A Study of Mental Fatigue1

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Reconstructing Supersymmetry at ILC/LHC

Coherent analyses of experimental results from LHC and ILC will allow us to draw a comprehensive and precise picture of the supersymmetric particle sector. Based on this platform the fundamental supersymmetric theory can be reconstructed at the high scale which is potentially close to the Planck scale. This procedure will be reviewed for three characteristic examples: minimal supergravity as the paradigm; a left-right symmetric extension incorporating intermediate mass scales; and a specific realization of string effective theories.Comment: published in Proceedings of the Ustron Conference 2005; technical LaTeX problem correcte

UN sustainable development goals: How can sustainable/green chemistry contribute? By doing things differently

Until now, much Green and Sustainable Chemistry has been focused on how chemicals are made. Here we suggest that, if chemistry is to contribute effectively to achieving the SDGs, we need to change the way that things are done at both ends of the chemical supply chain. For chemical research at the start of the chain, we need to rethink how we build the laboratories in which we carry out the research so as to minimize the use of energy. At the other end of the chain, we advocate the adoption of a Moore's Law for Chemistry (MLFC), which we recently proposed that, wherever possible, the amount of chemical(s) used to achieve a given effect should be decreased by a factor of 2 every five years

The Influence of Match-Day Napping in Elite Female Netball Athletes

Purpose: To assess the effect of match-day napping and duration of naps on perceptual and performance indices in elite female netball players over two consecutive netball seasons. Methods: Fourteen elite female netball athletes (mean ± SD; age = 23 ± 6 yr) participated in an observational study over 26 competition matches. On each match day, athletes provided information on their napping habits, perceived energy levels, and then performed 3 countermovement jumps (CMJ) 3h30 prior to the start of the match. One hour following the match, subjective player performance ratings from the players and two members of the coaching staff were obtained. Naps were characterized into 3 conditions for analysis; No Nap (NN), <20 min Nap (SHORT), and ≥20 min Nap (LONG). Results: A significant difference in peak jump velocity was observed between the SHORT and the NN condition in favor of the shorter nap (3.23 ± 0.26 and 3.07 ± 0.36 m.s-1, respectively, d = 0.34, p < 0.05). A moderate, significant difference (d = 0.85; p < 0.05) was observed for the coach rating of performance (out of 10) between the SHORT and the NN condition (7.2 ± 0.8 and 6.4 ± 0.9, respectively) in favor of SHORT. Conclusion: The findings from the study would suggest that a short nap (<20 min) on the day of competition can enhance jump velocity and improve subjective performance in elite netball players, as assessed by coaching staff

Carbon dioxide storage in the Captain Sandstone aquifer: determination of in situ stresses and fault-stability analysis

