Hong Ling: A Retrospective

Catalogue of a retrospective exhibition of some 56 works, including early figural works and nudes as well as 'conceptual landscapes', by the contemporary Chinese artist Hong Ling (b. 1955), mounted at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, from 15 July-24 September 2016. The exhibition features paintings in oil and ink, as well as watercolours, drawings and photographs by the artist, dating from 1979 to his student days in Beijing in the 1980s and up to 2016. The retrospective follows Hong Ling's retirement in 2015 from the faculty of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, where he had taught oil painting practice since his graduation in 1987

Quantification of the photosynthetic performance of phosphorus-deficient Sorghum by means of chlorophyll-a fluorescence kinetics

Chlorophyll fluorescence induction curves have been used as a sensitive tool for screening the photosynthetic performance of plants. Experimental treatments involving nitrate supply and chilling stress have been shown to affect fluorescence induction curves and other measures of photosynthesis. We have investigated the photosynthetic performance of Sorghum bicolor supplied with Long Ashton growth solution containing standard (20 μmol mol^(–1)) or low (5 μmol mol^(–1)) phosphorus. The JIP-test based on the chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve was used as a non-destructive method to measure the relative proportions of energy dissipated by different processes (termed energy fluxes) in the light reactions. The various energy fluxes or derived parameters were compared to find the measures that were most sensitive to the experimental conditions. Plant response to treatments was first evident in selected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, particularly performance index (PI_ABS_); plants with increased PI_ABS_ manifested higher electron transport activity and dissipated less energy as heat, possibly as a result of their better phosphorus status, leading to more functional reaction centres. Observed changes in fluorescence were correlated to changes in gas exchange and biomass. Standard phosphorus treatments significantly increased biomass, leaf area, photosynthetic and respiratory rates, carboxylation efficiencies and levels of ribulose biphosphate regeneration rates, relative to plants with low supplies of nutrients

Application of Outlier Detection and Missing Value Estimation Techniques to Various Forms of Traffic Count Data

This paper reports on the application of suitable techniques for detecting outliers and suggesting estimates for missing values in various forrns of traffic count data. The data used in this study came from three sources. The first set was provided by the Department of Transport's (DOT) regional office in Leeds and consists of automatic hourly traffic counts at four sites. The second set was part of a larger database provided by West Yorkshire Highways, Engineering and Technical Services (HETS). This set consists of automatic half hourly traffic counts on a single site. The third and final set was provided by Nottinghan University and consists of automatic five minute traffic counts at 40 locations, in close proximity to each other, from Leicester. Three suitable techniques emerged from pilot studies of such series conducted by Watson et a1 (1992a) and Redfern et a1 (1992). The three techniques are: a) Maintaining an average and variability measure over time; b) ARIMA modelling with detection of large residuals; C) A point's influence on the correlation structure of the series. A fourth technique, by-eye detection and estimation, provides an intuitive comparison for the first three techniques

Detection of Outliers in Time Series.

As part of a SERC funded project this study aims to summarise the most relevant and recent literature with respect to outlier detection for time series and missing value estimation in traffic count data. Many types of transport data are collected over time and are potentlally suited to the application of time series analysis techniques. including accident data, ticket sales and traffic counts. Missing data or outliers in traffic counts can cause problems when analysing the data, for example in order to produce forecasts. At present it seems that little work has been undertaken to assess the merits of alternative methods to treat such data or develop a more analytic approach. Here we intend to review current practices in the transport field and summarise more general time series techniques for handling outlying or missing data. The literature study forms the fist stage of a research project aiming to establish the applicability of time series and other techniques in estimating missing values and outlier detection/replacement in a variety of transport data. Missing data and outliers can occur for a variety of reasons, for example the breakdown of automatic counters. Initial enquiries suggest that methods for patching such data can be crude. Local authorities are to be approached individually usinga short questionnaire enquiry form in order to attempt to ascertain their current practices. Having reviewed current practices the project aims to transfer recently developed methods for dealing with outliers in general time series into a transport context. It is anticipated that comparisons between possible methods could highlight an alternative and more analytical approach to current practices. A description of the main methods ior detecting outliers in time series is given within the first section. In the second section practical applications of Box-Jenkins methods within a transport context are given. current practices for dealing with outlying and missing data within transport are discussed in section three. Recommendations for methods to be used in our current research are followed by the appendices containing most of the mathematical detail

