It's Official: The US Is Out Of The Paris Climate Agreement

THE US IS THE SECOND-BIGGEST CARBON EMITTER IN THE WORLD. 

By Tom Hale 04 NOV 2020,


Today, the US officially exited the Paris Climate Agreement, leaving the world’s biggest climate change accords to go ahead without the participation of the planet's second-biggest carbon emitter.

The Trump administration formally submitted notification to the United Nations to officially start the US withdrawal process from the Paris Agreement in November 2019, after making the decision to leave in July 2017. Now, the paperwork has gone through and the US has exited the Paris Agreement as of November 4, 2020.

In accordance with the Agreement, a country cannot issue a notice of its withdrawal before three years after its start date, which was November 4, 2016, for the US, meaning November 4, 2020, was the earliest possible date the US could leave. This date coincidentally falls on the same day as the US Presidential election, although the move will remain regardless of the outcome of the election. That said, Democrat Presidential nominee Joe Biden has promised to rejoin the Agreement if elected.

The central aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep global rising temperatures from climate change “well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels” with the hopes to limit this to just 1.5°C (2.7°F). It sets out to achieve this by peaking greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and undertaking rapid reductions thereafter, primarily through each country setting voluntary and nationally determined emission targets. Of the 195 signatories (194 states and the European Union) that initially signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, 189 have now ratified the agreement. Along with the US, other countries that have not completed the formal process are Angola, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen.

Without the US on board, the task of cutting global emissions will become substantially harder to achieve. The US is the world’s second-biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions after China, producing around 15 percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide emission.

"The formal withdrawal of the US today from the #ParisAgreement comes amidst a shifting tide of public support for urgent and far-reaching action to stop the climate crisis," the Climate Action Network tweeted on Wednesday. "Regardless of the current US administration's exit from the #ParisAgreement, it cannot undo the powerful movement for #climatejustice built by millions of people in the US and across the world, empowered by a renewed sense of international solidarity for a safe & just future."

President Trump’s argument for leaving the Agreement was that it was a “bad deal” for the US. Contributions are proportional and for the US, as one of the richest nations and the biggest emitters, it would prove costly. In July 2017, he said: “The bottom line is that the Paris accord is very unfair to the United States. It is transferring coal jobs to foreign countries.”

However, a number of studies throw doubt on the claim that the Agreement is economically damaging, especially in the long run. Research has found

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that the economic ramifications of climate change – from shortened life spans to increased natural disasters like storms and wildfires – could see the global economy shrink 7 percent by the end of the century if we allow greenhouse gas emissions to continue business as usual. Other studies have shown that acting on climate change, rather than ignoring it, could save the world an estimated $20 trillion by 2100.

China, which is responsible for 26 percent of the world's carbon emissions, has announced it is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060.

US formally exits Paris pact aiming to curb climate change

The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world

The Associated Press
November 4, 2020

BERLIN (AP) — The United States on Wednesday formally left the Paris Agreement, a global pact forged five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change.

The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world but has no immediate impact on international efforts to curb global warming.

There are 189 countries that remain committed to the 2015 Paris accord, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures worldwide “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7 F), compared to pre-industrial levels. A further six countries have signed, but not ratified the pact.

Scientists say that any rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius could have a devastating impact on large parts of the world, raising sea levels, stoking tropical storms and worsening droughts and floods.

The Paris accord requires countries to set their own voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The only binding requirement is that nations have to accurately report on their efforts.

A makeshift globe burns in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The United States is the world’s second biggest emitter after China of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and its contribution to cutting emissions is seen as important, but it is not alone in the effort. In recent weeks, China, Japan and South Korea have joined the European Union and several other countries in setting national deadlines to stop pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he favors signing the U.S. back up to the Paris accord

The German government said it was “highly regrettable” that the United States had left the pact.

“It’s all the more important that Europe, the EU and Germany lead by example,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert, citing the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050.

While the Trump administration has shunned federal measures to cut emissions, Seibert noted that U.S. states, cities and businesses have pressed ahead with their own efforts.

Cooperation vs. Competition: What Do You Want in Your Mutual Fund?

30-Oct-2020 by University of Virginia Darden School of Business


INSIGHTS FROM: Richard B. Evans

WRITTEN BY: Simon Constable

Newswise — Veteran investor Charlie Munger once quipped, “Show me the incentive, and I'll show you the outcome.” Put simply, what metrics an employer uses to determine performance pay will likely have a profound effect on the way employees behave. In turn, that impacts how companies perform.

A recently published study of mutual fund managers’ performance shows how Munger’s thought comes to life in the real world of finance. And it demonstrates that significantly different outcomes occur when employees get paid to compete against each other — versus when they are compensated for cooperating.

SO WHAT’S THE BEST METHOD?

