Biogeochemical Alteration Effects on U-Th Dating of Pleistocene Corals

M.S. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

Long-term monitoring of a landslide in Stone County, Missouri using high precision multi-temporal laser scanning

A terrestrial laser scanning survey was conducted over the course of 1.5 years to test and validate a new target tracking method which characterizes the surface and subsurface behavior of soft slope landslides. Reflective spherical Styrofoam targets were mounted onto steel rods and driven into multiple levels of a landslide located in Stone County, Missouri. These targets were scanned a total of seventeen times over the course of the survey and were used as a proxy to measure the displacement of specific areas of the landslide. The three-dimensional point cloud data was processed through a software suite specifically developed to process data retrieved from reflective spherical targets. A geophysical survey was also conducted toward the later portion of the scanning survey to get a sense of what types of material were below the slide surface. On the final date of the survey, a basic surface map of the landslide was generated based on satellite imagery and physical observations at the slide site. All of these results were compiled and analyzed along with prior control and field tests to see if this new method was a feasible and accurate approach to tracking and predicting surface and subsurface landslide movement. While this approach and method is still relatively new, the results from the survey showed that the displacement of the landslide could be accurately measured and the movement of the landslide could be accurately tracked --Abstract, page iii

Effects of age on perceived risk of warning labels

Warnings alert a person in advance of a hazard associated with a particular item or activity. Labels containing hazard statements have become the most common presentation of information regarding risks. All too often it is assumed that warnings contribute significantly to the safe and proper use of products. An important aspect of warning labels is how individuals\u27 perception of risk and risk taking behavior are affected. This research examined the perceived risk of product warning labels in two age groups, one young and one elderly group. Common household product labels and over the counter drug labels were presented to both groups in questionnaires, and were rated in terms of familiarity, likelihood of disregarding precautions, likelihood of suffering an injury or illness resulting from a product\u27s use, severity of a potential injury or illness, and overall perceived risk. As hypothesized, compared to younger adults, older adults reported they were more likely to take precautions, rated a potential injury or illness from using a product as more severe, and rated the overall use of products as riskier. Familiarity of products led to a counter-intuitive finding: use of less familiar products was not perceived as riskier than more familiar products\u27 use. Contrary to the prediction, older people were less familiar with over-the counter drugs than younger people. Reported levels o f familiarity were higher for household products than for over-the-counter drugs in both age groups. Product type differences were not revealed in any o f the questions related to risk. When only household products were considered, younger people estimated the risk involved in combining the product with other household chemicals as less risky than older people, as expected. This finding creates a great challenge for all product manufacturers, especially manufacturers o f cleaning agents. If possible, a balance should be struck between minimizing the potential danger involved in a product\u27s use and over-exaggerating hazards to the extent that consumers, particularly the elderly, become overly fearful. Contrary to the prediction, the two age groups did not differ in ratings of severity of a potential injury or illness resulting from the dangerous combination o f a household product with other chemicals. Younger and older people both seem to be unaware of the serious effects of fumes which are released when household chemicals are combined

A Chronological Perspective on the Acheulian and Its Transition to the Middle Stone Age in Southern Africa: The Question of the Fauresmith

An understanding of the age of the Acheulian and the transition to the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa has been hampered by a lack of reliable dates for key sequences in the region. A number of researchers have hypothesised that the Acheulian first occurred simultaneously in southern and eastern Africa at around 1.7-1.6 Ma. A chronological evaluation of the southern African sites suggests that there is currently little firm evidence for the Acheulian occurring before 1.4 Ma in southern Africa. Many researchers have also suggested the occurrence of a transitional industry, the Fauresmith, covering the transition from the Early to Middle Stone Age, but again, the Fauresmith has been poorly defined, documented, and dated. Despite the occurrence of large cutting tools in these Fauresmith assemblages, they appear to include all the technological components characteristic of the MSA. New data from stratified Fauresmith bearing sites in southern Africa suggest this transitional industry maybe as old as 511–435 ka and should represent the beginning of the MSA as a broad entity rather than the terminal phase of the Acheulian. The MSA in this form is a technology associated with archaic H. sapiens and early modern humans in Africa with a trend of greater complexity through time

Estado de los sistemas de semillas en países seleccionados y su rol en la seguridad alimentaria

