A4: Possible Post-Laurentide Cirque Glaciation in the Great Gulf Presidential Range, New Hampshire

Guidebook for field trips in Western Maine and Northern New Hampshire: New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, p. 81-94

New Evidence of a Post-Laurentide Local Cirque Glacier on Mount Washington, New Hampshire

As global temperatures warmed and the last North American continental ice sheet receded there were several climate reversals during which time mean temperatures in New England were significantly reduced. Decreased temperatures in combination with increased precipitation may have supported the formation or reactivation of local mountain glaciers in pre-existing cirques on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. Evidence supporting the existence of a local cirque glacier would provide important constraints on climatic conditions during the late-glacial Holocene transition. Preliminary mapping done in the area has identified a potential terminal moraine associated with a local valley glacier in the Great Gulf, the largest cirque-like feature on Mount Washington. The presence of this landform is significant because any pre-Wisconsin evidence of valley glaciers in the Great Gulf would likely have been expunged by the presence of continental ice. In order to determine the origins of the terminal moraine, representative samples of the till composing the moraine were collected by digging five test pits across the feature, sampling ~50 hand-sized stones from each pit, and determining the provenence of individual stones. Results indicate that the landform is composed of unsorted clasts with provenances of both local and regional origin. Clasts sourced within the Great Gulf support the interpretation that they were deposited by processes dependent on the presence of a local mountain glacier during a post-Wisconsin climate reversal. Stones of more distant origins may be attributed to residual till, associated with a continental ice mass that occupied the cirque at the time of local glacier reactivation. This data shows that the landform was deposited from processes taking place within the Great Gulf, and the pronounced topography and volume of the landform would support its interpretation as a terminal moraine. By reconstructing the glacier using the feature as terminus, a paleo-ELA was calculated and climate conditions necessary to promote the growth of an icemass were ascertained. Comparing this climate to the contemporary allows us to evaluate the magnitude of late-Pleistocene climate reversals in the White Mountains

Hyperspectral imaging for non-destructive prediction of fermentation index, polyphenol content and antioxidant activity in single cocoa beans

The aim of the current work was to use hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 1000-2500 nm to quantitatively predict fermentation index (FI), total polyphenols (TP) and antioxidant activity (AA) of individual dry fermented cocoa beans scanned on a single seed basis. Seventeen cocoa bean batches were obtained and 10 cocoa beans were used from each batch. PLS regression models were built on 170 samples. The developed HSI predictive models were able to quantify three quality-related parameters with sufficient performance for screening purposes, with external validation R2 of 0.50 (RMSEP=0.27, RPD=1.40), 0.70 (RMSEP=34.1 mg ferulic acid g-1, RPD=1.77) and 0.74 (60.0 mmol Trolog kg-1, RPD=1.91) for FI, TP and AA, respectively. The calibrations were subsequently applied at a single bean and pixel level, so that the distribution was visualised within and between single seeds. HSI is thus suggested as a promising approach to estimate cocoa bean composition rapidly and non-destructively, thus offering a valid tool for food inspection and quality control

Autism Theology: Discussions from an emerging field

This multi-authored book review explores the current state of the field of Autism Theology through a discussion of four recent publications. A concluding section reflects on several key themes in the individual reviews, drawing particular attention to: Autism Theology's focus on the ideas and practices which enable autistic people’s thriving; the importance of the inclusion of different voices in the conversation (including those who are non- or minimally speaking); and the richness which autistic people’s presence and contributions bring to theology and to the Church as a whole. Reviewed works:Claire Williams, Peculiar Discipleship: An Autistic Liberation Theology (London: SCM Press, 2023), pp. 272, ISBN 978-0334063063.Ruth M. Dunster, The Autism of Gxd: An Atheological Love Story (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2022), pp. xix + 420, ISBN 978-1725268357.Stewart Rapley, Autistic Thinking in the Life of the Church (London: SCM Press, 2021), pp. xiv + 178, ISBN 978-0334060871.Cynthia Tam, Kinship in the Household of God: Towards a Practical Theology of Belonging and Spiritual Care of People with Profound Autism (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2021), pp. x + 191, ISBN 978-1725274419.&nbsp