Yoga and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of yoga on anxiety using meta-analytic methods, examining overall effect size, the effect size of sub-categories of dependent variables, and moderation. A systematic search was conducted for published randomized controlled trials on yoga and anxiety on electronic databases over key terms. Reference lists of quantitative studies and literature review articles were inspected for additional articles. Once included studies were determined, outcome data were extracted and moderators were coded across studies in order to characterize differences in study sample, delivery method, and type of dependent variable. Effect size aggregation and omnibus analyses were performed, and moderator tests were conducted. Results support the hypothesis that yoga significantly decreases anxiety symptoms, in addition to symptoms more globally (i.e., anxiety and other mental health outcomes, physical health outcomes, etc taken in aggregate). Results from sub-omnibus analysis show significant effects of the yoga intervention on biological measures, non-anxiety mental health outcomes, physical health measures, stress, mental and physical health outcomes combined, and life satisfaction. In addition, significant moderation was found by location, with highest effects appearing in Indian samples

Geostationary satellite observations of ozone air quality

Ozone in surface air is the primary cause of polluted air in the United States. The current ozone observing network is insufficient either to assess air quality or to fully inform our understanding of the factors controlling tropospheric ozone. This thesis investigates the benefit of an instrument in geostationary orbit for observing near surface ozone using Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs).Earth and Planetary Science

Evaluation of potential sources of a priori ozone profiles for TEMPO tropospheric ozone retrievals

Potential sources of a priori ozone (O3) profiles for use in Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite tropospheric O3 retrievals are evaluated with observations from multiple Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) systems in North America. An O3 profile climatology (tropopause-based O3 climatology (TB-Clim), currently proposed for use in the TEMPO O3 retrieval algorithm) derived from ozonesonde observations and O3 profiles from three separate models (operational Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) Forward Processing (FP) product, reanalysis product from Modern-era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA2), and the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM)) were: (1) evaluated with TOLNet measurements on various temporal scales (seasonally, daily, and hourly) and (2) implemented as a priori information in theoretical TEMPO tropospheric O3 retrievals in order to determine how each a priori impacts the accuracy of retrieved tropospheric (0–10 km) and lowermost tropospheric (LMT, 0–2 km) O3 columns. We found that all sources of a priori O3 profiles evaluated in this study generally reproduced the vertical structure of summer-averaged observations. However, larger differences between the a priori profiles and lidar observations were calculated when evaluating inter-daily and diurnal variability of tropospheric O3. The TB-Clim O3 profile climatology was unable to replicate observed inter-daily and diurnal variability of O3 while model products, in particular GEOS-Chem simulations, displayed more skill in reproducing these features. Due to the ability of models, primarily the CTM used in this study, on average to capture the inter-daily and diurnal variability of tropospheric and LMT O3 columns, using a priori profiles from CTM simulations resulted in TEMPO retrievals with the best statistical comparison with lidar observations. Furthermore, important from an air quality perspective, when high LMT O3 values were observed, using CTM a priori profiles resulted in TEMPO LMT O3 retrievals with the least bias. The application of near-real-time (non-climatological) hourly and daily model predictions as the a priori profile in TEMPO O3 retrievals will be best suited when applying this data to study air quality or event-based processes as the standard retrieval algorithm will still need to use a climatology product. Follow-on studies to this work are currently being conducted to investigate the application of different CTM-predicted O3 climatology products in the standard TEMPO retrieval algorithm. Finally, similar methods to those used in this study can be easily applied by TEMPO data users to recalculate tropospheric O3 profiles provided from the standard retrieval using a different source of a priori

Monitoring high-ozone events in the US Intermountain West using TEMPO geostationary satellite observations

High-ozone events, approaching or exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), are frequently observed in the US Intermountain West in association with subsiding air from the free troposphere. Monitoring and attribution of these events is problematic because of the sparsity of the current network of surface measurements and lack of vertical information. We present an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) to evaluate the ability of the future geostationary satellite instrument Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), scheduled for launch in 2018–2019, to monitor and attribute high-ozone events in the Intermountain West through data assimilation. TEMPO will observe ozone in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) bands to provide sensitivity in the lower troposphere. Our OSSE uses ozone data from the GFDL AM3 chemistry-climate model (CCM) as the "true" atmosphere and samples it for April–June 2010 with the current surface network (CASTNet –Clean Air Status and Trends Network– sites), a configuration designed to represent TEMPO, and a low Earth orbit (LEO) IR (infrared) satellite instrument. These synthetic data are then assimilated into the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM) using a Kalman filter. Error correlation length scales (500 km in horizontal, 1.7 km in vertical) extend the range of influence of observations. We show that assimilation of surface data alone does not adequately detect high-ozone events in the Intermountain West. Assimilation of TEMPO data greatly improves the monitoring capability, with little information added from the LEO instrument. The vertical information from TEMPO further enables the attribution of NAAQS exceedances to background ozone. This is illustrated with the case of a stratospheric intrusion

