An examination into the possibility of the UK being a predominantly cannabis producing nation and a methodology of cultivation techniques

Previously, the UK has been known to heavily import cannabis from producer countries, more recently vast quantities of cannabis farms are being discovered throughout the nation. This review aims to analyse the evidence supporting that the UK is now a predominantly cannabis producing nation through the use of seizure statistics and farm discovery data, also to explore cultivation techniques utilised by domestic growers. The UK is highly efficient at producing high quality sinsemilla cannabis, with the number of commercial farms being discovered more than doubling between 2007/08-2010/11. The quantity of cannabis plant seizures however, has since fallen from 2011/12-2014/15 which the multiple site model explains. Police budgets are believed to be impacting upon seizure statistics explaining the recent decline in cannabis plants and herbal cannabis seizures. With such large quantities of domestic cannabis being grown, it is surprising that cannabis is still imported. The majority of domestic cannabis growers within the UK accomplish this indoors; facilitated with artificial lighting, soil or hydroponics grow mediums and ventilation systems. Further research is needed to indicate whether the UK has the potential to become an exporter of cannabis

Immune- and nonimmune-compartment-specific interferon responses are critical determinants of herpes simplex virus-induced generalized infections and acute liver failure

The interferon (IFN) response to viral pathogens is critical for host survival. In humans and mouse models, defects in IFN responses can result in lethal herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections, usually from encephalitis. Although rare, HSV-1 can also cause fulminant hepatic failure, which is often fatal. Although herpes simplex encephalitis has been extensively studied, HSV-1 generalized infections and subsequent acute liver failure are less well understood. We previously demonstrated that IFN-αβγR-/- mice are exquisitely susceptible to liver infection following corneal infection with HSV-1. In this study, we used bone marrow chimeras of IFN-αβγR-/- (AG129) and wild-type (WT; 129SvEv) mice to probe the underlying IFN-dependent mechanisms that control HSV-1 pathogenesis. After infection, WT mice with either IFN-αβγR-/- or WT marrow exhibited comparable survival, while IFN-αβγR-/- mice with WT marrow had a significant survival advantage over their counterparts with IFN-αβγR-/- marrow. Furthermore, using bioluminescent imaging to maximize data acquisition, we showed that the transfer of IFN-competent hematopoietic cells controlled HSV-1 replication and damage in the livers of IFN-αβγR-/- mice. Consistent with this, the inability of IFN-αβγR-/- immune cells to control liver infection in IFN-αβγR-/- mice manifested as profoundly elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, indicative of severe liver damage. In contrast, IFN-αβγR-/-mice receiving WT marrow exhibited only modest elevations of AST and ALT levels. These studies indicate that IFN responsiveness of the immune system is a major determinant of viral tropism and damage during visceral HSV infections

High performance mixed bisimide resins and composites based thereon

Mixtures of bismaleimide/biscitraconirnide resins produces materials which have better handling, processing or mechanical and thermal properties, particularly in graphite composites, than materials made with the individual resins. The mechanical strength of cured graphite composites prepared from a 1:1 copolymer of such bisimide resins is excellent at both ambient and elevated temperatures. The copolymer mixture provides improved composites which are lighter than metals and replace metals in many aerospace applications

Evolving structure-function mappings in cognitive neuroscience using genetic programming

A challenging goal of psychology and neuroscience is to map cognitive functions onto neuroanatomical structures. This paper shows how computational methods based upon evolutionary algorithms can facilitate the search for satisfactory mappings by efficiently combining constraints from neuroanatomy and physiology (the structures) with constraints from behavioural experiments (the functions). This methodology involves creation of a database coding for known neuroanatomical and physiological constraints, for mental programs made of primitive cognitive functions, and for typical experiments with their behavioural results. The evolutionary algorithms evolve theories mapping structures to functions in order to optimize the fit with the actual data. These theories lead to new, empirically testable predictions. The role of the prefrontal cortex in humans is discussed as an example. This methodology can be applied to the study of structures or functions alone, and can also be used to study other complex systems. (This article does not exactly replicate the final version published in the Journal of Swiss Psychology. It is not a copy of the original published article and is not suitable for citation.

Low density bismaleimide-carbon microballoon composites

A process is described for the preparation of composite laminate.structures of glass cloth preimpregnated with polybismaleimide resin and adhered to a polybismaleimide glass or aromatic polyamide paper honeycomb cell structure that is filled or partially filled with a syntactic foam consisting of a mixture of bismaleimide resin and carbon microballoons. The carbon microballoons are prepared by pyrolyzing phenolic microballoons and subsequently bonded using a 2% bismaleimide solution. The laminate structures are cured for two hours at 477 deg K and are adhered to the honeycomb bismaleimide adhesive using a pressure of 700 KN/sq m pressure at 450 deg K. The laminate composite is then post-cured for two hours at 527 deg K to produce a composite laminate having a density in the range from about 95 kilograms per cubic meter to 130 kilograms per cubic meter

H-alpha Stacked Images Reveal Large Numbers of PNe in the LMC

Our new, deep, high resolution H-alpha and matching R-band UKST multi-exposure stack of the central 25 sq. degrees of the LMC promises to provide an unprecedented homogeneous sample of >1,000 new PNe. Our preliminary 2dF spectroscopy on the AAT has vindicated our selection process and confirmed 136 new PNe and 57 emission-line stars out of a sample of 263 candidate sources within an initial 2.5 sq. deg. area. To date approximately one third of the entire LMC has been scanned for candidates (~7.5 sq.deg.). More than 750 new emission sources have been catalogued so far along with independent re-identification of all known and possible PNe found from other surveys. Once our image analysis is complete, we plan comprehensive spectroscopic follow-up of the whole sample, not only to confirm our PN candidates but also to derive nebula temperatures and densities which, with the aid of photoionization modeling, will yield stellar parameters which are vital for constructing H-R diagrams for these objects. A prime objective of the survey is to produce a Luminosity Function which will be the most accurate and comprehensive ever derived in terms of numbers, magnitude range and evolutionary state; offering significant new insights into the LMC's evolutionary history. The observation and measurement of our newly discovered AGB halos around 60% of these PN will also assist in determining the initial- to final-mass ratios for this phase of stellar evolution.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, to be published in Proceedings of the ESO workshop on Planetary Nebulae beyond the Milky Way held at ESO, Garching, May 19-21, 200

A New Population of Planetary Nebulae Discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud (I): Preliminary Sample

We report our initial discovery of 73 new planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) following confirmatory 2dF spectroscopy on the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). Preliminary candidate sources come from a 10 per cent sub-area of our new deep, high resolution H-alpha map of the central 25 deg. square of the LMC obtained with the UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST). The depth of the high resolution map was extended to Requiv~22 for H-alpha (4.5 x 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1 Ang-1) by a process of multi-exposure median co-addition of a dozen 2-hour H-alpha exposures. The resulting map is at least 1-magnitude deeper than the best wide-field narrow-band LMC images currently available. This depth, combined with our selection technique, has also led to the discovery of extended AGB halos around many new and previously known LMC PNe for the first time. Once complete, our new survey is expected to triple the LMC PN population and have significant implications for the LMC PN luminosity function, kinematics, abundance gradients chemical evolution and, via study of the AGB halos, the initial to final mass relation for low to intermediate mass stars.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figures (zipped). Accepted for publication in Mmonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