Queen's University Belfast

About: Queen's University Belfast is a education organization based out in Belfast, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 25457 authors who have published 55463 publications receiving 1751346 citations. The organization is also known as: Queen's College, Belfast & Queen's College.

ATLAS: A High-cadence All-sky Survey System

Abstract: Technology has advanced to the point that it is possible to image the entire sky every night and process the data in real time. The sky is hardly static: many interesting phenomena occur, including variable stationary objects such as stars or QSOs, transient stationary objects such as supernovae or M dwarf flares, and moving objects such as asteroids and the stars themselves. Funded by NASA, we have designed and built a sky survey system for the purpose of finding dangerous near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). This system, the "Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System" (ATLAS), has been optimized to produce the best survey capability per unit cost, and therefore is an efficient and competitive system for finding potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) but also for tracking variables and finding transients. While carrying out its NASA mission, ATLAS now discovers more bright ($m < 19$) supernovae candidates than any ground based survey, frequently detecting very young explosions due to its 2 day cadence. ATLAS discovered the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst independent of the high energy trigger and has released a variable star catalogue of 5$\times10^{6}$ sources. This, the first of a series of articles describing ATLAS, is devoted to the design and performance of the ATLAS system. Subsequent articles will describe in more detail the software, the survey strategy, ATLAS-derived NEA population statistics, transient detections, and the first data release of variable stars and transient lightcurves.

The Role of BRCA1 in the Cellular Response to Chemotherapy

Abstract: Germline mutations of the BRCA1 gene account for approximately 5% of breast and ovarian cancer cases, and lower than normal BRCA1 expression or function may be an important contributing factor in sporadic cancers. The major role of BRCA1 is to respond to DNA damage by participating in cellular pathways for DNA repair, mRNA transcription, cell cycle regulation, and protein ubiquitination. Because most chemotherapeutic agents function by directly or indirectly damaging DNA, the role of BRCA1 as a regulator of chemotherapy-induced DNA damage has been the subject of an increasing number of investigations. We review published preclinical and clinical evidence that the level of BRCA1 function in an individual patient's tumor can guide the choice of chemotherapeutic agents for breast and ovarian cancer. We conclude that a loss of BRCA1 function is associated with sensitivity to DNA-damaging chemotherapy and may also be associated with resistance to spindle poisons. We recommend that prospective clinical studies investigating the role of BRCA1 in the response to chemotherapy be conducted.

Trends in childhood type 1 diabetes incidence in Europe during 1989-2008 : evidence of non-uniformity over time in rates of increase

Abstract: Aims/hypothesis The aim of the study was to describe 20-year incidence trends for childhood type 1 diabetes in 23 EURODIAB centres and compare rates of increase in the first (1989–1998) and second (1999–2008) halves of the period.

Metal-catalysed steam reforming of ethanol in the production of hydrogen for fuel cell applications

Abstract: A range of oxide-supported metal catalysts have been investigated for the steam reforming of ethanol/water mixtures for the production of hydrogen. Alumina-supported catalysts are very active at lower temperatures for the dehydration of ethanol to ethene which, at higher temperatures, is converted into H2, CO, and CO2 as the major products and CH4 as a minor product. The order of activity of the metals is Rh>Pd>Ni=Pt. With ceria/zirconia-supported catalysts, the formation of ethene is not observed and the order of activity at higher temperatures is Pt≥Rh>Pd. By using combinations of a ceria/zirconia-supported metal catalyst with the alumina support it is shown that the formation of ethene does not inhibit the steam reforming reaction at higher temperatures. It is concluded that the support plays a significant role in the steam reforming of ethanol.

An empirical study of green supply chain management practices amongst UK manufacturers

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent and nature of greening the supply chain (SC) in the UK manufacturing sector; and the factors that influence the breadth and depth of this activity.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the findings from a sample of manufacturing organisations drawn from the membership of The Chartered Institute for Purchasing and Supply. Data are collected using a questionnaire, piloted and pre‐tested before distribution with responses from 60 manufacturing companies.Findings – On average manufacturers perceive the greatest pressure to improve environmental performance through legislation and internal drivers (IDs). The least influential pressures are related to societal drivers and SC pressures from individual customers. Green supply chain management (GSCM) practices amongst this “average” group of UK manufacturing organisations are focusing on internal, higher risk, descriptive activities, rather than proactive, external engagement processes. Environmental at...