Evaluating modelled tropospheric columns of CH4_4 , CO, and O3_3 in the Arctic using ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements

This study evaluates tropospheric columns of methane, carbon monoxide, and ozone in the Arctic simulated by 11 models. The Arctic is warming at nearly 4 times the global average rate, and with changing emissions in and near the region, it is important to understand Arctic atmospheric composition and how it is changing. Both measurements and modelling of air pollution in the Arctic are difficult, making model validation with local measurements valuable. Evaluations are performed using data from five high-latitude ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers in the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). The models were selected as part of the 2021 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) report on short-lived climate forcers. This work augments the model–measurement comparisons presented in that report by including a new data source: column-integrated FTIR measurements, whose spatial and temporal footprint is more representative of the free troposphere than in situ and satellite measurements. Mixing ratios of trace gases are modelled at 3-hourly intervals by CESM, CMAM, DEHM, EMEP MSC-W, GEM- MACH, GEOS-Chem, MATCH, MATCH-SALSA, MRI-ESM2, UKESM1, and WRF-Chem for the years 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. The comparisons focus on the troposphere (0–7 km partial columns) at Eureka, Canada; Thule, Greenland; Ny Ålesund, Norway; Kiruna, Sweden; and Harestua, Norway. Overall, the models are biased low in the tropospheric column, on average by −9.7 % for CH$_4$, −21 % for CO, and −18 % for O$_3$. Results for CH$_4$ are relatively consistent across the 4 years, whereas CO has a maximum negative bias in the spring and minimum in the summer and O$_3$ has a maximum difference centered around the summer. The average differences for the models are within the FTIR uncertainties for approximately 15 % of the model–location comparisons

Effect of Deutetrabenazine on Chorea Among Patients With Huntington Disease A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Deutetrabenazine is a novel molecule containing deuterium, which attenuates CYP2D6 metabolism and increases active metabolite half-lives and may therefore lead to stable systemic exposure while preserving key pharmacological activity. Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety of deutetrabenazine treatment to control chorea associated with Huntington disease. Design, Setting, and Participants Ninety ambulatory adults diagnosed with manifest Huntington disease and a baseline total maximal chorea score of 8 or higher (range, 0-28; lower score indicates less chorea) were enrolled from August 2013 to August 2014 and randomized to receive deutetrabenazine (n = 45) or placebo (n = 45) in a double-blind fashion at 34 Huntington Study Group sites. Interventions Deutetrabenazine or placebo was titrated to optimal dose level over 8 weeks and maintained for 4 weeks, followed by a 1-week washout. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end point was the total maximal chorea score change from baseline (the average of values from the screening and day-0 visits) to maintenance therapy (the average of values from the week 9 and 12 visits) obtained by in-person visits. This study was designed to detect a 2.7-unit treatment difference in scores. The secondary end points, assessed hierarchically, were the proportion of patients who achieved treatment success on the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and on the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), the change in 36-Item Short Form– physical functioning subscale score (SF-36), and the change in the Berg Balance Test. Results Ninety patients with Huntington disease (mean age, 53.7 years; 40 women [44.4%]) were enrolled. In the deutetrabenazine group, the mean total maximal chorea scores improved from 12.1 (95% CI, 11.2-12.9) to 7.7 (95% CI, 6.5-8.9), whereas in the placebo group, scores improved from 13.2 (95% CI, 12.2-14.3) to 11.3 (95% CI, 10.0-12.5); the mean between-group difference was –2.5 units (95% CI, –3.7 to –1.3) (P < .001). Treatment success, as measured by the PGIC, occurred in 23 patients (51%) in the deutetrabenazine group vs 9 (20%) in the placebo group (P = .002). As measured by the CGIC, treatment success occurred in 19 patients (42%) in the deutetrabenazine group vs 6 (13%) in the placebo group (P = .002). In the deutetrabenazine group, the mean SF-36 physical functioning subscale scores decreased from 47.5 (95% CI, 44.3-50.8) to 47.4 (44.3-50.5), whereas in the placebo group, scores decreased from 43.2 (95% CI, 40.2-46.3) to 39.9 (95% CI, 36.2-43.6), for a treatment benefit of 4.3 (95% CI, 0.4 to 8.3) (P = .03). There was no difference between groups (mean difference of 1.0 unit; 95% CI, –0.3 to 2.3; P = .14), for improvement in the Berg Balance Test, which improved by 2.2 units (95% CI, 1.3-3.1) in the deutetrabenazine group and by 1.3 units (95% CI, 0.4-2.2) in the placebo group. Adverse event rates were similar for deutetrabenazine and placebo, including depression, anxiety, and akathisia. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with chorea associated with Huntington disease, the use of deutetrabenazine compared with placebo resulted in improved motor signs at 12 weeks. Further research is needed to assess the clinical importance of the effect size and to determine longer-term efficacy and safety

