341 research outputs found
In-orbit Vignetting Calibrations of XMM-Newton Telescopes
We describe measurements of the mirror vignetting in the XMM-Newton
Observatory made in-orbit, using observations of SNR G21.5-09 and SNR
3C58 with the EPIC imaging cameras. The instrument features that complicate
these measurements are briefly described. We show the spatial and energy
dependences of measured vignetting, outlining assumptions made in deriving the
eventual agreement between simulation and measurement. Alternate methods to
confirm these are described, including an assessment of source elongation with
off-axis angle, the surface brightness distribution of the diffuse X-ray
background, and the consistency of Coma cluster emission at different position
angles. A synthesis of these measurements leads to a change in the XMM
calibration data base, for the optical axis of two of the three telescopes, by
in excess of 1 arcminute. This has a small but measureable effect on the
assumed spectral responses of the cameras for on-axis targets.Comment: Accepted by Experimental Astronomy. 26 pages, 18 figure
Analysis of international residential solar PV self-consumption
How much does installing solar photovoltaic (âPVâ) panels reduce domestic electricity bills? Despite over
800,000 households with solar panels in the UK today, we do not have a firm answer to this simple question.
This is because the empirical data necessary to calculate solar self-consumption is not widely available; an issue
common to many countries. Without electricity metering that records solar PV generation, imports and exports,
it is impossible to know exactly how much solar power is being used directly in the household, and as a result,
how much solar panels actually reduce electricity bills. As many countries reduce state subsidies, the revenue
stream from avoided grid imports (i.e. self-consumption) becomes increasingly critical for the economic viability
of PV. Quantifying this potential revenue is also vital for the solar industry to evaluate the potential benefits of
battery storage and flexibility services. This paper will help to address this knowledge gap by analysing a
previously unused dataset of electricity readings from over 1,300 households with solar panels located across the
UK, USA, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The results show there is considerable variation
in self-consumption between different households, but this is relatively well explained by differences in the
amount of solar electricity generated and the amount of electricity consumed during the day (r-squared 0.915),
and that the factors affecting self-consumption are similar between the different countries analysed here. The
findings will be relevant to regulators for making evidence-based decisions about solar energy policy, provide
better information about potential self-consumption to people interested in adopting solar panels, and highlight
the importance of improving data availability for âbehind-the-meterâ micro-generation
Intergovernmental Relations in Scotland: what was the SNP effect?
In Scotland, the formation of a minority government in 2007 by the Scottish National Party (SNP) provided the potential for profound changes in intergovernmental relations. This followed eight years of a Scottish Labour-led coalition government characterised by a low-key and informal relationship with the UK Labour government. From 1999 to 2007, discussions were conducted informally and almost entirely through political parties and executives (ministers and civil servants). Although formal mechanisms for negotiation and dispute resolution existed-including the courts, concordats and Joint Ministerial Committees-they were used rarely. The Scottish Executive also played a minimal role in EU policy-making. Yet, an ‘explosive' new era of relations between the Scottish and UK governments did not arrive in tandem with the new era of party incongruence. The aim of this article is to explore these issues by asking two main questions: why were formal mechanisms used so rarely from 1999 to 2007, and what factors produced muted rather than problematic IGR in the third parliamentary session, between 2007 and 2011
The utilisation of health research in policy-making: Concepts, examples and methods of assessment
The importance of health research utilisation in policy-making, and of understanding the
mechanisms involved, is increasingly recognised. Recent reports calling for more resources to
improve health in developing countries, and global pressures for accountability, draw greater
attention to research-informed policy-making. Key utilisation issues have been described for at
least twenty years, but the growing focus on health research systems creates additional dimensions.
The utilisation of health research in policy-making should contribute to policies that may eventually
lead to desired outcomes, including health gains. In this article, exploration of these issues is
combined with a review of various forms of policy-making. When this is linked to analysis of
different types of health research, it assists in building a comprehensive account of the diverse
meanings of research utilisation.
Previous studies report methods and conceptual frameworks that have been applied, if with varying
degrees of success, to record utilisation in policy-making. These studies reveal various examples of
research impact within a general picture of underutilisation.
