Sources of Military Change:Emulation, Politics, and Concept Development in UK Defence

Judging by its doctrinal publications, the UK Defence establishment stands poised to begin a process of unprecedented change. The language of ‘multi-domain’ thinking is prominent within this discourse and is identified as being a key vehicle via which UK Defence will deliver upon its programme of reform. This article seeks to offer an initial evaluation of these claims and to assess them in light of the burgeoning literatures on Western defence ‘transformation’ and military innovation that have emerged since the early 2000s. We argue that ‘multi-domain’ thinking reflects a form of ‘cosmetic’ emulation by the British Defence establishment and that its appearance within UK doctrine has been driven more by internal politics than by a clearly thought-through adoption of a new form of military practice.</p

Analysis induced reduction of a polyelectrolyte

The polymer, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), is shown to undergo chemical change via a reduction mechanism during X-ray analysis. Examination of the N 1s spectrum of PDDA shows a time dependence on the degree of reduction, together with clear amplification of the extent of reduction through the charge compensation system and X-ray irradiation

Boronic acids for functionalisation of commercial multi-layer graphitic material as an alternative to diazonium salts

A novel radical-based functionalisation strategy for the synthesis of functionalised commercially obtained plasma-synthesised multi-layer graphitic material (MLG) is presented herein. 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl boronic acid was utilised as a source of 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl radicals to covalently graft upon the graphitic surface of MLG. Such a methodology provides a convenient and safer route towards aryl radical generation, serving as a potential alternative to hazardous diazonium salt precusors. The structure and morphology of the functionalised MLG (Arf-MLG) has been characterised using XPS, Raman, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. The XPS quantitative data and Raman spectra provide evidence of successful covalent attachment of 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl groups to MLG

Pathways for nutrient loss to water with emphasis on phosphorus

Teagasc wishes to acknowledge the support of the Environmental Research Technological Development and Innovation (ERTDI) Programme under the Productive Sector Operational Programme which was financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.End of project reportThe main objective of this project was to study phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural land under a range of conditions in Ireland, to quantify the main factors influencing losses and make recommendations on ways to reduce these losses. This report is a synthesis of the main conclusions and recommendations from the results of the studies. The final reports from the individual sub-projects in this project are available from the EPA (www.epa.ie).Environmental Protection Agenc

Oleophobic composite films based on multi-layer graphitic scaffolding

A new oleophobic composite material synthesised by utilising plasma-exfoliated multi-layered graphitic (MLG) material as scaffolding is presented herein. The composite consisted of a polyelectrolyte/fluorosurfactant complex derived from polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) and sodium perfluorooctanoate (PFO) and was used to prepare free-standing MLG composite films

Naval History by Conspiracy Theory: The British Admiralty before the First World War and the Methodology of Revisionism

Revisionist interpretations of British naval policy in the Fisher era claim that an elaborate smoke screen was created to hide the Royal Navy’s real policies; while documents showing the true goals were systematically destroyed. By asserting this, revisionists are able to dismiss those parts of the documentary record that contradict their theories, while simultaneously excusing the lack of evidence for their theories by claiming it has been destroyed. This article shows that this methodology is misleading and untenable

Deep Space Network Antenna Logic Controller

The Antenna Logic Controller (ALC) software controls and monitors the motion control equipment of the 4,000-metric-ton structure of the Deep Space Network 70-meter antenna. This program coordinates the control of 42 hydraulic pumps, while monitoring several interlocks for personnel and equipment safety. Remote operation of the ALC runs via the Antenna Monitor & Control (AMC) computer, which orchestrates the tracking functions of the entire antenna. This software provides a graphical user interface for local control, monitoring, and identification of faults as well as, at a high level, providing for the digital control of the axis brakes so that the servo of the AMC may control the motion of the antenna. Specific functions of the ALC also include routines for startup in cold weather, controlled shutdown for both normal and fault situations, and pump switching on failure. The increased monitoring, the ability to trend key performance characteristics, the improved fault detection and recovery, the centralization of all control at a single panel, and the simplification of the user interface have all reduced the required workforce to run 70-meter antennas. The ALC also increases the antenna availability by reducing the time required to start up the antenna, to diagnose faults, and by providing additional insight into the performance of key parameters that aid in preventive maintenance to avoid key element failure. The ALC User Display (AUD) is a graphical user interface with hierarchical display structure, which provides high-level status information to the operation of the ALC, as well as detailed information for virtually all aspects of the ALC via drill-down displays. The operational status of an item, be it a function or assembly, is shown in the higher-level display. By pressing the item on the display screen, a new screen opens to show more detail of the function/assembly. Navigation tools and the map button allow immediate access to all screens