The acute physiological effects of high- and low-velocity resistance exercise in older adults

The aim of the present study was to determine if workload matched, high-velocity (HVE) and low-velocity (LVE) resistance exercise protocols, elicit differing acute physiological responses in older adults. Ten older adults completed three sets of eight exercises on six separate occasions (three HVE and three LVE sessions). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and blood lactate were measured pre- and post-exercise, heart rate was measured before exercise and following each set of each exercise. Finally, a rating of perceived exertion was measured following each set of each exercise. There were no significant differences in blood lactate (F(1,9) = 0.028; P = 0.872; ηP2 = 0.003), heart rate (F(1,9) = 0.045; P = 0.837; ηP2 = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (F(1,9) = 0.023; P = 0.884; ηP2 = 0.003) or diastolic blood pressure (F(1,9) = 1.516; P = 0.249; ηP2 = 0.144) between HVE and LVE. However, LVE elicited significantly greater ratings of perceived exertion compared to HVE (F(1,9) = 13.059; P = 0.006; ηP2 = 0.592). The present workload matched HVE and LVE protocols produced comparable physiological responses, although greater exertion was perceived during LVE

The impact of rotational models on workforce stability in UK clinical settings

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in [British Journal of Healthcare Management], copyright © MA Education, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see [journal link].Background/Aims: To ensure that the NHS workforce remains engaged and productive, rather than leaving the profession, underlying factors that cause attrition must be addressed, and strategies implemented to strengthen retention rates and workforce sustainability. This study aimed to assess the impact of models that allow staff to rotate through different roles and organisations on workforce stability. Methods: Project leads employed by organisations within NHS Cheshire and Merseyside integrated care system who had conducted a rotational model were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. A total of 11 project leads took part in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of the rotational models. Results were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Respondents identified considerable benefits of the rotational models, both for staff and their organisations. Rotational pathways enhanced the transferability of the workforce, with staff developing the knowledge and skills to work across boundaries. Conclusions: The broader implementation of rotational models could help to mitigate the recruitment and retention challenges that healthcare organisations such as the NHS are currently experiencing

Establishing a guidance toolkit for assessment of proficiencies in students.

From PubMed via Jisc Publications RouterPublication status: ppublis

Evaluating Model Concentrations of Short-Lived Climate Forcers, as Used in the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, with Ground-Based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

International audienceThe Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) is an Arctic Council Working Group focused on studying the Arctic environment and the impacts of climate change, providing detailed reports to inform policy development. Previous AMAP reports analysed the impacts of black carbon, tropospheric O3 and CH4 on the Arctic. The 2021 AMAP report is focused on the impact of Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs) on the Arctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, and human health. SLCFs are gases and aerosols that influence Earth’s radiative budget, with lifetimes shorter than that of CO2. Advantageously, working towards mitigation on these timescales may enable expedited climatological and radiative impacts. The work presented here evaluates the modeled concentrations of O3, NO, NO2, CH4, and CO from eleven AMAP models: CESM, CMAM, DEHM, EMEP-MSC-W, GEM-MACH, GEOS-Chem, MATCH, MATCH-SALSA, MRI-ESM2, UKESM1 and WRF-Chem. The modelled mixing ratios are output at three-hour intervals for the years 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015, on model-defined grid spacing and pressure levels. These outputs are assessed against corresponding trace gas measurements from ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. The FTIR instruments used in this analysis are at the University of Toronto Atmospheric Observatory, in Toronto, Ontario (43.66ºN, 79.40ºW) and the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, in Eureka, Nunavut (80.05ºN, 86.42ºW). These sites have been operating since 2001 and 2006, respectively, as part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (NDACC) Infrared Working Group. The objective of these comparisons is to assess how well the models reflect the measured state of seasonal cycles in total columns, and when applicable, in partial columns. Given the scarcity of Arctic-based research stations, the PEARL FTIR provides a valuable long-term trace gas dataset for model evaluation, which has not yet been utilized by the AMAP SLCF expert group

Evaluating Model Concentrations of Short-Lived Climate Forcers, as Used in the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, with Ground-Based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

International audienceThe Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) is an Arctic Council Working Group focused on studying the Arctic environment and the impacts of climate change, providing detailed reports to inform policy development. Previous AMAP reports analysed the impacts of black carbon, tropospheric O3 and CH4 on the Arctic. The 2021 AMAP report is focused on the impact of Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs) on the Arctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, and human health. SLCFs are gases and aerosols that influence Earth’s radiative budget, with lifetimes shorter than that of CO2. Advantageously, working towards mitigation on these timescales may enable expedited climatological and radiative impacts. The work presented here evaluates the modeled concentrations of O3, NO, NO2, CH4, and CO from eleven AMAP models: CESM, CMAM, DEHM, EMEP-MSC-W, GEM-MACH, GEOS-Chem, MATCH, MATCH-SALSA, MRI-ESM2, UKESM1 and WRF-Chem. The modelled mixing ratios are output at three-hour intervals for the years 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015, on model-defined grid spacing and pressure levels. These outputs are assessed against corresponding trace gas measurements from ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. The FTIR instruments used in this analysis are at the University of Toronto Atmospheric Observatory, in Toronto, Ontario (43.66ºN, 79.40ºW) and the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, in Eureka, Nunavut (80.05ºN, 86.42ºW). These sites have been operating since 2001 and 2006, respectively, as part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (NDACC) Infrared Working Group. The objective of these comparisons is to assess how well the models reflect the measured state of seasonal cycles in total columns, and when applicable, in partial columns. Given the scarcity of Arctic-based research stations, the PEARL FTIR provides a valuable long-term trace gas dataset for model evaluation, which has not yet been utilized by the AMAP SLCF expert group

Using Ground-Based Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy to Evaluate Model Concentrations of Short-Lived Climate Forcers

International audienceThis work presents an evaluation of modeled atmospheric concentrations of O3, CO and CH4 from eleven models, as presented in the most recent assessment report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) on short-lived climate forcers. AMAP is a scientific working group that was created to advise the Arctic Council on matters of Arctic pollution, climate change and the associated threats to local ecosystems and health. This framework is then used to inform policy and decision making through science-based assessments. The current report focuses on the impacts of Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs) on the Arctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, and human health. The report presents model-measurement comparisons to assess the performance of atmospheric modelling of SLCFs in the Arctic for the years 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015. The 3-hourly mixing ratios of select SLCFs and related gases are modelled by CESM, CMAM, DEHM, EMEP-MSC-W, GEM-MACH, GEOS-Chem, MATCH, MATCH-SALSA, MRI-ESM2, UKESM1 and WRF-Chem. This presentation will compare these outputs to corresponding trace gas measurements from ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. The FTIR instruments used are part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) Infrared Working Group, with emphasis on results from the Canadian High Arctic site at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, in Eureka, Nunavut (80.05ºN, 86.42ºW). Analyses are performed by converting model outputs into smoothed partial columns of O3, CO and CH4, at the locations of the FTIR instruments. Comparisons include seasonal cycle analysis, percent differences and regression analysis

Using Ground-Based Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy to Evaluate Model Concentrations of Short-Lived Climate Forcers

International audienceThis work presents an evaluation of modeled atmospheric concentrations of O3, CO and CH4 from eleven models, as presented in the most recent assessment report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) on short-lived climate forcers. AMAP is a scientific working group that was created to advise the Arctic Council on matters of Arctic pollution, climate change and the associated threats to local ecosystems and health. This framework is then used to inform policy and decision making through science-based assessments. The current report focuses on the impacts of Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs) on the Arctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, and human health. The report presents model-measurement comparisons to assess the performance of atmospheric modelling of SLCFs in the Arctic for the years 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015. The 3-hourly mixing ratios of select SLCFs and related gases are modelled by CESM, CMAM, DEHM, EMEP-MSC-W, GEM-MACH, GEOS-Chem, MATCH, MATCH-SALSA, MRI-ESM2, UKESM1 and WRF-Chem. This presentation will compare these outputs to corresponding trace gas measurements from ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. The FTIR instruments used are part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) Infrared Working Group, with emphasis on results from the Canadian High Arctic site at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, in Eureka, Nunavut (80.05ºN, 86.42ºW). Analyses are performed by converting model outputs into smoothed partial columns of O3, CO and CH4, at the locations of the FTIR instruments. Comparisons include seasonal cycle analysis, percent differences and regression analysis