El COVID-19 y el cambio climático han requerido la toma de medidas que garanticen la seguridad alimentaria por medio de disponibilidad de alimentos de calidad y resistentes a las condiciones climáticas. La producción de semillas es proceso que permite que los productores cuenten con la materia prima para la producción de cultivos, sin embargo, se hacen necesarios esfuerzos para no solo asegurar su calidad, sino también que existan los canales para garantizar su disponibilidad. Para conocer el estado de las políticas, legislaciones y regulaciones sobre semillas se realizó una encuesta por parte de las representaciones IICA en Costa Rica, Perú, Guatemala, Honduras y Uruguay. Se encontró que hay diferencias entre países con respecto a las instituciones que fungen como autoridad en la aplicación de regulaciones, mientras que en algunos países se trata de organismos descentralizados, en otros la entidad encargada pertenece al aparato estatal. También se observaron diferencias en la legislación de obtenciones vegetales, donde en algunos casos el tema se encuentra incluido en la ley se semillas, en otros se cuenta con una legislación propia y, por último, se asigna la responsabilidad de la protección a departamentos institucionales. Con respecto a la bioseguridad, todos los países, excepto Perú, cuentan con legislación vigente sobre organismos genéticamente modificados. Se presentaron diferencias en la gestión de información por medio de catálogos de semillas en los países, así como al proceso de registro de variedades. Para finalizar, solo tres de los países cuenta con algún tipo de procedimiento que considere el licenciamiento de nuevas variedades al sector privad

The formation and sedimentary infilling of the Limeworks Cave, Makapansgat, South Africa

Main articleThe remnant cavern of the Limeworks australopithecine site has a number of special features. Firstly, unlike Swartkrans and Sterkfontein, which developed in relatively flat relief, the Limeworks Cave developed as part of a mountain karst. Then upon abandonment by its formative river, there formeda unique, conjoined series of tall stalagmites and columns arranged in an irregular arc against the walls of the cavern. This arc had the effect of dividing up the space into a central volume and several lateral alcoves. The spaces were separated from each other, so that, when the cavern began to unroof, each came to be filled by its own surficial deposits or, in some cases, not at all. At only one level is it possible to show that a gap existed between two adjacent repositories so as to produce common, contemporaneous deposits. This turns out to be the hyena den layer known as the Grey Breccia, and a connection was made possible with the centre by spaces that existed at local roof level for a limited period. The Grey Breccia appears to be about contemporaneous with the white bone breccia at the back of the cavern, whereas the black bone breccia in theMain Quarry is slightly younger than these two. The recognition of distinctive depositional horizons has allowed us to reconstruct a stratigraphic section for all deposits from the known base to the known top on the western side of the site. This section can be used for magnetostratigraphic purposes to construct a firmer chronology that includes the Grey Breccia; but further work is required to tie in the eastern side.Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB, UK), and NER

Executive Coaching Outcomes: An investigation into leadership development using five dyadic case studies illustrating the impact of executive coaching

Revenue spent on coaching globally is significant, yet data is lacking on the specific leadership behaviours it develops. This study focuses on the debate about coaching efficacy, the components of executive coaching and the leadership behaviours developed through it. The research context is a cross-government, blended, leadership programme. Using qualitative research and case studies of coachee/manager dyads, questions on who defines the coaching agenda, the coaching consequences and success due to coaching, are addressed. A notable finding questions the need for a coaching contract. Further research is invited to investigate transformational impacts of coaching at the deep emotional level

Mapping magnetism: geophysical modelling of stratigraphic features by using in situ magnetic susceptibility measurements at Pinnacle Point 5‐6 North, South Africa

This study utilizes geostatistical modelling of magnetic susceptibility (MS) for geophysical prospection of archaeological stratigraphy at the Middle Stone Age rock shelter site of Pinnacle Point 5-6 North. These models are overlaid onto high-resolution photography of the stratigraphic sequence to study the lateral and vertical changes within the magnetic signature of the archaeological sequence and correlate these changes to micromorphological interpretations previously made at the site. In situ analysis is reinforced by laboratory magnetic mineralogical analysis utilizing MS; frequency-dependent susceptibility (chi(FD)); isothermal remanent magnetization; and anhysteric remanent magnetization to understand the composition of the magnetic minerals creating the in situ signature. This study shows that there is consistent variation in the magnetic signatures of the sequence that can be mapped with in situ MS; there is a correlation with laboratory analysis of magnetic mineralogy, which provides insight into changes in human behaviour; and our models correlate well with micromorphological interpretations of the site.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio