RCUK Open Access Compliance Monitoring Report 2014

No abstract available

Filtering and scalability in the ECO distributed event model

Event-based communication is useful in many application domains, ranging from small, centralised applications to large, distributed systems. Many different event models have been developed to address the requirements of different application domains. One such model is the ECO model which was designed to support distributed virtual world applications. Like many other event models, ECO has event filtering capabilities meant to improve scalability by decreasing network traffic in a distributed implementation. Our recent work in event-based systems has included building a fully distributed version of the ECO model, including event filtering capabilities. This paper describes the results of our evaluation of filters as a means of achieving increased scalability in the ECO model. The evaluation is empirical and real data gathered from an actual event-based system is used

A comparison of the responses of mature and young clonal tea to drought.

To assist commercial producers with optimising the use of irrigation water, the responses to drought of mature and young tea crops (22 and 5 years after field planting respectively) were compared using data from two adjacent long-term irrigation experiments in Southern Tanzania. Providing the maximum potential soil water deficit was below about 400-500 mm for mature, and 200-250 mm for young plants (clone 6/8), annual yields of dry tea from rainfed or partially irrigated crops were similar to those from the corresponding well-watered crops. At deficits greater than this, annual yields declined rapidly in young tea (up to 22 kg (ha mm)-1) but relatively slowly in mature tea (up to 6.5 kg (ha mm)- 1). This apparent insensitivity of the mature crop to drought was due principally to compensation that occurred during the rains for yield lost in the dry season. Differences in dry matter distribution and shoot to root ratios contributed to these contrasting responses. Thus, the total above ground dry mass of well-irrigated, mature plants was about twice that for young plants. Similarly, the total mass of structural roots (>1 mm diameter), to 3 m depth, was four times greater in the mature crop than in the young crop and, for fine roots (<1 mm diameter), eight times greater. The corresponding shoot to root ratios (dry mass) were about 1:1 and 2:1 respectively. In addition, each unit area of leaf in the canopy of a mature plant had six times more fine roots (by weight) available to extract and supply water than did a young plant. Despite the logistical benefits resulting from more even crop distribution during the year when crops are fully irrigated, producers currently prefer to save water and energy costs by allowing a substantial soil water deficit to develop prior to the start of the rains, up to 250 mm in mature tea, knowing that yield compensation will occur later

Development and validation of the child post-traumatic cognitions inventory (CPTCI)

Background: Negative trauma-related cognitions have been found to be a significant factor in the maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Initial studies of such appraisals in trauma-exposed children and adolescents suggest that this is an important line of research in youth, yet empirically validated measures for use with younger populations are lacking. A measure of negative trauma-related cognitions for use with children and adolescents, the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI), is presented. The measure was devised as an age-appropriate version of the adult Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (Foa et al., 1999). Methods: The CPTCI was developed and validated within a large (n = 570) sample, comprising community and trauma-exposed samples of children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. Results: Principal components analysis suggested a two-component structure. These components were labelled 'permanent and disturbing change' and 'fragile person in a scary world', and were each found to possess good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminative validity. The reliability and validity of these sub-scales was present regardless of whether the measure was completed in the acute phase or several months after a trauma. Scores on these sub-scales did not vary with age. Conclusions: The CPTCI is a reliable and valid measure that is not specific to the type of trauma exposure, and shows considerable promise as a research and clinical tool. The structure of this measure suggests that appraisals concerning the more abstract consequences of a trauma, as well as physical threat and vulnerability, are pertinent factors in trauma-exposed children and adolescents, even prepubescent children

Accessibility controls selective degradation of photosystem II subunits by FtsH protease

The oxygen-evolving photosystem II (PSII) complex located in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria is sensitive to light-induced damage1 that unless repaired causes reduction in photosynthetic capacity and growth. Although a potential target for crop improvement, the mechanism of PSII repair remains unclear. The D1 reaction center protein is the main target for photodamage2, with repair involving the selective degradation of the damaged protein by FtsH protease3. How a single damaged PSII subunit is recognized for replacement is unknown. Here, we have tested the dark stability of PSII subunits in strains of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 blocked at specific stages of assembly. We have found that when D1, which is normally shielded by the CP43 subunit, becomes exposed in a photochemically active PSII complex lacking CP43, it is selectively degraded by FtsH even in the dark. Removal of the CP47 subunit, which increases accessibility of FtsH to the D2 subunit, induced dark degradation of D2 at a faster rate than that of D1. In contrast, CP47 and CP43 are resistant to degradation in the dark. Our results indicate that protease accessibility induced by PSII disassembly is an important determinant in the selection of the D1 and D2 subunits to be degraded by FtsH