Importance of a Priori Vertical Ozone Profiles for TEMPO Air Quality Retrievals

Ozone (O3) is a toxic pollutant which plays a major role in air quality. Typically, monitoring of surface air quality and O3 mixing ratios is conducted using in situ measurement networks. This is partially due to high-quality information related to air quality being limited from space-borne platforms due to coarse spatial resolution, limited temporal frequency, and minimal sensitivity to lower tropospheric and surface-level O3. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite is designed to address the limitations of current space-based platforms and to improve our ability to monitor North American air quality. TEMPO will provide hourly data of total column and vertical profiles of O3 with high spatial resolution to be used as a near-real-time air quality product. TEMPO O3 retrievals will apply the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory profile algorithm developed based on work from GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment), GOME-2, and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument). This algorithm is suggested to use a priori O3 profile information from a climatological data-base developed from long-term ozone-sonde measurements (tropopause-based (TB-Clim) O3 climatology). This study evaluates the TB-Clim dataset and model simulated O3 profiles, which could potentially serve as a priori O3 profile information in TEMPO retrievals, from near-real-time data assimilation model products (NASA GMAO's (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) operational GEOS-5 (Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5) FP (Forecast Products) model and reanalysis data from MERRA2 (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2)) and a full chemical transport model (CTM), GEOS-Chem. In this study, vertical profile products are evaluated with surface (0-2 kilometers) and tropospheric (0-10 kilometers) TOLNet (Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network) observations and the theoretical impact of individual a priori profile sources on the accuracy of TEMPO O3 retrievals in the troposphere and at the surface are presented. Results indicate that while the TB-Clim climatological dataset can replicate seasonally-averaged tropospheric O3 profiles, model-simulated profiles from a full CTM resulted in more accurate tropospheric and surface-level O3 retrievals from TEMPO when compared to hourly and daily-averaged TOLNet observations. Furthermore, it is shown that when large surface O3 mixing ratios are observed, TEMPO retrieval values at the surface are most accurate when applying CTM a priori profile information compared to all other data products

Evaluation of potential sources of a priori ozone profiles for TEMPO tropospheric ozone retrievals

Potential sources of a priori ozone (O_3) profiles for use in Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite tropospheric O_3 retrievals are evaluated with observations from multiple Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) systems in North America. An O_3 profile climatology (tropopause-based O_3 climatology (TB-Clim), currently proposed for use in the TEMPO O_3 retrieval algorithm) derived from ozonesonde observations and O_3 profiles from three separate models (operational Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) Forward Processing (FP) product, reanalysis product from Modern-era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA2), and the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM)) were: (1) evaluated with TOLNet measurements on various temporal scales (seasonally, daily, and hourly) and (2) implemented as a priori information in theoretical TEMPO tropospheric O_3 retrievals in order to determine how each a priori impacts the accuracy of retrieved tropospheric (0–10 km) and lowermost tropospheric (LMT, 0–2 km) O_3 columns. We found that all sources of a priori O_3 profiles evaluated in this study generally reproduced the vertical structure of summer-averaged observations. However, larger differences between the a priori profiles and lidar observations were calculated when evaluating inter-daily and diurnal variability of tropospheric O_3. The TB-Clim O_3 profile climatology was unable to replicate observed inter-daily and diurnal variability of O_3 while model products, in particular GEOS-Chem simulations, displayed more skill in reproducing these features. Due to the ability of models, primarily the CTM used in this study, on average to capture the inter-daily and diurnal variability of tropospheric and LMT O_3 columns, using a priori profiles from CTM simulations resulted in TEMPO retrievals with the best statistical comparison with lidar observations. Furthermore, important from an air quality perspective, when high LMT _O3 values were observed, using CTM a priori profiles resulted in TEMPO LMT O_3 retrievals with the least bias. The application of near-real-time (non-climatological) hourly and daily model predictions as the a priori profile in TEMPO O_3 retrievals will be best suited when applying this data to study air quality or event-based processes as the standard retrieval algorithm will still need to use a climatology product. Follow-on studies to this work are currently being conducted to investigate the application of different CTM-predicted O_3 climatology products in the standard TEMPO retrieval algorithm. Finally, similar methods to those used in this study can be easily applied by TEMPO data users to recalculate tropospheric O_3 profiles provided from the standard retrieval using a different source of a priori

Mindfulness in schools: a health promotion approach to improving adolescent mental health.

