1769 9 LU News Social media plagued by privacy problems, say researchers social-media-plagued-by-privacy-problems-say-researchers

The privacy management of 16 popular social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, is "seriously deficient," according to a study being published in the June issue of Computer magazine.

The privacy management of 16 popular social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, is "seriously deficient," according to a study being published in the June issue of Computer magazine. Researchers from UK-based Security Lancaster, an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research at Lancaster University, found a disconnect between privacy statements and the site's actual privacy controls. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B2lpOkx9SVQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> "Although social networking sites continue to attract millions of diverse users worldwide, they remain plagued by privacy compromises that breed user dissatisfaction and lack of trust," said co-author Awais Rashid, a Lancaster University professor and director of Security Lancaster. "Our analysis reveals an overall lack of traceability and transparency." Performed between January and May 2011, the study found that two-thirds of the principles outlined in the social networking sites' privacy policies were not reflected in their privacy controls. Besides Facebook and Twitter, the sites surveyed included LinkedIn, MySpace, Bebo and Badoo. The researchers created four test accounts on each of the sites-two for adults and two for 13-17 year olds, linking each profile. They explored the differences between each site's policy statement on privacy and the privacy controls available to the user, attempting to establish whether it was possible to create a traceable relationship between the two. The researchers' analysis revealed that none of the sites: Let the user to choose whether the social networking provider could gather information about them Allowed the user to prevent information being shared with third parties Provided traceable details on which items of data were shared and with which third parties. In addition, information on removing personal information was also inconsistent, with one site - PerfSpot - omitting any information on data removal while Facebook's deletion link was accessible only through its privacy policy. There were also inconsistencies on everything from registering as a user to changing personal information and sharing information with other users. The researchers conclude that there is a "significant disconnect between policy statements and privacy controls," which stems from the business models of social networking. "Social networking users and their personal information are the products," said co-author Pauline Anthonysamy, a Lancaster University PhD student. "If everything were private, the site would have no data on which to capitalise." The article, "Social Networking Privacy: Understanding the Disconnect from Policy to Controls, by Anthonysamy, Rashid, and Phil Greenwood, will be available in the June issue of Computer, which covers all aspects of computer science. For more than 40 years, developers, researchers, and managers have relied on Computer for timely, peer-reviewed information about research, trends, best practices, and changes in the profession. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1369143296.jpg 75 75 Tuesday Tue 21 May May 05 2013

1767 9 LU News Lancaster set to receive funding boost to stimulate UK's economy lancaster-set-to-receive-funding-boost-to-stimulate-uks-economy

Lancaster is amongst leading universities who are set to benefit from a £50 million investment in cutting-edge research and innovation projects to drive growth. Lancaster's project will use the strong international reputation and links in China, in particular with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to address the Government's priorities to focus on high-growth SMEs and to increase exports. Using expertise from across the University, it focuses on improved leadership and new technology...

Lancaster is amongst leading universities who are set to benefit from a £50 million investment in cutting-edge research and innovation projects to drive growth. Lancaster's project will use the strong international reputation and links in China, in particular with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to address the Government's priorities to focus on high-growth SMEs and to increase exports. Using expertise from across the University, it focuses on improved leadership and new technology development in SMEs in the key sectors of environmental technologies, advanced manufacturing and creative and digital industries to penetrate Chinese markets. It will also help develop a local-global partnership between Lancashire and the Guangdong province of China through the important contributions of local government in both areas. Final funding allocations will be made by HEFCE in July. <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/newsarchive/2013/name,81868,en.html">Read More</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22540406">Click here to BBC news link</a> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Friday Fri 17 May May 05 2013

1765 9 LU News Billion-year-old water could hold clues to life on Earth and Mars billion-year-old-water-could-hold-clues-to-life-on-earth-and-mars

A UK-Canadian team of scientists has discovered ancient pockets of water, which have been isolated deep underground for billions of years and contain abundant chemicals known to support life.

A UK-Canadian team of scientists has discovered ancient pockets of water, which have been isolated deep underground for billions of years and contain abundant chemicals known to support life. This water could be some of the oldest on the planet and may even contain life. Not just that, but the similarity between the rocks that trapped it and those on Mars raises the hope that comparable life-sustaining water could lie buried beneath the red planet's surface. The findings, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12127">published in Nature</a>, may force us to rethink which parts of our planet are fit for life, and could reveal clues about how microbes evolve in isolation. Researchers from the universities of Manchester, Lancaster, Toronto and McMaster analysed water pouring out of boreholes from a mine 2.4 kilometres beneath Ontario, Canada. <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t_DmPs7HefM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> They found that the water is rich in dissolved gases like hydrogen, methane and different forms - called isotopes - of noble gases such as helium, neon, argon and xenon. Indeed, there is as much hydrogen in the water as around hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean, many of which teem with microscopic life. The hydrogen and methane come from the interaction between the rock and water, as well as natural radioactive elements in the rock reacting with the water. These gases could provide energy for microbes that may not have been exposed to the sun for billions of years. The crystalline rocks surrounding the water are thought to be around 2.7 billion years old. But no-one thought the water could be the same age, until now. Using ground-breaking techniques developed at the University of Manchester, the researchers show that the fluid is at least 1.5 billion years old, but could be significantly older. NERC-funded Professor Chris Ballentine of the University of Manchester, co-author of the study, and project director, says: "We've found an interconnected fluid system in the deep Canadian crystalline basement that is billions of years old, and capable of supporting life. Our finding is of huge interest to researchers who want to understand how microbes evolve in isolation, and is central to the whole question of the origin of life, the sustainability of life, and life in extreme environments and on other planets." Before this finding, the only water of this age was found trapped in tiny bubbles in rock and is incapable of supporting life. But the water found in the Canadian mine pours from the rock at a rate of nearly two litres per minute. It has similar characteristics to far younger water flowing from a mine 2.8 kilometres below ground in South Africa that was previously found to support microbes. Ballentine and his colleagues don't yet know if the underground system in Canada sustains life, but Dr Greg Holland of Lancaster University, lead author of the study says: "Our Canadian colleagues are trying to find out if the water contains life right now. What we can be sure of is that we have identified a way in which planets can create and preserve an environment friendly to microbial life for billions of years. This is regardless of how inhospitable the surface might be, opening up the possibility of similar environments in the subsurface of Mars." Professor Ballentine, based in Manchester's School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, adds: "While the questions about life on Mars raised by our work are incredibly exciting, the ground-breaking techniques we have developed at Manchester to date ancient waters also provide a way to calculate how fast methane gas is produced in ancient rock systems globally. The same new techniques can be applied to characterise old, deep groundwater that may be a safe place to inject carbon dioxide." This work was funded by NSERC Discovery and CRC grants, a NERC grant and Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) support. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368795504.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368795504.jpg 200 200 Dr Greg Holland Thursday Thu 16 May May 05 2013

1761 1 News How do we find out about cyber criminals? how-do-we-find-out-about-cyber-criminals

Security Lancaster and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics held a workshop to form a new collaborative group who will widen the knowledge of cybercrime and start developing innovative approaches to obtaining information on cyber criminals. The workshop included security researchers and statisticians, solicitors specialising in cybercrime, and experts from government agencies.

Security Lancaster and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics held a workshop to form a new collaborative group who will widen the knowledge of cybercrime and start developing innovative approaches to obtaining information on cyber criminals. The workshop included security researchers and statisticians, solicitors specialising in cybercrime, and experts from government agencies. <iframe class="youtube" width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7Ty1_Bpcj_o?list=PLwNZNXdk4UKeoBtYs9jSKA1yoUmr7Kibx" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The workshop was chaired by Claire Hargreaves, who is completing a PhD in Applied Social Statistics at Lancaster University and recently finished a 6 month internship for the Home Office. Claire explained, "The workshop was set up because, while with traditional crime, we've got the data to look at their criminal careers statistically, at the moment, it doesn't seem like we have that information for cyber criminals. "The conversations we had during the day provided a road map around the kinds of research that could be undertaken to produce on cyber criminals what we have on traditional crime." <a href="http://www.pannone.com/people/david-cook">David Cook</a>, Pannone LLP solicitors, attended the workshop and commented, "This is one of the few opportunities I get to meet with people from the major investigative and prosecutorial agencies and hear things from their perspective and it's good to get our heads together and hear our different views on cybercrime "There are issues with the detection and prevention of these (cyber) offences and it sounds like Lancaster University are at the forefront of that." The results from the workshop will be released as part of a report in July. Security Lancaster is an EPSRC-GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security. It brings together the Lancaster University's research in cyber security, security futures, investigative expertise, violence and society, and transport and infrastructure protection. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368709105.jpg 75 75 Thursday Thu 16 May May 05 2013

1766 9 LU News First, carbon footprints... now you can calculate your 'nitrogen footprint' first-carbon-footprints-now-you-can-calculate-your-nitrogen-footprint

Scientists at Lancaster, Virginia and Oxford universities have produced a web-based tool that allows anyone living in the UK to see their own 'nitrogen footprint'.

Scientists at Lancaster, Virginia and Oxford universities have produced a web-based tool that allows anyone living in the UK to see their own 'nitrogen footprint'. The <a href="http://www.n-print.org/sites/n-print.org/files/footprint_java/#/home">N-Calculator</a> tool calculates the likely effect of an individual's food and travel on the environment in terms of nitrogen pollution. It is hoped that the tool will lead to more people choosing sustainable ways of living. Scientists have warned that reactive nitrogen pollution is already a major environmental problem that is causing significant damage to air and water quality across the UK. Nitrogen runoff from farms and man-made effluents are largely responsible for algal blooms that affect river systems, whilst atmospheric nitrogen pollution is leading to significant losses of biodiversity. Most of the nitrogen pollution arises out of agricultural processes used in the growing of crops or grazing of animals, they warn. In addition, a significant proportion of the average UK nitrogen footprint comes from vehicle emissions. "Nitrogen is essential for growing crops for food or high quality grass for cattle, as any farmer knows," said Paul Whitehead, Director of the Natural Environment Research Council's Macronutrient Cycles programme at the University of Oxford. "However, the widespread use of nitrogen fertilizer to boost crop production has resulted in a runoff of excess nitrogen from farms into our rivers, lakes and groundwaters." The researchers used publicly available data such as national atmospheric data, national land use and farm statistics, to make the calculations. The N-Calculator website also makes recommendations for how to lessen your 'nitrogen footprint'. Lifestyle choices affect your nitrogen footprint: reducing your nitrogen footprint means cutting back on road and air travel, choosing renewable energy and, most importantly, altering the balance of the foods contained in your diet. "Unlike your carbon footprint, what you eat is the most important factor determining your nitrogen footprint," says Dr Carly Stevens of the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University. "By altering the amount and type of food that you eat, you can make a big difference to your impact on the environment." The researchers have calculated that beef generates twice as much nitrogen as pork, and almost three times as much as chicken or fish. The difference in nitrogen levels occurs because of the amount of nitrogen that is lost during the food processing cycles. Simply stated, the larger the animal, the larger its nitrogen footprint because it takes longer to get to 'market weight'. The amount of nitrogen pollution from crop production varies with the amount of fertilizer applied and the efficiency of the crop. Nitrogen losses can also occur during food processing and even through household-level food waste. Universities are starting to use the tool to show students how one individual can alter and help restore a natural cycle like nitrogen. The researchers suggest that the tool could be used by the wider community, particularly schoolchildren, to explore more sustainable ways of living. The tool, first developed in the US, has been updated and adapted for UK users by researchers from Lancaster University under a project funded by the NERC Macronutrient Cycles programme at Oxford. The device was originally created by award-winning scientist James N Galloway and his research colleagues, Allison Leach, at the University of Virginia, Albert Bleeker of ECN and Jan Willem Erisman of the Louis Bolk Institute, both of The Netherlands. "Solving the nitrogen dilemma is a major challenge of our time," said lead researcher Allison Leach of the University of Virginia. "By calculating our individual impact, and taking small steps to reduce it, we can all play a part - and send a strong message to our national leaders that we want this issue taken seriously." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368794426.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368794426.jpg 200 200 Dr Carly Stevens Wednesday Wed 15 May May 05 2013

1755 9 LU News Lancaster to play leading role in UK-India cyber security team lancaster-to-play-leading-role-in-uk-india-cyber-security-team

University-based 'Security Lancaster' is to be part of a bid to increase UK-India cyber security research collaborations tackling key issues demanding global cooperation.

University-based 'Security Lancaster' is to be part of a bid to increase UK-India cyber security research collaborations tackling key issues demanding global cooperation. Associate Director for Business Partnerships and Enterprise for Security Lancaster, <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/people/dan_prince.php">Dr Daniel Prince</a> has returned from a four-day workshop in India where top researchers from India and the UK came together to discuss the new collaboration set-up. The event was arranged by Research Councils UK (RCUK) Global Uncertainties Programme and India's Department of Science and Technology. The workshop was jointly organised by RCUK India, the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-D) and the UK's Science and Innovation Network (SIN). Dr Prince explained the union had started last year when a small delegation from India attended a gathering at the Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research in the UK. This initiated the talks for a broader engagement between the two countries. "The UK and India are now working together to foster research networks and collaborations on cyber security research and commercialization," explained Dr Prince. "The workshop in India this year looked at formalising this bilateral partnership. We are currently in the exploratory phase of how this will work but it is looking strong. "From my point of view the conference was about coming away with some new research partners and identifying different research objectives for cyber security research in non-western or European culture." The workshop identified a list of priority grand challenges, including resilience, identity management, protecting critical national infrastructure, mobile and cloud security, governance and knowledge harvesting, which the two nations hope to tackle together. Dr Prince will head up the Resilience challenge, a key area of research for the School of Computing and Communications. This will then feature in an RCUK report on areas of potential collaboration between the UK and India. The event also drilled down into topics such as: cyber-crime; privacy and security in online social media; human factors and usable security; and risk identification and monitoring systems and networks. "The world's increased reliance on electronic systems means that cyber-attacks are likely to have significant damaging consequences," added Dr Prince. "The combination of enhanced threats, increased vulnerabilities and more serious consequences increases the cyber risk to which we are all exposed." Security Lancaster is an EPSRC-GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security. It brings together Lancaster University's research in cyber security, security futures, investigative expertise, violence and society, and transport and infrastructure protection. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368462132.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368461468.jpg 300 300 Dr Daniel Prince Monday Mon 13 May May 05 2013

1756 1 News LEC PhD student, Beth Brockett, organises knowledge-exchange event for farmers lec-phd-student-beth-brockett-organisers-knowledge-exchange-event-for-farmers

Beth Brockett who is researching 'An interdisciplinary approach to modelling ecosystem service delivery at the farm unit scale' for her PhD has organised an knowledge-exchange event.

Beth Brockett who is researching 'An interdisciplinary approach to modelling ecosystem service delivery at the farm unit scale' for her PhD has organised an knowledge-exchange event. The event is in association with the Cumbrian Farmers' Network and is aimed at farmers and farm advisors to help them understand the science behind future agri-environment schemes. Beth obtained the funding from the British Ecological Society and the Ecosystems Knowledge Network. The event is sponsored by the British Ecological Society and the Ecosystems Knowledge Network. It is supported by the Cumbrian Farmer Network, Lancaster University and Manchester University. The Lancaster University staff and students involved are: Prof John Quinton, Dr Alan Blackburn, Dr Nigel Watson, Dr Sue Ward and Catherine Baxendale (PhD student). Three undergraduate volunteers are also involved in helping with the event, Gareth Netto, Alex Patrickson and Freyja Scarborough. For more details on the event view the <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/?event_id=1160">Plan for the future - understand the science behind the schemes</a> event page or <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/LECPG/FEA_invite.pdf">download the flier</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368460877.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368460877.jpg 281 300 Monday Mon 13 May May 05 2013

1749 9 LU News Florence Nightingale Day successfully raises profile of women in mathematics and statistics florence-nightingale-day-successfully-raises-profile-of-women-in-mathematics-and-statistics

Pupils from years 11 to 13 from seven regional schools were represented at the recent event organised by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The day combined talks from prominent female mathematicians, hands-on activities, a quiz, group work, discussions and displays.

Pupils from years 11 to 13 from seven regional schools were represented at the recent event organised by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The day combined talks from prominent female mathematicians, hands-on activities, a quiz, group work, discussions and displays. "Pupils and teachers enjoyed the maths," said Dr Nadia Mazza, one of the Day's organisers. "They learned with pleasure and curiosity, they engaged with the speakers and were keen to interact with them. New bonds were formed and all the speakers enjoyed it too. The day really fulfilled all the targets I had set." Dr Mazza was delighted to receive very positive feedback from participants too. "One teacher said the event was definitely the kind of event they like to take their students to and it has been very useful," added Dr Mazza. "She said that one of her students who attended the event was now planning to apply to study maths at University. Another liked the blend of mathematicians, people using mathematics and careers advice." Keynote speaker Professor June Barrow-Green from the Open University said: "What came over very strongly was the wide range of things you can do with a mathematics degree or a sound knowledge of mathematics. So much of mathematics that form part of everyday life is hidden from view. Bringing it out into the open was immensely helpful." Florence Nightingale, best remembered as a nurse in the Crimean War, had an immense love of mathematics and statistics. She was chosen as the icon for the University's continuing efforts to promote both subjects, particularly the participation of young women in those subjects. It is hoped the event, funded by the Faculty of Science and Technology Outreach Grant, the London Mathematical Society and the Further Maths Support Programme, will become an annual event. For more details and to view photographs from the day please see <a href="http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/florence-nightingale-day">the Florence Nightingale Day pages</a> on the department website. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368190697.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368190697.jpg 300 400 Students working on the Hands on Maths! quiz Friday Fri 10 May May 05 2013

1750 1 News LEC Volcanology Field Course sees erupting Mount Etna lec-volcanology-field-course-sees-erupting-mount-etna

Students on the annual LEC Volcanic Processes field course to Mt. Etna, Sicily were treated to a visual feast as they witnessed the volcano in action. Although Mt. Etna is recognised as a highly active volcano, the recent activity has been highly sporadic, and seeing activity is never guaranteed.

Students on the annual LEC Volcanic Processes field course to Mt. Etna, Sicily were treated to a visual feast as they witnessed the volcano in action. Although Mt. Etna is recognised as a highly active volcano, the recent activity has been highly sporadic, and seeing activity is never guaranteed. The 2013 field course comprised 21 undergraduate and postgraduate students, along with two European visiting students. Whilst viewing the summit region from a nearby ridge, we were able to observe ashy exhalations from a new cone that started to grow in 2011. But this was only the start; activity the next day increased to near-continuous explosions that were sufficiently loud they could be both felt and heard. Etna turned it up again in the evening and put on a night-long fire show. Even that wasn't the end - large grey ash-rich plumes were produced on Friday morning that caused many flights from Sicily to be delayed or cancelled. Fortunately, the volcano was quiet again by the time we had to catch flights home. To see more of our trip, visit our <a href = "http://www.flickr.com/groups/lu_volcanology_etna_2013/pool/?view=ju">Flickr photo collection</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1368200342.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1368200342.jpg 300 200 Friday Fri 10 May May 05 2013

1737 1 News Company rewards Security Lancaster students for business solutions company-rewards-security-lancaster-students-for-business-solutions

Three MSc in Cyber Security students were rewarded by security company Secarma for their solutions to global security challenges.

Three MSc in Cyber Security students were rewarded by security company Secarma for their solutions to global security challenges. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/otkqdLr87Mk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Security company Secarma and the tutors delivering the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/masters/modules/ISSM">Information System Security Management</a> module set a series of coursework questions based on real world challenges faced by Secarma and its clients, including bring your own device, cloud computing and securing the supply chain. The three students scoring the highest marks, Andrew Hassell, Kiril Ovcinikov, Jose Javier Orozco Echeverria, were awarded customised Raspberry PI devices, a letter of recommendation from Secarma and an opportunity to present their work back to senior employees of Secarma. Stuart Coulson, Head of Sales at Secarma, explained, "It's quite clear from the students' presentations they've done today that they have got a very good solid backbone of information. They were able to speak on many different topics." Competition finalist Jose comments, "This has given me some insight on the business itself, on understanding how IT and security is managed in industry, not only learning from experience but also applying knowledge to practical things." Dr Daniel Prince, Associate Director for Business Partnerships at Security Lancaster added, "Secarma are a fantastic company to work with, they are really open to collaborating with the university and the academics. They provide us with access to industry that really benefits the student experience and their involvement was crucial." Stuart concludes, "It's been really interesting to come to the university and find out what they have to offer us as a business and it's probably going to lead to more engagement with the university." Security Lancaster is an EPSRC-GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security. It brings together the Lancaster University's research in cyber security, security futures, investigative expertise, violence and society, and transport and infrastructure protection. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otkqdLr87Mk&feature=share&list=PLwNZNXdk4UKfUWRZoEEGrzW1O5xlB7b5-">View film</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1367417389.jpg 75 75 Wednesday Wed 01 May May 05 2013

1740 1 News Environment: Over 80 people attend book launch for 'The Burning Question' book-launch-for-burning-question

Over 80 people attended the book launch for "The Burning Question - we can't burn half the world's oil, coal and gas. So how do we quit?" by Mike Berners-Lee and Duncan Clark in LEC last Friday.

Over 80 people attended the book launch for "The Burning Question - we can't burn half the world's oil, coal and gas. So how do we quit?" by Mike Berners-Lee and Duncan Clark in LEC last Friday. Attendees included staff from across Lancaster University, LEC resident businesses Strategic Energy, Stopford Energy and Environment and WT Infotech, and InfoLab21 resident business Next World Web. External attendees included representatives from Facilitation & Consultancy For Change, the European Commission, the Green Party, the Blackburn Diocesan Rural and Environmental Project and The Storey. Dr Ruth Alcock, Head of Enterprise and Business Partnerships, Lancaster Environment Centre, commented "It was great to see so many staff and businesses there all energised and enthusiastic about this important issue. "Lancaster is extremely well placed to develop leadership in this area and we're fortunate to have Small World Consulting as one of our co-located companies defining and contributing to the research agenda." An extended interview with Duncan Clark and Mike Berners-Lee about their book featured as the Science Weekly podcast in The Guardian this Monday. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/audio/2013/apr/29/podcast-science-weekly-burning-question">Listen to podcast</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1367418755.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1367418755.jpg 271 220 Wednesday Wed 01 May May 05 2013

1741 9 LU News How to spot liars in official interviews how-to-spot-liars-in-official-interviews

A way to improve detection rates in police interviews has been discovered by researchers following a mock terrorism scenario where suspects plotted to blow up a building.

A way to improve detection rates in police interviews has been discovered by researchers following a mock terrorism scenario where suspects plotted to blow up a building. They found that dripfeeding evidence to the suspect boosted the detection rate to 68 per cent compared with 50 per cent - no better than chance - for the existing methods where all the information is revealed either early or late in the interview. Their discovery has implications for any official interviews such as benefit fraud investigations, medical negligence and inland revenue cases. The researchers say that revealing information gradually "exploits gaps in a deceiver's account immediately inconsistencies begin to emerge, while at the same time providing innocent interviewees an early opportunity to convey their honesty". The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/lcrp.12016/abstract">study</a> published in Legal and Criminal Psychology was carried out by Dr Coral Dando of the University of Wolverhampton (previously at Lancaster University), with Professor Tom Ormerod and Alexandra Sandham from Lancaster University, and Professor Ray Bull from Derby University. The research involved a total of 151 people who were all asked to build part of a virtual Olympic stadium in an interactive computer game. But some of the participants were also assigned the identity of deceivers or "terrorists" plotting to blow up the stadium and they had to hide their intentions by, for example, covering up the purchase of large amounts of "explosive" from virtual shops. They were then interviewed about the game by a trained police interviewer who revealed relevant information either early on, at the end of the interview, or gradually. Thirty laypersons viewed a random selection of interviews and then judged whether the interviewees were telling the truth or not. Their judgements were most accurate in the interviews when information had been revealed gradually and the laypersons were more confident about their judgements. In addition, the so-called "terrorists" said that the gradual disclosure of information by the interviewer was much more mentally taxing, making it harder for them to sustain the deception. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1367484285.jpg 350 250 Monday Mon 29 April Apr 04 2013

1742 9 LU News New grass species could help reduce the likelihood of flooding new-grass-species-could-help-reduce-the-likelihood-of-flooding

Scientists at the Lancaster Environment Centre have shown that a grass hybrid species can help reduce the impact of flooding.

Scientists at the Lancaster Environment Centre have shown that a grass hybrid species can help reduce the impact of flooding. Professor Phil Haygarth and Professor Andrew Binley are part of a collaboration of scientists who have investigated the use of hybridised forage grass to combine fast root growth and efficient soil water capture. Field experiments show Festulolium cultivar reduces water runoff by up to 51 per cent against nationally-recommended cultivar and there is the potential for the new hybrid to capture more water and reduce runoff and likelihood of flood generation. Professor Haygarth explained : "We think the reduced runoff is achieved because Festulolium's intense initial root growth and subsequent rapid turn-over, especially at depth, allows more water to be captured within the soil". "The grass also provides high quality forage with resilience to weather extremes, making the grass doubly useful to farmers. " Professor Binley added: "Our findings were achieved through an experimental program linking across a huge range of scales - from molecular to field. The results have implications for water management at even larger scales." The <a href="http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/pa/grants/AwardDetails.aspx?FundingReference=BB/D010683/1">Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded</a> scientists, from Lancaster, Rothamsted Research, the James Hutton Institute, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and the University of Nottingham, used a hybridised species of grass called perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with a closely related species called meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis). They hoped to integrate the rapid establishment and growth rate of the ryegrass with the large, well developed root systems and efficient water capture of the meadow fescue. Over two years of field experiments in the south west the team <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130425/srep01683/full/srep01683.html">demonstrated</a> that the hybrid, named Festulolium, reduced water runoff from agricultural grassland by up to 51 per cent compared to a leading UK nationally-recommended perennial ryegrass cultivar and by 43 per cent compared to meadow fescue. Image © Copyright <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/196">Richard Webb</a> and licensed for <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/reuse.php?id=209693">reuse</a> under this <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1367485823.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1367485689.jpg 350 498 Thursday Thu 25 April Apr 04 2013

1729 9 LU News National award for northern lights film national-award-for-northern-lights-film

A film made by a Lancaster physicist in the Arctic circle is among four chosen for a <a href="http://bufvc.ac.uk/events/learningonscreen">British Universities Film and Video Council</a> award.

A film made by a Lancaster physicist in the Arctic circle is among four chosen for a <a href="http://bufvc.ac.uk/events/learningonscreen">British Universities Film and Video Council</a> award. The national award for the Physics Lives videos was presented at the British Film Institute in London. Produced by the Institute of Physics, the four short films focus on the work of research physicists including Professor Jim Wild of Lancaster University. He is featured in a video "Written in the sky; the Aurora borealis uncovered " which is shot in Iceland as he investigates the science behind the Northern Lights. <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4PXu2SnG4pk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366748961.jpg 75 75 Tuesday Tue 23 April Apr 04 2013

1722 1 News Lancaster Student brings Engineering Solutions to LHC Consolidation lancaster-student-brings-engineering-solutions-to-lhc-consolidation

The LHC has been busy generating data for the past couple of years in order to find the Higgs boson. But now it has it is taking a well earned rest and in the meantime a Lancaster student is helping to increase its energy reach for when it returns.

The LHC has been busy generating data for the past couple of years in order to find the Higgs boson. But now it has it is taking a well earned rest and in the meantime a Lancaster student is helping to increase its energy reach for when it returns. Up to now LHC has not been able to reach its full 14 TeV energy due to problems in the interconnections on the superconducting magnets. A failure in one of these resulted in a catastrophic explosion nine days after start-up. The CERN staff were able to recover from this but they have waited till now to repair it. During the break (known as Long Shutdown 1 or LS1), the interconnections will be repaired on 10,000 magnets. To do so they need to punch a hole in the thermal shields around the magnets at the interconnections. All the welds will then be replaced with bolts for future ease of access and maintenance. However no current hole punch is small enough to fit while having enough force to puncture the shield, and using a hand drill is both awkward and time costly, hence a new hole punch was required. The task for designing this fell to Loren Wright, a 4th year mechanical engineering student at Lancaster University, who is currently taking a year at CERN to gain experience. Loren says "For the design, we ran into a few problems; I had to do a lot of stress analysis and modifying of the original design in order to reduce stress intensities as we need each hole punch to do around 1000 cycles, and therefore cannot have extreme plasticisation within the material as this would lead to earlier failure. This meant employing several techniques such as filleting sharp edges and reducing large jumps in material thickness through the component etc. The design itself is now complete and the technical drawings have been approved for manufacture, so now it is just a case of battling with French suppliers over ordering some of the components!" For more on the LHC LS1 work please visit <a href="http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/52361">the CERN Courier website.</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366292425.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366292425.png 213 500 Lancaster engineering student Loren Wright developed a new hole punch tough enough to deal with the LHC's thermal shields Thursday Thu 18 April Apr 04 2013

1721 1 News Lancaster takes part in National Science and Engineering Week 2013 national-science-and-engineering-week-2013

As part of National Science and Engineering Week, 15th-20th March, staff & students from Engineering, Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) and Physics helped deliver a week of activities for local schools, interacting with over 70 pupils. Coordinated by LUSU Involve, pupils had the chance to take part in various activities relating to each subject.

As part of National Science and Engineering Week, 15th-20th March, staff & students from Engineering, Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) and Physics helped deliver a week of activities for local schools, interacting with over 70 pupils. Coordinated by LUSU Involve, pupils had the chance to take part in various activities relating to each subject. Dr Jane Taylor from LEC worked with pupils from a local primary school, who had the opportunity to gain hands on experience of plant Biology. The pupils spent the day examining flowers and different plant structures using microscopes, explored where food comes from, and to see real experiments investigating how food production will need to change during their lifetimes. Year 10 pupils from Central High School worked in the LEC laboratory with Dr Nick Chappell on water flumes. Dr Taylor said "It was great to have the opportunity to interact with local school pupils and enthuse them about science". A class of year 10 BTEC students from Heysham High School visited the Engineering department, with their day commencing with a talk from Dr Allan Rennie, who then led the session for the day. Pupils were given the opportunity to meet Engineering students, and design their own personalised key rings using Computer Aided Design (CAD), to later be printed by the department's Additive Manufacturing Machine (sometimes referred to as 3D printing). Later in the week Physics, LEC and Mathematics & Statistics students designed & delivered the final session, visiting a local primary school and teaching them about space with various interactive activities including a giant inflatable universe. The activities were a success and each received great feedback from the schools and pupils. Many pupils remarked that the sessions had made them more likely to attend university, and teachers sent their thanks and commented on "how well thought out and challenging the days had been". http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366289717.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366290550.png 247 500 Local pupils learn about plant structures at Lancaster Environment Centre Thursday Thu 18 April Apr 04 2013

1718 9 LU News Google funds research on analytics for digital signs google-funds-research-on-analytics-for-digital-signs

A £25,000 Google grant will enable researchers at Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications to expand their work on digital sign analytics.

A £25,000 Google grant will enable researchers at Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications to expand their work on digital sign analytics. The money will help fund a one-year post for a PhD student to research sign analytics. The World Wide Web relies on analytics packages to shape relevant content for readers. Currently there is nothing similar available for the huge array of digital displays and signage including plasma screens, advertising billboards and airport, railway and shopping centre information boards. Professor Nigel Davies, from the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University, said: "Our aim is to create the signage equivalent of Web Analytics, enabling operators to fine-tune content to meet viewers' needs and improve the quality of the information. It will enable them to shape effective campaigns and create targeted information that viewers will actually want to read." The work will build on the fact that modern signs are increasingly being equipped with sensors that can capture information on people interacting with the sign. "As a sign operator you want to know if people are actually doing any follow ups on the action you show them - for example do people actually go to the coffee shop being advertised?" added Professor Davies. "We could tie that information into an analytics package, which has never been done before. "If you think of the web without analytics, that would be a pretty strange place. Analytics work out what people care about, what they really look at, how they navigate and they help determine more relevant content that people viewing sites find interesting. There simply is no equivalent for signage." Professor Davies explained that while some companies had developed systems for audience metrics the work at Lancaster University will take things to another level. "We will be able to connect the statistics into analytics for use by content producers so they can determine why a certain sign is so interesting and ascertain how we drive people to where we want them to go." The award was great news, said a delighted Professor Davies. Google, he explained, ran funding awards to support world-class academic staff and, they were, highly competitive said Nigel, who was a visiting scientist at Google headquarters and research centre at Mountain View in California last summer and is due to return later this year. "This is definitely very good kudos for us and builds on our work in this field over many years." Google headquarters-based research scientist Roy Want said: "One of the fastest growing new technology areas is Digital Signage, which Professor Nigel Davies has been researching with the help of a Google Focused Research Award. "We're excited to see the outcome of his work, which should include a set of tools for the research community to build better mobile products that provide the best possible user experience when interacting with digital signs." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366207910.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366207952.jpg 250 250 Wednesday Wed 17 April Apr 04 2013

1725 9 LU News £1 million grant to sort the wheat from the chaff 1-million-grant-to-sort-the-wheat-from-the-chaff

A Lancaster University research project to effectively 'toughen up' wheat crops has just been awarded a £1 million grant.

A Lancaster University research project to effectively 'toughen up' wheat crops has just been awarded a £1 million grant. The money will enable Professor Bill Davies and Drs Sally Wilkinson and Ian Dodd at Lancaster Environment Centre to focus on increasing wheat crop yields, making the plants more resilient to stress and enabling them to cope with climate change. The three-year project, which starts this week, will form part of a major piece of research by CIMMYT, the Mexican-based, world-renowned plant genetics centre which specialises in the improvement for wheat and maize. CIMMYT, funded through international donor countries, was the cradle of the green revolution in the 1960s. The improvement of key food crops is deemed crucial amidst concerns that it will be difficult to feed an ever-growing world population as land, water, fertiliser and energy become scarcer. "Wheat is one of the world's most important crops but there is much concern that year-on-year increases in the yield of this crop have stalled," explained Professor Davies, who has been an annual commuter to Mexico over the last three years in his quest to promote the team's work and strengthen his pitch for the grant. "The idea is that our fairly fundamental research will inform the breeding process. As specialists in the biology of drought and heat resistance of plants, our aim is to try to more quickly and efficiently produce new varieties of wheat that are more heat and drought tolerant. "As the climate changes, and most food producing countries become hotter and drier, we need more robust varieties that can cope with the changes." The funding will enable two researchers, based in Mexico, to trial new wheat plant varieties in the quest to identify new genetic variations to include in the breeding programme. A technical post will also be funded at Lancaster. "It takes 12 years, from concept to farm, to produce a new variety," explained Professor Davies. "In Mexico they can produce two crops of wheat a year so they can effectively breed twice as rapidly as here. They can actually trial in the field too - not the glasshouse. Investigation work to generate hypotheses will be carried out in the laboratories and glasshouses in Lancaster before testing in Mexico. "It's a massive numbers game," added Professor Davies. "It's a slow business but there is some year-on-year progress by breeders around the world. That's due to this kind of work. But they are not going up fast enough to feed more people. We really need more of this kind of work. We now have more than seven billion people to feed. That's the impact we must create. It's about having a more immediate effect through genetics, crop management and irrigation. He said that the Lancaster Environment Centre had been very effective at 'getting out there' and building up a good reputation as leaders in crop science. "While it's an all-consuming project, it is also extremely rewarding," added Professor Davies, whose work attracted a Queen's Anniversary Award for Higher and Further Education in 2009. "I have just come back from Mexico where we have some very good young researchers and their enthusiasm is inspirational." Additional funding for the Lancaster wheat work has been provided by Carlisle-based Carr's Milling, Britain's biggest flour millers, who have part funded a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council student in a project to show how particular rooting patterns may help crops yield better under drought. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366293217.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366293217.png 226 226 Tuesday Tue 16 April Apr 04 2013

1716 1 News Job Vacancy for Lecturer in Computer Science job-vacancy-for-lecturer-in-computer-science

School of Computing and Communications

School of Computing and Communications Salary: £32,267 to £44,607 Closing Date: Monday 13 May 2013 Interview Date: To be confirmed Reference: A580R Lancaster's School of Computing and Communications is a world-class research-led school that comprises around 40 academic staff, with ~100 PhD students and researchers. Our research spans computer communications/networking/distributed systems, software engineering, and human-computer interaction; and engages with a wide range of application domains including cyber-security, social computing, transport, energy and health. We have been well-known since the 80's for a 'systems' approach to research, and a philosophy of connecting strongly to industry and the real world; for instance in research involving large-scale testbeds. Teaching is equally important to us, and we expect all our staff to be committed teachers and to contribute to the development of our portfolio of courses, including those involving our international teaching partnerships. As part of an investment programme that has already seen us appoint to eight new academic posts since 2012, we now wish to appoint to a Lecturership in one of the following areas: i) big data (all aspects of acquiring/ mining/analysing/visualising huge-scale data sets, typically in association with emerging application domains such as social computing or cyber security); ii) human-computer interaction (indicative areas would be multimodal/intelligent interaction with crowds/robots/big data); or iii) computer networking/distributed systems (e.g. resilience/security in networks, next-generation Internet, software-defined networking, cloud computing, embedded distributed systems). We invite applications from candidates who can demonstrate significant promise in research in one of the above areas (please specify which area), and a strong record of achievement in their career to date. Salary will range from £32,267 to £44,607 depending on achievements and experience to date. For further information we invite you to contact the Head of School (Prof. Geoff Coulson) for an informal discussion geoff@comp.lancs.ac.uk +44(0)1524 510306. Previous applicants for post A580 need not re-apply. (N.B. a "Lecturer" in the UK is equivalent to an "Assistant Professor" in the US system.) How to Apply For further information and to apply online please go to: <a href="http://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A580R">http://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A580R</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366017607.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366017607.jpg 250 250 Monday Mon 15 April Apr 04 2013

1717 1 News Marie Curie Fellowships at LEC marie-curie-fellowships-at-lec

The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is welcoming expressions of interest from experienced researchers worldwide who would like to come and work in an exciting, vibrant interdisciplinary research-led department alongside world-leading environmental scientists.

The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is welcoming expressions of interest from experienced researchers worldwide who would like to come and work in an exciting, vibrant interdisciplinary research-led department alongside world-leading environmental scientists. Researchers can be of any nationality and be carrying out work in any field of research. The European Commission offers research grants for individuals with more than 4 years research experience or a doctoral degree (PhD) through the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/index_en.htm">Marie Curie Actions Research Fellowship Programme</a>. The main activity of an individual fellowship is a research project, developed by the researcher in collaboration with their host organisation, and designed to provide training through research. An integral part of the fellowship is training in complementary and transferrable skills, for example, research management, intellectual property rights, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary knowledge transfer. The schemes currently open are: <ul> <li><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/ief/index_en.htm">Intra-European Fellowships for career development (IEF)</a>, for researchers moving from other EU member states or <a href="ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/third-country-agreements_en.doc">associated countries</a>. Deadline: 14 August 2013 </li> <li><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/iif/index_en.htm">International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)</a>, for researchers moving from a Third Country. Deadline: 14 August 2013 </li> <li><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-mca/actions/cig/index_en.htm">Career Integration Grants (CIG)</a>, for researchers who have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline. Deadline: 18 September 2013 </li> </ul> We would welcome researchers with a strong publication record to contact us and discuss research ideas. For this particular call, applicants resuming research after a career break are encouraged to apply and such "career restart" applicants will be considered by a separate panel to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates. Funds are available for visits to LEC to support the co-design of the strongest applications. Please contact <a href="mailto:p.mckenna@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Paul McKenna</a> for more information. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366043060.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366043060.jpg 119 121 Monday Mon 15 April Apr 04 2013

1713 9 LU News Award for female CEO of technology firm award-for-female-ceo-of-technology-firm

A Lancaster University alumna who founded her own firm has been awarded the title of Entrepreneur of the Year at the FDM everywoman in Technology awards.

