The sedimentology, diagenesis and palaeo-oceanogeaphy of diatomites from the miocene of Sicily

There were two bouts of diatomaceous sedimentation in Sicily during the Miocene: the first in the Aguitanian/Burdigalian and the second during the Messinian. The lower Miocene deposits are found in only a few widely distributed outcrops and their stratigraphic context is uncertain. They occur as thinly bedded cherts and porcelanites Which consist Of either opal CT or quartz. Although diagenesis has destroyed much of their original texture, a diatomaceous origin for the silica can be inferred from the presence of many corroded diatom frustules. Kineralogical diagenetic changes appear to be related to burial associated with early to middle Miocene tectoniam while textural variations probably reflect compositional differences in the original sediment. The Messioian diatomites ape moderately well exposed in central and southwestern Sicily and underlie the Mediterranean Evaporates. They belong to the Tripoli formation which consists of alternating diatcmite and claystone horizons with each of the latter comprising a grey dolomitic marl overlain by a brown terrigenous shale. Diatcnite deposition took place under normal marine conditions in response to the upwelling of deep nutrient, rich waters while isotopic evidence suggests that the claystones usually devoid of biogenic remains, were deposited in stagnant, ' highly evaporated waters, cyclic nature of Tripoli sedimentation is thought to be due to a combination of sea level fluctuations controlled by Antartic glacial activity and the existence of a shallow sill separating the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Restricted conditions developed during low sea-level, stands while the diatomites were deposited as sea levels were rising. The waters of the Mediterranean became increasingly saline and restricted during the Messinian until diatomaceous sedimentation ceased eventually communication between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean was severed and the Messinian Salinity Crisis followe

Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers

The Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers two-year project has culminated in a unique interactive website (see www.yourstoryourjourney.net) that houses a number of learning and teaching tools, strategies and resources designed to support all those working to improve the educational success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in schools, Australia’s First Nations peoples. It is intended to be used in teacher education programs (pre-service and in-service), by teachers and school leaders, and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The resource has been created to help all educators form relationships and partnerships with local communities, parents and caregivers to achieve better educational outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The resource positions educators as powerful agents of change

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world's oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.B.L.C., C.H., and A.M. were funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Collaborative Fund sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. E.J.P. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council C-CLEAR doctoral training programme (Grant no. NE/S007164/1). We are grateful to all those who assisted with the collection and curation of tracking data. Further details are provided in the Supplementary Acknowledgements. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Peer reviewe

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Royaume-Uni

Networks The UK has some 40 Archaeology departments (the names may vary) in its Universities, most of whom conduct archaeological fieldwork both within the UK and abroad. The major national museums also conduct archaeological fieldwork abroad. Most well-founded Archaeology departments have staff who teach and research across the major periods of the past and also archaeological scientists. There is no equivalent to France’s research-only CNRS or Italy’s CNR. According to the 2014 national rev..

Supporting the teaching profession to enable a culturally responsive curriculum

One of the issues facing the Australian teaching profession is that the majority of teachers are white, bringing little experience or knowledge of diverse cultures to their practice, particularly relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peo- ples. One of the reasons for this issue is that historically, schooling in the Australian context has been a process of imposing ways of thinking and learning on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with little to no input by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This lack of recognition silences Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ voices, continuing an omission that lies at the center of this nation’s history and impedes real progress toward reconciliation.The need for privileging and honoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences, knowledges, and perspectives and ensuring they are at the center of the embodied enactment of schooling in every community is key to moving this nation toward reconciliation. Teacher education is critical to chang- ing this dire situation and in continuing to better address the preparation of teachers to be culturally responsive and ensure culturally safe places of learning. This chapter provides critical background to an overview of various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education policies, government funded initiatives, and the recommendations for teacher education providers. The chapter also provides a critical review into the extent to which these nationally funded initiatives have not yet been taken up fully by the education sector, the reasons behind this phenom- enon and most importantly, what changes can be made

Teacher resources: Building your cultural responsiveness

The yourstoryourjourney LINK TO www.yourstoryourjourney.net website has been created to help teachers and school leaders form relationships and partnerships with communities and parents to achieve better educational outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. In this article, the team who developed yourstoryourjourney discuss the professional learning resource and materials, the principles behind them, and starting questions for you and your colleagues to conside

Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers: Final report 2019

The Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers two-year project has culminated in a unique interactive website that houses a number of learning and teaching tools, strategies and resources designed to support all those working to improve the educational success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students n schools, Australia’s First Nations peoples. It is intended to be used in teacher education programs (pre-service and in-service), by teachers and school leaders, and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The resource has been created to help all educators form relationships and partnerships with local communities, parents and caregivers to achieve better educational outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The resource positions educators as powerful agents of change. The project began from the premise that school education has traditionally involved ways of thinking and learning imposed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, more often than not with little to no opportunity for input or collaboration. The project has built on the momentum for reconciliation and change, drawing from institutional recommendations in the Australian Government’s Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, Final Report (2012). Professional development in regards to addressing these standards is acknowledged as vitally important and funding to date has supported a number of ‘partnership’ resources that have already been created and developed to educate teachers about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture. Up to this point, however, these resources appear to be underutilised, with many teachers, teacher educators, leaders and pre-service teachers still either unaware of or ill-equipped for the best ways to ensure better outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. As a consequence, partnerships between schools, teacher education providers and communities continue to suffer and can appear fragile and difficult to develop. The challenge for this project, therefore, has been to develop a fresh approach to professional development and reconciliation and, ultimately, to produce a ‘go to’ resource for all teacher education providers, schools and communities, tailored to diverse individual learning needs. Rather than (re)produce another partnership resource as a product, an iterative, inquiry learning approach has been adopted, culminating in an interactive website resource that powerfully connects the learner to resources for their contex