Soil chronosequences and bacterial communities of the Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

The Beardmore Glacier region of the Central Transantarctic Mountains (CTAM), approximately 600 km south of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), has been studied to a much lesser extent than the accessible MDV and other regions of the continent. The CTAM were visited in the 2010/2011 austral summer, and two concurrent studies undertaken; these are presented in the form of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, as a thesis by publication. Soil chronosequences in three of the largest ice-free areas (Ong Valley, Mount Achernar, and the Dominion Range), at altitudes above 1600 m along the polar plateau margin, were examined. Transects perpendicular to the current ice edge reveal a gradual increase in soil depth (from 2 cm to > 80 cm to underlying ice), weathering, horizonation, salt content, and a decrease in pH; all of these factors are consistent with increased soil development since time of deglaciation. Such fine scale variation in soil properties, previously overlooked in the CTAM region, cannot be mapped by Soil Taxonomy subgroups, as commonly utilised in Antarctic soil mapping. Patterns of soil thickness, clast abundance and soil chemistry all indicate a bi-modal form of soil development. It is proposed that the soil profile deepens by addition of englacial debris to the subsoil via the sublimation of underlying ice, and the weathering of supraglacial clasts at the soil surface. The molecular characterization of bacterial communities in CTAM soils is the southernmost culture-independent soil survey to date. Community fingerprinting (ARISA) and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing demonstrated significantly different bacterial communities between eight discrete CTAM locations (5 at low altitude near the Ross Ice Shelf coast, 3 near the polar plateau > 1600 m). Abiotic environmental variables, especially those related to long-term exposure of soils to the atmosphere, correlate well with inter-site community variation. Mount Howe, the southernmost soil on the planet (87° S), harbours an extremely low biomass bacterial community, of a fundamentally different composition to all other sites. It appears that observed DNA sequences at Mount Howe are the result of atmospherically deposited bacteria, the soil being unable to support edaphic life due to extreme local climatic conditions. These two studies extend previous knowledge of soil development and distribution, and microbial ecology, to the southernmost extent possible. These observations may serve as important baseline data for monitoring of this fragile system in the face of future and ongoing environmental changes

Pintea v Johns: 18 Months Later

It has been 18 months since the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Pintea v Johns.1 NSRLP’s SRL Case Law Database project is tracking the emerging jurisprudence on issues relating to the treatment and management of self-­‐‑ represented litigants by the courts, and we regard the impact of Pintea since that decision came down to be an important topic to address in our ongoing series of detailed reports. Specifically, we wanted to examine how the courts have been applying this landmark decision for self-­‐‑represented litigants since April 2017. In Pintea v Johns, the Supreme Court of Canada endorses the Principles established by the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) regarding self-­‐‑represented litigants (Statement of Principles on Self-­‐‑Represented Litigants and Accused Persons, henceforth the CJC Principles).2 These Principles outline the obligations and responsibilities owed by judges to SRLs and the obligations and responsibilities of SRLs when they participate in the court process. The Principles acknowledge the disadvantage SRLs are at in navigating the complexities of the legal system on their own and often facing counsel on the other side, and exhort judges to take this into consideration in managing cases and rendering decisions. Specifically, Pintea addressed the application of the law of contempt to an SRL and held that the individual in question, who was self-­‐‑represented, could not be held in contempt of an order if he was not made aware of that order.3 As of October 2018, 38 cases reported in our source database (Westlaw) have referenced the Pintea decision in some way. We took a look at how these cases were decided, and how they applied or distinguished Pintea and the CJC Principles

Zircon U-Pb dating of Mesozoic volcanic and tectonic events in northwest Palmer Land and southwest Graham Land, Antarctica

New whole rock Rb-Sr and zircon U-Pb geochronological data and Sm-Nd isotopic data are presented from the central magmatic arc domain of the Antarctic Peninsula in the area of northwest Palmer Land and southwest Graham Land, Rb-Sr isochrons indicate an age of 169±6 Ma for basement orthogneisses and 132±9 to 71±9 Ma for plutons. A U-Pb age of 183 ± 2.1 Ma, with no detectable inheritance, on zircons from an orthogneiss from Cape Berteaux provides the first reliable age for the orthogneisses, which are interpreted as metamorphosed silicic volcanic rocks, and Sm-Nd data indicate derivation in a mature volcanic arc. The age indicates they may be correlatives of the Jurassic ‘Chon Aike’ volcanism of the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. A U-Pb zircon age of 107 ± 1.7 Ma on a terrestrial volcanic sequence overlying an uncomformity strongly suggests a mid-Cretaceous age for the extensive volcanic cover of northwest Palmer Land that was previously thought to be Jurassic. The unconformity is interpreted to have been a result of compressional uplift related to the Palmer Land event. This is the first date for the event in the western part of the central magmatic arc terrane of the Antarctic Peninsula

Ultrapotassic volcanic centres as potential paleogeographic indicators : the Mediterranean Tortonian 'salinity crisis', southern Spain

Dated peperites associated with ultrapotassic volcanic centres of the Neogene Volcanic Province of southeast Spain are of particular interest within the complex tectonomagmatic context of the Western Mediterranean because they show clear volcano-sedimentary interactions making them a valuable tool for correlating between Miocene sedimentary basins in the region. Detailed field mapping of two coeval, but geographically separate, ultrapotassic volcanic centres (Zeneta and La Aljorra), and comparison of sedimentary facies and radiometric ages with another at Fortuna, suggest that these centres apparently formed at approximately the same time, late Tortonian, by the same tectonomagmatic process, strike-slip, and in the same, shallow marine, paleogeographical context. Stratigraphic indicators in the Miocene basins suggest that basin-closure initiated in the region during the late Tortonian, prior to the main Mediterranean Messinian salinity crisis. Notably, many of the ultrapotassic volcanic centres are situated close to, and elongated along, the basin margins faults. We suggest, therefore, that movement of basin margin faults that closed the Miocene sedimentary basins causing drying out also facilitated the contemporaneous ascent of ultrapotassic magma. So, volcano-sedimentary interactions may be used to make inferences about both the tectonomagmatic and paleogeographic evolution of a region. In southeast Spain peperites provide evidence that the Tortonian 'salinity crisis' was geographically more widespread, extending to the southeast, than previously recognized

Is Access to Court Transcripts in Canada an A2J Issue?