A Lancaster University alumna who founded her own firm has been awarded the title of Entrepreneur of the Year at the FDM everywoman in Technology awards. In 2006, Jennifer Sheridan gained a PhD in Computer Science in which she established the field of Digital Live Art. In 2010, she founded Togeva Ltd, which allows people to create and share digital content on mobile devices. She said: "Studying at Lancaster University gave me the freedom to combine my interests in live art, creativity and computer science - which was quite left field at the time. However, Lancaster provided the environment for me to take risks, push for change and to hone my skills as a creative developer. "So, over the course of completing my PhD in Computer Science, I was, albeit unwittingly, nurturing entrepreneurship. I strongly believe that creativity and risk is at the very heart of entrepreneurship." The Awards programme is one of the UK's leading initiatives to raise the profile of women in IT, where they occupy fewer than one in five of all technology posts. The judges were impressed by Jennifer's support for other women in the sector, where she is actively involved in the startup scene in Tech City/Silicon Roundabout. Jennifer said: "I feel that it is the responsibility of every woman to act as a role model to other women and to recognize and support the women around them throughout their careers. When a positive female role model says 'I'm proud of what you've achieved' it helps women gain the confidence to say 'I'm proud of what I've achieved' - this is an important and constructive step to ensuring their continued success." The awards ceremony was at The Savoy Hotel in London, attended by hundreds of leading figures from the technology industry and business. Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: "The technology sector has demonstrated its commitment in the past few decades to embracing and nurturing its female talent, and we hope by celebrating these winners today, we can encourage others to follow in their footsteps." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1365585561.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1365585561.jpg 250 250 Wednesday Wed 10 April Apr 04 2013

1726 9 LU News Development of novel 2D materials boosted by High Performance Computing Centre development-of-novel-2d-materials-boosted-by-high-performance-computing-centre

A Lancaster physicist working on novel 2D materials says a new £3.25m High Performance Computing Centre is an important tool in their development.

A Lancaster physicist working on novel 2D materials says a new £3.25m High Performance Computing Centre is an important tool in their development. Lancaster University's Department of Physics has long been at the forefront of theoretical research in 2D materials such as graphene. Thought to be the strongest material ever produced and the best conductor of electricity ever, graphene is one of a host of 2D materials which promise to transform our world over the coming decades. Dr Neil Drummond from Lancaster University's Department of Physics is using quantum methods to study the remarkable and extreme properties of 2D materials. This research requires enormous computing power which is greatly enhanced by the new High Performance Computing Centre, funded by the EPSRC. Dr Drummond said: "The experimental study of many of these materials is in its infancy; indeed in some cases the materials have not yet been synthesised. "Accurate first-principles computational studies play an important role in establishing the structural and electronic properties of novel 2D materials. This is the first step towards the eventual application of these materials in electronic and optoelectronic devices." The Centre brings together the best academic expertise in the N8 Research Partnership including the Universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York. Based at the University of Leeds, it is run jointly with the University of Manchester to provide enhanced computing power for research. Professor David Delpy, EPSRC's Chief Executive, said: "Having access to high performance computing facilities is becoming increasingly essential to many branches of science, to investigate new theories and model more complex problems in greater detail. Collaborations such as the N8 Research Partnership can provide these vital tools and help UK institutions build on their existing strengths." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366293404.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366293404.png 222 223 Wednesday Wed 10 April Apr 04 2013

1715 1 News Impact Acceleration Account second pilot call impact-acceleration-account-second-pilot-call

A second pilot call to allocate funding from the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) now live. Researchers and external partners are invited to attend an ImaginationLab on Wednesday 8th May to develop concepts and ideas that can ultimately lead to a successful IAA funding application of up to £20,000.

A second pilot call to allocate funding from the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) now live. Researchers and external partners are invited to attend an ImaginationLab on Wednesday 8th May to develop concepts and ideas that can ultimately lead to a successful IAA funding application of up to £20,000. The lab, held on campus, will be facilitated by specialists in building robust collaborations and in generating innovative and novel ideas. The IAA facilitator, Dee Hennessy, has facilitated sandpits and similar events for EPSRC, NERC, ESRC in addition to dozens of collaboration events with research communities and business consortia. Researchers and external partners will explore potential alliances through new and unexpected viewpoints. It is encouraged that Lancaster staff consider external partners that they have not been able to collaborate with previously due to funding restrictions. Following the ImaginationLab various IAA funding options are available ranging from travel for staff exchange, seed funding up to £5,000 for exploration of initial ideas and more substantial funding of up to £20,000 (if matched by the external collaborator) to support the development of research outputs into a commercial proposition. To register for a place on the ImaginationLab or for more information contact Dr Mark Rushforth by Friday 3rd May. Attendance on the ImaginationLab is not compulsory for submission into the second call for IAA funds. For researchers unable to attend the lab or with a relationship in place please contact <a href="mailto:m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Mark Rushforth</a> in the first instance. All expressions of interest must be submitted by Wednesday 15th May at 5pm. <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/iaa.php">More details on the IAA</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1365608104.jpg 298 331 Wednesday Wed 10 April Apr 04 2013

1714 1 News £75,000 awarded to SciTech researchers 75000-awarded-to-scitech-researchers

Nearly £75,000 has been awarded to SciTech researchers to enable them to engage with external partners and accelerate the impact of their activities following the first pilot call of the Impact Acceleration Account.

Nearly £75,000 has been awarded to SciTech researchers to enable them to engage with external partners and accelerate the impact of their activities following the first pilot call of the Impact Acceleration Account. Dr Chris Edwards: School of Computing and Communications - Awarded £5,000 Chris will work with BMCE Networks in developing a robust, cost effective wireless communications link technology that could provide low cost communications in rural third world locations. Dr Xiandong Ma: Engineering - Awarded £4,957 Xiandong will work with TNEI Services Ltd in developing a smart DC nano-grid with less power losses by efficient integration of micro renewable energy generators and load management Dr Xiandong Ma: Engineering - Awarded £4,947 Xiandong will also work with Wind Prospect Ltd to develop and refine advanced data mining techniques for early warning of the incipient failures for the turbines. Dr Lynne Blair and Bran Knowles: School of Computing and Communications & HighWire Centre for Doctoral Training - Awarded £5,000 Lynne and Bran will work with Common Cause in creating a policy report around sustainable computing in order to ensure the future research agenda of this topic has the desired environmental impact. Professor Kirk Semple: Lancaster Environment Centre - Awarded £5,000 Kirk will work with AD ENERG Ltd to assess the viability of using micro-anaerobic digestion technology to enable safe waste disposal and the generation of energy for military and disaster relief applications. Dr Peter Carrington: Physics - Awarded £5,000 Peter will work with Compound Semiconductor Technologies in validating, scaling up and optimising high efficiency solar cells. Dr Manus Hayne: Physics - Awarded £5,000 Manus will work with Tyco Fire Protection Products in developing optical scattering techniques within fire detectors for cheaper and more accurate detection. Dr Manus Hayne and Dr Oleg Kolosov: Physics - Awarded £5,000 Manus and Oleg will work with Oclaro Inc to further develop beam-exit cross-sectional polishing (BEXP), a low cost method of evaluating semi-conductor layers. Dr Oleg Kolosov: Physics - Awarded £5,000 Oleg will work with NT-MDT Europe BV in developing the functionality of atomic force microscopes (AFMs) to enable them to detect material properties at nanoscale resolution. Professor Tony Krier: Physics - Awarded £5,000 Tony will also work with Compound Semiconductor Technologies in producing a demonstrator thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell that directly converts waste heat into electric power. Professor Colin Lambert: Physics - Awarded £20,000 Colin will work with BP in developing new families of amphiphilic surfactants within the oil and automotive industries. The funding from the IAA will be matched by BP. Dr Andrew Marshall: Physics - Awarded £4,750 Andrew will work with Amethyst Research Ltd on novel infrared (IR) imaging sensor technology, to enhance performance of IR sensors and related electro-optical devices. <h2>Second Pilot Call Launch</h2> A second pilot call to allocate funding is now live. Researchers and external partners are invited to attend an ImaginationLab on Wednesday 8th May to develop concepts and ideas that can ultimately lead to a successful IAA funding application of up to £20,000. The lab, held on campus, will be facilitated by specialists in building robust collaborations and in generating innovative and novel ideas. The IAA facilitator, Dee Hennessy, has facilitated sandpits and similar events for EPSRC, NERC, ESRC in addition to dozens of collaboration events with research communities and business consortia. Researchers and external partners will explore potential alliances through new and unexpected viewpoints. It is encouraged that Lancaster staff consider external partners that they have not been able to collaborate with previously due to funding restrictions. Following the ImaginationLab various IAA funding options are available ranging from travel for staff exchange, seed funding up to £5,000 for exploration of initial ideas and more substantial funding of up to £20,000 (if matched by the external collaborator) to support the development of research outputs into a commercial proposition. To register for a place on the ImaginationLab or for more information contact Dr Mark Rushforth by Friday 3rd May. Attendance on the ImaginationLab is not compulsory for submission into the second call for IAA funds. For researchers unable to attend the lab or with a relationship in place please contact <a href="mailto:m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Mark Rushforth</a> in the first instance. All expressions of interest must be submitted by Wednesday 15th May at 5pm. <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/iaa.php">More details on the IAA</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1365607020.jpg 300 500 Wednesday Wed 10 April Apr 04 2013

1712 9 LU News New Kit Pumps up 3-D Feedback new-kit-pumps-up-3-d-feedback

A brand new computer system which provides 3-D feedback on weightlifting performance will now be taken to another level by a Lancaster University scientist.

A brand new computer system which provides 3-D feedback on weightlifting performance will now be taken to another level by a Lancaster University scientist. Eduardo Velloso, a second year PhD student at the University's School of Computing and Communications, featured recently in the New Scientist magazine for his innovative work, now plans to link computers with emotions. Eduardo, from Rio de Janeiro, presented his innovative weightlifting feedback system to the Augmented Human Conference in Stuttgart, an international conference which highlights new scientific technologies geared at increasing human capabilities. And it was there that Eduardo's work-out innovation caught the eye of New Scientist journalists. The computerised kit, the first of its kind, provides intricate information on a weightlifter's performance ensuring, for the first time, that advice on technique is instantly and accurately monitored and relayed in real-time. The sophisticated system uses a Microsoft Kinect depth camera to monitor 3-D movement and an LCD display to indicate if the weightlifter is undertaking the moves in the right way, position and speed. Tests showed a significant improvement in weightlifting performance. Eduardo came to Lancaster University, his number one choice for computing studies, as a research associate in February 2011 and started his PhD that September. He worked closely throughout the project with his PhD supervisor Professor Hans Gellersen and a former Lancaster University research associate, Andreas Bulling. "For most of my first year I worked on the weightlifting project to analyse movement and provide sophisticated feedback," said Eduardo. "We picked weightlifting because it is an activity with specific movement." Now Eduardo, a computer engineering graduate of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC Rio), plans to tackle another breakthrough pioneering project with the help of a Faculty scholarship. "I have moved on from weightlifting but will still be analysing movement," explained Eduardo, who came to Lancaster University on the recommendation of Alessandro Garcia, a Professor at PUC Rio, who was a lecturer at Lancaster University previously. "By tracking a person's movement I want to understand the emotions the person is experiencing. This is in its very early stages. My goal is to deduce affective states of mind from body language. This involves psychological behavioural research and affective computing. It's a very interesting topic. Computers understanding emotions will be amazing. "Previous work in emotion recognition has focused on facial and voice recognition. We are now trying to do this by looking as users' bodily expressions. We could use this method in systems to help users in improving their body language for specific situations such as a job interviews or public speaking." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1365513622.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1365513644.jpg 250 250 Eduardo Velloso from the School of Computing and Communications Tuesday Tue 09 April Apr 04 2013

1711 1 News PhD Scholarship - Computer Graphics, Digital Fabrication, and HCI phd-scholarship---computer-graphics-digital-fabrication-and-hci

PhD Scholarship (Microsoft Research PhD Programme) Computer Graphics, Digital Fabrication, and Human-Computer Interaction

PhD Scholarship (Microsoft Research PhD Programme) Computer Graphics, Digital Fabrication, and Human-Computer Interaction A PhD scholarship is available to work with Dr. Manfred Lau at Lancaster University (School of Computing and Communications) in the areas of computer graphics, digital fabrication, and human-computer interaction (for UK or EU students). This scholarship is funded by Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK, and you will be co-supervised by researchers there. The topic is related to the Microsoft Gadgeteer framework. The Gadgeteer framework provides a platform for designing and fabricating electronic devices with a set of small electronic components. The current approach for modelling an enclosure (or physical case) for such a device is with Solidworks, and this process typically takes hours. During the course of the PhD, we will develop a set of 3D modelling and digital fabrication tools that novices can use to design enclosures more intuitively and efficiently. There is a range of possibilities in how to achieve this. We may draw ideas from various areas including geometry modeling, user interfaces, augmented reality, and computational design. The scholarship provides support for PhD studies for a duration of 3 years, and a laptop allowance. It is funded by the Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship Programme. You will be invited to Microsoft Research in Cambridge for a PhD Summer School that includes a series of talks of academic interest and posters sessions, which provides you and the other PhD Scholars in the programme the opportunity to present their work to Microsoft researchers and a number of Cambridge academics. Some of the Scholars may also be offered, at the sole discretion of Microsoft Research, an internship in one of the Microsoft Research laboratories. Internships involve working on a project alongside and as part of a team of Microsoft researchers. Scholars are paid during their internship in addition to their scholarship bursary. This scholarship is expected to begin in the 2013/2014 academic year, and the search for applicants is ongoing until a suitable candidate is found. The applicant should have a strong degree in computer science (or related area) and/or an appropriate Masters degree. Previous research experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: computer graphics, digital fabrication, 3D modeling, augmented reality, and human-computer interaction. Strong programming skills are required. You will participate fully as a student in a strong research environment at Lancaster University, and you will be expected to publish and present your work at the leading international conferences in the related research areas. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Manfred Lau directly for informal discussions (about your interests and background, and/or if you have any questions). To apply, send your CV (including research experiences and publications, if any), a transcript (of your academic degrees), and a cover letter (describing why you are a suitable candidate) to m.lau@lancaster.ac.uk. You will be contacted if you are shortlisted. We will then ask for two letters of recommendation, and may decide to interview potential candidates by telephone. Contact information Dr. Manfred Lau, m.lau@lancaster.ac.uk (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/manfredlau/">https://sites.google.com/site/manfredlau/</a>) http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1365503145.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1365503145.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 09 April Apr 04 2013

1709 1 News Videos of public talks by Lancaster statisticians now available videos-of-public-talks-by-lancaster-statisticians-now-available

Experts from Lancaster are giving free public talks as part of the 2013 <a href="http://www.statistics2013.org/">International Year of Statistics</a>. They are explaining how a knowledge of statistics can help with everything from drug safety to flood defences and renewable energy.

Experts from Lancaster are giving free public talks as part of the 2013 <a href="http://www.statistics2013.org/">International Year of Statistics</a>. They are explaining how a knowledge of statistics can help with everything from drug safety to flood defences and renewable energy. Recordings of the first two of these talks are now available on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/LancasterMathsStats">Department of Mathematics and Statistics YouTube channel</a>: <ul class="link"> <li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bFejgOGRo">"Is opinion-based medical research a good idea?"</a> by Prof. John Whitehead;</li> <li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfD8SnZZmjc">"What has Statistics got to do with fighting disease in Africa?"</a> by Prof. Peter Diggle.</li> </ul> Videos of subsequent talks will be uploaded shortly after they have taken place. For more details on upcoming talks and to register for free tickets for them, please see our <a href="http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/iys">International Year of Statistics page</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360326303.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360326303.jpg 221 173 Tuesday Tue 09 April Apr 04 2013

1727 9 LU News Increased risk from Icelandic volcanoes increased-risk-from-icelandic-volcanoes

New research by Lancaster University and The Open University has discovered another type of Icelandic volcanic eruption that could cause disruption. Published in Geology (February 2013), the team found magma that is twice as 'fizzy' as previously believed, which increases the likelihood of disruptive ash clouds from future eruptions.

New research by Lancaster University and The Open University has discovered another type of Icelandic volcanic eruption that could cause disruption. Published in Geology (February 2013), the team found magma that is twice as 'fizzy' as previously believed, which increases the likelihood of disruptive ash clouds from future eruptions. Many of the largest explosive eruptions in Iceland involve a viscous, high-silica magma called rhyolite, and are driven by volcanic gases (mostly water and carbon dioxide). It is these gases that give a volcanic eruption its fizz. At depth these gases are dissolved within the magma, but as the magma rises towards the surface during an eruption, the gases expand dramatically, causing the magma to froth and accelerate upwards as a foam. The viscous rhyolite foam breaks down into tiny ash fragments which form the ash clouds. PhD student Jacqui Owen and Drs Hugh Tuffen (Lancaster University) and Dave McGarvie (The Open University) analysed pumice and lava from an eruption at Iceland's Torfajökull volcano some seventy thousand years ago. Within these samples they found tiny pockets of magma, called melt inclusions, which trapped the original gas. By measuring how much gas was dissolved within the melt inclusions, they could determine how fizzy the magma was. Previously scientists had thought that Icelandic magma was less fizzy than those from Pacific Ocean volcanoes and expected much less explosive eruptions by comparison. However, this new research suggests some Icelandic volcanoes could produce eruptions just as explosive as those in the Pacific Rim. PhD student Jacqui Owen said: "I was amazed by what I found. I measured up to five per cent of water in the inclusions, more than double what was expected for Iceland, and similar in fact to the values for explosive eruptions in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. We knew the Torfajökull volcanic eruption was huge - almost 100 times bigger than recent eruptions in Iceland - but now we also know it was surprisingly gas-rich." The finding helps explain why thin blankets of fine ash from older powerful Icelandic eruptions are found in peat bogs and lake beds across the UK and Europe. By accurately measuring the original gas content of Icelandic explosive eruptions for the first time, the research shows how Icelandic volcanoes have the power to generate the fine ash capable of being transported long distances and cause disruption to the UK and Europe. Dr Hugh Tuffen, Royal Society University Research Fellow at Lancaster University, said: "The discovery is rather worrying, as it shows that Icelandic volcanoes have the potential to be even more explosive than anticipated. Added to this is the view of several eminent scientists that Iceland is entering a period of increased volcanic activity. Iceland's position close to mainland Europe and the north Atlantic flight corridors means air travel could be affected again." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1366293611.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1366293611.png 225 225 Thursday Thu 04 April Apr 04 2013

1704 9 LU News High Fliers Land at Lancaster University high-fliers-land-at-lancaster-university

Top students from one of Lancaster University's academic partners - Sunway University in Malaysia - have been visiting the Lancaster campus.

Top students from one of Lancaster University's academic partners - Sunway University in Malaysia - have been visiting the Lancaster campus. They include three Chancellors' Scholars awarded a funded two week visit to Lancaster University during the final year of studies. The Chancellors' Scholarships are offered in the names of Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Foundation Chancellor of Sunway University College and Sir Chris Bonington, Chancellor of Lancaster University, to commemorate the affiliation between Sunway University College and Lancaster University. The Sunway Scholars come to get a taste of university life in the UK, where they attend lectures, meet Lancaster students and take tea with the Chancellor. There are also visits to major cities in the UK and a meeting with the Mayor of Lancaster Councillor Sheila Denwood. This year's Chancellors' Scholars are Karlisyle Lum Ern Ai, Koh Jun Yee and Trishna Ann Rajaratnam who are studying for undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance. They all said they were delighted to be chosen for the trip to Lancaster University, organised by LUSU involve, where they visited this year's Campus Festival. Karlisyle Lum Ern Ai said: "The students here support each other and everyone seems so involved in the festival, with more mixing. That is something we would like to take back to Malaysia because here it is a different culture." Trishna Ann Rajaratnam said the experience of going abroad was invaluable. "You see a different culture and this really benefits you when you apply for a job because you have a wider experience." All three took part in a Hydrology Day at the Lancaster Environment Centre as part of National Science and Engineering Week, where they learnt about river flow with the help of Dr Nick Chappell, who has previously visited Sunway. Sunway University and Lancaster University established an academic partnership in 2006. Under this institutional arrangement, students at the Sunway campus are able to study for undergraduate degree schemes in the areas of Business, Computer Technology, Communications, Hospitality and Psychology, as well as for a postgraduate degree in Computer Science. Lancaster University validates a range of full degree programmes which are taught at the Sunway University campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students are taught at the Sunway campus in Kuala Lumpar and after successful completion of the honours degree programme, students will be awarded two certificates, making them graduates of both Sunway University and Lancaster University. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363967263.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1363967263.jpg 292 209 Friday Fri 22 March Mar 03 2013

1706 1 News Insight into manufacturing for first year engineering students insight-into-manufacturing-for-first-year-engineering-students

Engineering students recently had the chance to see how the technologies and processes they cover in the lecture theatre work in real life, on a visit to Jaguar Land Rover's manufacturing plant in Halewood.

Engineering students recently had the chance to see how the technologies and processes they cover in the lecture theatre work in real life, on a visit to Jaguar Land Rover's manufacturing plant in Halewood. In total, 96 first-year students and 6 members of staff from the Engineering Department visited the car plant as part of the 'World of Manufacture' module. In their module feedback, the students were pleased that the visit helped them understand the sheer scale of the processes involved, allowing them to see first-hand the different stages involved in transforming computer-based designs and raw materials into a finished product. As well as seeing how cars are assembled on a high-tech production line, the students also gained some insight into the economic and marketing considerations that shape the manufacturing process. Reaction from the students was very positive. "You wouldn't normally get a chance to visit a massive factory like that", wrote one, and "I think it's important for engineers to understand all aspects of the manufacturing process from the raw material to the finished product." "You cannot get this in a classroom or lecture theatre", added another. Dr Allan Rennie, head of Lancaster University's <a href="http://www.lpdu.lancs.ac.uk/">Product Development Unit</a>, and who teaches the manufacturing module, is keen to stress the importance of looking at real-world examples to support what students learn in lectures and tutorials. "It's extremely important that we provide our students with these opportunities early in their time at University, in order that they can contextualize their learning so far, but also then have an appreciation for the lecture material that will be covered in subsequent years. "These practical learning experiences, such as the Jaguar Land Rover visit, are key to showcasing future careers, and putting sectors allied to manufacturing in a positive light." http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363970836.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1363970836.jpg 275 498 Engineering students at Land Rover's Halewood factory Friday Fri 22 March Mar 03 2013

1703 1 News Lancaster University a big hit at The Big Bang lancaster-university-a-big-hit-at-the-big-bang

Lancaster University's interactive particle physics exhibit, manned by a team of Science and Technology students and researchers, proved to be a big hit at this year's Big Bang Science Fair.

Lancaster University's interactive particle physics exhibit, manned by a team of Science and Technology students and researchers, proved to be a big hit at this year's Big Bang Science Fair. Lancaster's Physics Department helped design the interactive virtual particle accelerator game, based on the science behind the ATLAS project at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Visitors to the Big Bang played a game simulating experiments that took place in the hunt for the Higgs boson, with over a thousand Higgs finders taking away special Lancaster University chocolate 'Nobel Prize' medals. The <a href="http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/home.cfm">Big Bang Fair</a>, aimed at 7-19 year-olds, attracted over 60,000 aspiring scientists and engineers. Lancaster Physicist Professor Jim Wild was very pleased by the reaction to Lancaster's interactive exhibit: "Our game proved to be massively popular, with kids crowding three deep at times to get a chance to play!" <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IqtZC9sewuk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The game is based on the expertise of Lancaster's <a href="http://www.hep.lancs.ac.uk/">particle physicists</a>, who have first-hand experience of working on the search for the Higgs boson. It was designed and made by John Hardy, a research student from lancaster's School of Computing and Communications, with technical support from the Engineering Department. Funding for the interactive exhibit came from the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Lancaster University Friends Programme. Dr Alan Darragh, who co-ordinated Lancaster University's trip to the Big Bang, was delighted with the response from visitors to the Big Bang to the hands-on exhibit: "It was great to see people from across our faculty coming together to find a really exciting way to showcase science and technology." Building the 'Particle Accelerator' Lancaster's virtual particle accelerator uses an Xbox Kinect motion sensor and a digital projector to create an interactive table-top display. See how it was made: <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qQm1tYCIEP0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363881779.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1363882173.jpg 300 498 Experimenters who found the Higgs won a chocolate medal Thursday Thu 21 March Mar 03 2013

1702 9 LU News The lady with the lamp lights up maths and stats the-lady-with-the-lamp-lights-up-maths-and-stats

Florence Nightingale, best remembered for her work as a nurse during the Crimean War, will help shed new light on mathematics and statistics.

Florence Nightingale, best remembered for her work as a nurse during the Crimean War, will help shed new light on mathematics and statistics. This amazing woman had an immense love of both subjects and was a pioneer in statistics, especially in the use of visualisation of statistical data. And now she has been chosen as the icon for Lancaster University's continuing efforts to promote mathematics and statistics, particularly the participation of young women in those subjects. The 'Florence Nightingale Day' on April 17th is aimed especially at girls in year 12 at schools in the Morecambe Bay and Preston areas but it is also open to boys. The event is the brainchild of Dr Nadia Mazza (pictured), of Lancaster University Mathematics and Statistics Department. The free day of activity, at Lancaster University Management School, will feature talks by inspirational and prominent female mathematicians. Speakers at the morning session will include Professor June Barrow-Green from the Open University and pure mathematics researcher Professor Reidun Twarock, from the University of York. Opening the afternoon session will be first generation female mathematician Professor Dona Strauss from the University of Leeds. Then Beth Penrose (University of Nottingham), Fiona Murray (Principal Integrity Engineer - TA Pipelines and Structures at Centrica) and Suduph Imran (a former mathematics teacher at Our Lady's Catholic College in Lancaster who is studying for her Masters in Education) will speak about their jobs and how they use mathematics every day. Beth, Fiona and Suduph are ambassadors from STEMfirst, an organisation which promotes opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths. The last speaker will be Dr Marianne Freiberger, the editor of the mathematics magazine 'Plus', who promises a very active, fun session. Displays featuring opportunities offered to women by a degree in mathematics or statistics, will stimulate informal discussion between pupils and mathematicians The day will also include a hands-on mathematics contest when attendees will spend time solving tricky problems in small groups under the supervision of coaches, all PhD students from Lancaster University's Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The event, which offers 70 places, has been funded by the Faculty of Science and Technology Outreach Grant and the London Mathematical Society. "Everyone talks about getting more women into mathematics but I wanted to do something to actively encourage it," said Dr Mazza, who is a mathematics graduate from Lausanne University. "Year 12 is a critical stage when students make crucial decisions affecting their future career plans. We want to show how appealing it can be to do maths." For more information and to book places please contact Nadia Mazza at <a href="mailto:n.mazza@lancaster.ac.uk">n.mazza@lancaster.ac.uk</a> or James Groves at <a href="mailto:j.groves@lancaster.ac.uk">j.groves@lancaster.ac.uk</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363864883.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1363864883.jpg 200 200 Dr Nadia Mazza Thursday Thu 21 March Mar 03 2013

1697 1 News 'Constant vigilance and high-level commitment' an organisation's best defence against cyberattacks constant-vigilance-and-high-level-commitment-an-organisations-best-defence-against-cyberattacks

Security Lancaster's Professor Awais Rashid has been featured in the Institute of Financial Services School of Finance's monthly journal, <a href="http://fw.ifslearning.ac.uk/Archive/2013/march/features/guardagainstzeroday.aspx">Financial World</a>. In the article he warns that that an organisation's only defence against cyberattacks is constant vigilance and commitment at board level.

Security Lancaster's Professor Awais Rashid has been featured in the Institute of Financial Services School of Finance's monthly journal, <a href="http://fw.ifslearning.ac.uk/Archive/2013/march/features/guardagainstzeroday.aspx">Financial World</a>. In the article he warns that that an organisation's only defence against cyberattacks is constant vigilance and commitment at board level. He comments "while the internet opens up a range of new business opportunities and ways to access customers, it also exposes a large attack surface for cyberthreats. Any organisation that uses the internet is vulnerable," and explains some of these threats and latest trends in cyberattacks in the article. Professor Rashid is director of <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/">Security Lancaster</a>, an EPSRC-GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363338550.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1363338550.jpg 278 305 Friday Fri 15 March Mar 03 2013

1696 9 LU News Short films on slash and burn practices in the Amazon Rainforest short-films-on-slash-and-burn-practices-in-the-amazon-rainforest

The use of fire by Amazonian farmers is the topic of five videos launched by researchers at the Lancaster Environment Centre.

The use of fire by Amazonian farmers is the topic of five videos launched by researchers at the Lancaster Environment Centre. Dr Luke Parry and Dr Jos Barlow are the executive producers on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/slashandburn2013/featured">short films</a> which explore fire-use by Amazonian farmers, including the challenges of preventing fires escaping into surrounding forests. The films also examine fire-free alternatives to slash and burn agriculture, including a transition to mechanised farming. <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7N8w9D1BdH4?list=PLQHXHiMIMjE3jpxDhb9dp-4lsHTrh-wdV" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The films contribute to a UK-Brazil research initiative entitled "Human dimensions of wildfires: linking research and environmental education to reduce Amazonian wildfires". Dr Parry said: "Wildfires have increased dramatically in Amazonia due to agricultural expansion and severe droughts. Forest fires threaten biodiversity and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing wildfires is essential to safeguard the future of the Amazon forest and mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions." The films are available in English and in Portuguese. They were produced in partnership with the <a href="http://www.museu-goeldi.br/">Goeldi Museum</a> in Brazil and <a href="http://www.taniacypriano.com/">Tania Cypriano</a> (Viva! Films), and funded by the UK's <a href="http://darwin.defra.gov.uk/">Darwin Initiative</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1363261319.png 75 75 Thursday Thu 14 March Mar 03 2013

1692 1 News Particle physics pinball for Big Bang science fair particle-physics-pinball-for-big-bang-science-fair

A team of Science and Technology staff and students from Lancaster University are heading down to London to enthuse and engage with thousands of visitors to the Big Bang Science Fair.

A team of Science and Technology staff and students from Lancaster University are heading down to London to enthuse and engage with thousands of visitors to the Big Bang Science Fair. Visitors at this year's Big Bang Science Fair will get the opportunity to try out a new interactive particle pin ball machine that attempts to replicate some of the research being done by Physics staff at Lancaster University at the Large Hadron Collider. The Big Bang, at the London Excel Arena, run from Thursday 14 March to Sunday 17 March with more than 65,000 visitors expected. It is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK. This year colleagues from across Science and Technology at Lancaster have designed and built a virtual particle pinball machine which combines the skills from Engineering, the technology from the School of Computing and Communications and the science from Physics. It was funded by the University Friends Funding. "Our simulator uses motion sensing technology to create a virtual game that challenges visitors to collide subatomic particles in the hunt for the Higgs boson," explains Alan Darragh, Science and Technology Marketing and Recruitment Officer. "If contestants can collide particles at the correct energies, elusive Higgs candidate particles might be created but, blink, and they'll be gone as they decay into other common particles. Action replays controlled by the players will help decide if a Higgs-like particle was briefly created, with successful contestants winning <a href="https://twitter.com/jim_wild/status/309317307161784320">chocolate Nobel Prize</a> medals." Lancaster University Science and Technology student ambassadors will be tweeting live from the Big Bang via <a href="https://twitter.com/LancsUniSciTech">@lancsuniscitech</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1362761732.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1362761732.jpg 250 498 If contestants can collide particles at the correct energies, elusive Higgs candidate particles might be created but, blink, and they'll be gone as they decay into other common particles Friday Fri 08 March Mar 03 2013

1691 1 News Visit to LEC from Kirkham Grammar School visit-to-lec-from-kirkham-grammar-school

On Wednesday 13 February 18 Upper 6th year Geography students from Kirkham Grammar School visited LEC to experience some of our work in volcanology.

On Wednesday 13 February 18 Upper 6th year Geography students from Kirkham Grammar School visited LEC to experience some of our work in volcanology. The students spent the morning exploring the fluid dynamics of volcanic conduits with a two-phase flow laboratory experiment, and understanding lava flow processes through thermal imaging and hot wax simulations. The visit was one in an annual series to give school pupils a taste of university research. Mike James & Steve Lane Image caption: Investigating the effectiveness of barriers for protecting a model village from hot wax 'lava' flows. The thermal image shows the hotter, most recent flows as warmer colours (yellow-white). How long will the village survive? http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1362737325.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1362739129.jpg 203 300 Friday Fri 08 March Mar 03 2013

1688 1 News Geography Graduate's Business Expands geography-graduates-business-expands

Geography graduate Greg Tomaszewicz set up his own Video Production Company - Lanor Productions as a student at Lancaster University and, after completing his geography degree, set up his business in Lancaster. With the help of the Enterprise Team at Lancaster University and access to funding opportunities, Greg has been able to purchase vital equipment to help him expand his business.

Geography graduate Greg Tomaszewicz set up his own Video Production Company - Lanor Productions as a student at Lancaster University and, after completing his geography degree, set up his business in Lancaster. With the help of the Enterprise Team at Lancaster University and access to funding opportunities, Greg has been able to purchase vital equipment to help him expand his business. Greg, who now works all over the UK and in Europe, commented, "I am extremely happy and excited about this, and have to say that without schemes like this and people that believed in my ideas, the dreams I had would not be possible." http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1362585602.jpg 75 75 Wednesday Wed 06 March Mar 03 2013

1689 9 LU News Opening of £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-Innovation opening-of-9.8m-centre-for-global-eco-innovation

Entrepreneur and former Science Minister Lord Drayson of Kensington says a new £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-Innovation is at the forefront of a green technological revolution.

Entrepreneur and former Science Minister Lord Drayson of Kensington says a new £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-Innovation is at the forefront of a green technological revolution. He was speaking as he opened the new centre at the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester. The centre, part financed by the European Regional Development Fund, is a joint initiative between Lancaster University, the University of Liverpool and Inventya Ltd to develop eco-innovative products and services. Lord Drayson said: "I'm delighted to see Lancaster and Liverpool, two of our top research universities, working with Inventya Ltd in the vanguard of this green technological revolution. We have the brains, the science and the technology to lead this green tech revolution and I'm convinced that the scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs in this room will achieve great things through working together over the next few years." He said the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation would address the defining challenges of the 21st century. "We're consuming 25 per cent more resources than our planet can support and CO2 levels are rising. We have to offer people an attractive accessible low carbon future and it's vital that business leaders invest in the work by academics and the scientific community to find a solution to these challenges. "The UK is ranked 6th in the world in this sector and we need to see low carbon not as a threat to recovery but as a driver of recovery." <div class="image_box"> <iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2e7_6rwKr78?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Video overview of the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation </div> The launch event was attended by the Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University Professor Mark E. Smith, the Director of Partnerships and Innovation at the University of Liverpool John Flamson, the Co-Directors of the centre Dr Mark Bacon and Dion Williams and over 250 leading experts in eco-innovation, graduates, businesses, and national public and private organisations. Four North West businesses have already gained more than £3m worth of grants and investment after working with the centre, which is now looking for over 200 more North West companies to be supported in the development and commercialisation of new eco-innovative products and services. This support may be in the form of three to six month research projects with Lancaster University or the University of Liverpool, or through free support from innovation consultancy Inventya Ltd. In addition, 50 SMEs have been recruited and matched with 50 of the UK's brightest graduates who will complete three year research and development projects for the business and use these as the basis of a PhD programme of research. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1362586977.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1362586860.jpg 239 400 L-R: Dr Mark Bacon, Dion Williams, Prof. Mark E. Smith, Lord Drayson of Kensington, John Flamson DL, Prof. Mary Smyth Wednesday Wed 06 March Mar 03 2013

1682 9 LU News Eco-innovation businesses invited to attend pioneering project launch eco-innovation-businesses-invited-to-attend-pioneering-project-launch

Ambitious North West SMEs keen to drive forward eco-innovative ideas and products are invited to a major event in Manchester on March 4.

Ambitious North West SMEs keen to drive forward eco-innovative ideas and products are invited to a major event in Manchester on March 4. The afternoon begins with the launch of the £9.8 million Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, by leading entrepreneur and former Science Minister Lord Drayson, of Kensington. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) the aim of the centre is to support businesses develop innovative products which deliver environmental benefits. The Centre unites the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University and University of Liverpool together with consultancy specialists Inventya Ltd, to undertake research, development and product commercialisation led by businesses. The launch, at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, will showcase the work of the centre and 50 Northwest SMEs benefitting from the intensive three-year long collaborative projects. Fifty graduate researchers, are using the 'collaborations' as the basis of a PhD programme of study, 25 at Lancaster University and 25 based at the University of Liverpool. They are supported by senior academic members of staff, all internationally-recognised experts in their fields. The three partner organisations will have exhibition stands alongside other support agencies. The centre provides opportunities for a further 235 Northwest companies to be supported in the development and commercialisation of new eco-innovative products and services. This support may be in the form of three to six month research projects or through free support from innovation consultancy Inventya Ltd. Centre manager Dr Andy Pickard said: "This is an exciting new opportunity for businesses seeking support to increase their R&D capability. We have established 50 long term projects running over three years. Opportunities now arise to work alongside these projects and for businesses with their own ideas for new products and services which show environmental benefits, which have shorter development time scales or need help to bring their products to market." Lord Drayson, who will officially launch the new centre at the exhibition (1.30pm to 4.30pm), gained his own PhD whilst working with industry. He is the Director of Drayson Cars Ltd, manufacturer of electric vehicles, and Managing Partner of Drayson Racing Technologies LLP, a business engaged in the research, development, testing and racing of green technology in motorsport. The event will feature talks focusing on eco-innovation by Lord Drayson, the Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University Professor Mark E. Smith and the Director of Partnerships and Innovation at the University of Liverpool Mr John Flamson. The event offers SMEs the opportunity to find out how to start a research and development project with the centre and to network with leading experts in eco-innovation, a wide range of local businesses, and national public and private organisations. Opportunities are available for a wide range of business sectors excluding retail. Professor Sir David King, the UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Head of the Government Office of Science (2000 - 2007) and founding director of the Smith School of Enterprise & the Environment at the University of Oxford, will chair the new advisory board for the Centre. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1361811631.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1361811631.jpg 407 300 Thursday Thu 21 February Feb 02 2013

1677 1 News First Science and Technology Business Partnerships and Enterprise Annual Report 2011-2012 available to download now first-science-and-technology-business-partnerships-and-enterprise-annual-report-available-to-download-now

2011-2012 saw the development of a new theme-based strategy for Business Partnerships and Enterprise in Science and Technology. The seven interdisciplinary themes are: Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Environment, Health and Human Development, Information and Communication Technologies, Quantum Technology and Security. Each theme has dedicated professional staff to work with businesses and source the expertise they need.

2011-2012 saw the development of a new theme-based strategy for Business Partnerships and Enterprise in Science and Technology. The seven interdisciplinary themes are: Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Environment, Health and Human Development, Information and Communication Technologies, Quantum Technology and Security. Each theme has dedicated professional staff to work with businesses and source the expertise they need. The first annual report demonstrates performance over 2011-2012 across the new themes and five ways of working in partnership- collaborative research, co-location facilities for business, commercialisation of intellectual property, student projects and placements and professional training to business and industry, and introduces some of the outstanding staff and businesses who made these achievements possible. Highlights of the report include a joint collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an new research centre Security Lancaster, new method for screening passengers at airports, a new precision cutting technique for examining materials at nanoscale, forming a new spin-out company Lancaster Cryogenics Limited, a major newer partnership with the University of Liverpool and commercialisation company Inventya Limited on the £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, hosting Additive Manufacturing Week for the first time, and collaborating with the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network to raise awareness of cyber security issues through our first cyber security conference. Science and Technology at Lancaster collaborated with over 2250 small and medium enterprises since 2005. The report has been issued to demonstrate the benefits of collaborating with Science and Technology at Lancaster and to encourage more businesses and other organisations to form a partnership with us. To find out more <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/annual_report_2011-2012.pdf">download the report</a> or contact Becky Gordon, Operations Manager for Business Partnerships and Enterprise, T: +44(0)1524 510188 E: <a href="mailto:b.gordon@lancaster.ac.uk">b.gordon@lancaster.ac.uk</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1361278403.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1361278403.jpg 283 200 Tuesday Tue 19 February Feb 02 2013

1678 9 LU News Lancaster University Coffeemat Challenge won by Science and Technology student Seb lancaster-university-coffeemat-challenge-won-by-science-and-technology-student-seb

The concept of a new university website, complete with mobile application, to capture the campus social scene at a glance, earned an enterprising student an iPad.

