Snow College

About: Snow College is a education organization based out in Ephraim, Utah, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Aerosol & Population. The organization has 15 authors who have published 35 publications receiving 1964 citations.

Evidence that the prevalence of childhood overweight is plateauing: Data from nine countries

Abstract: Until quite recently, there has been a widespread belief in the popular media and scientific literature that the prevalence of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing However, high quality evidence has emerged from several countries suggesting that the rise in the prevalence has slowed appreciably, or even plateaued This review brings together such data from nine countries (Australia, China, England, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and USA), with data from 467,294 children aged 2-19 years The mean unweighted rate of change in prevalence of overweight and obesity was +000 (049)% per year across all age ×sex groups and all countries between 1995 and 2008 For overweight alone, the figure was +001 (056)%, and for obesity alone -001 (024)% Rates of change differed by sex, age, socioeconomic status and ethnicity While the prevalence of overweight and obesity appears to be stabilizing at different levels in different countries, it remains high, and a significant public health issue Possible reasons for the apparent flattening are hypothesised

Long-term observations of cloud condensation nuclei in the Amazon rain forest – Part 1: Aerosol size distribution, hygroscopicity, and new model parametrizations for CCN prediction

Abstract: . Size-resolved long-term measurements of atmospheric aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and hygroscopicity were conducted at the remote Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) in the central Amazon Basin over a 1-year period and full seasonal cycle (March 2014–February 2015). The measurements provide a climatology of CCN properties characteristic of a remote central Amazonian rain forest site. The CCN measurements were continuously cycled through 10 levels of supersaturation (S = 0.11 to 1.10 %) and span the aerosol particle size range from 20 to 245 nm. The mean critical diameters of CCN activation range from 43 nm at S = 1.10 % to 172 nm at S = 0.11 %. The particle hygroscopicity exhibits a pronounced size dependence with lower values for the Aitken mode (κAit = 0.14 ± 0.03), higher values for the accumulation mode (κAcc = 0.22 ± 0.05), and an overall mean value of κmean = 0.17 ± 0.06, consistent with high fractions of organic aerosol. The hygroscopicity parameter, κ, exhibits remarkably little temporal variability: no pronounced diurnal cycles, only weak seasonal trends, and few short-term variations during long-range transport events. In contrast, the CCN number concentrations exhibit a pronounced seasonal cycle, tracking the pollution-related seasonality in total aerosol concentration. We find that the variability in the CCN concentrations in the central Amazon is mostly driven by aerosol particle number concentration and size distribution, while variations in aerosol hygroscopicity and chemical composition matter only during a few episodes. For modeling purposes, we compare different approaches of predicting CCN number concentration and present a novel parametrization, which allows accurate CCN predictions based on a small set of input data.

Student Perceptions of Academic Language Study

Abstract: This article reports on a study done to determine how nonnative English speakers studying in US colleges and universities perceive their language learning experiences and how they use English in academic settings Open-ended interviews, using a structured set of topics, were conducted with 80 students Areas investigated included the value of the US language training program, how the program addressed specific skill areas, how outof-class experience contributed to language learning, what teacher qualities were valued, and how English was used in the academic setting In general, students supported the design of most intensive ESL training, but they raised questions about some skill-area emphasis A strong desire for more interactive instruction was expressed as well as an appreciation for personality, 'rather than technical, qualities of teachers Students indicated the importance in academic work of the receptive skills of reading and listening over the productive skills of speaking and writing Curriculum design in ESL programs for academic preparation has, in general, failed to use the experience of students themselves as a basis for planning and decision making This article reports on a study that attempted to discover what students believed contributed most to their language learning The subjects had studied in intensive ESL programs in the United States and were engaged in academic study at the time of the investigation Student attitude toward teachers and teacher behavior was also studied Last, the study attempted to determine how these students were using English in their academic work