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The formation and dissolution of salt giants impacts ocean chemistry on thousand-million year timescales. Gypsum precipitation and weathering changes the oceanic calcium concentration with implications for the carbon cycle and global temperatures. However, the connectivity of salt giants with the global ocean is necessarily restricted, making the timing of Ca2+extraction and return more uncertain. Here we reconstruct the final phase of gypsum precipitation of the Late Miocene Mediterranean Salt Giant using micropaleontology, sedimentology and 87Sr/86Sr analyses on the most complete record preserved at Eraclea Minoa on Sicily and explore its implications for global climate. Precessional gypsum-marl couplets (Upper Gypsum) characterize the last 200 kyrs (Stage 3) of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC; 5.97–5.332 Ma) in both intermediate (500–1000 m) and deep (>1000 m) Mediterranean basins. The interbedded selenitic gypsum layers contain well-preserved calcareous nannofossil assemblages dominated by Reticulofenestra minuta, a marine species which tolerates stressful conditions. Marine water is also required to explain the gypsum 87Sr/86Sr data, which describe a small range of ratios (0.708704–0.708813) lower than coeval ocean water. Mass-balance calculations indicate that during gypsum precipitation, the Atlantic made up ≤20% of a Mediterranean (“Lago-Mare”) water mass dominated by low salinity discharge from large river systems and Eastern Paratethys. This suggests episodic extraction of calcium and sulfate ions from the ocean throughout MSC Stage3. The marls commonly contain shallow (30–100 m) brackish-water ostracods of Paratethyan (Black Sea) origin. Marls with Paratethyan ostracods are also found in both marginal (

An historic building record of the Grade II Listed stable block at Hillersdon House was prepared in advance of alterations. The building was constructed in the late 1840s when the associated Hillersdon House was also rebuilt. It has a C-shaped plan, and historically comprised stables in each side wing with coach houses and accommodation in between, and with first-floor haylofts over the stables that flanked grooms' accommodation. The building was slightly extended, at first-floor level, at the turn of the 20th century, and the internal arrangement at first-floor level has been altered in the recent past. However, despite these changes and the loss of fixtures and fittings the original layout, including novel lightwells serving the stables, can still be visualised.

Archaeological monitoring and recording (controlled watching brief) associated with the construction of a new menage was undertaken by AC archaeology on land at Grange Farm, Newton Poppleford. The monitoring and recording recovered a quantity of broadly Neolithic worked flint lithics representing various types associated with tools and their production. Although no associated archaeological features were exposed within the limited portion of the site that was excavated onto the natural subsoil, their presence provides further evidence for prehistoric occupation in the general area.

A watching brief was undertaken during the laying of an electricity cable through the tunnel of Efford Emplacement. Part of a 19th-century drain survives within the surface of the tunnel. No other archaeological deposits were present within the tunnel or embankment over the ditch, but 19th-centry make-up deposits for a path were present to either side. Foundations of one of the walls of the tunnel were exposed in test pits excavated prior to the main works.

Archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken by AC archaeology during groundworks associated with the construction of a two storey extension to the Bull Inn, High Street, Totnes. The position of the extension lay to the rear of the public house and prior to commencement comprised a single-storey flat-roofed extension bounded by the rear of properties fronting Leechwell Street to the east. The Bull Inn is Grade-II listed and comprises an early to mid-19th century building likely to be made up of combined properties fronting Rotherfold and High Street. The site is located outside of the historic core of Totnes, which was established as a Royal fortified town in the first half of the 10th century. This part of the town comprises an area of medieval expansion defined by medieval tenements that were arranged along Leechwell Street and Cistern Street. The limited groundworks did not expose any evidence for pre-modern activity. Based on the exposed portion of the site, it was likely that the ground floor had been previously stripped onto natural subsoil prior to the laying of the existing concrete floor surface.

An archaeological trench evaluation and historic building appraisal was undertaken to inform a proposed development. The evaluation specifically targeted the medieval 'Ilsham Manor' part of the site. The historic building appraisal covered all buildings within the property. The evaluation targeted the locations of proposed new buildings, in particular where these are located on the site of demolished buildings recorded on historic maps at Ilsham Manor. In one trench footings belonging to a stone barn, which was demolished after 1953, were exposed. The remaining trenches did not contain any archaeological features or deposits. The historic building assessment concluded that the property has a long history with some of the relating to Ilsham Manor dating to the 15th century or earlier when it was a grange belonging to Torre Abbey. By the mid-19th century the grange had become a farm, and a detached villa, Stoodley Knowle, was constructed nearby. In the early 20th century the farmhouse at Ilsham was replaced with an Arts and Crafts style building. Stoodley Knowle was purchased by the Catholic Sisters Les Filles de la Croix in the early 20th century, and became a convent, with the Ilsham Manor buildings being added to the complex in 1950 when they were converted into a school. As a result of this the buildings on site were subject to significant modernisation.

A watching brief and historic building recording was undertaken during the construction of an extension and associated internal works. The site is located within the Scheduled Monument of Frithelstock Priory; no archaeological evidence for the priory or the later history of the property was identified. Minor additions to the understanding of the development of the 18th-century wing to the house were made. The alterations comprised the removal of an existing modern porch attached to the north elevation of the rear range and replacement with a new, larger extension, along with alterations to two doorways and damp-proofing works to the cellar. The groundworks found no archaeological evidence relating to Frithelstock Priory and the works within the house did not expose any architectural features.

We verify the configuration of SV Cen using new, extended to the near infrared VRI light curves. New spectra taken with the SALT telescope confirm emission features around the $H_\alpha$ line in this system and reveal that the intensity of the emission component varies.

In this work we present results derived from analysis of the O-C behaviour of ten eclipsing binary systems: AR Lac, CG Cyg, HP Aur, MM Her, RS CVn, RT And, SV Cam, V471 Tau, WW Dra and CF Tuc. It was proved on the basis of moments of minima compiled from the literature and new ones determined from recent observations, that these binaries show long term (19-91 years) modulations of their orbital periods, clearly visible in their O-C diagrams. Two possible explanations for this effect are considered: (1) the light-travel time effect due to the presence of a third body orbiting the eclipsing systems; (2) the Applegate mechanism predicting period modulation by changes in the distribution of angular momentum as a star goes through its activity cycles. It was found that in the case of four systems the existence of a third star, orbiting the binary, is a more plausible explanation of observations.

Seven varieties of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.) of varying growth durations and adapted to a wide range of environments across eastern and southern Africa were evaluated for their shoot regeneration response in tissue culture. On a standardized shoot regeneration medium, the shortduration varieties (ICPV 88091 and ICPV 86012) generally responded faster and better than the medium duration (ICEAP 00554 and ICEAP 00557) and long duration (ICEAP 00020, ICEAP 00040 and ICEAP00053) varieties. However, all the tested varieties produced healthy rooted plants in vitro that could be transferred to the greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth, flowering and viable seed set. Thisstudy established the basis for genetic engineering of African pigeonpea varieties.

Stable isotopes are used extensively in hydrology as a means of establishing the contribution of different reservoirs and sources to the water budget. If the information contained in stable isotope data is to be used in a quantitative sense, appropriate mass balance equations have to be used. Specifically, differences in the equations used for isotopes such as 87Sr/86Sr associated with minor water constituents, and the isotopes associated with the water molecule itself, i.e. 18O/16O and D/H, has to be recognised. Failure to do so, as illustrated by a re-analysis of a published Breede River study, may lead to significant errors in the inferred magnitude of groundwater contribution to river flow and misleading assertions in regards to the cause of salinisation of river systems. Water SA Vol.31 (3) 2005: pp.397-398