The concept of a new university website, complete with mobile application, to capture the campus social scene at a glance, earned an enterprising student an iPad. Seb Cooper, a second year Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology student, Science and Technology, took up the Lancaster University Coffeemat Challenge, the hugely popular hardy annual competition where students have to submit a business idea on a coffeemat. Seb's vision was to unify all the university's social societies on one website, offering an efficient solution to finding and joining groups and organisations. The idea was born out of Seb's own experience at university, which plenty of other students agreed with judging by the amount of 'likes' on Facebook which got him through the first heat of the contest. The site, with Facebook integration for notifications, search engine for finding societies, customisable calendars and news pages, is for universities who pay to use the platform as it becomes an essential student must-have. "The Coffeemat Challenge requires only your imagination," said Seb. "From there it helps you realise that a small idea can be enough to change your perspective and make you think in an entrepreneurial way." Jon Powell, from the Enterprise Team in Research and Enterprise Services who organised this year's challenge, added: "Seb thought through the practicalities of the idea and saw opportunities to progress it if he was successful and this is why he won the challenge and the prize." Other ideas shortlisted in the challenge, which attracted hundreds of entries, included a fruit bowl that regulates its own temperature and a car share website. This year the challenge was run as part of a 'How To' week, seven days of intensive workshops to help students develop a range of key enterprise and employability skills. The Coffeemat Challenge and 'How To...' week were organised by the Enterprise Team in Research and Enterprise Services through the Northwest Enterprise Champion Project, part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. For more information please visit <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/gew/support/">http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/gew/support/</a>. Students with ideas for a social or commercial enterprise are invited to attend the Business Start-Up Boot Camp on 25 and 26 March. Register your interest at <a href="http://businessstartupmarch2013-eorg.eventbrite.co.uk/#">http://businessstartupmarch2013-eorg.eventbrite.co.uk/#</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1361278826.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1361278826.jpg 200 200 Tuesday Tue 19 February Feb 02 2013

1676 9 LU News Competition finalists to present at the House of Commons competition-finalists-to-present-at-the-house-of-commons

Two researchers from Lancaster University have been chosen to present their work at the House of Commons as part of an annual event showcasing the work of the UK's best early career scientists, engineers and technologists.

Two researchers from Lancaster University have been chosen to present their work at the House of Commons as part of an annual event showcasing the work of the UK's best early career scientists, engineers and technologists. Dr Tomislav Stankovski and PhD student Philip Clemson are both from the Physics Department. They will present their research to a panel of judges on March 18 during National Science and Engineering Week as part of the competition <a href="http://www.setforbritain.org.uk/">SET for Britain</a>. The competition is open to early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers and technologists. Prizes will be awarded for the scientific posters presented in each of three disciplines (Biological and Biomedical Science, Physical Sciences and Engineering) which best communicate high level science to a lay audience. Each section has a separate two-hour poster exhibition and judging session during the day, ending with a reception and prize-giving at the House of Commons terrace marquee. Phil Clemson studied for a PhD in Physics after gaining a first class Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology degree from Lancaster University. He is now researching how living systems like the heart and lungs change over time in order to better understand how they interact. He is hoping to do postdoctoral research looking at EEG scans of the brain. He said: "Lancaster is the only place in the UK where I could study at the intersection of medicine, biology and non-linear physics. This SET for Britain nomination is excellent and will be a big help in my career. I am pleased by the chance to show my project in the Commons. It's a great opportunity." The other finalist is Dr Stankovski, who recently finished a PhD in Physics at Lancaster University. His research relates to the inference of time-evolving coupled systems, as applied to life sciences. He said: "It's exciting to go to the Commons and I am looking forward to it. It's very rewarding to see that the hard work doing a PhD is appreciated." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1361183701.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1361183701.jpg 300 275 Dr Tomislav Stankovski and PhD student Philip Clemson in the Physics Department Wednesday Wed 13 February Feb 02 2013

1672 1 News Free talks from Lancaster University statisticians free-talks-from-lancaster-statisticians

Experts from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are to give free public talks as part of the 2013 <a href="http://www.statistics2013.org/">International Year of Statistics</a>.

Experts from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are to give free public talks as part of the 2013 <a href="http://www.statistics2013.org/">International Year of Statistics</a>. They will explain how a knowledge of statistics can help with everything from drug safety to flood defences and renewable energy. The first talk, on Wednesday 13 February at 7pm, is at Lancaster Royal Grammar School where Professor John Whitehead will invite some of the audience to take part in a mock clinical trial for an imaginary new drug to showcase the issues involved in opinion-based medical research. Other talks include: <ul> <li>What has statistics got to do with fighting disease in Africa? by Professor Peter Diggle on 13 March at 7pm at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale</li> <li>Predicting the Unpredictable by Professor Jonathan Tawn on 24 April at 7pm at Lancaster Girls Grammar School</li> </ul> Tickets are free but registration is required. To register, go to <a href="http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/iys">www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/iys</a> or call 01524 593067. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360326303.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360326303.jpg 221 173 Friday Fri 08 February Feb 02 2013

1670 1 News Doctoral Scholarships in Computer Science and Communication Systems doctoral-scholarships-in-computer-science-and-communication-systems

The <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/">School of Computing and Communications</a> has up to 6 Doctoral Scholarships available for exceptional UK, EU and overseas graduates.

The <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/">School of Computing and Communications</a> has up to 6 Doctoral Scholarships available for exceptional UK, EU and overseas graduates. Closing date: 1 March 2013 The Scholarships provide support for PhD studies for a duration of 3 to 3.5 years and include a waiver of tuition fees (partial fee waiver for overseas students), a student maintenance grant (starting £14,000 per year tax free, with annual increments) and a training bursary of £800 per year (e.g., for attending summer schools). Awards will be made on the basis of academic excellence and potential for future achievement as demonstrated by your application and supporting references. In addition, you should consider how the research area you propose is aligned with the research interests of any of our academic staff in the School. You are encouraged to informally contact individual staff to discuss your specific interests, or to seek general advice from the Director of Research on research areas covered in the School. The closing date for PhD applications to be considered for a scholarship is 1 March 2013. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted within a week of the application deadline. We are immensely proud of our postgraduate research community in the School, and of the internationally significant reputation they help us achieve. You will be encouraged to participate fully, targeting and presenting your work at international conferences, and you will have excellent opportunities to collaborate nationally and internationally through our academic partnerships and links with industry. <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/phd/apply">APPLY</a> Contact information Prof. Hans Gellersen, Director of Research, h.gellersen@lancaster.ac.uk. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360240619.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360240619.jpg 250 250 Thursday Thu 07 February Feb 02 2013

1674 9 LU News Soil expert seeks effective management of revolutionary land use changes soil-expert-seeks-effective-management-of-revolutionary-land-use-changes

Rapidly increasing demands for food, fibre and fuel, together with the advent of new technologies, are driving revolutionary land use changes throughout the world.

Rapidly increasing demands for food, fibre and fuel, together with the advent of new technologies, are driving revolutionary land use changes throughout the world. Amidst the pressure to use 'rangelands' (landscapes considered to be too poor for agriculture) Lancaster Environment Centre soil science expert Professor John Quinton warns the move demands a new mindset, careful planning and innovative management. Professor Quinton recently contributed to an article published in a special issue of Rangeland Ecology and Management, the publication for the Society of Range Management. Professor Quinton co-wrote the article <a href="http://srmjournals.org/doi/full/10.2111/REM-D-11-00186.1">Revolutionary Land Use change in the 21st Century: Is (Rangeland) Science Relevant?</a> with lead author and friend Jeff Herrick, of the United States Department of Agriculture, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. "It came out of collaboration and discussions we had and I subsequently spent two weeks in New Mexico and this is the outcome," he explained. In the US, rangeland management came about, as a profession, because of a decline in quality of these lands (grasslands, shrub lands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts) due, in part, to overgrazing and free access policies. With ecologically based management, the condition of these lands has improved over the past century and around 80% of non-federal lands are now considered healthy. It is envisaged rangeland management will have a new role to play in future global food security and millions of hectares of rangeland, much of it of marginal quality for crop production, will be converted to croplands. "In this article, we argue that the revolutionary land use changes necessary to support national and global food security potentially make rangeland science more relevant now than ever," explains Professor Quinton. "There is huge pressure, given current increasing demands, to change land for agriculture, growing biofuels and converting it to solar energy parks. The concern is that the land isn't able to cope with these changes. Our point is that it should be scientifically identified which of the vulnerable areas are able to cope with these radical changes." Traditionally people who have worked on rangeland have only considered grazing. With new encroachments it's not just about grazing any more. It's opening up a mindset." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360328938.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360328938.jpg 300 250 Professor John Quinton Thursday Thu 07 February Feb 02 2013

1669 1 News International Collaboration Prize for First Unified EU-Russia Flight Analysis Project international-collaboration-prize-for-first-unified-eu-russia-flight-analysis-project

An Aviation Security project led by the School of Computing and Communications which created the first unified flight data analysis system for Europe and Russia has won third place in an international Aircraft Manufacturing competition for the category "International Collaboration".

An Aviation Security project led by the School of Computing and Communications which created the first unified flight data analysis system for Europe and Russia has won third place in an international Aircraft Manufacturing competition for the category "International Collaboration". The competition was jointly organised by the European Union and the Union of Aircraft Manufacturers in Russia. Lancaster University was one of the key technology partners for the project, EU FP7 SVETLANA. Professor Garik Markarian collected the Prize at a prestigious ceremony in Moscow on 1st February attended by senior Officials from the EU and Russian Government. He said, "More than 100 international projects were nominated for the award and our third place is a recognition of research excellence which exists in Lancaster in the field of aviation security and safety. It demonstrates our capability to develop new technologies and implement these technologies in practical systems by working with huge multi-national corporations. The developed flight data analysis algorithms will allow more efficient maintenance of the aircrafts thus improving safety of the flights for all passengers". Due to political and historic reasons, aircraft manufactured in Russia utilise a different flight data analysis system than that currently used by the rest of the world. Therefore, flights covering both Russia and Europe could not be analysed by one system nor was the replacement of the existing system an option. SVETLANA provides a common standardised solution that has acceptance in both the EU and the Russian Federation and offers additional fault prediction capabilities which further enhance aviation safety and improve maintenance efficiency. The developed Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) and analysis system works to predict problems based on flight data so that the problems can be solved or avoided to improve flight safety. Working with Telecommunications and Aviation giants SAGEM (France) and UAC (Russia), SVETLANA (Safety (and maintenance) improVEment Through automated fLight data ANAlysis) brought together important European and Russian industries and research organisations from the aviation sector to enhance flight operational safety and to initiate smart maintenance through intelligent and automated FDM. The success of this project, led by Professor Markarian and Dr Plamen Angelov from the School of Computing and Communications, has created a foundation for further expansion of the School's research activities into a healthcare system analysing the data of patients to predict health issues. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360163696.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360163696.jpg 250 400 Dr Plamen Angelov and Prof. Garik Markarian with the award for International Collaboration Wednesday Wed 06 February Feb 02 2013

1668 1 News 'Making Sense of Microposts' Workshop Accepted for WWW2013 making-sense-of-microposts-workshop-accepted-for-www2013

A workshop submitted by Dr Matthew Rowe from the School of Computing and Communications has been accepted at the World Wide Web Conference 2013.

A workshop submitted by Dr Matthew Rowe from the School of Computing and Communications has been accepted at the World Wide Web Conference 2013. The workshop has already attracted interest from global online brands Ebay (who are sponsoring the workshop's challenge prize) and Google. Making Sense of Microposts (#MSM2013) is the third workshop in a series by Dr Rowe and his colleagues Dr Milan Stankovic from Université Paris-Sorbonne and Dr Aba-Sah Dadzie from the University of Sheffield. The objective is to look into the data analysis of short posts on social media platforms. For example, Twitter updates, Foursquare check-ins, Facebook likes, Instagram photos and Google recommends. At the workshop there will be a Concept Extraction challenge with a case prize of $1500 sponsored by Ebay. Dr Rowe, whose research centres on the Social Semantic Web, said; "This challenge will provide the first benchmarking of concept extraction for microposts which is much needed at the moment as nothing of its kind yet exists." The rate at which Microposts are published is expected to continue increasing; this is thought to be at least partly due to the expanding use of social media via mobile platforms. 2012 saw smart phone sales surpass personal computers worldwide for the first time. The practical uses of this data analysis can range from emergency response and crowd tracking, to financial risk forecasting, political sentiment analysis, public opinion assessment, and e-Learning. In each case it is imperative to make sense of Microposts in order to extract and act upon this useful information. Dr Rowe hopes that the success of having the workshop submitted will be beneficial for the School and Lancaster University. "The collaboration with Ebay and the interest from Google is great for Lancaster University's visibility in wider data mining circles. We also hope to get people at the University interested in submitting to both the workshop and the challenge." How To Submit to the Workshop <a href="http://oak.dcs.shef.ac.uk/msm2013/">oak.dcs.shef.ac.uk/msm2013/</a> How to Submit to the challenge <a href="http://oak.dcs.shef.ac.uk/msm2013/challenge.html">oak.dcs.shef.ac.uk/msm2013/challenge</a> The World Wide Web Conference The <a href="http://www2013.org">World Wide Web Conference</a> is a yearly international conference on the topic of the future direction of the World Wide Web. It began in 1994 at CERN and is organized by the International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee (IW3C2). WWW 2013 will take place on Monday, 13th May 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360065607.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360065607.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 05 February Feb 02 2013

1662 1 News AFC Energy initiates research relationship with Science and Technology's Fuel Cells Expert afc-energy-initiates-research-relationship-with-science-and-technologys-fuel-cells-expert

<a href="http://www.afcenergy.com/">AFC Energy</a>, the industrial fuel cell power company, has established a new collaborative research relationship with the Engineering Department, Science and Technology, Lancaster University.

<a href="http://www.afcenergy.com/">AFC Energy</a>, the industrial fuel cell power company, has established a new collaborative research relationship with the Engineering Department, Science and Technology, Lancaster University. The new link-up allows AFC Energy to draw on the expertise of Lancaster University and re-establish its relationship with former AFC Energy employee and fuel cell expert <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/richard-dawson(47b3a833-e5d0-430e-aa9a-88e0dfb56757).html">Dr Richard Dawson</a> of the Engineering Department. A team led by Dr Dawson, who recently joined the department and is still retained as a consultant by the company, will be asked to undertake research and testing to help AFC Energy better understand how alkaline fuel cells operate using an array of different hydrogen feed-stocks. Dr Dawson explains, "I am really pleased to be collaborating with AFC Energy. This research could lead to alkaline fuel cells with enhanced durability in demanding applications, allowing low cost and highly efficient alkaline fuel cells to be used effectively in many more scenarios, bringing associated cost and energy efficiency benefits." AFC Energy, which announced last week that it had achieved six months' electrode life in its laboratory, has also undertaken a further expansion of its fuel cell test capability at its Surrey base. The increased capability will support the company's product development programme as it continues its work on extending the longevity and power output of its propriety electrodes. Dr Dawson is also part of Energy Lancaster, which brings together Lancaster University's world leading expertise in a wide range of energy related areas covering the demand and supply of energy. The story about the collaboration featured in the news on <a href="http://www.stockmarketwire.com/article/4528805/AFC-Energy-initiates-research-relationship-with-Lancaster-University.html">StockMarketWire.com</a>, <a href="http://www.afcenergy.com/regulatory-announcements/afc-energy-initiates-a-research-relationship-with-lancaster-university/">AFC Energy</a>, <a href="http://fuelcellsworks.com/news/2013/01/30/afc-energy-initiates-a-research-relationship-with-lancaster-university/">FuelCellsWorks</a>, <a href="http://shares.telegraph.co.uk/news/article.php?id=4528805&epic=AFC">The Telegraph Finance</a>, <a href="http://www.iii.co.uk/markets/?type=aimnews&articleid=8861039&action=article">Interactive Investor</a>, <a href="http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4528805">Money am</a>, <a href="http://www.investegate.co.uk/afc-energy-plc-%28afc%29/rns/research-relationship-with-lancaster-university/201301300700086433W/">FE Investegate</a> and <a href="http://www.sharesmagazine.co.uk/marketnews?date=2013-01-30">Shares Magazine</a> for his research to help AFC Energy better understand how alkaline fuel cells operate using an array of different hydrogen feed-stocks. <a href="http://www.afcenergy.com/regulatory-announcements/afc-energy-initiates-a-research-relationship-with-lancaster-university/">AFC Energy</a> <a href="http://www.energy.lancs.ac.uk/">Energy Lancaster</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360144372.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360144372.jpg 233 400 Tuesday Tue 05 February Feb 02 2013

1673 9 LU News Inspiring the next generation of researchers inspiring-the-next-generation-of-researchers

Lancaster University will be working with Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale to engage young people in research and to raise their aspirations for further study.

Lancaster University will be working with Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale to engage young people in research and to raise their aspirations for further study. One of only 12 Universities to be selected, Lancaster has secured £140k from Research Councils UK (RCUK) new national <a href="http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/news/2013news/Pages/130130.aspx">School-University Partnerships Initiative</a> (SUPI) to work with QES and schools within its teaching alliance including Cartmel Priory CE School, Dallam School, John Ruskin School, Kirkbie Kendal School, The Lakes School, Settlebeck High School, Sandgate School, The Queen Katherine School and Kendal College. Dr Jane Taylor, senior lecturer in plant biochemistry who wrote the successful bid, said: "It is very exciting to have this opportunity to inspire young people of all backgrounds to engage with research and even to potentially pursue a career in research." Alison Wilkinson, Deputy Head of the Queen Elizabeth School, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for us. We have seen the impact that research can have on the engagement and aspirations of young people. We are looking forward to working with Lancaster University to deepen our understanding of the ways to develop research in our schools." The project will also focus on giving academics, who have just embarked on their research careers at Lancaster, skills to develop their ability to engage others with research, and support teachers in their professional development and their use of research findings to enhance their teaching. Professor Trevor McMillan Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research said: "Society needs to encourage young people to become the next generation of researchers. From law and justice to the fight against cancer and global warming, the need has never been more urgent for young people to be inspired by research, and to be aware of the importance of research in their everyday lives." The University aims to embed public engagement with research into all its activities and has recently funded a number of projects from its small grants scheme to encourage work. The University runs taster days in sciences and languages, academic master classes, an on-campus residential programme, undergraduate student mentoring for secondary school students, and schools contact organised through the highly successful LU Student Union's volunteering unit, 'Involve'. Lancaster has also been involved in science orientated activities such as the Nuffield Science Bursaries Scheme for Schools and Colleges, the Arkwright Awards Programme, activities during Science and Engineering week, and attendance at the 'Big Bang Fair'. David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, commented: "Maintaining a good supply of scientists and researchers is vital to our economy and society, but to do this we need to draw talent from as wide a pool as possible. That is why the School-University Partnerships Initiative is so important. It will help to encourage young people from all backgrounds to pursue a career in research by connecting them with the UK's world class academic community." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1360327532.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1360327652.jpg 274 498 Pupils at the Science and Technology Taster Day Thursday Thu 31 January Jan 01 2013

1657 1 News International poster competition to get children into stats international-poster-competition-to-get-children-into-stats

A UK schools poster competition in statistics is being coordinated by academics from Lancaster University, as part of the <a href="http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/islp/home">International Statistics Literacy Project (ISLP)</a>.

A UK schools poster competition in statistics is being coordinated by academics from Lancaster University, as part of the <a href="http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/islp/home">International Statistics Literacy Project (ISLP)</a>. The competition, sponsored by the Royal Statistics Society's <a href="http://www.getstats.org.uk/resources/islp-schools-poster-competition/">GetStats campaign</a>, asks children to design a one-page poster that tells a story about a set of data. This year's theme is "Agriculture". The winners in each age category (11-15 year-olds and 16-18-year-olds) will win a £500 prize and have their posters displayed at the World Statistics Congress in Hong Kong in August 2013. There will also be international prizes. You can see some examples of <a href="http://iase-web.org/islp/Competitions.php?p=Poster_Competition_2010-2011">winning entries from previous years</a> online. Registration has begun, teachers need to <a href="http://iase-web.org/islp/">register their students online</a>. The deadline for the submission of posters has been extended to 3rd May 2013. More information may be obtained from the ISLP website above or from the UK coordinators, <a href="mailto:g.lancaster@lancs.ac.uk">Gillian Lancaster</a> and <a href="mailto:j.groves@lancs.ac.uk">James Groves</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1359457143.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1359457143.jpg 191 300 the competition is part of the International Statistics Literacy Project Tuesday Tue 29 January Jan 01 2013

1658 1 News Leading entrepreneur Lord Drayson to give the keynote address at a showcase event in Manchester. leading-entrepreneur-lord-drayson-to-give-the-keynote-address-at-a-showcase-event-in-manchester.

We are delighted to secure Lord Drayson to deliver the keynote address at the showcase event in Manchester on 4th March 2013.

We are delighted to secure Lord Drayson to deliver the keynote address at the showcase event in Manchester on 4th March 2013. He has a PhD gained whilst working with a business, is a highly successful entrepreneur having had business interests in food, pharmaceuticals and high tech engineering and has had responsibility for the skills and universities portfolio as a Government minister. A racing driver, he leads the first team to be announced for the new Formula E for electric vehicles. We look forward to the insights he can give delivering innovation, growth and environmental benefits through partnership working. <a href="http://www.cgeinnovation.org/showcase">Register</a> to see how businesses can continue to benefit from free support through this project. Tuesday Tue 29 January Jan 01 2013

1656 9 LU News First ever UK based language tool to decode baby talk first-ever-uk-based-language-tool-to-decode-baby-talk

A tool which could radically improve the diagnosis of language delays in infants in the UK is being developed by psychologists.

A tool which could radically improve the diagnosis of language delays in infants in the UK is being developed by psychologists. <iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9442uMY4MPc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> A £358,000 grant to develop the first standardised UK speech and language development tool means that for the first time, researchers will be able to establish language development norms for UK children aged eight months to 18 months. The tool will plug an important gap which has left UK researchers, education and health professionals at a disadvantage. Until now, UK language experts have been forced to rely upon more complicated methods of testing child language development, or on methods designed for American English speakers which can lead to UK babies being misdiagnosed as being delayed in language development. The two-and-a-half year project funded by the ESRC will also look into the impact of family income and education on UK children's language development, as well as examining differences between children learning UK English, and other languages and English dialects. The project is expected to make a major contribution to language development research as well as to the effectiveness of speech and language therapy and improved policy making. Researchers are keen to hear from parents with children under 18 months to take part in the study. They are also particularly interested in hearing from English dialect speakers such as families from Scotland and Northern Ireland, and from parents who left school early. The research team is led by Dr Katie Alcock of Lancaster University's Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning, who will be working alongside fellow language development specialists Professor Caroline Rowland of the University of Liverpool and Dr Kerstin Meints of the University of Lincoln. They will develop a UK Communicative Development Inventory (UK-CDI) which will consist of a checklist of a wide variety of children's communication abilities in using and understanding speech and gesture, which can be quickly and easily filled in by parents. Once the tool is developed researchers will use it to carry out large scale studies of babies and toddlers in the UK. This wealth of new UK-specific data will enable parents and professionals to pick up on problems more easily by comparing a child's progress against national averages. Dr Alcock said: "When we study children's language development, it is crucial to know what a 'typical' child can do, in order to ensure that teachers, doctors, speech and language therapists, and policy makers are properly informed. "Parents are the very best people to tell us what their child can do and say - they know the most about their child. "Most language milestones occur in the first few years of life, so it is vital that we find out what these typical levels are for very young children. However, this is extremely difficult because most language tests cannot be used with very young children. "Effective tools have been developed abroad but they are not appropriate for UK English speakers. Tools developed in the US, for example, have been shown to give inaccurate results for UK children. One research group for example found that using US scores with UK children would lead to high numbers of UK children being misdiagnosed as language delayed. "When complete, this new research will directly improve the UK research on child speech and language development and make a substantial contribution to the wellbeing of children and families in the UK." Anyone wishing to take part in the study should <a href="http://uk-cdi.ac.uk/take-part/">contact the research team</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1359398711.jpg 75 75 Monday Mon 28 January Jan 01 2013

1654 9 LU News Graphene appointed an EU Future Emerging Technology flagship graphene-appointed-an-eu-future-emerging-technology-flagship

The European Commission has chosen Graphene as one of Europe's first 10-year, 1,000m <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/home_en.html">Future Emerging Technologies</a> flagships - a project that aims to take graphene and related layered materials from academic laboratories to society, revolutionize multiple industries and create economic growth and new jobs in Europe.

The European Commission has chosen Graphene as one of Europe's first 10-year, 1,000m <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/home_en.html">Future Emerging Technologies</a> flagships - a project that aims to take graphene and related layered materials from academic laboratories to society, revolutionize multiple industries and create economic growth and new jobs in Europe. With today's announcement Europe is launching a new form of joint, coordinated research initiative of unprecedented scale. <a href="http://www.graphene-flagship.eu">The Graphene Flagship</a> brings together an academic-industrial consortium aimed at a breakthrough for technological innovation. The research effort will cover the entire value chain from materials production to components and system integration, and targets a number of specific goals that exploit the unique properties of graphene. Key applications may include fast electronic and optical devices, flexible electronics, functional lightweight components and advanced batteries. New products made possible by graphene research might include electronic paper, bendable personal communication devices and lighter and more energy efficient aeroplanes. In the longer term, graphene is expected to give rise to new computational paradigms and revolutionary medical applications such as artificial retinas. <a href="http://www.physics.lancs.ac.uk">Lancaster Physics</a> played an important role in the preparation of this initiative. In 2010-2011, Lancaster's Vladimir Falko was among the key proposers of the Graphene Flagship idea, together with J Kinaret (Chalmers) and Nobel Prize winners A Fert (Thales) and Sir A Geim (Manchester). In 2011-2012, together with A Ferrari and Nobel Laureate Sir K Novoselov, Falko developed the 'Graphene Science and Technology Roadmap' (<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v490/n7419/abs/nature11458.html">summary published in Nature 490, 192 (2012)</a>). In the unfolding Flagship, Falko will act as one of two national contacts in the UK, leading an 11-strong work-package team on 'Fundamentals of graphene, new 2D materials, and hybrid structures'. A team of Lancaster University physicists will work on modelling graphene-based devices and other novel two-dimensional materials. From its start, in 2013, the Flagship project 'Graphene-Driven Revolutions in ICT and Beyond' will bring together 76 academic institutions (including Manchester, Cambridge, UCL, Oxford, and Lancaster in the UK) and industrial groups in 17 European countries, with an initial 30-month-budget of 54M. This consortium, coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), will be extended with 20-30 more groups through an open call, which will further strengthen the engineering aspects of the flagship. During the initial, 30 month ramp-up phase, the Graphene Flagship will focus on the area of communications, concentrating on ICT and on the physical transport sector, and supporting applications in the fields of energy technology and sensors. The details of the Flagship expansion after the ramp-up phase are a part of the discussions on the Horizon 2020 research program of the European Union. Flagship Coordinator Professor Jari Kinaret (Chalmers) says "Although the flagship is extremely extensive, it cannot cover all areas. For example, we don't intend to compete with Korea on graphene screens. Graphene production, however, is obviously central to our project." Professor Falko said: "It is thrilling to see how fast research in graphene progresses. With hundreds of groups entering the worldwide race to develop graphene-based technologies, a large European project became a necessity. Our Flagship is good news for all researchers in Europe, demonstrating that the European Commission recognizes importance of research in advance materials for the European competitiveness." Professor Mark Smith, Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University said: "It is a great achievement for Lancaster to be a key player in this Europe-wide Flagship project. The pivotal role of Lancaster under Prof. Falko's leadership alongside partner universities, in what could be a key society changing technology in Graphene, adds to our longstanding reputation for world class physics research." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1359395880.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1359396199.jpg 275 275 Atomic force microscope image of a graphene molecule - only one atom thick but containing many billions of carbon atoms (image: University of Manchester) Monday Mon 28 January Jan 01 2013

1655 1 News War report: fighting armyworms war-report-fighting-armyworms

A new video diary, following BBSRC-funded Professor Kenneth Wilson on a reserch trip to Africa, reveals his battle against a country-wide insect plague.

A new video diary, following BBSRC-funded Professor Kenneth Wilson on a reserch trip to Africa, reveals his battle against a country-wide insect plague. <iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7OHYQu7a7lc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Read the full story on the <a href="http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/food-security/2013/130128-f-fighting-armyworms.aspx">BBSRC website</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1359397829.jpg 75 75 Monday Mon 28 January Jan 01 2013

1651 1 News Lancaster volcanologists revisit active Chilean volcano lancaster-volcanologists-revisit-active-chilean-volcano

A year on from his expedition that was featured in BBC's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00v4wkb">Volcano Live</a>, Dr Hugh Tuffen has returned to the active Chilean volcano Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, with colleague Dr Mike James (both LEC).

A year on from his expedition that was featured in BBC's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00v4wkb">Volcano Live</a>, Dr Hugh Tuffen has returned to the active Chilean volcano Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, with colleague Dr Mike James (both LEC). The objective was to collect samples from inside the crater and to watch obsidian lava on the move. Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27337835@N00/sets/72157632557249894/">here</a> for a photographic account of their trip. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1359455264.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1359398860.jpg 375 250 Collecting samples of obsidian for analysis in the lab Wednesday Wed 23 January Jan 01 2013

1646 9 LU News New Centre to Change How Language in Society is Researched new-centre-to-change-how-language-in-society-is-researched

Developing new approaches to the study of hate speech, exploring how people talk about climate change and looking at how changes in corporate governance are communicated will be part of the remit of a new £3.5m research hub at Lancaster University, which will study the use and manipulation of language in society.

Developing new approaches to the study of hate speech, exploring how people talk about climate change and looking at how changes in corporate governance are communicated will be part of the remit of a new £3.5m research hub at Lancaster University, which will study the use and manipulation of language in society. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the new Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science (CASS) will bring the latest techniques in linguistic analysis to bear on a range of questions in the social sciences. Corpus linguistics is an approach to the study of language that uses computers to permit the analysis of millions of words of data to look for patterns of usage that are not noticeable otherwise. Researchers at Lancaster have been producing pioneering research in this area for over 40 years and it is changing the way language is analysed and how languages are taught. Corpus linguistics has also profoundly altered how computers can engage with human language and has been significant in many of the most effective language technologies today, such as web searching and voice recognition. The Director of the CASS, Professor Tony McEnery said: "As the Centre involves all the faculties at Lancaster, it will bring the benefits of the corpus approach to as wide a range of social science disciplines as possible and train a new generation of social sciences researchers to use these techniques. "This will make a difference to how social science is approached in the UK and will provide insights into key social questions facing the UK today." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1358518769.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1358518769.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 18 January Jan 01 2013

1643 9 LU News Biofuel cultivation could harm human health biofuel-cultivation-could-harm-human-health

Large-scale cultivation of biofuels in Europe could lead to increased human mortality and crop losses according to research from the Lancaster Environment Centre.

Large-scale cultivation of biofuels in Europe could lead to increased human mortality and crop losses according to research from the Lancaster Environment Centre. These findings, published online in Nature Climate Change, demonstrate that the wider implications of biofuel cultivation need to be assessed alongside their potential to save carbon. Biofuels usually derived from specialist crops such as poplar, willow or eucalyptus constitute one of the alternative energy sources being advocated as part of the solution to society's reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels. However, many plant species grown for biofuel emit more isoprene, an ozone precursor, than the traditional crops they replace. A modelling case study by Professor Nick Hewitt, Dr Oliver Wild and former LEC PhD student Kirsti Ashworth estimates the increase in ground level ozone pollution likely to result from a change to biofuel crops, and the associated impacts on human health and agricultural production. In the case study, enough land area in Europe to meet the European Union's 2020 goal for biofuel production was converted to short rotation coppice crops and the effects on human mortality and crop productivity estimated. Professor Hewitt said: "Growing biofuels is thought to be a good thing because it reduces the net amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere, but biofuels could also have a detrimental effect on air quality. Large-scale production of biofuels in Europe would have small but significant effects on human mortality and crop yields." The paper - <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1788.html">Impacts of biofuel cultivation on mortality and crop yields</a> - uses a model of atmospheric chemistry to estimate the changes in ground level ozone concentrations that will result from the large scale planting of short rotation coppice biofuel crops in Europe. These changes in ozone concentration occur because short rotation coppice tree species emit much more of a reactive volatile organic compound, isoprene, than do grass and other food crops. Isoprene then takes part in chemical reactions in the lower atmosphere that lead to the formation of ozone. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1357914163.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1357914163.jpg 235 300 A model of atmospheric chemistry was used to estimate changes in ground level ozone due to large scale planting of biofuel crops Tuesday Tue 08 January Jan 01 2013

1642 9 LU News Lancaster scientist advises Zambian Government on food crisis lancaster-scientist-advises-zambian-government-on-food-crisis

Professor Kenneth Wilson from the Lancaster Environment Centre has met the Vice-President of Zambia to discuss the current food crisis caused by the crop pest the African Armyworm.

Professor Kenneth Wilson from the Lancaster Environment Centre has met the Vice-President of Zambia to discuss the current food crisis caused by the crop pest the African Armyworm. Armyworms are caterpillars that eat staple crops throughout sub-Saharan Africa, such as maize, wheat, sorghum, millet and rice. Large numbers of extensive outbreaks of the pest ravaged Zambia throughout December and caused a national emergency, as hundreds of resource-poor farmers lost their entire crops. One of the farmers affected by the invasion of caterpillars was Annie Mututu, who lost all of her maize in one field to armyworms. "They entered the field at night-time when we were asleep. The next day it was all gone." In response to the current crisis, Vice-President Dr Guy Scott, who chairs the Zambian Government's Disasters and Mitigation Committee, released 2,000 tonnes of free maize seed worth $5 million, so that as many farmers as possible could replant their ravaged fields in the hope of recovering the situation. He said: "These days we have good early-maturing varieties of maize, so if we can get this in the ground now then the losses may not be bad". Annie Mututu was one of the lucky farmers who was able to secure new seed for replanting but was unsure of what the future holds. "I don't know whether this maize that we planted here today will mature, as we are three weeks late in planting and the rains may not last". <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eAHigmmcdak?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Professor Wilson met the Zambian Vice-President, Dr Scott, at his official residence in Lusaka. He advised on further measures to mitigate the crisis and discussed current efforts to tackle armyworms using an environmentally-safe biopesticide called SpexNPV. SpexNPV is a natural disease of the armyworms, which is being developed by Crop Biosciences Ltd, a private enterprise in Tanzania, in collaboration with Professor Wilson and colleagues at the University of Greenwich. The ongoing research and development project, funded by the Department for International Development (DfID) and the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has recently culminated in the construction of a state-of-the-art biopesticide processing facility in Arusha, Northern Tanzanian. Production of SpexNPV should begin in early 2013, with a registered product for sale following soon after. The Zambian Vice President and his team were eager to acquire the new technology when it is available and has urged his government to ensure that SpexNPV is registered in Zambia as soon as it is available. Professor Wilson said: "The situation in Zambia is very serious. Swift action by the Vice-President to provide farmers with maize seed to replant the stricken crops means that if the rains hold out, and the armyworm situation does not worsen, then the cost to the Zambian economy, and to hard-working farmers, will be minimised. However, my fear is that if the rains do not persist, then the re-planted maize will not mature, resulting in crop failure and food insecurity". The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the armyworm caterpillars infesting the fields now will soon develop into highly migratory adult moths that will fly from their current locations to destinations downwind hundreds of kilometres away. This makes it extremely difficult to know where the next wave of armyworm outbreaks will hit or how extensive those outbreaks will be. The armyworm may attack the crops of other farmers elsewhere in Zambia or they may migrate to vulnerable neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe. Armyworm outbreaks have already been reported in Kenya and Tanzania and all the signs are that the situation will get much worse before it gets better, causing a major food security crisis. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1357912831.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1357912527.jpg 350 250 The armyworm is one of the most devastating crop pests in eastern Africa - photo (c) Ken Wilson Tuesday Tue 08 January Jan 01 2013

1641 1 News Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme commonwealth-shared-scholarship-scheme

The Lancaster Environment Centre has been recognised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission with an award of a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for the academic year 2013/14.

The Lancaster Environment Centre has been recognised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission with an award of a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for the academic year 2013/14. This scholarship is available on our <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/masters/courses/contamination-risk-assessment-and-remediation">MSc Contamination, Risk Assessment and Remediation programme</a> and applications are restricted to nationals of West African (Commonwealth) countries only. For further details on eligibility, finance available and conditions of the award, see <a href="http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/shared-scholarships/">http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/shared-scholarships/</a>. This scholarship will cover all costs associated with studying at Lancaster, including fees, return air ticket and book allowance, together with a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. Competition for this scholarship is likely to be extremely strong and it will be awarded by LEC, in consultation with the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, to the most outstanding West African candidate for the MSc Contamination, Risk Assessment and Remediation programme, who meets all our <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/masters/applications">entry requirements</a> for the programme. To be considered for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship you must make your application via the University's <a href="https://www.postgraduate.lancs.ac.uk/Applying">online application system</a> no later than 28 February 2013. You must indicate on your application that you are applying for a specific award and you must also include with your application a separate request letter, clearly explaining why you should be considered for the award. Applications received after this date will not be considered. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1357557131.jpg 115 300 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are a joint initiative between the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (with funding from DFID) and UK universities, to support scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK. Monday Mon 07 January Jan 01 2013

1640 9 LU News Changing our material future, layer by layer changing-our-material-future-layer-by-layer

A proposal involving researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Cambridge and Lancaster, has been awarded 13.4 million Euros (around £11m) to form a "Synergy Group" by the European Research Council (ERC).

A proposal involving researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Cambridge and Lancaster, has been awarded 13.4 million Euros (around £11m) to form a "Synergy Group" by the European Research Council (ERC). It will aim to utilise two-dimensional substances, such as wonder material graphene, to engineer new types of materials which are just a few atoms thick, but nevertheless have the power to revolutionise the future development of devices such as solar cells, and flexible and transparent electronics. Starting with one atom-thick substances which possess remarkable properties, the group will focus on ways in which they can be layered up to form 'heterostructures'. These heterostructures will still be just a few atoms thick, but will combine the properties of the different two-dimensional materials which comprise them, effectively enabling developers to embed the functions of a device into its very fabric. For example, the research team envisage combining an atomic layer which functions as a sensor, with layers that function variously as an amplifier, transistor, or solar cell, for power generation. The resulting material, still just a few atomic layers in thickness, would be capable of running a whole circuit. The award - part of ERC's first competition for <a href="http://erc.europa.eu/funding-schemes/synergy-grants">Synergy Grants</a> - will bring together the talents of the Nobel Prize-winner, Professor Kostya Novoselov at Manchester, Professor Andrea Ferrari at Cambridge, and Professor Vladimir Falko at Lancaster. The team will be part of the UK's Graphene Global Research and Technology Hub, including the £61m National Graphene Institute, which is being developed at The University of Manchester to continue its world-leading and collaborative work in the field. Widely regarded as a wonder material on account of its numerous capabilities, graphene is a two-dimensional structure consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb or chicken wire structure. It was first isolated by Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov at The University of Manchester in 2004. It is the thinnest material in the world and yet also one of the strongest. It conducts electricity as efficiently as copper and outperforms all other materials as a conductor of heat. The Synergy Group will aim to combine these properties with those of other, two-dimensional materials for the sake of creating an amazing range of applications and devices, among them new types of transistors, solar cells and other optoelectronic components. Professor Falko said: "Our project is challenging, both at the technical and conceptual level. We aim to extend science and technology of atomically thin films into materials far beyond graphene, where properties of atomically thin crystals are not known, yet." "This project offers excellent opportunities for the early career researchers, who, thanks to the ERC, will be able to join our team - theorists, experimentalist and engineers - to enjoy surprises and make discoveries." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1356096960.jpg 300 250 Professor Vladimir Falko Thursday Thu 20 December Dec 12 2012

1635 1 News Success for School of Computing and Communications at Top-Tier Conference success-for-school-of-computing-and-communications-at-top-tier-conference-

The School of Computing and Communications has achieved its highest ever success at ACM SIGCHI, the top international conference on Human Computer Interaction (HCI), with nine papers accepted for publication. Two proposals from the School to run interactive workshops at the event were also accepted.

