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The Trinity test site was chosen, in part, for its supposed remove from human inhabitation. Yet nearly half-a-million people were living within a 150-mile radius of the explosion, with some as close as 12 miles away. None were warned or evacuated by the US government ahead of time. After the blast went off, fallout snowed down across the landscape for days, contaminating water and food sources. Children played with the hot flakes. Then pets and livestock began to die. Still, no one was told the truth, nor were government efforts made to evacuate the surrounding populations—despite warnings from Manhattan Project doctors and physicists that the radiation hazard for these civilians was, in their words, "very significant." Nearly eight decades later, Trinity test "downwinders" still await government recognition and restitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American political rhetoric has become increasingly zealous in its use of right-wing, Christofascist and apocalyptic imagery. While its contemporary moment is deeply connected to the current Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, it has a much longer history in American popular culture. This article specifically links this contemporary movement to the Fallout franchise, a popular post-apocalyptic video game series to illuminate cultural patterns of America's apocalyptic political rhetoric. The video game series begins as a trope-laden post-apocalyptic western of survival by the gun. Later and more recent iterations have emphasized settler-colonialist nation building, and other forms of troubling American exceptionalism in a post-nuclear world. The explicit connections between these militaristic and political conceits is so ubiquitous in American media that it has become a cultural point of identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rescue programs aiming to mitigate light‐induced mortality of seabird fledglings have reported that fewer birds are grounded (and rescued) during full moon nights. Two non‐mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed as explanations: (1) reduction of strandings because birds are less attracted to and disorientated by light pollution during full moon nights; and (2) reduction of fledging activity, that is, chicks avoid departing the colony during nights with increased moonlight. We argue that evidence from rescue programs and other studies supports the first but not the second hypothesis. The evidence supports the conclusion that a higher proportion of fledglings make it safely to sea during full moon nights than during moonless nights. Thus, there is a decrease in the severity of light pollution on seabirds around the full moon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizing games by categories based on playstyle (e.g. single-player vs. multiplayer) makes sense from a marketing perspective, but when it comes to organizing players into such categories, things get tricky. To illustrate that categorizing players based on preferences for single-player vs. multiplayer games may be problematic, we analysed millions of posts in Reddit for single-player and multiplayer games to see which players use more extroversion (pro-social) words, citing research suggesting that those who prefer multiplayer games should use more extroversion words. We found no noticeable differences between the two groups, although unexpectedly single-player gamers did use more extroversion words in a statistically significant manner. Ultimately, we offer caution that categorization of games and gamers – although useful at times – can oversimplify assumed preferences and, when not critically examined, may lead to the reification of misleading and exclusionary categories of both games and the people who play them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabirds are at risk of decline from multiple threats, including artificial light resulting in their grounding ("fallout"). Without evidence, it can be assumed that seabirds travel short distances from natal colonies to their fallout location, potentially to the closest light source. To test this, a case study on wedge‐tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica, ʻUaʻu kani) fledging from the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi was conducted. To assess fallout locations in relation to natal colonies, we affixed identification bands to 4648 chicks at nine natal colonies prior to fledging from 2018 to 2022. Distances between fallout location and natal colony were mapped and fallout location characteristics (radiance, elevation, distances to nearest coastline, road, and colony) were analyzed for 27 banded fledglings that were discovered post‐fallout. The distance between the natal colony and fallout location was significantly greater than the distance between the nearest colony and the fallout location. Fallout often occurred on opposite coastlines from the natal colonies and at substantial distances (x¯ = 24.91 km), with one fallout event recorded on a different island from the natal colony. Our results demonstrate that all artificial lights, regardless of proximity to seabird colonies, may pose a threat to seabird fallout and that fallout is often occurring far from natal colonies and in inconsistent patterns. Collaborative, large‐scale, and multi‐island light management alteration, particularly during fledging periods, is critical in recovering Pacific Island seabird populations. Actions such as these will benefit not only light‐sensitive species such as seabirds and sea turtles but also human health and night‐sky viewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rescue programs aiming to mitigate light‐induced mortality of seabird fledglings have reported that fewer birds are grounded (and rescued) during full moon nights. Two non‐mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed as explanations: (1) reduction of strandings because birds are less attracted to and disorientated by light pollution during full moon nights; and (2) reduction of fledging activity, that is, chicks avoid departing the colony during nights with increased moonlight. We argue that evidence from rescue programs and other studies supports the first but not the second hypothesis. The evidence supports the conclusion that a higher proportion of fledglings make it safely to sea during full moon nights than during moonless nights. Thus, there is a decrease in the severity of light pollution on seabirds around the full moon.

