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Impact of climate change on hydropower potential in the UK and Ireland
Get PDFDespite making up a small proportion of total electricity generation in the UK and Ireland, hydropower has an important role in providing resilience to the energy network and contributing to governmental net-zero emissions targets. Run-of-river hydropower schemes are popular in both countries, but are vulnerable to changes in streamflow patterns. In this study, we examine how climate change induced streamflow alterations will affect hydropower in the UK and Ireland. We use EXP-HYDRO hydrological model to simulate future streamflow in 585 catchments under worst-case future climate change (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5). Within 178 catchments we identify 531 run-of-river hydropower abstractions and analyze the impact of modelled streamflows on hydropower water abstraction characteristics. Results show that by 2080 there will be a reduction in annual hydropower water abstraction in Wales (−2.1%) and Northern Ireland (−1.9%), increased abstraction in England (+3.0%) and Scotland (+12.9%), and no changes in Ireland. For annual average power generation, a 6.2% increase is projected for Great Britain by the 2080s, and a 1.4% decrease for the island of Ireland. Our results suggest that the ability of hydropower schemes to make optimal use of future flows will depend on abstraction license conditions, with implications for overall power grid resilience
A Comparative Analysis of Gecko Toepad and Claw Morphologies, with regards to Body Weight, Locomotion and Habitat Occupancy.
Get PDFPsychometric properties of an adapted stigma scale and experiences of stigma associated with HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use among men who have sex with men: a mixed methods study
Get PDFStigma may influence the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, there is an absence of robust measures for PrEP-related stigma. We describe an adaptation of a HIV stigma scale for use in PrEP users and experiences of PrEP users in Wales (UK) with regards to PrEP-related stigma. A mixed methods study was conducted where PrEP users completed questionnaire items about PrEP-related stigma and a subset were interviewed about their experiences of taking PrEP. We adapted items from the HIV stigma scale and assessed construct validity and internal consistency. We analysed interview data using a framework approach, with themes focussing on enacted and anticipated stigma in order to identify areas for scale refinement. Our measure had good psychometric properties but additional items may be useful (e.g. specific instances of enacted stigma, concerns around homonegativity). Further work is needed to develop this scale and validate it in a larger sample
Rediscovering Lost Tacit Knowledge through an Integrated Empirical Model of Knowledge Management and Organisational Learning: A Classical Action Research enquiry into a Healthcare Technology Organisation.
No full textLDPE and biodegradable PLA-PBAT plastics differentially affect plant-soil nitrogen partitioning and dynamics in a Hordeum vulgare mesocosm
Get PDFMicro and macroplastics are emerging contaminants in agricultural settings, yet their impact on nitrogen (N) cycling and partitioning in plant-soil-microbial systems is poorly understood. In this mesocosm-scale study, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was exposed to macro or microplastic produced from low density polyethylene (LDPE) or biodegradable plastic at concentrations equivalent to 1, 10 and 20 years of plastic mulch film use. Partitioning of 15N-labelled fertiliser into plant biomass, soil and leachate yielded a partial mass balance. Soil N partitioning was probed via compound-specific 15N-stable isotope analyses of soil microbial protein. Concentration-dependent decreases in plant 15N uptake occurred with increased leached nitrogen for LDPE microplastic. Assimilation into soil microbial protein was higher for biodegradable plastics, which we associate with early-stage biodegradable plastic degradation. Partitioning of 15N into inorganic soil N pools was affected by LDPE size, with lower assimilation into the microbial protein pool. While microplastics and macroplastics altered soil N cycling, the limited impacts on plant health indicated the threshold for negative effects was not reached at agriculturally relevant concentrations. This study highlights the difference between conventional and biodegradable plastics, and emphasises that the interplay of micro and macroplastics on soil N cycling must be considered in future studies.</p
Tauopathies in Drosophila: Do Tau isoforms have the same toxicity and can Neurexin rescue Tau induced neurodegeneration?
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Experimental Demonstration of 38 Gbps over 2.5 m OWC Systems with Eye-safe 850 nm SM-VCSELs
Get PDFWith a directly modulated 850 nm single-modevertical cavity surface emitting laser (SM-VCSEL), we experimentally achieve a gross data rate of ∼38 Gbps over a 2.5 moptical wireless communication (OWC) link at the 7% ReedSolomon forward error correction (RS-FEC) limit. The OWClink is demonstrated using an eye-safe transmitted optical powerof -1.47 dBm and discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation withadaptive bit-and-power loading. The SM-VCSEL has a relativeintensity noise (RIN) of ∼-137 dB/Hz, which is lower than that ofa typical commercial 850 nm multimode VCSEL (∼-129 dB/Hz).Therefore, under almost identical OWC link operating conditions, the SM-VCSEL provides a gross data-rate increase of∼19 Gbps and an optical signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) gain of∼5 dB compared to its multimode counterpart having a similarmodulation bandwidth. Furthermore, we demonstrate an errorfree net data rate of ∼17 Gbps at a received optical power of-7 dBm, which suggests the feasibility of utilising the SM-VCSELto realise indoor gigabit OWC applications
Between Environmental Concerns and Compliance: How Does Media Messaging Affect Motivation and Choice Between Disposable Versus Reusable Facemasks, 2021-2022
No full textFacemasks were a crucial part of the UK strategy to contain and mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. While disposable facemasks present a convenient, low-cost solution, they carry greater associated environmental costs than reusable masks which are less likely to be discarded but require higher financial outlay. Although clearly central, the influence of media messaging – positive or negative - in determining people’s mask-wearing choices is unknown, despite the considerable medical and environmental implications. These interviews sought to explore the complex factors underpinning consumer choice of masks and the adoption or rejection of facemask-wearing, including the responsible disposal of masks, to evaluate constructive and destructive messaging around (a) mask-wearing and motivation, and (b) sustainable choices within the facemask wearing arena. There were three components: 1. Assessing the influence and effectiveness of media messaging around wearing facemasks to date 2. Examining the ways in which more effective media messaging can be developed to respond to rising rates of infection as well as potential long-term facemask use in the post-Covid era 3. Examining how the wearing of facemasks can be encouraged in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner to prevent short, medium and long-term collateral environmental harm, in alignment with the UK’s obligations under international human rights and environmental laws. The overarching aim of this project was, then, to better understand current facemask-wearing behaviour as influenced by the media to improve uptake and enhance the effectiveness of media campaigns for the future, explicitly considering environmental issues
Testing cognitive theories with multivariate pattern analysis of neuroimaging data
Get PDFThe development of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques to measure brain activity while human participants engage in cognitive tasks has driven thousands of investigations over recent decades. This has been paralleled by advances in experimental design and analysis, including the family of approaches known as multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). For many researchers, the increased sensitivity provided by applying MVPA to functional MRI, EEG or MEG data made it possible to address theories that describe cognition at the functional level. Here, we review a selection of studies that used MVPA to test cognitive theories from a range of domains, including perception, attention, memory, navigation, emotion, social cognition, and motor control. This broad view reveals properties of MVPA that make it suitable for understanding the ‘how’ of human cognition, such as the ability to test predictions expressed at the item or event level. It also reveals limitations and points to future directions