Period Of Relative Stability Research Articles

Seasonal activity quantification of coast badlands by TLS monitoring over five years at the “Vaches Noires” cliffs (Normandy, France)

The study focuses on the evolution of the coastal badlands of the Vaches Noires cliffs (Normandy, France). The study aims to provide a better understanding of the functioning of these cliffs with badland morphology and to verify the potential of the TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner) tool to quantify the volumes moved and the rates of change. Thus, three related gullies (G2 to G4) with contrasting dynamics were monitored three to four times per year between September 26, 2014 and November 19, 2019. Each gully was divided into nine “Functional Morphological Units” (FMU) in order to identify the respective weight of erosion, transport and deposition of materials related to seasonal subaerial and marine forcing. A global assessment of the evolution over five years shows mainly an ablation in the upper part of the slopes, but also on the flanks and fronts of the crests. The middle and lower parts of the gullies alternate between erosion and deposition of materials while the basal scarp (foot of the cliff) is in progradation. By successively analysing the TLS models, seasonal patterns common to each gully are identified. We observe a pronounced hydro-gravitational dynamics in autumn/winter for all FMUs, a transition period in spring, then a period of relative stability in summer. Quantification of surface volumes transiting from upstream to downstream slopes shows that gully hydro-gravitational dynamics are unequal with periods of low, moderate and high activity between each gully. The volumes of materials produced during high or low activity (“High global activity” (Hga) and “Low global activity” (Lga)) are strongly correlated with the curve of cumulative rainfall.A conceptual model synthesizing the modalities of initiation of the hydro-gravitational processes in the different FMUs is proposed at the end of the article. For each season, the model provides ranges of quantified material volumes in each FMUs and specifies the role of meteorological configurations on the hydric state of marl-limestone slopes, put in perspective with other sites with badlands morphologies. Despite some limitations, the TLS tool remains relevant to monitor and spatialize the evolutionary processes of cliffs with complex topography and rapid morphological changes.

ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF MARITIME SAFETY AND MODERN WAYS OF ENSURING THE SHIP SECURITY

Maritime security in recent decades has always been a separate issue, one that has been acute for both shipowners and crews of seagoing vessels. It has been marked by periods of relative stability and periods of emerging and growing threats, from the days of the sailing fleet to the era of ironclad steam shipbuilding. Certainly, it is difficult to overestimate the significant role of the scientific community, which has long investigated this problem, revealing its theoretical and practical sides. The professional experience of maritime industry specialists has also sufficiently served to ensure that systematic interest in the issue has provided the basis for the development of strategies and integrated approaches that ensure the safety of vessels and crews at modern levels. Without the latest advances in maritime safety, shipping, as an industry, would not be able to achieve the current level of reliability in ensuring shipboard processes. Every generation of mankind has prioritized maritime safety, contributing to improving its standards and stressing the importance of continuous development of the theoretical framework. At least more than twenty million tons of cargo and more than five hundred thousand passengers move daily by water transport, so the concept of maritime safety extends not only to the safety of life at sea, the safety of vessels and the safety of cargo, but also to the prevention of maritime accidents and pollution. The increasing share of maritime and river transport in international freight and passenger traffic has led to the need for increased maritime safety requirements due to the technical upgrading of maritime transport. This process is based on the principles of current control over the process of vessel operation and prompt acquisition of necessary data and relevant information during the voyage, anticipated route and control over the state of work parameters of technical means of the vessel, but the key aspect of safety is assessment of existing threats and development of ways and methods of ensuring vessel safety.

