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Effect Of Air Pollution Controls On Black Smoke And Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Across Ireland, Patrick J. Goodman, David Q. Rich, Ariana Zeka, Luke Clancy, Douglas W. Dockery Jan 2009

Effect Of Air Pollution Controls On Black Smoke And Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Across Ireland, Patrick J. Goodman, David Q. Rich, Ariana Zeka, Luke Clancy, Douglas W. Dockery

Articles

During the 1980s Ireland experienced severe pollution episodes, principally because of domestic coal burning. In 1990, the Irish government introduced a ban on the marketing, sale, and distribution of coal in Dublin. They extended the ban to Cork in 1995 and to ten other communities in 1998 and 2000. We previously reported declines in particulate (black smoke [BS]) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations in Dublin following the 1990 coal ban. We now explore and compare the effectiveness of these sequential bans in 1990, 1995, 1998, and 2000. Daily BS and total gaseous acidity (SO2) measurements were compiled between 1980 and …


Antenna Optimization With A Computationally Efficient Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm, Matthias John, Max Ammann Jan 2009

Antenna Optimization With A Computationally Efficient Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Articles

An efficient multiobjective evolutionary algorithm is described for optimizing a novel spline based printed monopole antenna. The antenna geometry is based on spline outlines. Both radiating element and groundplane are simultaneously optimized by the algorithm. The resulting antenna performance is evaluated. It is shown that the evolutionary algorithm and the spline geometry can be used to efficiently generate ultrawideband antennas on limited computing resources.


Emitter-Wrap-Through Photovoltaic Dipole Antenna With Solar Concentrator, Maria Roo Ons, S. Shynu, Max Ammann, Sarah Mccormack, Brian Norton Jan 2009

Emitter-Wrap-Through Photovoltaic Dipole Antenna With Solar Concentrator, Maria Roo Ons, S. Shynu, Max Ammann, Sarah Mccormack, Brian Norton

Articles

A novel photovoltaic dipole antenna employing a solar concentrator as a reflector is proposed. Four identical emitter-wrap-through rear contact solar cells connected in series as a folded dipole are simultaneously used for power generation and as the antenna radiating element, which is located in the focal line of a parabolic solar concentrator. The parabolic structure acts as a solar concentrator for the photovoltaic cells as well as a reflector for the folded dipole antenna. Full-wave electromagnetic simulation with supportive experimental work validates this design. The measured fractional impedance bandwidth and gain were 21% and 11.1 dBi, respectively. The antenna/solar arrangement …


Generalised Design Process For Fiber-Bend-Loss-Based Edge Filters For A Wavelength Measurement System, Pengfei Wang, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova Jan 2009

Generalised Design Process For Fiber-Bend-Loss-Based Edge Filters For A Wavelength Measurement System, Pengfei Wang, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

We investigate and present a generalized methodology for the design of a fiber-bend-loss-based edge filter, starting with the task of evaluating and selecting suitable fibers and then considering the design of a fiber-bending-loss edge filter. As an example to illustrate the methodology, a Corning SMF28e fiber with a 900 μmdiameter is selected and two sample edge filters are designed for experimental verification. The designed edge filters are compact, easy to fabricate, meet target spectral specifications, and show low polarization-dependent loss, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for fiber-bend-loss-based edge filter design.


Microstrip-Fed Dual-Frequency Annular-Slot Antenna Loaded By Split-Ring-Slot, Xiulong Bao, Max Ammann Jan 2009

Microstrip-Fed Dual-Frequency Annular-Slot Antenna Loaded By Split-Ring-Slot, Xiulong Bao, Max Ammann

Articles

A compact dual-band annular-slot antenna loaded by a concentric split-ring-slot is presented. A stepped microstrip feedline enables the control of the coupling and provides good matching. The annular-slot is connected to the split-ring-slot by a rectangular slot, which increases the surface of the current path, thus notably reducing the resonant frequency for a given size. The embedded split-ring-slot structure allows many resonant modes to be realised. By tuning the key parameters, these operating modes and their bandwidths can be controlled. A wide bandwidth can be realised for either the lower band, upper band or both bands simultaneously, depending on the …


Sms Fibre Structure For Temperature Measurement Using A Simple Intensity-Based Interrogation System, Agus Hatta, Ginu Rajan, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell Jan 2009

Sms Fibre Structure For Temperature Measurement Using A Simple Intensity-Based Interrogation System, Agus Hatta, Ginu Rajan, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell

Articles

A singlemode–multimode–singlemode (SMS) fibre structure for temperature measurement that utilises a simple intensity-based interrogation system is proposed. The temperature dependence of the SMS fibre structure utilised as a sensor is investigated numerically and experimentally. It is found that a strong temperature dependence for the SMS fibre structure exists at selected wavelengths. The temperature characteristic at such wavelengths is linear in nature and can be used for temperature measurements. The proposed temperature sensor offers a high resolution and accuracy, and also benefits from a simple configuration and low cost when compared to other fibre-optic temperature sensors.


Use Of A Single-Multiple-Single-Mode Fiber Filter For Interrogating Fiber Bragg Grating Strain Sensors With Dynamic Temperature Compensation, Qiang Wu, Muhammad Hatta, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell Jan 2009

Use Of A Single-Multiple-Single-Mode Fiber Filter For Interrogating Fiber Bragg Grating Strain Sensors With Dynamic Temperature Compensation, Qiang Wu, Muhammad Hatta, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell

Articles

An interrogation technique for fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors with dynamic temperature compensation using a single-multiple-single-mode (SMS) fiber filter as a temperature compensating element is presented. Experimental results show that this technique offers a resolution of better than 3:4 με for strain measurements in the range from 0 to 1667 με, and the temperature induced error is as low as 34 με in the temperature range from 10 to 60 °C. The temperature induced error could be further reduced if the temperature sensitivity (the rate of temperature induced wavelength shift) of the SMS filter was closer to that of …


Holographic Recording In Acrylamide Photopolymers: Thickness Limitations, Mohammad Mahmud, Izabela Naydenova, Nitesh Pandey, Tzvetanka Babeva, Raghavendra Jallapuram, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal Jan 2009

Holographic Recording In Acrylamide Photopolymers: Thickness Limitations, Mohammad Mahmud, Izabela Naydenova, Nitesh Pandey, Tzvetanka Babeva, Raghavendra Jallapuram, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Articles

Holographic recording in thick photopolymer layers is important for application in holographic data storage, volume holographic filters and correlators. Here, the characteristics of acrylamidebased photopolymer layers having thickness from 250 μm to 1-mm were studied. For each layer thickness samples with three different values of absorbance were studied. By measuring both the first order diffraction efficiency growth of holographically recorded gratings and studying the diffraction patterns obtained, the influence of scattering on the diffraction efficiency of thick volume holographic gratings was analyzed. It was observed that above a particular thickness and absorbance, the first order diffraction efficiency significantly decreased because …


Synthesis Of Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polypropylene-Butadiene Copolymer And Its Application In Pp/Ommt/Sbs Composite As Compatibilizer, Qiaohuan Cheng, Zhanxia Lu, Hugh Byrne Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polypropylene-Butadiene Copolymer And Its Application In Pp/Ommt/Sbs Composite As Compatibilizer, Qiaohuan Cheng, Zhanxia Lu, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Maleic Anhydride (MA) grafted propylene-butadiene copolymer (PPB) was prepared. FTIR and 1H-NMR results indicated that the MA molecules reacted with the double bond in the butadiene unit of the PPB and the grafting percentage increased with the butadiene content in the initial copolymer. GPC results showed the introduction of butadiene in the copolymer prevented the degradation of the PPB. The MA-g-PPB (MPPB) was applied in PP/SBS/OMMT composite as compatibilizer. In the presence of 10phr MPPB, the impact strength of the composite was improved by ~20%. XRD patterns indicated the formation of β-phase crystallization of polypropylene in the presence of MPPB …


Preparation, Characterization Of Nipam And Nipam/Bam Copolymer Nanoparticles And Their Acute Toxicity Testing Using An Aquatic Test Battery, Pratap Naha, Alan Casey, Tiziana Tenuta, Iseult Lynch, Kenneth Dawson, Hugh Byrne, Maria Davoren Jan 2009

Preparation, Characterization Of Nipam And Nipam/Bam Copolymer Nanoparticles And Their Acute Toxicity Testing Using An Aquatic Test Battery, Pratap Naha, Alan Casey, Tiziana Tenuta, Iseult Lynch, Kenneth Dawson, Hugh Byrne, Maria Davoren

Articles

Poly N-isopropylacrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide / N-tert-butylacrylamide copolymer nanoparticles of 50 to 70 nm were prepared by free radical polymerisation. The particle sizes of the copolymer nanoparticles were measured in the test media MilliQ water, Algae Media, Daphnia Media and Microtox Diluent as a function of temperature. Whereas in MilliQ water the particle size was seen to decrease above the lower critical solution temperature of the thermoresponsive polymer, in the test media it was seen to increase significantly, indicative of aggregation. At the temperatures employed for the ecotoxicological studies all particles, with the exception of the 50:50copolymer existed as nanoparticles, however. …


Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli In Orange Juice Using Ozone, Sonal Patil, Paula Bourke, Jesus Maria Frias, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick J. Cullen Jan 2009

Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli In Orange Juice Using Ozone, Sonal Patil, Paula Bourke, Jesus Maria Frias, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

This research investigated the efficacy of gaseous ozone for the inactivation of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and NCTC 12900 strains in orange juice. Orange juice inoculated with E. coli (106 CFU mL-1) as a challenge microorganism was treated with ozone at 75-78µg mL-1 for different time periods (0-18 min). The efficacy of ozone for inactivation of both strains of E. coli was evaluated as a function of different juice types: model orange juice, fresh unfiltered juice, juice without pulp, and juice filtered through 500mm or 1mm sieves. Fast inactivation rates for total reduction of E. coli …


Influence Of Magnesium Nitrate On The Corrosion Performance Of Sol-Gel Coated Aa2024-T3 Aluminium Alloy, Rajath Varma, Brendan Duffy, John Cassidy Jan 2009

Influence Of Magnesium Nitrate On The Corrosion Performance Of Sol-Gel Coated Aa2024-T3 Aluminium Alloy, Rajath Varma, Brendan Duffy, John Cassidy

Articles

Traditional anti-corrosion technology has relied heavily on using reducible metal species, predominantly hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), for protecting reactive metal alloys such as aluminium which is extensively used in the aerospace sector. However, the impending changes in the use of Cr(VI) in Europe and the United States have forced aerospace manufacturers to examine alternative materials for protecting aluminium. One of the most promising alternatives being investigated are organosilane based sol-gels containing anticorrosion additives. In this work the anti-corrosion properties of magnesium (II) nitrate (Mg(NO3)2) as a inhibitor was investigated at different concentrations (0.1% - 1.0 wt %) in a methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) …


Silver Doped Perfluoropolyether-Urethane Coatings: Antibacterial Activity And Surface Analysis, Niall Stobie, Brendan Duffy, Steven Hinder, Patrick Mchale, Declan Mccormack Jan 2009

Silver Doped Perfluoropolyether-Urethane Coatings: Antibacterial Activity And Surface Analysis, Niall Stobie, Brendan Duffy, Steven Hinder, Patrick Mchale, Declan Mccormack

Articles

The colonisation of clinical and industrial surfaces with pathogenic microorganisms has prompted increased research into the development of effective antibacterial and antifouling coatings. There is evidence that implanted biomedical surfaces coated with metallic silver can be inactivated by hysiological fluids, thus reducing the bioactivity of the coating. In this work, we report the biofilm inhibition of Staphylococcus epidermidis using a roomtemperatureprocessedsilver dopedperfluoropolyether-urethane coating. The release of silver ions from these fluoropolymers over a six-day period inhibited bacterial encrustation – as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated differences in carbon, fluorine and sodium surface composition …


Dab Eureka-147: The European Platform For Digital Radio, Brian O'Neill Jan 2009

Dab Eureka-147: The European Platform For Digital Radio, Brian O'Neill

Articles

Like its analogue counterpart, digital radio is one of the 'older' forms of new media. The technology of digital radio broadcasting has been under active development for at least 25 years and has produced a number of different technical solutions, the longest established of which is Eureka-147 or Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). This article explores DAB's distinctly European vision for the future of broadcasting. DAB is traced to its origins in 1980s European research and development policy and its affinity with traditions of European public service broadcasting. Ironically, it was DAB's failure to capitalize on its 'Europeanness' that contributed to …


Gender Differences In Children’S Internet Use:Key Findings From Europe, Helen Mcquillan, Brian O'Neill Jan 2009

Gender Differences In Children’S Internet Use:Key Findings From Europe, Helen Mcquillan, Brian O'Neill

Articles

This paper analyses comparative empirical data from across Europe on gender differences in children’s internet use, and through a new interpretive framework on young people’s experiences, seeks to add new findings to this growing international knowledge base. Linking feminist theory on gender and technology with theories of youth gender identity construction, four key areas are investigated. Firstly, the impact of increased internet access and use in schools and in homes on gender equality is examined. Secondly, youth communication and content creation practices are investigated to explore whether the internet is facilitating flexibility in gender identity and the transcendence of traditional …


Supporting Value Creation By Reducing Cultural Distance As A Barrier To Exporting, Thomas Cooney, Amanda Ratcliffe, Jane Silver Jan 2009

Supporting Value Creation By Reducing Cultural Distance As A Barrier To Exporting, Thomas Cooney, Amanda Ratcliffe, Jane Silver

Articles

Value creation at the level of the organisation involves balancing the interests of several different stakeholders, with exporting occasionally viewed as a broad-based strategy capable of achieving such equilibrium. However, while much has been written concerning the logistical and economic challenges faced by SMEs wishing to avail of market opportunities abroad, there remains a dearth of information offering solutions to overcoming cultural distance as a barrier to exporting. An EU project entitled ‘Passport to Trade’ sought to provide greater insight into business culture by collating the customs and subjective norms of all member states within the EU and making the …


Carbon Capture And Sequestration: Identifying And Managing Risks, Alexandra B. Klass, Elizabeth J. Wilson Jan 2009

Carbon Capture And Sequestration: Identifying And Managing Risks, Alexandra B. Klass, Elizabeth J. Wilson

Articles

Carbon capture and geologic sequestration (CCS) technology promises to provide deep emissions cuts, particularly from coal power generation, but deploying CCS creates risks of its own. This article first considers the risks associated with CCS, which involves capturing CO{sub 2} emissions from industrial sources and power plants, transporting the CO{sub 2} by pipeline, and injecting it underground for permanent sequestration. The article then suggests ways in which these risks can be minimized and managed and considers more broadly when or if CCS should be deployed or whether its use should be limited or rejected in favor of other solutions.


Nama Versus Nationalization – How To Deal With The Banks’ Toxic Loans?, Thomas Power Jan 2009

Nama Versus Nationalization – How To Deal With The Banks’ Toxic Loans?, Thomas Power

Articles

Banks are indispensible to the efficient functioning of the economy. Right now they are unable to carry out their normal functions (e.g. providing lines of credit to individuals and business) because they are underfunded. They are rationing credit because they do not have enough funds. The funds they need to lend to borrowers come from deposits, equity and bonds. During the ‘boom period’ banks did not have enough funds from deposits and had to rely on the inter-bank market to borrow the funds they needed in order to lend. According to the Central Bank ‘net foreign liabilities’ of commercial banks …


Rebellious Knowledge Production, Academic Activism, & Outsider Democracy: From Principles To Practices In Latcrit Theory, 1995 To 2008, Francisco Valdes Jan 2009

Rebellious Knowledge Production, Academic Activism, & Outsider Democracy: From Principles To Practices In Latcrit Theory, 1995 To 2008, Francisco Valdes

Articles

No abstract provided.


Invisible Borders: Mapping Out Virtual Law, Kathleen Claussen Jan 2009

Invisible Borders: Mapping Out Virtual Law, Kathleen Claussen

Articles

No abstract provided.


Irreconcilable Differences? The Troubled Marriage Of Science And Law, Susan Haack Jan 2009

Irreconcilable Differences? The Troubled Marriage Of Science And Law, Susan Haack

Articles

No abstract provided.


Government Data Breaches, A. Michael Froomkin Jan 2009

Government Data Breaches, A. Michael Froomkin

Articles

No abstract provided.


Against Practice, Anthony V. Alfieri Jan 2009

Against Practice, Anthony V. Alfieri

Articles

No abstract provided.


Social Rights And The Relational Value Of The Rights To Participate In Sport, Recreation, And Play,, Janet E. Lord, Michael Ashley Stein Jan 2009

Social Rights And The Relational Value Of The Rights To Participate In Sport, Recreation, And Play,, Janet E. Lord, Michael Ashley Stein

Articles

No abstract provided.


From Banners To Youtube: Using The Rear-View Mirror To Look At The Future Of Internet Advertising, Susan Barnes, Neil Hair Jan 2009

From Banners To Youtube: Using The Rear-View Mirror To Look At The Future Of Internet Advertising, Susan Barnes, Neil Hair

Articles

In twelve short years, Internet advertising has evolved from banners to experiential promotions. In the beginning advertisers viewed the Internet in similar ways as they considered traditional media (television, newspaper, magazines). The idea of using a new medium like an older one, was described by McLuhan's concept of the rear view mirror. This article describes the history of Internet advertising from 1994 to 2006 by looking back to understand the future direction of Internet advertising.


A 60 Ghz Wireless Network For Enabling Uncompressed Video Communication, Harkirat Singh, Jisung Oh, Changyeul Kweon, Xiangping Qin, Huai-Rong Shao, Chiu Ngo Dec 2008

A 60 Ghz Wireless Network For Enabling Uncompressed Video Communication, Harkirat Singh, Jisung Oh, Changyeul Kweon, Xiangping Qin, Huai-Rong Shao, Chiu Ngo

Articles

Uncompressed high-definition video streaming over wireless personal area networks is a challenging problem because of the high data rate requirement and channel variations. With the advances in RF technology and the huge bandwidth available worldwide in the 57–66 GHz millimeter-wave unlicensed spectrum, mmWave WPANs that can support multigigabit transmission are being developed. However, compared to low-frequency signals (2.4 or 5 GHz), mmWave signals are more fragile; indeed, the propagation losses are significantly higher. In this article we present an mmWave system for supporting uncompressed HD video up to 3 Gb/s. The system includes various efficient error protection and concealment schemes …


The Decline And Fall Of At&T: A Personal Recollection, Richard A. Posner Dec 2008

The Decline And Fall Of At&T: A Personal Recollection, Richard A. Posner

Articles

No abstract provided.


Reviewing Digital Scholarship: The Need For Discipline-Based Peer Review, Jeanne Glaubitz Cross Dec 2008

Reviewing Digital Scholarship: The Need For Discipline-Based Peer Review, Jeanne Glaubitz Cross

Articles

Digital scholarship connects scholarly research to students and the public in nontraditional ways. Authors present research in a digital form, which may include links to primary source material and teaching guides. In this format, design and accessibility are important, and unfortunately, those quick to dismiss all digital work as teaching or outreach can overlook the research element. The confusion over what digital scholarship is and how to evaluate it raises questions that can affect promotion and tenure decisions in academic institutions. This paper will examine issues surrounding the availability of peer review for digital scholarship, especially in the field of …


Dissertation Citations In Organismal Biology At Southern Illinois University At Carbondale: Implications For Collection Development, Jonathan Nabe, Andrea Imre Nov 2008

Dissertation Citations In Organismal Biology At Southern Illinois University At Carbondale: Implications For Collection Development, Jonathan Nabe, Andrea Imre

Articles

We report on a citation analysis of PhD dissertations in Plant Biology and Zoology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, undertaken to test the common assumption that scientists favor current research to such an extent that journal backfiles can be de-emphasized in academic library collections. Results demonstrate otherwise. The study is reproducible for any institution, and can help to evaluate 1) the value of electronic journal backfiles and 2) the need to maintain print backfiles.


The Politics Of Economic Performance, And The Trade Union Movement, 1970-1982, John Hogan, Gary Murphy Nov 2008

The Politics Of Economic Performance, And The Trade Union Movement, 1970-1982, John Hogan, Gary Murphy

Articles

Here we argue that the relationship between the main Irish political parties and the trade unions, in the 1970s, was largely based upon political imperatives, with an economic subtext. The absence of strong ideological difference between the two largest Irish political parties meant they were willing to deal with the trade union moment in a somewhat similar fashion. At the start of the 1970s, the Fianna Fail government prodded the ICTU into a “voluntary” national wage agreement. This agreement was regarded as a means of stabilising the economy, attracting foreign investment, and improving Fianna Fail’s image with the electorate. While …