Northeastern Atlantic benthic foraminifera during the last 45,000 years: Changes in productivity seen from the bottom up

We studied benthic foraminifera from the last 45 kyr in the >63 mu m size fraction in Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Studies (BOFS) cores 5K (50 degrees 41.3'N, 21 degrees 51.9'W, depth 3547 m) and 14K (58 degrees 37.2'N, 19 degrees 26.2'W, depth 1756 m), at a time resolution of several hundreds to a thousand years. The deepest site showed the largest fluctuations in faunal composition, species richness, and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates; the fluctuations resulted from changes in abundance of Epistominella exigua and Alabaminella weddellensis. In the present oceans, these species bloom opportunistically when a spring plankton bloom results in seasonal deposition of phytodetritus on the seafloor. The ''phytodetritus species'' had very low relative abundances and accumulation rates during the last glacial maximum. A strong increase in absolute and relative abundance of E. exigua and A weddellensis during deglaciation paralleled the decrease in abundance of the polar planktonic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s), and the increase in abundance of warmer water planktonic species such as Globigerina bulloides. This strong increase in relative abundance of the ''phytodetritus species'' and the coeval increase in benthic foraminiferal accumulation rate were thus probably caused by an increase in the deposition of phytodetritus to the seafloor (and thus probably of surface productivity) when the polar front retreated to higher latitudes. The abundance of ''phytodetritus species'' decreased during the Younger Dryas, but not to the low levels of fully glacial conditions. During Heinrich events (periods of excessive melt-water formation and ice rafting) benthic accumulation rates were very low, as were the absolute and relative abundances of the ''phytodetritus species'', supporting suggestions that surface productivity was very low during these events. In both cores Pullenia and Cassidulina species were common during isotope stages 2, 3 and 4, as were bolivinid, buliminid and uvigerinid species. High relative abundances of these species have been interpreted as indicative either of sluggish deep water circulation or of high organic carbon fluxes to the seafloor. In our cores, relative abundances of these species are negatively correlated with benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates, and we can thus not interpret them as indicative of increased productivity during glacials. The percentage of these ''low oxygen'' species calculated on a ''phytodetritus species'' - free basis decreased slightly at deglaciation at 5K, but not at 14K. This suggests that decreased production of North Atlantic Deep Water during the last glacial might have slightly affected benthic foraminiferal faunas in the eastern North Atlantic at 3547 m depth, but not at 1756 m. In conclusion, major changes in deep-sea benthic foraminiferal faunas over the last 45,000 years in our cores from the northeastern Atlantic were the result of changes in surface water productivity, not of changes in deep water circulation; productivity was lower during the glacial, probably because of extensive ice cover

Cheese : as I know it

IT is probable that cheese was made accidentally in the first instance, by the carrying of milk in the stomachs of animals, when the milk clotting enzymes of the stomach converted the liquid milk into a junket or a solid mass

Integrated team working: a literature review

Introduction: This literature review was conducted to provide a background understanding of the literature around integrated health and social care prior to a research project evaluating two integrated health and social care teams in England, UK. Methods: A systematic literature search of relevant databases was employed to identify all articles relating to integrated health and social care teams produced in the last 10 years in the UK. Results: Sixteen articles were found and reviewed; all were reviewed by the first reviewer and half by the second reviewer. Discussion: Key themes identified were: drivers, barriers and benefits of integrated working; staff development; and meeting the needs of service users. Conclusion: Recommendations for integrated working include; a focus on the management of integrated teams; a need to invest in resources for the successful integration of teams; a need for the development of clear standards for monitoring the success and failure of integrated teams; and the need for further empirical evidence of the processes used by integrated teams. These findings will be valuable for practitioners who are establishing services or want to improve integrated care in their own practice

Stories through memories: 70 years of friendship

'Stories Through Memories: 70 Years of Friendship' is a joint exhibition of events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Australian forces liberating Borneo from Japanese occupation in WWII hosted by the Australian High Commission to Brunei Darussalam. Comprising oral-history videos conducted by Dr Janet Marles (JCU) and colleagues Dr Maslin Jukim and Dr Frank Dhont (UBD) with unique historical photographs of the Borneo campaigns, drawn from the Australian War Memorial Archives. Opened by Australian Minister for Veteran’s Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, eight Australian veterans from the Borneo campaigns and Bruneian elders from our oral-history project attended as special guests. The exhibition was held at the Art Gallery, Royal Wharf, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. From 8-30 June 2015 approximately 1400 visitors viewed the 70th anniversary exhibit representing 30 schools, all four Bruneian districts and at least 22 nationalities. Additionally, 15 seminars and tours were held including a successful panel seminar for approximately 70 teachers, academics and government officials

Centennial-scale evolution of Dansgaard-Oeschger events in the northeast Atlantic Ocean between 39.5 and 56.5 ka B.P

There is much uncertainty surrounding the mechanisms that forced the abrupt climate fluctuations found in many palaeoclimate records during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)-3. One of the processes thought to be involved in these events is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), which exhibited large changes in its dominant mode throughout the last glacial period. Giant piston core MD95-2006 from the northeast Atlantic Ocean records a suite of palaeoceanographic proxies related to the activity of both surface and deep water masses through a period of MIS-3 when abrupt climate fluctuations were extremely pronounced. A two-stage progression of surface water warming during interstadial warm events is proposed, with initial warming related to the northward advection of a thin warm surface layer within the North Atlantic Current, which only extended into deeper surface layers as the interstadial progressed. Benthic foraminifera isotope data also show millennial-scale oscillations but of a different structure to the abrupt surface water changes. These changes are argued to partly be related to the influence of low-salinity deepwater brines. The influence of deepwater brines over the site of MD95-2006 reached a maximum at times of rapid warming of surface waters. This observation supports the suggestion that brine formation may have helped to destabilize the accumulation of warm, saline surface waters at low latitudes, helping to force the MOC into a warm mode of operation. The contribution of deepwater brines relative to other mechanisms proposed to alter the state of the MOC needs to be examined further in future studies

Cows’ milk exclusion diet during infancy: is there a long term effect on children's eating behaviour and food preferences?