Conditional Time-Varying General Dynamic Factor Models and Its Application to the Measurement of Volatility Spillovers across Russian Assets

This study analyzes the spillover effects of volatility in the Russian stock market. The paper applies the Diebold–Yilmaz connectedness methodology to characterize volatility spillovers between Russian assets. The spectral representation of the forecast variance decomposition proposed by Baruník and Křehlik is used to describe the connectivity in short-term (up to 5 days), medium-term (6–20 days) and long-term (more than 20 days) time frequencies. Additionally, two new augmented models are developed and applied to evaluate conditional spillover effects in different sectors of the Russian economy for the period from January 2012 to June 2021. It is shown that spillover effects increase significantly during political and economic crises and decrease during periods of relative stability. The rising of the overall level of spillovers in the Russian stock market coincides in time with the political crisis of 2014, the intensification of anti-Russian sanctions in 2018 and the fall in oil prices and the start of the pandemic in 2020. With the consideration of the augmented models it can be argued that a significant part of the long-term spillover effects on the Russian stock market may be caused by the influence of external economic and political factors. However, volatility spillovers generated by internal Russian idiosyncratic shocks are short-term. Thus, the proposed approach provides new information on the impact of external factors on volatility spillovers in the Russian stock market.

Rapid deglaciation during the Bølling-Allerød Interstadial in the Central Pyrenees and associated glacial and periglacial landforms

The Central Pyrenees hosted a large ice cap during the Late Pleistocene. The cirques under relatively low-altitude peaks (2200–2800 m) include the greatest variety of glacial landforms (moraines, fossil debris-covered glaciers and rock glaciers), but their age and formation process are poorly known. Here, we focus on the headwaters of the Garonne River, namely on the low-altitude Bacivèr Cirque (highest peaks at ~2600 m), with widespread erosive and depositional glacial and periglacial landforms. We reconstruct the pattern of deglaciation from geomorphological observations and a 17-sample dataset of 10Be Cosmic-Ray Exposure (CRE) ages. Ice thickness in the Bacivèr Cirque must have reached ~200 m during the maximum ice extent of the last glacial cycle, when it flowed down towards the Garonne paleoglacier. However, by ~15 ka, during the Bølling-Allerød (B-A) Interstadial, the mouth of the cirque was deglaciated as the tributary glacier shrank and disconnected from the Garonne paleoglacier. Glacial retreat was rapid, and the whole cirque was likely to have been deglaciated in only a few centuries, while paraglacial processes accelerated, leading to the transformation of debris-free glaciers into debris-covered and rock glaciers in their final stages. Climate conditions prevailing at the transition between the B-A and the Younger Dryas (YD) favored glacial growth and the likely development of small moraines within the slopes of the cirque walls by ~12.9 ka, but the dating uncertainties make it impossible to state whether these moraines formed during the B-A or the YD. The melting of these glaciers favored paraglacial dynamics, which promoted the development of rock glaciers as well as debris-covered glaciers. These remained active throughout the Early Holocene until at least ~7 ka. Since then, the landscape of the Bacivèr Cirque has seen a period of relative stability. A similar chronological sequence of deglaciation has been also detected in other cirques of the Pyrenees below 3000 m. As in other mid-latitude mountain regions, the B-A triggered the complete deglaciation of the Garonne paleoglacier and promoted the development of the wide variety of glacial and periglacial landforms existing in the Bacivèr cirque.

French Guiana margin evolution: From Gondwana break‐up to Atlantic opening

AbstractKnowledge of the Guiana Shield evolution during the Gondwana break‐up is key to a better understanding of craton dynamics and margin response to transtensional opening. To improve this knowledge, we investigated the dynamics and thermal evolution of French Guiana, using several low‐temperature thermochronology methods applied to basement rocks, including apatite and zircon (U‐Th)/He and apatite fission tracks. Inverse modelling of results allows us to reconstruct the Phanerozoic thermal history of French Guiana margin and to give a preview of the Guiana Shield evolution. Three main events are inferred: firstly, a long‐term period of relative stability since ~1.2 Ga, with no strong evidence for any erosional or burial event (>5–7 km); secondly, a heating phase between ~210 and ~140 Ma consistent with the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province‐related event. Finally, an exhumation phase between ~140 and ~90 Ma, triggered by the Equatorial Atlantic opening, brought samples close to the surface (<40°C).

COVID‐19 and the Future of Management Studies. Insights from Leading Scholars

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and its medical, social and economic impacts presented profound challenges to business, government, and society It also presents management scholars with an opportunity to rethink some of our core assumptions and directions of our research In response, in the Summer of 2020, in our capacity as co- General Editors of the Journal of Management Studies, one of the foremost academic journals of management and organization studies, we commissioned short commentaries from leading management scholars

The impact of public external debt on private investment. Evidence from Zimbabwe under the multi-currency system.

