From ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) to tropospheric monitoring instrument (TROPOMI)

The OMI instrument is an ultraviolet-visible imaging spectrograph that uses two-dimensional CCD detectors to register both the spectrum and the swath perpendicular to the flight direction with a 115° wide swath, which enables global daily ground coverage with high spatial resolution. This paper presents a selection of in-flight radiometric and CCD detector calibration and performance monitoring results since the launch in July 2004. From these examples it will be shown that OMI is performing very well after more than four years in orbit. It is shown how the OMI irradiance measurement data have been used to derive a high resolution solar reference spectrum with good radiometric calibration, good wavelength calibration and high spectral sampling. The surface reflectance climatology derived from three years of in-orbit OMI measurement data is presented and discussed. The OMI mission may possibly be extended in 2009 for another two or four years, depending on the performance of the instrument. By 2013-2014 OMI on EOS-Aura and SCIAMACHY on ENVISAT will have reached more that twice their anticipated lifetimes. In order to guarantee continuity of Earth atmosphere tropospheric and climate measurement data new instrumentation shall be available around that time. A successor of OMI and SCIAMACHY, named TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), scheduled for launch by the end of 2013, is discussed in this paper

Feasibility and efficacy of addition of individualized-dose lenalidomide to chlorambucil and rituximab as first-line treatment in elderly and FCR-unfit patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Lenalidomide has been proven to be effective but with a distinct and difficult to manage toxicity profile in the context of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, potentially hampering combination treatment with this drug. We conducted a phase 1-2 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of six cycles of chlorambucil (7 mg/m2 daily), rituximab (375 mg/m2 cycle 1 and 500 mg/m2 cycles 2-6) and individually-dosed lenalidomide (escalated from 2.5 mg to 10 mg) (induction-I) in first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia unfit for treatment with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab. This was followed by 6 months of 10 mg lenalidomide monotherapy (induction-II). Of 53 evaluable patients in phase 2 of the study, 47 (89%) completed induction-I and 36 (68%) completed induction-II. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the overall response rate was 83%. The median progression-free survival was 49 months, after a median follow-up time of 27 months. The 2- and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 58% and 54%, respectively. The corresponding rates for overall survival were 98% and 95%. No tumor lysis syndrome was observed, while tumor flair reaction occurred in five patients (9%, 1 grade 3). The most common hematologic toxicity was grade 3-4 neutropenia, which occurred in 73% of the patients. In conclusion, addition of lenalidomide to a chemotherapy backbone followed by a fixed duration of lenalidomide monotherapy resulted in high remission rates and progression-free survival rates, which seem comparable to those observed with novel drug combinations including novel CD20 monoclonal antibodies or kinase inhibitors. Although lenalidomide-specific toxicity remains a concern, an individualized dose-escalation schedule is feasible and results in an acceptable toxicity profile. EuraCT number: 2010-022294-34

New Era of Air Quality Monitoring from Space: Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS)

GEMS will monitor air quality over Asia at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution from GEO for the first time, providing column measurements of aerosol, ozone and their precursors (nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and formaldehyde). Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) is scheduled for launch in late 2019 - early 2020 to monitor Air Quality (AQ) at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution from a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) for the first time. With the development of UV-visible spectrometers at sub-nm spectral resolution and sophisticated retrieval algorithms, estimates of the column amounts of atmospheric pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, HCHO, CHOCHO and aerosols) can be obtained. To date, all the UV-visible satellite missions monitoring air quality have been in Low Earth orbit (LEO), allowing one to two observations per day. With UV-visible instruments on GEO platforms, the diurnal variations of these pollutants can now be determined. Details of the GEMS mission are presented, including instrumentation, scientific algorithms, predicted performance, and applications for air quality forecasts through data assimilation. GEMS will be onboard the GEO-KOMPSAT-2 satellite series, which also hosts the Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) and Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI)-2. These three instruments will provide synergistic science products to better understand air quality, meteorology, the long-range transport of air pollutants, emission source distributions, and chemical processes. Faster sampling rates at higher spatial resolution will increase the probability of finding cloud-free pixels, leading to more observations of aerosols and trace gases than is possible from LEO. GEMS will be joined by NASA's TEMPO and ESA's Sentinel-4 to form a GEO AQ satellite constellation in early 2020s, coordinated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)

Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) Instrument Performance and Calibration from User Perspective

