Facies architecture of Miocene subaqueous clinothems of the New Jersey passive margin: Results from IODP-ICDP Expedition 313

Understanding the history, causes, and impact of sea-level changes is a challenge for our societies that face accelerated global sea-level rise. In this context, improvement of our knowledge of sea-level changes and shoreline migration at geological time scales is critical. The preserved, laterally correlative sedimentary record of continental erosion on passive margins has been used to reconstruct past sea level. However, the detailed nature of a basic clinothem progradational pattern observed on many of these margins is still poorly known. This paper describes the sedimentary facies and interprets the depositional environments and the architecture of the clinothems of the New Jersey shelf (offshore northeastern USA) to depict the origin and controls of the distribution of the sediment on the margin. We analyze 612 cores totaling 1311 m in length collected at three sites 60 km offshore Atlantic City, New Jersey, during International Ocean Discovery Program–International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (IODP-ICDP) Expedition 313. The three sites sampled the lower to middle Miocene passive margin sediments of the New Jersey shelf clinothems. We also collected wireline logs at the three sites and tied the sedimentary architecture to the geometry observed on seismic profiles. The observed sediment distribution in the clinoform complex differs from that of current models based on seismic data, which predict a progressive increase in mud and decrease in sand contents in a seaward direction. In contrast, we observe that the clinoforms are largely composed of muds, with sands and coarser material concentrated at the rollover, the bottomset, and the toe of the slope. The shelf clinothem topsets are storm-influenced mud whereas the foreset slope is composed of a mud wedge largely dominated by density current deposits (e.g., low-density turbidites and debrites). The architecture of the clinothem complex includes a composite stack of ~30-m-thick clinothem units each made up of four systems tracts (Transgressive, Highstand, Forced-Regres­sive, and Lowstand Systems Tract) building individual transgressive-regres­sive sequences. The presence of mud-rich facies deposited during highstands on the topset of the clinoform, 40–60 km offshore from the sand-prone shoreface deposit (observed in the New Jersey onshore delta plain), and the lack of subaerial erosion (and continental depositional environments) point to a depositional model involving a subaerial delta (onshore) feeding a distant subaqueous delta. During forced regressions, shelf-edge deltas periodically overstep the stacks of flood-influenced, offshore-marine mud wedges of the New Jersey subaqueous delta, bringing sand to the rollover and building up the large-scale shelf-prism clinothems. The clinothem complex develops on a gently dipping platform with a ramp-like morphology (apparent dip of 0.75°–0.5°) below mean storm wave base, in 30–50 m of water depth, 40–60 km seaward of the coastal area. Its shape depends on the balance between accom­mo­da­tion and sedimentation rates. Subaqueous deltas show higher accumulation rates than their subaerial counterparts and prograde three times further and faster than their contemporaneous shoreline. The increase in the intensity of waves (height and recurrence intervals) favors the separation between subaqueous and subaerial deltas, and as a consequence, the formation of a flat topset geometry, a decrease in flood events and fluvial discharge, an overall progressive decrease in sediment grain size (from sequence m5.45, ca. 17.8–17.7 Ma, onwards), as well as an increase in sedimentation rates on the foresets of the clinoforms. All of these are recognized as preliminary signals that might characterize the entry into the Neogene icehouse world

Global Journalist: The killing of Palestinian journalist, Mazen Dana

In this August 21, 2003 program interviewees discussed the killing of Journalist Mazen Dana. In 17 August 2003, Mazen Dana a Reuters cameraman was filming when American soldier shot at his chest. Latter an American spokesman called it a terrible tragedy, saying the soldier had mistaken Dana's camera for a rocket propelled grenade launcher. Dana spent years covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Hebron and in the West Bank. For his courageous coverage from the war zone he was awarded the 2001 International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists

Global Journalist: Terrorism in Latin America and the Middle East

In this January 24, 2002 episode of Global Journalist, host Stuart Loory and talks with reporters covering the Middle East and Latin America. They discussed the situation in Columbia, where one of the journalists on the program, Ruth Morris, was later kidnapped and briefly held by FARC

Consulting Communities When Patients Cannot Consent: A Multi-Center Study of Community Consultation for Research in Emergency Settings

OBJECTIVE: To assess the range of responses to community consultation efforts conducted within a large network and the impact of different consultation methods on acceptance of exception from informed consent (EFIC) research and understanding of the proposed study. DESIGN: A cognitively pre-tested survey instrument was administered to 2,612 community consultation participants at 12 US centers participating in a multi-center trial of treatment for acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Survey nested within community consultation for a Phase III, randomized controlled trial of treatment for acute TBI conducted within a multi-center trial network and using EFIC. SUBJECTS: Adult participants in community consultation events. INTERVENTIONS: Community consultation efforts at participating sites. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Acceptance of EFIC in general, attitude toward personal EFIC enrollment, and understanding of the study content were assessed. 54% of participants agreed EFIC was acceptable in the proposed study; 71% were accepting of personal EFIC enrollment. Participants in interactive versus non-interactive community consultation events were more accepting of EFIC in general (63% vs. 49%) and personal EFIC inclusion (77% vs. 67%). Interactive community consultation participants had high-level recall of study content significantly more often than non-interactive consultation participants (77% vs. 67%). Participants of interactive consultation were more likely to recall possible study benefits (61% vs. 45%) but less likely to recall potential risks (56% vs. 69%). CONCLUSIONS: Interactive community consultation methods were associated with increased acceptance of EFIC and greater overall recall of study information but lower recall of risks. There was also significant variability in EFIC acceptance among different interactive consultation events. These findings have important implications for IRBs and investigators conducting EFIC research and for community engagement efforts in research more generally

‘Reflection is embedded in my brain forever now!’: personal development as a core module on an Executive MBA

Professional progression and skills development are the main expectations of mid-career managers when enrolling on an Executive MBA (EMBA), yet it can be personal development (PD) that turns out to be the unexpected benefit of management education. Joining a growing number of voices making a case for personal development and self-awareness in management education, and calling for schools to incorporate it in the curriculum, this paper advances the case for personal development as a core Executive MBA module. The paper sets out the holistic rationale and philosophic principles used to design and deliver a course underpinned by curiosity and self-reflection on an EMBA in the United Kingdom, and presents empirical findings from a survey conducted among 230 students and alumni. These suggest that the focus on reflective practice and integration of PD promotes a richer and deeper appreciation of the value of reflection for lasting and sometimes unexpected personal growth. In addition, the raising of awareness of self also brings awareness of others, and develops critical thinking in application of the MBA at work. The paper concludes with a discussion re-evaluating the subject of tacit knowledge in reflective practice