Counting carrots : conservation and use of apiaceous crops – from genebank to data

The UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB – https://warwick.ac.uk/gru/genebank) holds a collection of ~14,000 seed samples from a range of vegetable and herb crops. The collections include apiaceous crops such as carrot, parsnip and celery and herbs like coriander and parsley. Collections of plant genetic resources are conserved to ensure current and future access to crop genetic diversity. Genebanks like the UKVGB actively support utilisation by breeders, researchers and farmers but once samples are distributed, it is challenging to keep track of use and data generated. Data generated by users is a valuable resource to support future use, aiding selection of appropriate germplasm and reducing duplication of effort. We have tracked the use of our apiaceous crops through the scientific literature as part of our work to facilitate access by potential users of the collections to existing data. We examine how UKVGB germplasm has been used to screen for key traits as well as other investigations in areas such as domestication, phylogenetics and ecogeography, highlighting the vital role played by collections of plant genetic resources in plant and crop science

Helium identification with LHCb

The identification of helium nuclei at LHCb is achieved using a method based on measurements of ionisation losses in the silicon sensors and timing measurements in the Outer Tracker drift tubes. The background from photon conversions is reduced using the RICH detectors and an isolation requirement. The method is developed using pp collision data at √(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment in the years 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb-1. A total of around 105 helium and antihelium candidates are identified with negligible background contamination. The helium identification efficiency is estimated to be approximately 50% with a corresponding background rejection rate of up to Script O(1012). These results demonstrate the feasibility of a rich programme of measurements of QCD and astrophysics interest involving light nuclei

Development of new process and product monitoring technologies for the manufacturing of high value alloy steels for use in critical applications

During the mid-1700s, Benjamin Huntsman developed the crucible steelmaking process to improve the performance of steels used for making clock springs. This can be considered the beginning of the development of clean steels, which have certain requirements regarding inclusion chemistry and content arising from the potentially deleterious impacts that inclusions can have on steel properties. Today, steelmakers continue to produce clean steels for applications such as aerospace and bearings using tight control of existing process parameters, as environmental and economic drivers have pushed performance requirements. The current project introduced new methods of linking process parameters and product quality at the program sponsor, Liberty Speciality Steels, in three areas: (1) Quantification of the inclusion flotation process has traditionally relied heavily on the operator's experience, and so a great effort has been expended on monitoring ladle bubbling, with an aim to quantify bubbling so that it can be even more closely and consistently controlled. (2) Many methods of inclusion assessment have been established by producers and international bodies, all with their own benefits and limitations. However, emerging technologies, such as x-ray computed tomography, might offer more information than current techniques. (3) Although the common practice of procedural slag chemistry control has historically been used to great effect, analysis of through-process slag chemistry using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy would allow slag mixes to achieve the best chemistry and slag additions to respond to actual slag chemistry in the ladle. Ultimately, the project aim is to assess the viability of applying these technologies to a speciality steelmaking process with the hope of allowing further process developments to improve final product properties

The world turned upside down : can international student mobility contribute towards democratization and human development? Evidence from the Eurograduate pilot survey

Political, social, environmental, and health challenges have questioned the relevance and sustainability of international student mobility (ISM). Strong critiques towards ISM stem from current global challenges but are also rightfully prevalent among scholars of internationalization. In response to the sustained critique of ISM, this article makes the case that—despite its limitations—ISM can contribute towards important public good outcomes and serve broader institutional and higher education sector aims. Public good is operationalized as referring to markers of democratization—trust in others and political participation—and markers of human development—self-reported competency levels and happiness. Data from eight European countries collected through the Eurograduate 2018 pilot survey is used to test the association between study abroad and democratization and human development markers. By doing so, the paper aims to understand if ISM can help address some of the democratization and human development challenges faced at national, regional, and global levels. The paper also observes how these outcomes vary between international, migrant, and domestic graduates. In this article, the juxtaposition of migrant graduates—an under-researched group in internationalization studies—with international graduates highlights how migrant students and graduates can be better supported. Results offer a complex picture of inequality between international, migrant, and domestic graduates. Findings also show that studying abroad is positively associated with trust in others, political participation, higher self-reported competency levels, and happiness, underlining the public good value of ISM

Gender, prison and reentry experiences : a matter of time

"This book explores the unique reentry experiences of incarcerated men and women who are about to be released from prisons in Portugal. By analysing gendered reentry experiences through the narratives of men and women, Gender, Prison and Reentry Experiences sheds light on current practices and strategies adopted in prisons regarding reentry and examines the structural, institutional, and personal barriers that influence the reentry outcome. Gender, Prison and Reentry Experience examines the narratives built around an individual's prison experiences, their perception of the prison's impact on reentry, and their expectations after release. It reveals how men and women narrate and attribute meaning to their time in prison and how they navigate their 'prisoner' and 'gendered' identities. In doing so, this book demonstrates the importance of these identities in relation to recidivism and desistance, whilst also questioning the role incarceration has in further criminalising and obstructing an individuals' reentry process. It puts forward recommendations that aim to improve the lives of all incarcerated individuals within the current system, in addition to advocating for decarceration and prison abolition. It presents a novel contribution to the internationalisation of knowledge across multiple disciplinary subfields, namely critical reentry studies and feminist criminology, filling a gap in the current knowledge as few studies focus on prison experiences as a core aspect of understanding the reentry process. An accessible and compelling read, this book will appeal to students and scholars of criminology, sociology, law, desistance studies, and those interested in gaining a unique insight into the experience of incarcerated individuals"-- Provided by publishe

