Criminal networks, illegal immigration and the threat to border security

ABSTRACT This paper considers some of the challenges posed to law enforcement agencies in post

Quantification of turbate microstructures through a subglacial till : dimensions and characteristics

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The future of non-terrestrial broadcasters in the UK television industry: the shape of things to come?

The UK television industry operates in a highly turbulent environment characterised by the rapid changes in; regulation, technology, audience behaviour and new media consumption. This competitive environment makes it difficult for television companies to identify strategies for growth and may indeed place their very survival at risk. This paper investigates the future of the non-terrestrial television broadcasters (NTBs) in the UK and examines how they can maintain and develop their position as major outlets for television consumption over the next five years. Empirical data was collected using a scenario planning methodology which is widely known for its value in addressing environmental uncertainty by illustrating the future as having a limited number of possible. A range of experienced industry practitioners participated in the development of four future scenarios, based on the degree of technological convergence and the number of television gatekeepers present in the industry. Having evaluated the implications of each scenario, and identified a number of early indicators that would signpost which was most likely to come about, the participants suggested three strategic options that non-terrestrial television broadcasters might adopt to compete effectively. These strategies included; investing in and owning original and exclusive content; forming strategic partnerships with other media companies; making significant investment in channel brands. Key Words: UK Television Industry, Non-Terrestrial Broadcasters, Scenario Planning, Competitive Strategy

Parafermions in a Kagome lattice of qubits for topological quantum computation

Engineering complex non-Abelian anyon models with simple physical systems is crucial for topological quantum computation. Unfortunately, the simplest systems are typically restricted to Majorana zero modes (Ising anyons). Here we go beyond this barrier, showing that the $\mathbb{Z}_4$ parafermion model of non-Abelian anyons can be realized on a qubit lattice. Our system additionally contains the Abelian $D(\mathbb{Z}_4)$ anyons as low-energetic excitations. We show that braiding of these parafermions with each other and with the $D(\mathbb{Z}_4)$ anyons allows the entire $d=4$ Clifford group to be generated. The error correction problem for our model is also studied in detail, guaranteeing fault-tolerance of the topological operations. Crucially, since the non-Abelian anyons are engineered through defect lines rather than as excitations, non-Abelian error correction is not required. Instead the error correction problem is performed on the underlying Abelian model, allowing high noise thresholds to be realized.Comment: 11+10 pages, 14 figures; v2: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. X; 4 new figures, performance of phase-gate explained in more detai

In the absence of CD154, administration of interleukin-12 restores Th1 responses but not protective immunity to Schistosoma mansoni

The cytokine interplay during the development of protective immunity to the radiation-attenuated (RA) schistosome vaccine has been extensively characterized over recent years, yet the role of costimulatory molecules in the development of cell-mediated immunity is much less well understood. Here we demonstrate the importance of CD40/CD154 in vaccine-induced immunity, as CD154(-/-) mice exposed to RA schistosomes develop no protection to challenge infection. We showed that vaccinated CD154(-/-) mice have defective Th1-associated immune responses in the skin-draining lymph nodes and the lungs, with reduced or absent levels of interleukin-12p40 (IL-12p40), gamma interferon, and nitric oxide, but elevated levels of lung IL-4 and IL-5. The expression of major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) on antigen-presenting cells recovered from the lungs of vaccinated CD154(-/-) mice was also severely compromised. The administration of anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (MAb) to CD154(-/-) mice did not reconstitute sustained Th1 responses in the lymph nodes or the lungs, nor did the MAb restore anti-parasite immunoglobulin G production or protective immunity. On the other hand, the administration of recombinant IL-12 (rIL-12) to CD154(-/-) mice shortly after vaccination caused elevated and sustained levels of Th1-associated cytokines, rescued MHC-II expression by lung CD11c(+) cells, and restored the appearance of inflammatory effector foci in the lungs. However, the treatment of CD154(-/-) mice with rIL-12 did not restore protection. We conclude that protective immunity to the RA schistosome vaccine is CD154 dependent but is independent of IL-12-orchestrated cellular immune mechanisms in the lungs

Carbon pools recover more rapidly than plant biodiversity in secondary tropical forests

Both REDD+ and the Convention on Biological Diversity aim to enhance carbon stocks and biodiversity through tropical forest restoration. However, we lack evidence of the effectiveness of such management. Using data from tropical forest chronosequence and restoration studies we investigate the recovery of carbon pools and plant biodiversity in recovering forests and determine factors limiting recovery

The Federal Reserve's Primary Dealer Credit Facility

As liquidity conditions in the "repo market"--the market where broker-dealers obtain financing for their securities--deteriorated following the near-bankruptcy of Bear Stearns in March 2008, the Federal Reserve took the step of creating a special facility to provide overnight loans to dealers that have a trading relationship with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Six months later, in the wake of new strains in the repo market, the Fed expanded the facility by broadening the types of collateral accepted for loans. Both initiatives were designed to help restore the orderly functioning of the market and to prevent the spillover of distress to other financial firms.Federal Reserve Bank of New York ; Loans ; Financial crises ; Brokers