The School of Computing and Communications has achieved its highest ever success at ACM SIGCHI, the top international conference on Human Computer Interaction (HCI), with nine papers accepted for publication. Two proposals from the School to run interactive workshops at the event were also accepted. The ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (<a href="http://chi2013.acm.org">CHI 2013</a>) is widely recognised as the most prestigious venue for publication of research into HCI, attracting almost 2000 paper submissions this year. Dr Jason Alexander who organised the School's CHI 2013 Author Support Group, said: "The acceptance of nine papers into the most competitive conference in this field is a clear demonstration of the high-quality HCI research conducted at the School of Computing and Communications. "With four papers accepted last year, the School has more than doubled its publications at this conference. In HCI, conference publications have greater impact than journals, meaning that this conference is of special significance to researchers in this field." Lancaster will be represented by a large contingent of researchers attending CHI 2013 in Paris next spring. The list of accepted papers from the School is as follows: <ul><li>Design for Forgetting: Disposing of Digital Possessions after a Breakup <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/corina-sas%28d926b31f-2232-434b-bc24-2737e3962051%29.html">Dr Corina Sas</a> and Steve Whittaker (University of California, Santa Cruz)</li><li>Domestic Food and Sustainable Design: A Study of University Student Cooking and its Impacts <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/Adrian-Clear/">Dr Adrian Clear</a>, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/janine-morley%288c6f52bd-ab7c-4463-8000-e5bdef9f409b%29.html">Janine Morley</a>, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/adrian-friday%28ecf32f80-b84d-408b-8a65-c9f3735035b4%29.html">Dr Adrian Friday</a>, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/michael-hazas%28101d20d6-0993-4d69-9a4e-033cd352493b%29.html">Dr Mike Hazas</a>, and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/oliver-bates%2814bc5893-0fbd-4378-9265-a12d421f292e%29.html">Oliver Bates</a></li><li>Heartlink: Open Broadcast of Live Biometric Data to Social Networks Franco Curmi, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/maria-angela-ferrario%283e1230f6-a875-4394-bf4c-72719b31a85e%29.html">Maria Angela Ferrario</a>, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/Jennifer-Southern/">Jen Southern</a>, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/jon-whittle%28814092cd-03e8-4451-a2c4-ac6c379f7493%29.html">Professor Jon Whittle</a></li><li>How groups of Users Associate Wireless Devices <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/ming-ki-chong%280325baa4-903b-46d4-8edc-7b793637e3e5%29.html">Ming Ki Chong</a> and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/hans-gellersen%28c58617db-c0ed-4603-96b1-a0b6e609af71%29.html">Professor Hans Gellersen</a><li>Leaving the Wild: Lessons from Community Technology Handovers Nick Taylor, <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/keith-cheverst%28507824fb-2df4-4964-a733-66da12ada167%29.html">Dr Keith Cheverst</a>, Peter Wright (Newcastle University) and Patrick Olivier (Newcastle University)</li><li>MotionMA: Motion Modelling and Analysis by Demonstration Eduardo Velloso, Dr Andreas Bulling (University of Cambridge) and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/hans-gellersen%28c58617db-c0ed-4603-96b1-a0b6e609af71%29.html">Professor Hans Gellersen</a></li><li>Personal Clipboards for Individual Copy-and-Paste on Shared Multi-User Surfaces <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/dominik-schmidt%28abb94f7f-a7b6-4d77-8746-d2e631b46533%29.html">Dominik Schmidt</a> and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/hans-gellersen%28c58617db-c0ed-4603-96b1-a0b6e609af71%29.html">Professor Hans Gellersen</a></li><li>SideWays: A Gaze Interface for Spontaneous Interaction with Public Displays <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/yanxia-zhang%288318cf4b-5030-4b93-92f4-0810c5552f93%29.html">Yanxia Zhang</a>, Dr Andreas Bulling (University of Cambridge) and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/hans-gellersen%28c58617db-c0ed-4603-96b1-a0b6e609af71%29.html">Professor Hans Gellersen</a></li><li>EyeContext: Recognition of High-level Contextual Cues from Human Visual Behaviour Dr Andreas Bulling (University of Cambridge), <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/christian-weichel%28ecec2c5d-c842-41b8-9de0-01b52c5a1137%29.html">Christian Weichel</a> and <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/hans-gellersen%28c58617db-c0ed-4603-96b1-a0b6e609af71%29.html">Professor Hans Gellersen</a> [note]</li></ul> Workshops <ul><li><a href="http://www.cs.tut.fi/ihte/EIPS_workshop_CHI13/">Experiencing Interactivity In Public Spaces</a> Kaisa Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila (Tampere University of Technology), Alvaro Cassinelli (University of Tokyo), Jonna Häkkilä University of Oulu), Jörg Müller (Telekom Innovation Laboratories), <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/enrico-rukzio%2801aeec0d-ac02-4bc6-98d5-61c977c6f42c%29.html">Dr Enrico Rukzio</a> and Albrecht Schmidt (University of Stuttgart)</li><li><a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/deformable2013/">Organic Experiences: (Re)shaping Interactions with Deformable Displays</a> <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/jason-alexander%284528ef2a-4954-4734-963b-679a593f3abf%29.html">Dr Jason Alexander</a>, Ryan Brotman (Arizona State University), David Holman (Queen's University, Kingston), Audrey Younkin (Intel Corporation), Roel Vertegaal (Queen's University), Johan Kildal (Nokia Research Center), Andrés Lucero (Nokia Research Center), Sriram Subramanian University of Bristol)</li></ul> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355843873.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355843873.jpg 250 250 Photo by Ming Ki Chong Tuesday Tue 18 December Dec 12 2012

1631 1 News Science and Technology spin-out company Isis Forensics wins significant investment science-and-technology-spin-out-company-isis-forensics-wins-significant-investment

Science and Technology spin-out company Isis Forensics has secured significant investment from The North West Fund for Venture Capital and Lancashire County Council's Rosebud Fund. Isis Forensics was founded by CEO Dr James Walkerdine in 2007 and is based in InfoLab21. The company is an international digital forensics company which specialises in developing solutions to protect individuals and assist law enforcement with digital investigations. Their links with the university, assistance from InfoLab21 and focus on R&D has allowed them to develop cutting edge technologies in the areas of online child protection, language analysis and online conversation modelling. Solutions include a mobile phone child protection app 'ChildDefence', which made international headlines when it was released. Isis Forensics has also worked closely with law enforcement to develop a language analysis toolkit which has recently attracted significant investment, highlighting the potential of the technologies. CEO Dr James Walkerdine explains "Language analysis software can play an important role in protecting children online. The technology we have developed has the potential for use by website operators, internet service providers, law enforcement agencies and children themselves. We began looking at funding opportunities in the summer of 2011, spent 10 months working with Enterprise Ventures to further develop our business plan and to put together a strong management team to drive the company forward. We finally secured the investment in July this year. This investment will allow us to further develop products and also enable access to the technology for other markets. We are seeking new partnership and welcome inquiries." The deal is the first joint investment by The North West Fund for Venture Capital and Rosebud, both of which are managed by Enterprise Ventures. Douglas Stellman, investment director at EV, said: "We are delighted to have been able to work with Lancaster University to secure significant funding for this exciting new technology company, and to have helped bring about the first joint investment by the Rosebud Fund and The North West Fund for Venture Capital. It shows how regional funds can work together to support emerging businesses with the potential to address global export markets." Lancashire County Councillor Michael Green, cabinet member for economic development, environment and planning, said: "Rosebud and the North West Fund are working to support companies in Lancashire, especially ones that can show high growth potential. Universities have an important role in creating a sustainable economy through high level skills and innovation. It's important that we support universities across the county to encourage emerging businesses and new ideas." As part of the funding round, the company have been able to appoint a non-executive chairman Patrick Jolly, a former director of SurfControl plc. <a href="http://www.isis-forensics.com">www.isis-forensics.com http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355477043.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355477043.jpg 300 300 Friday Fri 14 December Dec 12 2012

1630 1 News Best Paper Award for Lancaster Computer Scientists best-paper-award-for-lancaster-computer-scientists

Two Lancaster Computer Scientists have won a best paper award at MUM2012, a leading international multimedia conference.

Two Lancaster Computer Scientists have won a best paper award at MUM2012, a leading international multimedia conference. John Hardy from the HighWire Doctoral Training Centre and Dr. Jason Alexander from the School of Computing and Communications were awarded the best long paper award of MUM2012, an annual conference which provides a forum for presenting the latest research results on mobile and ubiquitous multimedia. Their paper <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=2406367.2406419">Toolkit Support for Projected Ubiquitous Displays</a> presents a software toolkit designed to enable the rapid development of multimedia-rich, multi-touch enabled, and interactive projection-based displays. For instance: door displays, floor displays, wall displays, and interactive tables. John and Jason are keen for people to use the toolkit and send in their feedback. John Hardy says: "The most interesting thing about Ubi Displays is that it takes the technology out of the lab and into the wild. For example, it can be used by business owners who are looking for new ways of engaging customers, or hobbyists and hackers who want to try out the latest technology - perhaps by making their very own interactive bed or other creative designs for non-traditional computer interfaces. As researchers, this is a very exciting prospect because it helps the idea to go mainstream. By getting feedback on how the toolkit is used, we can learn valuable lessons about how to design better technology for the future." Watch John using the new displays in this video: <iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/df1NO7MoAUY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The 11th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (MUM 2012) was held in Ulm, Germany, December 4-6, 2012. For more information on the MUM12 conference or to download the software go to the website links below: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355410984.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355410984.jpg 244 390 John Hardy (third from left) receiving the award at MUM12 Thursday Thu 13 December Dec 12 2012

1629 1 News BBC Academy Female Experts Training Day bbc-academy-female-experts-training-day

Hannah Newton, a post doc in LEC has entered a competition to take part in a BBC Academy Female Experts Training Day. To enter the competition she had to produce a short video clip about <a href="http://youtu.be/QbxA2wTbuHE">herself and her work at Lancaster</a>

Hannah Newton, a post doc in LEC has entered a competition to take part in a BBC Academy Female Experts Training Day. To enter the competition she had to produce a short video clip about <a href="http://youtu.be/QbxA2wTbuHE">herself and her work at Lancaster</a> Wednesday Wed 12 December Dec 12 2012

1628 1 News £700k Project to Boost Clinical Assessment Rates for Cognitive Decline 700k-project-to-boost-clinical-assessment-rates-for-cognitive-decline

Currently, only 50% of people with dementia ever receive a diagnosis that could lead to them receiving medical care and support. So urgent is this problem that novel ways to persuade people to present themselves for clinical assessment are being sought. Lancaster University is leading a project to see if computer interaction can offer new opportunities for self-referral.

Currently, only 50% of people with dementia ever receive a diagnosis that could lead to them receiving medical care and support. So urgent is this problem that novel ways to persuade people to present themselves for clinical assessment are being sought. Lancaster University is leading a project to see if computer interaction can offer new opportunities for self-referral. The £700k SAMS (Software Architecture for Mental health Self management) project, funded under the EPSRC Working Together call, will investigate the use of data and text-mining techniques, combined with adaptive user interfaces to detect early signs of cognitive decline from the way people use their computers. Professor Pete Sawyer from the School of Computing and Communications explains: "SAMS aims to contribute by exploiting the fact that the elderly increasingly use email and electronic social networks to keep in touch with friends and family. These electronic media provide an opportunity for the inference of changes to cognition from clues within the authored text and from the way in which people interact with the computer or device, if appropriate text and data-mining techniques can be developed. "A further challenge is how to use the results in a way that meets the aims of increasing the rate of self-referral without causing unnecessary distress or alarm. In Computer Science terms, SAMS poses some really hard challenges for text and data mining, for human computer interaction and for the design of systems that can adapt as their users' needs change." The project is led from the School of Computing and Communications by Prof. Pete Sawyer, Dr. Paul Rayson and Prof. Alistair Sutcliffe, and is joint with Prof. Alistair Burns, Dr Iracema Leroi and Prof. John Keane from Manchester University and Prof. Clive Ballard from Kings College London. The project is supported by the Dementias Neurodegen Network (DeNDRoN), The Alzheimer's Society, Microsoft Research, the University of British Columbia and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355393853.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355393853.jpg 250 250 Professor Pete Sawyer from the School of Computing and Communications Tuesday Tue 11 December Dec 12 2012

1627 9 LU News Hatching order influences birds' behaviour hatching-order-influences-birds-behaviour

The hatching order of birds influences how they behave in adult life according to research from the Lancaster Environment Centre.

The hatching order of birds influences how they behave in adult life according to research from the Lancaster Environment Centre. Dr Ian Hartley and Dr Mark Mainwaring (LEC) are the authors of <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347212004678#">the study in Animal Behaviour</a>, which looked at how the birds' behaviour was affected by the way their parents cared for them as hatchlings. They found that the youngest members of zebra finch broods are more adventurous than their older siblings in adult life. Dr Hartley said that the study showed for the first time that hatching order influences birds' "behavioural repertoires" in adulthood. Hatching eggs over a period of time, rather than all at once, is known as "hatching asynchrony" and occurs when eggs are incubated as soon as they are laid. For a zebra finch, this means that birds born up to four days apart can share the same nest and must compete for food. The researchers experimentally controlled hatching synchrony within clutches, so that some clutches hatched simultaneously, while others hatched over a period of days. They then tested the behaviour of over one hundred offspring as adults. They found the youngest birds from asynchronously hatched clutches explored their environment more widely. They measured how explorative the zebra finches were by recording how many times they visited bird feeders within an unfamiliar test aviary. They found that the youngest offspring in a brood approached the feeders significantly more often than their peers within a 30 minute period. Researchers wanted to know how the method of rearing affected the behaviour of offspring beyond the nest, once they were living as independent adult birds. The results have implications for understanding how environmental stability might influence behaviours, and how flexible animals might be at coping with environmental change. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355143856.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355143856.jpg 350 275 The study found that the youngest members of zebra finch broods are more adventurous than their older siblings in adult life Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1621 9 LU News Haymeadows are good for the environment say researchers haymeadows-are-good-for-the-environment-say-researchers

Traditional haymeadows are much better at supporting biodiversity and preventing water pollution than intensively farmed fields according to research from Lancaster Environment Centre.

Traditional haymeadows are much better at supporting biodiversity and preventing water pollution than intensively farmed fields according to research from Lancaster Environment Centre. This is because haymeadows lose five times less nitrogen from the soil, which is needed for plant growth. However, nitrogen becomes a pollutant if it leaches into rivers and contaminates the water supply. The research was based on an analysis of 22 fields in the Yorkshire Dales and published in PLOS ONE under the title <a href="http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/extensive-management-promotes-plant-and-microbial-nitrogen-retention-in-temperate-grassland%2848fec9e0-789d-4647-99a3-3f5e6d39c2f1%29.html">Extensive management promotes plant and microbial nitrogen retention in temperate grassland</a> by Franciska de Vries, Helen Quirk, Carly Stevens, and Richard Bardgett from <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk">Lancaster Environment Centre</a>, Jaap Bloem from Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands and Roland Bol from Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany. Lead researcher Dr Franciska de Vries of the Lancaster Environment Centre said: "Nitrogen that leaches from the soil with drainage water forms a threat for water quality and high levels in drinking water can threaten human health. It can also reduce species diversity in rivers and grasslands." The researchers took a total of 162 intact columns of soil as part of a large scale field-observation and glasshouse experiment over several months. Dr de Vries said: "We watered the columns of soil and measured how much leached out. We also looked at the microbial community which is important because microbes immobilise nitrogen in the soil. "We show that traditionally managed haymeadows have lower leaching of nitrogen because the plant roots take up more nitrogen, but also because the microbial community in these hay meadows is dominated by fungi instead of bacteria. "Haymeadows with more fungi are better able to retain nitrogen and prevent it leaching away into the water. "Haymeadows might support more biodiversity because their microbial communities can immobilise three times more added nitrogen into their biomass." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354792426.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354792426.jpg 400 275 Lancaster Enviroment Centre's Dr Franciska de Vries collects soil samples Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1623 1 News PG psychology conference comes to Lancaster pg-psychology-conference-comes-to-lancaster

The Psychology Department is excited to announce that Lancaster University are hosting the 28th Annual PsyPAG Postgraduate Student Conference, 17-19 July 2013.

The Psychology Department is excited to announce that Lancaster University are hosting the 28th Annual PsyPAG Postgraduate Student Conference, 17-19 July 2013. PsyPAG is a national organisation for all psychology postgraduates based at UK Institutions. PsyPAG is run on a voluntary basis by postgraduates for postgraduates. The annual conference provides the ideal opportunity for postgraduate researchers to come together and present their research in a supportive and friendly environment. Our aim is to provide a wide range of symposia and workshops to provide interest across the topics in Psychology and those from cross disciplinary research. Please visit the conference website <a href="http://psypag2013.lancs.ac.uk">http://psypag2013.lancs.ac.uk</a> for further information. You can also find us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PsyPAGAnnualConference">Facebook</a>and follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PsyPAG2013">Twitter</a>. Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1624 1 News Praise For Student and Graduate Impact on Businesses -praise-for-student-and-graduate-impact-on-businesses

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Smith has praised the impact that students and graduates in InfoLab21 are having on local and regional businesses.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Smith has praised the impact that students and graduates in InfoLab21 are having on local and regional businesses. During a special celebration on November 20th held to recognise the achievements of the InfoLab21 Graduate and Student Academies (IGA and ISA) and the summer placement scheme, he spoke about the importance of industrial experience to students entering the job market: "I am delighted to see such valuable work coming out of these schemes. 94% of our graduates go in to work or further study within six months of graduating and they are highly regarded by employers around the world. These academies and the support of the businesses are giving our students invaluable experience which will help their career prospects. They are also an example of the close relationship that the University and its local business community have built." The Vice-Chancellor presented certificates to students and graduates involved in the programmes. Certificates were also presented to businesses that have been recognised for a special level of collaboration in these schemes. The Graduate Academy was launched in 2007 to provide ICT assistance for small to medium sized businesses in the North West. The Student Academy runs alongside this helping to deliver projects to businesses in the region and allowing students from the School of Computing and Communications to gain valuable experience working with businesses. In some cases this has resulted in a full time employment for the student on completion of their degree. In addition to this, a new Summer Placement Scheme was piloted this summer which placed over 20 students with businesses, or within the Student Academy, for 8 weeks paid employment over the summer. Following positive feedback from both the companies and the students, the Summer Placement Scheme is now open for applications for 2013. Director of the Knowledge Business Centre, Steve Riches said: "The Academies are a flexible and diverse delivery capability for InfoLab21's business support projects and provide a framework for our graduates and students to get vital relevant work experience to enable them to move more quickly onto their chosen career paths. This model also exposes companies to the calibre and ability of these young people enhancing both their employability and the reputation of the University." Speakers at the event included students and graduates from the academies showcasing the work that they have been doing. The event also recognised the impact on businesses of the HighWire Doctoral Training Centre and case studies were presented by two HighWire students. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354811772.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354811772.jpg 297 400 Vice-Chancellor Mark Smith presents a certificate for the Summer Placement Scheme to Harrison Fleetwood Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1626 9 LU News Proliferation warnings on nuclear 'wonder-fuel' proliferation-warnings-on-nuclear-wonder-fuel

The element thorium, which many regard as a potential nuclear wonder-fuel, could be a greater nuclear weapons proliferation threat than previously thought, scientists have warned.

The element thorium, which many regard as a potential nuclear wonder-fuel, could be a greater nuclear weapons proliferation threat than previously thought, scientists have warned. Writing in a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v492/n7427/full/492031a.html">Comment piece</a> in the new issue of the journal, Nature, nuclear energy specialists from four British universities, including Colin Boxall, The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust Chair at Lancaster University, suggest that, although thorium has been promoted as a superior fuel for future nuclear energy generation, it should not be regarded as inherently proliferation resistant. Professor Boxall said: "Proponents of thorium advocate that it is a low proliferation risk alternative to uranium. This work demonstrates that this is not the case. However we are not suggesting that thorium is not explored as a potential nuclear fuel but it needs to be explored with the same vigilance towards proliferation risks as uranium based fuels." The piece highlights ways in which small quantities of uranium-233, a material usable in nuclear weapons, could be produced covertly from thorium, by chemically separating another isotope, protactinium-233, during its formation. The chemical processes that are needed for protactinium separation could possibly be undertaken using standard lab equipment, potentially allowing it to happen in secret, and beyond the oversight of organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the paper says. The authors note that, from previous experiments to separate protactinium-233, it is feasible that just 1.6 tonnes of thorium metal would be enough to produce 8kg of uranium-233, which is the minimum amount required for a nuclear weapon. Using the process identified in their paper, they add that this could be done "in less than a year." Thorium is widely seen as an alternative nuclear fuel source to uranium. It is thought to be three to four times more naturally abundant, with substantial deposits spread around the world. Some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are exploring its potential use as fuel in civil nuclear energy programmes. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1355141195.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355141195.jpg 200 500 An early, thorium-based molten salt reactor, pictured in the 1960s. Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1632 9 LU News Remembering Anuj Bidve remembering-anuj-bidve

A permanent memorial to Anuj Bidve, the Lancaster University postgraduate student who was killed in Salford on Boxing Day 2011, has been placed near to his residence in Graduate College.

A permanent memorial to Anuj Bidve, the Lancaster University postgraduate student who was killed in Salford on Boxing Day 2011, has been placed near to his residence in Graduate College. A bench made from reclaimed teak root and inscribed with a plaque, provides students with a sheltered place to sit and reflect. It was paid for by donations given during the University's memorial service to Anuj in January. Anuj will also be remembered at the December Graduation Ceremonies in the Chancellor's and Vice-Chancellor's speeches. The University also set up the Anuj Bidve Memorial Scholarship which will fund a student graduating from the University of Pune in India to come to Lancaster University to study an MSc in the Engineering Department. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1355478654.jpg 300 500 Thursday Thu 06 December Dec 12 2012

1619 1 News LEC's Catchment Change Network launches top tips 2013 Calendar for reducing water pollution from agriculture lecs-catchment-change-network-launches-top-tips-2013-calendar-for-reducing-water-pollution-from-agriculture

The Catchment Change Network (CCN), led by Lancaster Environment Centre, has worked in partnership with Cumbrian farmers and the Eden Rivers Trust to disseminate top tips about how to reduce water pollution from agriculture through a 2013 calendar. Water pollution from agriculture is a serious issue. Professor Phil Haygarth explains- "most of our UK land surface is under agriculture and the nutrients, manures and soils can leak into rivers, lakes and estuaries. The effect is the build-up of sediment, undesirable toxic algae and sometimes pathogens." Presenting the tips as a calendar will help spread the word about agricultural best practice to busy farmers and land managers by providing information written by their peers in a quick, easy to read format. Each month includes a top tip recommending solutions to agricultural diffuse pollution by paying attention to farm infrastructure and the management of soil, livestock, fertiliser and manure. The tips were developed as part of the CNN guidelines on reducing diffuse pollution from agriculture. Each top tip, for example: "Fence off rivers and streams from livestock. This stops animals defecating in streams, erosion of river banks and potential harm to livestock. Fences reduce injuries to livestock and veterinary bills," is accompanied by a quote from a Cumbrian farmer on how they have benefited from implementing the tip "fencing off streams has made our farm easier to manage on a day-to-day basis, whilst helping to improve the quality of the river," Tony Jackson -Dairy Farmer, Newby, Cumbria. The calendar was compiled by Lancaster Environment Centre's Phil Haygarth, Marion Walker, Eleanor Mackay, Will Cleasby and former LEC intern, Anna Sellars, who commented "I've really appreciated and enjoyed working on Catchment Change Network. It was a pleasure to work on the calendar and it has helped me develop my ability to think creatively in writing and design, and know how to apply these to different types of work." The 12 photos were taken by Lancaster Environment Centre's Clare Benskin, Keith Beven and Phil Haygarth and are all of local Cumbria scenes. 1000 of the calendars have been printed, half of which will be sent directly to Cumbrian farmers through the Eden Rivers Trust, the rest distributed through the CCN network to partners, such as United Utilities and Northumbrian Water, and catchment management policy makers, such as Defra, The Environment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farmers. The concept of having a calendar of local scenes and local farmers advising their peers has been well received by advisors in other regions, and the format may be adopted for 2014 in south west England and Northern Ireland. Will Cleasby, Eden Rivers Trust commented "it was a pleasure to work with Lancaster Environment Centre on this calendar. We hope it will help to show farmers that reducing water pollution is good for business as well as helping to look after our rivers and streams." There are a limited number available for free on request; you can also download your free calendar <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/catchment_change-network-calendar_2013.pdf">here</a>. The top tips and a wealth of information on reducing water pollution from agriculture will be also available next year in the form of an online toolkit. CCN is a 3 year NERC-funded knowledge exchange network that concluded this November, but the knowledge gained through the network is being expanded and developed as part of the new Catchment Change Management Hub. For more details and to get involved contact the CCN/CCM Hub Facilitator: <a href="mailto:marion.walker@lancaster.ac.uk">Marion Walker</a> Tel: +44 (0)1524 510290 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354637020.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354637020.jpg 300 300 The calendar is designed to help spread the word about agricultural best practice to busy farmers and land managers Tuesday Tue 04 December Dec 12 2012

1620 1 News N8 Health and Active Aging Innovation Forum Film Live n8-health-and-active-aging-innovation-forum-film-live

Dr Mark Rouncefield from the School of Computing and Communications and Professor Trevor McMillan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for research and Chair of the N8 Executive Management Group, joined 100 senior figures from industry, charities, the NHS and the N8 group of universities (Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York) in Liverpool on 21 November for the N8 Health and Active Aging Innovation Forum.

Dr Mark Rouncefield from the School of Computing and Communications and Professor Trevor McMillan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for research and Chair of the N8 Executive Management Group, joined 100 senior figures from industry, charities, the NHS and the N8 group of universities (Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York) in Liverpool on 21 November for the N8 Health and Active Aging Innovation Forum. The aim of the forum was to create new ideas and concepts to encourage healthy and active ageing - one of the biggest issues and opportunities facing society today. Companies that took part included Boots, Phillips and AstraZeneca as well as the charities Age UK, Carers UK and Help the Hospices. The film explains what the N8 is and includes interviews with the Chair of the N8 Executive Management Group- Lancaster University's Professor Trevor McMillan, representatives from the Technology Strategy Board and companies including Bosch and Smartlife Technologies "I found today event very illuminating, it's the first time I'd been to an N8 event. We've become very involved, it's very interactive and we met some really good people," Mark Pedley, Smartlife Technologies. <div class="image_box_center"> <iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OB8tBHviSvc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354793590.jpg 75 75 Tuesday Tue 04 December Dec 12 2012

1618 9 LU News Lancaster Plays a Part in £9.1m Autonomous Systems Research lancaster-plays-a-part-in-9.1m-autonomous-systems-research-

Lancaster University is one of the partners on a £9.1m project investigating new technologies to replace humans in mundane, dangerous, dirty, or detailed and precise tasks.

Lancaster University is one of the partners on a £9.1m project investigating new technologies to replace humans in mundane, dangerous, dirty, or detailed and precise tasks. Called 'autonomous systems', these technologies are in demand across sectors including aerospace, nuclear, automotive and petrochemicals. The Growing Autonomous Mission Management Applications (GAMMA) is a three year £9.1m, Autonomous Systems programme aimed at driving small and medium sized business engagement and developing technology within the emerging autonomous systems markets. GAMMA is funded by £4.42m from the Regional Growth Fund and £4.6m of in kind contribution from the aforementioned delivery partners. The GAMMA programme partners are: North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), BAE Systems and the Universities of Manchester, Lancaster, Salford, Central Lancashire, Liverpool and the National Nuclear Laboratories. Lancashire County Council (LCC) and BIS are also supporting the Programme. The programme will primarily concentrate on the end users of Autonomous Systems, and will assure that both the North West region and the wider UK are in a strong position to capitalise on the developing market. Lancaster's role in the project will be to provide technological "know how" in autonomous processing of dynamically evolving multi-modal data streams from video, electro-optical and other sensors aiming detecting anomalies, objects, tracking them, saving bandwidth in data link and making decisions. This project is led by the School of Computing and Communications' Dr Plamen Angelov and involves Professor Garik Markarian as a co-investigator and Dr Pouria Sadeghi as Research Associate. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354550829.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354550829.jpg 250 250 Work at Lancaster will be led by researchers in the School of Computing and Communications Monday Mon 03 December Dec 12 2012

1617 1 News Summer Placement Scheme 'Highly rewarding and fulfilling' summer-placement-scheme-highly-rewarding-and-fulfilling

Following a successful pilot scheme in summer 2012, InfoLab21 are offering students and businesses the opportunity to apply for the Summer Placement Scheme 2013.

Following a successful pilot scheme in summer 2012, InfoLab21 are offering students and businesses the opportunity to apply for the Summer Placement Scheme 2013. In 2012 the Knowledge Business Centre placed over 20 students from the School of Computing and Communications in industrial placements for 8 weeks paid employment during the summer. Reports have been highly positive from both students and companies taking part. Students have found the experience rewarding and career enhancing whilst companies have reported an increase in productivity and have benefitted from the added skillsets of the students. <h3>Case Study</h3> We asked MSci Computer Science student, Ross Wilson and Lancashire based Digital Marketing Agency, Xyone to report back on their experience of the new scheme. Xyone required an extra Developer to allow the company to expand and take on more development projects. Through the application process, Xyone's requirements were matched with Ross's skills and Ross began his placement in July. He completed it at the end of August with the offer of a consultancy job with the company. <h4>Ross's Report</h4> "When I left I was offered a job to continue working with Xyone as a consultant." "My placement with Xyone was highly rewarding and fulfilling. I already had experience with working with clients on web development projects, but had never done so as part of a team. The people at Xyone are fantastic at what they do and they welcomed me from day 1. I began by working with their existing developer learning how their processes work and after a few days was already taking on client work requests. I came away from the placement with a much greater understanding of teamworking and understood how important it was to communicate and utilise the resource of the many fantastic staff, rather than take on huge projects single-handedly. "When I left I was offered a job to continue working with Xyone as a consultant. To sum it up, the two month placement taught me a lot more than any lecture could. I consider it a great taster for what it's like to work in an IT organisation once I graduate." Ross Wilson, Student at School of Computing and Communications <h4>Xyone's Report</h4> "Ross was a credit to Lancaster University" "During Ross's placement at Xyone, he worked towards developing a client website using our bespoke CMS system. In addition, Ross undertook many ad-hoc support tasks which required open source development skills. Ross's experience allowed Xyone to make fixes and changes to several client sites which had required specific open source knowledge, mainly Wordpress and Buddypress sites. As a direct result, many of these fixes implemented by Ross helped SEO efforts for client sites with which we are commissioned to keep at the top of search engine rankings. Ross also took control of the implementation of all client website to be ICO cookie compliant apply scripts to allow the websites to seek consent and implied consent from all visitors. "We felt that Ross brought a wealth of experience and was an asset to the team. He integrated well in social activities and was very capable in his day-to-day work. Xyone employed Ross in a paid capacity for a time period following his placement and would continue to do so but we understand that his current workload doesn't allow for this. Above all, we felt that Ross was a credit to Lancaster University. <div class="image_box" style="width:250px; height:250px"><img src="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/images/xyone.jpg" alt="Xyone"> </div>"The major benefits from Ross' placement were that the extra resource meant that projects made completion before deadlines, which is a huge plus point for any business. Ross's capability and initiative allowed Xyone to trust him to take on the job in hand and have confidence in the result without the need for hands on management. The additional resource and skillset that Ross brought to the team allowed us to increase productivity, and following the departure of Ross, the outcome has been that it made us realise we have a requirement to employ another developer with skills in open source." Andrew Lancaster, Director at Xyone Limited For more information on the InfoLab21 Summer Placement Scheme go to <a href="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/business/student_projects/summer_placements.php">Summer Placement Scheme</a> Or contact Paul Okanda: p.okanda@lancaster.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354542324.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354542324.jpg 250 400 Ross Wilson, Student at School of Computing and Communications Monday Mon 03 December Dec 12 2012

1612 1 News Lancaster Lecturer Wins Best Paper at Social Computing Conference -lancaster-lecturer-wins-best-paper-at-social-computing-conference

Dr Matthew Rowe, a Lecturer in Social Computing at the School of Computing and Communications has co-authored a paper that won the best paper prize at the ASE Conference on Social Computing in September.

Dr Matthew Rowe, a Lecturer in Social Computing at the School of Computing and Communications has co-authored a paper that won the best paper prize at the ASE Conference on Social Computing in September. The paper looks at how people can maximise attention to their posts on internet forums, from the community that uses that forum. Dr Rowe explains; "Everyone wants to attract attention to their content and motivate people to engage with what they have written and shared. This paper provides information on how to construct and adapt content such that it maximises its potential to gain attention from a given community forum. It is of use to content publishers, marketers, and brand managers, who are keen to maximise the engagement potential of their content." The paper examines how different communities exhibit different patterns of attention and how attention to content in online communities can be predicted as a result. (Attention to content here refers to when a user replies to a post.) The authors modelled various features related to a new forum post (information about the author such as his reputation in the community, the sentiment and informativeness of the post, and how well it fits the community) and showed how certain features were important in some communities while not being important in others. The paper can be found at <a href="http://claudiawagner.info/publications/wagner_kmi_socialcom2012.pdf">Ignorance isn't Bliss: An Empirical Analysis of Attention Patterns in Online Communities</a> Authors: Claudia Wagner, Matthew Rowe, Markus Strohmaier and Harith Alani. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354274514.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354274514.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 30 November Nov 11 2012

1610 1 News Could you solve a business problem in your sleep? could-you-solve-a-business-problem-in-your-sleep

A new study from Lancaster University has found that sleeping on a problem really can help people to find a solution, but only if it is a difficult problem.

A new study from Lancaster University has found that sleeping on a problem really can help people to find a solution, but only if it is a difficult problem. The study, published last week in the journal Memory & Cognition, tested whether sleep or time spent awake worked best in helping people find the solutions to a range of problem solving tasks. Participants in the study - 27 men and 34 women - were asked to attempt easy and difficult verbal insight problems and, following a period of sleep, time spent wake, or no delay at all, the three groups of participants reattempted previously unsolved problems. The sleep group solved a greater number of difficult problems than did the other groups, but no difference was found for easy problems. The authors of the study - Ut Na Sio, Padraic Monaghan and Tom Ormerod all from the Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning at Lancaster's Department of Psychology - concluded that sleep facilitates problem solving but this has its primary effect for harder problems. Professor Padraic Monaghan said: "Our study shows that this sleep effect is greatest when the problems facing us are difficult. Sleep appears to help us solve problems by accessing information that is remote to the initial problem that may not be initially brought to mind. The advice stemming from this and related research is to leave a problem aside if you're stuck, and get some sleep if it's a really difficult problem." Professor Monaghan and his team are seeking businesses and other organisations who are interested in working collaboratively and applying research on creativity and problem solving in your work place. All entrepreneurs are arguably problems solvers and one of the most common ways to start a business is to think about a problem or need you have that is not properly addressed by existing suppliers. As Thomas Edison stated "I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent." Sleep has reportedly provided great inspiration, for example it is said that Salvador Dali would intentionally go to bed balancing a spoon on his hand above a plate so that when he fell asleep, the spoon would fall onto the plate and wake him. He would then sketch his dream images. According to biographers of McCartney and the Beatles, Paul McCartney composed the entire melody of the hit song Yesterday in a dream and hurriedly wrote it down on waking. Who knows what business problems could be solved or businesses started if we all started to actively use sleep creatively? <div class="link"><a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/7802xn5815616nwl/?MUD=MP">Read the study</a></div> To get involved, contact Professor Padraic Monaghan and his team, Tel: +44 (0)1524 593698 email: p.monaghan@lancaster.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354104865.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354104865.jpg 317 350 Wednesday Wed 28 November Nov 11 2012

1614 9 LU News Lancaster Academic to Present Security Research at MoD Event lancaster-academic-to-present-security-research-at-mod-event

Dr Plamen Angelov from the School of Computing and Communications and member of Security Lancaster has been invited to showcase the results of his security work to major defence and security suppliers at an event organised by the MoD's Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) on Monday 3 December 2012.

Dr Plamen Angelov from the School of Computing and Communications and member of Security Lancaster has been invited to showcase the results of his security work to major defence and security suppliers at an event organised by the MoD's Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) on Monday 3 December 2012. Dr Angelov will present the results of his MoD CDE funded project 'STAKE' which proposes new algorithms and software to analyse dynamically evolving social networks, detect anomalies and fuse data from various sources and agents. Lancaster is one of just two universities - and STAKE is one of only 13 out of 600+ CDE-funded research projects in this area - invited to attend the event. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354101428.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354101428.jpg 250 250 Dr Plamen Angelov from the School of Computing and Communications Tuesday Tue 27 November Nov 11 2012

1598 9 LU News Lancaster researchers demo 3D screens of the future lancaster-researchers-demo-3d-screens-of-the-future

Researchers at Lancaster University, Bristol University, and Nokia Research have built a prototype 3D display which tilts and moves to reflect the shape of objects appearing on screen - whether they be the contours of a mountainous landscape or the petals of a flower.

Researchers at Lancaster University, Bristol University, and Nokia Research have built a prototype 3D display which tilts and moves to reflect the shape of objects appearing on screen - whether they be the contours of a mountainous landscape or the petals of a flower. The custom-built prototype includes nine mini-screens which each tilt independently of one another and can rise up and down, bringing a whole new layer of information to the viewer. Although still an early design, the prototype gives users an impression of what the technology could be capable of in future. It has also given researchers chance to gauge public opinion and begin thinking about potential applications - from 3D maps to braille text - and understand how users might interact with such devices. Lancaster University's Dr Jason Alexander, who helped build the prototype, said: "To me, this is where touch screen technology is going. There is nothing tactile about our current screens, they are flat and uniform which means you have to look at the screen in order to interact with it. "Tilt displays are a completely new area of human computer interaction, perhaps we won't see products in the shops for another 20 years but one of the reasons we are doing this research is to explore and demonstrate the potential these screens have and to explain to material scientists why it would be worth investing time and money in this area. "Ultimately you can imagine the kind of effect you would get if each pixel of the screen on your mobile phone, tablet or television was a small square which could move independently of the pixels around it. Maps would come to life in 3D, buttons could appear at your fingertips, characters could rise up from the screen and even photographs would become more like the 3D objects they depict in real life. "The potential applications are numerous, these examples are just the tip of the iceberg." <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c3ItmbH89RM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353682043.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353682070.jpg 300 250 the display's nine mini-screens each tilt independently of one another and can rise up and down Friday Fri 23 November Nov 11 2012

1606 1 News Catchment productivity is a key component in high CO2 emissions from lakes catchment-productivity-is-a-key-component-in-high-co2-emissions-from-lakes

A new study shows that biologically productive lakes have higher than average concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and consequently higher losses of CO2 to the atmosphere. The analysis, which examined data from 20 Cumbrian lakes collected over 26 years, was published in the journal Nature Climate Change this week and led by Prof Stephen Maberly at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) working with colleagues from CEH and Lancaster University.

A new study shows that biologically productive lakes have higher than average concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and consequently higher losses of CO2 to the atmosphere. The analysis, which examined data from 20 Cumbrian lakes collected over 26 years, was published in the journal Nature Climate Change this week and led by Prof Stephen Maberly at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) working with colleagues from CEH and Lancaster University. Most lakes are net sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. Previous studies attributed this net atmospheric loss of CO2 to the in-lake oxidation of terrestrially-produced dissolved organic carbon. The results of the new study found that the main source of excess CO2 was inflowing streams delivering CO2 and carbonates from the catchment, rather than oxidation of organic carbon within the lake itself. The study also showed that there was a strong positive correlation between lake CO2 concentration and total catchment productivity: the more productive catchments produced more organic carbon that, in these systems, was oxidised to CO2 in the catchment and entered the lakes via streams. Prof Maberly, who is head of the Lake Ecosystem Group at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said, "This work underlines the high connectedness between lakes and their catchments and has implications for catchment management: increased productivity may result in increased losses of CO2 from the surface of a lake." The research involved the Lake Ecosystem Group and Stable Isotope Facility at CEH's Lancaster site, in collaboration with Lancaster University scientist Prof Philip Barker, all of whom are based in the Lancaster Environment Centre. The study relied on monitoring in the English Lake District that began in the 1930s and which now offers a unique platform for investigating long term impacts of climate change. A large proportion of data analysed in the study was collected within monitoring programmes funded by the Environment Agency http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1354098502.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1354793522.jpg 300 300 Thursday Thu 22 November Nov 11 2012

1602 9 LU News Foetuses yawn in the womb, according to new research foetuses-yawn-in-the-womb-according-to-new-research

We know that unborn babies hiccup, swallow and stretch in the womb but new observational research concludes that they also yawn.