Imaging single-cell Ca2+ dynamics of brainstem neurons and glia in freely behaving mice

In vivo brain imaging, using a combination of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators and gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens, is a transformative technology that has become an increasingly potent research tool over the last decade. It allows direct visualisation of the dynamic cellular activity of deep brain neurons and glia in conscious animals and avoids the effect of anaesthesia on the network. This technique provides a step change in brain imaging where fibre photometry combines the whole ensemble of cellular activity, and multiphoton microscopy is limited to imaging superficial brain structures either under anaesthesia or in head-restrained conditions. We have refined the intravital imaging technique to image deep brain nuclei in the ventral medulla oblongata, one of the most difficult brain structures to image due to the movement of brainstem structures outside the cranial cavity during free behaviour (head and neck movement), whose targeting requires GRIN lens insertion through the cerebellum—a key structure for balance and movement. Our protocol refines the implantation method of GRIN lenses, giving the best possible approach to image deep extracranial brainstem structures in awake rodents with improved cell rejection/acceptance criteria during analysis. We have recently reported this method for imaging the activity of retrotrapezoid nucleus and raphe neurons to outline their chemosensitive characteristics. This revised method paves the way to image challenging brainstem structures to investigate their role in complex behaviours such as breathing, circulation, sleep, digestion, and swallowing, and could be extended to image and study the role of cerebellum in balance, movement, motor learning, and beyond

Do alliances make firms faster?

Alliances are typically viewed as an acceleration strategy for firms able to access or acquire the resources and capabilities of partner firms, yet theoretical and empirical work suggests that alliances can actually impair speed performance due to the costs stemming from partner cooperation and coordination. In this paper, we advance the premise that firm heterogeneity may determine whether alliances enhance, or impair, the speed performance of firms. We then turn to focus on one particular kind of firm heterogeneity, the intrinsic speed capabilities of the firm, by which we mean the ability to execute investment projects or operations faster at the same cost. Our expectation is that slow firms, or those firms lacking intrinsic speed capabilities, will realize substantial speed benefits from partnering due to the capability access from partner firms. We also expect that the benefits enjoyed by slow firms from partnering can persist into future projects due to capability acquisition from the partnership, but that these benefits hinge on the firm possessing absorptive capacity in the form of previous partnering experiences. Results from random coefficient models that address selection concerns and from treatment effect analyses provide support for these expectations in on-shore oil and gas drilling projects

Evidence for very massive stars in extremely UV-bright star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2.2 − 3.6

We present a comprehensive analysis of the presence of very massive stars (VMS > 100 M⊙) in the integrated spectra of 13 UV-bright star-forming galaxies at 2.2 ≲ z ≲ 3.6 taken with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). These galaxies have very high UV absolute magnitudes (MUV ≃ −24), intense star formation (star formation rate ≃100 − 1000 M⊙ yr−1), and metallicities in the range of 12 + log(O/H) ≃ 8.10 − 8.50 inferred from strong rest-optical lines. The GTC rest-UV spectra reveal spectral features indicative of very young stellar populations with VMS, such as strong P-Cygni line profiles in the wind lines N Vλ1240 and C IVλ1550 along with intense and broad He IIλ1640 emission with equivalent width (EW0) ≃ 1.40 − 4.60 Å, and full width half maximum (FWHM) ≃1150 − 3170 km s−1. A Comparison with known VMS-dominated sources and typical galaxies without VMS reveals that some UV-bright galaxies closely resemble VMS-dominated clusters (e.g., R136 cluster). The presence of VMS is further supported by a quantitative comparison of the observed strength of the He II emission with population synthesis models with and without VMS, where models with VMS are clearly preferred. Employing an empirical threshold for EW0 (He II) ≥ 3.0 Å, along with the detection of other VMS-related spectral profiles (N IVλ1486, 1719), we classify nine out of 13 UV-bright galaxies as VMS-dominated sources. This high incidence of VMS-dominated sources in the UV-bright galaxy population (≈70%) contrasts significantly with the negligible presence of VMS in typical LUV∗ LBGs at similar redshifts (< 1%). Our results thus indicate that VMS are common in UV-bright galaxies, suggesting a different initial mass function (IMF) with upper mass limits between 175 M⊙ and 475 M⊙

Translating survivor-centredness into pedagogical approaches to training on sexual violence in conflict and emergency settings : a case study

To encourage further interrogation of the language of “survivor-centredness” in the field of conflict-related sexual violence, this article offers a case study of efforts to build and intensify more survivor-centred pedagogy for use in the training of humanitarian workers seeking to address sexual violence in conflict and emergency settings. Set against the backdrop of a literature review of existing usages, it builds on key aspects of an earlier evaluation in which all three authors were involved in different capacities