North Atlantic Oscillation and tropospheric ozone variability in Europe: model analysis and measurements intercomparison

Ozone pollution represents a serious health and environmental problem. While ozone pollution is mostly produced by photochemistry in summer, elevated ozone concentrations can also be influenced by long range transport driven by the atmospheric circulation and stratospheric ozone intrusions. We analyze the role of large scale atmospheric circulation variability in the North Atlantic basin in determining surface ozone concentrations. Here, we show, using ground station measurements and a coupled atmosphere-chemistry model simulation for the period 1980–2005, that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) does affect surface ozone concentrations – on average, over 10 ppbv on the monthly mean in southwest central and northern Europe – during all seasons except fall. The commonly used NAO index is able to capture the link existing between atmospheric dynamics and surface ozone concentrations in winter and spring but it fails in summer. We find that the first Principal Component, computed from the time variation of the sea level pressure (SLP) field, detects the atmosphere circulation/ozone relationship not only in winter and spring but also during summer, when the atmospheric circulation weakens and regional photochemical processes peak. The first Principal Component of the SLP field could be used as a tool to identify areas more exposed to forthcoming ozone pollution events. Finally, our results suggest that the increasing baseline ozone in western and northern Europe during the 1990s could be related to the prevailing phase of the NAO in that period.JRC.H.7-Climate Risk Managemen

Coherent structures in an electron beam

The formation and evolution of coherent structures in a low-energy electron beam produced in a Malmberg-Penning trap is investigated by means of CCD diagnostics. The electrons are emitted from a thermionic cathode and their energy is controlled by an acceleration grid. By varying the spatial distribution of the energy of emitted electrons, different space charge effects are observed, as, e. g., a sharp or a gradual transition to a space charge dominated regime. The variation of the coherent structures along the beam is studied by varying the electron density or/and the value of the confined magnetic field. The observed processes are interpreted using a tridimensional particle-in-cell code which solves the Vlasov-Poisson system in zeroth order drift approximation.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Algal bloom and its economic impact

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent a natural phenomena caused by a mass proliferation of phytoplankton (cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates) in waterbodies. Blooms can be harmful for the environment, human health and aquatic life due to the production of nocive toxins and the consequences of accumulated biomass (oxygen depletion). These blooms are occurring with increased regularity in marine and freshwater ecosystems and the reasons for their substantial intensification can be associated with a set of physical, chemical and biological factors including climate changes and anthropogenic impacts. Many bloom episodes have significant impacts on socio-economic systems. Fish mortality, illnesses caused by the consumption of contaminated seafood and the reluctance of consumers to purchase fish during HABs episodes represent only some of the economic impacts of HABs. The aim of this report is to evaluate the economic losses caused by HABs in different sectors. This was achieved by collecting data that exist in the technical literature and group them into four categories: (1) human health impacts; (2) fishery impacts; (3) tourism and recreation impacts; (4) monitoring and management costs. The data analysed refer to both marine and freshwater HABs. Among the sectors examined in this study, human health impacts appear less investigated than the other three categories. This is probably caused by the difficulty to assess the direct effects of toxins on human health because of the wide range of symptoms they can induce. Looking at the data, the interest in mitigating the economic losses associated with blooms is particularly demonstrated by studies aimed to develop monitoring and management strategies to reduce HABs episodes. Indeed, the water monitoring, when accompanied by appropriate management actions, can assure the mitigation of ongoing HABs and the reduction of negative impacts. During data collection, it has been more difficult to find economic data about blooms in Europe than in United States of America (USA). A reason may be the lack of European reports or publically available data about HABs and their socio-economic impacts. Much studies still have to be performed in this field, but the reported increase in HABs frequency will surely increase not only scientific analysis about HABs but also economic studies to report whether safeguards taken have succeeded in mitigating the economic impact associated with blooms.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

A Relação Direito e Fraternidade como Instrumento Promocional da Dignidade da Pessoa Humana no Direito do Trabalho

Examine in this study as a problem, the relationship of law and Fraternity as a promotional instrument of Human Dignity in Labour Law, pointing out the means by which positive law has constitutionalized the fundamental guarantees of man labor law. Understand the relationship of human labor versus the dignity of the human person, and the idea of fraternity as a promotional function. The research was based on bibliographic compared. The main object is to understand the role of the fraternity and the right to promote dignity in labor law. Specifically, to understand the role of the principle of brotherhood and human dignity in the protection of labor Fundamental Rights. It is a guided research in the hypothetical-deductive research method, starting from the hypothesis that the community contributes to the correct application of the law as the dignity of labor instrument.O presente trabalho analisará a relação do Direito e Fraternidade como instrumento promocional da Dignidade da Pessoa Humana no Direito do Trabalho, sendo este o problema, apontando o meio pelo qual o direito positivo tem constitucionalizado as garantias fundamentais do homem no direito laboral. Compreenderá a relação do trabalho humano versus a dignidade da pessoa humana, e a ideia de fraternidade como função promocional. A pesquisa se fundamentou em comparadas bibliográficas. O objeto principal é de compreender o papel da fraternidade e do direito na promoção da dignidade no Direito do Trabalho. Especificadamente, de entender o papel do princípio da fraternidade e da dignidade da pessoa humana na tutela dos Direitos Fundamentais laborais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa pautada no método de investigação hipotético-dedutivo, partindo-se da hipótese de que a fraternidade contribui para a correta aplicação do Direito como instrumento de dignidade do trabalho

