Mediation als Vermittlungsinstrument in Scheidungskonflikten, wird in Österreich kaum von Betroffenen angenommen. Warum erreicht diese Konfliktregelungsmethode bei scheidungswilligen Paaren, kaum Zustimmung? Geprüft wurde bei welchen Bedingungen eher die Zustimmung zu einem Mediationsverfahren gegeben wird und ob bestimmte Gründe dafür entscheidend sind, ein Mediationsverfahren in Anspruch zu nehmen. Sind diese Gründe im Vorhandensein von Kindern, der finanziellen Situation oder der Beziehungsdauer zu finden? Darüber hinaus von Interesse, ist die Frage, welche Professionen bei der Auswahl eines Mediators von den Konfliktparteien bevorzugt werden und welche Rolle das Geschlecht des Mediators bei dessen Auswahl spielt. Die Untersuchung erfolgte an 137 Personen (66 Männer und 71 Frauen) mittels eines Fragebogens. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Zustimmung zu einem Mediationsverfahren höher ausfällt, wenn Kinder von der Scheidung betroffen sind und die Konfliktparteien finanziell gut gestellt sind. Das Vorhandensein von Kindern und die finanzielle Situation haben einen Einfluss auf die Zustimmung zu einer Mediation. Keinen Einfluss auf die Zustimmung hat hingegen die Dauer der Beziehung. In Bezug auf die Wahl des Mediators konnten folgende Präferenzen festgestellt werden. In Hinblick auf das Geschlecht und die Profession des Mediators ist erkennbar, dass weibliche gegenüber männlichen Mediatoren bevorzugt ausgewählt wurden. Der am häufigsten gewählte Quellberuf, bei der Auswahl eines Mediators, ist der des Psychologen. Präferenzen konnten weiters, in Hinblick auf den Altersbereich des auszuwählenden Mediators festgestellt werden. Hierbei zeigten die Ergebnisse, dass ein Mediator in einem Altersbereich zwischen 41 und 50 Jahren am häufigsten ausgewählt wurd