The levels of public debt have grown significantly in both emerging and developed countries even during times of peace. The rising levels of debt pose substantial debt sustainability issues to developing countries including Zimbabwe. A defaulting country usually has limited access to new international credit lines or tends to borrow at a higher cost, due to high perceived country risk premium, making the country a less attractive investment destination. Zimbabwe is currently suffering debt distress and has since the year 2000 struggled to service her external debt from international multilateral financial institutions. Zimbabwe’s external debt continues to pile up due to penalties on defaults. This paper examines the impact of public external debt on private investment in Zimbabwe, using quarterly time-series data for the period 2009 and 2017. The period of study was a period of relative stability when Zimbabwe operated under a multicurrency system. Interest rates, political risk, trade openness and household consumption are control variables of this study. Using the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), we find that external debt and external debt squared have a negative impact on private investment in the long run. Results suggest that Zimbabwe’s external debt is crowding out private investment. In the short-term, we urge the government of Zimbabwe to apply for debt rescheduling to avoid penalties that have so far contributed to the ballooning of Zimbabwe’s external debt obligations. In the medium term, we urge the government of Zimbabwe to design comprehensive debt and arrears reduction strategies, to reduce Zimbabwe’s external debt to sustainable levels. In the long term, after regaining borrowing rights, we urge the government of Zimbabwe to invest external borrowings in productive ventures, to facilitate debt amortisation. Secondly, we recommend that external debt be invested in education, health and infrastructure, which can potentially stimulate private investment, and thus create a multiplier effect on economic growth. Lastly, we recommend the government to invest foreign loans in sectors where Zimbabwe enjoys a comparative advantage, to ensure reliable export revenue for debt servicing.

Festival Glasperlenspiel, Estonia. Tartu 9–15 July 2020 and Saaremaa 15–18 July 2020.

Although 2020 will mostly be remembered as a period of hiatus for music festivals, a period of relative stability during the summer in Estonia enabled the festival Glasperlenspiel to hold most of its 25th anniversary programme. The strict restrictions on travel and gatherings (limited to 2 people in March) were eased in May when Covid cases in Estonia went under 10 per 100,000. Travel from Finland opened without restrictions on June 15, and the festival organisers knew in May that public events would again be allowed as of July 1. They were cutting it rather close, as until 30 June public events were completely prohibited.

PRS49 Epidemiology of ACUTE Exacerbation Among Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in JAPAN: A Claims-Based Retrospective Study

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive form of fibrosing interstitial pneumonia. Some patients with IPF experience acute exacerbation (AE), with periods of relative stability followed by acute deteriorations in respiratory status. However, little is known about the epidemiology of AE. The objective of this study was to clarify the current status of AE among Japanese patients with IPF. We analyzed records of a Japanese claims database (April 2008-March 2019), covering over 20 million acute care hospital patients. IPF patients were identified using disease name, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. AE was defined as the prescription of steroid equivalent 500-1000 mg/day of methylprednisolone for three consecutive days. Proportion of patients who experienced AE were analyzed by calendar year, and incidence of AE from the first diagnosis was investigated. A total of 9961 individuals were diagnosed as IPF, and age (mean±SD) at first diagnosis and the male ratio were 74.4 ± 9.3 years and 75%. The number of patients who experienced AE at least once was 1739 (17.4%). Of these 1739 patients, age (mean±SD) at first AE was 75.4 ± 8.8 years, and 79% were male. The proportion of patients with AE among IPF patients each year from 2013 to 2018 was 10, 9, 12, 10, 10, and 10%, respectively. The incidence of AE (events/person-year) each year from first to fifth year since the first diagnosis was 0.33, 0.13, 0.13, 0.12, and 0.14, respectively. Nearly 17% of patients experienced AE at least once, and the proportion of patients with AE was stable for the last six years. The incidence was highest in the year of first diagnosis, but stable in later years. These results may suggest that patients were delivered to acute care hospitals once AE occurred. Further studies are needed to elucidate these findings.