The best answer will depend on the goals of the company, says Darden Professor Rich Evans, who recently co-authored a paper on the matter in the Journal of Financial Economics. The overall findings of the research have far-reaching implications that go beyond the world of finance.

Mutual fund companies that encourage competition between employees tend to have a higher portion of star funds, according to the paper “Competition and Cooperation in Mutual Fund Families.” Evans conducted the research with Melissa Porras Prado of the Nova School of Business and Economics and Rafael Zambrana of the University of Notre Dame.

Not only did the competitively minded firms have more star funds, they had higher average fund performance. The overall fund performance in a family of funds would be higher when fund managers were pitted against each other in a competition to perform the best.

However, encouraging competition between employees came with a downside. There was a higher variation in fund returns: The difference in investment returns between the best and worst performers was wider than when companies encouraged cooperation between employees.

The research also showed that firms that fostered cooperation had more cross-trading and cross-holdings of securities, and they tended to have more stable cash flows, the study explains.

A SLEW OF DATA

To make these findings, the authors analyzed a slew of data. They looked at returns on five distinct types of mutual funds over the period 1992 to 2015. Specifically, those types of funds were: those that managed domestic stocks, non-U.S. stocks, domestic bonds, non-U.S. bonds and balanced portfolios with multiple asset classes held. They then dug deep into how the portfolio managers got paid. Statistics on expenses, fund returns and portfolio turnover were analyzed, as was the level of cross-holdings between mutual funds in the same fund family.

The authors also constructed a competitive index, which measures how the incentives encouraged higher or lower levels of competition. The authors found that higher competitive indexes correlated with higher performance of the funds, and vice versa.

SO WHY COOPERATE?

With Wall Street’s reputation for fierce competition, why would a finance leader choose a cooperative approach rather than a competitive one?

“If the objective is to maximize the overall value of an investment adviser, coordinated action among fund managers may be an important tool to accomplish this objective,” the report states. The study found that “cooperative incentives were associated with lower volatility,” in advisory fees. These fees form the revenue of the company. And investors tend to view stable cash flow favorably.

So which compensation system is better? “That question is valid for any organization,” Evans says. “Do you want everyone competing or do you want them cooperating?” In the case of fund companies, Evans says the questions come down to who the clients are and how big the organization is.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT INVESTORS

Evans notes that for institutional clients, a competitive approach makes sense because sophisticated institutional investors are interested in gaining access to the skill and acumen of an individual fund manager. For instance, a pension fund might want to invest with a particular fund because its manager has a history of superior performance. Institutional investors have the expertise to be able to discern which managers are better than others, Evans explains.

Contrast that with a financial advisory firm whose clients are individuals. “Cooperative [fund] families ... are more likely to manage retail investor assets,” the research paper says. The demand for mutual funds from individual investors is less sensitive to the performance of the investment. Instead, other characteristics, such as the relationship with a financial adviser, may hold more sway.

Size matters also when it comes to which compensation system to use. In smaller companies, there is less to be gained by cooperation. The individual fund managers may each have investment specialties that do not overlap. And therefore the scope for gains for working cooperatively are lessened. However, with larger organizations, there are certainly gains to be had from cooperation, Evans explains. That's because even what may seem like a small advantage in performance with one manager may mean a gain that can multiply many times over when a company has a large array of fund offerings.

IMPLICATIONS

These findings are also relevant outside the mutual fund world. The competition element is relevant in the sales world in which individuals’ skills can make a big difference in how many dollars they bring in from customers. A good example might be a real estate sales professional with specific knowledge of a local market.

The size element is also applicable to other industries. A massive automobile company spanning multiple continents would surely benefit from cooperation between departments. Even small efficiency gains in one factory can quickly be shared across the company and benefit the entire organization, ultimately boosting profits significantly. “Cooperative incentives work when you are big, because you have so many sources for possible improvement that can be shared widely across the organization,” Evans says.

Richard B. Evans co-authored “Competition and Cooperation in Mutual Fund Families, which appeared in the Journal of Financial Economics, with Melissa Porras Prado of the Nova School of Business and Economics and Rafael Zambrana of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Teens who participate in extracurriculars, get less screen time, have better mental health
3-Nov-2020 12:10 PM EST, by University of British Columbia
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A new study from UBC researchers finds that teens, especially girls, have better mental health when they spend more time taking part in extracurricular activities, like sports and art, and less time in front of screens.

The study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that spending less than two hours per day of recreational screen time (such as browsing the internet, playing video games, and using social media) was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism, and lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially among girls, the researchers found. Similarly, extracurricular participation was associated with better mental health outcomes.

"Although we conducted this study before the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings are especially relevant now when teens may be spending more time in front of screens in their free time if access to extracurricular activities, like sports and arts programs is restricted due to COVID-19," says the study's lead author Eva Oberle, assistant professor with the Human Early Learning Partnership in the UBC school of population and public health. "Our findings highlight extracurricular activities as an asset for teens' mental wellbeing. Finding safe ways for children and teens to continue to participate in these activities during current times may be a way to reduce screen time and promote mental health and wellbeing."

Data for this study was drawn from a population-level survey involving 28,712 Grade 7 students from 365 schools in 27 school districts across B.C. The researchers examined recreational screen time such as playing video games, watching television, browsing the internet, as well as participating in outdoor extracurricular activities such as sport and art programs after school. They then compared its association with positive and negative mental health indicators.

Highlights of the study's findings include the following:

Adolescents who participated in extracurricular activities were significantly less likely to engage in recreational screen-based activities for two or more hours after school

Taking part in extracurricular activities was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism, and lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms
Longer screen time (more than two hours a day) was associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and optimism, and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms

Differences among boys and girls, with longer screen time negatively affecting girls' mental health more significantly than boys

Among both boys and girls, however, mental health was strongest when teens both participated in extracurricular activities and spent less than two hours on screen time


Oberle says further research is needed to examine why the negative effects of screen time were more detrimental for girls than for boys. She also hopes to focus future research on the effects of different types of screen time.

"We do know that some forms of screen time can be beneficial, like maintaining connections with friends and family members online if we cannot see them in person, but there are other types of screen time that can be quite harmful," she says. "There are many nuances that are not well understood yet and that are important to explore."

SEE ORIGINAL STUDY

New Report: Trump Administration Wrong About or Exaggerated Deregulation Claims

3-Nov-2020  by Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers scholar Stuart Shapiro is available to comment on a new report that finds many major claims by the Trump administration about deregulation are wrong or exaggerated.

“The reality is that the Trump administration has done less deregulating than regulating and its deregulatory actions have not achieved any demonstrable boost to the economy,” said Shapiro. “They not only exaggerated the positive effects of deregulation, it too often has ignored or downplayed the negative consequences. The adverse effects could be substantial for the consumers, workers and patients who depend on regulations for important protections—and for a planet facing the ravages of climate change.”

“It is far too early to assess the overall impact of this administration’s deregulatory push. But our research suggests at least the following is true: The Trump administration has been more effective at deceiving the public about its achievements than in actually using deregulation to boost the economy.”

To view the full report, click here.

Shapiro is a professor and associate dean of faculty at Rutgers’ Bloustein School of Public Policy. He is an expert on federal and state regulating powers and a former policy analyst at the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. He previously worked at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The report, Deregulatory Deceptions: Reviewing the Trump Administration’s Claims About Regulatory Reform, is co-authored by Shapiro and Cary Coglianese and, Natasha Sarin of University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Tragedy as English Derby winner put down at Melbourne Cup

 November 3, 2020 By Agence France-Presse

Anthony Van Dyck, seen enjoying a sand roll after a gallop on Monday

 PAT SCALA RACING PHOTOS/AFP

English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck was euthanized Tuesday after breaking down during the Melbourne Cup, the seventh horse since 2013 to die at the race.

The five-year-old Irish stallion pulled up lame on the home straight with star jockey Hugh Bowman, who rode super-mare Winx, dismounting uninjured and a horse ambulance called.

“It is with sadness that we confirm that Anthony Van Dyck had to be humanely euthanised after sustaining a fractured fetlock during the running of the Melbourne Cup,” said Racing Victoria’s Jamie Stier.

“The horse received immediate veterinary care, however he was unable to be saved due to the nature of the injury sustained.”

His death is a massive blow to trainer Aidan O’Brien, with Anthony Van Dyck one of the best credentialed European horses to travel to Australia in recent times.

It also soured what was already an unusual edition of the Melbourne Cup, which was raced behind closed doors for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Winner of the 2019 English Derby, Anthony Van Dyck was runner-up in the Caulfield Cup this year and was one of the pre-race favorites at Flemington despite weight concerns.

It is the seventh horse to perish at the Melbourne Cup since 2013, with the most recent — Cliffsofmoher, two years ago — also from the O’Brien stable.

Social media reacted with horror.

“Watch the racing fanatics try to bend over backwards to justify this,” said one Twitter user, while another added sarcastically: “The sport of kings, all in the name of fun.”

Racing Victoria’s Stier pointed to research underway aimed at the early detection and prevention of bone injuries in thoroughbred racehorses.

“This research is being undertaken to reduce the incidence of fatal racing injuries such as that sustained during the running of the Melbourne Cup today,” he said.

© 2020 AFP

Signs & symptoms of a broken fetlock on a horse

https://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7766508_signs-symptoms-broken-fetlock...

2020-07-14 · When a veterinarian diagnoses a horse with a broken fetlock, it is generally one of the sesamoid bones, adjacent to the fetlock joint, which is actually broken. Fractured sesamoids often occur after long runs carrying heavy weight. A horse will usually suffer from immediately lameness upon fracturing the sesamoid.

Fetlock Lameness –

 It’s importance…

Fetlock Lameness

– It’s importance and how MRI 

can assist in making the difficult diagnosis

Dr Robin Bell and Professor Leo Jeffcott
Equine Performance and Imaging Centre,
University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden.

Lameness involving the fetlock joint is an all too common problem in performance horses and racehorses. Injuries to this region may involve the joint itself or the surrounding soft tissues, and are often determined by the use of the horse. The fetlock is a complicated high motion joint that is always subjected to huge forces and stresses during locomotion. The classic movie pictures of the American photographer Eadweard Muybridge taken over 120 years ago (pictured above) clearly show the degree of extension of the fetlock during galloping in the horse. The structures most commonly damaged in fetlock injuries are illustrated.

The good news is that many fetlock problems are fairly simple to diagnose. As we have described in the previous two articles, lameness can be localised to the fetlock by careful clinical examination (i.e. palpation), evaluation of gait (especially under saddle), response to flexion tests (figure 3) and nerve blocks or desensitisation of the joint itself.

FETLOCK DISORDERS

A full list of the potential causes of fetlock lameness is shown in Table 1, but there are three broad categories of conditions that can affect the fetlock:

1) Acute or repetitive injuries that do not involve a fracture, these include osteoarthritis, inflammation within the fetlock joint itself (synovitis, capsulitis) or the ligaments supporting it, and injury to the bones without fracture such as inflammation of the sesamoid bones (sesamoiditis).

2) Fragments within the joint that can be removed surgically via keyhole surgery (arthroscopy) whether developmental (osteochondrosis type lesions) or traumatic (such as chip fractures or small sesamoid fractures).

3) Major fractures involving the joint such as condylar fractures of the cannon bone, or fractures of the long pastern bone.

By far the most common conditions affecting the fetlock are those that fall under the umbrella of injuries that do not involve a fracture. The diagnosis of these problems follows the same basic steps as outlined in our previous two articles, with examination by a vet, localisation with nerve blocks and the use of diagnostic aids. As the fetlock is a high motion joint, even relatively mild arthritis can adversely affect performance. These horses will generally have evidence of disease on x-rays such as bone spurs or flattening of the condyles of the cannon bone, but in early disease the changes may only be visible with MRI. Treatment for this condition involves rest, in combination with joint injections. Low dose corticosteroids in combination with hyaluronic acid (a joint ‘lubricant’) are very effective in controlling the inflammation within the joint and alleviating lameness. Many horses that do not respond to this treatment will respond favourably to intra-articular injection of a product called IRAP®. This product amplifies the horses own, naturally occurring anti-inflammatory mediator which is then re-injected into the joint. IRAP® reportedly shuts down the inflammatory pathway before it starts to do damage to the cartilage within the joint. Regenerative medicine products such as stem cells and PRP (platelet rich plasma) injected directly into the joint are promising new products for the treatment of fetlock joint arthritis, but to date there is no good evidence to show that they are actually efficacious in the treatment of arthritis.

Suspensory ligament branch desmitis

is another very common injury of the fetlock region and is most often seen in horses that compete in eventing, although it can occur in any performance horse. This condition involves a tear or strain of the suspensory ligament where it branches onto the bones at the back of the fetlock joint (sesamoid bones). These tears can be seen on an ultrasound examination, and horses may often have swelling over the affected branch, that may be hot or painful to touch. Suspensory branch desmitis, responds well to rest and controlled exercise. In cases with a discrete hole within the ligament, injection of stem cells, or other regenerative medicine products show real promise in speeding healing, and decreasing the rate of re-injury.

Radiograph showing chip fracture in the fetlock joint of a young racehorse, and the view of the chip at arthroscopic surgery

Chip fractures or fragments within the fetlock joint are generally best removed surgically via arthroscopy. If the chips are within the joint they can cause damage to the cartilage surfaces, and promote inflammation which can lead to arthritis. It is possible to keep a horse in work and sound even in the presence of chip fractures, but this often hastens the onset of osteoarthritis, and may cause the horse to remain lame even if the chips are removed surgically at a later time.

Major fractures involving the fetlock joint are most common in racehorses, although jumping and dressage horses can develop simple fractures of the cannon bone or long pastern bone. These simple fractures can often be repaired very successfully using screws to compress the fracture line and restore congruency to the joint. More serious fractures that have multiple fragments carry a very poor prognosis. Fusing the fetlock joint is an option in these cases, but results in persistent lameness, and animals with a fused fetlock joint are only able to be used as paddock animals.

Straight and oblique sesamoidean ligament desmitis

Injury to the ligaments at the bottom of the sesamoid bones (straight and oblique distal sesamoid ligaments- Fig 2.) in the fetlock is now being recognised as a major cause of lameness particularly in jumping horses. These injuries can be diagnosed on the basis of an ultrasound scan, but this is a difficult region to scan, because of the anatomy of the bottom of the fetlock. Again MRI can help to aid in the diagnosis of such injuries, and may also allow some insight into the progression of healing during the rehabilitation period. The prognosis for distal sesamoidean ligament injury is generally good, given appropriate rest and rehabilitation. As with suspensory ligament branch injuries, injection with regenerative medicine products is showing some promise as a helpful adjunctive therapy in these horses.

The place for MRI

Unfortunately there are cases where establishing a diagnosis of fetlock lameness cannot be readily achieved with clinical examination, x-rays, ultrasound and nerve blocks. In these cases MRI can be an extremely useful diagnostic tool. What we would now like to do is to inform you of the potential benefits of MRI in three ways; 1) what MRI can detect for us, 2) provide a case report where MRI was essential in making the correct diagnosis and 3) report some preliminary research that will assist future cases of fetlock injury.

Nuclear scintigraphy and x-ray of a horse with a condylar fracture. Arrows indicate the region affected and the fracture line.

1. MRI basics

MRI uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses to generate an image based upon magnetic properties of the hydrogen ions within the body part being imaged. There are many different pulses that can be used to highlight specific tissue types and disease processes, additionally it has the advantage that images can be obtained in any plane or orientation. MRI provides exquisitely detailed soft tissue images and provides information about subtle pathology within joints, tendons and ligaments. This can be of particular use in cases where other diagnostic modalities such as x-rays, ultrasound or bone scan have not provided a specific diagnosis, or more information about the problem is needed. This is allowing us to accurately diagnose, and more effectively treat a wide range of conditions, thus returning these horses to performance faster than without such targeted treatment.

MRI pictures from normal horses’s fetlock (red arrow – cannon bone, white arrow – long pastern bone, blue arrow – flexor tendons). Note the multiple imaging planes and amount of bony, joint and soft tissue definition. Compare these normal images to those in the case report below.

2. Case report using MRI:

A good example of the benefits of using MRI in cases where other more traditional methods do not provide an answer is illustrated below. The horse in question had a lameness that was able to be localised to the fetlock joint with nerve blocks, but there were no significant changes present on x-rays or ultrasound of the region. Medication of the joint with intra-articular corticosteroids and hyaluronate and a period of rest did not improve the lameness significantly. MRI scans of the fetlock showed a very significant area of bone bruising. After a further period of rest, and treatment with a class of drugs called bisphosphonates the horse was able to return to full work without lameness.



MRI images of the same horse which revealed evidence of significant bone bruising (white area of bone in image (b) as indicated by arrows. This bone brushing can be treated with drugs called bisphosphonates, and generally does not respond to intra-articular medications. There was no evidence of cartilage defects or other joint damage and this horse successfully returned to work.

3. MRI Research

Here at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden we are using the MRI to investigate this so-called bone bruising in young racehorses (condylar disease), as this often occurs in the condyles at the bottom of the cannon bone, and may be a precursor to catastrophic fractures in that region. If detected early with the aid of MRI these horses can be treated, and return to work without the risk of such a devastating and life threatening injury developing. We have an ongoing project to examine the fetlocks of racehorses that have had to put down for other reasons. We are comparing the MRI pictures with histopathological specimens at the microscopic level, the results of this study will be published in the scientific literature.

Flexion tests and evaluating the horse under the saddle are both important steps to aid in the localisation of lameness to the fetlock.

CONCLUSION

We hope that you will see from the information presented in this article that lameness involving the fetlock region can be caused by a wide range of very different conditions. Although the diagnosis of these conditions is often relatively simple, advanced diagnostic modalities such as MRI or nuclear scintigraphy may be necessary in order to ensure that an accurate diagnosis is reached, thereby maximising the chances of returning your horse to full performance.



Still images taken from Muybridge’s original sequence of photographs to illustrate the individual phases of the gallop. Note the amount of extension of the fetlock in a normal horse at the gallop, with the back of the fetlock almost hitting the ground. This is an excellent illustration of the stresses that this region is placed under in performance horses.

This article first appeared in the May 2011 issue of THM.

This entry was posted in Horse Health & Rider Fitness and tagged Dr Robin Bell, Fetlock Lameness, horse health, Professor Leo Jeffcott by horsemagazine. Bookmark the permalink.

Fossil poop shows fishy lunches from 200 million years ago
3-Nov-2020 by University of Bristol



Marie Cueille, and Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol.

CT scan of coprolite specimen, BRSMG Cf15546, in different views, showing tuberculated bone (blue) from a fish skull, and two vertebrae from the tail of the marine reptile Pachystropheus, in yellow and green.

Newswise — A new study of coprolites, fossil poop, shows the detail of food webs in the ancient shallow seas around Bristol in south-west England. One hungry fish ate part of the head of another fish before snipping off the tail of a passing reptile.

Marie Cueille, a visiting student at the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences, was working on a collection of hundreds of fish poops from the Rhaetian bone bed near Chipping Sodbury in South Gloucestershire, dated at 205 million years ago.

She applied new scanning technology to look inside these coprolites and found an amazing array of food remains.

Marie said: “The ancient fishes and sharks of the Rhaetian seas were nearly all carnivores. Their coprolites contain scales, teeth, and bones, and these tell us who was eating whom. In fact, all the fish seem to have been snapping at each other, although the general rule of the sea probably applied: if it's smaller than you, eat it.”

The CT scans of one tiny coprolite, measuring only a centimetre or so in length, contained only three bones, one a highly tuberculated skull bone of another fish, and two vertebrae from the tail of a small marine reptile called Pachystropheus.

Dr Chris Duffin, who collaborated on the project added: “This shark probably snapped at another fish or scavenged some flesh from the head region of a dead fish. But it didn’t just strip off the flesh but swallowed great chunks of bone at the same time. Then it snapped at a Pachystropheus swimming by and had a chunk of its tail.”

Professor Mike Benton, who co-supervised the study, said: “What amazed us was that the bones and scales inside the coprolites were almost completely undamaged. Today, most predators that swallow their prey whole, such as sharks, crocodiles or killer whales, have powerful stomach acids that dissolve the bone away. These ancient fishes must have had a painful time passing their faeces which were absolutely bristling with relatively large chunks of bone.”

The researchers also identified for the first time some coprolites of crabs and lobsters, so this completes the food web. The marine reptiles and sharks were feeding on smaller fishes, which in turn fed on even smaller fishes and lobsters. Some also had crushing teeth adapted to feeding on oysters and other molluscs.

Marie Cueille and Mike Benton.

Food web for the Rhaetian, 205 million years ago, of the Bristol region. The arrows show who eats whom, and red and black means inferred, and blue arrows are based on evidence from coprolites.

The study has a classical resonance as well, because Rhaetian coprolites from bonebeds near Bristol were some of those studied by William Buckland (1784–1856) in the 1820s when he invented the name ‘coprolite’. Buckland was Professor of Geology at Oxford University, but also Dean of Christ Church, and known for his unusual eating habits. Possibly his interest in eating exotic animals (he would serve his guests roasted dormice or potted panther but declared that moles and house flies were inedible) gave him an interest in animal diets.

Buckland pioneered the use of coprolites to reconstruct ancient food webs. He also collected specimens from the Jurassic around Lyme Regis, and many were supplied by famous fossil collector Mary Anning (1799–1847). Buckland even had these larger coprolites cut across and set into the top of a table, which was highly polished and doubtless formed a conversation opener during lunch and tea parties in the Dean’s lodgings.

The new work also sheds light on the Mesozoic Marine Revolution, the time when marine ecosystems modernised. The coprolites from Bristol show a complex, modern-style ecosystem with lobsters, bony fishes, sharks and marine reptiles at the top of the food web. Reconstructing the timing of the event is of current interest, and the new work suggests the process began earlier than had been thought.

Paper:

‘Fish and crab coprolites from the latest Triassic of the UK: from Buckland to the Mesozoic Marine Revolution’ by M. Cueille, E. Green, C.J. Duffin, C. Hildebrandt, and M. J. Benton in Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association

 (doi: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2020.07.011).

National Italian American Foundation Honors Dr. Anthony Fauci with Leonardo da Vinci Award for Leadership in Health and Science, 

SHRO Founder Dr. Antonio Giordano Comments

3-Nov-2020 by Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)


Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D. (left), with the Italian Ambassador to the United States, Armando Varricchio (right), at the the Villa Firenz, the Italian ambassador's residence in Washington, DC.PreviousNext


Newswise — National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) board member and Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) founder and president Dr. Antonio Giordano congratulates Dr. Anthony Fauci on his awarding of the Leonardo da Vinci Award for Leadership in Health and Science at this year’s NIAF Anniversary Gala, held virtually on October 31st, 2020.

“Dr. Fauci is being honored at this year’s gala in recognition of his profound contribution to the fight against this terrible, global pandemic,” Giordano says, “particularly in the face of so many unprecedented challenges. Dr. Fauci has been involved with NIAF since it’s founding, and he truly represents the excellence in scholarship and public service that the Italian-American community has proudly brought to this nation for many centuries,” Giordano concludes.

In his remarks upon accepting the award, Dr. Fauci commends NIAF for their long record of support for scientific research by Italians and Italian-Americans. He also signals optimism that one of the vaccines currently being tested will be shown to be effective, adding a very important tool in the fight against the global COVID pandemic, while stating plainly the need for vigilance in public health measures.

"There will be an end to this," says Fauci, "we're gonna get a vaccine and the vaccine is going to diminish the infection rate. That together with good public health measures," he assures, "we will get back gradually to some form of normality, little by litte."

Fauci goes on to say that, "Many states are starting to rebound now and that's very dangerous as we go into the cooler months of the Fall...The threat and the risk of having a resurgance of cases is much, much greater."

"So, we've really got to get our act together and start all across the board, uniformly, doing those public health measures of uniform wearing of masks, keep a physical distance, avoid crowds," Fauci concludes.

NIAF also plans to honor Dr. Fauci with a scholarship in his name, to support the work of promising Italian and Italian-American researchers.

"The NIAF is pleased to also award the Fauci Scholarships, a $100,000 grant to be divided equally between an American and Italian post-doctoral research fellow," says Joseph V. Del Raso, Chair Emeritus, Chair of NIAF Italia, and member of the Executive Management Committee.

Dr. Giordano will lead a peer reviewed selection process for the award of the grants.

"At SHRO, we have a proven record of successful collaborations among Italian and American scientists," Giordano says. "I am honored to lead this effort as we cultivate excellence among the next generations of scientists to follow Dr. Fauci's example."

NIAF and SHRO also acknowledge American and Italian scientists working the front lines of the pandemic, and those working to develop a vaccine and therapeutic treatments.

"Now more than ever," Del Raso says, "NIAF is honored to serve as a bridge between Italian and American cooperation, especially in these scientific and humanitarian causes."

The NIAF, now in it’s 45th year, seeks to recognize Italian and Italian-American achievements in business, art, science, finance, music and medicine. Additional guests of this year’s virtual program include filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, actors John Turturro and Isabella Rossellini, former Major League Baseball star Mike Piazza, and legendary vocalist Tony Bennett.

About the Sbarro Health Research Organization

The Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) is non-profit charity committed to funding excellence in basic genetic research to cure and diagnose cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses and to foster the training of young doctors in a spirit of professionalism and humanism. To learn more about the SHRO please visit www.shro.org

Brown carbon ‘tarballs’ detected in Himalayan atmosphere

30-Oct-2020 by American Chemical Society (ACS)

Newswise — Some people refer to the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau as the “third pole” because the region has the largest reserve of glacial snow and ice outside of the north and south poles. The glaciers, which are extremely sensitive to climate change and human influence, have been retreating over the past decade. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters have detected light-absorbing “tarballs” in the Himalayan atmosphere, which could contribute to glacial melt.

Burning biomass or fossil fuels releases light-absorbing, carbonaceous particles that can deposit on snow and ice, possibly hastening the melting of glaciers. Previous research has shown that one type of particle, called black carbon, can be transported long distances by wind to the Himalayan atmosphere. But much less is known about the presence of brown carbon, a particle that can form tarballs –– small, viscous spheres consisting of carbon, oxygen and small amounts of nitrogen, sulfur and potassium. Weijun Li and colleagues wanted to see what types of individual aerosol particles were present in air samples taken at a remote, high-altitude research station on the northern slope of the Himalayas.

Using electron microscopy, the researchers unexpectedly found that about 28% of the thousands of particles in the air samples from the Himalayan research station were tarballs, and the percentage increased on days with elevated levels of pollution. Analyzing wind patterns and satellite data revealed that a dense array of active fire spots, corresponding to large-scale wheat-residue burning on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, occurred along the pathways of air masses that reached the Himalayan research station during sampling. Through modeling calculations, the team estimated that tarballs deposited on glacial surfaces could contribute a significant warming effect. As a result, future climate models should consider the long-range transport of tarballs to the Himalayas, the researchers say.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, the Research Funding of School of Earth Sciences of Zhejiang University, the Hundred Talents Program in Zhejiang University and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program.

The paper’s abstract will be available on November 4 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00735

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Arecibo Observatory seeks $10.5M for cable repairs after accident

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world, was damaged Aug. 10 when an auxiliary cable that supports the suspended platform broke. Photo courtesy of the University of Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The Arecibo Observatory, the world's most powerful radio space telescope, is seeking $10.5 million to begin repairs after a disastrous cable break in August that damaged the facility in the mountains of Puerto Rico.

Observatory managers, based at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., made the funding request recently to the National Science Foundation, which owns the observatory.

The $10.5 million is only the first stage of funding that will be needed, and the request could be more than double that amount to make the facility fully functional again, said Ray Lugo, director of the university's Florida Space Institute.

"I wouldn't say the situation is dire, but I would say it's complicated," said Lugo, who heads a network of organizations that manage Arecibo. "We still don't know the root cause of the cable break, which makes things difficult."

RELATED Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico damaged by broken cable

A 3-inch-wide cable that helped support the observatory's suspended telescope failed in the predawn hours Aug. 10, tearing a 100-foot gash in the observatory's dish below. The observatory shut all major operations as a result, including crucial efforts to track asteroids that could destroy life on Earth if they hit the planet.

