(Table 1) Radiocarbon dating of a lake sediment core, southern West Greenland

The dominant processes determining biological structure in lakes at millennial timescales are complex. In this study, we used a multi-proxy approach to determine the relative importance of in-lake versus indirect processes on the Holocene development of an oligotrophic lake in SW Greenland (66.99°N, 50.97°W). A 14C and 210Pb-dated sediment core covering approximately 8500 years BP was analyzed for organic-inorganic carbon content, pigments, diatoms, chironomids, cladocerans, and stable isotopes (d13C, d18O). Relationships among the different proxies and a number of independent controlling variables (Holocene temperature, an isotope-inferred cooling period, and immigration of Betula nana into the catchment) were explored using redundancy analysis (RDA) independent of time. The main ecological trajectories in the lake biota were captured by ordination first axis sample scores (18-32% variance explained). The importance of the arrival of Betula (ca. 6500 years BP) into the catchment was indicated by a series of partial-constrained ordinations, uniquely explaining 12-17% of the variance in chironomids and up to 9% in pigments. Climate influences on lake biota were strongest during a short-lived cooling period (identified by altered stable isotopes) early in the development of the lake when all proxies changed rapidly, although only chironomids had a unique component (8% in a partial-RDA) explained by the cooling event. Holocene climate explained less variance than either catchment changes or biotic relationships. The sediment record at this site indicates the importance of catchment factors for lake development, the complexity of community trends even in relatively simple systems (invertebrates are the top predators in the lake) and the challenges of deriving palaeoclimate inferences from sediment records in low-Arctic freshwater lakes.

Lead/Calcium profiles in the common time window 1770-2010 of the three Arctica islandica shells

In the study, we establish centennial records of anthropogenic lead pollution at different locations in the North Atlantic (Iceland, USA, and Europe) by means of lead deposited in shells of the long-lived bivalve Arctica islandica. Due to local oceanographic and geological conditions we conclude that the lead concentrations in the Icelandic shell reflect natural influxes of lead into Icelandic waters. In comparison, the lead profile of the US shell is clearly driven by anthropogenic lead emissions transported from the continent to the ocean by westerly surface winds. Lead concentrations in the European North Sea shell, in contrast, are dominantly driven by local lead sources resulting in a much less conspicuous 1970s gasoline lead peak. In conclusion, the lead profiles of the three shells are driven by different influxes of lead, and yet, all support the applicability of Pb/Ca analyses of A. islandica shells to reconstruct location specific anthropogenic lead pollution.

(Table 1) Stable isotope records of clathrite and water

Aragonitic clathrites are methane-derived precipitates that are found at sites of massive near-seafloor gas hydrate (clathrate) accumulations at the summit of southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia margin. These platy carbonate precipitates form inside or in proximity to gas hydrate, which in our study site currently coexists with a fluid that is highly enriched in dissolved ions as salts are excluded during gas hydrate formation. The clathrites record the preferential incorporation of 18O into the hydrate structure and hence the enrichment of 16O in the surrounding brine. We measured d18O values as high as 2.27 per mil relative to Peedee belemnite that correspond to a fluid composition of -1.18 per mil relative to standard mean ocean water. The same trend can be observed in Ca isotopes. Ongoing clathrite precipitation causes enrichment of the 44Ca in the fluid and hence in the carbonates. Carbon isotopes confirm a methane source for the carbonates. Our triple stable isotope approach that uses the three main components of carbonates (Ca, C, O) provides insight into multiple parameters influencing the isotopic composition of the pore water and hence the isotopic composition of the clathrites. This approach provides a tool to monitor the geochemical processes during clathrate and clathrite formation, thus recording the evolution of the geochemical environment of gas hydrate systems.

Nd/Ca ratios in plankton-towed and core top foraminifera

Planktic foraminifera have been used as recorders of the neodymium (Nd) isotopic composition of seawater, although there is still controversy over the precise provenance of the Nd signal. We present an extensive, multispecific plankton tow Nd/Ca data set from several geographic locations (SE Atlantic, NE Atlantic, Norwegian Sea, and western Mediterranean), together with core top samples from the Mediterranean region. The range of Nd/Ca ratios in plankton-towed foraminifera, cleaned only of organic material, from all regions (0.01-0.7 µmol/mol), is similar to previously published analyses of sedimentary foraminifera cleaned using both oxidative and reductive steps, with distribution coefficients (Kd) ranging between 4 and 302. For the Mediterranean, where core top and plankton tow data are both available, the range for plankton tows (0.05-0.7 µmol/mol) is essentially identical to that for the core tops (0.1-0.5 µmol/mol). Readsorption of Nd during cleaning is ruled out by the fact that the plankton tow samples underwent only an oxidative cleaning process. We find a relationship between manganese (Mn) and Nd in plankton tow samples that is mirrored by a similar correlation in core top samples. This relationship suggests that Fe-Mn coatings are of negligible importance to the Nd budgets of foraminifera as the Nd/Mn ratio it implies is over an order of magnitude greater than that seen in other Fe-Mn oxide phases. Rather, since both plankton tows and core tops present a similar behavior, the Nd/Mn relationship must originate in the upper water column. The data are consistent with the acquisition of Nd and Mn from the water column by binding to organic material and the fact that intratest organic material is shielded from both aggressive cleaning and diagenetic processes. Collectively, the results help to explain two abiding puzzles about Nd in sedimentary planktic foraminifera: their high REE contents and the fact that they record a surface water Nd isotopic signal, regardless of the cleaning procedure used.

Element analyses of DSDP/ODP Hole 504B basalt and breccia (Table 2)

Geochemical well logs were used to measure the dry weight percent oxide abundances of Si, Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Ti, and K and the elemental abundances of Gd, S, Th, and U at 0.15-m intervals throughout the basement section of Hole 504B. These geochemical data are used to estimate the integrated chemical exchange resulting from hydrothermal alteration of the oceanic crust that has occurred over the last 5.9 Ma. A large increase in Si in the transition zone between pillows and dikes (Layers 2B and 2C) indicates that mixing of hot, upwelling hydrothermal fluids with cold, downwelling seawater occurred in the past at a permeability discontinuity at this level in the crust, even though the low-to-high permeability boundary in Hole 504B is now 500 m shallower (at the Layer 2A/2B boundary). The observations of extensive Ca loss and Mg gain agree with chemical exchanges recorded in the laboratory in experiments on the reactions that occur between basalt and seawater at high temperatures. The K budget requires significant addition to Layer 2A from both high-temperature depletion in Layers 2B and 2C and low-temperature alteration by seawater. Integrated water/rock ratios are derived for the mass of seawater required to add enriched elements and for the mass of hydrothermal fluid required to remove depleted elements in the crust at Hole 504B.

Strontium isotopes and sedimentology of a marine Triassic succession (upper Ladinian) of the westernmost Tethys, Spain

Chemical Stratigraphy, or the study of the variation of chemical elements within sedimentary sequences, has gradually become an experienced tool in the research and correlation of global geologic events. In this paper 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of the Triassic marine carbonates (Muschelkalk facies) of southeast Iberian Ranges, Iberian Peninsula, are presented and the representative Sr-isotopic curve constructed for the upper Ladinian interval. The studied stratigraphic succession is 102 meters thick, continuous, and well preserved. Previous paleontological data from macro and micro, ammonites, bivalves, foraminifera, conodonts and palynological assemblages, suggest a Fassanian-Longobardian age (Late Ladinian). Although diagenetic minerals are present in small amounts, the elemental data content of bulk carbonate samples, especially Sr contents, show a major variation that probably reflects palaeoenvironmental changes. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios curve shows a rise from 0.707649 near the base of the section to 0.707741 and then declines rapidly to 0.707624, with a final values rise up to 0.70787 in the upper part. The data up to meter 80 in the studied succession is broadly concurrent with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of sequences of similar age and complements these data. Moreover, the sequence stratigraphic framework and its key surfaces, which are difficult to be recognised just based in the facies analysis, are characterised by combining variations of the Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr and CaCO3 contents

God and War: the Church of England and Armed Conflict in the Twentieth Century

Despite narratives of secularization, it appears that the British public persistently pay attention to clerical opinion and continually resort to popular expressions of religious faith, not least in time of war. From the throngs of men who gathered to hear the Bishop of London preach recruiting sermons during the First World War, to the attention paid to Archbishop Williams' words of conscience on Iraq, clerical rhetoric remains resonant. For the countless numbers who attended National Days of Prayer during the Second World War, and for the many who continue to find the Remembrance Day service a meaningful ritual, civil religious events provide a source of meaningful ceremony and a focus of national unity. War and religion have been linked throughout the twentieth century and this book explores these links: taking the perspective of the 'home front' rather than the battlefield. Exploring the views and accounts of Anglican clerics on the issue of warfare and international conflict across the century, the authors explore the church's stance on the causes, morality and conduct of warfare; issues of pacifism, obliteration bombing, nuclear possession and deterrence, retribution, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the spiritual opportunities presented by conflict. This book offers invaluable insights into how far the Church influenced public appraisal of war whilst illuminating the changing role of the Church across the twentieth century.