Fish assemblages and size-spectra variation among rivers of Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya

Riverine ecosystems are some of the most biologically diverse on earth, but are also among the most threatened by anthropogenic actions. Lack of local-scale studies monitoring changes in riverine populations makes it difficult to determine how communities respond to region-specific anthropogenic threats. In this study, we compared fish assemblage structure in six rivers in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB), Kenya. Data collected during different periods between 2004 and 2018 were used to derive abundance size-spectra parameters and community diversity metrics as proxies for ecosystem condition and function. Species dominance in the rivers was high with only five species accounting for >72% of cumulative relative abundance while, 33 species contributed <10% of all individuals sampled. One-way analysis of similarity test (ANOSIM) indicated significant dissimilarity in fish composition between the rivers (Global R = 0.405, p = 0.0187) while, similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) partitioned differences to variations in relative abundance of mainly two species (Labeobarbus altianalis, and Labeo victorianus). Eight species were restricted to single river basins suggesting presence of local endemism. Abundance size-spectra parameters (intercepts and slopes) used as proxies for food-web capacity and ecological efficiency fluctuated over time with periods of relative stability, indicating spatial (among rivers) and temporal (yearly) variations in ecological processes in the rivers. The food-web capacity and ecological efficiency indices showed basin-specific relationships with community metrics (dominance, richness, evenness, Shannon-Weiner and Simpson diversity indices) and catch per unit effort (CPUE), suggesting their potential use as indicators of ecosystem structure. The findings of this study show promise in the use of size-spectra parameters as proxies for riverine ecosystem structure and functioning under a gradient of perturbation.

A formação urbana de Campinas (SP): de pouso à margem do caminho do ouro a lugar mundial

Neste artigo, propomos a exposição e a análise dos diferentes períodos de modernização que atingiram Campinas, município paulista. A partir da categoria formação socioespacial, buscamos compreender como se deu a gênese da cidade e como seu processo de estruturação urbana, em diferentes fases, esteve atrelado à sucessão dos períodos econômicos. A continuidade de formas de produção arcaicas no interior dos períodos históricos é a condição da formação nacional. Nesse processo, a materialização da estrutura e das forças produtivas mediadas pelo Estado, conduziu a períodos de relativa estabilidade, no entanto, o acúmulo de contradições seria a condição para ocorrência de rupturas que inauguram os novos períodos.

Financial dollarization in the economy of Ukraine

The essence of dollarization phenomenon is considered in this paper. It is noted that dollarization occurs when the national currency does not completely perform the functions of money. In this case, the national currency is replaced in some transactions by foreign ones. Basically, it is the currency of highly developed countries with sustainable economic development. The defined main causes of dollarization in Ukraine are as follows: depositors attempt to keep their savings from devaluation result in financial crises accompanied by significant devaluation and inflation; distrust in regulator and government actions. The disadvantages of dollarization phenomenon for the national economy development are systematized and the following key ones are identified: decrease in the efficiency of NBU monetary policy, decrease in confidence in the national currency and banking system, decrease in demand for the national currency, growth of shadow economy and as the result tax revenues reduction. It is emphasized that one of dollarization types is financial dollarization, for which level assessment a number of indicators are selected: dollarization of loan and deposit portfolios, dollarization of MQ monetary aggregate. The structure of the deposit portfolio of individuals and legal entities in terms of currencies is considered and it is found that in periods of intensification of the crisis the level of dollarization increased, and in periods of relative stability – decreased. It is generalized that about 40% of the deposit portfolio is denominated in foreign currency. It means that consumers of financial services trust and save more in foreign currency. The structure of the deposit portfolio of individuals and legal entities in terms of currencies is considered and it is found that during the periods of crisis phenomena intensification the dollarization level increases, and during the periods of relative stability – decreases. It is summarized that about 40% of the deposit portfolio is denominated in foreign currency, i.e. the consumers of financial services trust and save more in foreign currency. The structure of the loan portfolio is analyzed and it is determined that the level of dollarization of the loan portfolio of legal entities is more than 40%, and consumer loans in foreign currency are prohibited, so the dollarization of the loan portfolio of individuals decreases annually up to 18%. The ratio of foreign currency deposits to money supply (MQ) is calculated, which, like other calculated indicators, proves that Ukraine has high dollarization level. Based on the carried out analysis, the conclusions concerning the need to coordinate the efforts of the central bank, government, parliament in order to reduce the dollarization level up to the natural level for the elimination of threatening consequences for the national economy are substantiated.