Lugo said a contractor in charge of investigating the accident has determined that the cable slipped out of a socket embedded in a support tower.

Unique failure

RELATED Arecibo Observatory seeks upgrades to track asteroids, study space

"The professionals tell me they've never a failure like this before," Lugo said. "These cables are sealed into the sockets with molten zinc metal, so they should be very secure

"If it ends up being something like a manufacturing defect, then we have a problem because we have a bunch of cables made around the same time."

At least "half a dozen" support cables at the observatory are showing similar signs of slipping through their base socket, he said. So, the observatory has ordered a newer, tougher cable to replace the broken one and seeks funding to replace all the cables at risk, he said.

RELATED Iconic space observatory in Puerto Rico recovers after Hurricane Maria

"This may be expensive, but it beats building a new observatory, which would likely run near $1 billion," Lugo said.

A spokesman for the National Science Foundation said it does not comment on funding requests unless they are approved.

The facility, nestled in rural hills in central Puerto Rico, suffered millions of dollars in damage during Hurricane Maria in 2017. But the facility's staff reported that it came through a series of earthquakes last winter without major damage.

Cables for the observatory, completed in 1963, were made by legacy cable company Bethlehem Wirerope, which was part of Bethlehem Steel and based in Pennsylvania. A successor, Wire Rope Works, bought the company and still owns it.

Socket examined

Technicians and scientists at Kennedy Space Center in Florida are examining the socket from the failed cable, while staff members at the observatory still seek a safe way to enter the dish area and retrieve the cable, Lugo said. He said the unknown nature of the problem has prevented that retrieval.

"We may try to inspect all the cables, using some type of imaging. But the cables are thick, several inches in diameter, and they are embedded in the sockets. So we don't really have the technology to look at it," Lugo said. "We've spent a lot of time trying to figure this out."

He said the proposal to the foundation for emergency funding was more than 500 pages.

The reflector dish set in the mountains spans about 18 acres, while the suspended platform above it is about the size of a six-story building, hanging from three towers as big as skyscrapers.

The facility received two grants of more than $14 million for repair and upgrading after Maria. But Arecibo's annual funding from the National Science Foundation has been slashed.

The structure is known as a film location for such movies as such as 1995's GoldenEye and Species, and 1997's Contact. Two scientists using data from the dish have won Nobel Prizes.

Astronomy conducted at Arecibo over the years has included the study of gravitational waves, possible signs of extraterrestrial life, asteroids, the Earth's ionosphere, pulsars and interstellar hot gas.

Such work led to the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of a binary pulsar by scientists Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor, which provided the first evidence for the existence of gravitational waves, according to the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center.

Astronomers at the observatory are to be involved in watching the Didymos asteroid in 2022, when NASA's DART mission will try to hit the asteroid's small moon with a spacecraft to see how that changes its course.

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Supreme Court rules for activist in suit filed by injured police officer


Activist DeRay McKesson is seen at the 2019 Webby Awards in New York City on May 13, 2019. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court on Monday sided with prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, overturning a ruling that allowed a police officer to sue him for injuries received during a protest.

In an unsigned order, the high court sent back a ruling by the Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, based in New Orleans, that decided last year the lawsuit against McKesson could go forward.

Justice Clarence Thomas provided the only written dissent. Newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate.

The case stems from an incident four years ago in which Black Lives Matter protesters rallied against police in Baton Rouge, La., following the shooting death of Alton Sterling.


The officer was struck in the face by a rock and received injuries to his brain, jaw and teeth. He sued McKesson on the theory that, as a protest organizer, he should have known there was a reasonable chance of violence.

The Supreme Court wrote that the appellate court erred by not obtaining guidance from a Louisiana state court before allowing the officer's lawsuit to move forward.

The justices ruled that the 5th Circuit should not have "ventured into so uncertain an area" of law that was "laden with value judgments and fraught with implications for First Amendment rights" without first obtaining guidance on Louisiana law from the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Barrett is expected to hear oral arguments for the first time Wednesday when the court will take up a case about gay and lesbian rights.

Her confirmation last week gave conservatives a 6-3 majority on the high court and is drawing concern from LGBTQ and civil rights groups that she and the court's other conservatives could start stripping away gay rights immediately.

In Fulton vs. City of Philadelphia, Catholic Social Services is seeking to defend its policy of refusing to work with same-sex households in adoption matters.

Philadelphia refused to refer foster children to the group beginning in 2018, citing a city law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Catholic Charities sued citing religious discrimination, but the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals last year sided with the city in a unanimous decision.

The Human Rights Campaign said the high court's ruling "could have a sweeping impact on the lives of LGBTQ people" on adoptions and other issues.

"A ruling hostile to equality in this case could have staggering consequences for American social safety net programs including services for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, runaway youth, refugees, and those needing emergency shelters and services," it said.


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