Rheological Characterization of Bitumen and Asphalt including the effect of Added-recycled Material

This thesis evaluates the rheological behaviour of asphalt mixtures and the corresponding extracted binders from the mixtures containing different amounts of Reclaimed Asphalt (RA). Generally, the use of RA is limited to certain amounts. The study materials are Stone Mastic Asphalts including a control sample with 0% RA, and other samples with RA rates of 30%, 60% and 100%. Another set of studied mixtures are Asphalt Concretes (AC) types with again a control mix having 0% RA rate and the other mixtures designs containing 30%, 60% and 90% of reclaimed asphalt which also contain additives. In addition to the bitumen samples extracted from asphalt mixes, there are bitumen samples directly extracted from the original RA. To characterize the viscoelastic behaviour of the binders, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) tests were conducted on bitumen specimens. The resulting influence of the RA content in the bituminous binders are illustrated through master curves, black diagrams and Cole-Cole plots with regressing these experimental data by the application of the analogical 2S2P1D and the analytical CA model. The advantage of the CA model is in its limited number of parameters and thus is a simple model to use. The 2S2P1D model is an analogical rheological model for the prediction of the linear viscoelastic properties of both asphalt binders and mixtures. In order to study the influence of RA on mixtures, the Indirect Tensile Test (ITT) has been conducted. The master curves of different mixture samples are evaluated by regressing the test data points to a sigmoidal function and subsequently by comparing the master curves, the influence of RA materials is studied. The thesis also focusses on the applicability and also differences of CA model and 2S2P1D model for bitumen samples and the sigmoid function for the mixtures and presents the influence of the RA rate on the investigated model parameters.

La lunga diacronia di un sito archeologico toscano: il complesso di Pava (Siena) dal II al XIII sec. d.C.

The paper is centred on southern Tuscany on the archaeological complex of Pieve di Pava where archaeological research have been conducted since the 2000 by the University of Siena. The parish church is first mentioned as the baptisterium Sancti Petri in Pava in a document of AD 715 part of a long dispute between the bishop of Siena and the bishop of Arezzo. But the archaeological excavation revealed a longer history of the site that start from the Roman period with a villa dated between the second to the fourth century BC. The villa continued to grow in Late Antiquity since it was transformed by a church. The paper is centred on these fluctuations of the site and on the implications of the transformations on the landscape. One of the stronger element of the Pava site, in addition to the very particular plan of the early church (built with two opposing apses) was the huge cemetery around the church that was used from the seventh century BC until the Middle Ages. The 900 excavated graves make this one of the largest and most long-lasting late-Roman to medieval cemeteries excavated in Europe.

Between the rose and the shoulders of giants

The following are thoughts on 2 of the most well-known phrases in the English language, recognized as universal academic icons. That of Juliet Capuleto’s in Act II, scene II, “The Balcony”, in the immortal work of William shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet about “A rose by any other name”, and “On the shoulders of giants”, traditionally attributed to Isaac Newton, the discoverer of the Mechanical Universal Laws, including that of Universal Law of Gravitation, in the 17th Century, but in reality first said by the humanistic philosopher and theologist Bernard of Chartres in the 12th Century

Manifestations of Stigma and Prejudice Informed by Treated Lepers

Introduction: The segregation of people affected by leprosy in lepercolonies as well as presenting itself ineffective, caused irreversible and irreparable consequences in the lives of individuals who came to carry the marks of stigma and prejudice surrounding the disease. Objective: To identify traits related to the stigma and prejudice in the content of lepers' 12 speeches, separated compulsorily in Saint Francis of Assisi Colony in the city of Natal, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Method: Descriptive study focusing on the oral history of life. The narratives were collected in April 2010 through a recorded interview and analyzed by means of the technique of Thematic Content Analyses. Results: The stigma and the prejudice crystallized in our culture had caused and still cause huge suffering and pain in the participants, who grew up and several aged in biological terms, living with a stigmatizing disease and its complications, sometimes disabling ones. In social and psychological terms, they were discriminated, rejected and even expelled from the familiar conviviality and the original social nucleus. Conclusion: In this manner, one notices the need of these people recover their attachments, values and self-esteem, share feelings and build relationships so as to be integrated in the real world.

Annual crop rotation of tropical pastures with no-till soil as affectedby lime surface application.

