Caryl Phillips Interviewed by Graham Swift

I first met Caryl, or Caz as I\u27ve come to know him, a few years ago at a literary jamboree in Toronto. I think we fulfilled all our official duties, but we spent a lot of time in a place in downtown Toronto called the Bamboo Club - one of those places which has acquired since a sort of metaphysical status, because whenever Caz and I have met again in some far-flung comer of the globe, it seems our first instinct has been to find out where the \u27Bamboo Club\u27 is. Caz, I confess, is a little bit better at finding it than I am

Diammonium biphenyl-4,4′-disulfonate

In the title salt, 2NH4 +·C12H8O6S2 2−, the dianion has crystallographic inversion symmetry. A three-dimensional framework is formed from primary hydrogen-bonded sheet structures comprising ammonium N—H⋯Osulfonate inter­actions and is linked peripherally through the biphenyl residues of the anions. This open framework has 43 Å3 solvent-accessible voids

Student engineers: lecturing, teaching and assessing

A traditional lecture tends to operate in only one or two quadrants of Kolb's learning circle and promotes strategic and, at worse, surface learning. Software engineering is an important subject for computing engineering students. It is imperative they establish a deep understanding of the subject to ensure best working practices. Supplemental instruction, teaching others a subject, often promotes a high level of learning. The paper demonstrates the results of such an exercise by groups of students lecturing on a component of the software engineering course. Both peer and self-assessment was used to measure individual performances, efforts and impact. The paper reports on student reactions to this assessment and offers a strategy for the informed practice and development of peer assessment and some guidelines on how to assist students to develop and present a lectur

Modelling of an optical time division demultiplexer.

The communication Networks of the future will require signal switching in the optical domain to avoid the inherent speed bottleneck of optical-electronic-optical conversions. This has resulted in an intense research effort in this area. Of particular interest are wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and optical time division multiplexing (OTDM). The latter offers the advantage that it operates over a single wavelength, removing the problems associated with dispersion in fibre systems whilst the former operates over a number of wavelengths. This thesis concentrates on the modelling and simulation of one particular system: the asymmetric semiconductor laser amplifier loop mirror (ASLALOM) for OTDM.Initially, a literature review looks at the theory of laser operation which complements the following chapter on laser amplifiers. A review of current optical switching devices will be examined next with regard to switching speeds, crosstalk and the possibility of integration. Also wavelength division multiplexing and time division multiplexing are reviewed, comparing the different systems in current use.At the present time, no complete models of an asymmetric semiconductor laser amplifier loop mirror have been developed. The intention of this work is to determine the equations necessary for a model to be developed and thus enable the system to be simulated. Computer modelling of a system prior to implementation is advantageous in all aspects of engineering. As this system is still confined to the laboratory a model would complement any practical work and identify critical design parameters.In this work the Travelling Wave Semiconductor Laser Amplifier (TWSLA) is first modelled in a form which is appropriate for the asymmetric semiconductor laser amplifier loop mirror architecture. The simulations are then used to demonstrate the switching speeds for different configurations and identify any areas needing further work, such as crosstalk, birefringence and polarisation, a method for multi-channel output is also presented. A further aim is to lay a foundation for future work to enable the system to be fully characterised with regard to noise, dispersion and integration

Work stress and cancer researchers : an exploration of the challenges, experiences and training needs of UK cancer researchers.

Work stress is a significant issue for many UK healthcare professionals, in particular those working in the field of oncology. However, there have been very few attempts to explore the challenges, experiences or training needs of researchers working in cancer research. In doing so, we will be better positioned to support and develop these researchers. 18 UK oncology researchers from a variety of backgrounds took part in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis identified two overarching themes: logistical research issues (workload, accessing/ recruiting participants, finances) and sensitive research issues (emotional demands, professional boundaries, sensitivity around recruitment). One cross-cutting theme, supportive strategies (support and training, coping mechanisms), was seen to influence both logistical and sensitive research issues. While further research is needed to fully understand the causes and impact of work stress on cancer researchers, three specific issues were highlighted: emotional demands are relevant to quantitative and mixed methods researchers as well as those engaged in qualitative research; the researchers’ background (experience; clinical/non-clinical) was influential and an exploration of effective coping strategies is required; and there is a clear need for adequate support systems and training to be available, particularly for early career researchers.</p

Origin and significance of 'dispersed facies' basal ice: Svínafellsjökull, Iceland

Dispersed facies basal ice - massive (i.e. structureless) ice with dispersed debris aggregates - is present at the margins of many glaciers and, as a product of internal glacial processes, has the potential to provide important information about the mechanisms of glacier flow and the nature of the subglacial environment. The origin of dispersed facies is poorly understood, with several hypotheses having been advanced for its formation, and there is disagreement as to whether it is largely a sedimentary or a tectonic feature. We test these established hypotheses at the temperate glacier Svfnafellsjokull, Iceland, and find that none fully account for dispersed facies characteristics at this location. Instead, dispersed facies physical, sedimentological and stable-isotope (5180, 8D) characteristics favour a predominantly tectonic origin that we suggest comprises the regelation and straininduced metamorphism of debris-rich basal ice that has been entrained into an englacial position by tectonic processes operating at the base of an icefall. Further thickening of the resultant dispersed facies may also occur tectonically as a result of ice flow against the reverse bed slope of a terminal overdeepening. Lack of efficient subglacial drainage in the region of the overdeepening may limit basal melting and thus favour basal ice preservation, including the preservation of dispersed facies. Despite the relatively low sediment content of dispersed facies (~1.6% by volume), its thickness (up to 25 m) and ubiquity at Svfnafellsjokull results in a significant contribution to annual sediment discharge (1635-3270 m3 a"1) that is ~6.5 times that contributed by debris-rich stratified facies basal ice

Systematic derivation of a rotationally covariant extension of the 2-dimensional Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation

An extension of the Newell-Whitehead-Segel amplitude equation covariant under abritrary rotations is derived systematically by the renormalization group method.Comment: 8 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev. Letters, March 18, 199

Renormalization Group Method and Reductive Perturbation Method

It is shown that the renormalization group method does not necessarily eliminate all secular terms in perturbation series to partial differential equations and a functional subspace of renormalizable secular solutions corresponds to a choice of scales of independent variables in the reductive perturbation method.Comment: 5 pages, late

Derivation of Amplitude Equations by Renormalization Group Method

A proper formulation in the perturbative renormalization group method is presented to deduce amplitude equations. The formulation makes it possible not only avoiding a serious difficulty in the previous reduction to amplitude equations by eliminating all of the secular terms but also consistent derivation of higher-order correction to amplitude equations.Comment: 6 page, revte