The Thermal Degradation of Polymer Blends

Abstract Not Provided

MiPOS - the Mote Indoor Positioning System

In the past few years, there have been huge research efforts into ubiquitous and context aware platforms that offer a user a custom level of service based on some known local parameters. The utility of such systems is greatly enhanced if a physical locational area can be determined. Recently, hybrid devices have been developed combining low power micro controllers with short range FM radio transceivers. Some location identification work has been carried out with these systems such as the Matrix Pencil approximation technique[8],however most of these all provide information for an ideal square area with no RF obstructions.Here we present MiPOS, a scalable locationing system based on the MICA mote[11] family of devices.The design goal of MiPOS is to provide a low-power, scalable, distributed locationing system suited to an indoor (office) environment.During the presentation of this paper we will highlight solutions in the areas of security, radio and network management and power awareness for a hybrid context aware wearable locationing device

Trace element geochemistry of Belizean and Bermudan stalagmites: new tools, proxies and applications.

Speleothem trace elements are an important and effective tool for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. They can be used to reconstruct a plethora of climate variables, and are a vital tool for improving our understanding of the climate system. This is particularly important given the on-going challenges of comprehending and tackling anthropogenic climate change. Only by thoroughly understanding controls on climate variability can we attempt to predict future change. This thesis presents a broad study of current speleothem trace element proxies. In addition to reviewing the current state of knowledge, this thesis presents several additions and developments to the speleothem trace element toolkit. The 22 year ATM-7 trace element record from Belize has a greater than seasonal resolution, and a highly precise chronology. As a result of this exceptional chronology, combined with extremely high resolution LA-ICP-MS analysis, it is possible to detect the geochemical indicators of volcanic ash deposition. Principal Component Analysis identifies a clear signal of a multi-elemental input of trace elements at the beginning of the wet season following volcanic eruptions with ash reaching the cave site. U/Ca variability in aragonitic speleothems is strongly influenced by the occurrence of Prior Aragonite Precipitation. The U/Ca record in Belizean stalagmite YOK-G strongly suggests that modern drying has occurred in Belize, primarily caused by a reduction in wet season rainfall. This is consistent with published stable isotope data from YOK-G, previously interpreted as the result of southward ITCZ displacement. These results strongly suggest that U/Ca values in aragonitic speleothems are excellent proxies for rainfall variability. This new tool, combined with the exceptional chronological control characteristic of aragonitic stalagmites and the high spatial resolution afforded by modern microanalytical techniques, should facilitate the construction of new exquisitely resolved rainfall records, providing rare insights into seasonality changes as well as long-term changes in local recharge conditions. In the Bermudan stalagmite BER-SWI-13, magnesium concentrations record, via varying prior calcite precipitation, changes in local rainfall which appear to correspond to variation in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Through a different mechanism, phosphorous also correlates with changes in the NAO. We infer that local effective rainfall changes, influenced by NAO state, influence bioproductivity above the cave and thus the amount of phosphorous in dripwaters. Surprisingly, for a location such as Bermuda, we see no evidence of clear direct anthropogenic influence on speleothem chemistry. These results V suggest that Bermudan speleothems are well situated to record basin scale climate changes in the North Atlantic. Together, these three separate studies demonstrate the strength and versatility of high- resolution trace element analysis of speleothems. They establish new techniques of data analysis, new proxies, and the applications of existing proxies in new contexts to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental variables. Looking forward, these discoveries demonstrate that speleothem trace elements continue to have a great deal to offer to the field of palaeoclimate reconstruction, and that there are still new techniques and applications to be developed

Regulation of protein–protein interactions using stapled peptides

The targeting of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) that include secondary structure motifs such as the α-helix and ß-sheet is a challenge in chemical biology. A new class of compounds called stapled peptides have been developed that mimic α-helix secondary structures involved in PPIs. These conformationally constrained peptides also show favorable physicochemical properties and so are promising lead compounds for drug discovery. This review focuses on the design aspects of hydrocarbon constrained α-helical proteomimetics and provides examples in which they target biologically relevant PPIs

Analysis and Geometric Optimization of Single Electron Transistors for Read-Out in Solid-State Quantum Computing

The single electron transistor (SET) offers unparalled opportunities as a nano-scale electrometer, capable of measuring sub-electron charge variations. SETs have been proposed for read-out schema in solid-state quantum computing where quantum information processing outcomes depend on the location of a single electron on nearby quantum dots. In this paper we investigate various geometries of a SET in order to maximize the device's sensitivity to charge transfer between quantum dots. Through the use of finite element modeling we model the materials and geometries of an Al/Al2O3 SET measuring the state of quantum dots in the Si substrate beneath. The investigation is motivated by the quest to build a scalable quantum computer, though the methodology used is primarily that of circuit theory. As such we provide useful techniques for any electronic device operating at the classical/quantum interface.Comment: 13 pages, 17 figure

Do topical antibiotics improve wound healing?

The use of topical triple-antibiotic ointments significantly decreases infection rates in minor contaminated wounds compared with a petrolatum control. Plain petrolatum ointment is equivalent to triple-antibiotic ointments for sterile wounds as a post- procedure wound dressing (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, based on randomized controlled trials [RCTs])

Second Set of Spaces

This document describes the Gloss infrastructure supporting implementation of location-aware services. The document is in two parts. The first part describes software architecture for the smart space. As described in D8, a local architecture provides a framework for constructing Gloss applications, termed assemblies, that run on individual physical nodes, whereas a global architecture defines an overlay network for linking individual assemblies. The second part outlines the hardware installation for local sensing. This describes the first phase of the installation in Strathclyde University