Soil acidity and low natural fertility are the main limiting factors for grain production in tropical regionssuch as the Brazilian Cerrado. The application of lime to the surface of no-till soil can improve plant nutrition, dry matter production, crop yields and revenue. The present study, conducted at the Lageado Experimental Farm in Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil, is part of an ongoing research project initi-ated in 2002 to evaluate the long-term effects of the surface application of lime on the soil?s chemical attributes, nutrition and kernel/grain yield of peanut (Arachis hypogaea), white oat (Avena sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) inter cropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu), as well as the forage dry matter yield of palisade grass in winter/spring, its crude protein concentration, estimated meat production, and revenue in a tropical region with a dry winter during four growing seasons. The experiment was designed in randomized blocks with four replications. The treatments consisted of four rates of lime application (0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 kg ha−1), performed in November 2004. The surface application of limestone to the studied tropical no-till soil was efficient in reducing soil acidity from the surface down to a depth of 0.60 m and resulted in greater availability of P and K at the soil surface. Ca and Mg availability in the soil also increased with the lime application rate, up to a depth of 0.60 m. Nutrient absorption was enhanced with liming, especially regarding the nutrient uptake of K, Ca and Mg by plants.Significant increases in the yield components and kernel/grain yields of peanut, white oat and maize were obtained through the surface application of limestone. The lime rates estimated to achieve the maximum grain yield, especially in white oat and maize, were very close to the rates necessary to increase the base saturation of a soil sample collected at a depth of 0?0.20 m to 70%, indicating that the surface liming of 2000 kg ha−1is effective for the studied tropical no-till soil. This lime rate also increases the forage dry matter yield, crude protein concentration and estimated meat production during winter/spring in the maize-palisade grass inter cropping, provides the highest total and mean net profit during the four growing seasons, and can improve the long-term sustainability of tropical agriculture in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Accused headmaster turned me into pedophile, says convicted cleric Peter Gilbert

A CLERGYMAN who allegedly raped boys at a north Queensland boarding school in the 1960s has claimed he was ordered to take female hormones by his headmaster, who encouraged the "romantic love" of children among staff. Former Anglican brother Peter Gilbert - sentenced to seven years' jail in 2006 for the rape and indecent assault of children in the 1980s in South Australia - has blamed St Barnabas headmaster the late Robert Waddington for turning him into a pedophile. In a statement to one of his alleged victims, Gilbert said Waddington was molesting children himself and the Anglican priest would absolve the young teacher of his abuse of children in the confessional. The account has emerged as the top ranks of the Anglican church in Australia and Britain have been rocked by allegations of the covering-up of complaints made in 1999 and 2003 about Waddington's abuse while headmaster at the boarding school in Ravenshoe, north Queensland, and later, when he was dean of Manchester. A full investigation is being demanded into the handling of the complaints by the former Archbishop of York, now Lord (David) Hope of Thornes, and Australian church officials, including the former bishop of north Queensland, Clyde Wood.

Discharge mode transitions in low-frequency inductively coupled plasmas with internal oscillating current sheets

Transitions between the two discharge modes in a low-frequency (∼460 kHz) inductively coupled plasma sustained by an internal oscillating radio frequency (rf) current sheet are studied. The unidirectional rf current sheet is generated by an internal antenna comprising two orthogonal sets of synphased rf currents driven in alternately reconnected copper litz wires. It is shown that in the low-to-intermediate pressure range the plasma source can be operated in the electrostatic (E) and electromagnetic (H) discharge modes. The brightness of the E -mode argon plasma glow is found remarkably higher than in inductively coupled plasmas with external flat spiral "pancake" coils. The cyclic variations of the input rf power result in pronounced hysteretic variations of the optical emission intensity and main circuit parameters of the plasma source. Under certain conditions, it appears possible to achieve a spontaneous E→H transition ("self-transition"). The observed phenomenon can be attributed to the thermal drift of the plasma parameters due to the overheating of the working gas. The discharge destabilizing factors due to the gas heating and step-wise ionization are also discussed. © 2005 American Vacuum Society.

Optical emission characteristics and mode transitions in low-frequency inductively coupled plasmas

An attempt was made to investigate the optical emission spectra of atomic, molecular, and ionic species in low-frequency, high-density ICP discharges in pure nitrogen, ar con gases, and gas mixtures Ar+H2, N2+Ar, and N2+H2. The excited species were identified by in situ optical emission intensity (OEI) measurements in the discharge chamber. In general, significant results were obtained.