How are coastal benthos fed?

Water movement can influence the distribution of benthos, in part, by increasing food delivery; however, the impact of advective transport and turbulent diffusion on organic matter flux to nearshore benthic communities is not well quantified. In this study, we measured the vertical particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate phosphorus (PP) flux in nearshore Lake Michigan using two naturally occurring daughter/parent radionuclide pairs (234Th/238U and 90Y/90Sr) and compared these fluxes to coincident benthic chamber estimates of respiration and total phosphorus efflux by quagga mussels on the lakebed. We found that advective onshore transport and vertical convective mixing increased POC and PP flux to the nearshore benthos by a factor of ~15 and ~30 over offshore trap-derived estimates of flux. From these results, we hypothesize that high benthos population densities are related to an edge effect created when the dominant mechanism of particle delivery transitions from gravitational settling to convection

Is self-assessment in religious education unique?

This paper addresses the question: is self-assessment in religious education unique? It first presents an overview of some challenges for assessment from subject differences, and then reviews the generic literature on self-assessment. It builds on earlier empirical research on self-assessment in religious education, carried out in an English state secondary school (Fancourt 2010); this was used to propose a variant of self-assessment which is tailored to the demands of religious education – reflexive self-assessment. Its implications for more general understandings of the relationship between subject pedagogy and self-assessment are discussed, especially the recognition of values not only in religious education but in other subjects too, reinforcing the need to develop subject-specific variants of self-assessment that reflect the breadth of learning outcomes

Multiple behaviour change intervention for diarrhoea control in Lusaka, Zambia: a cluster randomised trial

Background Eff ective prevention and control of diarrhoea requires caregivers to comply with a suite of proven measures, including exclusive breastfeeding, handwashing with soap, correct use of oral rehydration salts, and zinc administration. We aimed to assess the eff ect of a novel behaviour change intervention using emotional drivers on caregiver practice of these behaviours. Methods We did a cluster randomised controlled trial in Lusaka Province, Zambia. A random sample of 16 health centres (clusters) were selected from a sampling frame of 81 health centres in three of four districts in Lusaka Province using a computerised random number generator. Each cluster was randomly assigned 1:1 to either the intervention— clinic events, community events, and radio messaging—or to a standard care control arm, both for 6 months. Primary outcomes were exclusive breastfeeding (self-report), handwashing with soap (observation), oral rehydration salt solution preparation (demonstration), and zinc use in diarrhoea treatment (self-report). We measured outcome behaviours at baseline before start of intervention and 4–6 weeks post-intervention through repeat cross-sectional surveys with mothers of an infant younger than 6 months and primary caregivers of a child younger than 5 years with recent diarrhoea. We compared outcomes on an intention-to-treat population between intervention and control groups adjusted for baseline behaviour. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02081521. Findings Between Jan 20 and Feb 3, 2014, we recruited 306 mothers of an infant aged 0–5 months (156 intervention, 150 standard care) and 343 primary caregiver of a child aged 0–59 months with recent diarrhoea (176 intervention, 167 standard care) at baseline. Between Oct 20 to Nov 7, 2014, we recruited 401 mothers of an infant 0–5 months (234 intervention, 167 standard care) and 410 primary caregivers of a child 0–59 months with recent diarrhoea (257 intervention, 163 standard care) at endline. Intervention was associated with increased prevalence of self-reported exclusive breastfeeding of infants aged 0–5 months (adjusted diff erence 10·5%, 95% CI 0·9–19·9). Other primary outcomes were not aff ected by intervention. Cluster intervention exposure ranged from 11–81%, measured by participant self-report with verifi cation questions. Comparison of control and intervention clusters with coverage greater than 35% provided strong evidence of an intervention eff ect on oral rehydration salt solution preparation and breastfeeding outcomes. Interpretation The intervention may have improved exclusive breastfeeding (assessed by self-reporting), but intervention eff ects were diluted in clusters with low exposure. Complex caregiver practices can improve through interventions built around human motives, but these must be implemented more intensely

Il monastero benedettino di S. Giorgio in Braida a Verona: nuove prospettive di ricerca sulla rifabbrica romanica (sec. XII)

L’attuale aspetto rinascimentale della chiesa di San Giorgio in Braida è frutto di una serie di interventi promossi dai canonici veneziani di San Giorgio in Alga a partire dalla fine del XV secolo. Il monastero benedettino, tuttavia, fu fondato nella metà dell’XI secolo e completamente ricostruito fra il terzo e il quarto decennio del secolo successivo per volere del vescovo Bernardo. L’articolo ripercorre le vicende storiche dell’istituzione in età medievale e rende nota l’esistenza di alcune parti della compagine romanica tuttora inedite, che permettono d’inserire il cantiere di San Giorgio in Braida nel contesto delle coeve manifestazioni architettoniche veronesi

Enhanced weathering in the U.S. Corn Belt delivers carbon removal with agronomic benefits

Enhanced weathering (EW) with crushed basalt on farmlands is a promising scalable atmospheric carbon dioxide removal strategy that urgently requires performance assessment with commercial farming practices. Our large-scale replicated EW field trial in the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt shows cumulative time-integrated carbon sequestration of 15.4 +/- 4.1 t CO2 ha-1 over four years, with additional emissions mitigation of ~0.1 - 0.4 t CO2,e ha-1 yr-1 for soil nitrous oxide, a potent long-lived greenhouse gas. Maize and soybean yields increased 12-16% with EW following improved soil fertility, decreased soil acidification, and upregulation of root nutrient transport genes. Our findings suggest that widespread adoption of EW across farming sectors has the potential to contribute significantly to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals and global food and soil security