ABSTRACT
Throughout spring and summer 2020, ozone stations in the northern extratropics recorded unusually low ozone in the free troposphere. From April to August, and from 1 to 8 kilometers altitude, ozone was on average 7% (≈4 nmol/mol) below the 2000-2020 climatological mean. Such low ozone, over several months, and at so many stations, has not been observed in any previous year since at least 2000. Atmospheric composition analyses from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service and simulations from the NASA GMI model indicate that the large 2020 springtime ozone depletion in the Arctic stratosphere contributed less than one-quarter of the observed tropospheric anomaly. The observed anomaly is consistent with recent chemistry-climate model simulations, which assume emissions reductions similar to those caused by the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 related emissions reductions appear to be the major cause for the observed reduced free tropospheric ozone in 2020.
ABSTRACT
The UV Index was established more than 20 years ago as a tool for sun protection and health care. Shortly after its introduction, UV Index monitoring started in several countries either by newly acquired instruments or by converting measurements from existing instruments into the UV Index. The number of stations and networks has increased over the years. Currently, 160 stations in 25 European countries deliver online values to the public via the Internet. In this paper an overview of these UV Index monitoring sites in Europe is given. The overview includes instruments as well as quality assurance and quality control procedures. Furthermore, some examples are given about how UV Index values are presented to the public. Through these efforts, 57% of the European population is supplied with high quality information, enabling them to adapt behaviour. Although health care, including skin cancer prevention, is cost-effective, a proportion of the European population still doesn't have access to UV Index information.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to examine how e-mail communication in general practice affects the doctor/patient relationship and doctors' workload. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Registration was done of e-mail activity in three Danish GP surgeries over a period of 12 months and focus group interviews with patients and doctors. RESULTS: The practices received 191 e-mails per 1,000 patients per year. The male/female ratio was 0.9 to 1. The average patient age was 47.2 years; the oldest user was 88 years old. Qualitative data were categorized under various headings, such as need, expectations, usability, workload, patient service, the communication part of professionalism, worries and barriers against use. DISCUSSION: E-mail is a requested and useful communication form between doctors and patients in general practice. But it requires guidance and structured communication. It works best when the doctor and patient know each other. It is being used less than might be expected. The barriers from patients' point of view are lack of knowledge of and access to computers, lack of awareness of the possibility of contacting the physician by e-mail and the absence of a personal invitation for use by the personal physician. It is a matter of concern that patients apparently don't read the recommendations concerning proper use of e-mail communication, even though they are clearly described on the Web site and patients have to click "has been read" to be able to continue.
