Deciphering Museums, Politics and Impact

This paper makes a contribution towards deciphering the relationship between museums, politics and impact. I suggest that this is akin to that between three languages in the early nineteenth century: Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphs. I argue that museums should be taken much more seriously by the discipline of politics and international relations. This paper begins with an analysis of the REF 2014 Impact Case Studies submitted under the Politics and International Studies Unit of Assessment. Thereafter, it looks at how museums have been examined in the field of politics and international relations. Finally, it outlines some of the benefits and opportunities of scholars in the field engaging with museums in terms of their research, as potential collaborators, and as partners for knowledge transfer and impactful activities – within and outwith the strictures of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF)

Observations of isoprene, methacrolein (MAC) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) at a mountain site in Hong Kong

A field campaign was carried out in September–November 2010 near the summit of Mt. Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong. Isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methacrolein (MAC) were measured. The average isoprene mixing ratio was 109 pptv, and the average MAC and MVK levels were 68 pptv and 164 pptv, respectively. The average daytime levels of isoprene (149 ± 20 pptv, average ± 95% confidence interval, p < 0.01), MAC (70 ± 9 pptv, p < 0.01) and MVK (169 ± 22 pptv, p < 0.1) were significantly higher than the average nighttime values (20 ± 5 pptv, 49 ± 8 pptv and 139 ± 25 pptv, respectively). The relationship between MVK and MAC indicated that nearby isoprene oxidation dominated their daytime abundances, while NO3 chemistry and regional transport of anthropogenic sources from inland Pearl River Delta region could explain the higher MVK to MAC ratios at night. Correlation analysis of [MVK]/[isoprene] versus [MAC]/[isoprene] found that the isoprene photochemical ages were between 10 and 64 min. Regression analysis of total O₃ (O₃ + NO₂) versus MVK resulted in an estimated contribution of isoprene oxidation to ozone production of 12.5%, consistent with the simulated contribution of 10-11% by an observation-based model. (See Article file for details of the abstract.)Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringAuthor name used in this publication: Guo, H.Author name used in this publication: Wang, D. W