Nesting behaviour influences species-specific gas exchange across avian eggshells

Carefully controlled gas exchange across the eggshell is essential for the development of the avian embryo. Water vapour conductance (GH2O) across the shell, typically measured as mass loss during incubation, has been demonstrated to optimally ensure the healthy development of the embryo while avoiding desiccation. Accordingly, eggs exposed to sub-optimal gas exchange have reduced hatching success. We tested the association between eggshell GH2O and putative life-history correlates of adult birds, ecological nest parameters and physical characteristics of the egg itself to investigate how variation in GH2O has evolved to maintain optimal water loss across a diverse set of nest environments. We measured gas exchange through eggshell fragments in 151 British breeding bird species and fitted phylogenetically controlled, general linear models to test the relationship between GH2O and potential predictor parameters of each species. Of our 17 life-history traits, only two were retained in the final model: wet-incubating parent and nest type. Eggs of species where the parent habitually returned to the nest with wet plumage had significantly higher GH2O than those of parents that returned to the nest with dry plumage. Eggs of species nesting in ground burrows, cliffs and arboreal cups had significantly higher GH2O than those of species nesting on the ground in open nests or cups, in tree cavities and in shallow arboreal nests. Phylogenetic signal (measured as Pagel's λ) was intermediate in magnitude, suggesting that differences observed in the GH2O are dependent upon a combination of shared ancestry and species-specific life history and ecological traits. Although these data are correlational by nature, they are consistent with the hypothesis that parents constrained to return to the nest with wet plumage will increase the humidity of the nest environment, and the eggs of these species have evolved a higher GH2O to overcome this constraint and still achieve optimal water loss during incubation. We also suggest that eggs laid in cup nests and burrows may require a higher GH2O to overcome the increased humidity as a result from the confined nest microclimate lacking air movements through the nest. Taken together, these comparative data imply that species-specific levels of gas exchange across avian eggshells are variable and evolve in response to ecological and physical variation resulting from parental and nesting behaviours

A review of the NE Atlantic conjugate margins based on seismic refraction data

The NE Atlantic region evolved through several rift episodes, leading to break-up in the Eocene that was associated with voluminous magmatism along the conjugate margins of East Greenland and NW Europe. Existing seismic refraction data provide good constraints on the overall tectonic development of the margins, despite data gaps at the NE Greenland shear margin and the southern Jan Mayen microcontinent. The maximum thickness of the initial oceanic crust is 40 km at the Greenland–Iceland–Faroe Ridge, but decreases with increasing distance to the Iceland plume. High-velocity lower crust interpreted as magmatic underplating or sill intrusions is observed along most margins but disappears north of the East Greenland Ridge and the Lofoten margin, with the exception of the Vestbakken Volcanic Province at the SW Barents Sea margin. South of the narrow Lofoten margin, the European side is characterized by wide margins. The opposite trend is seen in Greenland, with a wide margin in the NE and narrow margins elsewhere. The thin crust beneath the basins is generally underlain by rocks with velocities of >7 km s−1 interpreted as serpentinized mantle in the Porcupine and southern Rockall basins; while off Norway, alternative interpretations such as eclogite bodies and underplating are also discussed

Moho and basement depth in the NE Atlantic Ocean based on seismic refraction data and receiver functions

Seismic refraction data and results from receiver functions were used to compile the depth to the basement and Moho in the NE Atlantic Ocean. For interpolation between the unevenly spaced data points, the kriging technique was used. Free-air gravity data were used as constraints in the kriging process for the basement. That way, structures with little or no seismic coverage are still presented on the basement map, in particular the basins off East Greenland. The rift basins off NW Europe are mapped as a continuous zone with basement depths of between 5 and 15 km. Maximum basement depths off NE Greenland are 8 km, but these are probably underestimated. Plate reconstructions for Chron C24 (c. 54 Ma) suggest that the poorly known Ammassalik Basin off SE Greenland may correlate with the northern termination of the Hatton Basin at the conjugate margin. The most prominent feature on the Moho map is the Greenland–Iceland–Faroe Ridge, with Moho depths >28 km. Crustal thickness is compiled from the Moho and basement depths. The oceanic crust displays an increased thickness close to the volcanic margins affected by the Iceland plume

PENGARUH PERTUMBUHAN ASET TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS PADA PT TELEKOMUNIKASI INDONESIA (PERSERO) Tbk

