UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF FLOW IMPOUNDMENT FOR RIVER SYSTEMS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND

Many rivers have undergone flow modification by impoundments to provide services such as water supply and hydropower. There is an established consensus that typical modified flow regimes do not sufficiently cater to the needs of downstream ecosystems, due to species having adapted to natural flow conditions. This may lead to changes in the biodiversity and functional composition of ecosystems, potentially compromising water quality and other river system services. More must be done to understand the relationship between flow and in-stream ecology, in order to mitigate the impacts of flow modification. The development of efficient methods of ecology-flow assessment is vital in order to meet current and future legislation, whilst considering other stakeholders and maintaining the resilience of the local water supply. This thesis combines statistical approaches applied to public datasets, and combined ecological-hydraulic modelling at a case study site, to propose environmental flow regimes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on flow and macroinvertebrate sampling data from sites across northern England. The mean annual frequency of high flow events was identified as a particularly influential driver of functional composition and biodiversity metrics. Field data was gathered and a hydraulic-ecological model was also developed for a selected case study site in order to predict the responses of selected indicator species to flow. Spatial and temporal distributions of habitat quality with respect to flow were generated, allowing the impacts of various flow inputs to be assessed. These findings were integrated in order to generate recommended flow regimes for the case study site. It was demonstrated that the proposed regimes met or improved upon ecological metrics relative to impoundment outflow data, whilst also conserving significant quantities of water. Outcomes from this research demonstrate the potential of habitat suitability models, supplemented by knowledge of ecological-flow relationships, to inform environmental flow design decisions

Policing Diversity: Lessons from Lambeth

This report describes a local initiative, Policing Diversity in Lambeth (PDL), which was developed to address the challenges of policing a highly ethnically diverse population. The report is timely. The report of the Macpherson Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence has substantially redrawn the policy landscape in relation to policing and race issues. The Home Secretary’s priorities for policing in 2000-1 emphasise the need for improved community relations. The follow-up report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, ‘Winning the Race Revisited’, further stressed the need for urgent action. Parallel with these developments, the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act imposed a duty on police and local authorities to work to reduce crime in partnerships with local communities, and to engage more fully in consultation with local communities. The report provides a snapshot of PDL at a particular stage in its development, and this report may seem of historical interest only. However, the analysis of underlying relations between the police and the community will have wider applicability for both the police and crime and disorder partnerships, as do the lessons that can be drawn from PDL’s first year

From crystal to structure with CCP4

An introduction to the 2017 CCP4 Study Weekend Special Issue

Structural Evidence for a Copper-Bound Carbonate Intermediate in the Peroxidase and Dismutase Activities of Superoxide Dismutase

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD) is of fundamental importance to our understanding of oxidative damage. Its primary function is catalysing the dismutation of superoxide to O2 and H2O2. SOD also reacts with H2O2, leading to the formation of a strong copper-bound oxidant species that can either inactivate the enzyme or oxidise other substrates. In the presence of bicarbonate (or CO2) and H2O2, this peroxidase activity is enhanced and produces the carbonate radical. This freely diffusible reactive oxygen species is proposed as the agent for oxidation of large substrates that are too bulky to enter the active site. Here, we provide direct structural evidence, from a 2.15 Å resolution crystal structure, of (bi)carbonate captured at the active site of reduced SOD, consistent with the view that a bound carbonate intermediate could be formed, producing a diffusible carbonate radical upon reoxidation of copper. The bound carbonate blocks direct access of substrates to Cu(I), suggesting that an adjunct to the accepted mechanism of SOD catalysed dismutation of superoxide operates, with Cu(I) oxidation by superoxide being driven via a proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism involving the bound carbonate rather than the solvent. Carbonate is captured in a different site when SOD is oxidised, being located in the active site channel adjacent to the catalytically important Arg143. This is the probable route of diffusion from the active site following reoxidation of the copper. In this position, the carbonate is poised for re-entry into the active site and binding to the reduced copper. © 2012 Strange et al

Site Characterization Using Integrated Imaging Analysis Methods on Satellite Data of the Islamabad, Pakistan, Region

We develop an integrated digital imaging analysis approach to produce a first-approximation site characterization map for Islamabad, Pakistan, based on remote-sensing data. We apply both pixel-based and object-oriented digital imaging analysis methods to characterize detailed (1:50,000) geomorphology and geology from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite imagery. We use stereo-correlated relative digital elevation models (rDEMs) derived from ASTER data, as well as spectra in the visible near-infrared (VNIR) to thermal infrared (TIR) domains. The resulting geomorphic units in the study area are classified as mountain (including the Margala Hills and the Khairi Murat Ridge), piedmont, and basin terrain units. The local geologic units are classified as limestone in the Margala Hills and the Khairi Murat Ridge and sandstone rock types for the piedmonts and basins. Shear-wave velocities for these units are assigned in ranges based on established correlations in California. These ranges include Vs30-values to be greater than 500 m/sec for mountain units, 200–600 m/sec for piedmont units, and less than 300 m/sec for basin units. While the resulting map provides the basis for incorporating site response in an assessment of seismic hazard for Islamabad, it also demonstrates the potential use of remote-sensing data for site characterization in regions where only limited conventional mapping has been done

Construction of rugged, ultrastable optical assemblies with optical component alignment at the few microradian level

A method for constructing quasimonolithic, precision-aligned optical assemblies is presented. Hydroxide-catalysis bonding is used, adapted to allow optimization of component fine alignment prior to the bond setting. We demonstrate the technique by bonding a fused silica mirror substrate to a fused silica baseplate. In-plane component placement at the submicrometer level is achieved, resulting in angular control of a reflected laser beam at the sub-10-μrad level. Within the context of the LISA Pathfinder mission, the technique has been demonstrated as suitable for use in space-flight applications. It is expected that there will also be applications in a wide range of areas where accuracy, stability, and strength of optical assemblies are important

Radiographic Visualization of Arterial Lesions in Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67327/2/10.1177_000331977102200703.pd