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A computational multiphysics study of a satellite thruster
Get PDFThis work concerns a study of the thermomechanical behaviour of a commercial thruster for aerospace use. The thruster, operated using a bipropellant liquid mixture, is used for the motion and in-orbit altitude control of small telecommunications satellites. The mixture used in the combustion process is composed of propylene and nitrous oxide, while the wall of the thruster is made of PH15-5 stainless steel. A computational fluid dynamics analysis of conjugate heat transfer determines the spatial–temporal distribution of temperature within the thruster wall. This information is passed to a finite element mechanical model that simulates the stress and the equivalent plastic strain distribution within the thruster wall
Climate change impacts on blanket peatland in Great Britain
Get PDFPeatland restoration has been suggested as a key method for the UK to meet national, legally binding climate targets. This can involve blocking up drainage ditches or erosion features, as well as encouraging regeneration of peatland vegetation through Sphagnum reintroduction or removal of scrub or trees. It is unclear, however, how suitable future conditions will be for both peat accumulation and Sphagnum survival.
We applied three bioclimatic envelope models for blanket bogs in Britain to assess how future climate is likely to deviate from current conditions, focussing on four national parks with significant peatland area (Dartmoor, the Flow Country, the Peak District and Snowdonia). We also assessed the likelihood of thresholds being passed at which irreversible desiccation of Sphagnum moss may occur.
Our bioclimatic envelope models use updated climate projections (bias-corrected UKCP18 projections under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) that are more accurate in the upland regions in which blanket bogs can occur, and use thresholds of blanket bog occurrence which are tailored to Britain. This gives us higher confidence in the results as compared to previous models.
Our results show substantial losses in areas suitable for peatland by 2061–2080 under all RCPs. Under RCP8.5 there is virtually no peatland within its current bioclimatic envelope in our case study areas and only limited areas in Snowdonia under RCP4.5, suggesting these regions will be outside the ideal conditions that lead to peat accumulation. Only western Scotland retains substantial areas suitable for peat.
The frequency of Sphagnum desiccation events is projected to increase by between 44% and 82% which will likely result in decreased success of hummock forming species, particularly at easterly sites where rainfall is lower, though wetter microsites will likely allow more drought-tolerant species to persist.
Policy implications. Action should be taken to raise water tables at degraded sites to limit the impact of future drought conditions. However, climatic conditions being outside the current bioclimatic envelope may make full restoration challenging. Sphagnum reintroduction programmes may have greater success utilising drought-tolerant species as hummock forming species are at greater risk of die off during desiccation events
Safe spaces and beyond: Examining the role of LGBT+ Pride Groups in fostering ontological security and allyship within UK schools
Get PDFThis paper explores the critical role that safe spaces, or ‘Pride Groups’, can play in developing ontological security and allyship within schools. Drawing on data collected from eight UK secondary schools and one college, the research evaluates the impact of these groups, using an innovative theoretical framework combining Meyer's minority stress model with Giddens' concept of ontological security. The research addresses a significant and notable gap in UK-based Pride Groups literature, as these groups are more commonly studied in the US context. The findings demonstrate that such groups provide essential safe spaces, fostering personal development, emotional wellbeing and broader school inclusion. Moreover, this study adds depth to existing research by examining the logistical and ideological challenges of running Pride Groups, such as the negotiation of group membership and the tension between inclusivity and safety. These insights contribute to an original and deeper understanding of inclusive policy and practice, revealing how educational environments can be transformed into spaces of safety for LGBT+ students
Interdisciplinary knowledge flow in international higher education research: Characteristics and mechanisms.
