Observations of sea surface height reveal that substantial changes have occurred over the past decade in the mid- to high-latitude North Atlantic Ocean. TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data show that subpolar sea surface height increased during the 1990s, and the geostrophic velocity derived from altimeter data exhibits declining subpolar gyre circulation. Combining the data from earlier satellites, we find that subpolar circulation may have been weaker in the late 1990s than in the late 1970s and 1980s. Direct current-meter observations in the boundary current of the Labrador Sea support the weakening circulation trend of the 1990s and, together with hydrographic data, show that the mid- to late 1990s decline extends deep in the water column. Analysis of the local surface forcing suggests that the 1990s buoyancy forcing has a dynamic effect consistent with altimetric and hydrographic observations: A weak thermohaline forcing allows the decay of the domed structure of subpolar isopycnals and weakening of circulation.
Using Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, the authors study the slowdown in the convergence of female and male wages in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. They find that changes in human capital did not contribute to the slowdown, since women's relative human capital improved comparably in the two decades. Occupational upgrading and deunionization had a larger positive effect on women's relative wages in the 1980s than in the 1990s, explaining part of the slower 1990s convergence. However, the largest factor was a much faster reduction of the “unexplained” gender wage gap in the 1980s than in the 1990s. The evidence suggests that changes in labor force selectivity, changes in gender differences in unmeasured characteristics and in labor market discrimination, and changes in the favorableness of demand shifts each may have contributed to the slowing convergence of the unexplained gender pay gap.
This report provides evidence on income distribution and poverty in 27 OECD countries over the second half of the 1990s, using data that correct for many of the features that limit cross-country and intertemporal comparisons in this field. Patterns for income distribution and relative poverty in the second half of the 1990s — a period of significant improvement in labour market conditions in most OECD countries — conform to many of the longer-term trends identified in previous OECD analysis, but also highlight some significant departures. Inequality in the distribution of household disposable income among the total population increased slightly over the second half of the 1990s, continuing the trend of the previous decade. Relative poverty, measured with respect to a threshold set at half of median income, affected in 2000 around 11% of the OECD population, with an increase since the mid-1990s that is similar to that of the previous decade. Absolute income poverty, which had declined ... Ce rapport examine la distribution des revenus et la pauvrete dans 27 pays de l’OCDE pour la deuxieme moitie de la decennie 90, sur la base de donnees corrigees d’une grande partie des parametres qui handicapent les comparaisons transnationales et intertemporelles dans ce domaine. L’evolution de la distribution des revenus et de la pauvrete au cours de la deuxieme moitie de la decennie 90 – periode d’amelioration notable de la situation du marche du travail dans la plupart des pays de l’OCDE – s’inscrit pour une grande part dans le prolongement des tendances a long terme qui se degageaient des analyses precedentes, mais presente aussi quelques ecarts notables par rapport a celles-ci. L’inegalite de la distribution du revenu disponible des menages sur l’ensemble de la population s’est legerement accentuee dans la seconde moitie de la decennie 90, prolongeant la tendance observee au cours de la decennie precedente. La pauvrete relative, mesuree par rapport a un seuil fixe a la moitie ...
CONTEXT: The outcome into school age of regional cohorts of children born in the 1990s with birth weights less than 1000 g (extremely low birth weight, ELBW) or earlier than 28 weeks' gestation (very preterm) is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine the cognitive, educational, and behavioral outcome of ELBW or very preterm infants born in the 1990s compared with normal birth weight (NBW) controls. DESIGN: Regional cohort study. SETTING: Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: The ELBW or very preterm cohort was composed of 298 consecutive survivors born during 1991-1992. The NBW cohort was composed of 262 randomly selected children with birth weights of more than 2499 g. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cognitive ability, educational progress, and behavioral problems. RESULTS: The follow-up rates from birth to 8 years of age for survivors were 92.3% (275/298) for the ELBW or very preterm cohort and 85.1% (223/262) for the NBW cohort. The ELBW or very preterm children scored significantly below NBW controls on full-scale IQ (mean difference, -9.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], -12.1 to -6.7; P<.001) and indices of verbal comprehension (mean difference, -6.8; 95% CI, -9.5 to -4.2; P<.001), perceptual organization (mean difference, -9.9; 95% CI, -12.7 to -7.2; P<.001), freedom from distractibility (mean difference, -8.1; 95% CI, -10.8 to -5.5; P<.001), and processing speed (mean difference, -6.7; 95% CI, -9.4 to -4.0; P<.001). The ELBW or very preterm children performed significantly worse than the NBW cohort on tests of reading (mean difference, -6.7; 95% CI, -9.5 to -3.9; P<.001), spelling (mean difference, -5.6; 95% CI, -8.0 to -3.3; P<.001), and arithmetic (mean difference, -8.8; 95% CI, -11.3 to -6.2; P<.001). Attentional difficulties, internalizing behavior problems, and immature adaptive skills were more prevalent in the ELBW or very preterm cohort. CONCLUSION: School-aged ELBW or very preterm children born in the 1990s continue to display cognitive, educational, and behavioral impairments.
Carbon fluxes from tropical deforestation and regrowth are highly uncertain components of the contemporary carbon budget, due in part to the lack of spatially explicit and consistent information on changes in forest area. We estimate fluxes for the 1980s and 1990s using subpixel estimates of percent tree cover derived from coarse (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) satellite data in combination with a terrestrial carbon model. The satellite-derived estimates of change in forest area are lower than national reports and remote-sensing surveys from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) in all tropical regions, especially for the 1980s. However, our results indicate that the net rate of tropical forest clearing increased approximately 10% from the 1980s to 1990s, most notably in southeast Asia, in contrast to an 11% reduction reported by the FRA. We estimate net mean annual carbon fluxes from tropical deforestation and regrowth to average 0.6 (0.3-0.8) and 0.9 (0.5-1.4) petagrams (Pg).yr(-1) for the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Compared with previous estimates of 1.9 (0.6-2.5) Pg.yr(-1) based on FRA national statistics of changes in forest area, this alternative estimate suggests less "missing" carbon from the global carbon budget but increasing emissions from tropical land-use change.
Cumberland, B。 is reimagining its coal mining past as a clean energy opportunity。 Water trapped in abandoned mine tunnels could be used in a geothermal system to heat and cool buildings efficiently and with minimal emissions
Voyager 1 just powered down a nearly 50-year-old instrument to stay alive in deep space。 The spacecraft is running critically low on energy, forcing NASA to make careful sacrifices to keep its mission going。 Despite the shutdown, it continues to send back unique data from beyond our solar system
Scientists in Germany have pulled off a staggering computing feat by fully simulating a 50-qubit quantum computer for the first time ever using Europe’s new exascale supercomputer, JUPITER。 The breakthrough shatters the previous 48-qubit record and highlights just how powerful next-generation supercomputers have become
A new quantum physics study reveals that simply changing a magnetic field over time can unlock entirely new forms of matter that don’t exist under normal conditions。 By carefully “driving” materials with timed magnetic shifts, researchers created exotic quantum states that could be far more stable and resistant to errors—one of the biggest challeng
For decades, relaxor ferroelectrics have powered everything from medical ultrasounds to sonar systems, yet their inner atomic structure remained a mystery—until now。 Researchers have finally mapped their three-dimensional structure in unprecedented detail, uncovering hidden patterns in how electric charges are arranged at the nanoscale。 The breakth
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NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is about to pull off a dramatic close flyby of Mars, skimming just 2,800 miles above the planet to get a powerful gravitational boost on its journey to the mysterious metal-rich asteroid Psyche。 The maneuver will save propellant while giving mission scientists a rare chance to test and calibrate the spacecraft’s instruments
A new study suggests AI chatbots may do more than spread misinformation — they can actively strengthen a user’s false beliefs。 Because conversational AI often validates and builds on what users say, it can make distorted memories, conspiracy theories, or delusions feel more believable and emotionally real。 Researchers warn that AI companions may be
A team at the University of Hong Kong has developed a new “super steel” that can survive the harsh conditions needed to make green hydrogen from seawater。 The material uses an unexpected double-protection mechanism that resists corrosion far better than conventional stainless steel。 Even more impressive, it could replace costly titanium parts used
Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized。 Researchers discovered that living systems leave behind a kind of chemical “fingerprint” in the statistical distribution of amino acids and fatty acids, one that cons
A bold step toward returning humans to the Moon is underway with Blue Origin’s uncrewed MK1 “Endurance” lander, designed to test the technologies that future astronauts will rely on。 Built in partnership with NASA, the mission will showcase precision landing, autonomous navigation, and advanced cryogenic propulsion—key capabilities for operating on