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Reposted by Liene Spruženiece

Scottish Geology Trust @scottishgeology.bsky.social · Apr 18

Congratulations to Arran Geopark on being awarded
🗻 UNESCO Global Geopark 🏔️status!

It’s fab to see Arran being recognised for its unique geological heritage, rich biodiversity, and commitment to protecting their natural heritage.

Drumadoon Sill exposed as a cliff on the Arran shore

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 17

Finally, our weekday runs are happening in daylight, and we can watch sunsets while on the hills.

This is near Stirling. The peculiar blue zone above the horizon is an atmospheric phenomenon - the shadow of the Earth. The pink glow above it is called the Belt of Venus.

#SunsetScience

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Reposted by Liene Spruženiece

Laurie Winkless @lauriewinkless.bsky.social · Apr 15

To be clear, I truly don't GAF that some wealthy and/or famous women were passengers on a Bezos rocket. It is not in any way inspiring, especially at a time when NASA budgets are being slashed and women engineers & scientists are being pushed out of their careers and having their legacies erased 🧪

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 14

Just found out that there is a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting near the big tower of the University of Glasgow.
And they have their own staff cards, too.

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 11

Meanwhile in academia...

How does "improving the introduction" lead to a 2nd author status on a research paper?
And what's "Ghostwriting policy" in academic publishing???

So many questions...

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 10

Nezinu vai visi, bet novērots daudzās sugās.
Par funkcijām ir teorijas:
- Ca rezerve (uzkrāj, kad var, izlieto, kad vajag)
- dažos augos aizsardzība no dzīvniekiem, jo kristāli ir adatveidīgi un asi.
- detokss (uzkrāj smagos metālus un skābes).

Te labs raksts: tinyurl.com/u7t8fv4y

CALCIUM OXALATE IN PLANTS: Formation and Function | Annual Reviews

Calcium oxalatea highly insoluble crystalline salt of oxalic acid and calcium (CaOx) crystals are distributed among all taxonomic levels of photosynthetic organisms from small algae to angiosperms and...

www.annualreviews.org

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 10

🔬Microscopy Thursday!

🌿Did you know that plants can grow crystals? Here is a piece of oak with Ca-oxalates growing in its cells. In some plants, oxalate crystals form ~80% of their dry mass. In humans, they make kidney stones.

Sample provided by Dr Susanna Harris (University of Glasgow).

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Apr 8

So pretty! The gradient in garnet sizes is really interesting. Probably worth a whole study if there isn't one already.

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Mar 27

Lai šo risinātu dažviet ir ieviestas priekšatlases - 2 lpp pieteikums 1-ajā kārtā, pēc kā atsijā 50%-70% no iesniedzējiem.

Varbūt Latvijā arī kaut kas tāds vajadzīgs, ņemot vērā, ka mums ir konkursi ar 10% veiksmes rādītāju.

Vairāk finansējuma zinātnei protams arī noderētu :).

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Feb 24

Today in Riga: 3 years since the Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

3 years since Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom of all of us... so many lives destroyed...

#standwithukraine

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Feb 5

This was my first attempt at colorizing scanning electron microscopy images. Quite time-consuming, but I do like the result.

Oak pollen: before & after
#electronmicroscopy #sciart

Greyscale electron microscopy image showing pollen grains

Artificially coloured electron microscopy image showing orange-yellow pollen grains on green background

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Reposted by Liene Spruženiece

Prof Chris Jackson @seismatters.bsky.social · Nov 22

You should not be allowed to review papers unless you've read this and signed a contract 👇

I don't make the rules 😏

Yet 😈

www.dl.begellhouse.com/download/art...

www.dl.begellhouse.com

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 25

Waking up to a quiet morning today, but here is the storm Eowyn yesterday, reversing waterfalls in the Campsies hills, near Glasgow (video credit to Dawn McMillan).
www.facebook.com/reel/9893800...

15K views · 323 reactions | There she blows! Jenny's lum v storm Eowyn 🌀 | By Dawn | Facebook

There she blows! Jenny's lum v storm Eowyn 🌀

www.facebook.com

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

I did it on laptop. After requesting Twitter archive, you have to wait 24 hrs to receive it.
Overall, the imported data is not perfect (only exports your own posts, no bookmarks, no replies, and the links to Twitter posts are broken), but to me it was good enough, better than nothing.

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Also, I took most of my Twitter posts with me.
To do that:
1. Log into Twitter/choose "More"/"Settings and privacy"/Download an archive
3. Install and open "Porto" Chrome plugin
4. Put in your Bluesky username & password/ browse Twitter archive folder/ Analyze Tweets/ Import

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Hello Bluesky!
Twitter became unbearable, looking for a better life here :).

For the start, my favorite view from Kerrera island (geology fieldtrip). Outcrops expose strongly deformed Dalradian metamorpics, separated by a 300 million-year gap from the overlaying sediments and volcanics.

A view of the Gylen castle and ocean on Kerrera island

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Īsumā:
- zinātnieka izcilību nevar raksturot ar vienu vienīgu skaitli
- pēc H-ind. nevar salīdzināt dažādu jomu zinātniekus
- pēc H-ind. nevar salīdzināt pat vienas jomas zinātniekus, bez iedziļināšanās to zin. darba saturā
- ar H-ind. var manipulēt un tas tiek aktīvi darīts

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Paturpinot par plēsonību zinātnē, arī ielūgumi publicēties var nākt no plēsoņžunāliem, kas sola ātru procesu, pelna uz atvērtās pieejas publicēšanas maksām, un laiž cauri sliktas kvalitātes rakstus bez kārtīga recenzijas procesa.

Šādi izskatās epasts no plēsoņžurnāla:

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Strādājot zinātnē saņemu daudz spama ar aicinājumiem piedalīties konferencēs. Kā zināt, ka tie ir leģitīmi?

Galvenais likums: "Leģitīmu konferenču rīkotāji nesūta personīgus uzaicinājumus runātājiem, kas nav jomas līderi".

Vēl dažas pazīmes, kas tipiskas "plēsoņkonferencēm":

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Varu atzīties, ka vienreiz arī pati esmu "dāvinājusi autorību". Man tas nepatika, bet vadītāja/-s prasīja uzlikt kolēģi un kā studentei man toreiz likās, ka nevaru iebilst.

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Pamaisoties akadēmiskajā vidē esmu dzirdējusi reālus piemērus katram no S. Mežinskas nosauktajiem autorības pārkāpumu veidiem.
Trakākais, ka LV dažviet prakse tik ierasta, ka daļai liekas normāli pieprasīt autorību tikai finansējuma dēļ, ieguldot 0 darba.

lza.lv/publikacijas/z…

Akadēmiskais godīgums – kur esam un kurp dodamies? Signes Mežinskas viedokļraksts// "Zinātnes Vēstnesis"

Signe Mežinska: "Latvijā ir virkne akadēmiskā godīguma tēmu, kuras nav pietiekami diskutētas un kurās trūkst vienotas izpratnes par ētisku rīcību, pārkāpumiem un nevēlamām praksēm. Viena no šīm tē...

www.lza.lv

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

"Kā saprast vai žurnāls kas piedāvā publicēt tavu zinātnisko rakstu ir plēsoņžurnāls?"

Pēc pieredzes normāli žurnāli nesūta epastus pētniekiem. Izņēmumi: tas ir priekš "īpašā" izdevuma UN žurnāla redaktors tevi personiski pazīst.

nature.com/articles/d4158…

I’m worried I’ve been contacted by a predatory publisher — how do I find out?

Nature - Researchers frequently receive invitations to publish in journals that they might not have heard of. Nature asked two scientists how they would check whether a publication is legitimate.

www.nature.com

Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Beautiful day at Lochranza. L2 Earth Sciences @uofgges students did a great job of mapping the outcrops near Hutton's unconformity. #Scottishgeology #IsleofArran

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

Mapping the rocks at the Glen Sannox today. @uofgges Arran Earth Sciences field class. #Scottishgeology

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Liene Spruženiece @bymindandhammer.bsky.social · Jan 23

First day of the @UofGGES Arran Earth sciences fieldtrip.
We were looking on coastal outcrops near Corrie featuring beautifully cross-bedded sandstones, conglomerates, as well as highly eroded, but still recognizable columnar basalt. #geology #Scotland