Gender Differences in Sorting

In this paper, we investigate the sorting of workers in rms to understand gender gaps in labor market outcomes. Using Danish employer-employee matched data, we find strong evidence of glass ceilings in certain firms, especially after motherhood, preventing women from climbing the career ladder and causing the most productive female workers to seek better jobs in more female-friendly firms in which they can pursue small career advancements. Nonetheless, gender differences in promotion persist and are found to be similar in all firms when we focus on large career advancements. These results provide evidence of the sticky floor hypothesis, which, together with the costs associated with changing employer, generates persistent gender gaps

Impacts of changing weather patterns due to the global warming on black carbon transport and deposition to the Arctic

By modifying the albedo of the sea ice, black carbon (BC) deposited during the winter in the Arctic might contribute to the observed reduction of the sea ice cover in the recent years. This study attempts to estimate how the modification of large scale weather patterns due to the climate change impacts the transport of BC to the Arctic and its deposition on the sea ice. A new statistical algorithm has been developed to combine reanalysis estimates of three atmospheric patterns that govern the near-surface warming of the Northern Hemisphere in the winter with model estimates of transport and deposition of BC over the arctic sea ice. It was found that two atmospheric patterns have an impact on high latitudes and are closely linked to the sea ice melting tendency, while the third is limited to the lower latitudes. The combined impact of the three independent atmospheric patterns on winter deposition trends of BC between 1980 and 2015 indicates a decreasing tendency over the first-year sea ice cover in the eastern Arctic that melts each summer. On the other hand, the deposition over the multiyear sea ice cover in the central and western Arctic increases. During the last decades the increased BC deposition in the winter could eventually contribute to the enhanced melting of the multiyear sea ice.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Stigma on Mental Health among High School Students: Validation of the Italian Version of the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27-I) in a High School Student Population

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric characteristics of the AQ-27-I in a high school student population. Students aged between 17 and 20 years and attending the fourth and fifth year of a scientific high school in Milan were approached at the school and were asked to fill in an anonymous socio-demographic form and the AQ-27-I. Cronbach’s alpha was used to estimate the instrument reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and compared to the original English version factor structure. The AQ-27-I demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87 and only one subscale (Personal responsibility) with an alpha lower than 0.60. Fit indices were very positive for the Dangerousness Model supporting the factor structure and paths of the original version. The Personal Responsibility Model, on the other hand, showed some weakness, concerning the process dynamics of the model. The results obtained are similar with those from other studies carried out in Italy and other countries. The questionnaire can be used for the quantitative description of stereotypes, emotions and behaviors associated with stigma in mental health in high school student populations

Toward climate change impact: Vectors carrying viral infections

Global warming has allowed mosquitoes, ticks and other disease-bearing insects to proliferate, adapt to different temperatures, migrate to places that have become warmer and adapt to new niches and new areas (e.g. urban area). More humans are therefore exposed to viral infections such as Dengue fever, Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile fever, Yellow fever and Tick-borne encephalitis. All these diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes with the exception of Tick-borne encephalitis that is caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus transmitted to humans predominantly by tick bites. For many of these diseases, there are as yet no specific vaccines or antiviral agents. In urban areas, due to the temperature changes (i.e. warm temperature in winter time) and the egg resistance, they are active in all seasons of the year. The reduction of potential breeding sites (e.g fountains, ponds, water-filled containers) can decrease mosquito abundance, however an early warning system would mitigate the risk. Insecticides have been used widely in control programs against mosquito populations, but negative effects on human and environmental health due to their toxicity have been well documented. Environmentally-sustainable measures are required to control mosquitoes without relying on widespread pesticide applications but rather based on surveillance data. While a better control of mosquito population is advocated, it’s also important to warn that it would be unwise to remove mosquitoes completely from the ecosystem. They are part of the food chain for some species, and pollinate many plants. Wiping them out completely could have negative effects on nature, and consequently on humans.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource

Algal blooms and their socio-economic impact

Algal blooms are a natural phenomena caused by a rapid growth of aquatic algae in waterbodies. Bloom formation is influenced by light intensity, water temperature, pH, climate change, water flow, water column stability and anthropogenic modifications of aquatic environment including nutrient over-enrichment (eutrophication). Indeed, in the last years, an increasing trend of blooms caused by cyanobacteria (photosynthetic bacteria) have been reported in freshwater due to the warmer temperatures. During an algal bloom, the water colour could vary from green to brown, red or yellow depending on the organism causing the bloom and the concentration of the organism. Not all algal blooms are dense enough to induce water discoloration and blooms of algae that discolour the water have traditionally been called “red tides”, whether toxic or not. The occurrence of blooms in aquatic environment is considered an environmental problem of serious concern due to direct and indirect negative impacts on different sectors such as fishery, tourism and public health.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource