Brunel University London

About: Brunel University London is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 10918 authors who have published 29515 publications receiving 893330 citations. The organization is also known as: Brunel & University of Brunel.

Preparation and properties of polypropylene composites reinforced with wheat and flax straw fibres: Part II Analysis of composite microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract: The microstructure and mechanical properties of polypropylene composites containing flax and wheat straw fibres are discussed. Particular emphasis has been given to determining the nature and consequences of fibre damage induced during melt-processing operations, fibre orientation occurring in mouldings, and possible interfacial adhesion between the matrix and fibres. Compared to unfilled polypropylene, addition of flax and wheat straw caused a significant increase in tensile modulus, particularly, in the case of flax fibres, which also gave higher tensile yield strength and Charpy toughness, despite a lack of interfacial bonding. Tensile strength was increased further through inclusion of 5% by weight of maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene, which was shown to promote adhesion between fibres and matrix.

Evolutionary Multi-Objective Workflow Scheduling in Cloud

Abstract: Cloud computing provides promising platforms for executing large applications with enormous computational resources to offer on demand. In a Cloud model, users are charged based on their usage of resources and the required quality of service (QoS) specifications. Although there are many existing workflow scheduling algorithms in traditional distributed or heterogeneous computing environments, they have difficulties in being directly applied to the Cloud environments since Cloud differs from traditional heterogeneous environments by its service-based resource managing method and pay-per-use pricing strategies. In this paper, we highlight such difficulties, and model the workflow scheduling problem which optimizes both makespan and cost as a Multi-objective Optimization Problem (MOP) for the Cloud environments. We propose an evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO)-based algorithm to solve this workflow scheduling problem on an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform. Novel schemes for problem-specific encoding and population initialization, fitness evaluation and genetic operators are proposed in this algorithm. Extensive experiments on real world workflows and randomly generated workflows show that the schedules produced by our evolutionary algorithm present more stability on most of the workflows with the instance-based IaaS computing and pricing models. The results also show that our algorithm can achieve significantly better solutions than existing state-of-the-art QoS optimization scheduling algorithms in most cases. The conducted experiments are based on the on-demand instance types of Amazon EC2; however, the proposed algorithm are easy to be extended to the resources and pricing models of other IaaS services.

Validation of radioimmunoassays for two salmon gonadotropins (GTH I and GTH II) and their plasma concentrations throughout the reproductivecycle in male and female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Abstract: RIAs were developed for the two salmon gonadotropins (GTH I and GTH II) and used to measure plasma GTH throughout the life of the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. The RIA for GTH II was specific and sensitive (< 0.001% cross-reaction with GTH I, mean sensitivity = 0.26 0.02 ng/ml). The RIA for GTH I was less specific and less sensitive than the GTH II RIA (9.7% cross-reaction with GTH II, mean sensitivity = 2.34 ± 0.23 ng/ml). In both males and females, the levels of GTH II remained undetectable (< 0.3 ng/ml) throughout most of the reproductive cycle, until shortly preceding spermiation/ovulation, when they began to rise. Concentrations of plasma GTH II were maximal at spermiation/ovulation. In both sexes, plasma profiles of GTH I differed from those of GTH II. The plasma GTH I concentration in females was elevated during early vitellogenesis. It then fell to a basal level shortly before ovulation and finally was elevated again at ovulation. In males, increases in plasma GTH I were seen a year before spermiation and again later, during the final stages of testicular growth. These results support the contention that GTH I mediates gonadal growth, whereas GTH II regulates the final stages of maturation and ovulation/spermiation. In rainbow trout, plasma profiles of GTH I and GTH II mimic the cycles of plasma FSH and LH, respectively, in the ovulatory cycle of higher vertebrates.

Potential of pyrolysis processes in the waste management sector

Abstract: The fundamentals of pyrolysis, its latest developments, the different conditions of the process and its residues are of great importance in evaluating the applicability of the pyrolysis process within the waste management sector and in waste treatment. In particular the types of residue and their further use or treatment is of extreme interest as they could become the source of secondary raw materials or be used for energy generation in waste treatments. The main area of focus of this paper is the investigation of the link between the pyrolysis conditions, the chemical and mineralogical composition of their products and the benefits of pyrolysis in the waste management sector. More specifically the paper covers the fast, intermediate and slow pyrolysis of organic waste and mixtures of inorganic and organic waste from households. The influence of catalysts during fast pyrolysis on the product yield and composition is not being considered in this review.

Citizen science as seen by scientists: Methodological, epistemological and ethical dimensions

Abstract: Citizen science as a way of communicating science and doing public engagement has over the past decade become the focus of considerable hopes and expectations. It can be seen as a win–win situation, where scientists get help from the public and the participants get a public engagement experience that involves them in real and meaningful scientific research. In this paper we present the results of a series of qualitative interviews with scientists who participated in the ‘OPAL’ portfolio of citizen science projects that has been running in England since 2007: What were their experiences of participating in citizen science? We highlight two particular sets of issues that our participants have voiced, methodological/epistemological and ethical issues. While we share the general enthusiasm over citizen science, we hope that the research in this paper opens up more debate over the potential pitfalls of citizen science as seen by the scientists themselves.