Scoping the impact of tidal and wave energy extraction on suspended sediment concentrations and underwater light climate

The depth to which sunlight penetrates below the sea surface is one of the key factors determining the species composition and productivity of marine ecosystems. The effects range from the rate and fate of primary production, through the performance of visual predators such as fish, the potential for refuge from predators by migrating to depth, to the scope for seabed stabilisation by algal mats. Light penetration depends partly on spectral absorption by seawater and dissolved substances, but mainly on the scattering caused by suspended particulate material (SPM). Some of this SPM may be of biological origin, but in coastal waters the majority is mineral material originating ultimately from seabed disturbance and land erosion, the latter being deposited in the sea by rivers and aerial processes. SPM is maintained in the water column or deposited on the seabed depending on combinations of hydrodynamic processes including baroclinic (density-driven) or barotropic (mainly tidal and wind driven) currents, and wave action (Ward et al. 1984; Huettel et al. 1996). Since tidal and wave energy extraction must alter these hydrodynamic properties at some scales depending on the nature of the extraction process, we can expect some kind of impact on the concentration of the SPM. If these are large enough, we may have to consider the extent to which these may impact the underwater light environment and the local or regional ecology. Whilst several coupled hydrodynamic-sediment models exist to predict SPM distributions in aquatic systems, their skill level in open coastal and offshore marine waters is acknowledged to be relatively low. This is largely because the processes are not well understood and the formulations are largely based on empirical relationships rather than fundamental physical principles. The models are also highly demanding in terms of calibration data and computational resources. Hence their utility for predicting relatively subtle effects arising from changes in flow or wave environments due to energy extraction devices seems rather low. Here, we summarise the key mathematical functions describing the processes involved in sediment suspension, and propose a lightweight one-dimensional (vertical) model which can be used to scope the effects of changes in flow and wave energy on SPM

Charge transfer efficiency in a p-channel CCD irradiated cryogenically and the impact of room temperature annealing

It is important to understand the impact of the space radiation environment on detector performance, thereby ensuring that the optimal operating conditions are selected for use in flight. The best way to achieve this is by irradiating the device using appropriate mission operating conditions, i.e. holding the device at mission operating temperature with the device powered and clocking. This paper describes the Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) measurements made using an e2v technologies p-channel CCD204 irradiated using protons to the 10 MeV equivalent fluence of 1.24×109 protons.cm-2 at 153 K. The device was held at 153 K for a period of 7 days after the irradiation before being allowed up to room temperature where it was held at rest, i.e. unbiased, for twenty six hours to anneal before being cooled back to 153 K for further testing, this was followed by a further one week and three weeks of room temperature annealing each separated by further testing. A comparison to results from a previous room temperature irradiation of an n-channel CCD204 is made using assumptions of a factor of two worse CTE when irradiated under cryogenic conditions which indicate that p-channel CCDs offer improved tolerance to radiation damage when irradiated under cryogenic conditions

Effects of Pre-Journey Fasting on the Physiological Responses of Young Cattle to 8-hour Road Transport.

End of Project ReportThe present study evaluated the effects of fasting animals for 8 hours prior to an 8-hour road journey and their ability to cope with the stress of transport.There was no significant difference in rectal body temperature, pre and post transport and there were no significant differences in liveweight among treatments on days 0 (pre-transport), 1, 4 and 10 (post-transport). Bulls (230kg) undergoing an 8-h transportation at stocking densities of 0.82 m2 /animal showed physiological and haematological responses that were within normal referenced ranges. Animals that were fasted for 8-hours and then transported lost 9.4% bodyweight following the 8-hour journey, while non-fasted and transported animals (NF+T) lost 7.2%. The control animals remaining at grass and non-fasted (NF+G) gained 2%. The animals that were fasted continuously and not transported (F+F) and the non-fasted control animals that were fasted for 8 hours (NF+F) lost 6.1% and 6.2% respectively. There was no significant change in globulin, glucose, urea, haemoglobin, beta-hydroxy butyrate, fibrinogen concentrations, haematocrit and monocyte percentages, monocyte and red blood cell numbers, platelet numbers among treatments prior to or after transport. The % lymphocytes were reduced in the fasted and non-fasted transported animals and post-transport and there was no significant change in lymphocyte numbers. The % of neutrophils and the number of neutrophils were significantly increased in the fasted and non-fasted transported animals. Baseline protein concentrations were significantly lower in the non-fasted and transported and nonfasted then fasted treatments initially. Following transport, protein concentrations were significantly higher in the fasted and transported treatment compared with the non-fasted animals at grass. White blood cell (WBC) numbers were not significantly different prior to transport. Following transport, the WBC numbers were significantly higher in the fasted and transported treatment compared with the non-fasted at grass, fasted and then fasted, and the non-fasted and fasted treatments. Albumin concentrations were significantly higher following transport in the F+T treatment compared with the NF+G, F+F, and NF+F treatments and the NF+T treatment had significantly lower albumin levels than the F+T and NF+F treatments. Haptoglobin concentrations were not significantly different prior to transport. Following transport, haptoglobin concentrations were significantly higher in the F+T compared with the NF+G treatment. Lactate concentrations were significantly higher in the F+T and NF+T compared with the NF+G, F+F, and NF+F treatments following transport. In conclusion, from the physiological and haematological measurements, an 8 hour journey time, even without access to feed for 8 hours prior to transport did not impact negatively on animal welfare

