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peer-reviewed, This study investigated the purpose and effectiveness of giving outpatients receiving dialysis treatment an opportunity to engage in art activities while receiving care. A mixed method study was conducted. 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with outpatients attending the dialysis unit and 13 surveys of clinicians were completed. The principle reasons to partake in the art activity programme included: to pass time, to relieve boredom, to be creative, to try something new, distraction from concerns, to stay positive and to achieve something new. Patients who did not participate in the programme pass their time primarily by watching TV or sleeping. All staff who partook in the survey were satisfied with the programme and wanted it to continue. Our findings indicate that the creative arts programme is viewed positively by staff and patients alike, and might be useful in other hospital departments. Further in depth qualitative research would be useful to interrogate the potential effect of engagement in art on positive mental health and quality of life for patients with chronic conditions., ACCEPTED, peer-reviewed

Meteorology and microphysics affect cloud formation, cloud droplet distributions, and shortwave reflectance. The Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment and the Stratocumulus Observations of Los-Angeles Emissions Derived Aerosol-Droplets studies provided measurements in six case studies of cloud thermodynamic properties, initial particle number distribution and composition, and cloud drop distribution. In this study, we use simulations from a chemical and microphysical aerosol-cloud parcel (ACP) model with explicit kinetic drop activation to reproduce observed cloud droplet distributions of the case studies. Four cases had subadiabatic lapse rates, resulting in fewer activated droplets, lower liquid water content, and higher cloud base height than an adiabatic lapse rate. A weighted ensemble of simulations that reflect measured variation in updraft velocity and cloud base height was used to reproduce observed droplet distributions. Simulations show that organic hygroscopicity in internally mixed cases causes small effects on cloud reflectivity (CR) (<0.01), except for cargo ship and smoke plumes, which increased CR by 0.02 and 0.07, respectively, owing to their high organic mass fraction. Organic hygroscopicity had larger effects on droplet concentrations for cases with higher aerosol concentrations near the critical diameter (namely, polluted cases with a modal peak near 0.1 mu m). Differences in simulated droplet spectral widths (k) caused larger differences in CR than organic hygroscopicity in cases with organic mass fractions of 60% or less for the cases shown. Finally, simulations from a numerical parameterization of cloud droplet activation suitable for general circulation models compared well with the ACP model, except under high organic mass fraction.

Primary marine aerosol (PMA)-cloud interactions off the coast of California were investigated using observations of marine aerosol, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and stratocumulus clouds during the Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment (E-PEACE) and the Stratocumulus Observations of Los-Angeles Emissions Derived Aerosol-Droplets (SOLEDAD) studies. Based on recently reported measurements of PMA size distributions, a constrained lognormal-mode-fitting procedure was devised to isolate PMA number size distributions from total aerosol size distributions and applied to E-PEACE measurements. During the 12 day E-PEACE cruise on the R/V Point Sur, PMA typically contributed less than 15% of total particle concentrations. PMA number concentrations averaged 12 cm(-3) during a relatively calmer period (average wind speed 12m/s(1)) lasting 8 days, and 71cm(-3) during a period of higher wind speeds (average 16m/s(1)) lasting 5 days. On average, PMA contributed less than 10% of total CCN at supersaturations up to 0.9% during the calmer period; however, during the higher wind speed period, PMA comprised 5-63% of CCN (average 16-28%) at supersaturations less than 0.3%. Sea salt was measured directly in the dried residuals of cloud droplets during the SOLEDAD study. The mass fractions of sea salt in the residuals averaged 12 to 24% during three cloud events. Comparing the marine stratocumulus clouds sampled in the two campaigns, measured peak supersaturations were 0.20.04% during E-PEACE and 0.05-0.1% during SOLEDAD. The available measurements show that cloud droplet number concentrations increased with >100 nm particles in E-PEACE but decreased in the three SOLEDAD cloud events.

The Giant mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, operated from 1948 to 1999, producing more than 7 000 000 oz of gold. Chemical roasting of the ore began in 1949 and sulphur dioxide and arsenic vapour were vented directly to the atmosphere. The first air emission controls were introduced in 1951 and captured arsenic in the form of arsenic trioxide. When control of the mine property was transferred to the federal department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1999, the roaster complex had within it free and poorly contained arsenic trioxide dust, asbestos, cyanide and other hazardous substances. As the complex progressively deteriorated over time, the risks to neighbouring communities, onsite workers and environment increased, with an increasing likelihood of building collapse and releases of As, asbestos and CN. The ten primary structures included the Allis-Chalmers roaster building, calcine plant, the Dorrco roaster building, the Cottrell precipitator building, the baghouse building, the silo, the weight scale house, the stack fan building, the stack and the exterior flues and other ancillary infrastructure. A project team, consisting of individuals from across governmental departments, communications officers, health and safety officers, managers, consultants and contractors, was critical to successfully meeting the objectives. Over a two-year period, the ten structures were successfully dismantled, the non-hazardous and hazardous wastes were segregated and more than 3 000 t of As-contaminated materials removed and containerised without adverse effect on onsite workers, neighbouring communities or the environment., The Giant mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, operated from 1948 to 1999, producing more than 7 000 000 oz of gold. Chemical roasting of the ore began in 1949 and sulphur dioxide and arsenic vapour were vented directly to the atmosphere. The first air emission controls were introduced in 1951 and captured arsenic in the form of arsenic trioxide. When control of the mine property was transferred to the federal department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1999, the roaster complex had within it free and poorly contained arsenic trioxide dust, asbestos, cyanide and other hazardous substances. As the complex progressively deteriorated over time, the risks to neighbouring communities, onsite workers and environment increased, with an increasing likelihood of building collapse and releases of As, asbestos and CN. The ten primary structures included the Allis-Chalmers roaster building, calcine plant, the Dorrco roaster building, the Cottrell precipitator building, the baghouse building, the silo, the weight scale house, the stack fan building, the stack and the exterior flues and other ancillary infrastructure. A project team, consisting of individuals from across governmental departments, communications officers, health and safety officers, managers, consultants and contractors, was critical to successfully meeting the objectives. Over a two-year period, the ten structures were successfully dismantled, the non-hazardous and hazardous wastes were segregated and more than 3 000 t of As-contaminated materials removed and containerised without adverse effect on onsite workers, neighbouring communities or the environment.