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji dan menjelaskan pengaruh pertumbuhan aset terhadap profitabilitas pada PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk)”. Variabel bebas dalam peneleitian ini adalah pertumbuhan aset yang diproksikan dengan Total Aset dan variabel terikatnya adalah profitabilitas diproksikan dengan ROA. Populasinya yaitu seluruh laporan keuangan konsolidasi pada PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk periode 2010-2017, sedangkan sampelnya yaitu laporan neraca dan laporan laba rugi per triwulan pada PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk periode 2010-2017. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah dokumentasi. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis regresi linear sederhana. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pertumbuhan aset berpengaruh positif dan tidak signifikan terhadap profitabilitas pada PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. Hal ini berarti bahwa perubahan pertumbuhan aset pada PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk selama 8 tahun terakhir (2010-2017) tidak memberikan kontribusi yang signifikan terhadap pencapaian profitabilitas. Kata Kunci: Pertumbuhan aset, Profitabilita

Linear and nonlinear fractional hereditary constitutive laws of asphalt mixtures

The aim of this paper is to propose a fractional viscoelastic and viscoplastic model of asphalt mixtures using experimental data of several tests such as creep and creep recovery performed at different temperatures and at different stress levels. From a best fitting procedure it is shown that both the creep one and recovery curve follow a power law model. It is shown that the suitable model for asphalt mixtures is a dashpot and a fractional element arranged in series. The proposed model is also available outside of the linear domain but in this case the parameters of the model depend on the stress level

Revised chronostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group and the British Palaeogene Igneous Province : implications for Selandan-Thanetian palynofloral assemblages and correlation with the Faroe-Shetland Basin

The chronostratigraphy of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group, and thereby the entire North Atlantic Igneous Province, presents a long-standing controversy among government, industry and academic stakeholders with activities in the Faroe-Shetland region. The application of biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, radio-isotopic dating and seismic analysis have all failed to agree on the absolute age span of the volcanic province. The lack of an externally consistent chronostratigraphic framework pose a risk to the hydrocarbon prospectivity in the economically important Faroe-Shetland Basin. This report provides a review of the onshore geology of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group and the British Palaeogene Igneous Province, and the contrasting age models for the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province are described in detail. New high-precision U/Pb zircon age determinations and palynological analyses of key stratigraphic sections from the Faroe Islands, Inner Hebrides and Northern Ireland are given. Available magnetostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and radio-isotopic age-constraining data from the literature and this study are assessed. It is demonstrated in detail how previous biostratigraphic interpretations, that constrain the collective pre- to syn-breakup eruptive products of the NAIP to the late Thanetian – early Ypresian (T40-T45), are fundamentally flawed. These interpretations have strongly influenced chronostratigraphic correlations between volcanically-saturated onshore basins and volcanically-starved offshore basins, and the portrayal of interaction between sedimentary and volcanic depositional processes in the Faroe-Shetland region. A consistent multidisciplinary age model for the protracted emplacement of the NAIP is presented, including absolute numerical age constraints and assessment of palynofloral assemblages from two key onshore occurrences of the Staffa Flora. The report also highlight the identification of remaining outstanding problems regarding the absolute chronostratigraphy for Palaeocene to early Eocene formations and sequences of the Faroe-Shetland Basin

Self-cleaning and colour-preserving efficiency of photocatalytic concrete: case study of the Jubilee Church in Rome

The Jubilee Church in the south-eastern outskirts of Rome is one of the first buildings constructed with super white reinforced concrete with self-cleaning photocatalytic cement. However, 16 years after the opening of the building, the self-cleaning and colour-preserving properties arising from the titania particles (TiO2) within the concrete mix are not meeting the design requirements and the concrete is showing premature evidence of decay. While the form of the decay is affecting the appearance of the building and not its structural soundness, the ageing pattern of the building's components is resulting in a high maintenance cost, one not easily affordable within the ordinary budget supported by a small parish. This study comprises the first comprehensive step in understanding the causes of the accelerated ageing pattern of the concrete, highlighting methods to improve the long-term durability of the concrete and therefore reduce the cost of its maintenance. Moreover, this research offered the opportunity to test the durability and the effectiveness of the TiO2 in the real conditions on an actual building featuring non-standard geometries. The findings highlight how the ageing pattern directly connects with the geometry of the building and inadequate consideration of the local weathering at the design stage