Essex Rock

All landscapes are built on rock: from hard stone for building with, to the softest clay or sand. Each piece of rock is a storehouse of prehistorical information; even a simple pebble from the garden has its own complex tale to tell. Geology is the great detective science that can unlock these secrets. In this entertaining and eye-opening book, the authors take a deep dive – quite literally – into their home county of Essex. We are all living in an ice age, an ongoing event that has hugely affected Essex over the last 3 million years. Yet this county was born more than 500 million years ago. Our story begins when the land we know as Essex was part of a large continent close to the South Pole, tracing the geological processes that continue to shape the countryside around us. The form of the land, boulders on village greens, road cuttings, cliffs, stones in church walls – they can all bring geology to light in unexpected and fascinating ways. Aimed at a general readership with no scientific background, chapters progress from fundamentals to intricate details of geological investigations and cutting-edge research. Richly illustrated with photographs and colour diagrams, here the geology of a county is visualised and brought to life as never before, along with pertinent environmental insights in the light of climate change that is happening now.

Rittmann’s heritage: A philosophical approach for current research

ABSTRACT We present an interdisciplinary study between philosophy and science that uses a historical case to show some aspects of scientific research. The case in question is that of Alfred F. Rittmann (1893–1980), known as one of the central figures of twentieth-century volcanology. After outlining Rittmann’s scientific background and hypotheses, we briefly examine the set of his theories using Thomas Kuhn’s model of the development of science. We highlight the methodology of multiple working hypotheses and how they contributed to defining his geoscientific paradigm, namely, magmatological tectonics. Rittmann worked on his paradigm throughout his life, even making little-known criticisms on plate tectonics. We present some of them, contextualizing them in twentieth-century as well as current research. His use of multiple working hypotheses, along with his drive to search for synthetic visions between different models, could be a stimulating and pluralistic approach to unsolved geoscientific questions.

2022 IGWS calendar

The annual Indiana Geological and Water Survey calendar focuses on an area of Survey research, interest or history. The topic of the 2022 calendar is scientific illustrations. For nearly 50 years between them, two artist-draftsmen, Robert "Bob" Judah and Wilbur "Bill" Stalions, translated scientific concepts and research into a visual medium so that more people, including those without a scientific background, could understand the work of the Survey. This calendar contains scans of some original works which have been kept in Survey archives and have not been visible to the public, as well as previously published works from multiple decades.

Review—Reference Electrodes in Li-Ion and Next Generation Batteries: Correct Potential Assessment, Applications and Practices

This review provides an accessible analysis of the processes on reference electrodes and their applications in Li-ion and next generation batteries research. It covers fundamentals and definitions as well as specific practical applications and is intended to be comprehensible for researchers in the battery field with diverse backgrounds. It covers fundamental concepts, such as two- and three-electrodes configurations, as well as more complex quasi- or pseudo- reference electrodes. The electrode potential and its dependance on the concentration of species and nature of solvents are explained in detail and supported by relevant examples. The solvent, in particular the cation solvation energy, contribution to the electrode potential is important and a largely unknown issue in most the battery research. This effect can be as high as half a volt for the Li/Li+ couple and we provide concrete examples of the battery systems where this effect must be taken into account. With this review, we aim to provide guidelines for the use and assessment of reference electrodes in the Li-ion and next generation batteries research that are comprehensive and accessible to an audience with a diverse scientific background.

PROBABILISTIC SAFETY OF ESTUARY VESSELS BASED ON NONLINEAR ROLLING IN WIND AND WAVES

In the first place the discusser would like to congratulate Dr. Bačkalov with his paper, in which he assesses the new Belgian safety regulations for estuary vessels by means of a non-linear approach taking account the effect of a combination of beam waves and unsteady beam wind. The results presented are based on a solid, scientific background, and the author’s approach as published in former papers can be considered as the base of a promising methodology for evaluating the stability and safety of a vessel in waves and wind. As the discusser has supported the Belgian federal authorities in defining the methodology and formulating the present regulations, it is a pleasure to learn that the implementation of the latter is considered as a significant step in the general improvement of ship safety regulations.

Sedentary Behaviour: Definition, Determinants, Impacts on Health, and Current Recommendations

This chapter aims to present an overview of the scientific background and current recommendations for sedentary behaviour. We have presented the current sedentary behaviour definition and defined other terms related to sedentary behaviour. The determinants of sedentary behaviour were discussed, and the ecological model was presented. Based on the recent data from the literature, the relationship between sedentary behaviour and health indicators was presented and discussed. Finally, we discussed the recommendation regarding sedentary behaviour, and presented the daily guidelines involving physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep routine.

History and scientific background on the economics of abortion

Background Approximately one quarter of all pregnancies globally end in abortion, making it one of the most common gynecological practices worldwide. Despite the high incidence of abortion around the globe, the synthesis of known economic outcomes of abortion care and policies is lacking. Using data from a systematic scoping review, we synthesized the literature on the economics of abortion at the microeconomic, mesoeconomic, and mesoeconomic levels and presented the results in a collection of studies. This article describes the history and scientific background for collection, presents the scoping review framework, and discusses the value of this knowledge base. Methods and findings We conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies reporting on qualitative and/or quantitative data from any world region were considered. For inclusion, studies must have examined one of the following outcomes: costs, impacts, benefits, and/or value of abortion-related care or policies. Our searches yielded 19,653 unique items, of which 365 items were included in our final inventory. Studies most often reported costs (n = 262), followed by impacts (n = 140), benefits (n = 58), and values (n = 40). Approximately one quarter (89/365) of studies contained information on the secondary outcome on stigma. Economic factors can lead to a delay in abortion care-seeking and can restrict health systems from adequately meeting the demand for abortion services. Provision of post-abortion care (PAC) services requires more resources then safe abortion services. Lack of insurance or public funding for abortion services can increase the cost of services and the overall economic impact on individuals both seeking and providing care. Conclusions Consistent economic themes emerge from research on abortion, though evidence gaps remain that need to be addressed through more standardized methods and consideration to framing of abortion issues in economics terms. Given the highly charged political nature of abortion around the world, it is imperative that researchers continue to build the evidence base on economic outcomes of abortion services and regulations.

ALI JUM’AH APPROACH ON QUR’ANIC MAQĀSIDĪ EXEGESIS; A STUDY OF AL-NIBRĀS FĪ TAFSĪR AL-QUR’ĀN

This study aims to discuss Maqāsidī exegesis in the tafsir of al-Nibrās fī Tafsīr al-Qur’an al-Karīm by Alī Jum’ah. As a figure on fiqh studies, Alī Jum’ah’s exegesis was born from a very strong maqāsid nuance, mainly related to contemporary legal issues. This article discusses how the epistemology of the maqāsidī exegesis used by Alī Jum’ah in interpreting the Qur’an and how the nuances of the maqāsid play a role in responding to contemporary problems. By using thematic writing techniques on legal verses and using descriptive analysis methods, this research results in the conclusion that the epistemology of maqāsidī which is applied in the book al-Nibrās fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-Karīm prioritizes fiqh analysis and fiqh principles rather than discussion of tafsīr as in general. Through the maqāsidi’s approaches which are based on these principles, Ali Jum’ah tends to study us}ūl al-Fiqh and maqāsid rather than the interpretation itself. This research also confirms that a person’s scientific background also gives colors and patterns in interpreting the Qur’an