Between 10 and 20% of adolescents worldwide experience a mental health problem within a given 12-month period. Mental health problems impact on an adolescent’s potential to live a fulfilling and productive life and lead to challenges such as stigma, isolation and discrimination. To address this need, in recent years, there has been growing interest into broad-based school-integrated health promotion interventions that seek to build resilience and augment protective factors in adolescents. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reflect one such approach that have been administered to adolescent populations in both resilience building and treatment contexts. This paper discusses the utility of school-based MBIs as an adolescent health promotion approach and makes recommendations for intervention design, delivery and evaluation. Emerging evidence indicates that school-integrated MBIs may be a cost-effective means of not only meeting government objectives relating to adolescent mental health, but also for improving the wellbeing of teachers and parents. Furthermore, there is growing evidence indicating that mindfulness can elicit improvements in student learning performance and general classroom behaviour. However, notwithstanding these beneficial properties, there remains a need to conduct large-scale empirical investigations that seek to evaluate the effectiveness of school-integrated MBIs at a regional or national level. A further challenge is the need to ensure that mindfulness instructors are able to impart to adolescents an experiential understanding of this ancient contemplative technique.N

Adaptation of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Incarcerated Young Men: a Feasibility Study

Objectives: Incarcerated young men commonly experience problems with impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. Mindfulness training could help but the evidence is limited. This study developed and piloted an adapted mindfulness-based intervention for this group (n = 48). Methods: Feasibility of recruitment, retention, and data collection were assessed, and the effectiveness of mindfulness training measured using validated questionnaires. Twenty-five qualitative interviews were conducted to explore experiences of the course, and barriers and facilitators to taking part. Results: The findings indicated that recruitment and retention to mindfulness training groups was a challenge despite trying various adaptive strategies to improve interest, relevance, and acceptability. Quantitative data collection was feasible at baseline and post-course. There were significant improvements following training in impulsivity (effect size [ES] 0.72, 95% CI 0.32–1.11, p = 0.001), mental wellbeing (ES 0.50; 95% CI 0.18–0.80; p = 0.003), inner resilience (comprehensibility ES 0.35; 95% CI − 0.02–0.68; p = 0.03), and mindfulness (ES 0.32; 95% CI 0.03–0.60; p = 0.03). The majority (70%) of participants reported finding the course uncomfortable or disconcerting at first but if they chose to remain, this changed as they began to experience benefit. The body scan and breathing techniques were reported as being most helpful. Positive experiences included better sleep, less stress, feeling more in control, and improved relationships. Conclusions: Developing and delivering mindfulness training for incarcerated young men is feasible and may be beneficial, but recruitment and retention may limit reach. Further studies are required that include a control group

Tropospheric emissions: Monitoring of pollution (TEMPO)

TEMPO was selected in 2012 by NASA as the first Earth Venture Instrument, for launch between 2018 and 2021. It will measure atmospheric pollution for greater North America from space using ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy. TEMPO observes from Mexico City, Cuba, and the Bahamas to the Canadian oil sands, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, hourly and at high spatial resolution (~2.1 km N/S×4.4 km E/W at 36.5°N, 100°W). TEMPO provides a tropospheric measurement suite that includes the key elements of tropospheric air pollution chemistry, as well as contributing to carbon cycle knowledge. Measurements are made hourly from geostationary (GEO) orbit, to capture the high variability present in the diurnal cycle of emissions and chemistry that are unobservable from current low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that measure once per day. The small product spatial footprint resolves pollution sources at sub-urban scale. Together, this temporal and spatial resolution improves emission inventories, monitors population exposure, and enables effective emission-control strategies. TEMPO takes advantage of a commercial GEO host spacecraft to provide a modest cost mission that measures the spectra required to retrieve ozone (O), nitrogen dioxide (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO), formaldehyde (HCO), glyoxal (CHO), bromine monoxide (BrO), IO (iodine monoxide), water vapor, aerosols, cloud parameters, ultraviolet radiation, and foliage properties. TEMPO thus measures the major elements, directly or by proxy, in the tropospheric O chemistry cycle. Multi-spectral observations provide sensitivity to O in the lowermost troposphere, substantially reducing uncertainty in air quality predictions. TEMPO quantifies and tracks the evolution of aerosol loading. It provides these near-real-time air quality products that will be made publicly available. TEMPO will launch at a prime time to be the North American component of the global geostationary constellation of pollution monitoring together with the European Sentinel-4 (S4) and Korean Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) instruments.Peer Reviewe