Dust Devil Sediment Transport: From Lab to Field to Global Impact

The impact of dust aerosols on the climate and environment of Earth and Mars is complex and forms a major area of research. A difficulty arises in estimating the contribution of small-scale dust devils to the total dust aerosol. This difficulty is due to uncertainties in the amount of dust lifted by individual dust devils, the frequency of dust devil occurrence, and the lack of statistical generality of individual experiments and observations. In this paper, we review results of observational, laboratory, and modeling studies and provide an overview of dust devil dust transport on various spatio-temporal scales as obtained with the different research approaches. Methods used for the investigation of dust devils on Earth and Mars vary. For example, while the use of imagery for the investigation of dust devil occurrence frequency is common practice for Mars, this is less so the case for Earth. Modeling approaches for Earth and Mars are similar in that they are based on the same underlying theory, but they are applied in different ways. Insights into the benefits and limitations of each approach suggest potential future research focuses, which can further reduce the uncertainty associated with dust devil dust entrainment. The potential impacts of dust devils on the climates of Earth and Mars are discussed on the basis of the presented research results

History and Applications of Dust Devil Studies

Studies of dust devils, and their impact on society, are reviewed. Dust devils have been noted since antiquity, and have been documented in many countries, as well as on the planet Mars. As time-variable vortex entities, they have become a cultural motif. Three major stimuli of dust devil research are identified, nuclear testing, terrestrial climate studies, and perhaps most significantly, Mars research. Dust devils present an occasional safety hazard to light structures and have caused several deaths

An educational intervention to improve diagnosis and management of suspicious skin lesions.

BACKGROUND: Family physicians have an important clinical role in assessment and management of suspicious skin lesions. As a result of a previous needs assessment study, an educational intervention based on audit and feedback with opportunity for reflection on practice was introduced to 46 family physicians randomly allocated to either an intervention (23) or control group (23). As an educational tool, audit allows doctors to systematically review their practice and establish the quality of care they provide. When combined with feedback and comparison of clinical performance with peers or standards, it has been shown to increase learning and change behavior. METHODS: Data based on their own patients, on the correlation between clinical and histologic diagnosis, and excisions of skin lesions were collated and reported to the intervention group. RESULTS: Despite randomization of the doctors, the patient population of doctors in the intervention and control groups were significantly different in key characteristics, including the types of skin lesions treated. The intervention group of doctors showed improved performance in providing clinical information on pathology requests and in adequate surgical excision of skin lesions. Diagnostic performance did not improve significantly, but physicians' certainty of diagnosis did. IMPLICATIONS: This study design has highlighted the difficulty in balancing the use of evidence-based educational strategies in an equivalent setting to normal practice with evaluation of performance using measures that include characteristics of practitioners' patients that cannot be controlled