Abstract Seabirds are at risk of decline from multiple threats, including artificial light resulting in their grounding (“fallout”). Without evidence, it can be assumed that seabirds travel short distances from natal colonies to their fallout location, potentially to the closest light source. To test this, a case study on wedge‐tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica, ʻUaʻu kani) fledging from the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi was conducted. To assess fallout locations in relation to natal colonies, we affixed identification bands to 4648 chicks at nine natal colonies prior to fledging from 2018 to 2022. Distances between fallout location and natal colony were mapped and fallout location characteristics (radiance, elevation, distances to nearest coastline, road, and colony) were analyzed for 27 banded fledglings that were discovered post‐fallout. The distance between the natal colony and fallout location was significantly greater than the distance between the nearest colony and the fallout location. Fallout often occurred on opposite coastlines from the natal colonies and at substantial distances (x¯ = 24.91 km), with one fallout event recorded on a different island from the natal colony. Our results demonstrate that all artificial lights, regardless of proximity to seabird colonies, may pose a threat to seabird fallout and that fallout is often occurring far from natal colonies and in inconsistent patterns. Collaborative, large‐scale, and multi‐island light management alteration, particularly during fledging periods, is critical in recovering Pacific Island seabird populations. Actions such as these will benefit not only light‐sensitive species such as seabirds and sea turtles but also human health and night‐sky viewing.

Sol–gel vitrification can be used to rapidly produce solid, vitreous materials to support nuclear forensics research. This work investigates three sol–gel synthetic approaches' ability to retain fission products within the glass as a function of drying temperature. Eight of the ten fission products studied were quantitatively retained (less than 5% losses) at temperatures up to 600 °C for glasses prepared using an acidic catalyst and at temperatures up to 300 °C for glasses prepared using a basic catalyst. Both systems show partial loss of ruthenium and complete loss of iodine at temperatures above 300 and 100 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Chernobyl nuclear disaster" released huge amounts of radionuclides, which are still detectable in plants and sediments today. Bryophytes (mosses) are primitive land plants lacking roots and protective cuticles and therefore readily accumulate multiple contaminants, including metals and radionuclides. This study quantifies 137Cs and 241Am in moss samples from the cooling pond of the power plant, the surrounding woodland and the city of Prypiat. Activity concentrations of up to 297 Bq/g (137Cs) and 0.43 Bq/g (241Am) were found. 137Cs contents were significantly higher at the cooling pond, where 241Am was not detectable. Distance to the damaged reactor, amount of original fallout, presence of vascular tissue in the stem or taxonomy were of little importance. Mosses seem to absorb radionuclides rather indiscriminately, if available. More than 30 years after the disaster, 137Cs was washed out from the very top layer of the soil, where it is no more accessible for rootless mosses but possibly for higher plants. On the other hand, 137Cs still remains solved and accessible in the cooling pond. However, 241Am remained adsorbed to the topsoil, thus accessible to terrestrial mosses, but precipitated in the sapropel of the cooling pond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of anthropogenic threats cause mortality and population declines of procellariiform seabirds. Globally, fledglings of many colonial procellariiforms become stranded in towns and cities during their first flights from the nest, which occur at night. Since the 1960s, when the phenomenon became widely known, these strandings have been largely attributed to attraction toward artificial lights at night (ALAN). Artificial light attraction has been blamed due to the predictable, annual nature of strandings; the large numbers of birds found in lighted areas during stranding events; and the inexperience of fledglings in interpreting sensory stimuli. However, up‐to‐date, few alternative hypotheses to that of light attraction have been suggested, and few if any have been explored experimentally. In this paper, we do not seek to refute the light attraction hypothesis. Instead, our objectives are threefold. We wish to (1) highlight the current evidence for light attraction in procellariiforms; (2) identify where evidence may be lacking or subject to confirmation bias; and (3) suggest alternative hypotheses and possible experimental approaches to study them. Given the imperiled nature of many of the affected species and the need to explore and address this source of mortality, our goal in this review is to accelerate and diversify research efforts on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major public dispute between John Gofman and his colleague Arthur Tamplin and the United States (US) Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) at the end of the 1960s and during the early 1970s significantly impacted