The European Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) is an instrument on the geostationary MTG Imager satellite series, for which the first satellite is scheduled for launch in 2019. The MTG series consists of 6 satellites in total: 4 Imager satellites, equipped with the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI) instruments, and 2 Sounding satellites, with the Infrared Sounder (IRS) and Sentinel-4 UVN instruments. Thales Alenia Space France is the main contractor for the MTG series under agency supervision from ESA. Selex ES are the main contractor for the LI mission and instrument. EUMETSAT will operate the satellites, instruments and ground facilities for MTG, including LI. The Lightning Imager will continuously provide lightning group and flashes information for almost the complete visible earth disc from a geostationary orbit targeted around 0 degrees longitude in the time period 2020 to 2040. The instrument will measure day and night and will provide triggered event data from lightning optical pulses at a spatial resolution that corresponds to about 4.5 km x 4.5 km at subsatellite point. The instrument also measures and provides background radiance images. In this presentation the Lightning Imager mission objectives, performance requirements and basic instrument detection principles will be described from scientific and user perspective. In addition, the scientific objectives of the performance verification and calibration both prior to launch and in orbit will be discussed

Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) Instrument On-ground and In-flight Calibration

The European Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Lightning Imager (LI) is an instrument on the geostationary MTG Imager satellite series, for which the first satellite is scheduled for launch in 2021. The MTG series consists of 6 satellites in total: 4 Imager satellites, equipped with the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and Lightning Imager (LI) instruments, and 2 Sounding satellites, with the Infrared Sounder (IRS) and Sentinel-4 UVN instruments. EUMETSAT will operate the satellites, instruments and ground systems for MTG. The Lightning Imager will continuously provide lightning groups and flashes information for almost the complete visible earth disc from a geostationary orbit around 0 degrees longitude in the time period 2021 to 2041. The instrument will measure day and night at a wavelength of about 777.4 nm and will provide triggered event data from lightning optical pulses at a spatial resolution that corresponds to about 4.5 km x 4.5 km at subsatellite point. The instrument also measures and provides background radiance images at least once every minute. The generated high data rates necessitate automated in-orbit calibration to keep the level-1b data products accurate. In this presentation the Lightning Imager mission objectives, performance requirements and basic instrument detection principles will be described. In addition, the scientific objectives of the performance verification and calibration both prior to launch and in orbit will be discussed. It will be shown how the calibration measurement data generated in orbit are used to keep the level-1b data accurately calibrated

Copernicus Sentiel-4/UVN Instrument Calibration System PDR Status

The Sentinel-4 mission is part of the Copernicus programme, whose overall objective is to support Europe’s goals regarding sustainable development and global governance of the environment by providing timely and quality data, information, services and knowledge. Within the Copernicus space component, Sentinel-4 Ultra-violet/Visible/Near-Infrared (UVN) sounder covers the needs for continuous monitoring of atmospheric composition at high temporal and spatial resolution from a geostationary orbit, in particular with respect to air quality. The Sentinel-4/UVN instrument is procured within the ESA Copernicus programme and will be provided to the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) programme for embarkation on the two MTG-Sounder satellites operated by EUMETSAT. The objective of the geostationary mission Sentinel-4 is monitoring of the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere above Europe. Target species, including the trace gases O3, NO2, SO2, HCHO and aerosols shall be observed to support operational services including forecasts covering air quality protocol monitoring, and climate protocol monitoring. The Sentinel-4/UVN instrument targets the troposphere in particular. The Sentinel-4/UVN instrument is a high resolution spectrometer operating with designated spectral bands in the solar reflectance spectrum, covering the ultraviolet (305-400 nm), visible (400-500 nm) and near-infrared (750-775 nm). The prime Sentinel-4/UVN parameters are a spatial sampling of 8 km over Europe and a fast repeat cycle over Europe and North Africa (Sahara) of one hour. The respective spectral resolutions are 0.5 nm in the ultraviolet and visible spectral bands, and 0.12 nm in the near-infrared. In this presentation the Sentinel-4/UVN instrument calibration (on-ground and in-flight) and the data processing (level 0 to level 1b) to meet the required level 1b data quality status at the beginning of phase C/D are outlined

Copernicus Sentinel Earth Observation Hyperspectral Instruments – Short Overview on Calibration

