6,238 research outputs found
The cuticle
The nematode cuticle is an extremely flexible and resilient exoskeleton that permits locomotion via
attachment to muscle, confers environmental protection and allows growth by molting. It is synthesised five
times, once in the embryo and subsequently at the end of each larval stage prior to molting. It is a highly
structured extra-cellular matrix (ECM), composed predominantly of cross-linked collagens, additional
insoluble proteins termed cuticlins, associated glycoproteins and lipids. The cuticle collagens are encoded by a large gene family that are subject to strict patterns of temporal regulation. Cuticle collagen biosynthesis
involves numerous co- and post-translational modification, processing, secretion and cross-linking steps that
in turn are catalysed by specific enzymes and chaperones. Mutations in individual collagen genes and their
biosynthetic pathway components can result in a range of defects from abnormal morphology (dumpy and
blister) to embryonic and larval death, confirming an essential role for this structure and highlighting its
potential as an ECM experimental model system
The role of built environment energy efficiency in a sustainable UK energy economy
Energy efficiency in the built environment can make significant contributions to a sustainable energy economy. In order to achieve this, greater public awareness of the importance of energy efficiency is required. In the short term, new efficient domestic appliances, building technologies, legislation quantifying building plant performance, and improved building regulations to include installed plant will be required. Continuing these improvements in the longer term is likely to see the adoption of small-scale renewable technologies embedded in the building fabric. Internet-based energy services will see low-cost building energy management and control delivered to the mass market in order that plant can be operated and maintained at optimum performance levels and energy savings quantified. There are many technology options for improved energy performance of the building fabric and energy systems and it's not yet clear which will prove to be the most economic. Therefore, flexibility is needed in legislation and energy-efficiency initiatives
Stellar activity and planetary atmosphere evolution in tight binary star systems
Context. In tight binary star systems, tidal interactions can significantly
influence the rotational and orbital evolution of both stars, and therefore
their activity evolution. This can have strong effects on the atmospheric
evolution of planets that are orbiting the two stars.
Aims. In this paper, we aim to study the evolution of stellar rotation and of
X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation in tight binary systems consisting of two
solar mass stars and use our results to study planetary atmosphere evolution in
the habitable zones of these systems.
Methods. We have applied a rotation model developed for single stars to
binary systems, taking into account the effects of tidal interactions on the
rotational and orbital evolution of both stars. We used empirical
rotation-activity relations to predict XUV evolution tracks for the stars,
which we used to model hydrodynamic escape of hydrogen dominated atmospheres.
Results. When significant, tidal interactions increase the total amount of
XUV energy emitted, and in the most extreme cases by up to factor of 50.
We find that in the systems that we study, habitable zone planets with masses
of 1~M can lose huge hydrogen atmospheres due to the extended high
levels of XUV emission, and the time that is needed to lose these atmospheres
depends on the binary orbital separation.For some orbital separations, and when
the stars are born as rapid rotators, it is also possible for tidal
interactions to protect atmospheres from erosion by quickly spinning down the
stars. For very small orbital separations, the loss of orbital angular momentum
by stellar winds causes the two stars to merge. We suggest that the merging of
the two stars could cause previously frozen planets to become habitable due to
the habitable zone boundaries moving outwards.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&
ASCA and ROSAT observations of nearby cluster cooling flows
We present a detailed analysis of the X-ray properties of the cooling flows
in a sample of nearby, X-ray bright clusters of galaxies using high-quality
ASCA spectra and ROSAT X-ray images. We demonstrate the need for multiphase
models to consistently explain the spectral and imaging X-ray data for the
clusters. The mass deposition rates of the cooling flows, independently
determined from the ASCA spectra and ROSAT images, exhibit reasonable
agreement. We confirm the presence of intrinsic X-ray absorption in the
clusters using a variety of spectral models. We also report detections of
extended m infrared emission, spatially coincident with the cooling
flows, in several of the systems studied. The observed infrared fluxes and flux
limits are in good agreement with the predicted values due to reprocessed X-ray
emission from the cooling flows. We present precise measurements of the
abundances of iron, magnesium, silicon and sulphur in the central regions of
the Virgo and Centaurus clusters. Our results firmly favour models in which a
high mass fraction (70-80 per cent) of the iron in the X-ray gas in these
regions is due to Type Ia supernovae. Finally, we present a series of methods
which may be used to measure the ages of cooling flows from the X-ray data. The
results for the present sample of clusters indicate ages of between 2.5 and 7
Gyr. If the ages of cooling flows are primarily set by subcluster merger
events, then our results suggest that in the largest clusters, mergers with
subclusters with masses of approximately 30 per cent of the final cluster mass
are likely to disrupt cooling flows.Comment: Final version. MNRAS, in press. 36 pages, 9 figs, 14 tables in MNRAS
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Colliding Winds in Low-Mass Binary Star Systems: wind interactions and implications for habitable planets
Context. In binary star systems, the winds from the two components impact
each other, leading to strong shocks and regions of enhanced density and
temperature. Potentially habitable circumbinary planets must continually be
exposed to these interactions regions.
