CN excitation and electron densities in diffuse molecular clouds

Utilising previous work by the authors on the spin-coupled rotational cross-sections for electron-CN collisions, data for the associated rate coefficients is presented. Data on rotational, fine-structure and hyperfine-structure transition involving rotational levels up to $N$=20 are computed for temperatures in the range 10 -- 1000~K. Rates are calculated by combining Born-corrected R-matrix calculations with the infinite-order-sudden (IOS) approximation. The dominant hyperfine transitions are those with $\Delta N=\Delta j= \Delta F=1$. For dipole-allowed transitions, electron-impact rates are shown to exceed those for excitation of CN by para-H$_2$($j=0$) by five orders of magnitude. The role of electron collisions in the excitation of CN in diffuse clouds, where local excitation competes with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons, is considered. Radiative transfer calculations are performed and the results compared to observations. These comparisons suggest that electron density lies in the range $n(e)\sim 0.01-0.06$~cm$^{-3}$ for typical physical conditions present in diffuse clouds.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, accepted 14/08/201

Socio-Economic Evaluation of the Potential for Australian Tree Species in the Philippines

Crop Production/Industries,

Empirical investigation of investment behaviour in Australia's pastoral region

Optimal intertemporal investment behaviour ofAustralian pastoralists is modelled using panel data for the period 1979–1993.Results indicate that quasi-fixity of inputs of labour, capital, sheep numbers and cattle numbers is characteristic of production in the pastoral region. It takes about two years for labour, four years for capital and a little over two years for both sheep numbers and cattle numbers to adjust towards long-run optimal levels. Results also indicate that, after accounting for adjustment costs, own-price product supply and input demand responses are inelastic in both the short and long run.adjustment costs, pastoralism, supply response, Agribusiness,

The relationship between EUV dimming and coronal mass ejections

Aims. There have been many studies of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) dimming in association with coronal mass ejection (CME) onsets. However, there has never been a thorough statistical study of this association, covering appropriate temperature ranges. Thus, we make use of a large campaign database utilising the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) and the Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph (LASCO) both on the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) to associate dimming events detected at 1 and 2 million K with CME activity. The aim is to confirm whether the dimming-CME association is real or not. This in turn will confirm whether special attention should be paid to the EUV dimming in the pre-eruption and eruption periods to study the CME onset process itself. Methods. The CDS CME onset campaign data for Mg IX and FE XVI observations on the solar limb are used to compare to LASCO event lists over a period from 1998 to 2005. Dimming events are identified and the physical extent explored, whilst comparing the events to overlying CME activity. Results. For the identified dimming regions we have shown strong associations with CME onsets, with up to 55% of the dimming events being associated with CME activity. This is compared to the random case where up to 47% of the dimming regions are expected to be associated with CMEs. We have also shown that up to 84% of CMEs associated with our data can be tracked back to dimming regions. This compares to a random case of up to 58%. Conclusions. These results confirm the CME-EUV dimming association, using a statistical analysis for the first time. We discuss the repercussions for the study of CME onsets, i.e. analysis of the dimming regions and the periods up to such dimming may be key to understanding the pre-CME onset plasma processes. The results stress that one emission line may not be sufficient for associating dimming regions with CMEs

Themes and Patterns in Horace, Odes 2

This paper considers some formal elements of the second book of Horace’s Odes: the number, metre and length of poems, the architecture of the book and of some poems, the diversity of addressees, and the book’s relationship to some other contemporary literary texts

Using a high fidelity CCGT simulator for building prognostic systems

Pressure to reduce maintenance costs in power utilities has resulted in growing interest in prognostic monitoring systems. Accurate prediction of the occurrence of faults and failures would result not only in improved system maintenance schedules but also in improved availability and system efficiency. The desire for such a system has driven research into the emerging field of prognostics for complex systems. At the same time there is a general move towards implementing high fidelity simulators of complex systems especially within the power generation field, with the nuclear power industry taking the lead. Whilst the simulators mainly function in a training capacity, the high fidelity of the simulations can also allow representative data to be gathered. Using simulators in this way enables systems and components to be damaged, run to failure and reset all without cost or danger to personnel as well as allowing fault scenarios to be run faster than real time. Consequently, this allows failure data to be gathered which is normally otherwise unavailable or limited, enabling analysis and research of fault progression in critical and high value systems. This paper presents a case study of utilising a high fidelity industrial Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) simulator to generate fault data, and shows how this can be employed to build a prognostic system. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed

Deriving the discount rate for seedling nurseries and other livelihood projects

A critical parameter in the financial appraisal of forestry investment projects is the discount rate or required rate of return by the investor – usually taken as the weighted average cost of capital – used to convert incremental net cash flows to their present values. For forestry projects by smallholder and indigenous communities, relatively high discount rates are invariably adopted in investment project assessment (IPA). Long payback period and uncertain or community tenure can make formal sources of lending inaccessible. An assessment of availability of finance and of previous investment studies for small-scale forestry-related projects in the Philippines suggests an appropriate discount rate of about 20% per annum in current price terms or about 15% for constant price analysis (net of inflation)

Viral Membrane Fusion

Infection by viruses having lipid-bilayer envelopes proceeds through fusion of the viral membrane with a membrane of the target cell. Viral ‘fusion proteins’ facilitate this process. They vary greatly in structure, but all seem to have a common mechanism of action, in which a ligand-triggered, largescale conformational change in the fusion protein is coupled to apposition and merger of the two bilayers. We describe three examples—the influenza virus hemagglutinin, the flavivirus E protein and the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein—in some detail, to illustrate the ways in which different structures have evolved to implement this common mechanism. Fusion inhibitors can be effective antiviral agents.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMolecular and Cellular Biolog