We know that unborn babies hiccup, swallow and stretch in the womb but new observational research concludes that they also yawn. 4D scans of 15 healthy foetuses, by Lancaster and Durham Universities, also suggest that yawning is a developmental process which could potentially give doctors another index of a foetus' health. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0050569">The study</a> is published in the international academic journal, PLOS ONE. While some researchers have suggested that foetuses yawn, others have disagreed and claim it is simple mouth opening. But the new research clearly distinguished 'yawning' from 'non-yawn mouth opening' based on the duration of mouth opening. The researchers did this by using the 4D video footage to closely examine all events where a mouth stretch occurred in the foetus. Using their newly developed criteria, the research team found that over half of the mouth openings observed in the study were classed as yawns. The study was carried out on eight female and seven male foetuses from 24 to 36 weeks gestation. The researchers found that yawning declined from 28 weeks and that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in yawning frequency. Although the function and importance of yawning is still unknown, the study findings suggest that yawning could be linked to foetal development, and as such could provide a further medical indication of the health of the unborn baby. Professor Brian Francis of Lancaster University's <a href="http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk">Department of Maths and Statistics</a> said: "The use of modern statistical approaches to such longitudinal data has identified the surprising result that, although each foetus has its own personal yawn rate at 24 weeks, there is a strong decline to nearly zero by 36 weeks gestation. There was also no significant difference between boys and girls in yawning frequency or rate of yawning decline." Lead researcher Dr Nadja Reissland, of Durham University's Department of Psychology, continued: "The results of this study demonstrate that yawning can be observed in healthy fetuses and extends previous work on foetal yawning. "Unlike us, foetuses do not yawn contagiously, nor do they yawn because they are sleepy. Instead, the frequency of yawning in the womb may be linked to the maturing of the brain early in gestation." She added that yawning could be related to central nervous system maturation but further research involving mother and foetus would be required to examine this theory. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353686130.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353686130.jpg 275 275 Following statistical analysis, over half of the mouth openings observed in the study were classed as yawns Thursday Thu 22 November Nov 11 2012

1599 9 LU News Homeless health check prototype to be launched homeless-health-check-prototype-to-be-launched

Homeless people who have been working with Lancaster University academics and citizen scientists to dream up new technology have developed a prototype which could improve their lives.

Homeless people who have been working with Lancaster University academics and citizen scientists to dream up new technology have developed a prototype which could improve their lives. The device - called 'Pat' or Personal Appointment Ticketing service - enables homeless people living chaotic lives to easily keep track of appointments from doctors and dentists to meetings with social workers with the single swipe of a specially-made wrist band or plastic card. It then prints out a personalised reminder list of dates, times and places. Based on simple, cheap technology including a Raspberry PI computer, the system is now being tested by case workers and service users from Signposts, a charity supporting homeless groups in Lancashire and Cumbria, who played a key role in developing the prototype. It will be launched on November 28 at The Midland Hotel, Morecambe (<a href="http://catalystevent2012.eventbrite.co.uk/">register to attend</a>). Attendees will be able to hear more about the project and see the prototype in action. The prototype was developed as part of an eight-month research project called <a href="http://www.catalystproject.org.uk/content/patchworks">Patchworks</a> led by Lancaster University working in collaboration with Signposts and MadLab - a group of DIYBio innovators who share and experiment with cheap, open source technology. The project is part of an ambitious £1.9m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project called <a href="http://www.catalystproject.org.uk/">Catalyst</a>, led by Professor Jon Whittle of Lancaster's School of Computing and Communications. Catalyst will be made up of series of short research 'sprints' designed to test the boundaries of existing communications technology and empower groups to change the world for the better. Patchworks is Catalyst's first project. Medical biologist Dr Rod Dillon, who is leading Patchworks, said: "Unlike other projects of this kind, Patchworks depends on the imaginations, experiences, design and manufacturing skills of homeless communities themselves. We are not telling people what we can do for them, we are asking what they need and working with them to create it. "We hope this tool will help people make more appointments because they have access to a different type of reminder system, and lead to improvement in quality of life. "Indirectly, through taking part in the Patchworks prototype development process, Signposts staff and clients have increased awareness of technologies and how they work. They have also made new connections which we hope will continue, enabling them to make improvements in their lives and the services they provide and receive." Sharon Calverley, Project Director at Signposts, said: "Patchworks is a really exciting initiative - there is amazing potential for the technical side of this project to make a real difference to homeless people. "What makes it really brilliant is the idea of two groups from very different backgrounds working together for the benefit of a marginalised section of the local community. "For me the most rewarding thing was when we brought one of our service users back from MadLab in Manchester and he said 'there's such a big world out there and I'm wasting my life and I need to do something'. To me that sums up what we are about." <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ydPcxuixhAw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353684237.gif 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353684006.jpg 275 275 the system is based on cheap technology including the credit-card sized Raspberry PI computer Thursday Thu 22 November Nov 11 2012

1597 1 News School of Computing and Communications Secures 650k for Future Internet Research school-of-computing-and-communications-secures-650k-for-future-internet-research

Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications has secured funding for three new projects worth over 650k through the EU Future Internet Research & Experimentation (FIRE) programme.

Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications has secured funding for three new projects worth over 650k through the EU Future Internet Research & Experimentation (FIRE) programme. Recognising that the Internet has become the backbone of modern society, the FIRE programme addresses the need for large scale experimentation and testing of emerging Internet research. These projects build upon a history of previous and current FIRE projects (SmartSantander, Wisebed, ResumeNet, EINS) and the School's long standing tradition in developing and experimentally evaluating new mechanisms for the Internet. Head of School, Professor Geoff Coulson said, "On behalf of the School, I'm very proud that our computer networking research has contributed so significantly to the European "Future Internet" research agenda. We have truly been one of the main players in this important domain, with a succession of back-to-back projects over the past several EU Framework programmes - a record equalled by few other European Universities. Our success and contribution in this area reflects the School's strong reputation for carrying out advanced networking research and experimentation using laboratory and real-life testbeds." The three newly funded projects are: <ul><li>RELYonIT (271,347) Dr Utz Roedig, Dr Andreas Mauthe, Professor Geoffrey Coulson RELYonIT investigates how environmental properties such as interference, temperature or humidity influence communication in wireless networks. The goal of RELYonIT is to provide a systematic framework and toolset to enable the reliable use of wireless networks in hostile environments.</li> <li>STEER (299,302) Dr Nicholas Race, Professor David Hutchison The STEER (Social Telemedia Environment for Experimental Research) project is building an experimentation platform to investigate the cross-over between social networks and networked media (such as on-demand video). STEER will be developing software that can process information provided by social networks to not only create richer, more personalised media experiences, but also to improve the performance of the underlying computer network. This work makes use of a real-life, community-based testbed.</li> <li>OFELIA (95,000) Dr Nicholas Race, Professor David Hutchison The OFELIA project brings together 17 institutions from across Europe to create a unique experimental facility based on the emerging OpenFlow networking technology. OpenFlow uses an unprecedented level of live statistical data gathered from the Internet, subsequently helping to optimize its performance. Within OFELIA, Lancaster University is developing an extension to OpenFlow to support the transparent caching of data within the network, with a view to making the future Internet more responsive and efficient.</li></ul> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353595500.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353595500.jpg 249 250 Future Internet Research and Experimentation Initative (FIRE) Thursday Thu 22 November Nov 11 2012

1600 9 LU News Innovation experts collaborate to promote healthy ageing innovation-experts-collaborate-to-promote-healthy-ageing

World-leading innovation experts from industry and academia gathered in Liverpool on 21 November to create new ideas and concepts to encourage healthy and active ageing - one of the biggest issues and opportunities facing society today.

World-leading innovation experts from industry and academia gathered in Liverpool on 21 November to create new ideas and concepts to encourage healthy and active ageing - one of the biggest issues and opportunities facing society today. The event is the latest to be organised by the <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/working-with-business/">N8 Industry Innovation Forum</a> (N8 IIF) - set up earlier this year to encourage new collaborations between industry and the eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England to drive innovation, competitive advantage and growth. Involving over 100 senior figures from industry, charities, the NHS and the N8 group of universities (Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York) the event focuses on digital innovation for health and well-being, ageing skin, and food and nutrition. Companies taking part include Boots, Phillips and AstraZeneca as well as the charities Age UK, Carers UK and Help the Hospices. Ideas emerging from the event included smart technology to help older adults manage increasingly complex personal health needs and diagnostic tools for improved nutrition. Professor Trevor McMillan, Chair of the N8 Executive Management Group and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Lancaster University, said: "The N8 IIF has been very positively received by both industry and the academic world. There is real desire among academics to engage with industry and see their research make a difference in some of the biggest areas facing society, while industry has the skills and technical know-how required to commercialise ideas and bring them to market. "An ageing population has implications for healthcare provision and the structure and shape of the labour market. But as well as challenges, there are opportunities - and already we are seeing growth in new sectors such as those providing healthcare services for the very old. "This event has provided an opportunity for everyone taking part to meet with 'unlikely partners' - organisations who they would not normally work with - and we've already seen a number of exciting and innovative ideas come out of it as a result." The N8 IIF is supported by the Technology Strategy Board and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). <a href="https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/n8">Join the online N8 IIF community</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353684906.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353684906.jpg 237 300 Wednesday Wed 21 November Nov 11 2012

1595 1 News Lancaster Authors Dominate IEEE Computer Special Issue lancaster-authors-dominate-ieee-computer-special-issue

3 of the 5 papers in the October issue of IEEE Computer Magazine (a special issue on Dynamic Software Product Lines) are by Lancaster or former Lancaster Authors.

3 of the 5 papers in the October issue of IEEE Computer Magazine (a special issue on Dynamic Software Product Lines) are by Lancaster or former Lancaster Authors. 2 papers are authored or co-authored by people from the School of Computing and Communications: Dr Jaejoon Lee, Dr Gerald Kotonya, Dr Daniel Robinson and Professor Peter Sawyer. Plus for a third paper the first author, Dr Nelly Bencomo, is an SCC PhD graduate. The papers can be found in the current (October) issue of IEEE Computer and are available online from the links below: (Subscription required to read full articles.) <ul><li><a href="http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/2012/10/mco2012100049-abs.html">Engineering Service-Based Dynamic Software Product Lines:</a> Lee, Jaejoon; Kotonya, Gerald; Robinson, Daniel</li> <li> <a href="http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/2012/10/mco2012100056-abs.html">Using Constraint Programming to Manage Configurations in Self-Adaptive Systems:</a> Sawyer, Pete; Mazo, Raúl; Diaz, Daniel; Salinesi, Camille; Hughes, Danny</li> <li> <a href="http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/2012/10/mco2012100036-abs.html">A View of the Dynamic Software Product Line Landscape:</a> Bencomo, Nelly; Hallsteinsen, Svein; Almeida, Eduardo Santana</li> </ul> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353408541.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353408541.jpg 340 250 Tuesday Tue 20 November Nov 11 2012

1596 1 News Prize for electron-neutrino research prize-for-electron-neutrino-research

The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiment in Japan, that involves Lancaster University particle physicists, has recently been awarded the prestigious "Le Prix La Recherche". The prize, awarded by the French journal "La Recherche", one of the top popular science journals in France, honours the top research in 2011 across all sciences based upon a criteria of scientific discovery and deepening understanding. T2K's 2011 <a href="http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v107/i4/e041801">paper</a> on...

The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiment in Japan, that involves Lancaster University particle physicists, has recently been awarded the prestigious "Le Prix La Recherche". The prize, awarded by the French journal "La Recherche", one of the top popular science journals in France, honours the top research in 2011 across all sciences based upon a criteria of scientific discovery and deepening understanding. T2K's 2011 <a href="http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v107/i4/e041801">paper</a> on electron-neutrino appearance in a muon-neutrino beam was selected by a 10-member committee of experts from disparate science and technology fields including mathematics, archeology and physics. The prize follows an award by the journal "Physics World" at the end of last year, for which the same T2K research was listed as one of the top 10 breakthroughs in Physics in 2011. T2K was built to measure the properties of neutrinos - fundamental particles which have the unusual property of being able to change from one type of neutrino to another as they travel almost unhindered through matter or space. T2K fired a beam of muon-neutrinos 300 km to a "far" detector, where some of the muon-neutrinos were found to have changed to electron-neutrinos. The beam first goes through a "near" detector in order to characterise the muon-neutrino beam, which allows for comparison with the beam detected by the far detector. Lancaster physicists played a large role in building, calibrating and monitoring the near detector and are now using the data to measure neutrino interaction cross-sections, or probabilities. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353445255.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353445255.jpg 400 400 Photomultiplier tubes reflecting in the ultra-pure water that makes up the T2K detector Tuesday Tue 20 November Nov 11 2012

1594 1 News £3m for particle physics research 3m-for-particle-physics-research

The Physics Department has been awarded a £3 million grant by the Science and Technology Funding Council (STFC) to continue its programme of particle physics research over the next five years.

The Physics Department has been awarded a £3 million grant by the Science and Technology Funding Council (STFC) to continue its programme of particle physics research over the next five years. The award will enable Lancaster physicists to maintain their strong commitment to CERN's Large Hadron Collider with the <a href="http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/Collaboration/">ATLAS</a> collaboration and to sustain their interest in investigating the properties of the elusive neutrino with the <a href="http://t2k-experiment.org/">T2K</a> collaboration in Japan. Both projects have yielded very important and exciting scientific results in the past year - the discovery of the Higgs boson and the first observation of a previously unseen type of neutrino oscillation. Lancaster staff were closely involved in each of these groundbreaking findings. Lancaster particle physicists are now beginning to explore the properties of the Higgs boson and delve deeper into the behaviour of neutrinos. Professor Peter Ratoff is the principal investigator on the grant. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353327792.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353327792.png 375 250 A neutrino event viewed by T2K's Super-Kamiokande detector Monday Mon 19 November Nov 11 2012

1601 9 LU News Lancaster shares in £39 million for UK energy efficiency research lancaster-shares-in-39-million-for-uk-energy-efficiency-research

Lancaster University is leading one of only five new research centres in the UK that will look into the complexities of energy use across society.

Lancaster University is leading one of only five new research centres in the UK that will look into the complexities of energy use across society. The <a href="http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2012/Pages/energyefficiencycutcarbonuse.aspx">End Use Energy Demand research centres</a> will receive over £26 million funding from two research councils, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and a further £13 million from industrial partners. They will look at how energy can be both saved and used more efficiently, supporting energy efficiency policy and contributing to cutting carbon use and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Lancaster's Centre, DEMAND: Dynamics of Energy, Mobility and Demand, will work on transport and building-related energy use, focusing on how energy demand is made and met. DEMAND will be directed by Professor Elizabeth Shove (Department of Sociology), with Professor Gordon Walker (Lancaster Environment Centre) as co-director, and will involve researchers at Lancaster across three faculties. The five year research programme involves working in partnership with the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds, the European Centre and Labs for Energy Efficiency Research at EDF R&D based in Paris and with researchers at the universities of Aberdeen, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Reading, Sheffield, Sussex and UCL. It will create new methods of data analysis, integrate historical research with energy-demand planning, and assess whether innovations in technology and infrastructure will work in the real world. The Centre's research focuses on basic questions about what energy is for and how patterns of consumption and practice change. This approach will allow organisations engaged in demand management and in radically reconfiguring infrastructures, buildings and transport systems to better meet greenhouse gas emissions targets. Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: "We have now put energy efficiency at the very heart of the Government's energy policy. Using energy more wisely is absolutely vital in a world of increased pressure on resources and rising prices. Not only can energy efficiency help save money on bills and cut emissions, it can support green jobs, innovation and enterprise. "The five new End Use Energy Demand centres launched today will play an important role in improving our understanding of how energy is used across the nation, helping us learn more about what needs to be done to change consumer and business behaviour. I wish these centres every success and look forward to seeing the results." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Tuesday Tue 13 November Nov 11 2012

1584 1 News 'How to' week how-to-week

Lancaster University <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/gew/">How Toweek</a> is a week of events with students and businesses to enhancing student experience and employability. The week-long programme is jam-packed with workshops, interactive competitions, prizes and practical, bite-sized information, know-how and inspiration and includes two workshops run by Science and Technology's Student Employability Manager Pam Pickles and UNITE with Business:

Lancaster University <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/gew/">How Toweek</a> is a week of events with students and businesses to enhancing student experience and employability. The week-long programme is jam-packed with workshops, interactive competitions, prizes and practical, bite-sized information, know-how and inspiration and includes two workshops run by Science and Technology's Student Employability Manager Pam Pickles and UNITE with Business: <h4>1. How to..make the most out of a student placement</h4> Wednesday 14th November 1.00 -1.45pm, Bowland North, Seminar Room 6 This workshop provides an opportunity to find out how a work placement can improve students' skills, knowledge, employability and most importantly how to ensure that they gain maximum benefit from the placement through careful preparation. <h4>2. How toaccess a paid placement</h4> Thursday 15th November 1.00 - 1,45pm, Bowland North, Seminar Room 6 An opportunity to find out where students can look for paid work experience placements and how to make successful applications. Find out about websites advertising paid placements and learn about making speculative applications. Graduates who have benefited from work placements and employers including LEC resident company The REACH Centre will also be available to answer questions and share their thoughts. Pam explains "Despite having considerable knowledge, skills and abilities, many of our students simply have no experience of the workplace. Gaining work experience whilst at university can help to ensure that they are fully equipped for the future, making them more likely to achieve their full potential." Pam is happy to discuss the ways in which such experience can be gained with staff and students. She is also keen to support students in securing work experience and can be contacted <a href="mailto: p.pickles@lancaster.ac.uk">by email</a> or on phone number 01524-510193. Security Lancaster are also getting involved in <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/gew/">"How To.." Week</a> and have formed a partnership with parental control software company Cyber Sentinel to deliver the Cyber Security: Innovation Creativity and Entrepreneurship Challenge. This challenge will provide students on the MSc in Cyber Security and other Masters programmes at Lancaster University with the opportunity to develop commercial ideas from their studies with support from Lancaster University and business mentoring from Phillip Speed, Director of Cyber Sentinel. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1352379004.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1352378955.jpg 303 200 Student Employability Manager Pam Pickles Thursday Thu 08 November Nov 11 2012

1582 9 LU News Lancaster and Queen's to form partnership on cyber security lancaster-and-queens-to-form-partnership-on-cyber-security

Lancaster University and Queen's University Belfast have formalised their close working relationship in cyber security via a memorandum of understanding in order to produce the UK's biggest and brightest group of creative and innovative cyber security researchers.

Lancaster University and Queen's University Belfast have formalised their close working relationship in cyber security via a memorandum of understanding in order to produce the UK's biggest and brightest group of creative and innovative cyber security researchers. Both Universities are Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, awarded by the EPSRC and GCHQ, and are the only institutions in the north of the UK to obtain the award. The two institutions also complement each other in their research focus and approach, with both adopting a multi-disciplinary methodology. The goal of the formalised relationship is to enable the two universities to share resources, ideas and knowledge in the fast paced research field that is cyber security. Government estimates put the economic cost of cyber crime globally at between $250 billion to $1 trillion per year. By engaging with business and the EPSRC, both Lancaster University and Queen's aim to produce the cyber security leaders and strategists of tomorrow. Together they will address key cyber security issues threatening security in today's society such as: Coping with the fluid nature of online identity Cyber security behaviours Ensuring the resilience of network systems Instilling a cyber security culture Secure communications Securing mobile and embedded infrastructures Responding to unanticipated cyber threats Over the last decade Lancaster University has made significant contributions in security research, from tackling online crime to the impact of domestic violence and abuse in vulnerable groups and helping eye witnesses in interview settings. Lancaster University's new centre dedicated to security and protection science called Security Lancaster was opened this October by the former Minister for State Security and Counter Terrorism The Rt Hon Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG. Professor Awais Rashid is Co-Director of Security Lancaster. He said: "Cyber security is an area that presents major challenges to the security of the UK and the world. Currently, there is a serious lack of highly qualified cyber security personnel and this skill gap is widening at a fast pace given the increasing number and variety of cyber threats aimed at individuals, organisations and infrastructures. This is an exciting partnership that will enable us to develop future leaders in cyber security - not only capable for world class research but also able to play a leading role in in industry and policy-making bodies." Queen's University is home to the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) an Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) which brings together research specialists in complementary fields such as data encryption, network security systems, wireless enabled security systems, video analytics and intelligent surveillance technology. CSIT is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Technology Strategy Board, Queen's University Belfast and a range of partner organisations and member companies through its "Open Innovation" model. Dr Godfrey Gaston is Director of CSIT. He said: "At CSIT we are solving some of the world's cyber security challenges of the present and the future, as well as creating a dynamic environment that fosters entrepreneurship. It is core to our thinking that research needs to be multi-disciplinary and is informed by industry to ensure maximum potential for impact on commercialisation and implementation. To that end this partnership complements our expertise and opens up new opportunities for our industrial partners in terms of technology and access to an even broader cyber security research base." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1352305434.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1352305434.jpg 356 300 Professor Awais Rashid Wednesday Wed 07 November Nov 11 2012

1592 1 News £1.4m Grant Success for School of Computing and Communications 1.4m-grant-success-for--school-of-computing-and-communications

Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications have secured six research grants totalling £1.4m.

Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications have secured six research grants totalling £1.4m. The grants have been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), bolstering the School's existing £10m grant portfolio. Fuelling the School's mission to undertake fundamental research with real world impact, the funding will be used to support research projects pioneering digital techniques with applications that impact on our everyday lives. Grant-winning projects range from improving the sustainability of the UK's transport, trade and communications infrastructures, to reducing the carbon footprint of the typical grocery shop, and working with village communities to develop tools to help share stories related to their local history. Head of the School of Computing and Communications, Professor Geoff Coulson, said: "I am absolutely delighted at this recent burst of spectacular success in research funding. It is due reward for the considerable effort that all concerned have expended in the School's strategic push to grow our research funding base. "It is gratifying also to observe how well this set of projects fits together, with each addressing a complementary set of real-world concerns. Collectively, they really highlight the School's fundamental ethos of 'research with impact'." Lancaster University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Smith had high praise for the School of Computing and Communications: "This is great news - grant funding is one of the key inputs in allowing a research-led university to be research led." The six recently awarded grants are: <ul> <li><a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/K012584/1">BARTER: moBile sociAl netwoRking supporTing local Ethical tRading</a> (£193,931) Dr Paul Coulton (ImaginationLancaster), Professor Jon Whittle Investigating the role of social networking and using game design to encourage more local and ethical trading initiatives to produce new complimentary economic models to build a more sustainable society.</li> <li><a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/K011693/1">Cognitive Resource Scheduling Designs Towards Green Wireless Systems</a> (£300,568) Professor Qiang Ni. Exploring environment-friendly green wireless communication technology. I<a name="_GoBack" id="_GoBack"></a>n collaboration with Nokia Siemens Networks, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" and Intracom Telecom.</li> <li><a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/K025201/1">Creativity Greenhouse: Digital Brain Switch</a> (£209,160) Professor Jon Whittle Studying how people manage the switch between work/life boundaries both in the 'real' and digital worlds, focusing on the role of modern communications and their impact. In collaboration with Dr C Ang - University of Kent, Professor Gillian Symon - University of London, Dr H Roby - Open University</li> <li><a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/K012738/1">Encouraging Low Carbon Food Shopping with Ubicomp Interventions</a> (£214,455) Dr Adrian Friday, Dr Michael Hazas, Dr Adrian Clear and Dr Mark Rouncefield Working with businesses to investigate use of pervasive computing methodologies in reducing the carbon footprint of food. In collaboration with EH Booths &Co Ltd and Small World Consulting.</li> <li><a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/K012614/1">Supporting Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Maintenance</a> (£161,633) Professor Nigel Davies, Dr Adrian Friday Exploring opportunities to minimise the environmental impact of maintaining the UK's transport infrastructure using predictive travel patterns. In collaboration with Carillion Plc and In Touch Ltd.</li> <li>The SHARC Project: Investigating Technology Support for the Shared Curation of Local History in a Rural Community (£286,406) Dr Keith Cheverst Working with village communities to develop and evaluate tools that support the shared telling of stories related to their local history and heritage. </li> </ul> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1353082389.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1353082389.jpg 250 400 Tuesday Tue 06 November Nov 11 2012

1577 9 LU News Small Businesses Behind on Cyber Security Says Report small-businesses-behind-on-cyber-security-says-report

A survey of small business owners has revealed that almost half spend less than 5% of their budget on IT security, despite saying 98% of them saying it is a high priority.

A survey of small business owners has revealed that almost half spend less than 5% of their budget on IT security, despite saying 98% of them saying it is a high priority. This is one of the findings from the Small Business Cyber Security Survey 2012 Report, run by Lancaster University's Security Lancaster in partnership with the ICT KTN. Security Lancaster is one of only eight in the UK to be recognised by government and awarded Academic Cyber Security Centre of Excellence Status. It brings together Lancaster University's research in cyber security, security futures, violence and society and investigative expertise. Other findings from the report include: <ul><li>98% of respondents cite IT/Cyber security as a high business priority for them but only 43% actually those businesses have an actual IT security policy in place.</li> <li>Only 59% of all respondents outsourcing services have any form of IT policy protection.</li> <li>55% of respondents were unaware of IT compliance requests from their clients and 66% unaware of requests from their suppliers or partners.</li> <li>The top four drivers for IT expenditure in the respondents are; protecting customer data (34%), complying with laws and regulations (15%), business continuity (11%) and preventing system downtime and outages (11%).</li></ul> Dr Daniel Prince, Associate Director of Security Lancaster, said: "Despite the worrying findings we believe that the cyber security should not be considered a burden, but rather an opportunity and an effective component of business strategy. What the report highlights is that small and micro businesses have trouble understanding how to maximise these opportunities and their security capital expenditure. Given the economic wealth that these companies bring to the UK there is a clear market failure in the support that they receive in order to develop business opportunities and protect their business operations. Security Lancaster can help mediate this failure by providing access to its cutting edge cyber security research work for companies." More details of the report and the data set used to produce it can be found at: <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/sbcss2012">www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/sbcss2012</a> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1352109126.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1352109126.jpg 250 250 Thursday Thu 01 November Nov 11 2012

1570 9 LU News 'Sleep on it' - but only if it's really difficult sleep-on-it---but-only-if-its-really-difficult

A new study from psychologists at Lancaster University has found that sleeping on a tricky problem really can help.

A new study from psychologists at Lancaster University has found that sleeping on a tricky problem really can help. <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/7802xn5815616nwl/?MUD=MP">The study</a>, published online this month in the journal Memory & Cognition, tested whether sleep or time spent awake worked best in helping people find the solutions to a range of problem solving tasks. Participants in the study - 27 men and 34 women - were asked to attempt easy and difficult verbal insight problems and, following a period of sleep, time spent wake, or no delay at all, the three groups of participants reattempted previously unsolved problems. The sleep group solved a greater number of difficult problems than the other groups, but no difference was found for easy problems. The authors of the study - Ut Na Sio, Padraic Monaghan and Tom Ormerod all from the Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning at Lancaster's <a href="http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk">Department of Psychology</a> - concluded that sleep facilitates problem solving but this has its primary effect for harder problems. Professor Padraic Monaghan said: "We've known for years that sleep has a profound effect on our ability to be creative and find new solutions to problems. Our study shows that this sleep effect is greatest when the problems facing us are difficult. "Sleep appears to help us solve problems by accessing information that is remote to the initial problem, that may not be initially brought to mind. Sleep has been proposed to 'spread activation' to the solution that is initially distant from our first attempts at the problem. "The advice stemming from this and related research is to leave a really difficult problem aside if you're stuck, and get some sleep." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1351251240.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1351251240.jpg 225 500 The experiments took place in Lancaster University's sleep lab Friday Fri 26 October Oct 10 2012

1567 1 News Chinese delegation visits Lancaster to develop joint International Research and Innovation Centre chinese-delegation-visits-lancaster-to-develop-joint-international-research-and-innovation-centre

Scientists and business leaders from China visited Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) last week to develop plans for the International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment (IRICE). Their visit builds on the <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/news/?article_id=1477">IRICE launch</a> in Guangzhou earlier this year.

Scientists and business leaders from China visited Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) last week to develop plans for the International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment (IRICE). Their visit builds on the <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/news/?article_id=1477">IRICE launch</a> in Guangzhou earlier this year. IRICE is a joint initiative between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Lancaster University (LU). Two CAS Institutes lead the engagement - the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) and Institute of Urban Environment (IUE), Xiamen and has been endorsed and supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The over-arching purpose of IRICE is to provide a vehicle to enable the partners and collaborators to conduct collaborative world class research on environmental issues of global concern and support environmental innovation and research, business and consultancy on environmental topics and technologies. The 14 guests from China included business leaders from Guangdong Province (Dr Lu Zeng, Director of Exchange and Cooperation Division, Mr Zhitong Zhang Deputy Director of Business, Education and Research from Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Mr Xuan Jia, Science and Technology Bureau, Foshan City), scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Professor Jun Guo, Vice-president and CCP Secretary General, Guangzhou Branch, Mr Xiaofeng Lu , CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, Professor Gan Zhang, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Ms Ping Xia, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Ms Wei Wen, Director of Foreign Affairs Office, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Mr Changhua Wang, Deputy Director of CAS Foshan Centre for Environmental Technology and Dr. Chunling Luo, research scientist), a senior scientist from the Pearl River Basin Water Resources Protection Bureau (Professor Xinyuan Liu, Chief Engineer) and senior representation from the Chinese Embassy in London: Mr Futao Chen, Minister Counsellor in Science and Technology, Mr Zhongcheng Wang, First Secretary) and Ms Ming Liu (Head of Science and Innovation) from the British Consulate General Guangzhou. The new UK-China Centre will grow both research and new business partnerships across China with a focus on innovative solutions for environmental and human health protection. The platform will act as focus for innovation and will create and encourage opportunities for UK business growth specifically in relation to environmental technologies across soil, air and water resource protection. Speaking about the exciting range of opportunities the Centre will bring Professor Kevin Jones, LEC Director said 'working in and with China has brought tremendous opportunities for us. We are honoured to have hosted our guests and excited by the scale of the ambitions being discussed'. For further information about IRICE and research/innovation opportunities in China, please <a href="mailto:hong.li@lancaster.ac.uk">email Dr Hong Li.</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350985373.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350984943.jpg 292 443 Tuesday Tue 23 October Oct 10 2012

1566 9 LU News Security Lancaster Launched by former Minister for State Security and Counter Terrorism security-lancaster-launched-by-former-minister-for-state-security-and-counter-terrorism-

A new centre dedicated to security and protection science called Security Lancaster has been opened by the former Minister for State Security and Counter Terrorism The Rt Hon Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG.

A new centre dedicated to security and protection science called Security Lancaster has been opened by the former Minister for State Security and Counter Terrorism The Rt Hon Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG. Over the last decade Lancaster University has made significant contributions in security research, from tackling online crime to the impact of domestic violence and abuse in vulnerable groups and helping eye witnesses in interview settings. Our multi-disciplinary approach to the research area of cyber security has led to the award of an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research by the EPSRC and GCHQ, one of only eight such centres in the UK. The Baroness said: "It's a great accolade for Lancaster University to gain this recognition. I very much welcome the emphasis here on doing research rich in intellectual content and relevant to the practical needs of society." Security Lancaster brings together world-class researchers from various disciplines to address key issues threatening security in today's society, including: · cyber security · social unrest and new technologies · vulnerable witness interviewing · radicalisation and the digital culture The joint directors of Security Lancaster are Dr Paul Taylor and Professor Awais Rashid. Professor Rashid said: "From threats to national security to internet hacking, cyber security affects almost every one of us and it isn't going to go away any time soon. Lancaster University has been working in this field for nearly a decade, forging a global reputation for our research. "The launch event is a showcase of some of our work which includes cyber security, security futures, violence and society and investigative expertise. There will also be discussions from some of our leading academics and an exhibition from our promising postgraduate students." Partnerships with industry means that research outcomes developed by Security Lancaster can create tangible impact in the real world. Security Lancaster currently has close working relationships with major companies like BT and Cisco as well as governmental bodies, police and security services both in the UK and in Europe. Dr Taylor said: "Our approach has always been to work in partnership with stakeholders, be it our local community here in the North West, or large multinational companies. From exploring new areas to refining existing approaches, we have always ensured that academic understanding goes hand in hand with tangible and impactful contributions. The two in synthesis deliver lasting and important changes in today's society." The launch was followed by the Future of Security and Protection Science Conference, a day of talks given by leading industrial and academic experts including: · Who am I; identity, trust and influence in cyberspace · Safeguarding cyborg childhood · Lost in cyberspace? · Social media and the future of security LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350645446.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350645446.jpg 400 400 Friday Fri 19 October Oct 10 2012

1565 9 LU News First fifty businesses announced in £9.8m eco innovation centre first-fifty-businesses-announced-in-9.8m-eco-innovation-centre

Fifty businesses have been selected to work intensively with university researchers and graduates on environmentally friendly products and services in a radical new research centre.

Fifty businesses have been selected to work intensively with university researchers and graduates on environmentally friendly products and services in a radical new research centre. The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation is led by Lancaster University in partnership with the University of Liverpool and Inventya Ltd. The centre secured £4.9m from the North West Operational Programme for European Regional Development funds to provide research and development expertise to hundreds of the region's businesses, bolster the region's economy in key export markets and drive forward improvements in green technology and services. Each successful business has been matched with a graduate who will undertake a three-year programme of collaborative research to develop new products, processes and services for the global marketplace that have positive environmental benefits. Some examples of research projects include: * Energy saving in buildings through design, monitoring and advanced control techniques. * Water improvement through techniques in catchment management, understanding and control of points of pollution. *Materials savings through application of specialist manufacturing techniques and nanotechnology The graduates are using these collaborations as the basis of a PhD programme of study starting October 2012. On Wednesday, October 10, Lancaster University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Mark E. Smith congratulated the businesses, graduate researchers and academic staff for having the vision to take part in something completely new. He said: "Here at Lancaster we are proud to be one of the leading research powerhouses in the North West and we are proud to be associated with the region but we also have global reach and ambition to have an impact on the world. This new centre is an excellent example of that ambition and our willingness to do things differently. "I am incredibly supportive of this model and I genuinely believe that collaboration between research and industry is a hugely enriching environment." The centre will also provide expert help to a further 235 regional businesses to develop new, greener products and services, resulting in significant savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste and energy, make measurable contributions to the region's economic recovery and deliver a significant number of new jobs to the region. Dr Mark Bacon, Faculty Director for Business Partnerships & Enterprise in Science & Technology said: "The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation is a partnership on an unprecedented scale and a huge asset for Science and Technology at Lancaster, using PhD programmes in a novel way to form new long-term partnerships with businesses. The 50 doctoral projects have the potential to make a real difference to people's lives and have a positive impact on the environment. I am particularly keen that we have projects with SMEs spread across several Science and Technology Departments at Lancaster and Liverpool." At Lancaster, the project is directed by Dr Mark Bacon, Faculty Director for Business Partnerships and Enterprise in Science and Technology and Dion Williams, Head of Knowledge Exchange Support. The Centre's project manager is Dr Andy Pickard and the academic lead at Lancaster is Professor Nigel Paul. At the University of Liverpool the project is managed by Dr Matt Fulton, Project Manager and Professor Andy Platter, Academic Director. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350491161.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350491867.jpg 250 250 Vice Chancellor Mark E. Smith congratulates the businesses, graduate researchers and academic staff involved Wednesday Wed 17 October Oct 10 2012

1563 1 News PhD Studentship - School of Computing and Communications phd-studentship---school-of-computing-and-communications

Autonomous Object Detection and Tracking in Real Time

Autonomous Object Detection and Tracking in Real Time Lancaster University, School of Computing and Communications Minimum of £15,590 including a top up of £2K pa by the sponsoring company (Thales UK) Introduction Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship in Autonomous Object Detection and Tracking in Real Time commencing 1 January 2013 (or as soon as the post is filled in but no later than 1 October 2013. About the project The studentship is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Thales UK. The project's aim is to investigate and develop innovative methods, algorithms and software for real-time on-board processing of climate science data in terms of identifying dynamically evolving clusters and autonomously monitor, model and extract knowledge from the data streams. The aim is for this studentship to address both basic theoretical and application research questions relevant to the real-time processing and following broadcasting the sensor data from the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Basic questions include those of development of novel real-time computationally efficient methods aiming to autonomously comprehend the prodigious amounts of data that can be generated and thus to overcome the bandwidth constraint in the exploitation of next generation sensor performance. Application research will centre on developing new algorithms, software implementation serving the experimental elements of the project for real-time data stream processing for object detection and tracking by UAV. The studentship thus offers the opportunity to participate in the development of new theoretical and application advances of research methodology and development of related algorithms and software as well as to be closely related and provide this to the industrial sponsor. Supervisors and Location The studentship will be supervised by Dr Plamen Angelov, who will provide the expertise in autonomous systems, machine learning and pattern recognition and provide the day-to-day pastoral supervision. An industrial sponsor is also assigned from the sponsoring company. Dr. Glen Davidson is based in Crawley but the meetings with the student will also be in Cheadle Heath, Greater Manchester. The studentship will be based in Lancaster University's Infolab21 - a Centre of Excellence in ICT the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/">School of Computing and Communications</a> and its Intelligent Systems research Area, in particular. This provides an excellent opportunity for professional and personal development. Candidate eligibility Due to EPSRC and company requirements, this award is only available to UK citizens. This studentship is fully funded by EPSRC and Thales UK and covers all fees, an annual maintenance award of a minimum of £15,590 per annum (2012/13 level) over 3.5 years. Qualifications/Experience/Person specification Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) a minimum upper-second class honours degree or equivalent in a discipline related to machine learning, pattern recognition, computational intelligence or broader computer science and/or electrical engineering, mathematics and statistics or physics. Technical aptitude and a willingness to learn fast new areas of research will also be essential. Because this studentship is a part of a project and includes communication with the industrial sponsors, excellent communications skills are required. How to apply To apply, please send the following documents by email to Dr Plamen Angelov (<a href="mailto:p.angelov@lancaster.ac.uk">p.angelov@lancaster.ac.uk</a>) a CV (including names and contact details of two referees) as well as a Covering letter (including the motivation and a research proposal/statement). Closing date: 15 December 2012 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350473469.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350473469.jpg 250 250 Wednesday Wed 17 October Oct 10 2012

1564 1 News PhD Studentship - School of Computing and Communications phd-studentship---school-of-computing-and-communications

Data Analysis and Algorithms Development applied to Climate Research

Data Analysis and Algorithms Development applied to Climate Research Lancaster University, School of Computing and Communications Minimum of £13,590 Introduction Applications are invited for a 3-year funded PhD studentship in Evolving Clustering of Atmospheric Measurements commencing 1 January 2013. About the project The studentship is funded by the Natural Environment Council (NERC) as a part of the multimillion-pound project, CAST: 'Co-ordinated Airborne Studies in the Tropics'. The CAST consortium includes 6 UK Universities and is coordinated by Cambridge University. The project's aim is to investigate and develop innovative methods, algorithms and software for real-time on-board processing of climate science data, from the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, by identifying dynamically evolving clusters and autonomously monitoring, modelling and extracting knowledge from the data streams. The aim is for this studentship is to address both basic theoretical and application research questions relevant to the real-time conversion of the Global Hawk data stream into a useful climate science product. Basic questions include those on development of autonomous and dynamically evolving clustering and classifiers. Application research will centre on developing new algorithms, software and possibly hardware (on chip) implementation serving the experimental elements of the project for real-time data stream processing in the high altitude atmospheric composition in tropical areas of the Earth. The studentship thus offers the opportunity to participate in the development of new theoretical and application advances of research methodology and development of related algorithms and software, as well as to be closely related and provide this to a real state-of-the-art experiment which will take place in the high altitudes of the tropical parts of the Earth. Supervisors and Location The studentship will be supervised by Dr Plamen Angelov, who will provide the expertise in artificial intelligence and provide the day-to-day pastoral supervision, and co-supervised by Prof Rob MacKenzie (University of Birmingham), who will provide expertise in atmospheric science. The studentship will be based in Lancaster University's InfoLab21 - a Centre of Excellence in ICT the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk/">School of Computing and Communications</a> This provides an excellent opportunity for professional and personal development. Candidate eligibility Due to NERC requirements, this award is only available to UK citizens or candidates who meet the eligibility set out in the <a href="http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/studentships/index.asp">NERC Studentship Handbook</a>. This studentship is fully funded by NERC and covers all fees, an annual maintenance award of a minimum of £13,590 per annum (2012/13 level) over 3 years. Qualifications/Experience/Person specification Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) a minimum upper-second class honours degree or equivalent in a discipline related to machine learning, pattern recognition, computational intelligence or broader computer science and/or electrical engineering. Some experience in atmospheric physics and/or chemistry will be an advantage; a willingness to study across scientific disciplines is essential. Technical aptitude and a willingness to learn fast new areas of research will also be essential. Because this studentship is a part of a project and includes communication with partners of a large consortium, excellent communications skills are required. How to apply To apply, please send the following documents by email to Dr Plamen Angelov (<a href="mailto:p.angelov@lancaster.ac.uk">p.angelov@lancaster.ac.uk</a>) a CV (including names and contact details of two referees) as well as a Covering letter (including the motivation and a research proposal/statement). Closing date: 15 December 2012 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350473469.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350473469.jpg 250 250 Wednesday Wed 17 October Oct 10 2012

1560 9 LU News How will graphene change our lives? how-will-graphene-change-our-lives

Wonder material graphene could not only dominate the electronic market in the near future, it could also lead to a huge range of new markets and novel applications, according to a landmark paper by the University of Manchester and Lancaster University.