Factors potentially enhancing utilisation can be identified by exploration of: priority setting;
activities of the health research system at the interface between research and policy-making; and
the role of the recipients, or 'receptors', of health research. An interfaces and receptors model
provides a framework for analysis.
Recommendations about possible methods for assessing health research utilisation follow
identification of the purposes of such assessments. Our conclusion is that research utilisation can
be better understood, and enhanced, by developing assessment methods informed by conceptual
analysis and review of previous studies
Constitutional Reform in the UK: A Note on the Legacy of the Kilbrandon Commission
The past two decades have seen large shifts in the constitutional landscape of the United Kingdom. This began with the devolution of powers from Westminster to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland under the first Blair government. More recently, the localism agenda advanced by the Coalition and subsequent Conservative governments has sought to further devolve powers to areas within England, and the constitutional integrity of the UK itself was threatened by 2014s Scottish independence referendum and the 2016 referendum vote for the UK to leave the European Union. It is convenient to regard constitutional reform concerned with the dispersal of power through the creation of new executive and legislative bodies as a modern phenomenon. However, the roots of devolution go back much further. Largely forgotten is the work of the Kilbrandon Commission, established to consider the allocation of executive and legislative power within the UK, which reported in 1973 and effectively produced the first substantial proposals for the devolution of power from Westminster. Almost two decades on from the creation of the devolved institutions for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the present moment is as opportune as any to consider the longer-term legacy of the Kilbrandon Commission. This note revisits the major findings and recommendations of Kilbrandon and attempts to consider the extent to which these have been realised in subsequent constitutional reform initiatives. While difficult to quantify its significance, it is nonetheless important to recognise the relevance of the commissionâs work for subsequent and unfinished developments within the area of constitutional reform. © 2017, The Author(s)
Placing the library at the heart of plagiarism prevention: The University of Bradford experience.
yesPlagiarism is a vexed issue for Higher Education, affecting student transition, retention and attainment. This paper reports on two initiatives from the University of Bradford library aimed at reducing student plagiarism. The first initiative is an intensive course for students who have contravened plagiarism regulations. The second course introduces new students to the concepts surrounding plagiarism with the aim to prevent plagiarism breaches. Since the Plagiarism Avoidance for New Students course was introduced there has been a significant drop in students referred to the disciplinary programme. This paper discusses the background to both courses and the challenges of implementation
Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
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Swift Detects a Remarkable Gamma-Ray Burst, GRB 060614, That Introduces a New Classification Scheme
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are known to come in two duration classes, separated at {approx}2 s. Long bursts originate from star forming regions in galaxies, have accompanying supernovae (SNe) when near enough to observe and are likely caused by massive-star collapsars. Recent observations show that short bursts originate in regions within their host galaxies with lower star formation rates, consistent with binary neutron star (NS) or NS - black hole (BH) mergers. Moreover, although their hosts are predominantly nearby galaxies, no SNe have been so far associated with short GRBs. We report here on the bright, nearby GRB 060614 that does not fit in either class. Its {approx}102 s duration groups it with long GRBs, while its temporal lag and peak luminosity fall entirely within the short GRB subclass. Moreover, very deep optical observations exclude an accompanying supernova, similar to short GRBs. This combination of a long duration event without accompanying SN poses a challenge to both a collapsar and merging NS interpretation and opens the door on a new GRB classification scheme that straddles both long and short bursts
Constructing impairment and disability in school reading schemes.
This paper examines the cultural construction of disability detailed within school reading schemes. The study by the employment of proto text analysis followed the âreading journeysâ that a four and five year old child experienced during the course of one academic year. The study examined 61 reading books that contained 2199 illustrations, 100 photographs and 1006 pages of text. The major finding of the research is that the reading schemes contained a limited construction of disability and one which was contextualised within medical deficit and narrative prosthesis. The research concludes that school reading schemes are potentially acting as a Trojan horse to introduce a page thin hegemonic that inculcates young children into the systems of dominance and âableistâ agendas which are seemingly replete in our society
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