Standard Cosmology Delayed

The introduction of a delay in the Friedmann equation of cosmological evolution is shown to result in the very early universe undergoing the necessary accelerated expansion in the usual radiation (or matter) dominated phase. Occurring even without a violation of the strong energy condition, this expansion slows down naturally to go over to the decelerated phase, namely the standard Hubble expansion. This may obviate the need for a scalar field driven inflationary epoch.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Revised with more elaborate discussions. Accepted for publication in JCA

Predictors of Patient-Reported Pain and Functional Outcomes Over 10 Years After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background This study aimed to identify preoperative predictors of patient-reported outcomes after total knee replacement (TKR) and to investigate their association with the outcomes over time. Methods We used data from 2,080 patients from the Knee Arthroplasty Trial (KAT) who received primary TKR in the UK between July 1999 and January 2003. The primary outcome measure was the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) collected annually over 10 years after TKR. Preoperative predictors included a range of patient characteristics and clinical conditions. Mixed-effects linear regression model analysis of repeated measurements was used to identify predictors of OKS overall score, pain and function subscale scores over 10 years, separately. Results Worse preoperative OKS score, worse mental well-being, BMI>35 kg/m^2, living in the most deprived areas, higher American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade, presence of comorbidities, and history of previous knee surgery were associated with worse OKS overall score over 10 years after surgery. The same predictors were identified for pain and function subscale scores, and for both long-term (10 years) and short-/mid-term outcomes (1 and 5 years). However, fitted models explained more variations in function and shorter-term outcomes than in pain and longer-term outcomes, respectively. Conclusion The same predictors were identified for pain and functional outcomes over both short-tomedium term and long term after TKR. Within the factors identified, functional and shorter-term outcomes were more predictable than pain and longer-term outcomes, respectively. Regardless of their preoperative characteristics, on average, patients achieved substantial improvement in pain over time, though improvement for function was less prominent. </p

Intermediate inflation in Gauss-Bonnet braneworld

In this article we study an intermediate inflationary universe models using the Gauss-Bonnet brane. General conditions required for these models to be realizable are derived and discussed. We use recent astronomical observations to constraint the parameters appearing in the model.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in European Physical Journal

Functional MRI entropy measurements of age-related brain changes

As we age there is a decline in cognitive abilities such as processing speed, memory, executive function and reasoning. The basis for this decline is not well understood. In this study, the physiological complexity of resting state fMRI signals in a group of healthy volunteers was investigated. Twenty volunteers ranging from age 25 to 60 years underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Physiological complexity was measured by calculating approximate entropy (ApEn) maps for all volunteers. Maps were statistically analysed globally and regionally with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) software respectively. Comparing the older participants (> 40 years) with the younger ones, the older group exhibited significantly lower signal ApEn in areas of white matter, grey matter, frontal lobe, sub-lobar, brainstem, limbic lobe and temporal lobe. Decline in fMRI brain complexity is a feature of normal ageing beyond the age of 40 years

CcrZ is a pneumococcal spatiotemporal cell cycle regulator that interacts with FtsZ and controls DNA replication by modulating the activity of DnaA.

Most bacteria replicate and segregate their DNA concomitantly while growing, before cell division takes place. How bacteria synchronize these different cell cycle events to ensure faithful chromosome inheritance by daughter cells is poorly understood. Here, we identify Cell Cycle Regulator protein interacting with FtsZ (CcrZ) as a conserved and essential protein in pneumococci and related Firmicutes such as Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. CcrZ couples cell division with DNA replication by controlling the activity of the master initiator of DNA replication, DnaA. The absence of CcrZ causes mis-timed and reduced initiation of DNA replication, which subsequently results in aberrant cell division. We show that CcrZ from Streptococcus pneumoniae interacts directly with the cytoskeleton protein FtsZ, which places CcrZ in the middle of the newborn cell where the DnaA-bound origin is positioned. This work uncovers a mechanism for control of the bacterial cell cycle in which CcrZ controls DnaA activity to ensure that the chromosome is replicated at the right time during the cell cycle

The impact of working memory load on task execution and online plan adjustment during multitasking in a virtual environment

Three experiments investigated the impact of working memory load on online plan adjustment during a test of multitasking in young, nonexpert, adult participants. Multitasking was assessed using the Edinburgh Virtual Errands Test (EVET). Participants were asked to memorize either good or poor plans for performing multiple errands and were assessed both on task completion and on the extent to which they modified their plans during EVET performance. EVET was performed twice, with and without a secondary task loading a component of working memory. In Experiment 1, articulatory suppression was used to load the phonological loop. In Experiment 2, oral random generation was used to load executive functions. In Experiment 3, spatial working memory was loaded with an auditory spatial localization task. EVET performance for both good- and poor-planning groups was disrupted by random generation and sound localization, but not by articulatory suppression. Additionally, people given a poor plan were able to overcome this initial disadvantage by modifying their plans online. It was concluded that, in addition to executive functions, multiple errands performance draws heavily on spatial, but not verbal, working memory resources but can be successfully completed on the basis of modifying plans online, despite a secondary task load