The current status of the planned calibration of several Sentinel Earth observation hyper-spectral instruments as part of the Copernicus space component programme, will be presented. Sentinel-5 and Sentinel-5-precursor are low Earth orbit missions and Sentinel-4, placed in geostationary orbit, supports the monitoring of trace gases concentrations and aerosols in the atmosphere covering air-quality applications, air-quality protocol monitoring and climate protocol monitoring with a high revisit time over Europe. Sentinel-5 Precursor, developed to reduce data gaps between Envisat, in particular the Sciamachy instrument, and the launch of Sentinel-5, is planned to be launched end of this year. As a joint initiative between ESA and the Netherlands the mission comprises a satellite and a UVNS instrument called Tropomi. Tropomi has been calibrated on-ground last year. The Sentinel-4 Ultra-violet/Visible/Near-Infrared (UVN) sounder covering the needs for continuous monitoring of atmospheric composition in high temporal and spatial resolution from a geostationary orbit, is in phase C. Sentinel-5, its low Earth orbit ‘companion’, undergoes the last procurements for its calibration. In this presentation the Sentinel-5P Tropomi, Sentinel-5 and Sentinel-4/UVN instrument calibration (on-ground and in-flight) are outlined

Illness scripts in nursing: Directed content analysis

Aims: To explore the possible extension of the illness script theory used in medicine to the nursing context. Design: A qualitative interview study. Methods: The study was conducted between September 2019 and March 2020. Expert nurses were asked to think aloud about 20 patient problems in nursing. A directed content analysis approach including quantitative data processing was used to analyse the transcribed data. Results: Through the analysis of 3912 statements, scripts were identified and a nursing script model is proposed; the medical illness script, including enabling conditions, fault and consequences, is extended with management, boundary, impact, occurrence and explicative statements. Nurses often used explicative statements when pathophysiological causes are absent or unknown. To explore the applicability of Illness script theory we analysed scripts’ richness and maturity with descriptive statistics. Expert nurses, like medical experts, had rich knowledge of consequences, explicative statements and management of familiar patient problems. Conclusion: The knowledge of expert nurses about patient problems can be described in scripts; the components of medical illness scripts are also relevant in nursing. We propose to extend the original illness script concept with management, explicative statements, boundary, impact and occurrence, to enlarge the applicability of illness scripts in the nursing domain. Impact: Illness scripts guide clinical reasoning in patient care. Insights into illness scripts of nursing experts is a necessary first step to develop goals or guidelines for student nurses’ development of clinical reasoning. It might lay the groundwork for future educational strategies

Reasoning like a doctor or like a nurse? A systematic integrative review

When physicians and nurses are looking at the same patient, they may not see the same picture. If assuming that the clinical reasoning of both professions is alike and ignoring possible differences, aspects essential for care can be overlooked. Understanding the multifaceted concept of clinical reasoning of both professions may provide insight into the nature and purpose of their practices and benefit patient care, education and research. We aimed to identify, compare and contrast the documented features of clinical reasoning of physicians and nurses through the lens of layered analysis and to conduct a simultaneous concept analysis. The protocol of this systematic integrative review was published doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049862. A comprehensive search was performed in four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Psychinfo, and Web of Science) from 30th March 2020 to 27th May 2020. A total of 69 Empirical and theoretical journal articles about clinical reasoning of practitioners were included: 27 nursing, 37 medical, and five combining both perspectives. Two reviewers screened the identified papers for eligibility and assessed the quality of the methodologically diverse articles. We used an onion model, based on three layers: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques to extract and organize the data. Commonalities and differences were identified on professional paradigms, theories, intentions, content, antecedents, attributes, outcomes, and contextual factors. The detected philosophical differences were located on a care-cure and subjective-objective continuum. We observed four principle contrasts: a broad or narrow focus, consideration of the patient as such or of the patient and his relatives, hypotheses to explain or to understand, and argumentation based on causality or association. In the technical layer a difference in the professional concepts of diagnosis and the degree of patient involvement in the reasoning process were perceived. Clinical reasoning can be analysed by breaking it down into layers, and the onion model resulted in detailed features. Subsequently insight was obtained in the differences between nursing and medical reasoning. The origin of these differences is in the philosophical layer (professional paradigms, intentions). This review can be used as a first step toward gaining a better understanding and collaboration in patient care, education and research across the nursing and medical professions