Wonder material graphene could not only dominate the electronic market in the near future, it could also lead to a huge range of new markets and novel applications, according to a landmark paper by the University of Manchester and Lancaster University. Writing in Nature, Nobel Prize-winner Professor Kostya Novoselov and an international team of authors including Vladimir Falko of Lancaster University, has produced a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v490/n7419/full/nature11458.html">graphene roadmap</a> which for the first time sets out what the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material can truly achieve. The paper details how graphene has the potential to revolutionise diverse applications from smartphones and ultrafast broadband to anticancer drugs and computer chips. Touchscreen devices One key area is touchscreen devices, such as Apple's iPad, which use indium tin oxide. Graphene's outstanding mechanical flexibility and chemical durability are far superior. Graphene touchscreen devices would prove far more long-lasting and would open a way for flexible devices. The authors estimate that the first graphene touchscreen devices could be on the market within three to five years, but it will only realise its full potential in flexible electronics applications. E-paper Rollable e-paper is another application which should be available as a prototype by 2015 - graphene's flexibility proving ideal for fold-up electronic sheets which could revolutionise electronics. Timescales for applications vary greatly depending upon the quality of graphene required, the report claims. For example, the researchers estimate devices including photo-detectors, high-speed wireless communications and THz generators (for use in medical imaging and security devices) would not be available until at least 2020, while anticancer drugs and graphene as a replacement for silicon is unlikely to become a reality until around 2030. Professor Vladimir Falko, who co-authored the paper, said: "In our paper, we aim to raise awareness and alert engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to the enormous potential of graphene to improve the existing technologies and to generate new products. "In some countries, including Korea, Poland and the UK, national funding agencies already run multi-million engineering-led research programmes aiming at commercialisation of graphene at a large scale." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1350036834.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350036834.png 300 225 Lancaster University's Professor Vladimir Falko Thursday Thu 11 October Oct 10 2012

1586 1 News First Cyber Camp at Lancaster University a Success uk-cyber-security-industry-seeks-next-generation-of-cyber-professionals-at-security-lancaster

Building on the success of the university being awarded Academic Cyber Security Centre of Excellence status, the Security Lancaster team partnered with The Cyber Security Challenge UK and hosted an intensive five-day training camp for some of the UK's most talented young cyber security enthusiasts.

Building on the success of the university being awarded Academic Cyber Security Centre of Excellence status, the Security Lancaster team partnered with The Cyber Security Challenge UK and hosted an intensive five-day training camp for some of the UK's most talented young cyber security enthusiasts. <div class="image_box" style="width:400px;"><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TRw-blxcQ2E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Watch the highlights of the camp</div> Between Wednesday 5 September to Sunday 9 September, 22 candidates faced a series of security exercises developed by experts from organisations such as the Metropolitan Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU), Raytheon, QinetiQ, HP and KPMG. Candidates also received advice on interview techniques and CV writing in order to improve their chances of landing their first job in cyber security. Stephanie Daman, CEP of Cyber Security Challenge UK explains "We're in our third year of operation and we're about trying to get people into the profession. We do that using really exciting national competitions which encourage people to benchmark and test their skills and learn from that that actually that they have the right skills to enter the profession. We encourage them to do so with careers advice and as much help as we can provide." The majority of the candidates attending the cyber camp were under 25 and were specially selected from several hundred participants. Day one started with a challenge provided by KPMG, a simulated attack and defend scenario of a virtual nuclear power station, with delegates getting points for detecting intrusions to the network and extracting corporate secrets. The second day attended has to develop a business proposal and pitch their ideas back to a group of dragons selected from Lancaster University, Raytheon and the Venture Capital community. As part of the Challenge, on Friday 7 September, Security Lancaster hosted The Cyber Security Careers Fair, the first event of its kind. The event provided a vital conduit for employers and potential employees to engage and discuss careers in the cyber security industry and was attended by major employers in UK cyber security and defence. These included industry leaders such as HP, QinetiQ, KPMG, and Cassidan, professional and education bodies such as CompTIA, (ISC)2, CREST, Infosec Skills, 7Safe, Royal Holloway, Ultimate Graphics, and the Police E Crime Unit were also represented. Mr Eric Ollerenshaw OBE MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood visited the camp "from a government perspective, with the digital world we are in, security is a huge issue, security for British business and British public institutions and the commercial opportunities for British companies in marketing security across the world". After observing the Cyber Security Challenge participants, he said "It's amazing, Lancaster again leading the away, there are commercial companies here observing what's going on and there's a string commercial angle to the event. The imagination and the skills that the groups have are mind-blowing really." Dr Daniel Prince "It was fantastic to meet Mr Ollerenshaw and have an opportunity to showcase the work that we are doing regionally and nationally to help support the UK national security strategy. Being an academic centre of excellence in cyber security research gives security Lancaster the opportunity to act as a regional hub of cyber security excellence in order to support and help to grow the regional and national economy." Day three focused on digital forensics Security Lancaster, the Police Central e-Crime Unit and Micro Systemation designed an investigation around mobile phone forensics and helped attendees understand how to recover evidence in order to support an on-going investigation. Day four saw the attendees develop a future 2020 cyber disaster with the added pressure of doing it in under 2 hours and having to present their concepts in an innovative way. Comments from delegates included: "There's always something you can learn from speaking to other people. The experts that they bring along have a wealth of information, just by talking you can learn so much more in one conversation than reading several chapters of a book" "I would encourage anyone that's thinking of (the cyber camp) to get on board and join in, it really is great fun." Nigel Beckett from Ultra Electronics, strategy director for cyber security, commented "this is the first time I've been involved in the challenge and I found it absolutely fantastic, the talent that we're seeing coming through is great, we need to do more of this, this is opening people's eyes up to this very exciting market in cyber security." The Cyber Security Challenge has featured on BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, Computer Weekly, The Enquirer, V3.co website, Info security website, SC Magazine, Info4Security website, IT Director, ATM Security.com, and IT Pro. A film of highlights from the Cyber Security Summer Camp hosted by Science and Technology in partnership with Cyber Security Challenge UK Ltd. is <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/cyber_camp_2012.php">now live</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1349775267.jpg 75 75 Tuesday Tue 09 October Oct 10 2012

1559 1 News UK Cyber Security Industry seeks next generation of cyber professionals at Security Lancaster uk-cyber-security-industry-seeks-next-generation-of-cyber-professionals-at-security-lancaster

On Friday 7 September, Science and Technology hosted The Cyber Security Careers Fair for employers and potential employees to engage and discuss careers in the cyber security industry.

On Friday 7 September, Science and Technology hosted The Cyber Security Careers Fair for employers and potential employees to engage and discuss careers in the cyber security industry. The event was the first event of its kind ever held in the northwest and was attended by major employers in UK cyber security and defence and students across the UK vying to be the next generation of security professionals. The fair was held at Lancaster University and run in partnership with security technology company Raytheon and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who run a national set of competitions aimed at filling a desperate need for more cyber security talent. Neil Cassidy from QineticQ explained his involvement "The reason we got involved with the Cyber Challenge was because we were seeing such a difficultly recruiting into the cyber security space getting really good talent to come into that part of the industry is extremely difficult and we saw the cyber security challenge as a way to generate interest across the whole of the UK and get some of the better candidates." Employers included industry leaders such as HP, QinetiQ, KPMG, and Cassidan and professional and education bodies such as CompTIA, (ISC)2, CREST, Infosec Skills, 7Safe, and Royal Holloway. Ultimate Graphics and the Police E Crime Unit will also be represented. Dr Daniel Prince, Business Partner Manager for Security at Lancaster University said: "This is an ideal way for those interested in cyber security to talk to companies and find out what a career in cyber security is all about and how to get ahead. We are especially happy to be partnering with Raytheon, who bring a wealth of industry experience and knowledge to the event, and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who provide a vital and legitimate mechanism for talented and enthusiastic people from diverse backgrounds to enter the industry." Vincent Blake, Raytheon UK's Head of Cyber, commented: "Raytheon UK is intricately involved in the Cyber Security Challenge UK and raising awareness of the need for better cyber capabilities in business and the public sector. The overall need to develop skills and careers in this burgeoning domain is vital to us as we seek to address our customers' needs, in a rapidly advancing market." During the fair a number of Challenge Sponsors ran professional skills workshops to develop attendee's interview and presentation skills, increasing their chances of getting a job in the industry. Videos of the presentations and interviews from the careers fair are now online and can be viewed on the Security Lancaster website and on YouTube. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1352378622.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1352378622.jpg 208 350 Tuesday Tue 09 October Oct 10 2012

1562 9 LU News Student volunteers learn how China feeds its people student-volunteers-learn-how-china-feeds-its-people

Students from Lancaster University have just returned from China where they have been learning first-hand about UK and Chinese efforts to address the issue of chronic food insecurity.

Students from Lancaster University have just returned from China where they have been learning first-hand about UK and Chinese efforts to address the issue of chronic food insecurity. Lancaster University's award winning student volunteer and enterprise wing LUSU Involve took 15 students to China to learn first-hand about international work to increase the availability of safe and nutritious food in a time of population growth and climate change. Third year Geography student Lucy Rigby who went on the exchange said the experience had helped shape her future career choice. "I've always wanted to visit China and this trip particularly interested me because my course has a food security element. As a result of what we saw and learned in China I know I definitely want to be a food buyer for a large scale supermarket - I would like one day to be able to have an impact on food sustainability through my career." The group travelled to Guangzhou's South China Agriculture University (SCAU) with Professor Bill Davies - a leading expert on sustainable agriculture - based at Lancaster University's Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC). SCAU hosted the students on campus and arranged meetings with local farmers and researchers. Environmental Researchers at Lancaster University have been working closely with their Chinese colleagues - including leading scientists at China Agricultural University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences - to address the developing global food crisis. It's estimated that a rise in food production of perhaps 50 per cent will be needed by 2030 to meet increasing food demands and this must be achieved against a backdrop of accelerating climate change, increasingly unpredictable weather extremes and global shortages of many of the resources needed to grow food. Many other factors also reduce the availability of food and peoples' access to it and Lancaster researchers are addressing many of these considerations. Some highlights from the trip were: <ul> <li>Workshops on food security Issues led by researchers from CAS, SCAU and Lancaster University</li> <li>A Pearl River Cruise to learn more about the region</li> <li>Visit to the Guangzhou Vegetable Research Institute</li> <li>Visits to a Vegetable Research farm and a large organic farm in Huadu District</li> <li>Visits to more traditional farms and food markets</li> <li>Opportunities to meet local farmers and learn more about rural life in China</li> <li>A workshop on water resources and environmental issues in China</li> </ul> Following this programme, a group of staff from Lancaster and collaborators from within the Lancaster-led 'International Food Security Alliance' travelled to Yunnan to visit the internationally famous rice terraces, an agricultural system which is more than 1,000 years old. Professor Davies said: "If we are going to properly understand the different components of the food system and the factors which can help enhance global food security then we need to look beyond Europe. Taking these students to China was something I have wanted to do for a long time and I think the experience was rewarding for all of us. The students came from a variety of academic backgrounds and each brought their own perspective. I was really impressed with their insights and their thirst for increased understanding in this area." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350048885.jpg 300 300 Lancaster student volunteers visited farms in China to learn more about food security Thursday Thu 04 October Oct 10 2012

1554 1 News Awards for School of Computing and Communications Masters Students awards-for-school-of-computing-and-communications-masters-students

On the 14th of September InfoLab21 hosted a mini-conference on the research work being carried out across the MSc programmes at the School of Computing and Communications (SCC).

On the 14th of September InfoLab21 hosted a mini-conference on the research work being carried out across the MSc programmes at the School of Computing and Communications (SCC). Introduced by Dr Plamen Angelov, six students presented to a mixed academic and industry audience. The Showcase provided an excellent opportunity for businesses to engage directly with the graduating talent from the SCC Masters programmes and see some of the research going on at InfoLab21. Following the presentations, 3 students were selected by a panel of businesses and academics to receive an award which were kindly sponsored by three of the attending companies; <a href="http://www.survey-me.co.uk/">Survey Me</a>,<a href="http://www.attransport.net/">A.T. Transport World Services Group Ltd and <a href="http://www.savant.co.uk/">Savant Ltd</a>. The award categories and winners were: 1. Most Promising Commercial Opportunity <div class="image_box" style="width:250px; height:300px"><img src="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/images/prakesh.jpg" style="width:250px; height:250px" alt="Glyn Jones from Savant with SCC Student Prakash Iyer"><div class="caption">Glyn Jones from Savant with SCC Student Prakash Iyer</div></div> A £50 voucher and certificate was awarded MSc Networking and Internet Systems student Prakash Iyer for his work on 'Assessing the Performance of Fountain Coding in Wireless Networks' which looks into issues related to good and efficient methods of data transmission. This award was sponsored and presented by Savant Limited. Savant's Glyn Jones explained why Prakash was the winner of this award, "We chose Prakash because his research indicated that there would be a marked improvement in error correction rates for data transmission without a large increase in network traffic as feedback channels are not required. In the area of wireless communication there would seem to be a clear benefit from implementing his research into physical devices." Prakash was very pleased with the event, "I thank the School of Computing and Communications, InfoLab21 for providing a great platform to present my work. The feedback which I received from the distinguished guests and members for my presentation, has motivated me to do further research in this field." 2. Best Research Idea <div class="image_box" style="width:250px; height:300px"><img src="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/images/tu.jpg" style="width:250px; height:250px" alt="SCC Student Tu Vuong with Ainsley Tidd from AT Transport"><div class="caption">SCC Student Tu Vuong with Ainsley Tidd from AT Transport</div></div> This award was given to Tu Vuong (MSc Networking and Internet Systems) for his idea 'Real-Time Distributed Network Traffic Classification Network'. The project aims to build a real-time traffic classification framework that tries to achieve 0% packet loss rate by exploiting the power of parallel processing using a cluster of computers with commodity hardware, as opposed to using a single supercomputer. A certificate and £20 voucher was presented to Tu by Ainsley Tidd, Managing Director AT Transport who commented, "It was a very close award decision and all of the students presented a very good case but as with all these things we have to pick only one, I was impressed with the amount of research and the way it was explained in a clear way that could be understood by ordinary people who perhaps do not have the technical knowledge. Very well done in what was a very close competition." Tu added, "I really liked it, it was a unique opportunity to present the hard work without going through many hoops." 3. Best Presentation <div class="image_box" style="width:250px; height:300px"><img src="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/images/ayo.jpg" style="width:250px; height:250px" alt="SCC student Ayo Dawodu with Lee Evans from Survey Me"><div class="caption">SCC student Ayo Dawodu with Lee Evans from Survey Me</div></div> MSc Networking and Internet Systems student Ayo Dawodu won the award for Best Presentation with "Exploiting low-cost computing: AndroidRFID Check-in Application". Lee Evans of Survey Me presented Ayo with a certificate and a £10 voucher. Following the event Lee reflected on the benefits of the Showcase to businesses that attended and how impressed he had been with Ayo's work; "For us, the recent Lancaster University MSc Showcase really demonstrated the breadth and depth of talent being nurtured. As a rapidly growing North West tech company it gave us a chance to meet some of the upcoming ideas and research currently being undertaken. We were particularly impressed with the presentation by Ayo which combined both theory and a live demonstration of the commercial application of RFID in check-in environments. It was impressive how within 15 minutes, Ayo was able to cram the results of so much research in what is an increasingly interesting commercial opportunity for business." Ayo said, "I am absolutely thankful for the opportunity which I think improved me. It was a pleasure being in the midst of such brilliant minds." http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1349198189.jpg 75 75 Friday Fri 28 September Sep 09 2012

1550 9 LU News Lancaster's New Head of Chemistry lancasters-new-head-of-chemistry

Lancaster University has appointed a Head of Chemistry, as it prepares to open its doors to chemistry students again in October 2013.

Lancaster University has appointed a Head of Chemistry, as it prepares to open its doors to chemistry students again in October 2013. Professor Peter Fielden comes to Lancaster from Manchester University. He graduated in Chemistry from Imperial College, London, and was later awarded a PhD at UMIST. Professor Fielden chairs the Royal Society of Chemistry <a href="http://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/Electroanalytical/">Electroanalytical Sensing Systems Group</a> and is a Scientific Advisor to the UK government. Professor Fielden is enthusiastic about Lancaster's new investment in chemistry: "This is an exciting time to be involved with Chemistry - and particularly so here at Lancaster University where there is a real sense of energy and enthusiasm for the new department. "Students will have the opportunity to study on a completely new course in a highly-ranked university with a dynamic team of scientists who have been hand-picked for the job. "I'm particularly looking forward to working across disciplines and alongside scientists, engineers and social scientists across the university and developing that track record of interdisciplinary work which is key to Lancaster's success." The <a href="http://www.chemistry.lancs.ac.uk/">new chemistry department</a> will benefit from Lancaster's strong track record of chemistry-related research. Undergraduate chemistry students at lancaster will be able to take advantage of the opportunities which spring from studying on a freshly-created course. At postgraduate level, The department will offer a challenging, research-led Masters programme, which will build on Lancaster's research and take advantage of industry relationships and placements. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1348827274.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1348827274.jpg 333 250 Professor Peter Fielden Friday Fri 28 September Sep 09 2012

1549 1 News Physics undergraduate wins Student of the Year Award physics-undergraduate-wins-student-of-the-year-award

Congratulations to Nick Kay who is the Winner of the Best Physics Student of the Year SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Award!

Congratulations to Nick Kay who is the Winner of the Best Physics Student of the Year SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Award! The Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) <a href="http://www.setawards.org">Student of the Year Awards</a>, is a prestigious event supported by industry and institutions recognising the achievements of some of the brightest undergraduates in Europe, with the Physics category judged jointly by IoP and the National Physics Laboratory. Nick is the second MPhys project student supervised by Oleg Kolosov nominated for such an award (only three students from all UK Physics departments are shortlisted annually) with Andrew Hoyle being the first Lancaster Physics student receiving a nomination in 2010. Congratulations also to Ben Robinson from <a href="http://www.nano-science.com/group_01.html ">Kolosov's group</a> who helped to co-supervise Nick during his MPhys project. There was stiff competition this year from Cambridge and St Andrews but Nick came top of all UK Physics Departments. In addition, he is the first student from Lancaster University to win such an award in any science, engineering and technology category so this is an outstanding achievement! http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1348825126.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1349425539.jpg 389 233 Friday Fri 28 September Sep 09 2012

1548 9 LU News Lancaster physicists launch public lectures lancaster-physicists-launch-public-lectures

Lancaster University physicists are inviting the general public to a series of free lectures this autumn.

Lancaster University physicists are inviting the general public to a series of free lectures this autumn. Making Waves is a series of <a href="http://www.physics.lancs.ac.uk/events/">six lectures</a> at Lancaster's Storey institute, showcasing the cutting edge research that takes place in the UK's top-rated physics department. Dr Jim Wild is one of the organisers: "There seems to be a real appetite for science among the general public and Lancaster's Physics Department is rated as one of the very best in the country. We'd really like to engage with Lancastrians and let them know about the exciting research that takes place on their doorstep." The first lecture, on Tuesday 9 October, by Dr Laura Kormos, will use ice cream to illustrate the nature of subatomic particles called neutrinos. Laura explains: "Ice cream has flavours just like neutrinos and I will be using Neapolitan ice cream to show the probability of different flavours occurring." She said she hoped there would be a lot of interest in the lecture. "The work we do is interesting and exciting stuff, but people don't hear about it and can't easily ask questions - but now you can! After all, the work we physicists do is funded by the general public, so you have a right to know." Other topics include the "Holy grail of Particle Physics" the Higgs boson, the question of what existed before the Big Bang, extreme cold, solar storms and the mysteries of invisible waves. The six one-hour lectures run from 9 October to 13 November at 7pm. Tickets are free. You can <a href="http://www.physics.lancs.ac.uk/events/">register online</a> or call 01524 592067 for a ticket. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1348760003.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1348760895.jpg 375 250 Dr Laura Kormos will give the first lecture: 'Neutrinos are not ice cream (and other quantum nursery rhymes)' Thursday Thu 27 September Sep 09 2012

1542 1 News Advances in energy and fuels from waste advances-in-energy-and-fuels-from-waste

Wednesday October 24th, 12:30 to 16:00, Lancaster Environment Centre Training Rooms

Wednesday October 24th, 12:30 to 16:00, Lancaster Environment Centre Training Rooms Building on the success of the Postgraduate Certificate in Energy and Fuels from Waste launched last year, Energy Lancaster is offering a free afternoon Energy and Fuels from Waste event on Wednesday October 24th, 12:30 to 16:00 at Lancaster University's Lancaster Environment Centre. The event is aimed at businesses of all sizes who would like to know more about the advances in energy and fuels from waste sector and the activities being conducted at Lancaster University in training and research. The event has been designed for businesses involved in waste management, renewable energy, technology permitting/development, energy consulting, environmental management, fuel supply logistics and utility provision. Energy Lancaster brings together Lancaster University's world leading expertise in a wide range of energy related areas covering the demand and supply of energy, including carbon management, clean coal, energy and behavioural change, energy demand management and modelling, energy policy and economics, fuel cells, nuclear energy, photovoltaics and photocatalysis, transport and transport usage, wet renewables and wind energy. Attendees will hear about the current advances in the energy and fuels from waste sector, the policies that currently affect the sector and the range of diverse research and training that occurs at Lancaster University's Energy Lancaster. Attendees will also be able to quiz an expert on their area of interest during a Q&A session and networking at the end of the event. Lunch is provided. "Energy Lancaster gathers together the multidisciplinary energy related research activities from across the Faculty of Science and Technology and we are pleased to be working alongside Stopford Energy and Environment Ltd to raise awareness about the issues affecting the energy from waste sector." Dr Ian Nickson, Business Partnerships Manager The event is run in partnership with Stopford Energy and Environment, a division of Stopford Projects Ltd; a Lancaster Environment Centre based multidisciplinary engineering, energy and environment consultancy with a wealth of renewable energy project management expertise. "Stopford believe the partnership with Energy Lancaster and the university delivers a long overdue training requirement to the energy from waste sector. The event will provide an excellent insight into the training provision available." Dr Ben Herbert, Stopford Energy and Environment Ltd If you want to gain insight into emerging trends in energy from waste and policies that affect the sector, how to utilise academic expertise from Energy Lancaster to develop your business and network with like-minded businesses in the energy from waste sector: <ul class="link"><li><a href="http://www.energy.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/000983/advances-in-energy-and-fuels-from-waste">Register now</a></li></ul> Contact Dr Ian Nickson, <a href="mailto:i.nickson@lancaster.ac.uk">i.nickson@lancaster.ac.uk</a> (01524 594259) for more information. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1349095001.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1349095001.jpg 188 300 Thursday Thu 20 September Sep 09 2012

1541 1 News InfoLab21 Resident Reaches Finals of National Business Awards infolab21-resident-reaches-finals-of-national-business-awards

Entrepreneur and Director of InfoLab21 resident company Black Zest Solutions, Sarah Cooper, has earned herself a place in the final line-up for 3 awards this month.

Entrepreneur and Director of InfoLab21 resident company Black Zest Solutions, Sarah Cooper, has earned herself a place in the final line-up for 3 awards this month. Sarah is a finalist in the local Enterprise Vision Awards (EVAS) for two categories and has also just found out she is a finalist in the National Mumpreneur Awards 2012 for the second year running. She has been shortlisted for the Best Supporting Business Award, sponsored by Get Mentoring. Having launched Black Zest Solutions in September 2010, Sarah has supported a number of businesses and Lancaster University students, researching and developing fresh and innovative marketing ideas and implementing the strategies she develops. Sarah is also in with a chance of winning the title of The Inspirational Business Mum 2012, sponsored by Viking, which will be awarded to the mum who is an inspiration to all women in business, and could walk away with a fantastic prize. Having reached the finals of The Mumpreneur Awards, Sarah said, "I am delighted to have just been nominated but to have reached the final is such an honor and I am excited for the results!" Judging Sarah's entry will be a panel of top entrepreneurs including Glamour Magazine's Editor-In-Chief, Jo Elvin. The winners will be announced on 30th September at The Mumpreneur Conference, being held at the Heart of England Conference Centre in Warwickshire. Sarah is also running a number of marketing courses on the 4th and 11th October covering: Social Media, Direct Marketing - increasing confidence & learning techniques when approaching new clients by phone and marketing strategy. For more information contact Sarah on 01524 510495 or visit www.blackzestsolutions.co.uk Black Zest Solutions is a marketing and design company aimed at providing strategic marketing consultancy, idea generation and graphic design solutions. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347881081.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347881081.jpg 250 250 Sarah Cooper, Black Zest Solutions Monday Mon 17 September Sep 09 2012

1532 1 News Cyber Security Conference CSC2012 reveals cybercrime challenges facing businesses cyber-security-conference-csc2012-reveals-cybercrime-challenges-facing-businesses

According to BBC report, UK businesses lose around £21bn a year to cybercrime and cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Security Lancaster fully recognises the need to create a more security- conscious culture.

According to BBC report, UK businesses lose around £21bn a year to cybercrime and cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Security Lancaster fully recognises the need to create a more security- conscious culture. Dr Daniel Prince, Associate Director of Security Lancaster and Partnerships Manager, stressed this to delegates at this year's Cyber Security Conference, (CSC2012) Protecting Your Business in an Insecure World, "Cyber security is not a bolt on to businesses but an important part of it that should be embedded into your business model and business processesit's not about stopping you from doing things, but about looking at what do you want to do and what you need to do that and protect your assets- putting them first- balancing risks against benefits." Over 85 delegates from a range of industries from across the UK attended CSC2012 this month to find out from experts from academia and industry about cyber threats and how to protect their business. The event revealed: Cybercrime is evolving <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/keynote1.php">Tony Dyhouse</a>, Cyber Security Director at the Information and Communication Technologies Knowledge Transfer Network (ICT KTN) explained how cybercrime had evolved from the first virus in 1981 Elk Cloner on Apple II Floppy disks by Richard Skrenta to becoming a global phenomenon. Read more in <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/blog.php">Tony's blog</a>. Cybercrime is common <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/keynote3.php">David Cook</a>, (Solicitor Advocate, <a href="http://www.pannone.com">Pannone LLP</a>) who prosecutes and defends cyber criminals stressed that data loss happens all the time and laws are becoming tighter with new EU laws expected in 2014. Cybercrime is inevitable? <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/talk4.php">Dr Mark Lacy</a> from the Security Lancaster team, gave some stark reminders of the dual-use dilemma- i.e. that people also take new technology and explore how they could use it for negatives purposes. For example, people using Blackberries to coordinate the London riots and the potential damage caused by being hacking into pacemakers. Cybercrime is not just an "outside threat" <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/talk1.php">David Guest</a> Salford Software Ltd, smashed the misconception that security threats to businesses are usually from outside the organisation; in fact 65% security breaches are internal. He stressed the importance of having detailed policies. <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/talk3.php">Simon Smith</a>, IBM Security Systems echoed this "the misconception is that the bad guys are on the outside- your users browsing are a threat" stressing the need to educate users. Opportunities for cybercrime are increasing Simon Smith discussed the cyber security threat landscape citing the X Force IT Trend and Security Risk Report, pointing out that "the difference in the last year, is that companies we had heard about that were hacked..were the ones with IT departments..stressing that even those with budget can be attacked." He also highlighted that due to changes in flexible working practices "the perimeter of the traditional business is changing.. the perimeter is my living room." <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/keynote4.php">Steve Carr</a> (Dell SonicWALL) discussed "Securing Ever-Expanding Enterprise Networks" as staff and customers access company data in an increasing number of ways, stressing the need to monitor access points given. The scale of cybercrimes can be huge Professor <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/talk5.php">Awais Rashid</a> (Security Lancaster) discussed Cyber Security Challenges in a Digitally Connected World, giving contrasting examples of cybercrime-an insider threat from a staff member who accumulated millions of loyalty points and 400000 bank details stolen by a group of 11 hackers. Attitudes need to change Simon Smith commented "Make your users savvy because it's important for your business," and as <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/talk2.php">Tony Wilson</a>, an independent information security advisor from Indelible Data, warned "Comply or Die!" who underlined the security expectations of the Payment Card Industry, the Information Commissioner and corporate clients. Cyber security can be used to differentiate your business Dr Daniel Prince highlighted how security technology can be used as a positive force to win new businesses. For example, adding QR codes on additive bottles so consumers can access health information, using security data mining approaches to identify key customers and using security certification as a selling point to gain work with larger companies by demonstrating compliance. Feedback from the event was very positive, 67% surveyed said the event was above or well above expectations, with 74% stating they would follow up by looking into collaboration with the university or look into university research. "Every organisation should have the information this event delivers." "Excellent, yet again a really useful event for SME," "Users are the backbone of every organisation but they can also be the biggest source of security problems. Make them aware of the threats out there." All presentations are available to watch online, along with the top 15 tips from delegates and their security concerns. The event was hosted by Security Lancaster and InfoLab21 Lancaster University's Information Communications Technologies Centre of Excellence in partnership with the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network (ICT TKN). Tony Dyhouse from the ICT KTN concluded "Following the success of Lancaster's CSC2011 the ICT KTN was pleased to be able to again partner with Lancaster University to deliver CSC2012. It is a very difficult financial climate for SMEs in the UK, and they need to counter cyber threat to ensure they operate at maximum effectiveness and retain valuable intellectual property and assets. At the same time, their need to focus on core business limits the resource they have to gain an understanding of the threat and how to protect themselves. CSC2012 imparts such information with maximum effectiveness in the minimum time, providing recommendations from cyber experts on hand. ICT KTN very much looks forward to partnering with Lancaster University next year to deliver CSC2013." Read more in Tony's blog. The event was supported by InfoLab21's as one of a series of Northwest technology events as part of the InfoLab21 Strategic Technology Exploitation Programme (ISTEP), a Solutions for Business product which provides a range knowledge exchange activities to identify and support collaboration between Northwest Digital & Creative companies and the 270+ strong research community at InfoLab21. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347618420.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347618653.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 14 September Sep 09 2012

1539 9 LU News Could Cybercrime Pose a Threat to Your Business? could-cybercrime-pose-a-threat-to-your-business

Experts from academia and industry have been sharing knowledge about how to keep UK businesses safe from cyber threats.

Experts from academia and industry have been sharing knowledge about how to keep UK businesses safe from cyber threats. According to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19485047">BBC report</a>, UK businesses lose around £21bn a year to cybercrime and cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Lancaster University's <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/">Security Lancaster</a>, the only organisation in the north of England and Scotland and one of only eight in the UK to be recognised by government and awarded Academic Cyber Security Centre of Excellence Status, fully recognises the need to create a more security- conscious culture. More than 85 delegates attended the cyber-security conference 'protecting your business in an insecure world' which set out to raise awareness of potential threats and help businesses make informed choices about how they protect themselves. Security Lancaster and InfoLab21 Lancaster University's Information Communications Technologies Centre of Excellence hosted the event in partnership with the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network (ICT TKN). According to speakers at the conference some of the top threats to a business include: <ul> <li>Data loss - whether it is your own data, or your customers', the repercussions can be far reaching</li> <li>New technology - be aware that people will not always use new technology for the purposes the designer intended</li> <li>Internal threats - not all cyber security attacks come from outside a business. Ex-employees or those suspended from duties can pose a real security risk if they are not managed quickly and effectively</li> <li>Mobile computing - data is increasingly likely to be stored on mobile devices from laptops to mobile phones rather than in an office on a desktop computer</li> <li>Social networking - many businesses depend upon it. However, with all these benefits come risks, as first-generation security solutions are failing to stop the invasion of new and sophisticated threats</li> </ul> Dr Daniel Prince, Associate Director of Security Lancaster and Partnerships Manager, said: "Cyber security is not a bolt on to businesses but an important part of it that should be embedded into your business model and business processes." Tony Dyhouse from the ICT KTN said: "It is a very difficult financial climate for SMEs in the UK, and they need to counter cyber threat to ensure they operate at maximum effectiveness and retain valuable intellectual property and assets. At the same time, their need to focus on core business limits the resource they have to gain an understanding of the threat and how to protect themselves. This conference imparts such information with maximum effectiveness in the minimum time, providing recommendations from cyber experts on hand." The event was supported by <a href="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk">InfoLab21</a> as one of a series of Northwest technology events as part of the InfoLab21 Strategic Technology Exploitation Programme (ISTEP), a Solutions for Business product which provides a range knowledge exchange activities to identify and support collaboration between Northwest Digital & Creative companies and the 270+ strong research community at InfoLab21. Attendees were all also asked about what assistance they would find most useful to protect their organisation and the findings will be reviewed in detail in a subsequent workshop and publicised as a industry report later on this year. <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/conferences/csc2012/">Catch the conference online</a>. Videos of the presentations and interviews from CSC2012 are now online and can be viewed on the conference website and on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/lancsunisecurity">YouTube</a>. You can also have a look at the photographs on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/infolab21/sets/72157630312007126/show/">Flickr</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.455727717805159.110982.135890456455555&type=1">Facebook</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347631846.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347632005.jpg 250 400 Wednesday Wed 12 September Sep 09 2012

1530 1 News LEC Prize Winners lec-prize-winners

Last week 2 of LEC's undergrads Kirsty Ross and Michael Knott received prizes for excellence in Soil Science awarded by the British Society of Soil Science at their Annual Meeting in Nottingham.

Last week 2 of LEC's undergrads Kirsty Ross and Michael Knott received prizes for excellence in Soil Science awarded by the British Society of Soil Science at their Annual Meeting in Nottingham. Michael was top and Kirsty runner up soil scientist on the ENV 221 Soil Science 2 year Course that John Quinton and Phil Haygarth teach. They are pictured here with Phil Haygarth receiving the prize at the National Space Centre near Nottingham. Photograph by Karl Ritz http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347369987.jpg 111 200 Kirsty Ross, Phil Haygarth and Michael Knott Tuesday Tue 11 September Sep 09 2012

1538 9 LU News Royal Society Research Fellowship for LEC Professor royal-society-research-fellowship-for-lec-professor

The Royal Society has appointed Kenneth Wilson, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the Lancaster Environment Centre, as one of only seven new <a href="http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/leverhulme-trust-senior-research/">Senior Research Fellowship</a> holders.

The Royal Society has appointed Kenneth Wilson, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the Lancaster Environment Centre, as one of only seven new <a href="http://royalsociety.org/grants/schemes/leverhulme-trust-senior-research/">Senior Research Fellowship</a> holders. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the scheme is designed for scientists who would benefit from a period of full-time research without teaching and administrative duties. Fellowships cover all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine. During the Fellowship, Professor Wilson will focus on developing strategies for the biological control of two important crop pests - the African Armyworm, a devastating caterpillar pest of cereal crops such as maize, wheat and rice in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Australian Plague Locust, the most important grasshopper pests of food crops in Australia. Professor Wilson said, "This Fellowship is a great honour and will enable me to develop these two projects in new and exciting ways. In particular, it will allow me the quality time needed to develop a long-term strategy for biological control of armyworms throughout Africa, building on research we have conducted over the last 10 years." As well as extensive visits to Africa, the Fellowship will also enable Professor Wilson to develop a new project in Australia. "Our work in Africa has become a bit of a role model for the development of an environmentally-friendly control technology for crop pests that using the insect's natural diseases against them. During my visit to Australia, we will use our previous research as a template for exploring the potential for a new biopesticide to be developed against the resident locust population." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347630494.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347630494.jpg 234 300 Professor Wilson's research focuses on developing strategies for the biological control of devastating crop pests such as the african armyworm Thursday Thu 06 September Sep 09 2012

1535 9 LU News Lancaster Physicist Invited to NASA Launch lancaster-physicist-invited-to-nasa-launch

Lancaster University physicist Dr Mick Denton was invited to the launch of the NASA <a href="http://rbsp.jhuapl.edu/">Radiation Belt Storm Probes</a> (RBSP) mission from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Lancaster University physicist Dr Mick Denton was invited to the launch of the NASA <a href="http://rbsp.jhuapl.edu/">Radiation Belt Storm Probes</a> (RBSP) mission from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The two NASA satellites will be used to investigate energetic particles in the Van Allen radiation belt around Earth, which can damage orbiting spacecraft and pose a danger to astronauts. Although the discovery of the radiation belts was first made in 1958 at the dawn of the space age, it is still not known what causes the radiation belts to swell and shrink - the RBSP mission is designed to answer this question. Dr Denton, who is from the Space Plasma Environment and Radio Science (SPEARS) group at the Department of Physics, said: "It was thrilling to be with members of the mission team during the countdown. After three postponed launches, due to technical issues and Hurricane Isaac, everyone was very nervous. Seeing a successful takeoff was a huge relief, and after a few days commissioning the instruments, the real science will begin". Earlier, he gave an invited talk at the RBSP Science Working Group Meeting in Cocoa Beach in Florida, presenting work on the physics of plasmas which occupy the region of space around the Earth and discussing how radiation belt electrons are energised. He holds a joint £400,000 NERC grant together with the British Antarctic Survey to perform supporting observations from Antarctica during the RBSP mission. The aim of the project is to understand how particles from space affect the Earth's atmosphere. The five year study will see two radio receivers installed in Antarctica as part of a global network of receivers set up by the AARDDVARK consortium of international universities from New Zealand to South Africa and Hungary. <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z0aX3n7T0fU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Video: NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) launched into the predawn skies on August 30 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida; video courtesy of NASA. Image of satellites in space also courtesy of NASA. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347629544.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347629544.jpg 225 300 The two RBSP satellites will be used to investigate energetic particles in the Van Allen radiation belt (Image: NASA) Friday Fri 31 August Aug 08 2012

1534 9 LU News Pakistan Partnership Discusses Next Steps pakistan-partnership-discusses-next-steps

One of Pakistan's most senior politicians met with representatives from Lancaster University and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan, this week to celebrate the growth of a pioneering partnership between the two institutions and discuss the next stage of development.

One of Pakistan's most senior politicians met with representatives from Lancaster University and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan, this week to celebrate the growth of a pioneering partnership between the two institutions and discuss the next stage of development. In 2010 <a href="http://www.ciit.edu.pk/">COMSATS Institute of Information Technology</a> (CIIT) and Lancaster University launched the first ever dual degree programme between an UK and Pakistani university. Demand for the programmes is high and today more than 1,300 Pakistani undergraduate students have the opportunity to study for dual Lancaster University/CIIT degrees delivered in Pakistan in subjects including: Business Administration; Computer Science; Electrical Engineering (telecommunications) Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering (electronics). The delegation from Pakistan, which included, the Federal Minister for Science and Technology and COMSATS chancellor, Mr Changez Khan Jamali, met with Lancaster University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Steve Bradley to talk about future developments for the partnership which included the possibility of setting up a joint-research fund between the two institutions. Other proposals on the table include extending Lancaster University's Chancellors' Fellowship awards to COMSATS faculty staff perform significantly in teaching or research. Mr Jamili said: "The partnership between Lancaster University and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology is very much appreciated and we have future plans to strengthen the relationship. The partnership's dual degree programmes have attracted students from all over Pakistan and we hope in future to reach students from other provinces. We would also like to include other programmes and scholarships. I have spoken with the Prime Minister and he is very happy with progress and as far as our Government and Ministry are concerned we are all for this partnership and will make more of it in future." Professor Bradley said: "International teaching partnerships at Lancaster - such as the COMSATS dual degree programmes - are a key component of Lancaster's global outreach and commitment to internationalization. The benefits of this international network are significant, providing students around the world with access to high quality, internationally-recognised qualifications. Lancaster students overseas and in the UK also benefit from being part of a global university with an international outlook. It has been pleasing to see the partnership with COMSATS develop and we look forward to the next steps in the process." Image Lancaster University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Steve Bradley and Federal Minister for Science and Technology and COMSATS chancellor, Mr Changez Khan Jamali. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1347623101.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1347623101.jpg 300 300 Lancaster University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Steve Bradley and Federal Minister for Science and Technology and COMSATS chancellor, Mr Changez Khan Jamali Thursday Thu 30 August Aug 08 2012

1528 9 LU News Cyber Security Challenge UK announces first Cyber Camp at Lancaster University cyber-security-challenge-uk-announces-first-cyber-camp-at-lancaster-university

Some of the UK's most talented young cyber security enthusiasts have been selected for a first-of-its-kind five-day training camp at Lancaster University.