Aims. We study, for the first time, the interactions between winds from
low-mass stars in a binary system, to show the wind conditions seen by
potentially habitable circumbinary planets.
Methods. We use the advanced 3D numerical hydrodynamic code Nurgush to model
the wind interactions of two identical winds from two solar mass stars with
circular orbits and a binary separation of 0.5 AU. As input into this model, we
use a 1D hydrodynamic simulation of the solar wind, run using the Versatile
Advection Code. We derive the locations of stable and habitable orbits in this
system to explore what wind conditions potentially habitable planets will be
exposed to during their orbits.
Results. Our wind interaction simulations result in the formation of two
strong shock waves separated by a region of enhanced density and temperature.
The wind-wind interaction region has a spiral shape due to Coriolis forces
generated by the orbital motions of the two stars. The stable and habitable
zone in this system extends from approximately 1.4 AU to 2.4 AU. (TRUNCATED)Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, to be published in A&
The EDEM methodology for housing upgrade analysis, carbon and energy labelling and national policy development
The ESRU Domestic Energy Model (EDEM) has been developed in response to demand from policy makers for a tool to assist in analysis of options for improving carbon and energy performance of housing across a range of possible future technologies, behaviours and environmental factors. A major challenge is to comprehend the large variation in fabric, systems (heating, hot water, lighting and appliances) and behaviours across the housing stock as well as uncertainty over future trends. Existing static models have limited ability to represent dynamic behaviour while use of detailed simulation has been based on modelling only a small number of representative designs. To address these challenges, EDEM has been developed as an easy to use, Web based tool, built on detailed simulation models aligned with national house survey data. From pragmatic inputs, EDEM can determine energy use and carbon emissions at any scale, from individual dwelling to national housing stock. EDEM was used at the behest of the Scottish Building Standards Agency and South Ayrshire Council to quantify the impact of upgrades including new and renewable energy systems. EDEM was also used to rate energy/carbon performance of dwellings as required by the EU Directive (EU, 2002). This paper describes the evolving EDEM methodology, its structure and operation then presents findings from applications. While initial EDEM projects have been for the Scottish housing stock the methodology is structured to facilitate project development and application to other countries
Detection of solvents using a distributed fibre optic sensor
A fibre optic sensor that is capable of distributed detection of liquid solvents is presented. Sensor interrogation using optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) provides the capability of locating solvent spills to a precision of ±2 m over a total sensor length that may extend to 20 km
Concordant cues in faces and voices: testing the backup signal hypothesis
Information from faces and voices combines to provide multimodal signals about a person. Faces and voices may offer redundant, overlapping (backup signals), or complementary information (multiple messages). This article reports two experiments which investigated the extent to which faces and voices deliver concordant information about dimensions of fitness and quality. In Experiment 1, participants rated faces and voices on scales for masculinity/femininity, age, health, height, and weight. The results showed that people make similar judgments from faces and voices, with particularly strong correlations for masculinity/femininity, health, and height. If, as these results suggest, faces and voices constitute backup signals for various dimensions, it is hypothetically possible that people would be able to accurately match novel faces and voices for identity. However, previous investigations into novel face–voice matching offer contradictory results. In Experiment 2, participants saw a face and heard a voice and were required to decide whether the face and voice belonged to the same person. Matching accuracy was significantly above chance level, suggesting that judgments made independently from faces and voices are sufficiently similar that people can match the two. Both sets of results were analyzed using multilevel modeling and are interpreted as being consistent with the backup signal hypothesis
Hydrogen Two-Photon Continuum Emission from the Horseshoe Filament in NGC 1275
Far ultraviolet emission has been detected from a knot of Halpha emission in
the Horseshoe filament, far out in the NGC 1275 nebula. The flux detected
relative to the brightness of the Halpha line in the same spatial region is
very close to that expected from Hydrogen two-photon continuum emission in the
particle heating model of Ferland et al. (2009) if reddening internal to the
filaments is taken into account. We find no need to invoke other sources of far
ultraviolet emission such as hot stars or emission lines from CIV in
intermediate temperature gas to explain these data.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Simulation support for internet-based energy services
The rapidly developing Internet broadband network offers new opportunities for deploying a range of energy, environment and health-related services for people in their homes and workplaces. Several of these services can be enabled or enhanced through the application of building simulation. This paper describes the infrastructure for e-services under test within a European research project and shows the potential for simulation support for these services
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