Access to Justice requires that self-represented litigants (SRLs) be able, if they wish, to obtain a record of a court proceeding they have participated in. This is to ensure they did not miss hearing something important, and are able to comprehensively review what was said in the courtroom. Court hearings habitually use legal jargon that those without legal training may not understand, and as a result, the import of what is said by either the judge or the litigants’ lawyers during the hearing may be missed. Additionally, emotions and stress levels are usually high during a hearing, and sometimes the court appearance itself is brief. As a result of these factors it is sometimes critical, or at the least very helpful, for SRLs to be able to review what happened from the comfort of their own homes without the pressure they faced in the courtroom

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: A Community Coalition for Financial Education and Asset Building

Free tax programs, such as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), allow recipients of the earned income tax credit (EITC) to have their returns filed for free. VITA and other free tax programs are nationwide. However, each program is distinct, and the services provided by these programs differ. This article discusses a successful and unique community collaboration that can be used by Cooperative Extension professionals nationwide to assist consumers with tax preparation, introduce new paths for providing consumers with financial education, and open the door to involving consumers in additional financial management programming

Tracking the Trends of the Self-Represented Litigant Phenomenon: Data from the National Self-Represented Litigants Project, 2017

From 2011-2013, Dr. Julie Macfarlane studied the experiences of self-representation in Canada in three provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. She conducted detailed personal interviews and/or focus group interviews with 259 self-represented litigants (SRLs). After the publication of Dr. Macfarlane’s initial report in 2013, SRLs continued to contact the National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP). This led the research team to develop an “Intake Form” in SurveyMonkey, in order to continue to collect information from SRLs across Canada. While the data provided from the replies to the Intake Form is less detailed than the original study interviews, the questionnaire tracks SRL demographics using some of the same variables, such as income, education level and party status. It also asks questions about the SRL’s experience with prior legal services, mediation services, and bringing a support person to court. The Intake Form also provides a glimpse into SRL personal experiences based on a final question which is “open format”. NSRLP is committed to continued reporting on the SRL phenomenon. Our last report on intake data spanned from April 1, 2015-December 31, 2016, and included data from 73 respondents. This latest Report presents data from 66 respondents, collected from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017

Is Access to Court Transcripts in Canada an A2J Issue?

Access to Justice requires that self-represented litigants (SRLs) be able, if they wish, to obtain a record of a court proceeding they have participated in. This is to ensure they did not miss hearing something important, and are able to comprehensively review what was said in the courtroom. Court hearings habitually use legal jargon that those without legal training may not understand, and as a result, the import of what is said by either the judge or the litigants’ lawyers during the hearing may be missed. Additionally, emotions and stress levels are usually high during a hearing, and sometimes the court appearance itself is brief. As a result of these factors it is sometimes critical, or at the least very helpful, for SRLs to be able to review what happened from the comfort of their own homes without the pressure they faced in the courtroom

New parties, new movements: but how much say do party members get?

The Political Party Database Project has analysed the workings of 122 political parties in 19 parliamentary democracies. Remarkably, the vast majority share a common model of subscriber democracy: members join at a local level and enjoy a certain amount of say in the party's direction. But in recent years a wave of new political movements, such as République en Marche ..

Translating evidence into practice: the role of health research funders

BACKGROUND: A growing body of work on knowledge translation (KT) reveals significant gaps between what is known to improve health, and what is done to improve health. The literature and practice also suggest that KT has the potential to narrow those gaps, leading to more evidence-informed healthcare. In response, Canadian health research funders and agencies have made KT a priority. This article describes how one funding agency determined its KT role and in the process developed a model that other agencies could use when considering KT programs. DISCUSSION: While ‘excellence’ is an important criterion by which to evaluate and fund health research, it alone does not ensure relevance to societal health priorities. There is increased demand for return on investments in health research in the form of societal and health system benefits. Canadian health research funding agencies are responding to these demands by emphasizing relevance as a funding criterion and supporting researchers and research users to use the evidence generated. Based on recommendations from the literature, an environmental scan, broad circulation of an iterative discussion paper, and an expert working group process, our agency developed a plan to maximize our role in KT. Key to the process was development of a model comprising five key functional areas that together create the conditions for effective KT: advancing KT science; building KT capacity; managing KT projects; funding KT activities; and advocating for KT. Observations made during the planning process of relevance to the KT enterprise are: the importance of delineating KT and communications, and information and knowledge; determining responsibility for KT; supporting implementation and evaluation; and promoting the message that both research and KT take time to realize results. SUMMARY: Challenges exist in fulfilling expectations that research evidence results in beneficial impacts for society. However, health agencies are well placed to help maximize the use of evidence in health practice and policy. We propose five key functional areas of KT for health agencies, and encourage partnerships and discussion to advance the field