390 research outputs found
Zero-Emission Vessels 2030: How do we get there?
Fossil fuels provide society in general,
as well as shipping, with a high-density
and low-cost energy source that is
comparatively easy to store, handle
and transport. We have had decades to
optimise the design, maintenance and
operation of the shipping system to suit
the fossil ‘paradigm’. But the world is
changing. It is, therefore, unsurprising
that when looking for a non-fossil,
zero-emission and sustainable energy
source, as we must urgently now do, it’s
difficult to see an obvious ‘silver bullet’
THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY MAST FOR HMS ARK ROYAL
SUMMARY The Royal Navy has adopted composites technology for use in its advanced technology mast. The mast has been designed, installed and is currently in-service on one of the UK's aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal. The multi-functionality of the materials has enabled the varied and complex design drivers to be met
A Mathematical Framework for Agent Based Models of Complex Biological Networks
Agent-based modeling and simulation is a useful method to study biological
phenomena in a wide range of fields, from molecular biology to ecology. Since
there is currently no agreed-upon standard way to specify such models it is not
always easy to use published models. Also, since model descriptions are not
usually given in mathematical terms, it is difficult to bring mathematical
analysis tools to bear, so that models are typically studied through
simulation. In order to address this issue, Grimm et al. proposed a protocol
for model specification, the so-called ODD protocol, which provides a standard
way to describe models. This paper proposes an addition to the ODD protocol
which allows the description of an agent-based model as a dynamical system,
which provides access to computational and theoretical tools for its analysis.
The mathematical framework is that of algebraic models, that is, time-discrete
dynamical systems with algebraic structure. It is shown by way of several
examples how this mathematical specification can help with model analysis.Comment: To appear in Bulletin of Mathematical Biolog
A Far-UV Variability Survey of the Globular Cluster M80
We have searched for variable sources in the core region of M80, using far
ultra-violet data taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the
Hubble Space Telescope. We found three sources that exhibit strong signs of
variability in our data. Among these is source TDK1, which we believe to be an
RR Lyrae star that reached maximum brightness during our observations. The
light curve shows a >3 mag FUV brightening over the course of ~5 hours, with an
estimated peak brightness of ~16.7 mag, followed by a decrease to ~20 mag.
Archival optical data obtained with WFPC2 confirm that TDK1 is variable in all
wavebands. TDK1's SED is reasonably fit by a star with temperature T(eff)=6700K
and radius R=4.2R(sun), consistent with the suggestion that it is an RR Lyrae.
Based on the photometric and variability characteristics of the other two
variables, we suggest that TDK2 is likely to be an SX Phoenicis star with ~55
minutes period, and TDK3 is likely another RR Lyrae. Finally, we briefly
discuss the FUV counterparts to two previously known variables in M80, the
classical nova T Sco and the dwarf nova DN1.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
Evolutionary conservation of ABA signaling for stomatal closure in ferns
ABA-driven stomatal regulation reportedly evolved after the divergence of ferns, during the early evolution of seed plants approximately 360 Mya. This hypothesis is based on the observation that the stomata of certain fern species are unresponsive to ABA, but exhibit passive hydraulic control. However, ABA-induced stomatal closure was detected in some mosses and lycophytes. Here, we observed that a number of ABA signaling and membrane transporter protein families diversified over the evolutionary history of land plants. The aquatic ferns Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia cucullata have representatives of 23 families of proteins orthologous to those of Arabidopsis thaliana and all other land plant species studied. Phylogenetic analysis of the key ABA signaling proteins indicates an evolutionarily conserved stomatal response to ABA. Moreover, comparative transcriptomic analysis has identified a suite of ABA responsive genes that differentially expressed in a terrestrial fern species, Polystichum proliferum. These genes encode proteins associated with ABA biosynthesis, transport, reception, transcription, signaling, and ion and sugar transport, which fit the general ABA signaling pathway constructed from Arabidopsis thaliana and Hordeum vulgare. The retention of these key ABA-responsive genes could have had a profound effect on the adaptation of ferns to dry conditions. Furthermore, stomatal assays have shown the primary evidence for ABA-induced closure of stomata in two terrestrial fern species P. proliferum and Nephrolepis exaltata. In summary, we report new molecular and physiological evidence for the presence of active stomatal control in ferns
Wheat drought tolerance in the field is predicted by amino acid responses to glasshouse-imposed drought
Water limits crop productivity, so selecting for a minimal yield gap in drier environments is critical to mitigate against climate change and land-use pressure. We investigated the responses of relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and metabolites in flag leaves of commercial wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to three drought treatments in the glasshouse and in field environments. We observed strong genetic associations between glasshouse-based RWC, metabolites, and yield gap-based drought tolerance (YDT; the ratio of yield in water-limited versus well-watered conditions) across 18 field environments spanning sites and seasons. Critically, RWC response to glasshouse drought was strongly associated with both YDT (r2=0.85, P<8E-6) and RWC under field drought (r2=0.77, P<0.05). Moreover, multiple regression analyses revealed that 98% of genetic YDT variance was explained by drought responses of four metabolites: Serine, asparagine, methionine, and lysine (R2=0.98; P<0.01). Fitted coefficients suggested that, for given levels of serine and asparagine, stronger methionine and lysine accumulation was associated with higher YDT. Collectively, our results demonstrate that high-throughput, targeted metabolic phenotyping of glasshouse-grown plants may be an effective tool for selection of wheat cultivars with high field-derived YDT.We acknowledge the support of the Research School of Biology/Research
School of Chemistry Joint Mass Spectrometry Facility and Diversity
Arrays Technology, ACT, Australia and financial support by the Grains
Research and Development Corporation Grant (ANU00020), Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
(CE140100015), and Plant Energy Biology (CE140100008)
Spectroscopic Target Selection in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: The Quasar Sample
We describe the algorithm for selecting quasar candidates for optical
spectroscopy in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Quasar candidates are selected
via their non-stellar colors in "ugriz" broad-band photometry, and by matching
unresolved sources to the FIRST radio catalogs. The automated algorithm is
sensitive to quasars at all redshifts lower than z=5.8. Extended sources are
also targeted as low-redshift quasar candidates in order to investigate the
evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at the faint end of the luminosity
function. Nearly 95% of previously known quasars are recovered (based on 1540
quasars in 446 square degrees). The overall completeness, estimated from
simulated quasars, is expected to be over 90%, whereas the overall efficiency
(quasars:quasar candidates) is better than 65%. The selection algorithm targets
ultraviolet excess quasars to i^*=19.1 and higher-redshift (z>3) quasars to
i^*=20.2, yielding approximately 18 candidates per square degree. In addition
to selecting ``normal'' quasars, the design of the algorithm makes it sensitive
to atypical AGN such as Broad Absorption Line quasars and heavily reddened
quasars.Comment: 62 pages, 15 figures (8 color), 8 tables. Accepted by AJ. For a
version with higher quality color figures, see
http://archive.stsci.edu/sdss/quasartarget/RichardsGT_qsotarget.preprint.p
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