Background: Dietary restriction during infancy may influence later eating behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine if consuming a cows’ milk exclusion (CME) diet during infancy affects eating habits in later childhood, once cows’ milk has been reintroduced into the diet. Methods: Children were recruited from two large birth cohort studies in the UK. A small number of participants were recruited from allergy clinic. Two groups were recruited: an experimental group of children who had consumed a CME diet during infancy and a control group, who had consumed an unrestricted diet during infancy. Parents and children completed questionnaires regarding eating behaviour and food preferences. Results: 101 children of mean age 11.5 years were recruited (28 CME and 73 control). The CME group scored significantly higher on “slowness of eating” and on the combined “avoidant eating behaviour” construct (p < 0.01). The number of foods avoided and symptoms were associated with higher levels of avoidant eating behaviour (p < 0.05). The CME group rated liking for several dairy foods (butter, cream, chocolate, full fat milk and ice cream) significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05), although there were no significant differences seen for any other category of food. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that consuming a CME diet during infancy has persistent and long-term effects on eating habits and food preferences. To reduce future negative eating behaviours, children’s exclusion diets need to be as varied as possible and reintroduction of cows’ milk products closely monitored

Dilemmas in generic delimitation of Senegalia and allies (Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade): how to reconcile phylogenomic evidence with morphology and taxonomy?

Senegalia comprises 219 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Two sections are currently recognised within Senegalia and these are most readily distinguished by the differences in disposition of their cauline prickles, i.e. sect. Senegalia with prickles at or near leaf nodes and sect. Monacanthea with mostly internodal prickles. Previous phylogenetic studies, based primarily on small numbers of plastid DNA loci, found Senegalia to be monophyletic with two large subclades corresponding to the sections. Here, we present new phylogenomic evidence from 997 single-copy nuclear gene sequences for a small, but representative set of species. These new analyses show that Senegalia is non-monophyletic, but instead, forms a grade that is paraphyletic with respect to the remainder of the ingoid clade (i.e. Ingeae + Acacia s.s. + Acaciella), comprising two well-supported subclades most likely representing the same clades as found in previous phylogenetic studies of the genus and, interspersed between these, a third, moderately supported clade, comprising the genera Mariosousa, Pseudosenegalia and Parasenegalia. In marked contrast to the nuclear phylogeny, the two Senegalia clades are sister groups in the plastid phylogeny, based on analyses of 72 chloroplast genes, rendering the genus monophyletic, based on plastid data alone. We discuss this new evidence that Senegalia is non-monophyletic in relation to the marked cytonuclear discordance, high gene tree conflict and lack of resolution across this senegalioid grade and review the consistency of the key morphological characters distinguishing the two sections of Senegalia. We conclude that it is likely that Senegalia will need to be split into two (or possibly more) genera: a re-circumscribed Senegalia s.s. that corresponds to the existing Senegalia sect. Senegalia plus the S. ataxacantha group (Senegalia sect. Monacanthea s.s.; future studies may show that this group warrants generic status) and a new genus corresponding to the remainder of sect. Monacanthea (here designated as Senegalia sect. Monacanthea p.p.). However, re-delimiting Senegalia now would be premature given that the key morphological characters are not fully congruent with the two sections and pending denser phylogenetic sampling of taxa. A judiciously selected list of critical taxa is presented to facilitate future phylogenomic studies. Finally, we discuss the identity of Albizia leonardii, which is also placed in this senegalioid grade in these new phylogenomic analyses and place it in synonymy with Parasenegalia vogeliana

The inherent instability of leveed seafloor channels

New analytical models demonstrate that under 2 aggradational flow conditions seafloor channel-levee systems are inherently unstable; both channel area and stability necessarily decrease at long timescales. In time such systems must avulse purely through internal (autogenic) forcing. Although autogenic instabilities likely arise over long enough time for additional allogenic forcing to be expected, channel-levee sensitivity to variations in flow character depends on the prior degree of system evolution. Recalibrated modern Amazon Fan avulsion timings are consistent with this model, challenging accepted interpretations of avulsion triggering

Investigations on the Peach 4 Debrite, a Late Pleistocene Mass Movement on the Northwest British Continental Margin

The Peach 4 debrite is the most recent in a series of large scale Pleistocene MTDs within the Barra fan on the northwest British continental margin. Geophysical data indicate that Peach 4 was formed through a combination of blocky and muddy debris flows and affects an area of ~ 700 km2. BGS core sample 56 -10 36, located directly over the Peach 4 debrite, provides a minimum age of 14.68 ka cal BP for the last major failure. An upwards fining turbidite sequence in BGS core sample 56 -10 239 is associ-ated with increased As and S concentrations, indicators of diagenetic pyrite which forms under anoxic conditions. It is proposed that As and S concentrations may pro-vide a method of distinguishing between contourite and turbidite sedimentation, though further research is required