My Private Cloud Overview: A Trust, Privacy and Security Infrastructure for the Cloud

Based on the assumption that cloud providers can be trusted (to a certain extent) we define a trust, security and privacy preserving infrastructure that relies on trusted cloud providers to operate properly. Working in tandem with legal agreements, our open source software supports: trust and reputation management, sticky policies with fine grained access controls, privacy preserving delegation of authority, federated identity management, different levels of assurance and configurable audit trails. Armed with these tools, cloud service providers are then able to offer a reliable privacy preserving infrastructure-as-a-service to their clients

A "Starless" Core that Isn't: Detection of a Source in the L1014 Dense Core with the Spitzer Space Telescope

We present observations of L1014, a dense core in the Cygnus region previously thought to be starless, but data from the Spitzer Space Telescope show the presence of an embedded source. We propose a model for this source that includes a cold core, heated by the interstellar radiation field, and a low-luminosity internal source. The low luminosity of the internal source suggests a substellar object. If L1014 is representative, other "starless" cores may turn out to harbor central sources

The ‘Pritchard Trap’: a novel quantitative survey method for crayfish

1. As crayfish invasions continue to threaten native freshwater biota, a detailed understanding of crayfish distribution and population structure becomes imperative. Nonetheless, most current survey methods provide inadequate demographic data. The quantitative ‘Triple Drawdown’ (TDD) dewatering method has highlighted the importance of such data, yet practical constraints prevent its large-scale application. 2. Here, we introduce the ‘Pritchard Trap’, a novel passive sampling method that reliably generates quantitative crayfish population data while requiring substantially lower sampling effort than TDDs. This quadrat-style sampler was extensively tested in headwater streams of North Yorkshire, England, along an invasion gradient for signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) from well-established sites to mixed populations of signal crayfish and native white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes). 3. The Pritchard Trap was trialled over several time intervals to determine the minimum required trap deployment time. TDDs at the same sites allowed for a robust evaluation of Pritchard Trap sampling accuracy in representing crayfish densities and population structure. 4. The Pritchard Trap successfully sampled both invasive and native crayfish (8–42 mm carapace length). A minimum passive deployment time of 4 days was required. At low crayfish densities (0.5 individuals m−2), increased trapping effort was necessary to achieve accurate population density and size class distribution estimates. The Pritchard Trap required substantially less sampling effort (working hours) and resources than the TDD, whilst also posing less risk to non-target species. 5. The Pritchard Trap, for the first time, affords logistically simple, truly quantitative investigations of crayfish population demographics for headwater systems. It could be integrated into crayfish research and management, for example to explore density-dependent ecological impacts of invasive crayfish and their management responses or to monitor populations and recruitment in native crayfish conservation initiatives

Selective oxidation of cyclohexane: Ce promotion of nanostructured manganese tungstate

Cyclohexane selective oxidation over nanostructured MnWO4promoted with increasing amounts of Ce (1–5 wt%) has been investigated at mild conditions using molecular oxygen as oxidant. MnWO4nanorods were found to be an active catalyst for cyclohexane selective oxidation with selectivity to KA oil (cyclohexanol + cyclohexanone) of approximately 85%. The catalytic performance was improved by impregnation with 1 wt% Ce while the textural properties and crystallinity were preserved and Ce was well-dispersed on the surface. XPS analysis of 1%Ce-MnWO4showed Ce to be present mainly as Ce3+, which is known to promote oxygen adsorption, activation, and mobility. At higher Ce content, the proportion of Ce4+increased to be the main Ce species and large, heterogeneously-dispersed Ce oxide particles are formed on the catalyst surface. The lower Ce3+content reduces the promoting effect while the large Ce oxide particles block access to the active sites on the surface of the MnWO4nanorod. MnWO4and 1%Ce-MnWO4nanorods were shown to retain their selective oxidation performance in consecutive reaction runs. Surprisingly, physical mixtures of nanostructured MnWO4and a CeO2nanopowder showed enhanced selective oxidation activity compared to MnWO4alone reaching a plateau at 25–50 wt% CeO2, whereas CeO2nanopowder itself was found to be inactive at the reaction conditions. Ce promoted MnWO4shows promise as a catalyst for selective oxidation of cyclohexane and performs at least as well as the most active non-metallic heterogeneous catalysts reported in the literature

Desilicated NaY zeolites impregnated with magnesium as catalysts for glucose isomerisation into fructose

Acknowledgement This work was performed with financial support from EPSRC(UK) under grant EP/K014749/1. Solid-state NMR spectra were obtained at the EPSRC UK National Solid-state NMR Service at Durham.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The 1000 GeV gamma rays from ms pulsars

The detection of 1000 GeV gamma-rays with the characteristic 6.1 ms periodicity of the radio pulsar PSR 1953 +29 is reported. This result, significant at the 5.4 beta level, provides the first direct evidence for the association of the 6 ms radio pulsar PSR1953+29 with the gamma-ray source 2CG065+0. Extensive observations of the 1.5 ms pulsar PSR 1937 are also reported

The 1000 GeV gamma ray emission from radio pulsars

Radio pulsars have concentrated on long observations of the Crab pulsar and showed that it emits short intense bursts and a persistent weak periodic flux at gamma-ray energies 1000 GeV. It was shown that the light curve of the persistent emission was dominated by a single peak, coincident with the position of the radio and low energy gamma-ray main pulse. The results of a more detailed analysis of the structure of this main pulse are reported following an appraisal of the timing system. It is shown that at energies 1000 GeV the duration of the main pulse is not greater than 0.4 ms, which is less than that seen at all frequencies other than radio. Flux limits for the emission of 1000 GeV gamma-rays by seven other radio pulsars are reporte

1000 GeV gamma rays from Cygnus X-3: An update

Measurements of 1000 GeV gamma-rays from Cygnus X-3 made with the University of Durham facility at Dugway, Utah in 1981/82 are reviewed. The light curve of the 4.8 hour modulated emission is updated and shows evidence significant at the 4.4 sigma level for strong emission (9% of the cosmic ray rate) at phase 0.625 and less significant (1.4 sigma level) indications of weaker emission (3% of the cosmic ray rate) at phase 0.125. The effect constituting the excess on the few nights showing the strongest emission appears to arise from the smallest Cerenkov light signals suggesting a steep gamma-ray spectrum. The 1982 data have been searched unsuccessfully for evidence of emission at phase 0.2, in coincidence with the results from the ultra-high energy (extensive Air Showers (EAS) measurements in 1979-1982. A systematic investigation of a long term variation in the strength of the peak of the 4.8 hr modulated 1000 GeV gamma-ray emission has been made. We find that in addition to the approximately 34 d variation reported by us previously, a stronger effect exists at around 19d

Use of Topographic Data on Land-Use Land-Cover Delineation by ERTS Imagery

The use of ERTS imagery for estimating land-use land-cover is of particular importance for the Canadian Department of the Environment for many reasons, one of which is the fact that this Department is using a lands-wide data bank of river basins characteristics for interpolation of hydrologic information in which land-use land-cover is an important one. Initially data on land-use land-cover were obtained by abstracting them by hand from 1/200,000 topographic maps, and were limited to the following elements: forested area, lake covered areas, swamp covered areas, and urbanized areas. The roughness of the information thus obtained, together with the fact that the data obtained could not be updated, resulted in significant difficulties in using the data in the interpolation of hydrologic information. This is particularly true when the technique of interpolation was a spatially distributed hydrologic model, recently developed and applied with success where detailed information on land-use and land-cover was available