Some of the UK's most talented young cyber security enthusiasts have been selected for a first-of-its-kind five-day training camp at Lancaster University. This year's Cyber Security Challenge UK, which runs Wednesday 5 September to Sunday 9 September, will give talented amateurs a priceless opportunity to learn about cyber defence from seasoned professionals. Anyone interested in the sector will also have the opportunity to attend a Cyber Security Careers Fair on 7 September where they will meet major employers in UK cyber security. Up to 30 candidates will spend an extended weekend at Lancaster University where they will face a series of security exercises developed by experts from organisations such as the Metropolitan Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU), Raytheon, QinetiQ, HP and KPMG. Candidates will also receive advice on interview techniques and CV writing in order to improve their chances of landing that first job in cyber security. This year Lancaster University was recognised by Government as one of an elite group of eight new academic centres of excellence in cyber security research in the UK. The only one in the north of England and Scotland, the new Lancaster University Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research brings together internationally-recognised researchers from diverse disciplines to address key issues threatening our security online. The Cyber Security Challenge UK began in 2010 as three competitions run by a small group of supporters from industry, government and academia to address a skills gap in the cyber security profession. Now, in its third year, the Challenge has grown its range of competitions to better represent the variety of skills currently demanded within the profession. Today the Challenge is backed by around 50 sponsors and also acts as a source of guidance for those keen to enter the industry. The majority of the candidates attending the cyber camp are under 25 and have been specially selected from several hundred participants who have shown promise during the first round of current Challenge competitions, which have been taking place since April. The camp's activities will include <ul><li>Digital Forensics training - Candidates will enter a reconstructed crime scene where they will be taught about bagging and tagging and the confiscation of technology. With training from the Police Central e-crime Unit, Lancaster University and Micro Systemation, a leader in forensic technology for mobile device examination, they will learn how to analyse these devices to find out information about their owners. They will then be briefed on how to provide evidence in court as an expert witness which they must then put to use in a simulated court session.</li><li>Informed Defence training - Candidates will be briefed by cyber security experts at KPMG and Royal Holloway on patching and securing networks and the 'informed' part of cyber defence, e.g. Threat Analysis. They will then be split into teams and given half an hour to apply what they have learnt to a real IT infrastructure. The teams defend their newly patched networks from each other and later compete against the professionals at KPMG.</li><li>ICE Day (Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship) - Lecturers at Lancaster will brief the candidates on cyber related business topics that require creative security solutions. Following additional briefings with HP and Ultra Electronics, they will be asked to take an entrepreneurial approach and come up with a business proposition to solve the issue. They will then present their solution within a 'Dragon's Den' featuring experts from Raytheon and Ultimate.</li><li>Wider Concepts Day - Candidates will be briefed and challenged on risk analysis, politics and criminology by the team at Lancaster University.</li><li>Cyber Security Careers Fair - Employers already signed up include HP, QinetiQ, and Cassidian, Raytheon and Ultra Electronics. Alongside them will be professional and education bodies such as CompTIA, (ISC)2, CREST, Infosec Skills, 7Safe and Royal Holloway. During the fair Raytheon will run professional skills workshops to develop attendee's interview and presentation techniques, increasing their chances of getting a job in the industry. Those interested in attending can register here - <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/careers-fair">www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/careers-fair</a></li></ul> Prof Awais Rashid, Co-Director of Security Lancaster and Theme lead for Cyber Security, said: "I see the summer camp and our collaboration with the Challenge as a fantastic way for us to develop the cyber security professionals of the future. The camp is exciting as it combines approaches from multiple disciplines into a holistic programme that aims to broaden the delegates' approach and thinking towards cyber security issues. "Not only is the programme educational, but Lancaster and Raytheon are leading on the development of a day focused on careers and innovation in cyber security. An important aspect of this is the challenge run by Lancaster University to inspire creative and innovative solutions to current cyber security problems and guiding the attendees on how to identify and exploit new business opportunities. We are of the view that it is important to not only help our students to gain jobs, but also provide them with the best opportunities to create them in order to grow the economic wealth of the UK and to establish the UK as a world leader in cyber security innovation and entrepreneurship." Stephanie Daman, CEO, Cyber Security Challenge UK, said: "The cyber camp concept is something completely new for this year's Challenge. It represents a great opportunity for our expert sponsors to work closely with a group of talented young amateurs to develop their skills and show them how exciting and varied the cyber security profession can be. We are running this as a proof of concept with the ambition to use it, for example, as the basis for a series of annual regional camps across the country, run out of local universities with a speciality in computer science and cyber security to specifically target younger guys and girls with real talent." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1346838578.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1346838578.jpg 250 250 Thursday Thu 23 August Aug 08 2012

1522 1 News Lancaster excellence in environmental sciences recognised in worldwide ranking lancaster-excellence-in-environmental-sciences-recognised-in-worldwide-ranking

Lancaster University has been ranked joint 23rd in the world for environmental sciences by the <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/natural-sciences/environmental-sciences">2012 QS World University Rankings</a>. The result ranks the university fourth within the UK behind University of Oxford (7th), Imperial College London (=11th) and University of Cambridge (13th).

Lancaster University has been ranked joint 23rd in the world for environmental sciences by the <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/natural-sciences/environmental-sciences">2012 QS World University Rankings</a>. The result ranks the university fourth within the UK behind University of Oxford (7th), Imperial College London (=11th) and University of Cambridge (13th). The QS rankings combine an academic peer review (50%) and employer review (10%) with citation data (40%). The environmental sciences subject table was compiled from a total of 1,181 questionnaires completed by academics and employers across the world. Lancaster University performed particularly well in the citations assessment, with the 11th highest score amongst the 200 listed institutions. This is the second year that QS has presented subject-specific rankings. In 2011, Lancaster University was ranked outside the top 50 worldwide and outside the top 8 in the UK for environment sciences. Lancaster University appears in 19 of the 29 subject areas assessed in 2012, being placed in the top fifty for three other subjects <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/social-science/sociology?page=1">sociology</a> (47th), <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/arts-humanities/linguistics?page=1">linguistics</a> (49th) and <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/social-science/accounting-finance?page=1">accounting & finance</a> (=50th). http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1345632212.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1348583098.jpg 500 325 Wednesday Wed 22 August Aug 08 2012

1523 9 LU News Simple eye test could diagnose Alzheimer's simple-eye-test-could-diagnose-alzheimers

A simple eye tracking test could hold the key to earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis, according to new research published in the <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/au722u75w5525kv1/">Journal of the American Aging Association</a>.

A simple eye tracking test could hold the key to earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis, according to new research published in the <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/au722u75w5525kv1/">Journal of the American Aging Association</a>. Work, led by Lancaster University in partnership with Royal Preston Hospital, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has shown that people with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty with one particular type of eye tracking test. As part of the study, 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 25 patients with Parkinson's disease, 17 healthy young people and 18 healthy older people were asked to follow the movements of light on a computer monitor, but in some instances they were asked to look the opposite way, away from the light. Detailed eye-tracking measurements, taken from the group showed stark contrasts in results. Patients with Alzheimer's made errors on the task where they were asked to look away from the light and were unable correct those errors, despite the fact that they were able to respond perfectly normally when they were asked to look towards the light. These uncorrected errors were 10 times more frequent in the Alzheimer's patients compared to the control groups. Researchers also measured memory function among those Alzheimer's patients who found the test difficult and were able to show a clear correlation with lower memory function. Dr Trevor Crawford of the department of Psychology and the <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/shm/research/C4AR/">Centre for Aging Research</a>, Lancaster University, said these new results were potentially very exciting as they demonstrated, for the first time, a connection with the memory impairment that is so often the first noticeable symptom in Alzheimer's disease. He said: "The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is currently heavily dependent on the results of a series of lengthy neuropsychological tests. However, patients with a dementia often find that these tests are difficult to complete due to a lack of clear understanding and lapse in their attention or motivation. "Over the last ten years researchers in laboratories around the world have been working on an alternative approach based on the brain's control of the movements of the eye as a tool for investigating cognitive abilities such as attention, cognitive inhibition and memory. "This study takes this work forward because we found strong evidence that the difficulty in noticing and correcting the errors was probably caused by a problem in the memory networks of the brain that allow us to store the spatial position of objects in the environment. "The light tracking test could play a vital role in diagnosis as it allows us to identify, and exclude number alternative explanations of the test results." Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disorder of the mind and the most common cause of dementia, affect approximately 500,000 people in the UK. The disease process starts many years before the symptoms begin to appear so it is vital for the development of future treatments to be able to detect its earliest signs. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1346165215.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1346165215.jpg 300 300 Studies showed that people with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty with one particular type of eye tracking test Wednesday Wed 22 August Aug 08 2012

1537 9 LU News Lancaster Aurora Researchers Seek Photo Shoot Locations lancaster-aurora-researchers-seek-photo-shoot-locations

Lancaster University's space scientists have put a call out to the public to help them compile a list of the best places in the UK to photograph the Aurora Borealis.

Lancaster University's space scientists have put a call out to the public to help them compile a list of the best places in the UK to photograph the Aurora Borealis. A member of the University's AuroraWatch team put out the appeal on twitter and Facebook this week and already the suggestions are beginning to come in. Car parks, hillsides and beaches from the Isle of Rum to the North Norfolk Coast have all been put forward to the team. Dr Jim Wild, Reader in Space Plasma Physics at Lancaster University's Department of Physics, said: "Solar activity comes in cycles of around ten years and at the moment we are in a period of maximum solar activity. Although we are not anticipating seeing the lights in the next few days there is every chance, on a clear night that you could see them over the coming months. "Obviously, the further North you are the better your chances, but as we have already seen from our Facebook page, some people have seen the lights as far south as the North Norfolk coast." AuroraWatch UK keeps the public informed of major events - such as solar and geomagnetic storms - and alerts them to opportunities for seeing aurora from the UK. The team takes geomagnetic activity measurements from instruments called magnetometers in Iceland, Russia, Scandinavia and the UK which study variations in the earth's magnetic field. This data gives an indication of the likelihood of a display of Aurora Borealis and the AuroraWatch team is then able to send out automatic alerts to people who have registered for their Northern Lights alerts service. People who wish to add suggestions can still post them on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/aurorawatchuk">AuroraWatch Facebook</a> page. You can sign up for Northern Lights alerts at the <a href="http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/alerts">AuroraWatch</a> website. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Tuesday Tue 21 August Aug 08 2012

1521 1 News Developing Novel Approaches to Tracking Domestic Water Demand Under Uncertainty developing-novel-approaches-to-tracking-domestic-water-demand-under-uncertainty

Dr Alison Browne, Dr Will Medd (LEC) and Dr Ben Anderson (Essex University) have just had this <a href=http://www.springerlink.com/content/136727818516705v/>article</a> released which forms part of two research programs on water demand and climate change - the EPSRC funded ARCC-Water project (Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate) and the ESRC/Scottish Government/DEFRA funded Sustainable Practices Research Group 'Patterns of Water' projects. They held a successful stakeholder...

Dr Alison Browne, Dr Will Medd (LEC) and Dr Ben Anderson (Essex University) have just had this <a href=http://www.springerlink.com/content/136727818516705v/>article</a> released which forms part of two research programs on water demand and climate change - the EPSRC funded ARCC-Water project (Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate) and the ESRC/Scottish Government/DEFRA funded Sustainable Practices Research Group 'Patterns of Water' projects. They held a successful stakeholder workshop in Lancaster on the 25th June exploring the 'Tipping Points of Climate Change and Water Demand', and Dr Alison Browne and Dr Martin Pullinger (LEC) presented more recent research results to both the UK Water Industry Demand Forum, and DEFRA's water demand, efficiency and sustainability policy experts in London in June/July. Thursday Thu 16 August Aug 08 2012

1519 9 LU News Heart Patients May Benefit from Aviation Industry Tech heart-patients-may-benefit-from-aviation-industry-tech

Researchers in the North West are investigating whether tools pioneered in aviation security can be used to help prevent complications after surgery.

Researchers in the North West are investigating whether tools pioneered in aviation security can be used to help prevent complications after surgery. A team from the Academic Surgery Unit at University Hospital of South Manchester led by Professor Charles McCollum is collaborating with Lancaster University to develop new technology for healthcare based on an aviation security system designed to give pilots maximum information about the health of their aircraft and advance warning of problems. Lancaster University Aviation Security expert Professor Garik Makarian is drawing on his years of experience to develop a real-time patient monitoring and risk prediction system, similar to those used by pilots to monitor the safety of their aircraft. Professor Makarian said: "There are a lot of parallels between flying an aircraft and observing a critically ill patient. Both the surgeon and the pilot are dealing with a lot of information coming from a variety of sensors. They both need to know not only what is happening now but what might happen in the future and safety is absolutely critical. "During a flight a pilot has to make decisions based on complex information coming from up to 1,000 sensors in the plane. He or she needs to know, not only what is happening to the aircraft right at this moment, but what is likely to happen in the future. "When a patient is critically ill or recovering from surgery, doctors monitor the patient's blood pressure, temperature, pulse and other vital signs very closely but have to rely on their experience to predict what is likely to happen next. Pilots have the additional benefit of tools to help them do that. This new tool has the potential to give doctors an extra layer of intelligence to draw upon." The new tool is being designed to make sense of a diverse range of patient data to provide health care professionals with a clearer indication of what might happen to their patients in the near future; buying them precious time to take preventative action. Doctors can then potentially access this information at any time, even from home on their laptop or phone. The tool is in the early stages of development but once up and running it is hoped that it will have applications in a number of different healthcare settings. Professor Charles McCollum said: "The University Hospital of South Manchester is one of the largest surgical centres in the UK and our Academic Surgery Unit has a track record in predicting the risks associated with surgery. This collaboration with Lancaster University has enormous potential to really benefit patients." Dr Stuart Grant, Research Fellow in Surgery, who works on the project, said: "There are vast amounts of clinical data currently collected which is not analysed in any meaningful way. This tool has the potential to identify subtle early signs of complications from real time data. If the aviation technology can be successfully transferred to healthcare it has the potential to provide doctors with information which could improve outcomes for patients." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1346428303.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1346428303.jpg 250 250 Lancaster University Aviation Security expert Professor Garik Makarian who is based in InfoLab21 at the School of Computing and Communicaions Friday Fri 10 August Aug 08 2012

1518 1 News UK Cyber Security Industry Comes to Lancaster uk-cyber-security-industry-comes-to-lancaster

Interested in cyber security? Come and meet the guys who do it for a living, as the UK's biggest employers head to Lancaster University this September.

Interested in cyber security? Come and meet the guys who do it for a living, as the UK's biggest employers head to Lancaster University this September. On Friday 7 September, the major employers in UK cyber security and defence will descend on Lancaster in a bid to find the next generation of professionals. The Cyber Security Careers Fair is the first event of its kind ever held in the northwest and will serve as a vital conduit for employers and potential employees to engage and discuss careers in the cyber security industry. The fair will be held at Lancaster University and run in partnership with security technology company Raytheon and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who run a national set of competitions aimed at filling a desperate need for more cyber security talent Employers already signed up to attend include industry leaders such as HP, QinetiQ, KPMG and Cassidan. Alongside them will be professional and education bodies such as CompTIA, (ISC)2, CREST, Infosec Skills, 7Safe and Royal Holloway. Ultimate Graphics and the Police E Crime Unit will also be represented. Dr Daniel Prince, Business Partner Manager for Security at Lancaster University said: "This is an ideal way for those interested in cyber security to talk to companies and find out what a career in cyber security is all about and how to get ahead. We are especially happy to be partnering with Raytheon, who bring a wealth of industry experience and knowledge to the event, and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who provide a vital and legitimate mechanism for talented and enthusiastic people from diverse backgrounds to enter the industry." Vincent Blake, Raytheon UK's Head of Cyber, commented: "Raytheon UK is intricately involved in the Cyber Security Challenge UK and raising awareness of the need for better cyber capabilities in business and the public sector. The overall need to develop skills and careers in this burgeoning domain is vital to us as we seek to address our customers' needs, in rapidly advancing market." During the fair a number of Challenge Sponsors will be running professional skills workshops to develop attendee's interview and presentation skills, increasing their chances of getting a job in the industry. The careers fair and the educational sessions are free and online <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/careers-fair">registration is open now</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1346428451.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1346428451.jpg 250 250 Dr Daniel Prince, Business Partner Manager for Security at Lancaster University Friday Fri 10 August Aug 08 2012

1589 1 News Making Professor Event making-professor-event

On 25th September 2012 Lancaster University will be holding its third Making Professor event, looking at academic promotion, career development and the benefits of flexible and inclusive working practices.

On 25th September 2012 Lancaster University will be holding its third Making Professor event, looking at academic promotion, career development and the benefits of flexible and inclusive working practices. The event will be opened by Lancaster's Vice Chancellor, and will include invited internal and external speakers as well as break-out discussion sessions. It is part of the University's Athena SWAN (Charter for women in science, engineering and technology) Action Plan. Making Professor is aimed at all academic and research staff on fixed-term or indefinite contracts, Heads of Department and everyone interested in equality and diversity in academic career development. Booking is essential, please apply by email to <a href="mailto:oed@lancaster.ac.uk">oed@lancaster.ac.uk</a>. Saturday Sat 04 August Aug 08 2012

1501 1 News Protecting Your Business in an Insecure World Cyber Security Conference 2012 protecting-your-business-in-an-insecure-world-cyber-security-conference-2012

In a world where cyber security is an ever-increasing risk to the day-to-day running of a business, Northwest Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are being offered the chance to engage with top industry and academic security experts at the Cyber Security Conference 2012 (CSC2012).

In a world where cyber security is an ever-increasing risk to the day-to-day running of a business, Northwest Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are being offered the chance to engage with top industry and academic security experts at the Cyber Security Conference 2012 (CSC2012). CSC2012 is free to attend and is aimed at all SMEs who would like to know more about cyber threats and how to flourish whilst also protecting their business from any potential security risks. Industry and academic experts will present the latest issues and solutions to various cyber security problems. Presentations will be given from various industry representatives, the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network, the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lancaster University academics who specialise in cyber security research. Security Lancaster This event is being hosted by Security Lancaster, Lancaster University's Security Centre of Excellence and InfoLab21 Lancaster University's Information Communications Technologies (ICT) Centre of Excellence, in partnership with the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). By attending this event businesses will have access to some of the best security experts in the region from industry and academia. Security Lancaster is one of only eight centres in the UK and the only one in the north of England and Scotland to receive Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research status by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). How Cyber Security relates to businesses The aim of the event is to engage with businesses, help them learn how cyber security relates to them, identify the problems they face in this area and offer expert advice. Attendees will also be asked about what assistance they would find most useful to protect their organisation. Dr Daniel Prince, Business Partnership Manager for Security Lancaster explains, "My main role is to provide access to the security innovation that occurs within the centre for businesses of all sizes and other partners such as governments and non-commercial organisations. It is these organisations that we would like to work with as they have the real world and challenging issues we would like to address. "So for us it's a case of trying to find those problems and then engaging with that business or organisation to resolve them and create a process which helps to drive their growth and enables them to innovate and be creative. The question we are asking is what security problems can we help you solve? Come along to Cyber Security Conference 2012 and find out how to protect your business." CSC2012 builds on last year's successful Cyber Security Conference CSC2011. Comments from attendees included: "What a great forum to discuss a critical topic. From experts to academics, you were exposed to the latest research and thought." "CSC2011 provided an invaluable opportunity for industry and academia to meet in the convivial surroundings of Lancaster House Hotel to discuss areas of mutual interest in cyber security and learn from each other's experiences." Tony Dyhouse (ICT KTN) states, "We are delighted to be running this event again in partnership with Lancaster University. Last year's event was a great success and an exemplar of ICT KTN working with academia and industry for the benefit of all." The event takes place at Lancaster House Hotel but sections will also be filmed and uploaded throughout the day for a virtual audience. <iframe src='http://polls.linkedin.com/vote/378224/vbtib' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0' topmargin='0' leftmargin='0' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='250' scrolling='no' width='300' readonly='readonly'></iframe> This event is supported by InfoLab21 as part of the regional events programme for its ISIS and ISTEP business support projects. ISIS and ISTEP are projects part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and designed to identify and support collaborations between North West companies and the 270+ strong research community at InfoLab21's School of Computing and Communications. The projects are delivered as part of the Government's Solutions for Business portfolio, a highly targeted, publically funded suit of products and services offering solutions to real business needs. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1343647365.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1344001578.jpg 250 250 Monday Mon 30 July Jul 07 2012

1500 9 LU News Psychologist awarded £10,000 National Teaching Fellowship psychologist-awarded-10000-national-teaching-fellowship

Dr Coral Dando has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship worth £10,000 by the Higher Education Academy. She is one of 55 award winners chosen from over 180 nominations submitted by higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Dr Coral Dando has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship worth £10,000 by the Higher Education Academy. She is one of 55 award winners chosen from over 180 nominations submitted by higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The award, which is a mark of excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning, may be used for Fellows' professional development. She said she was delighted to receive this award so early in her academic career. "It is clearly important for academics to produce high quality research, but the significance of teaching and the teacher-student relationship should never be underestimated. Students are important, they question, they listen, they encourage me to think differently, and they give me ideas. The Higher Eduction Academy recognises this, and has long supported teachers, such as myself, to provide high quality learning experiences for students." Dr Dando is a cognitive psychologist, with a special interest in theoretical approaches to improving eyewitness memory in goal-directed face-to-face interview settings. She left school at 17 to serve as a London police officer, but returned to education to complete a BSc in Psychology, immediately followed by a PhD in Cognitive Forensic Psychology in 2008. She teaches cognitive and forensic psychology worldwide, to students as well as professionals in criminal justice systems worldwide including the US Department of Homeland Security. Professor Craig Mahoney, Chief Executive of the HEA, said the awards are highly competitive. He said: "Students deserve - and expect - the best possible learning experience during their time in higher education, and fantastic staff such as National Teaching Fellows help to deliver this experience. I am extremely proud of the HEA in delivering this programme and I congratulate all successful recipients." The scheme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland. The new National Teaching Fellows will officially receive their awards at a ceremony which will take place in London on Wednesday 10 October 2012. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1343636284.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1343636284.jpg 350 350 Dr Coral Dando Friday Fri 27 July Jul 07 2012

1497 9 LU News Intelligent Systems Researcher to Chair Three World Leading Conferences intelligent-systems-researcher-to-chair-three-world-leading-conferences

Dr Plamen Angelov, who is coordinating the Intelligent Systems Area within InfoLab21, has been invited to chair three prestigious conferences:

Dr Plamen Angelov, who is coordinating the Intelligent Systems Area within InfoLab21, has been invited to chair three prestigious conferences: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.ijcnn2013.org/">International Joint Conference on Neural Networks-2013</a> in Dallas, USA</li> <li>FUZZ-IEEE2014 in Beijing, China: one of the three components of the <a href="http://www.ieee-wcci2014.org">World Congress on Computational Intelligence 2014</a></li> <li>CYBCO 2013, Switzerland: the IEEE international conference on cybernetics</li> </ul> The three conferences are the top conferences in the world for neural networks, fuzzy systems and cybernetics. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1343032143.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1343032143.jpg 257 200 Dr Plamen Angelov Friday Fri 20 July Jul 07 2012

1494 9 LU News Better Water Research in The Tropics Needed In Order to Protect People, Says Lancaster Researcher better-water-research-in-the-tropics-needed-in-order-to-protect-people-says-lancaster-researcher

Research <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1556.html">published in Nature Climate Change</a> has highlighted how the water systems in the humid tropics are on the cusp of rapid change which is likely to put the people living in the region at greater risk of flood and contamination of their sources of drinking water.

Research <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1556.html">published in Nature Climate Change</a> has highlighted how the water systems in the humid tropics are on the cusp of rapid change which is likely to put the people living in the region at greater risk of flood and contamination of their sources of drinking water. Lancaster hydrologist Dr Nick Chappell explains: "Land-use in the tropics is changing very quickly and extensively, more than any other global region, due to rainforest clearance or 'deforestation', rapid urbanisation and in some areas extensive planting of oil palm plantations with their high agro-chemical inputs. This combined with features of the accelerating water cycle - such as more intense rainfall and more 'flashy' rivers can lead to a greater incidence of flooding which would affect many people who live in the rapidly developing tropical region." "Tropical urbanisation without parallel developments in waste water management is also leading to serious contamination of rivers - one of the key water resources needed to provide drinking water for the region's rapidly expanding populations." As current research in this area relies heavily on modelling a team of scientists, including Dr Nick Chappell, has developed a strategy to provide the observational evidence to improve understanding of how the combined effects of the changing water cycle and land-cover adjustments impact people in developing nations. The team recommends that: <ul> <li>Global models need to take more account of the tropical subsurface (shallow and deep groundwater) to more accurately predict the key components of the water cycle</li> <li>More attention should be given to field studies that address how the water system responds to extreme events for example : tropical cyclones, flood producing rainfalls and severe droughts</li> <li>Hydrological measurements in many tropical countries are incomplete and need to be expanded with greater use of new technologies and data sharing</li> </ul> Dr Chappell said: "Only with such a research vision can the academic community deliver the understanding and evidence to underpin policies necessary that help the people of the humid tropics adapt to the unprecedented environmental change expected over the 21st century." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1342712631.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1342712631.jpg 406 325 people in Papua New Guinea benefiting directly from the hydrological monitoring on the RamuSED project Wednesday Wed 18 July Jul 07 2012

1514 1 News New Funding for Epilepsy Research new-funding-for-epilepsy-research

Dr Kate Cain (PI) has obtained a grant of approx £50,000 from the <a href="http://www.waterloofoundation.org.uk/">Waterloo Foundation</a> for a project entitled "Understanding Reading Difficulties in Children with Rolandic Epilepsy", with co-applicants Dr Dina Lew, also from Lancaster University, and Christian de Goede and Helen Basu, both of Royal Preston Hospital.

Dr Kate Cain (PI) has obtained a grant of approx £50,000 from the <a href="http://www.waterloofoundation.org.uk/">Waterloo Foundation</a> for a project entitled "Understanding Reading Difficulties in Children with Rolandic Epilepsy", with co-applicants Dr Dina Lew, also from Lancaster University, and Christian de Goede and Helen Basu, both of Royal Preston Hospital. Dina Lew (PI) has also obtained a small grant from <a href="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/">Epilepsy Action</a> (£2000 approx) for a project entitled "Carer adaptation: The role of the paediatric epilepsy specialist nurse" with co-applicants Daniel Hindley (Bolton NHS Trust), Helen Jameson (Bolton NHS Trust) and Nitin Panwar (Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust). Wednesday Wed 18 July Jul 07 2012

1495 9 LU News Significant Reduction in Pollution Achieved by creating Green Walls significant-reduction-in-pollution-achieved-by-creating-green-walls

Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster (UK) argue that by 'greening up' our streets a massive 30% reduction in pollution could be achieved, according to <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es050581y">research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology</a>.

Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster (UK) argue that by 'greening up' our streets a massive 30% reduction in pollution could be achieved, according to <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es050581y">research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology</a>. Trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass 'urban canyons' of cities would deliver cleaner air at the roadside where most of us are exposed to the highest pollution levels, and could be implemented street-by-street without the need for large-scale and expensive initiatives. Plants in cities clean the air by removing nitrogen dioxide and microscopic particulate matter, both of which are harmful to human health. These pollutants are significant problems in cities in developed and developing countries: UK Government Environmental Audit Committee estimates are that outdoor air pollution causes 35,000-50,000 premature deaths per year in the UK, while the World Health Organization's outdoor air quality database puts the figure at more than 1 million worldwide. The researchers have found that, because pollution cannot easily escape street canyons, 'green walls' of grass, climbing ivy and other plants have a better opportunity than previously thought to act as an air pollution filter. Instead of reducing pollution by 1 or 2%, reductions of more than ten times this magnitude could be achieved, according to this study. Using a computer model that captures the trapping of air in street canyons, as well as the hundreds of chemical reactions that can affect pollution concentrations, the research team could distinguish the effects of plants in canyons from those of plants in parks or on roofs. Green walls emerged as clear winners in terms of pollutant removal. Street trees were also effective, but only in less polluted streets where the tree crowns did not cause pollution to be trapped at ground level. The researchers even suggest building plant-covered 'green billboards' in these urban canyons to increase the amount of foliage. For the first time, the study predicts that a significant effect on pollution could be achieved on a street-by-street basis. Professor Rob MacKenzie, from the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: "Up until now, every initiative around reducing pollution has taken a top-down approach - scrapping old cars, adding catalytic converters to cars, and bringing in the congestion charge - some of which have not had the desired effect. "The benefit of green walls is that they clean up the air coming into and staying in the street canyon - planting more of these in a strategic way, could be a relatively easy way to take control of our local pollution problems. "All of this requires, of course, that the plants don't expire in the extreme environment of today's cities. Dr Tom Pugh, from Lancaster University, said: 'More care needs to be taken as to how and where we plant vegetation in our towns and cities, so that it does not suffer from drought, become heat stressed, vandalised, or interact negatively with other aspects of our urban areas, and can carry out the very important job of filtering our air." Nicola Cheetham, Head of Environment (Surface Transport), Transport for London, said: "I am pleased that this research adds to our knowledge of the benefits of green infrastructure and the optimum locations for placing green walls in transport corridors. The publication of the results coincides with the completion of <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/metro/24986.aspx">TfL's second green wall</a> at The Mermaid, Blackfriars, installed as part of the Clean Air Fund programme. "Our own research, conducted by Imperial College London, shows the ability of different plants to trap particulate matter. The bringing together of these various strands of research will help to inform the planners, designers and green infrastructure professionals who are responsible for the provision and management of green infrastructure in our towns and cities." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1342714163.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1342714163.jpg 250 500 Green walls, such as this one at Edgware Road Tube station, can reduce pollution (image: Transport for London) Wednesday Wed 18 July Jul 07 2012

1476 9 LU News Farmers and Researchers Share 'More Crop Per Drop' Horticulture Techniques farmers-and-researchers-share-more-crop-per-drop-horticulture-techniques

New techniques which are helping UK farmers and growers keep food on the table in a time of population growth and climate change, will be shared at a special conference this month.

New techniques which are helping UK farmers and growers keep food on the table in a time of population growth and climate change, will be shared at a special conference this month. Some of the UK's leading soil scientists, including researchers from Lancaster University, will be discussing the latest developments in resource-efficient agriculture with farmers and growers from across the country on July 17 at Myerscough College, Billsborrow, Preston at the <a href="http://www.soils.org.uk/events/event-112/">Northern Soils Network's Sustainable Soils Management Seminar</a>. Lectures include: effects of liming on water use in legumes; soil moisture management and its implication on plant growth; applying water-saving irrigation techniques in UK crops: interaction between moisture and root distribution in the soil profile; modifying crop water use efficiency using soil borne bacteria and managing soils for sports surfaces. The event will also include a trip to Lee Farm in Myerscough College to see how one farm is using deficit irrigation to enhance their strawberry crop. Lancaster University's Professor John Quinton said: "As the population grows and climate change predictions begin to make themselves felt, new ideas and approaches to farming which make the most of water and nutrients in the soil will become increasingly important. This conference is an opportunity for scientists and farmers to come together to discus some of these new approaches to help us address some of the key challenges which lie ahead." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341921716.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1341921716.jpg 300 300 Tuesday Tue 10 July Jul 07 2012

1477 1 News Lancaster Scientists launch new Research and Innovation Centre in China lancaster-scientists-launch-new-research-and-innovation-centre-in-china

Scientists from the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) were in Guangzhou last week to launch a new International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment (IRICE) in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) and Xiamen Institute of Urban Environment (IUE).

Scientists from the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) were in Guangzhou last week to launch a new International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment (IRICE) in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) and Xiamen Institute of Urban Environment (IUE). The initiative follows an earlier signing of an MoU between Lancaster University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has been endorsed and supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). British Consul-General Mr Alistair Morgan gave his support at the opening ceremony. Professor Alan Jenkins (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH), Ms Philomena Chen (Head of Asia Pacific Development, UKTI), Dr Ben Herbert (Stopford Energy and Environment) and Mr Ian Bernard (British Water) joined the launch and added their support for the new initiative. The new UK-China Centre will grow both research and new business partnerships with a focus on innovative solutions for environmental and human health protection. The platform will act as focus for innovation and will create and encourage opportunities for UK business growth specifically in relation to environmental technologies across soil, air and water resources protection. LEC staff (Dr Ruth Alcock, Dr Greg Holland, Dr Hong Li, Dr Carly Stevens, Dr Andy Sweetman, Dr Saskia Vermelyen and Dr Peter Wynn) explored new collaborative research opportunities, student placements in China, postgraduate and business training and new incubator facilities for UK business at the CAS Foshan Centre for Environmental Technology. LEC signed an agreement to undertake a series of joint initiatives, which include opportunities for environmental technology development, demonstration and environmental advisory/consultancy opportunities for UK businesses. <div class="image_box_center" style="width:502px;"> <img class="center" src="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/1477_group.jpg" width="500" height="243" alt="Staff from LEC and the Chinese Academy of Sciences"/> </div> Speaking about the opportunities the new Centre will open, Professor Kevin Jones, LEC Director said 'I am delighted to take our relationship with CAS - China's most influential research organization - to the next stage. The opportunities to continue to develop our joint working are tremendous and it is great to have the opportunity to bring many colleagues, collaborators and partner organizations here, to cement and grow our partnerships'. For further information about IRICE and research/innovation opportunities in China, please contact <a href="mailto:hong.li@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Hong Li</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341931661.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1341931661.jpg 205 250 Tuesday Tue 10 July Jul 07 2012

1475 9 LU News Lancaster Success at Pervasive Computing Conference lancaster-success-at-pervasive-computing-conference

Researchers from the School of Computing and Communications have taken two of the top prizes at Pervasive 2012 - this year's International Conference on Pervasive Computing.

Researchers from the School of Computing and Communications have taken two of the top prizes at Pervasive 2012 - this year's International Conference on Pervasive Computing. Oliver Bates, Adrian Clear, Adrian Friday, Mike Hazas and Janine Morley took first prize for Computational Sustainability for their work using sensing and interviews coupled with service based analysis to account for domestic energy use in student flats. Meanwhile, a team from Microsoft and Lancaster University - David Molyneaux, Shahram Izadi, David Kim, Otmar Hilliges, Steve Hodges, Xiang Cao, Alex Butler and Hans Gellersen - took first prize for best paper for <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/augmentedprojectors/default.aspx">their work</a> on spatially-aware, interactive, handheld projector systems. There is an introduction to their project in this short film: <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/frGEzlrhve0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <a href="http://pervasiveconference.org/2012/">Pervasive 2012</a> was the 10th International Conference on Pervasive Computing. It is the premier forum for researchers to present their latest results in areas related to the architecture, design, implementation, application and evaluation of pervasive computing. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341922395.jpg 75 75 Friday Fri 06 July Jul 07 2012

1461 9 LU News 'This is not the end of the Higgs story': Lancaster Physicists Respond to Higgs Discovery this-is-not-the-end-of-the-higgs-story-lancaster-physicists-respond-to-higgs-discovery

Lancaster physicists joined scientists from around the globe in Melbourne and Geneva this morning to hear the long-awaited news that it seems the hunt for the elusive Higgs Boson is over.

Lancaster physicists joined scientists from around the globe in Melbourne and Geneva this morning to hear the long-awaited news that it seems the hunt for the elusive Higgs Boson is over. At a seminar held at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory, the ATLAS and CMS experiments presented their latest results in the search for the Higgs particle. Both experiments see strong indications for the presence of a new particle in the mass region around 125-126 GeV giving scientists strong evidence that they have finally found the Higgs. Physicists have been working for years to find clear evidence proving or disproving the existence of the particle which, according the Standard Model, must exist if we are to be able to explain how things have mass. Lancaster physicists have played a significant part in the hunt for the Higgs - work which has spanned decades. The latest findings from the world's largest scientific experiment - the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) -mark a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the fundamental laws that govern the Universe. The next step will be to determine the precise nature of the particle and its significance for our understanding of the universe. Lancaster physicists Dr Harald Fox and Katy Grimm were at CERN for the announcement; meanwhile Professor Roger Jones was at the International Conference on High Energy Physics at Melbourne. Lancaster High Energy Particle Physicist Professor Roger Jones explains the significance of the discovery: <iframe class="youtube" width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2va_5rSw_Cg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> CERN Director General Rolf Heuer said: "We have reached a milestone in our understanding of nature. The observation of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson opens the way to more detailed studies, requiring larger statistics, which will pin down the new particle's properties, and is likely to shed light on other mysteries of our universe." Speaking from CERN, Lancaster's Dr Harald Fox said: "This is a really amazing result. The standard model is nearing completion, if there is such a thing, after being a work-in-progress for about 40 years. This discovery is right up there together with the discovery of the W and Z bosons. For my generation of particle physicists this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, truly exceptional." Katy Grimm , also at CERN, said: "This is a great week for physics: Evidence of the Higgs boson is supported by the ATLAS experiment, and by the CMS experiment, and by the Tevatron in Chicago. These complimentary results come from a global coordinated effort in particle physics-- and indeed even Lancaster's own particle physics group includes English, Welsh, German, Georgian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Russian, Australian, New Zealander, and (with me) American physicists among others. In the coming year we will look to see whether this particle has all of the properties predicted by the Standard Model. Exciting times today and more ahead." From Melbourne, Professor Roger Jones said: "This is not the end of the Higgs story, but finally seeing a new particle that, at first observation, has the right properties to be the Higgs is a very big moment. This search was already going on when I started my PhD in 1983. We should pay tribute to the many people in many places who searched without being lucky enough to find it. We should also thank than many people who have made this possible - building the accelerator, the detectors and the world-wide computing system that let us analyse vast amounts of data within a week of it being recorded. "Now the real, fun work begins - we need to see it decays in all the right ways and at the right rate to be a Higgs. Lancaster is particularly looking at its decays to a particle called the tau, which is a big sister to the electron. We may have found a single 'fundamental' Higgs; but it could be the first of a family, or it could even be something more exotic that manages to act like a Higgs. Also, given the new particle's mass (loosely, it's 'weight'), there are strong beliefs that we need additional, as yet unobserved physics -and particles- to make the stable world we live in. Our work in supersymmetry and the physics of B-quarks may reveal that. "And there are the other questions we are still working on at the LHC. What made the antimatter in the early universe largely disappear? What is the nature of the Dark Matter that makes up a large part of the Universe? The game is still just beginning." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341414171.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1341414171.jpg 300 400 Wednesday Wed 04 July Jul 07 2012

1460 1 News Four Full-Time DSTL PhD Studentships four-full-time-dstl-phd-studentships

North West Doctoral Training Centre DSTL Studentships (Lancaster / Liverpool)

North West Doctoral Training Centre DSTL Studentships (Lancaster / Liverpool) Closing date for applications: 20 July 2012 Applications are invited for four fully-funded DSTL PhD studentships to study behavioural aspects of Internet security. The studentships are available for three years from 1 October 2012, and will be based at Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool. The four available studentships are: PhD-1: Language correlates of group trust and its relationship to group effectiveness Based in the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society at Liverpool University, and supervised by Dr. Stacey Conchie (Liverpool) and Dr. Paul Taylor (Lancaster), you will identify reliable language markers of trust among online group members, identify how dimensions of trust, as measured by language, change across established phases of group development, and identify the resilience of group development to external factors. PhD-2: Weak signals as predictors and influencers of collective action in social media Based in the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University, and supervised by Prof. Awais Rashid (Computing) and Dr. Paul Taylor (Psychology), you will develop a new technique for detecting weak signals (i.e., emerging trends that initially appear at the fringes of online group rhetoric but quickly and unexpectedly lead to action) in large-scale datasets from online social networks. You will have a background or strong interest in computational approaches to text analysis, natural language processing or information retrieval techniques and a willingness to work across disciplines. PhD-3: The hijacking of trust: Assessing plausibility and risk in cyberspace Based in the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University, and supervised by Dr. John Towse, Dr. Nick Race (Computing), and Dr. Kim Kaivanto (Economics), you will investigate the cognitive processes that influence on-line decision-making. In particular, you will assess how trust can be hijacked on-line (e.g., phishing exercises) and identify whether there are behavioural indices that can predict susceptibility to risky on-line behaviour. PhD-4: Moving from anomaly detection to anomaly handling: How expert investigators interpret meaning from patterns in heterogeneous data Based in the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University and supervised by Prof. Tom Ormerod, you will use empirical and computational methods to study human expertise in anomaly detection and handling, comparing the knowledge and strategies used by experienced and inexperienced personnel working in forensic (e.g., fraud; human trafficking) and medical (e.g., nurse practitioner) domains to discover and resolve anomalies in small- and large-scale datasets indicative of undesirable activity. The successful applicants will be part of the <a href="http://www.nwdtc.ac.uk/">ESRC North West Doctoral Training Centre</a> and active members of Security-Lancaster, a multidisciplinary research centre that has an active postgraduate and postdoctoral community, and an expanding programme of commercial partner engagement (see <a href="http://www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/">www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk</a>). You should be motivated, ambitious, and able to demonstrate an interest in the PhD area for which you are applying. You should hold, or expect to gain, a First class or Upper 2.1 honours degree, or its equivalent in a relevant discipline. Having or expecting to gain a Masters qualification with RCUK recognised research training will be an advantage. These studentships are open to UK/EU nationals and will cover tuition fee and an RCUK equivalent maintenance allowance. All students will receive their own generous research support budgets (e.g., for training, conference travel, and to pay participants) and an associated travel budget, which can be used to attend national and international conferences. Further details on each studentship are available from <a href="http://security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/studentships/">www.security-centre.lancs.ac.uk/studentships/</a>. To apply, please email a CV, transcript of marks, 2 academic references, and a 750 word statement of interest to: <a href="mailto:phds.security-centre@lancaster.ac.uk">phds.security-centre@lancaster.ac.uk</a>. In your statement of interest please indicate the studentship for which you are applying and provide an explanation for why you wish to do a PhD in that particular area. Informal enquiries are welcome, and should be addressed to Dr. Daniel Prince (email: d.prince@lancaster.ac.uk; Tel: 01524 510432) in the first instance. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341398397.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1341398397.jpg 250 250 Wednesday Wed 04 July Jul 07 2012

1462 9 LU News Lancaster volcanologist on BBC lancaster-volcanologist-on-bbc

A Lancaster University volcanologist featured in a ten-minute documentary for BBC2 about his work.

