Due to its large space-time variability, the wet tropospheric correction (WTC) is still considered a significant error source in satellite altimetry. This paper presents the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) derived Path Delay Plus (GPD+), the most recent algorithm developed at the University of Porto to retrieve improved WTC for radar altimeter missions. The GPD+ are WTC estimated by ...

BACKGROUND Our goal was to examine the effect of the World Trade Center (WTC) attack and subsequent New York City Fire Department (FDNY) rescue/recovery activities on firefighter retirements. We also analyzed the financial impact associated with the increased number and proportion of service-connected "accidental" disability retirements on the FDNY pension system. METHODS A total of 7,763 fir...

The effects of prenatal exposure to pollutants from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on fetal growth and subsequent health and development of exposed children remain a source of concern. We assessed the impact of gestational timing of the disaster and distance from the WTC in the 4 weeks after 11 September on the birth outcomes of 300 nonsmoking women who were pregnant at the time of the e...

BACKGROUND Individuals involved in rescue, recovery, demolition, and cleanup at the World Trade Center (WTC) site were exposed to a complex mixture of airborne smoke, dust, combustion gases, acid mists, and metal fumes. Such exposures have the potential to impair nasal chemosensory (olfactory and trigeminal) function. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of chemosen...

OBJECTIVE To test the a priori hypothesis that acute and chronic work exposures to the World Trade Center (WTC) site on or after September 11, 2001 were associated with risk of new-onset systemic autoimmune diseases. METHODS A nested case-control study was performed in WTC rescue/recovery workers who had received a rheumatologist-confirmed systemic autoimmune disease diagnosis between Septemb...

The catastrophic destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 11 September 2001 caused the release of high levels of airborne pollutants into the local environment. To assess the toxicity of fine particulate matter [particulate matter with a mass median aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5)], which may adversely affect the health of workers and residents in the area, we collected fallen d...

OBJECTIVES We hypothesise that there is an association between an elevated pulmonary artery/aorta (PA/A) and World Trade Center-Lung Injury (WTC-LI). We assessed if serum vascular disease biomarkers were predictive of an elevated PA/A. DESIGN Retrospective case-cohort analysis of thoracic CT scans of WTC-exposed firefighters who were symptomatic between 9/12/2001 and 3/10/2008. Quantification...

Willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) has recently become an important concept across disciplines of second language acquisition (SLA) and communication. It has been proposed that pedagogic goals should be to increase learners’ L2 WTC so as to facilitate language learning. Incorporating the Canadian social psychological approach to L2 learning, extant research has suggested t...

Willingness to Communicate (WTC) has become an important concept in second language (L2) classroom context. WTC is proven as a predictor of participation since students who tend have high participated more interaction and they are likely be ready get involved any interactions using their L2 both inside outside classroom. Given the central role teachers play pedagogy, shape curriculum within con...

OBJECTIVES To examine the long-term behavioral consequences of exposure to the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks in preschool children and to evaluate whether conjoined exposure to disaster and to other traumatic events has additive effects. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Lower Manhattan, New York. PARTICIPANTS A total of 116 preschool children directly exposed to the WTC attac...