the course of cancer risk assessment in the US and worldwide. The challenging and provocative testimony of Gofman to the US Senate in early 1970 lead to the formation of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) I Committee in order to evaluate the accuracy of claims by Gofman and Tamplin that emissions from nuclear power plants would significantly increase the occurrence of genetic defects and cancers. BEIR I recommended the adoption of the linear non-threshold (LNT) dose response model for the assessment of cancer risks from radiation exposures. The US EPA adopted this recommendation and generalized it to incorporate chemical carcinogens, thereby affecting cancer risk assessments over the next decades. Despite the scientific limitations and ideological framework of their perspectives, Gofman and Tamplin are of considerable historical importance since they had essential roles in affecting the adoption of LNT by regulatory agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fallout universe is an adaptive remix of themes that characterise the so-called (American) atomic culture. The creators of the universe have been developing it for years by entering into a dialogue with American pop-culture. Fallout’s storyworld is retro-futuristic and retrotopian in nature, a critique of the American Dream and a pessimistic diagnosis. Rebuilding civilization will not be possible because the negative aspects of human nature prevail over the nobler instincts. The apocalypse presented in this way is also a reflection — on a macroscale — of the universally understood ‘evil,’ which expresses itself — on a microscale — in ordinary human interactions. So the ultimate product of civilization — the actual ‘atomic legacy’ — will be mutations, aberrations, anarchy and barbarism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injury and mortality of night flying seabirds due to lights (fallout) affects their long-term viability. However, the cryptic nature of these species hinders direct estimates and projections of fallout. The Kauaʻi Seabird Habitat Conservation Plan (KSHCP) characterizes the current and projected fallout for Newell's shearwaters (Puffinus auricularis newelli), Hawaiian petrels (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and the Hawaiʻi distinct population segment of the band-rumped storm-petrels (Oceanodroma castro) on the island of Kauaʻi across eight permittees. In the KSHCP, each permittee was required to itemize the lighting infrastructure related to their facilities (type, wattage, number of lights, etc.) as well as supply an overall expected seabird fallout number with an estimate of detection probability or ability to find the fallout birds. Light intensity is thought to be correlated to the degree of attraction to a light source. Here we identify seabird fallout using indirect estimates derived from the KSHCP and present a reproducible method to consistently project and calculate fallout between entities that need to reduce seabird mortality due to their light sources. Though the permittees did not provide an estimate of light intensity at their sites, we extrapolated luminous intensity (light brightness) from their itemized light information (i.e., lumens/watt). Using luminous intensity, we then derived the degree of fallout per lumen and its variation across the permittees. As a proof of concept, we then projected the fallout per lumen estimate onto streetlights owned by the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative, as applied over a range of detectability correction factors. Though fallout varies significantly based on the detectability correction factor used, when considering the site differences on Kauaʻi, a previous fallout estimate, and the overlapping characteristics of the projected versus actual luminous intensities, the utilities projected fallout appears applicable. We feel that the methodology can be used as a baseline to infer fallout associated with various entities.

Abstract A variety of anthropogenic threats cause mortality and population declines of procellariiform seabirds. Globally, fledglings of many colonial procellariiforms become stranded in towns and cities during their first flights from the nest, which occur at night. Since the 1960s, when the phenomenon became widely known, these strandings have been largely attributed to attraction toward artificial lights at night (ALAN). Artificial light attraction has been blamed due to the predictable, annual nature of strandings; the large numbers of birds found in lighted areas during stranding events; and the inexperience of fledglings in interpreting sensory stimuli. However, up‐to‐date, few alternative hypotheses to that of light attraction have been suggested, and few if any have been explored experimentally. In this paper, we do not seek to refute the light attraction hypothesis. Instead, our objectives are threefold. We wish to (1) highlight the current evidence for light attraction in procellariiforms; (2) identify where evidence may be lacking or subject to confirmation bias; and (3) suggest alternative hypotheses and possible experimental approaches to study them. Given the imperiled nature of many of the affected species and the need to explore and address this source of mortality, our goal in this review is to accelerate and diversify research efforts on this topic.

New risk geographies are emerging with war and conflict resurfacing, including nuclear threats. This poses challenges to civil protection for conducting risk-informed preparedness planning. A spatial assessment of Germany and Europe is conducted using a geographic information system. Buffer circles of nuclear explosion effects and fallout buffers show potentially exposed areas around major cities. Different scenarios indicate shrinking areas safe from exposure. However, even in a densely populated country, rural areas and smaller cities can be identified that could provide sites for evacuation shelters. Changing wind directions poses a challenge for civil protection planning because fallout risk covers most German territory even when few cities are attacked. However, wind speeds and topography can help identify suitable shelter areas. More knowledge about the temporal development of a nuclear explosion and its specific forms of harm can also help to improve risk knowledge and planning. While nuclear warfare at first seems to render useless any option for safe areas and survival, the spatial risk assessment shows that exposure does not occur at all places at all times. Being safe from harm will be difficult in such a worst-case scenario, but avoiding large city perimeters and being informed can also help reduce risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the period of June 1973 to July 1977, the People's Republic of China detonated five nuclear weapons in the atmosphere. The resulting fallout was spread worldwide and also fell at Fayetteville, AR where the University of Arkansas, Department of Chemistry had rain collectors as well as air filter samplers. This investigation characterized the fractionation patterns from the 137Cs and 90Sr fallout. There was evidence of mixed production of 137Cs and 90Sr from 235U and 239Pu fission, unexpectedly large fractionation of volatile and refractory fission product chains and re-entrainment of previously deposited 137Cs in storm systems. These findings could have application for future nuclear incidences, and environmental and radioecology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial lights are known to induce mass mortality of petrels. This study analyzes this phenomenon in Reunion Island, where four species are impacted: the endemic Barau’s petrel (Pterodroma baraui) and Mascarene petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima), the tropical shearwater (Puffinus bailloni) and the wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica). 40,036 birds were found grounded between January 1996 and December 2021, most of which were fledglings. Spatial distribution of groundings matched with the distribution and intensity of light pollution. With a mark and recapture method, we estimated that at least 3.93 % of Barau's petrels fledglings are affected by light-induced groundings each year. This method was also used to estimate Barau’s Petrel population around 33,000 breeding pairs. Time series analyses showed strong positive trends of the number of groundings for all species, which were positively correlated with the intensity of light pollution. All species showed a seasonal increase in groundings coinciding with their fledging periods. Interannual variations of Barau's petrel and wedge-tailed shearwater groundings were explained by moon phase at their fledging peaks. We built statistical models to explain year-to-year changes in the number of groundings for each species, and used them to predict the number of groundings in the next decades. We predicted that up to 87,000 petrels may be found grounded from 2022 to 2050 if nothing is done to reduce light pollution. These results and predictions underline the urgent need to strengthen the rescue campaign and to implement strong light reduction measures.

Seabirds, and particularly fledglings of burrow-nesting species, are greatly impacted by light pollution. During their inaugural flights from colony to sea, fledglings become grounded after encountering artificial light. Such groundings, or fallout events, affect many fledglings each year causing mass mortality events. To mitigate this light induced mortality, rescue programs have been implemented for decades at many locations worldwide. Despite the notoriety of fallouts and their conservation implications, the contributing behavioural and biological factors remain mostly unknown. How do the mechanisms of light attraction and light avoidance interact or how do they manifest in different groups (e.g. age, personality, populations), or light pollution levels, remain open questions. We tested behavioural choices of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis fledglings, rescued after being grounded in urban areas, and choices of breeding adults, for contrasting light sources. Fledglings and adults were exposed to one of the three treatments in an experimental y-maze set-up: white light versus no-light, blue versus red light, and a control with no-light on each arm of the y-maze. Both age groups clearly chose the no-light arms and the red light arm. This choice for longer wavelengths and darker environments, along with slower responses by fledglings, suggests that close range artificial light appears to cause disorientation in seabirds. Our study helps to clarify the behavioural components of fallouts and provides further evidence on the disruptive effects of nocturnal artificial light on sensitive species like Procellariiformes., (© 2024. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