Get PDFInterdisciplinary knowledge flow provides methodological and theoretical support for solving complex problems in higher education. Based on Darcy’s law, this study constructs a three-dimensional analysis framework for knowledge slope, knowledge stickiness, and flow medium, and combines it with bibliometric methods to analyze key words, references, and other information in 10 journals in JCR 1 or 2 higher education research (HER) fields from 2000 to 2022, so as to explore the characteristics and mechanisms of interdisciplinary knowledge flow in HER. The results show that, in the process of interdisciplinary knowledge flow in HER, the spillover amount of knowledge exchange between HER and other disciplines/fields is less than the absorption amount, and the direction of knowledge flow is knowledge-importing. The phenomenon of reciprocal assimilation between HER and other disciplines/fields is significant, and the knowledge network shows the characteristics of family resemblance. Interdisciplinary knowledge flow in HER is influenced by three factors, among which knowledge slope plays a promoting role, knowledge stickiness plays a hindering role, and the flow medium has a gatekeeper effect in the process
Winters Wonderland ( Documentary)
No full textThe documentary "Winters Wonderland" is a significant research project that celebrates the South Asian experience in Derby, focusing on the 1950s-80s. This project is part of the Derby Yaadaañ Archive, which includes historic and contemporary images and oral history recordings collected from the personal albums and experiences of Derby residents.
Originality: "Winters Wonderland" is an original contribution to the documentation of South Asian heritage in Derby. Overall the Derby Yaadaañ Archive project has collecting over 1200 historic images from more than 30 participants, along with oral history testimonies and contemporary portraits, this documentary offers a unique and comprehensive portrayal of the South Asian community's experiences and contributions.
Significance: The significance of this documentary lies in its ability to preserve and highlight the rich cultural heritage of the South Asian diaspora in Derby. The film not only showcases the trials and triumphs of early settlers but also provides valuable insights into their enduring legacy. This project is more than mere preservation; it is a celebration of community and heritage, fostering a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the South Asian community and Derby.
Rigour: The methodology employed in this documentary is systematic and thorough. By the end of January 2025, we will have amassed a substantial collection of images and testimonies, far exceeding what was displayed at the Museum of Making exhibition. This rigorous approach ensures that the documentary is comprehensive and representative of the community's experiences.
Evidence of New Insights: The context and literature review conducted for this documentary have provided new insights into the South Asian experience in Derby. The evidence gathered advances our understanding of the community's history and contributions, offering a richer, more nuanced narrative.
Effective Sharing: "Winters Wonderland" will be effectively shared with the public through a new website, set to launch at a celebration event. Additionally, the entire archive will be added to the collections at the Local Studies and Family History Library and Derby Museums, ensuring accessibility for future generations.
In summary, the documentary "Winters Wonderland" meets the REF definition of research through its originality, significance, and rigour, providing new insights and effectively sharing them with the publi
Researching the Arts in Primary Schools
Get PDFThis major report details the findings of the RAPS (Researching the Arts in Primary Schools) project. This three-year project on arts-rich schools sought to discover the characteristics of arts-rich schools. It found that:
Arts-rich primary schools are highly diverse. There
is no one way to be arts-rich. However, there are
patterns across the schools that can inform other
schools and the school system more generally.
Arts-rich schools offer art and music to all children
every week and every year. They also offer other
expressive arts subjects. Arts-rich schools offer a
wide range of extra-curricular arts activities and
special events; these are complementary to the
regular arts programme
The expressive arts are integral to the schools’
identities and their philosophies. They all see
the expressive arts as integral to a broad and
balanced curriculum.
Commitment to the expressive arts does not
come at the expense of other subject learning. The
majority of the arts-rich schools we studied did
at least as well as, if not better, than equivalent
schools and schools in their local authority.
Children’s success across the full range of subjects
was recognised in their inspection ratings.
Key to the schools’ arts-richness was the
commitment of senior leaders, and the appointment
of specialist staff with expertise. Specialist staff
taught an arts subject, planned the arts curriculum
and supported classroom teachers.
Arts-rich schools go against the grain of research
evidence that most primary classroom teachers
do not feel confident teaching expressive arts
subjects: generalist classroom teachers in artsrich
schools felt confident in teaching a range of
expressive arts subjects.
Arts-rich schools are notable for the depth and
density of their arts leadership. Children and
governors contribute to this depth and density by
working with arts specialists.
