DC modulation noise in clustered particulate media

Mallinson’s theory of recording media noise is extended to ensembles where the particles have an easy axis distribution or are clustered. The effect of clusters is that there is a critical value of packing fraction at which noise in the demagnetised state switches to a minimum. Comparison is made with measurements of DC modulation noise in double layer MP tape

Failure of Sandwich Composite Structure Containing Face-sheet/Core Disbonds – An Experimental Study

Honeycomb sandwich specimens containing manufactured circular disbonds were loaded to failure in bending. Particular emphasis was placed on accurately identifying the occurrence of disbond buckling and growth initiation, as these two events are difficult to monitor. The test results are presented and then the methods used to identify disbond buckling and growth initiation are described. The method of identifying disbond buckling was very successful. The method of identifying growth initiation was largely successful but improvements are suggested. Finally, conclusions are presented and recommendations made regarding design and repair considerations. The study was performed to provide data against which predictive models can be validated, filling a large gap in the published literature regarding experimental results for disbonded sandwich structure

Epibenthic and mobile species colonisation of a geotextile artificial surf reef on the south coast of England

With increasing coastal infrastructure and use of novel materials there is a need to investigate the colonisation of assemblages associated with new structures, how these differ to natural and other artificial habitats and their potential impact on regional biodiversity. The colonisation of Europe’s first artificial surf reef (ASR) was investigated at Boscombe on the south coast of England (2009–2014) and compared with assemblages on existing natural and artificial habitats. The ASR consists of geotextile bags filled with sand located 220m offshore on a sandy sea bed at a depth of 0-5m. Successional changes in epibiota were recorded annually on differently orientated surfaces and depths using SCUBA diving and photography. Mobile faunal assemblages were sampled using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV). Distinct stages in colonisation were observed, commencing with bryozoans and green algae which were replaced by red algae, hydroids and ascidians, however there were significant differences in assemblage structure with depth and orientation. The reef is being utilised by migratory, spawning and juvenile life-history stages of fish and invertebrates. The number of non-native species was larger than on natural reefs and other artificial habitats and some occupied a significant proportion of the structure. The accumulation of 180 benthic and mobile taxa, recorded to date, appears to have arisen from a locally rich and mixed pool of native and non-native species. Provided no negative invasive impacts are detected on nearby protected reefs the creation of novel yet diverse habitats may be considered a beneficial outcome

Optimizing Bus Routes in Nicosia

In this report the conclusions by the team of experts that took the ”Trans- portation Organization of the Nicosia District (OSEL)” challenge are provided. The challenge was to identify ways to improve efficiency of the bus network and increase the utilization of the network by the public. A thorough analysis of the various factors that affect bus route planning is provided. Moreover, a demonstration of a simplified route planning problem is described in order to motivate further work on this topic. Recommendations are provided to the company on the way to move forward towards solving the problem of creating a bus network with increased efficiency and grater appeal to the public. Specific recommendations include the collection of a larger amounts of data that can be used to generate models used in simulation analysis. Data include demographic data on bus usage and bus usage preferences by the public. In addition, data is required on bus travel times, walking distance to the nearest bus stop by the commuter, and traffic data

Proglacial icings as indicators of glacier thermal regime : ice thickness changes and icing occurrence in Svalbard

Proglacial icings (also known as naled or aufeis) are frequently observed in the forefields of polar glaciers. Their formation has been ascribed to the refreezing of upwelling groundwater that has originated from subglacial melt, and thus the presence of icings has been used as evidence of polythermal glacier regime. We provide an updated analysis of icing occurrence in Svalbard and test the utility of icings as an indicator of thermal regime by comparing icing presence with: (1) mean glacier thickness, as a proxy for present thermal regime; and (2) evidence of past surge activity, which is an indicator of past thermal regime. A total of 279 icings were identified from TopoSvalbard imagery covering the period 2008-2012, of which 143 corresponded to icings identified by Bukowska-Jania and Szafraniec (2005) from aerial photographs from 1990. Only 46% of icings observed in 2008-2012 were found to occur at glaciers with thicknesses consistent with a polythermal regime, meaning a large proportion were associated with glaciers predicted to be of a cold or transitional thermal regime. As a result, icing presence alone may be an unsuitable indicator of glacier regime. We further found that, of the 279 glaciers with icings, 63% of cold-based glaciers and 64% of transitional glaciers were associated with evidence of surge activity. We therefore suggest that proglacial icing formation in Svalbard may reflect historical (rather than present) thermal regime, and that icings possibly originate from groundwater effusion from subglacial taliks that persist for decades following glacier thinning and associated regime change

A promiscuous cytochrome P450 aromatic O-demethylase for lignin bioconversion

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOMicrobial aromatic catabolism offers a promising approach to convert lignin, a vast source of renewable carbon, into useful products. Aryl-O-demethylation is an essential biochemical reaction to ultimately catabolize coniferyl and sinapyl lignin-derived a9FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2013/08293-72014/10448-12016/22956-7We acknowledge funding from NSF grants to J.L.D. (MCB-1715176), K.N.H. (CHE-1361104), and E.L.N. (DEB-1556541 and MCB-1615365) and BBSRC grants to J.E.M. (BB/P011918/1, BB/L001926/1 and a studentship to S.J.B.M.). G.T.B., M.M.M., C.W.J., M.F.C., E.L.N.,

Application of pharmacogenomics and bioinformatics to exemplify the utility of human <i>ex vivo</i> organoculture models in the field of precision medicine

Here we describe a collaboration between industry, the National Health Service (NHS) and academia that sought to demonstrate how early understanding of both pharmacology and genomics can improve strategies for the development of precision medicines. Diseased tissue ethically acquired from patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was used to investigate inter-patient variability in drug efficacy using ex vivo organocultures of fresh lung tissue as the test system. The reduction in inflammatory cytokines in the presence of various test drugs was used as the measure of drug efficacy and the individual patient responses were then matched against genotype and microRNA profiles in an attempt to identify unique predictors of drug responsiveness. Our findings suggest that genetic variation in CYP2E1 and SMAD3 genes may partly explain the observed variation in drug response

Standing balance in persistent whiplash: A comparison between subjects with and without dizziness

Objective: Dizziness and unsteadiness, associated with altered balance, are frequent complaints in subjects suffering persistent whiplash associated disorders. Research has been inconclusive with respect to possible aetiology. This study assessed balance responses in subjects with whiplash associated disorders, taking into account several possible causes