The Lower Cretaceous Captain Sandstone Member of the Inner Moray Firth has significant potential for the injection and storage of anthropogenic CO2 in saline aquifer parts of the formation. Pre-existing faults constitute a potential risk to storage security owing to the elevated pore pressures likely to result from large-scale fluid injection. Determination of the regional in situ stresses permits mapping of the stress tensor affecting these faults. Either normal or strike-slip faulting conditions are suggested to be prevalent, with the maximum horizontal stress orientated 33°–213°. Slip-tendency analysis indicates that some fault segments are close to being critically stressed under strike-slip stress conditions, with small pore-pressure perturbations of approximately 1.5 MPa potentially causing reactivation of those faults. Greater pore-pressure increases of approximately 5 MPa would be required to reactivate optimally orientated faults under normal faulting or transitional normal/strike-slip faulting conditions at average reservoir depths. The results provide a useful indication of the fault geometries most susceptible to reactivation under current stress conditions. To account for uncertainty in principal stress magnitudes, high differential stresses have been assumed, providing conservative fault-stability estimates. Detailed geological models and data pertaining to pore pressure, rock mechanics and stress will be required to more accurately investigate fault stability. Large-scale deployment of CO2 storage as a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions will rely on the integrity of sealing strata overlying the storage reservoirs to ensure that the captured CO2 is permanently isolated from the atmosphere (IPCC 2005; Chadwick et al. 2009a; Holloway 2009). The existence of pre-existing fault systems of varying dimensions is a common feature throughout the subsurface, and the efficacy of seals may potentially be compromised by any enhanced transmissibility associated with fault zones. Within the Moray Firth, the Lower Cretaceous Captain Sandstone Member of the Wick Sandstone Formation has been proposed as a suitable storage reservoir candidate (SCCS 2011; Shell 2011a; Akhurst et al. 2015). Storage potential exists within depleting hydrocarbon fields (Marshall et al. 2016), while significant additional capacity is available in the surrounding saline aquifer volume. Regional top seals include the Cretaceous Rodby, Carrack and Valhall formations. Simulation studies of CO2 injection identified the storage capacity of the Captain Sandstone to be between 358 and 2495 Mt (Jin et al. 2012). As the injection of CO2 is reliant on the displacement of existing pore fluids, large-scale injection results in increased pore-fluid pressure, the effects of which will be felt across large areas in well-connected aquifer systems (Chadwick et al. 2009b; Jin et al. 2012; Noy et al. 2012). It is well documented that some faults are transmissible to fluid flow, while others act as effective capillary seals (Caine et al. 1996; Aydin 2000; Faulkner et al. 2010). Whether cross-fault flow occurs depends on the juxtaposition of lithologies in the footwall and hanging-wall blocks, as well as the composition of the fault zone and any differential pressure across the fault. In addition, reactivation of previously stable faults caused by increasing pressure, and therefore a reduction in the effective stress, could allow faults to become transmissive to buoyant fluids, such as supercritical CO2, due to the opening of flow pathways during failure (Streit & Hillis 2004). It is this aspect of fault stability that forms the focus of this study, with respect to the Captain Sandstone of the Inner Moray Firth, and utilizing an adaptation of the geological model presented by Jin et al. (2012). Analysis of the geomechanical stability of faults offsetting the Captain Sandstone requires the contemporary stress field affecting the basin to be characterized, in order to resolve the shear and normal stresses acting on mapped faults and to determine which faults, or segments of faults, are most susceptible to becoming reactivated if pore-fluid pressures in the basin are increased as a result of CO2 injection. In order to do so, detailed knowledge of the pore-pressure conditions at depth, the magnitude and orientations of the principal stresses, and the properties of the faults is required

Reconstruction of Fundamental SUSY Parameters

We summarize methods and expected accuracies in determining the basic low-energy SUSY parameters from experiments at future e$^+$e$^-$ linear colliders in the TeV energy range, combined with results from LHC. In a second step we demonstrate how, based on this set of parameters, the fundamental supersymmetric theory can be reconstructed at high scales near the grand unification or Planck scale. These analyses have been carried out for minimal supergravity [confronted with GMSB for comparison], and for a string effective theory.Comment: 8 pages, latex, 7 figures, expanded version of contributions to the proceedings of ICHEP.2002 (Amstersdam) and LCWS.2002 (Jeju Island

“Round numbers are always false” – More EMIC (culturally contingent) than ETIC (universal)? Is national culture a defining facet of leadership in the defence and security sector?

© Cranfield University 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright ownerLeadership as a function in human groups is found in all corners of the world and can be traced by as far as the start of recorded history. Plato (428/429 BCE 348/347 BCE) was the first to write about the general attributes that determine leadership. This quest to identify traits that predict effective leadership continues to this day. Since the mid-twentieth century, scholarly attempts have been made to establish a universal theory of leadership that transcends cultural boundaries. Although the search for a definitive universal model has so far proved inconclusive, cross-cultural research continues to be focussed on determining whether aspects of leadership and leadership theory are “universal” (etic) or culturally contingent (emic) (i.e., unique to culture). The GLOBE project (2004), the most expansive and significant cross-cultural study to date, found that although leadership is culturally contingent, universal attributes of leadership exist. Although cross-cultural research on leadership has exploded in importance in the last twenty-five years or so, its existence is almost absent in all U.K. defence policy and doctrinal publications. Yet, the MOD’s policy position is to be “international by design” (MOD, 2018) and the recently published Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (MOD, 2021) signposts deepening defence and security international engagement over the coming decade. A critical review was conducted of selected academic and military literature on leadership, culture, and cross-cultural leadership. A research methodology was designed and developed to focus on a predominantly quantitative approach. This was driven primarily by the research question. However, this was offset by open questions to provide a qualitative element. Therefore, a mixed methods approach was used in this thesis. The research investigated prototypical leadership in sixteen countries across four continents. The cross-cultural research, focussed on equivalence and comparability, was carried out using seven regions as independent variables. The selection of the “middle manager” strata of leadership (Brigadier General to Major) provided functional equivalence. The questionnaire sample size was 1067. The survey included closed and open ended questions which were translated into Arabic, Georgian, Ukrainian, Burmese, Spanish and Korean. The main findings included the identification of twenty-five essential leader attributes that were considered essential across seven regions in the defence and security sector. The thesis failed to reject the null hypothesis that ‘effective leadership attributes, skills and traits in the defence and security sector are culturally contingent across countries and regions.’ The identification of a core of essential military leader attributes, demonstrating “partial universality”, was offset by wider findings that showed leadership in the defence and security sector to be culturally contingent across the sixteen countries. A cross-cultural prototypical military leadership model was constructed to provide a systematic and structured understanding of cross-cultural leadership and a means of cross-cultural comparability. The contextual model is based on seven leader dimensions encapsulating ‘personality and self’, ‘motives’, ‘cognitive capacities and skills’, ‘emotional capacities and social skills’, ‘integrity and moral character’, ‘team skills’ and ‘task skills’. Recognising that culture and leadership have a symbiotic relationship, in which one cannot exist without the other (Ayman & Korabik, 2010), the leadership construct is bound by culture at the micro (individual), meso (organisational) and macro (national) levels. Finally, the research makes a discrete contribution towards an etymological study of “leader” and “leadership” across cultures. An understanding of the etymology assists with the way we think about, study and enact leadership (Case et al., 2011). The findings show that a variance in semantics is indicative of cultural contingency. Notwithstanding this, there is sufficient similarity to permit a route scheme of meaning. Recommendations are made to investigate an expeditionary version of the GLOBE study (2004) questionnaire where data can be collected and collated efficaciously to contribute to the project from an organisational perspective. Further research should examine how the GLOBE study’s six global leadership dimensions can be applied to the defence and security sector. Follow-on work should also be carried out to understand the behavioural manifestations of identified attributes in the defence and security sector. This would make an important contribution to interoperability workstreams and multinational activities with allies and partners. A formal review is recommended to address the cross cultural deficit in U.K. Defence and that the doctrinal gap is closed in the re-write of Leadership in Defence (2004). More broadly, a more coherent approach should be taken between the defence proponents of leadership and culture. Recognising both the complexity and importance of cross-cultural leadership, the Ministry of Defence may wish to take forward the idea of trans-cultural alliances between leadership schools to promote information exchange and achieve a better understanding of indigenous military leadership constructs. Finally, a cross-cultural study into the leadership gender gap in the defence and security sector would provide a valuable research topic. This would advance the status of women in professional military forces as culture has been found to be an obstacle to gender egalitarianism, participation, and advancement in armed forces around the globe.Ph

Impacts of Droughts and Acidic Deposition on Long-Term Surface Water Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations in Upland Catchments in Wales

Concerns have been raised about rising trends in surface water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in UK upland catchments over the past decades. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these trends, including changes in climate and declines in sulfate deposition across Europe. Drier summers and wetter winters are projected in the UK, and there is an increasing interest in whether the rising trends of DOC would be continued or stabilized. In this paper, the INCA (INtegrated CAtchment) water quality model was applied to the upland catchment of the River Severn at Plynlimon in Wales and used to simulate the effects of both climate and sulfate deposition on surface water DOC concentrations. We introduced new parameter sets of INCA to explain enzymatic latch effect in peatlands during droughts. The model was able to simulate recent past (1995-2013) rising trends in DOC in Plynlimon. Climatic projections were employed to estimate the future trends on DOC in the uplands and to consider potential impacts on catchment management. The model was run with climatic scenarios generated using the weather@home2 climate modeling platform and with sulfate deposition scenarios from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) for 1975-2100. The modeling results show that the rising DOC trends are likely to continue in the near future (2020-2049) and the level of DOC concentrations is projected to stabilize in the far future (2070-2099). However, in the far future, the seasonal patterns of DOC concentrations will change, with a post-drought DOC surge in autumn months