Arts-rich schools have strong, ongoing relationships
and partnerships with artists and cultural
organisations. These add to the specialist expertise
within the school and enhance children’s learning
Explainable Vehicle Activity Recognition: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
No full textDeep learning outperforms traditional methods in vehicle activity classification, however, decision interpretability remains crucial for safety-critical applications. This study presents a novel method for classifying vehicle activities involving pairs of vehicles and interpreting the decisions of the classifier. This study consists of four main components. First, we introduce a new set of quantitative features that describes the relative motion between two vehicles as a continuous trajectory of numerical values. Next, we use Bayesian Optimization to develop an optimal Bi-LSTM network, called VqNet, for classifying vehicle activities. Subsequently, we propose a new approach to interpret the decisions made by the Bi-LSTM model to understand the decision-making process. Finally, we conducted extensive experiments using a large dataset comprising three publicly available sets, containing 7,257 trajectories and nine distinct vehicle activities across various traffic scenarios. Our analysis, comparing eight qualitative and quantitative methods, shows that our approach consistently outperforms the others, achieving 11.44% higher accuracy than VNet and addressing its key limitations. Furthermore, our findings indicate that VNet’s decisions align with human reasoning, whereas VqNet relies on specific patterns within activities for classification, without capturing a broader context. This study highlights quantitative models’ performance, simplicity, and differing explainability from qualitative deep learning approaches
NGOs and the Regulation of Multinational Corporations: Perspectives from the ECOWAS Court of Justice
No full textCurrently, there is no explicit or binding international framework regulating the activities of multinational corporations (MNCs). In the Nigerian context, victims and other stakeholders regularly file suits in different foreign jurisdictions (including home States of MNCs) in attempts to hold MNCs accountable for their infractions. NGOs are at the forefront of most litigation that has been instituted in foreign jurisdictions arising from the negative impacts of the operations or activities of MNCs in Nigeria.
Strategic litigation at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice (ECCJ) is one of the most successful regulatory strategies utilised by NGOs in Nigeria to influence the activities of government agencies and MNCs. For example, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) (a Nigeria-based NGO) and a plethora of other NGOs have relied on the ECCJ in this regard. In SERAP v Federal Government of Nigeria, the ECCJ held that only the Nigerian government (and not MNCs) can be held accountable or liable for human rights violations and environmental injustices in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Also, the ECCJ declined jurisdiction over several MNCs operating in the oil and gas sector.
This chapter contends that notwithstanding that litigation as a regulatory strategy by NGOs is beset by many impediments, litigation at the ECCJ by SERAP (and other NGOs) has improved the human rights architecture in Nigeria and led to indirect regulatory impacts on the behaviour of MNCs and national environmental agencies in Nigeria
Closing the data gap: equality, human rights, and the challenge of BAME representation in UK policing
Get PDFThe recruitment and retention of individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities within UK police forces is not only a persistent operational challenge, but also a critical human rights issue. This paper examines the
failure of UK police forces to maintain accessible, comprehensive records on BAME recruitment and retention—a deficiency that undermines both domestic legal duties and international human rights obligations. By integrating empirical data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests with a doctrinal analysis of the Equality Act 2010 and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), this study argues that the ‘data gap’ constitutes a breach of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and imperils the pursuit of substantive equality in policing. This research contributes to the existing literature on institutional accountability and state data practices by advancing a framework that links data transparency with the broader imperatives of human rights protection
HoneyWin: high-interaction windows honeypot in enterprise environment
No full textWindows operating systems are often the primary targets of malware and ransomware attacks. With 93% of the ransomware targetingWindows-based systems, there is an urgent need for advanced defensive mechanisms to detect, analyze, and mitigate threats effectively. This paper proposes HoneyWin a high-interaction Windows honeypot that mimics an enterprise IT environment. The HoneyWin consists of three Windows 11 endpoints and an enterprise-grade gateway provisioned with comprehensive network traffic capturing, host-based logging, deceptive tokens, endpoint security and real-time alerts capabilities. The HoneyWin has been deployed live in the wild for 34 days and receives more than 5.79 million unsolicited connections, 1.24 million login attempts, 5 and 354 successful logins via remote desktop protocol (RDP) and secure shell (SSH). The adversary interacted with the deceptive token in one of the RDP sessions and exploited the public-facing endpoint to initiate the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) brute-force bot attack via SSH sessions. The adversary successfully harvested 1,250 SMTP credentials after attempting 151,179 credentials during the attack