Physical activity and quality of life predictors among university students with polio in India: A cross-sectional study

Quality of life (QoL) assessments measure the overall well-being of a person. Available data suggest an estimated 10-20 million polio survivors worldwide. Few studies have investigated the physical activity and the QoL of these patients in India. The present cross-sectional study attempted to measure the physical activity and QoL of polio survivors and to evaluate the relationship between physical activity and QoL, among other factors. The study was conducted in 96 students (64 women and 32 men with a mean age of 22.1±3.7 years). QoL, physical activity, fatigue, and pain were measured by the World Health Organization QoL measure - abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF), physical activity scale for individuals with physical disabilities (PASIPD), multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form (MFSI-SF), and numerical rating scale. The mean metabolic equivalent score was 27.10 h/day. Low mean scores were observed for the physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environmental domains of QoL (25.2±3.3, 21.8±3.0, 12.0±1.8, and 23.0±4.3, respectively). There was a weak negative association between physical activity levels and the physical health domain of QoL (P<0.05), whereas no associations were identified between physical activity levels and other QoL domains (P>0.05). Regression analysis identified female gender, fatigue, and physical activity as predictors of the physical health domain, and female gender, number of sites affected, and assistive devices used as predictors of the psychological health domain of QoL. Low physical activity levels and QoL were noted among students with poliomyelitis in Uttar Pradesh, India. Considering the inverse relationship between physical activity and QoL, physical activities should be modified or protected in polio survivors. Female polio survivors may be referred to psychological counseling to learn coping strategies, even during periods of relative stability.

Концепция Карла Маркса в сознании и практике российского общества XX века

&lt;p&gt;Статья посвящена 200-летнему юбилею Карла Маркса — выдающегося мыслителя человечества и реконструкции применения его идеи мировой революции в России — отдельно взятой стране.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Подчеркивается несоответствие Октябрьской революции 1917 г. концепции К. Маркса: захват власти не пролетариатом, а группой большевиков, превративших революцию в гражданскую братоубийственную войну, уничтожение вчерашних соратников — открытие эпохи авторитаризма в России.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Акцентируются противоречия власти и народа на разных этапах не имеющего научной программы построения и стихийно складывающегося общества, результатом чего явилось превращение марксизма в догму, и одновременно в идеологию и политику, отвлекавшую народ от авторитарного управления трудом и самой жизнью.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Обращается внимание на то, что общественное сознание соотносится не с бытием — как в марксизме, а с определяющей его властью, превратившись в социальную психологию (понятие используется авторами в его нетрадиционном значении в историческом контексте) доверия и страха перед ней.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Период относительной стабильности общества, достижения в управлении трудом и ростки самоуправления сменяются застоем, «оттепелью» и «бархатной революцией», совокупность которых, при деградации власти не позволила избежать кризиса конца века.&lt;/p&gt;

Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak - Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 2018-November 2019.

On August 1, 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health (DRC MoH) declared the tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in DRC, in the North Kivu province in eastern DRC on the border with Uganda, 8 days after another Ebola outbreak was declared over in northwest Équateur province. During mid- to late-July 2018, a cluster of 26 cases of acute hemorrhagic fever, including 20 deaths, was reported in North Kivu province.* Blood specimens from six patients hospitalized in the Mabalako health zone and sent to the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (National Biomedical Research Institute) in Kinshasa tested positive for Ebola virus. Genetic sequencing confirmed that the outbreaks in North Kivu and Équateur provinces were unrelated. From North Kivu province, the outbreak spread north to Ituri province, and south to South Kivu province (1). On July 17, 2019, the World Health Organization designated the North Kivu and Ituri outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, based on the geographic spread of the disease to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and to Uganda and the challenges to implementing prevention and control measures specific to this region (2). This report describes the outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. As of November 17, 2019, a total of 3,296 Ebola cases and 2,196 (67%) deaths were reported, making this the second largest documented outbreak after the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa, which resulted in 28,600 cases and 11,325 deaths.† Since August 2018, DRC MoH has been collaborating with partners, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Organization of Migration, The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), Médecins Sans Frontières, DRC Red Cross National Society, and CDC, to control the outbreak. Enhanced communication and effective community engagement, timing of interventions during periods of relative stability, and intensive training of local residents to manage response activities with periodic supervision by national and international personnel are needed to end the outbreak.