This article is a close reading of food and beverages in Bethesda's acclaimed post-apocalyptic science fiction video game series, Fallout. Through a discussion of the visual design, narrative positioning, and in-game function of food and beverage consumption, this article demonstrates how Fallout uses food to critique the unchecked technological development, rampant consumerism, and environmental devastation of post-war American atomic culture. Specifically, pre-packaged, pre-apocalypse food is presented as a focal point for satire, while the irradiated meat harvested from the mutated creatures that populate this post-apocalyptic world is presented as abject and ambiguous. In this sense, food in the Fallout series, as in much science fiction media, can reinforce or challenge ideologies, beliefs, and cultural norms by evoking real-world anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study builds on existing research about churn and community movement, examining if language use on Reddit can be used to determine if people signal their intent to relocate to a new community before they actually do so. Using a computational and semantic approach, we studied the subreddits for the game series Fallout at the time Fallout 76 (FO76) was released to see if the users of the Fallout 4 (FO4) subreddit signaled how they would react to the new subreddit. The main difference we found was that those who stay in the FO4 subreddit or use both subreddits on average post more often and create longer posts than those who move to the FO76 subreddit or leave. This adds further evidence to support theories about community as communication, and we suggest this finding can help online community managers identify which users may be about to leave the community, aiding retention and the overall health of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Chernobyl nuclear disaster” released huge amounts of radionuclides, which are still detectable in plants and sediments today. Bryophytes (mosses) are primitive land plants lacking roots and protective cuticles and therefore readily accumulate multiple contaminants, including metals and radionuclides. This study quantifies 137Cs and 241Am in moss samples from the cooling pond of the power plant, the surrounding woodland and the city of Prypiat. Activity concentrations of up to 297 Bq/g (137Cs) and 0.43 Bq/g (241Am) were found. 137Cs contents were significantly higher at the cooling pond, where 241Am was not detectable. Distance to the damaged reactor, amount of original fallout, presence of vascular tissue in the stem or taxonomy were of little importance. Mosses seem to absorb radionuclides rather indiscriminately, if available. More than 30 years after the disaster, 137Cs was washed out from the very top layer of the soil, where it is no more accessible for rootless mosses but possibly for higher plants. On the other hand, 137Cs still remains solved and accessible in the cooling pond. However, 241Am remained adsorbed to the topsoil, thus accessible to terrestrial mosses, but precipitated in the sapropel of the cooling pond.

The Trinity test of July 16, 1945, marked the scientific apex of the Manhattan Project. Often recognized as the symbolic birth of the nuclear age, Trinity's multifaceted legacy remains just as captivating and complex today as it did 75 years ago. This paper examines why the test was necessary from a technical standpoint, shows how Los Alamos scientists planned the event, and explores the physical and emotional aftermaths of Trinity. The author also uses rarely accessed original records to reconstruct the story of Trinity's health hazards, as seen through the eyes of radiation technicians and medical doctors as events unfolded. Trinity was conducted as the Potsdam Conference began, weeks after the collapse of Nazi Germany. It was considered necessary to let President Harry S. Truman know whether the United States possessed a nuclear capability ahead of his negotiations with Joseph Stalin, the Soviet premier. The author examines the competing priorities that drove the timetable for the test: international politics, security, and safety. Three weeks after Trinity, a gun-assembled enriched-uranium bomb called Little Boy was used against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, Fat Man, a weaponized version of the imploding Trinity device, was dropped on Nagasaki. The author briefly examines these strikes and what impact they may have had on the Japanese surrender. The paper concludes by examining the legacy of the Trinity test 75 years into the age it helped usher in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first dose reconstruction and cancer risk projection for the population of New Mexico as a consequence of exposure to radioactive fallout from the Trinity nuclear test was published in 2020. This comprehensive evaluation was conducted by investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) with collaborators over a 7-year time period. This technical note primarily summarizes the already published design considerations of that study, the methods of data collection, study limitations, and findings, though it also summarizes important events that took place over several decades that led to the NCI Trinity study. In addition, we discuss two related investigations that were part of the NCI Trinity study: the possibility of intergenerational (genetic) effects among those exposed and an analysis of the whereabouts, quantity, and health implications of the unfissioned plutonium from Trinity. Finally, we provide doses received by the military and civilian participants in the Trinity test as reported by other organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report fallout radionuclide (FRN) and major/trace element (MTE) contributions to bulk atmospheric deposition in Hanover, NH, USA (43.7022°N, 72.2896°W). Deposition of 7Be, 210Pb, and SO4 covary [R2 > 0.4, n = 461] but are discriminated by production sources, depositional mechanisms, meteorological controls, MTE associations, and seasonal biases. 7Be is dominated by rainout (78% of total deposition), recharged by long‐range transport (+23% over mean, o.m.), influenced by stratosphere‐troposphere exchange (+9% o.m.), and solar activity (−2% per doubling of sunspot count). Correlation with particulate nitrogen (+9% per doubling of N) indicates 7Be affinity for biogenic aerosols. 210Pb is dominated by dry + washout deposition (54% of total) and convective storms (+107% o.m), depleted in marine moisture sources (−133% o.m.), correlated with S (+9% per doubling of S), and biased to autumn with Mn, Hg, and V (+7% o.m.). Coincident long‐term declines in S and 210Pb (−14%, −4% per year) suggest co‐scavenging by PbSO4. 7Be:210Pb ratios increase asymptotically with precipitation through the dry‐washout‐rainout transition and recharge of 7Be. At the global scale, 7Be:210Pb increases with precipitation for North American/European sites due to recharge of 7Be in midlatitude storm belts [R2 = 0.64, n = 31]. Conversely, 7Be:210Pb is independent of precipitation for Southeast/East Asian sites where 7Be recharge is low [R2 = 0.01, n = 40]. Globally, 7Be:210Pb ratios in dry deposition reflect resuspended aerosols with mean age of ca. 200 days, contributing <5% of 210Pb deposition. Different aerosol populations contributing to FRN deposition across spatial and temporal scales should emerge as a focus in terrestrial 7Be, 210Pb, and 10Be tracer applications. Plain Language Summary: Beryllium‐7 (7Be) and lead‐210 (210Pb) are natural radioactive elements that are produced in the atmosphere. They are powerful tools in earth and atmospheric sciences because they allow us to trace the movement of other atmospheric elements and particles such as sulphate (SO4), toxins such as mercury (Hg), or particulate matter small enough to damage human lungs (PM2.5). After production, 7Be, 210Pb, and associated particles reach Earth's surface in rainfall, pass through soils and sediments, and may be resuspended as dust that can pose ongoing risks of particulate exposure. To better understand how they trace atmospheric particles, we measured 7Be, 210Pb, SO4, and other elements and particles in rainwater each week for 9 years. By making many measurements we were able to see important differences in how 7Be, 210Pb, and SO4 are delivered to the Earth's surface, and differences among other elements that they associate with. These differences are likely to have implications for how 7Be and 210Pb are used to date geological deposits or to measure erosion or contaminant transport, but more work will be needed to fully understand them. Key Points: 7Be, 210Pb, and SO4 in bulk deposition represent unique mixtures of distinct aerosol populationsPrimary controls on 7Be:210Pb ratios include airmass altitude and origin, meteorology, precipitation depth, and resuspended aerosolsMultiple aerosol populations controlling FRN deposition should be investigated for their implications to terrestrial tracer studies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new and mathematical method for online signature validation based on machine learning. In this way, the average values of the factors are taken into account to ensure validity. Here, seven different types of features used are x coordinates, y coordinates, time stamp, pen up and down, azimuth, height and pressure. Three new features are extracted from it, i.e., (displacement, velocity and acceleration) using the correlated extraction process to obtain dynamic feature of signature. These features are extracted from the popular dataset SVC2004. The extracted feature is then passed to various classifiers named as Naive Bayes, random forest, J48, MLP, logistic regression and PART. The result of genuine and forge signatures is obtained in terms of precision, true positive rate, false positive rate, F-score, etc. The obtained result is then compared with the existing method with respect to false acceptance rate and false rejection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ionizing radiation is regulated by the linear no-threshold model (LNT), which asserts that the lowest doses of ionizing radiation are hazardous in proportion to the dose and dose rate. LNT is based on the data of the Life Span Study (LSS) of A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Radiation doses of the survivors were estimated by using initial radiation (5% of blast energy) and residual radiation (10%) was neglected. The major component of residual radiation was fallout, most of which must be brought down to the ground by black rain. The rain was highly radioactive. There are three major black rain maps reporting that black rain covered wide areas of Hiroshima-City. The three lead to an important conclusion that not only A-bomb survivors but also not-in-the-city control subjects (NIC) were irradiated with residual radiation to a greater or lesser degree. This means that exposure doses in LSS were largely underestimated and that use of NIC as the negative control is faulty. Thus, LNT based on LSS is invalid. In addition, LSS ignores radiation hormesis ─ ionizing radiation is not always hazardous, but beneficial depending on doses and dose rates. Indeed, when LSS data of longevity were examined, a clear J-shaped dose-response, a hallmark of radiation hormesis, is apparent. Also, cancer mortality ratios are in the increasing order: NIC (exposed to residual radiation), A-bomb survivors (exposed to both initial and residual radiations), and the Japanese in general (no exposure). Thus, low dose radiation (LDR) is hormetic. Obstinate application of invalid LNT to regulation-unnecessary LDR has been causing tremendous human, social, and economic losses in Fukushima. Also, LNT prevents clinical application of radiation hormesis to age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancers.