High Speed Phase-Resolved 2-d UBV Photometry of the Crab pulsar

We report a phase-resolved photometric and morphological analysis of UBV data of the Crab pulsar obtained with the 2-d TRIFFID high speed optical photometer mounted on the Russian 6m telescope. By being able to accurately isolate the pulsar from the nebular background at an unprecedented temporal resolution (1 \mu s), the various light curve components were accurately fluxed via phase-resolved photometry. Within the $UBV$ range, our datasets are consistent with the existing trends reported elsewhere in the literature. In terms of flux and phase duration, both the peak Full Width Half Maxima and Half Width Half Maxima decrease as a function of photon energy. This is similarly the case for the flux associated with the bridge of emission. Power-law fits to the various light curve components are as follows; \alpha = 0.07 \pm 0.19 (peak 1), \alpha = -0.06 \pm 0.19 (peak 2) and \alpha = -0.44 \pm 0.19 (bridge) - the uncertainty here being dominated by the integrated CCD photometry used to independently reference the TRIFFID data. Temporally, the main peaks are coincident to \le 10 \mu s although an accurate phase lag with respect to the radio main peak is compromised by radio timing uncertainties. The plateau on the Crab's main peak was definitively determined to be \leq 55 \mu s in extent and may decrease as a function of photon energy. There is no evidence for non-stochastic activity over the light curves or within various phase regions, nor is there evidence of anything akin to the giant pulses noted in the radio. Finally, there is no evidence to support the existence of a reported 60 second modulation suggested to be as a consequence of free precession.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Synchrotron X-ray microscopy of marine calcifiers: how plankton record past climate change

We have used STXM and PEEM to reveal the underpinning chemistry and nanoscale structure behind palaeo-climate geochemical signatures, such as trace Mg in shells- proposed proxies for palaeo-ocean temperature. This has allowed us to test the chemical assumptions and mechanisms underpinning the use of such empirical proxies. We have determined the control on driving chemical variations in biogenic carbonates using STXM at the absorption edge of Mg, B, and Na in the shells of modern plankton. The power of these observations lies in their ability to link changes in chemistry, microstructure, and growth process in biogenic carbonate to environmental influences. We have seen that such changes occur at length scales of tens of nanometres and demonstrated that STXM provides an invaluable route to understanding chemical environment and key heterogeneity at the appropriate length scale. This new understanding provides new routes for future measurements of past climate variation in the sea floor fossil record

Using Administrative Data to Count Local Populations

There is growing evidence that official population statistics based on the decennial census are inaccurate at the local authority level—the fundamental administrative unit of the UK. This paper investigates the use of locally available administrative data sets for counting populations. The method uses truth tables for combining different data sources with different population coverage according to a defined and therefore replicable set of rules. The result is timelier and geographically more flexible data which is more cost-effective to produce than a survey-based census. Associated techniques for linking diverse data sources at individual and household level are briefly discussed. The methodology is then applied to administrative data from a London borough with about 170,000 people. The results are evaluated and compared with other population sources. The paper concludes by discussing potential improvements including scaling up the work to cover multiple local authorities. The practicalities of using alternative central government data sets are briefly considered. A sequel paper in this journal provides examples of key applications of this approach at local level

Structure and elastic properties of Mg(OH)2_2 from density functional theory

The structure, lattice dynamics and mechanical properties of the magnesium hydroxide have been investigated with static density functional theory calculations as well as \it {ab initio} molecular dynamics. The hypothesis of a superstructure existing in the lattice formed by the hydrogen atoms has been tested. The elastic constants of the material have been calculated with static deformations approach and are in fair agreement with the experimental data. The hydrogen subsystem structure exhibits signs of disordered behaviour while maintaining correlations between angular positions of neighbouring atoms. We establish that the essential angular correlations between hydrogen positions are maintained to the temperature of at least 150 K and show that they are well described by a physically motivated probabilistic model. The rotational degree of freedom appears to be decoupled from the lattice directions above 30K