Mortality and health survey, Walikale, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017: an example of the use of survey data for humanitarian program planning

BackgroundDuring humanitarian crises, health information systems are often lacking and surveys are a valuable tool to assess the health needs of affected populations. In 2013, a mortality and health survey undertaken by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the conflict affected Walikale territory of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), indicated mortality rates exceeding humanitarian crisis thresholds and a high burden of mortality and morbidity due to malaria. In late 2017, after a period of relative stability, MSF reassessed the health status of the population through a second survey to guide ongoing operations.MethodsA two-stage cluster survey, selecting villages using probability proportional to size and households using random walk procedures, was conducted. Household members were interviewed on morbidity and mortality, healthcare use, vaccination status, and bednet availability.ResultsThe sample included 5711 persons in 794 households. The crude mortality rate (CMR) and under-five mortality rate (U5MR) were 0.98 per 10,000 persons/day (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–1.2) and 1.3 per 10,000 persons/day (95% CI): 0.82–2.0), respectively. The most frequently reported causes of death were fever/malaria (31%), diarrhoea (15%) and respiratory infections (8%). In 89% of households at least one person was reported as falling ill in the previous 2 weeks, and 58% sought healthcare. Cost was the main barrier amongst 58% of those who did not seek healthcare. Coverage of measles-containing-vaccine was 62% in under-fives. Sufficient bednet coverage (1 bednet/2 people) was reported from 17% of households.ConclusionThe second survey illustrates that although mortality is now just below crisis thresholds, the area still experiences excess mortality and has substantial health needs. The study results have supported the further expansion of integrated community case management to improve access to care for malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Such surveys are important to orient operations to the health needs of the population being served and also highlight the ongoing vulnerability of populations after humanitarian crises.

Evolution of a Shelly Beach Ridge System over the Last Decades in a Hypertidal Open-coast Embayment (Western Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, NW France)

Tessier, B.; Poirier, C.; Weill, P.; Dezileau, L.; Rieux, A.; Mouaze, D.; Fournier, J., and Bonnot-Courtois, C., 2019. Evolution of a shelly beach ridge system over the last decades in a hypertidal open-coast embayment (western Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, NW France). In: Castelle, B. and Chaumillon, E. (eds.), Coastal Evolution under Climate Change along the Tropical Overseas and Temperate Metropolitan France. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 88, pp. 77–88. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The behavior of the shelly beach ridge system forming a more or less continuous barrier lying along the southern coast of the hypertidal Mont-Saint-Michel bay (NW France) is examined using a set of various data including aerial photographs since 1947, sediment cores collected in back-barrier salt marshes, ground penetrating radar profiles, and differential digital elevation models (DEMs). The latter shows that since the middle of the 20th century, the tidal flats extending in front of the ridge system experience erosion and accretion that alternate spatially according to cross-shore corridors. The shelly ridges are better developed on line with the erosional bands. The reasons for this erosion/accretion compartment pattern are not totally elucidated. It probably results from the combined influence of shellfish farms, tidal channels and reef present on the tidal flats on wave and current dynamics. At the decadal to pluri-decadal scale, the shelly beach ridge system behavior as well as its internal organization can partly be related to the fluctuations of hydrodynamic conditions controlled by the 18.6 years nodal tidal cycle. Periods of intense landward migration alternate with periods of relative stability during the peak and the trough of the cycle respectively. This general scheme is complicated due to variations in storm wave dynamics. The most morphogenic events happen potentially during coinciding nodal cycle peaks and enhanced storminess. Such conditions actually occurred around 1995-2000, resulting in the most prominent washover fan deposit preserved within the back-barrier infilling successions. These sediment successions evidence as well that no beach ridge system older than the 19th century is preserved in front of the Medieval dike built during the 11th century on a relict beach ridge, and on which the present-day system is backed. We suggest that the enhanced storminess conditions of the Little Ice Age provoked the reworking of beach ridges formed between the 11th and 19th centuries. Changes in quantity and type of mollusk shells, related to the shellfish farming development during the 20th century are also thought to have had positive consequences on the barrier building and stability.