Rutherford's studies of radioactivity and the structure of atoms led after his death to the discovery of nuclear fission, and subsequently the rapid development of reactors and nuclear weapons. Historic proposals for research and power reactors in New Zealand and safety assessments of nuclear-powered ships are reviewed. Atmospheric weapons tests gave rise to contaminated sites and dispersed radioactive fallout. Some studies of these, particularly of test sites in the Pacific region – Christmas Island, Marshall Islands, French Polynesia – and other nuclear issues in New Zealand in which I have had a role are described. Further details are included in McEwan (2004. Nuclear New Zealand. Christchurch: Hazard Press). Eight decades after Rutherford's death worldwide nuclear power plays a very important part in both electricity supply and limitation of green house gases, and nuclear science and technology and radiation applications are an integral part of modern society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is concerned with investigating the deliberative goals behind the use of popular slang expressions by the preachers of the Husseini pulpit in the context of delivering lectures addressed to the Iraqi people and the Islamic public in general. These preachers are considered social reformers, in addition to being descended from the religious establishment, as they put forward religious ideas, most of which derive from the Husseini issue, and use them as a basis for calling for reform. Hence, the popular colloquial language is employed by these Husseini preachers in their lectures and sermons, which are characterized - as the case may be - by a very formal context. However, after presenting a theoretical aspect of the deliberative aspect of the popular vernacular language, and after examining the deliberative functions in a number of lectures and by different preachers. The most commonly used and frequently used colloquial expressions were selected and then placed in a questionnaire according to the approved evidence chosen for this st

New risk geographies are emerging with war and conflict resurfacing, including nuclear threats. This poses challenges to civil protection for conducting risk-informed preparedness planning. A spatial assessment of Germany and Europe is conducted using a geographic information system. Buffer circles of nuclear explosion effects and fallout buffers show potentially exposed areas around major cities. Different scenarios indicate shrinking areas safe from exposure. However, even in a densely populated country, rural areas and smaller cities can be identified that could provide sites for evacuation shelters. Changing wind directions poses a challenge for civil protection planning because fallout risk covers most German territory even when few cities are attacked. However, wind speeds and topography can help identify suitable shelter areas. More knowledge about the temporal development of a nuclear explosion and its specific forms of harm can also help to improve risk knowledge and planning. While nuclear warfare at first seems to render useless any option for safe areas and survival, the spatial risk assessment shows that exposure does not occur at all places at all times. Being safe from harm will be difficult in such a worst-case scenario, but avoiding large city perimeters and being informed can also help reduce risk.

Cosmogenic 7Be was used to evaluate soil loss in a mountainous micro-watershed near Belo Horizonte, Southwest Brazil. Two nearby sites were selected, a reference site in a flat area and an eroded site in a hill slope. At the reference site, soil samples were collected monthly throughout the year in order to evaluate seasonal variations of 7Be inventory in soil and its relation with the precipitation regime. Additionally, rainwater was collected and the expected 7Be soil content was predicted. At the reference site, the 7Be inventory shows seasonal variations, in accordance with the rainy season, and its distribution in the soil profile shows an exponential decrease in depth (h0 = 6.9 ± 0.6 kg m–2; r2 = 0.97). At the eroded site, two soil sampling campaigns were performed in order to measure soil erosion in the watershed. The estimated net erosion was 42.2 ± 3.7 t ha–1, indicating the loss of upper 5mm of soil per year. This corresponds to soil losses in the area in the range from moderate to severe erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]