Seasonal Changes in Surface Temperatures on Titan

The surface brightness temperatures on Titan have been measured by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) aboard Cassini during the period spanning late northern winter through vernal equinox. CIRS observes radiance from the surface through a spectral window at 19 microns where the atmosphere has an opacity minimum [I]. CIRS is now seeing a shift in the latitudinal distribution of temperatures froth a distinctly warmer south to a more symmetrical north -south pattern, similar to that found by Voyager IRIS [2,3] at the time of the previous vernal equinox. Near the equator the temperatures remain close to the 93.7 K value found at the surface by Huygens [4]. From the equator to the poles the temperature gradients are 2-3 K. When compared with predictions froth general circulation models [5] the measured temperatures and their seasonal changes constrain the possible types of surface material. As Cassini continues through Titan's northern spring CiRS will extend its, global coverage to took for correlations between surface temperatures and albedo and to search for diurnal temperature variation

Investigation of slim type BLDC motor drive with torque ripple minimization using abridged space-vector PWM control method

Abstract: Brushless DC (BLDC) motors are becoming an increasingly popular motor of choice for its unique characteristics. The BLDC motor drive is assumed to have trapezoidal back-electromotive force (EMF), rectangular phase currents and together produces the desired torque. However, practical back-EMF waveform might not be exactly trapezoidal because of current ripple, design considerations and manufacturing limitations. The adverse effect is the torque ripple generated due to the current ripple that causes mechanical vibration, acoustic noise and affects the accuracy of speed and position control which is not desirable in motor operation. In this paper an algorithm is developed to control and minimize the generated torque ripple using Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) scheme. The efficiency improvement of slim type BLDC motor is confirmed using MATLAB environment and low cost TI Piccolo F28035 microcontroller (MC)

Enhancement of aged and denatured fingerprints using the cyanoacrylate fuming technique following dusting with amino acid-containing powders

We have carried out experiments to investigate the ageing of latent fingerprints deposited on black PVC over a period of 4-15 weeks. A thumbprint was used in each case and before deposition of the print the donor rubbed their thumb around their nose to add sebaceous deposits. We have studied the effect of heat, light and moisture and we find that moisture is the most significant factor in the degradation of the latent print. We have attempted to enhance these latent prints by dusting with valine powder or powders composed of valine mixed with gold or red fluorescent commercial fingerprint powders. In order to make a direct comparison between “treated” and “untreated” prints, the prints were cut in half with one half being “treated” and one not. Our studies show the best results being obtained when powders of valine and red fluorescent powders are applied prior to cyanoacrylate fuming

Update from the Analysis of High Resolution Propane Spectra and the Interpretation of Titan's Infrared Spectra

Titan has an extremely thick atmosphere dominated by nitrogen, but includes a range of trace species such as hydrocarbons and nitriles. One such hydrocarbon is propane (C3H8). Propane has 21 active IR bands covering broad regions of the mid-infrared. Therefore, its ubiquitous signature may potentially mask weaker signatures of other undetected species with important roles in Titan's chemistry. Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) observations of Titan's atmosphere hint at the presence of such molecules. Unfortunately, C3H8 line atlases for the vibration bands V(sub 8), V(sub 21), V(sub 20), and V(sub 7) (869, 922, 1054, and 1157 per centimeter, respectively) are not currently available for subtracting the C3H8 signal to reveal, or constrain, the signature of underlying chemical species. Using spectra previously obtained by Jennings, D. E., et al. at the McMath-Pierce FTIR at Kitt Peak, AZ, as the source and automated analysis utilities developed for this application, we are compiling an atlas of spectroscopic parameters for propane that characterize the ro-vibrational transitions in the above bands. In this paper, we will discuss our efforts for inspecting and fitting the aforementioned bands, present updated results for spectroscopic parameters including absolute line intensities and transition frequencies in HITRAN and GEISA formats, and show how these optical constants will be used in searching for other trace chemical species in Titan's atmosphere. Our line atlas for the V(sub 21) band contains a total number of 2971 lines. The band integrated strength calculated for the V(sub 21) band is 1.003 per centimeter per (centimeter-atm)