12. Dramatic improvement of chronic pleural effusion with abatacept treatment in longstanding rheumatoid arthritis, after chest sepsis during treatment with anti-TNF-α

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disorder, with various pulmonary manifestations, including parenchymal disease (interstitial lung disease), inflammation of the pleura (thickening and effusions), and inflammation of the airways and pulmonary vasculature (vasculitis and pulmonary hypertension). These changes may reflect chronic immune activation, increased susceptibility to infection, or direct toxicity from disease modifying or biological therapy. This case report describes a 69-year-old male with longstanding seropositive rheumatoid arthritis who developed severe pneumonia during adalimumab treatment, with subsequent persistent right basal pleural effusion. Treatment with abatacept has resulted in remission with significant decrease in size of the pleural effusion.

Regional Pliocene exhumation of the Lesser Himalaya in the Indus drainage

Abstract. New bulk sediment Sr and Nd isotope data, coupled with U–Pb dating of detrital zircon grains from sediment cored by the International Ocean Discovery Program in the Arabian Sea, allow the reconstruction of erosion in the Indus catchment since ∼17 Ma. Increasing εNd values from 17 to 9.5 Ma imply relatively more erosion from the Karakoram and Kohistan, likely linked to slip on the Karakoram Fault and compression in the southern and eastern Karakoram. After a period of relative stability from 9.5 to 5.7 Ma, there is a long-term decrease in εNd values that corresponds with increasing relative abundance of &gt;300 Ma zircon grains that are most common in Himalayan bedrocks. The continuous presence of abundant Himalayan zircons precludes large-scale drainage capture as the cause of decreasing εNd values in the submarine fan. Although the initial increase in Lesser Himalaya-derived 1500–2300 Ma zircons after 8.3 Ma is consistent with earlier records from the foreland basin, the much greater rise after 1.9 Ma has not previously been recognized and suggests that widespread unroofing of the Crystalline Lesser Himalaya and to a lesser extent Nanga Parbat did not occur until after 1.9 Ma. Because regional erosion increased in the Pleistocene compared to the Pliocene, the relative increase in erosion from the Lesser Himalaya does not reflect slowing erosion in the Karakoram and Greater Himalaya. No simple links can be made between erosion and the development of the South Asian Monsoon, implying a largely tectonic control on Lesser Himalayan unroofing.

The deglaciation of Barton Peninsula (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) based on geomorphological evidence and lacustrine records

AbstractBarton Peninsula is an ice-free area located in the southwest corner of King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Following the Last Glacial Maximum, several geomorphological features developed in newly exposed ice-free terrain and their distribution provide insights about past environmental evolution of the area. Three moraine systems are indicative of three main glacial phases within the long-term glacial retreat, which also favoured the development of numerous lakes. Five of these lakes were cored to understand in greater detail the pattern of deglaciation through the study of lacustrine records. Radiocarbon dates from basal lacustrine sediments enabled the reconstruction of the chronology of Holocene glacial retreat. Tephra layers present in lake sediments provided additional independent age constraints on environmental changes based on geochemical and geochronological correlation with Deception Island-derived tephra. Shrinking of the Collins Glacier exposed the southern coastal fringe of Barton Peninsula at 8 cal ky BP. After a period of relative stability during the mid-Holocene, the ice cap started retreating northwards after 3.7 cal ky BP, confining some glaciers within valleys as shown by moraine systems. Lake sediments confirm a period of relative glacial stability during the last 2.4 cal ky BP.