On a centennial timescale, solar activity was quantified based on records of instrumental sunspot observations. This article briefly discusses several aspects of the recent archival investigations of historical sunspot records in the 17th to 18th centuries. This article also reviews the recent updates for the active day fraction and positions of the reported sunspot groups of the Maunder Minimum to show their significance within the observational history. These archival investigations serve as base datasets for reconstructing solar activity.
Background/Objectives: The colonization history of house mice reflects the maritime history of humans that passively transported them worldwide. We investigated western house mouse colonization in the Atlantic region through studies of mitochondrial D-loop DNA sequences from modern specimens. Methods: We assembled a dataset of 758 haplotypes derived from 2765 mice from 47 countries/oceanic archipelagos (a combination of new and published data). Our maximum likelihood phylogeny recovered five previously identified clades, and we used the haplotype affinities within the phylogeny to infer house mouse colonization history, employing statistical tests and indices. From human history, we predefined four European source areas for mice in the Atlantic region (Northern Europe excluding Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Scandinavia, and Macaronesia) and we investigated the colonization from these source areas to different geographic areas in the Atlantic region. Results: Our inferences suggest mouse colonization of Scandinavia itself from Northern Europe, and Macaronesia from both Southern Europe and Scandinavia/Germany (the latter likely representing the transport of mice by Vikings). Mice on North Atlantic islands apparently derive primarily from Scandinavia, while for South Atlantic islands, North America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, the clearest source is Northern Europe, although mice on South Atlantic islands also had genetic inputs from Macaronesia and Southern Europe (for Tristan da Cunha). Macaronesia was a stopover for Atlantic voyages, creating an opportunity for mouse infestation. Mice in Latin America also apparently had multiple colonization sources, with a strong Southern European signal but also input from Northern Europe and/or Macaronesia. Conclusions: D-loop sequences help discern the broad-scale colonization history of house mice and new perspectives on human history.
Nok Ting Lam, Vladislav Ivanov, L. Dapporto
et al.
A good knowledge of the evolutionary history of organisms and an accurate taxonomic framework are keys for efficient biodiversity conservation measures. This is particularly relevant for European butterflies, which are often used as bioindicator organisms and umbrella species for conservation. The Holarctic butterfly genus Agriades includes seven European arctic‐alpine species of which several have a debated taxonomic status. They are localized and allopatric, and at least two of them are of high conservation concern, namely A. aquilo (in Europe, restricted to northern Scandinavia) and A. zullichi (endemic to southern Spain). Despite high conservation value and taxonomic uncertainty, molecular studies on these taxa are limited to DNA barcodes. We investigated the evolutionary history and species delimitation of West Palearctic Agriades using double‐digest RAD sequencing (ddRADseq). Various analyses using genomic data suggested the presence of one species in the glandon species group and one or two in the pyrenaicus species group. The differentiation within the former group (i.e., glandon, aquilo, zullichi) appears to be relatively recent, although the main allopatric populations represent evolutionary significant units (ESUs). Notable geographic structure was found within the pyrenaicus species group, with four allopatric ESUs detected. Wolbachia screening highlighted the presence of several allele combinations, some associated with particular Agriades populations. Genomic data revealed the evolutionary trajectory of European Agriades and a tendency for taxonomic oversplitting within this genus. These findings aid conservation by providing genetic background for region or population prioritization (including ESUs), and for the management of potential population reinforcement or reintroductions.
Smelts play a key role in the pelagic ecosystem of large lakes in northern Europe and North America. In numbers, they often dominate the open water. In large lakes in Scandinavia (including Finland), European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.), a cold-water glacial relict, is commonly the most important prey for piscivorous fish species, but also acts by ontogenetic shifts as a predator on zoo-plankton, small crustaceans, fish larvae, mysids and occasionally – with increasing size - fish. Furthermore, the large numbers of smelt in the open water are important competitors to other planktivorous fish. Due to the diverse life histories and biological interactions of smelt in large lakes, its role in the food-web structure is expected to be variable. Smelt population dynamics, recruitment, size and age structure, growth, life history and mortality were analysed and compared for five Swedish lakes that varied in size, depth, morphology, trophic status and latitude to understand the varying life histories and roles in lake food-webs. The results showed that in shallow, eutrophic lakes smelt stayed small and short-lived, and populations experienced high mortality. In deeper, colder and less nutrient-rich lakes, smelts grew larger and older, and might shift to a piscivorous trophic level. By ontogenetic adaptions smelt seems to uphold high abundance and recruitment over a wide range of ecosystems, but in shallow lakes without cold water refuges smelt populations run the risk of collapsing on the occasion of extremely warm summers with drastic consequences for their predators and lake ecosystems.
ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to present the journeys of two Italian travellers, Francesco Negri and Giuseppe Acerbi, who visited Norway in 1663 and the late 1700s, respectively. Despite being the first Italians to explore Norway, their stories and the Norwegian itinerary remain largely unknown. This article exclusively focuses on analysing their Norwegian itinerary, setting aside the exploration of the rest of Scandinavia, which has been covered by other authors. Their narratives provide valuable insights into the cultural and societal landscape of the North during their time, illuminating a region largely undiscovered by other European travellers. By documenting their experiences and observations, Negri and Acerbi contribute to a broader understanding of Northern Europe, challenging prevailing narratives. Through their travelogues, they offer a unique perspective that enhances our knowledge of the North and its inhabitants before the advent of romanticized depictions.
The persistence of Paganism in the Baltic region (especially Lithuania) long after its official conversion to Christianity in 1387–1413 was a matter of widespread concern in early modern Europe, including England, challenging the narrative of Christianity’s triumph in northern Europe. England had a long history of engagement in the Baltic, and early modern English authors displayed an interest in surviving Baltic Pagans, while English Jesuits labored in Lithuania to bring Pagans to Catholicism. This article examines the language used to portray Baltic Paganism by English authors and translators, arguing that Poland-Lithuania’s status as a European power meant Lithuanian Pagans received a somewhat more sympathetic treatment than other indigenous Pagans, such as the Sámi of Scandinavia and Native Americans. Early modern English responses to Lithuanian Paganism thus illuminate the complexity of European Christian attitudes to living Pagan religion in northern and eastern Europe.
Phosphorus (P) is considered to be one of the key elements for life, making it an important element to look for in the abundance analysis of spectra of stellar systems. Yet, there exists only a handful of spectroscopic studies to estimate the P abundances and investigate its trend across a range of metallicities. We have observed full HK band spectra at a spectral resolving power of R=45,000 with IGRINS instrument. Abundances are determined using SME in combination with 1D MARCS stellar atmosphere models. The investigated sample of stars have reliable stellar parameters estimated using optical FIES spectra (GILD; Jönsson et al. in prep.). In order to determine the P abundances from the 16482.92 Angstrom P line, we take special care of the CO($ν=7-4$) blend. We determine the C, N, O abundances from atomic carbon and a range of non-blended molecular lines (CO, CN, OH) which are aplenty in the H band region of K giant stars, assuring an appropriate modelling of the blending CO($ν=7-4$) line. We present [P/Fe] vs [Fe/H] trend for 38 K giant stars in the metallicity range of -1.2 dex $<$ [Fe/H] $<$ 0.4 dex. We find that our trend matches well with the compiled literature sample of prominently dwarf stars and limited number of giant stars. Our trend is found to be higher by $\sim$ 0.05 - 0.1 dex compared to the theoretical chemical evolution trend in Cescutti et al. 2012 resulting from core collapse supernova (type II) of massive stars with the P yields from Kobayashi et al. (2006) arbitrarily increased by a factor of 2.75. Thus the enhancement factor might need to be $\sim$ 0.05 - 0.1 dex higher to match our trend. We also find an empirically determined primary behaviour for phosphorus. Furthermore, the phosphorus abundance is found to be elevated by $\sim$ 0.6 - 0.9 dex in two metal poor s-enriched stars compared to the theoretical chemical evolution trend.
A. C. Umuhire, J. Uwamahoro, K. Sasikumar Raja
et al.
Solar radio type II bursts serve as early indicators of incoming geo-effective space weather events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In order to investigate the origin of high-frequency type II bursts (HF type II bursts), we have identified 51 of them (among 180 type II bursts from SWPC reports) that are observed by ground-based Compound Astronomical Low-cost Low-frequency Instrument for Spectroscopy and Transportable Observatory (CALLISTO) spectrometers and whose upper-frequency cutoff (of either fundamental or harmonic emission) lies in between 150 MHz-450 MHz during 2010-2019. We found that 60% of HF type II bursts, whose upper-frequency cutoff $\geq$ 300 MHz originate from the western longitudes. Further, our study finds a good correlation $\sim $ 0.73 between the average shock speed derived from the radio dynamic spectra and the corresponding speed from CME data. Also, we found that analyzed HF type II bursts are associated with wide and fast CMEs located near the solar disk. In addition, we have analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of two of these high-frequency type II bursts and compared the derived from radio observations with those derived from multi-spacecraft CME observations from SOHO/LASCO and STEREO coronagraphs.
Recent event of ousting Rohingyas from Rakhine State by the Tatmadaw provoked worldwide public-and-academic interest in history and social evolution of the Rohingyas, and this is to what the article is devoted. As the existing literature presents a debate over Who are the Rohingyas?, and How legitimate is their claim over Rakhine State?, the paper reinvestigates the issues using a qualitative research method. Compiling a detailed history, the paper finds that Rohingya community developed through historically complicated processes marked by invasions and counter-invasions. The paper argues many people entered Bengal from Arakan before British brought people into Rakhine state. The Rohingyas believe Rakhine State is their ancestral homeland and they developed a sense of Ethnic Nationalism. Their right over Rakhine State is as significant as other groups. The paper concludes that the UN must pursue solution to the crisis and the government should accept the Rohingyas as it did the land or territory.
A previous study of symmetric collisions of massive nuclei has shown that current models of multi-nucleon transfer (MNT) reactions do not adequately describe the transfer product yields. To gain further insight into this problem, we have measured the yields of MNT products in the interaction of 977 (E/A = 4.79 MeV) and 1143 MeV (E/A = 5.60 MeV) $^{204}$Hg with $^{208}$Pb. We find that the yield of multi-nucleon transfer products are similar in these two reactions and are substantially lower than those observed in the reaction of 1257 MeV (E/A = 6.16 MeV) $^{204}$Hg + $^{198}$Pt. We compare our measurements with the predictions of the GRAZING-F, di-nuclear systems (DNS) and improved quantum molecular dynamics (ImQMD) models. For the observed isotopes of the elements Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi, the measured values of the MNT cross sections are orders of magnitude larger than the predicted values. Furthermore, the various models predict the formation of nuclides near the N=126 shell, which are not observed.
Arturo Sanchez-Lorenzo, Javier Vaquero-Martínez, Josep Calbó
et al.
The current pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is having negative health, social and economic consequences worldwide. In Europe, the pandemic started to develop strongly at the end of February and beginning of March 2020. It has subsequently spread over the continent, with special virulence in northern Italy and inland Spain. In this study we show that an unusual persistent anticyclonic situation prevailing in southwestern Europe during February 2020 (i.e. anomalously strong positive phase of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oscillations) could have resulted in favorable conditions, in terms of air temperature and humidity, in Italy and Spain for a quicker spread of the virus compared with the rest of the European countries. It seems plausible that the strong atmospheric stability and associated dry conditions that dominated in these regions may have favored the virus's propagation, by short-range droplet transmission as well as likely by long-range aerosol (airborne) transmission.