Invincible but mostly invisible: Australian women's contribution to geology and palaeontology

<p>Women have played a significant role in Australian geoscience, and especially in palaeontology. ‘Australian’ women gained degrees by the early 20th century and began to contribute intensively. Australian-born young women already immured to the rigours of climate and culture, collected and illustrated fossils, enrolled in the first university courses, thrived in the field, in some instances outnumbering and out-achieving men. Where women palaeontologists made their mark they often energetically concentrated on a taxonomic group, making them their own, as Isabel Cookson did with palynology, Joan Crockford with bryozoans, Irene Crespin especially with foraminifans, Dorothy Hill with corals, Ida Brown with brachiopods, Nell Ludbrook with molluscs, Elizabeth Ripper with stromatoporoids, Kathleen Sherrard with graptolites, and Mary Wade, initially with foraminiferans and then the Ediacaran fauna. Brown, Crespin, Hill, Ludbrook, Wade and their contemporaries did alpha taxonomy, classical geology and biostratigraphical studies that laid the foundations for making maps and work that became recognized nationally and internationally. Some achieved greatness; some – Hill, Cookson, Ludbrook and Phillips Ross – by leaving the country, either to gain their higher degree or to work. Many – for example, Hosking, Johnston, Prendergast, Richards, Ripper, Sullivan and Vincent – are or have been mere shadowy figures with a few publications and then oblivion or even tragedy. Women in geosciences spanning the 20th century in Australia contributed some hundreds of scientific papers, maps and textbooks. </p

Table 2: Towards a history of women in the geosciences

Supplementary table 2 gives a selection of geoscience women who lived, worked and died mainly within the twentieth centur

Table 1: Towards a history of women in the geosciences

Supplementary table 1 shows a selection of women geological pioneers who lived, worked and died mainly within the nineteenth century or earlie

Additional file 1: of Identifying research priorities for public health research to address health inequalities: use of Delphi-like survey methods

Surveys - Rounds 1, 2 and 3. (PDF 275 kb

Strongly Exchange Coupled Core|Shell Nanoparticles with High Magnetic Anisotropy: A Strategy toward Rare-Earth-Free Permanent Magnets

Antiferromagnetic­(AFM)|ferrimagnetic­(FiM) core|shell (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) of formula Co_0.3Fe_0.7O|Co_0.6Fe_2.4O₄ with mean diameter from 6 to 18 nm have been synthesized through a one-pot thermal decomposition process. The CS structure has been generated by topotaxial oxidation of the core region, leading to the formation of a highly monodisperse single inverted AFM|FiM CS system with variable AFM-core diameter and constant FiM-shell thickness (∼2 nm). The sharp interface, the high structural matching between both phases, and the good crystallinity of the AFM material have been structurally demonstrated and are corroborated by the robust exchange-coupling between AFM and FiM phases, which gives rise to one among the largest exchange bias (<i>H</i> _E) values ever reported for CS NPs (8.6 kOe) and to a strongly enhanced coercive field (<i>H</i> _C). In addition, the investigation of the magnetic properties as a function of the AFM-core size (<i>d</i> _AFM), revealed a nonmonotonous trend of both <i>H</i> _C and <i>H</i> _E, which display a maximum value for <i>d</i> _AFM = 5 nm (19.3 and 8.6 kOe, respectively). These properties induce a huge improvement of the capability of storing energy of the material, a result which suggests that the combination of highly anisotropic AFM|FiM materials can be an efficient strategy toward the realization of novel rare-earth-free permanent magnets

Complexity of clay mineral formation during 120,000 years of soil development along the Franz Josef chronosequence, New Zealand

<p>Weathering of primary silicates to secondary clay minerals over time affects multiple soil functions such as the accumulation of organic matter and nutrient cations. However, the extent of clay mineral (trans)formation as a function of soil development is poorly understood. In this study, the degree of weathering of sediments along a 120 kyr soil formation gradient was investigated using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Irrespective of site age, mica and chlorite were the dominant clay minerals. During weathering, a remarkable suite of transitional phases such as vermiculite and several interstratifications with vermiculitic, smectitic, chloritic and micaceous layers developed. The degree of weathering was correlated with soil pH and depletion of K, Ca, Na, Fe and Al, regarding both soil depth and site age. Kaolinite occurred especially at the 120 kyr site, indicating slow formation via transitional phases. The findings of this study revealed that long-term soil development caused complex clay mineral assemblages, both temporally and spatially, and linking this variability to soil functioning warrants further research.</p

Monitoring asthma in childhood: management-related issues.

Management-related issues are an important aspect of monitoring asthma in children in clinical practice. This review summarises the literature on practical aspects of monitoring including adherence to treatment, inhalation technique, ongoing exposure to allergens and irritants, comorbid conditions and side-effects of treatment, as agreed by the European Respiratory Society Task Force on Monitoring Asthma in Childhood. The evidence indicates that it is important to discuss adherence to treatment in a non-confrontational way at every clinic visit, and take into account a patient's illness and medication beliefs. All task force members teach inhalation techniques at least twice when introducing a new inhalation device and then at least annually. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, combustion-derived air pollutants, house dust mites, fungal spores, pollens and pet dander deserve regular attention during follow-up according to most task force members. In addition, allergic rhinitis should be considered as a cause for poor asthma control. Task force members do not screen for gastro-oesophageal reflux and food allergy. Height and weight are generally measured at least annually to identify individuals who are susceptible to adrenal suppression and to calculate body mass index, even though causality between obesity and asthma has not been established. In cases of poor asthma control, before stepping up treatment the above aspects of monitoring deserve closer attention