A Lancaster University volcanologist featured in a ten-minute documentary for BBC2 about his work. Dr Hugh Tuffen of the Lancaster Environment Centre was filmed on an expedition to Chile to observe an erupting volcano. The programme, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00v4wkb">Volcano Live</a>, is billed as 'a journey into our fascinating, dynamic planet, live from the world's most active volcano' and will be screened on July 10. Lancaster University is one of the leading centres of research into volcanic activity. The University offers a unique <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/masters/courses/volcanology-and-geological-hazards">MSc in Volcanology and Geological Hazards</a> which gives students the opportunity to study amongst one of the largest group of volcanologists and environmental scientists in the UK. Dr Hugh Tuffen said: "Volcanoes are such fascinating things - they can be so destructive and have a terrible impact on thousands of people's lives but at the same time they are such beautiful things. I was drawn to research in this area partly from a desire to help people and partly because of that fascination for the volcanoes themselves." Dr Tuffen, who watched the Puyehue volcano in Chile live as it erupted during filming said: "Working on the ash covered volcano was a challenging experience but we gained a rare glimpse of little understood processes that control some of the world's most explosive eruptions. "It was incredibly exciting to see the vent of one of the volcanoes that we have been studying for so many years erupting live in front of us." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341414791.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1342432130.jpg 400 500 Lancaster University volcanologists regularly conduct fieldwork at active volcanoes all over the world Wednesday Wed 04 July Jul 07 2012

1463 1 News Lancaster Emeritus Professor Wins Prestigious Physics Prize lancaster-emeritus-professor-wins-prestigious-physics-prize

Professor David Lyth (Lancaster University physics) has won the 2012 Hoyle medal and prize from the Institute of Physics for his contributions to particle cosmology, in particular to the origin of the structure of the Universe.

Professor David Lyth (Lancaster University physics) has won the 2012 Hoyle medal and prize from the Institute of Physics for his contributions to particle cosmology, in particular to the origin of the structure of the Universe. The <a href="http://www.iop.org/about/awards/subject/hoyle/medallists/page_56451.html">citation</a> reads as follows: One of the central planks of modern cosmology is the idea of inﬂation. Inﬂationary cosmology postulates a period of accelerated expansion during the Universe's earliest stages. Originally introduced by Guth in order to explain the initial conditions for the hot big bang model, it has subsequently played a much more important role in providing a possible explanation for the origin of structures in the Universe, such as galaxies, galaxy clusters and cosmic microwave background anisotropies. David Lyth has been responsible for many of the key advances in the theory of inflation, and has devised many of the analytical tools that are now widely used by the theoretical cosmology community. His work is always characterised by an incisive clarity. Although mathematically sophisticated, it always maintains contact with observation. The methods he developed have become the standard language for those who compare observational data obtained by the <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/missions/cobe/">Cosmic Background Explorer</a> (COBE) and the <a href="http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/">Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe</a> (WMAP) with the predictions of inflationary theory. While much work on inflation has been purely phenomenological, David has linked cosmology with fundamental physics, particularly extensions of the Standard Model. In 2000, together with Andrew Liddle, he published <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1154263">a textbook on cosmological inflation and large-scale structure</a> that has become the standard reference and an essential resource for everyone in the field. They followed this up in 2009 with the first graduate-level textbook devoted specifically to the primordial density perturbation. Both books exemplify David's dedication to accurate scholarship and his ability to make complex concepts accessible. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1350037844.jpg 300 225 Image Professor David Lyth (right) at the awards ceremony with Professor Sir Peter Knight, President of the Institute of Physics Tuesday Tue 03 July Jul 07 2012

1467 1 News Science and Technology Taster Day 2012 science-and-technology-taster-day-2012

Our eighth Science and Technology Taster day was held on campus this week.

Our eighth Science and Technology Taster day was held on campus this week. Over 220 students from 12 schools around the North West attended the event to get a taste of what it might be like to study Science and Technology at a top university. Students started the day with a tour of campus and the chance to look at typical first year accommodation, before being welcomed by Professor Gordon Blower, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Teaching. Students attended their choice of two sessions from a spread of Science and Technology subjects: Geography, Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, Psychology, Computing and Communications, Chemistry and Engineering. There was also a session available on student life. Activities ranged from lectures and small seminar groups through to practical sessions in labs showing the variety of teaching styles that students entering higher education could expect to encounter. Feedback from teachers has been very positive. Tina Everton, from Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College, emailed to say: "The students unanimously agreed that today's trip was very worthwhile and they all got something from it. I think it's an invaluable experience and I certainly enjoyed the sessions I attended. "Lancaster is a very special university with a definite community feel, the students and staff were all very friendly and welcoming." The Return of Chemistry For the first time, students attending the Taster Day had the option of a chemistry session, trying their hand at an experiment to work out copper concentrations in a series of different samples. <div class="image_box"> <img class="center" src="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/001467_chemistry.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="visiting school pupils in the chemistry lab"/> Visiting sixth-form students taking part in a chemistry experiment </div> Teaching staff from the schools attending the event welcomed the news that <a href=" http://www.chemistry.lancs.ac.uk/">chemistry was making a comeback at Lancaster</a>, and more than 70 students took part in the sessions. Lancaster University's Dr Keith Davidson, current acting head of the Chemistry department, said: "Since we announced the fact we were reopening the department we have had very strong expressions of interest and support from schools." http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341589245.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1341590407.jpg 300 500 More than 220 students from 12 North West schools attended our Science and Technology Taster Day Tuesday Tue 03 July Jul 07 2012

1453 9 LU News N8 leads the way in High Performance Computing n8-leads-the-way-in-high-performance-computing

A new £3.25m Centre of Excellence for High Performance Computing is bringing together the best academic expertise in the N8 Research Partnership.

A new £3.25m Centre of Excellence for High Performance Computing is bringing together the best academic expertise in the N8 Research Partnership. The new Regional Centre, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will provide a shared facility for high performance computing (HPC) for the Universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York - an established partnership of research-intensive universities that collectively form the N8 collaboration. The facility which is based at the University of Leeds, and will be run jointly with the University of Manchester, is of a scale currently not readily available to the partners. The Centre of Excellence will provide a major boost to world-class research in the partner institutions, allowing researchers to build more realistic computational models and undertake more complex analyses in fields as diverse as healthcare (eg modelling organs and their interactions, discovering causal patterns in health data), sustainable energy (eg modelling wave energy conversion), and aerospace (eg large-scale simulation for developing green air transport). The shared facility will make it easier for institutions to collaborate on research and will create opportunities to engage more effectively with business and the community. Academic leadership for the Centre will be provided by Professors Chris Taylor (Associate Vice President Research and Business Engagement, Manchester) and David Hogg (Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Leeds). Professor Taylor said: "This development provides an exciting opportunity for the N8 universities to boost internationally-leading research that has significant real-world impact". Professor Hogg said: "This is a good example of the N8 universities working together to share research assets, combine research strengths, and engage more effectively with industry and the community". The N8 partnership has recently published a report into the potential for sharing research assets across the universities in the North with a view to encouraging greater collaboration and industry links. The ESPRC-funded report 'Sharing for Excellence and Growth' has identified opportunities for sharing the unique research equipment housed in each institution and wider benefits arising from this including: better training and recruitment of world class research talent, new and novel research ideas, and the development of leading-edge equipment through strategic relationships with technology manufacturers and suppliers. The HPC Centre of Excellence is one of the first examples of this collaborative approach being taken forward across the N8 Group. Funding to seed the five-year project has been secured from the EPSRC as part of a national strategy for HPC. Professor David Delpy, EPSRC's Chief Executive, said: "Having access to high performance computing facilities is becoming increasingly essential to many branches of science, to investigate new theories and model more complex problems in greater detail. Collaborations such as the N8 Research Partnership can provide these vital tools and help UK institutions build on their existing strengths." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340979326.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340979326.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 29 June Jun 06 2012

1466 1 News 1.7M Grant for Graphene Research 1.7m-grant-for-graphene-research

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a 1.7M Advanced Grant <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/104029_en.html">Graphene and Beyond</a> to Vladimir Falko, Distinguished Professor in the Physics Department.

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a 1.7M Advanced Grant <a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/104029_en.html">Graphene and Beyond</a> to Vladimir Falko, Distinguished Professor in the Physics Department. These <a href="http://erc.europa.eu/advanced-grants/">Advanced Grants</a> enable "exceptional established research leaders to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk projects that open new directions in their respective research fields or other domains". The funding will support Professor Falko and Lancaster condensed matter theorists Evgeni Burovski, Vadim Cheianov, Neil Drummond and Ed McCann in fundamental research in graphene (one- or two-atom thin layer of carbon), in searching for functional applications of graphene in devices, and in extending studies of atomically thin films onto a broader range of materials. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1341582464.jpg 75 75 Friday Fri 29 June Jun 06 2012

1452 9 LU News Lancaster Researchers Discover Potential New Weapon Against African Crop Pests lancaster-researchers-discover-potential-new-weapon-against-african-crop-pests

A team of scientists has made a novel discovery that could provide a new strategy for controlling armyworms and other insect crop pests around the globe.

A team of scientists has made a novel discovery that could provide a new strategy for controlling armyworms and other insect crop pests around the globe. Crop pests such as the African armyworm are a major threat to global food security, especially in Africa and other parts of the developing world where chemical pesticides are too expensive for most resource-poor farmers. The African Armyworm is a voracious caterpillar pest which feeds on cereal crops, including staples such as maize, wheat, millet and rice, at densities of up to 50,000 caterpillars per hectare - sometimes resulting in total crop failure. Researchers from Lancaster University, University of Greenwich and Tanzania (EcoAgriConsult Ltd.) have been investigating safe, affordable alternative control measures to tackle the caterpillars, such as microbial biopesticides, that do not rely on expensive imported chemicals. But an unexpected finding - inspired by recent research into mosquitoes - has opened the door to a new strategy which could multiply the effectiveness of these biopesticides. In common with nearly three-quarters of all insect species, some African armyworms carry with them a small passenger, called Wolbachia. This intra-cellular bacterium has taken centre-stage recently because researchers discovered that when some insects, including mosquitoes, carry Wolbachia it protects them from viruses including the virus which causes the devastating human disease called dengue. Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes have been released in northern Australia in an attempt to get the bacterium to spread through the local mosquito population so as to reduce dengue transmission in the area. The discovery led the Lancaster-led research team to wonder if Wolbachia would have a similarly protective effect on African armyworms, potentially hampering the effectiveness of the biopesticides such as SpexNPV currently under development in Tanzania. What the team discovered surprised them. "Not only did Wolbachia fail to protect the armyworms against SpexNPV", said project leader Professor Ken Wilson from the Lancaster Environment Centre, "but populations carrying lots of Wolbachia also had much higher viral loads and more of these caterpillars died naturally of viral disease." To confirm that the increased susceptibility to virus of Wolbachia-carrying armyworms was caused by the presence of the bacterium, Wilson and colleagues took the insects back to the laboratory in the UK. There, they used antibiotics to 'cure' some of the armyworms of Wolbachia and then infected them with virus. Remarkably, they found that Wolbachia-carrying armyworms were between 6 and 14 times more susceptible to SpexNPV than armyworms that had had their bacterial passengers removed. SpexNPV - a baculovirus that naturally infects and kills the African armyworm - is ideal for use as a biopesticide in Africa because not only can it be produced cheaply and locally, but it only infects armyworm caterpillars, leaving beneficial insects, livestock and humans completely unharmed. Dr Rob Graham, lead author of the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01820.x/abstract">Ecology Letters paper</a> reporting these findings said: "This means that SpexNPV is likely to be particularly effective as a biopesticide when Wolbachia is at naturally high levels in the armyworm population." According to another co-author of the study, David Grzywacz of the University of Greenwich, this discovery also opens up the possibility of manipulating the prevalence of the bacterium in the field via the mass-release of Wolbachia-carrying armyworms, though he also sounds a note of caution. He said: "Adult armyworm moths are highly migratory and disperse over vast areas of sub-Saharan Africa, so it will be a challenge to learn how best to exploit these novel findings for better control of African armyworm." However, not all major crop pests are as mobile as armyworm moths, and the team are optimistic that if similar results are replicated in other -crop pests, then the mass-release of Wolbachia-infected insects might turn out to be an important new tool in the fight to control pests that contribute to global food insecurity. The 3 year research project was funded by the Sustainable Agriculture Research for International Development programme - a joint initiative by the UK's Department for International Development and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340722542.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340723967.jpg 234 300 Professor Ken Wilson Tuesday Tue 26 June Jun 06 2012

1449 1 News Postgraduate Certificate in Energy from Waste continues to Power Ahead postgraduate-certificate-in-energy-from-waste-continues-to-power-ahead

A second cohort of students has recently completed LEC's Postgraduate Certificate in Energy & Fuels from Waste (EFFW). LEC launched its new professional training course in the spring of 2011, aiming to deliver a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum to new entrants to the sector and experienced practitioners alike.

A second cohort of students has recently completed LEC's Postgraduate Certificate in Energy & Fuels from Waste (EFFW). LEC launched its new professional training course in the spring of 2011, aiming to deliver a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum to new entrants to the sector and experienced practitioners alike. The course, which is accredited by the CIWM, leads to the award of a 60-credit Post Graduate Certificate (PG-Cert) for those students who choose to enrol for all three of the available modules. It was developed by resident LEC companies Stopford Energy & Environment Ltd and Peak Associates Ltd, using funding provided by the NWDA which was channelled through the North West Universities Association (NWUA). Stopford and Peak subsequently enlisted the support of more than twenty partner organisations to assist in the development and delivery of lectures, course materials and site visits, ensuring an up-to-date and stimulating syllabus. Stopford's Dr Sean Hayward, who has led the development and delivery of the course, believes it has a bright future. "The course has a broad curriculum which covers the financial, technical, operational and regulatory aspects of the industry. It is delivered intensively across three modules which can be summarised as Feedstocks & Technologies, Project Management and Environmental Management. Each module is delivered in just three days, giving students the opportunity to learn from some of the UK's leading lights in the EFFW sector. With representation from experts in industry, statutory authorities, regulation and consultancy, as well as from academia, all bases are covered!" As part of the course students visit several operational facilities in the Northwest, gaining first-hand experience of what happens at a municipal-waste incinerator, an animal-waste processing plant and a large, municipal waste processing facility to name just three. Mark Dawber, a Landfill Gas Engineer for Viridor, was part of the 2012 cohort. "As a relatively new employee in the waste industry, I was looking for a course which would develop my understanding of the EfW sector and the EFFW course at Lancaster did not disappoint. As well as providing a detailed assessment of the key technologies and feedstocks, the course developed a practical understanding of the legal and environmental obligations and challenges which face the EfW sector. The course was effectively delivered by a range of industry experts, which was complemented by relevant and interesting site visits." Mathew Kay, who was a member of the 2011 cohort commented- "I work as Maintenance Manager for Sita UK at one of their mass-burn EfW facilities. Our aim is to meet wider company objectives by optimising the performance of the facility and by formulating operational plans. Occasionally, this means that the broader strategic drivers behind company and sectoral direction are overlooked. The postgraduate certificate fills in the blanks by examining the legislative and commercial drivers which impact on waste strategies of local authorities and waste management companies. New and emerging technologies are studied in conjunction with existing proven methods for treating waste. The classroom sessions are backed up with field visits to operational facilities, which enables real life scenarios to be studied and operators to be quizzed. This mixture of theoretical and practical teaching provides an excellent insight into the rapidly developing sector of energy from waste." Further information about the course's next delivery, which is scheduled for early 2013, can be found on <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/effw">the course website</a>, please contact <a href="mailto:effw-info@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Sean Hayward</a> for further enquiries. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340713885.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340713885.jpg 309 496 Tuesday Tue 26 June Jun 06 2012

1445 9 LU News A Shared Vision of Scientific Strengths a-shared-vision-of-scientific-strengths

Lancaster is part of a project to map the research equipment across universities in the North could point the way to greater collaboration between universities and improved research links with industry.

Lancaster is part of a project to map the research equipment across universities in the North could point the way to greater collaboration between universities and improved research links with industry. The report '<a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/assets/14137%20N8%20Sharing%20for%20Excellence%20and%20Growth%20Report_WEB.pdf">Sharing for Excellence and Growth</a>' by the <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/">N8 group</a> of research-intensive universities, has identified opportunities for sharing the unique research equipment housed in each institution and wider benefits arising from this including: better training and recruitment of world class research talent, new and novel research ideas, and the development of leading-edge equipment through strategic relationships with technology manufacturers and suppliers. The N8 project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is the first attempt to look at asset sharing amongst the N8 universities and is to be launched at an event on Wednesday 20th June 2012, attended by key government officials and leaders from industry. Professor Chris Brink, Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, chairs the N8 group. He said: "Access to cutting-edge technology and infrastructure is vital to maintaining the position of the UK's leading science base and crucial to underpinning the UK's competitiveness and economic recovery. "The report has identified ways that we can achieve this by working together as research intensive universities, and with industries, to give our leading research talent access to the best research equipment." Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at the University of Manchester who led the project said: "The advance of science has been closely bound with the development and availability of instruments and facilities. The competitive position of the national science base in turn requires that researchers are equipped with up-to-date instruments of high quality. Such capability enables the science base to support the national goals of competitiveness, economic growth, well-being and sustainability both through its own work and in collaboration with industry. "During the current period of severe financial constraint it is essential that the best use is made of research capital assets. This will not take away the need for continuing major investment in equipment but will help ensure that The UK stays at the cutting edge. This report describes work done by members of the N8 research partnership to develop a strategic approach to regional assets and to identify the circumstances under which sharing of equipment can provide efficiencies and catalyse opportunities for development." Among the assets identified in the report is the new N8 High Performance Computing Facility based at Leeds University and shared by all N8 universities, the Bioscience Technology Facility at the University of York and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technology that exists across the universities. Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: "This report shows how institutions can work together to share facilities and equipment, enabling the continued support of internationally excellent scientific research at a time of limited funding. It is further evidence of our research base's ability to respond creatively to challenge and help the UK to grow from a position of strength." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340377261.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340377624.jpg 400 300 The report identifies opportunities for sharing unique research equipment housed in N8 member institutions Friday Fri 22 June Jun 06 2012

1444 9 LU News Lancaster Shares in £13M Biodiversity Research Programme lancaster-shares-in-13m-biodiversity-research-programme

Environmental scientists at Lancaster will take part in a £13M research programme launched this week in London.

Environmental scientists at Lancaster will take part in a £13M research programme launched this week in London. The Natural Environment Research Council's Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme, launched June 22, is a five year research programme which aims to improve our understanding of how biodiversity regulates UK ecosystems and delivers economically valuable services. Lancaster University will work on two of the four BESS consortium projects. Professor Richard Bardgett of the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) has been awarded £550,000 to examine ecosystem services in lowland landscapes. <a href="http://www.nerc-bess.net/index.php/bess-projects-list/research-projects/41-wessex-bess">This project</a>, which is based at Salisbury Plain, is led by Professor James Bullock of NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) at Wallingford , and includes collaborators at CEH Wallingford, Queen Mary University, Cranfield University, RSPB, Rothamsted. Dr Nick Chappell, Professor Keith Beven, Professor John Quinton, Dr Ben Surridge and Dr Wlodek Tych (all LEC) have been awarded £659,000 for a three year study looking at the interaction between aquatic biodiversity and the flows of water, carbon and nutrients within upland rivers. The project - <a href="http://www.nerc-bess.net/index.php/bess-projects-list/research-projects/44-bess-duress">Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability</a> (DURESS) - is led by Cardiff University and includes researchers from Lancaster University, NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Bangor, Queen Mary University of London, Aberystwyth University and the British Trust for Ornithology. Organisations seeking to improve river quality in upland Wales are core partners within the project, and include Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru (Public Heath Wales), Environment Agency Wales, and Llywodraeth Cymru (Welsh Government). Lancaster is responsible for the hydrological and water quality instrumentation, and the subsequent monitoring and interpretation of data from five upland micro-basins near Llyn Brianne reservoir, mid-Wales. This work is central to the aim of the project -quantifying the resilience of aquatic biodiversity to environmental change and the benefits of maintaining aquatic biodiversity to the UK economy. Dr Nick Chappell said: "Biodiversity within upland rivers plays a key role in maintaining the quality of rivers and reservoirs for the supply of drinking water. As a consequence, this has a direct financial impact on the £11 billion annual turnover of the UK water industry. The newly formed DURESS team seeks to provide the science necessary to quantify the economic benefits of river biodiversity in delivering clean water resources for beneficiaries ranging from water companies to government regulators and individual UK citizens." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340376531.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340376531.jpg 400 300 Funded projects include one to investigate biodiversity in upland rivers Friday Fri 22 June Jun 06 2012

1446 9 LU News Lancaster Researchers Say UK Should Learn From Australia's Handling of Drought lancaster-researchers-say-uk-should-learn-from-australias-handling-of-drought

One of the most arid continents on earth - Australia - has valuable lessons for Britain's current water shortage according to researchers.

One of the most arid continents on earth - Australia - has valuable lessons for Britain's current water shortage according to researchers. Researchers Dr Will Medd, Dr Alison Browne and Dr Martin Pullinger from the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) and Dr Ben Anderson from Essex University back the Environment Agency's call for a new approach to drought and say the example of what has happened with the current drought and hosepipe ban in England is an example of why it needs rethinking. Dr Alison Browne from Lancaster University said: "A 'hosepipe ban' pushes the responsibility onto householders, rather than emphasising the need for a linked-up drought management strategy such as addressing water consumption in businesses and industry (like carwashes), or public bodies and government, for example councils watering lawns. "We need to involve everyone at a much earlier stage so we can encourage people from individual households to businesses to save water before a 'drought' is even declared, a longer process of communication is needed, not just an on and off switch that declares we are 'in drought' or 'out of drought'." Dr Browne advises a more gradual approach to the management and communication of water shortages which are used in her native Australia. "We need to prepare earlier by encouraging individuals, businesses and communities to save water even when it is raining instead of suddenly declaring a drought, and then having it withdrawn after a period of rain. In Australia, each region has between 3 and 7 different levels of water restrictions from watering the garden only a few times a week to an absolute ban on outdoor water use, and including public fountains being emptied, restrictions on watering of council gardens, and businesses being incentivised to become water efficient and/or recycle water. This means that when a critical period of a drought is over, like many parts of the south are currently experiencing, companies still can get householders, businesses to reduce their consumption but not to the extent of an 'all out' ban. "As well as encouraging a stronger uptake of water efficient technology, there is a need to communicate more widely on the different ways that people could recycle water in the home from washing up and rinsing, the need to encourage planting of drought and weather resistant garden species, and the need for water butts and rainwater harvesting." The researchers carried out an EPSRC/ESRC funded survey of 1800 people in the south east of England which found that a hosepipe ban will do little to save water. Initial analysis shows that this is because over a third of people have no outdoor plants or lawn to water while a further quarter of people who do water their plants wait for the rain before watering. Dr Browne explains: "People who water their gardens may actually switch practices during a hosepipe ban so they can keep watering key plants, relying on mains water collected from the house in water cans or even using the hose to fill up the water butt to then water the garden. Less common is the switch to practices that rely on water recycled from inside the house like washing up water." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340378523.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340378198.jpg 300 300 Dr Alison Browne Friday Fri 15 June Jun 06 2012

1437 9 LU News Farm Ponds Cut Agricultural Water Pollution farm-ponds-cut-agricultural-water-pollution

The reintroduction of farm ponds could significantly reduce agricultural pollution in our streams and rivers, according to new research led by Lancaster University.

The reintroduction of farm ponds could significantly reduce agricultural pollution in our streams and rivers, according to new research led by Lancaster University. At one time, every farm would have had a pond, but agricultural intensification has meant that many of them have been lost to make way for more farmland. Working with farmers in Leicestershire and Cumbria, environmental scientists have created ten new field wetlands in areas of unproductive farmland such as field corners and buffer strips. The field wetlands - single or paired ponds of varying designs and sizes - are being monitored to measure how much runoff, sediment and nutrients they can trap. Diffuse pollution from scattered sources on farms and fields, transported by runoff rainwater through the complex network of drains, ditches and streams running through our countryside, poses a significant threat to water quality. Each year, over two million tonnes of topsoil are washed from farmers' fields as sediment, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates are also lost from agricultural land, polluting clean water and damaging wildlife habitats. Researchers have found evidence that field wetlands offer a simple, cost-effective strategy for environmental protection. Their work, carried out over the last four years, shows that the ponds can intercept runoff and prevent sediment and nutrients reaching watercourses: Results from the first stage of the project show: <ul> <li>Up to 40 tonnes of sediment (the equivalent of about four London busses) was trapped in one year at the project's Whinton Hill site in Cumbria</li> <li>The farm ponds also act as traps to store carbon</li> <li>Nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in runoff waters were also reduced through the ponds, improving water quality at the field wetland outlets</li> </ul> Project lead Professor John Quinton of Lancaster University's Environment Centre said: "Ponds and wetlands have benefits not only for wildlife; they can also store floodwater and can potentially be used to clean runoff pollutants before they reach downstream rivers and lakes. "These results suggest that field wetlands can indeed be used to reduce diffuse pollution from agricultural land and we now need to work out how to make them even more effective and to look into the other benefits they can provide." Mike and Ruth Tuer of Crake Trees Manor, Crosby Ravensworth, Cumbria run one of the farms included in the project. They have already overseen a number of environmental initiatives on their 175-acre beef, sheep and arable farm, including voluntary woodland planting, wildlife areas, hedgerow protection and the introduction of field margins, and now the farm has three field wetlands. Mike said: "We got involved because we've always had an environmental focus on our farm. I'm a great believer that if you pollute you should clean up. The researchers are here on and off, keeping us up to date and so far the results are looking good. We were amazed at the amount of sediment that became trapped in the ponds which can be spread back onto the land and does not end up elsewhere." James Turner of Brackenburgh Home Farms, Calthwaite, near Penrith in Cumbria has three field wetlands on his land. He said: "I got involved with this project because I was interested to find out whether phosphate was leaching out of our soils. We had a perfect site for the ponds where a gutter held back field water, and often flooded a two acre marshy area. "If we can capture leached phosphate and other minerals in the sediments in the first settling pond, then this could be dredged and re-applied to crops. Also, we have created quite an attractive conservation site on this waste ground. "Our ponds are sited either in waste ground or field margins, which do not interfere with the farming operations. We may install further ponds on the farm if results and conditions are favourable." The project, which is called MOPS2, began in 2008 and will run until 2013. It is a collaborative research project, funded by Defra. Project partners are the Allerton Project (Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust), University of Reading, and the agricultural consultancy ADAS. The four farms taking part in the scheme are: the Allerton Project, Loddington; Leicestershire, Crake Trees Manor, Crosby Ravensworth; Cumbria, Whinton Hill, near Plumpton of Brackenburgh Home Farms, Calthwaite; Cumbria, and Seborwens farm, Newton Rigg; Cumbria. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1340376597.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1340374988.jpg 400 300 Agricultural intensification has meant that many farm ponds have been lost Thursday Thu 14 June Jun 06 2012

1434 1 News 10 Paid summer internships at Lancaster University 10-paid-summer-internships-at-lancaster-university

In 2013 the university will take part in the national research excellence framework (REF) exercise. This is a periodic review to assess the quality of research undertaken in universities across the UK. Research is assessed under different units of assessment, which align to disciplines and departments within universities. Each unit of assessment at Lancaster is currently preparing its submission. This includes the submission of 4 publications by each member of staff and a document...

In 2013 the university will take part in the national research excellence framework (REF) exercise. This is a periodic review to assess the quality of research undertaken in universities across the UK. Research is assessed under different units of assessment, which align to disciplines and departments within universities. Each unit of assessment at Lancaster is currently preparing its submission. This includes the submission of 4 publications by each member of staff and a document describing the support environment for research. For the first time, the submission will also ask units of assessment to submit evidence of the impact of their research outside of the academic community. This will include the submission of a statement by each unit of assessment which describes how the impact of research is encouraged and a number of impact case studies. Each unit of assessment is preparing its case studies. These have been written over the course of 2012 and reviewed by REF impact champions in each faculty. There is still a lot of work to be done by academic staff to improve these case studies via the collection of evidence to substantiate the claims of impact being made. In science and technology, to support authors in the collection of evidence and improvement of their case studies, we are forming a summer intern team to help support academic authors with this work. Our case studies cover a very wide range of areas, including engineering, environmental sciences, biology, physics, psychology, mathematics, statistics, computing and communication systems. We are looking for interns with a mixture of academic backgrounds across all areas of the university, to help us collect evidence from a variety of sources in support of our case studies outlining research impact in a range of areas, including government policy, healthcare, business & industry, public understanding of science and education. We are looking for up to 10 interns, who will be employed full-time for 12 weeks over the summer vacation - Wednesday 18th July to Friday 5th October. Each intern will support the authors of 3-4 case studies. The work that will be needed to collect evidence for each case study will be different, but likely to include one or more of the following activities: <ul> <li>Arranging workshops and one-to-one meetings with key stakeholders (government departments, public bodies, companies) between July and October to explore the nature, evidence and significance of the impact of research.</li> <li>Bibliometric and related web-based research to identify research output citations in the context of use to support existing case studies.</li> <li>Sourcing of third party economic impact evaluations relevant to case studies.</li> <li>Market research with purchasers of technology/equipment based on Lancaster research to establish use and impact of technology.</li> <li>Desk-based research to quantify the context/environment in which impact is being case studied (e.g. sourcing data on the size of a particular market, quantification of the extent of a social problem in some way e.g. levels of unemployment in a particular age group).</li> <li>Commissioning/reviewing of bespoke surveys and Google analytics to quantify the reach and significance of impact, particularly in relation to public outreach-related impact case studies.</li> <li>Checking case studies to ensure formal compliance with specific panel guidance (recognizing the variation between panels and considerations raised by cross-referral).</li> <li>Making arrangements for granting of appropriate permission to use proprietary material (communication of confidentiality polices, liaising with external organisations to gain permissions).</li> <li>Creation of evidence files for each case study to ensure all evidence is appropriately cited and available for review as required by HEFCE. </ul> Applications are closed as the internships have now finished. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1339585030.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1339585030.jpg 200 300 Monday Mon 11 June Jun 06 2012

1427 9 LU News First for Touchless Technology in Vascular Surgery first-for-touchless-technology-in-vascular-surgery

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London is piloting touchless technology in the operating theatre.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London is piloting touchless technology in the operating theatre. Surgeons at the Trust helped develop the system in conjunction with Microsoft Research, Lancaster University and King's College London. Mr Tom Carrell, vascular surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas', said: "This technology is very exciting as it allows me to easily and precisely control the imaging I need during operations. Touchless interaction means there is no compromise in the sterility of the operating field or in patient safety." The pioneering work, which uses Microsoft Kinect for Windows technology, is intended to explore the use of touchless interaction within surgical settings; enabling surgeons to view, control and manipulate medical images without contact. It is the first time the technology has been used in this way. Surgeons operate in a challenging environment where they are required to maintain sterility at all times. Re-scrubbing is time consuming and therefore surgeons are frequently compelled to instruct others to manipulate visual-aid equipment for them; an often impractical and imprecise method. This new gesture-based system utilizes Kinect for Windows hardware and the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit (SDK), to allow the vascular surgery team to maintain a sterile environment, whilst being able to view and manipulate medical images through a combination of gesture and voice control. The software for the imaging surgery system was developed by researchers from King's College London's Imaging Sciences department to help the surgeons during complex aneurysm procedures. The touchless interaction component was developed by Gerardo Gonzalez, a post-doctoral researcher at Microsoft Research from Lancaster University. Dr Mark Rouncefield from the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk">School of Computing and Communications</a> at Lancaster University also worked on the project. He said: "This is a lovely example of a successful interdisciplinary research project, combining the technical skills of computer scientists with a social scientific and medical expertise that ensures the new technology resonates with the way in which surgeons actually do their work." The computer program visualizes on screen the patient's 3D anatomy, which is acquired from a group of 2D images (which look like x-rays) taken at different view directions. The Kinect technology allows the surgeon to manipulate (e.g. rotate, pan and zoom) the medical imaging system by themselves, rather than instructing an assistant to do so. The system is currently under trial on vascular patients at St Thomas' Hospital with a view to expanding to the manipulation of 3D volumetric models of the brain for neurosurgery at other hospitals. The ultimate aim is to develop a touchless interaction in surgery toolkit that can be used in any hospital or system interested in applying touchless interaction to their imaging system. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1338476637.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1338476637.jpg 250 250 Thursday Thu 31 May May 05 2012

1406 9 LU News Female Terrorists Study Contradicts Stereotypes female-terrorists-study-contradicts-stereotypes

Much like their male counterparts, female terrorists are likely to be educated, employed and native residents of the country where they commit a terrorist act, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Much like their male counterparts, female terrorists are likely to be educated, employed and native residents of the country where they commit a terrorist act, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. Researchers at Lancaster University examined archival biographical data from multiple sources on 222 female and 269 male terrorists connected to one of 13 conflicts involving nationalist-separatists, social revolutionaries or religious fundamentalists, including al Qaeda, the Irish Republican Army and the Popular Liberation Army of Colombia. The findings contradict stereotypes presented in previous studies that describe female terrorists as socially isolated and vulnerable to recruitment because they are uneducated, unemployed and from a foreign land, psychologists reported in a study <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22545582">published online</a> in the APA journal Law and Human Behavior. These assumptions are not supported by evidence, according to the study authors. "We discovered that some of the popular notions about female terrorists do not reflect what has occurred in the past," said the study's lead author, Dr Karen Jacques. "A more realistic description is helpful because it provides insights into the social dynamics that might promote an individual's involvement in terrorist activities." Dr Jacques and her co-author, Dr Paul J Taylor examined eight variables for each terrorist: age at first involvement, education, employment status, immigration status, marital status, religious conversion, criminal activity and activist connections. The majority of both female and male terrorists were between 16 and 35 years old, native residents, employed, educated through secondary school, not converted from another religion and rarely involved in a previous crime, the study said. Compared to male terrorists, the researchers found, women had on average more education, with the majority continuing beyond secondary school, and were more likely to be divorced or widowed, less likely to be employed and less likely to be immigrants. Collectively, the findings for female terrorists indicated more of an emphasis on individual motivations, such as personal revenge for the death of a loved one, rather than collective engagement in terrorism, the authors said. "A surprising finding was that, unlike for other criminals, there were very few instances of previous involvement in criminal activity among both females and males," said Dr Jacques. "This could be because they were unwilling to confess to other crimes, because criminality could attract authorities' undue attention to potential terrorists, or the possibility that having a criminal career is not a significant precursor to terrorism." About a third of both male and female terrorists had prior connections to terrorism activities via their families. However, more than 50 percent of those with family connections to terrorism indicated that family influence did not motivate them to carry out terrorist activities, the study said. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Thursday Thu 17 May May 05 2012

1407 9 LU News Animal Disease Research Misses the Human Perspective animal-disease-research-misses-the-human-perspective

Animal disease research concentrates too much on the behaviour of micro organisms while ignoring the role played by human beings; we need to take more account of the human dimension if the work of scientists is to be translated effectively into policy, according to scientists at Lancaster and Liverpool universities.

Animal disease research concentrates too much on the behaviour of micro organisms while ignoring the role played by human beings; we need to take more account of the human dimension if the work of scientists is to be translated effectively into policy, according to scientists at Lancaster and Liverpool universities. The interdisciplinary project, which was carried out as part of the UK Research Councils' <a href="http://www.relu.ac.uk/">Rural Economy and Land Use Programme</a>, examined three animal diseases: Foot and Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza and Cryptosporidiosis. The team found that although policy makers need up to date information in order to take timely decisions, putting the research into practice may falter because the diverse perspectives of the people and organisations involved have not been taken into account. Modelling of disease transmission and impacts tends to be built on the behaviour of disease organisms and animal vectors, but often disregards information about the behaviour of the people and organisations who manage the animals or who are affected by the disease, whether commercially, emotionally, or through risks to human health. Such a partial outlook actually generates uncertainty in the management of disease, say the scientists. They also found a lack of transparency among the organisations involved about how they prioritise diseases. When management strategies are put into practice, their priorities often seem to clash. Where, as is common, diseases cross national boundaries these problems are often amplified because of international differences in regulation. An interdisciplinary approach, combining natural and social sciences, can help to overcome this blinkered perspective and make research more effective. Professor Louise Heathwaite from the <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk">Lancaster Environment Centre</a>, who co-led the project, said: "There is a concentration on technical dimensions and a neglect of human factors with the result that the research can be lost in translation and fail to inform policy. Sometimes it can even increase uncertainty. "What is needed is a consistently interdisciplinary approach to animal disease, combining economic, social and technical perspectives at every level: strategic, tactical and operational." "In the past 25 years the UK has learned some very hard lessons indeed about how animal disease can affect human society in unpredictable and devastating ways," said Professor Jonathan Wastling, who led the team at Liverpool's School of Veterinary Science. "By adopting a common framework for decision-making focussed on better communication between sectors and more open sharing of information, particularly about areas of uncertainty, we will improve not only animal health and welfare, but help to protect our food security and human health." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1337347170.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1337347170.jpg 300 225 Animal disease studies can fail to take human factors into account Tuesday Tue 15 May May 05 2012

1401 9 LU News 'DIY' Techie Innovators Working with Homeless on Prototype Healthcare Tool diy-techie-innovators-working-with-homeless-on-prototype-healthcare-tool

Lancaster University is bringing a new wave of citizen scientists together with the homeless in the North West to dream up new technology which could change their lives.

Lancaster University is bringing a new wave of citizen scientists together with the homeless in the North West to dream up new technology which could change their lives. The eight-month research project called Patchworks will put homeless people in Lancaster and Morecambe in touch with a group of DIYBio innovators - people outside official centres of academia who share and experiment with cheap, open source technology from free software to gadgets and games to meet citizens' needs in novel and sophisticated ways. Signposts, a charity supporting homeless groups in Lancashire and Cumbria, and MadLab, a local community of DIYBio innovators, artists and designers, will work with Lancaster University researchers to design and develop a prototype tool using open source technology that can help to monitor and communicate their health and wellbeing. The project is part of an ambitious £1.9m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project called Catalyst which is led by Professor Jon Whittle of the Faculty of Science and Technology's School of Computing and Communications. Catalyst will be made up of series of short research 'sprints' designed to test the boundaries of existing communications technology and empower groups to change the world for the better. Patchworks is the first project. Dr Rod Dillon, the medical biologist from the Faculty of Health and Medicine who is leading the Patchworks project, said: "Unlike other projects of this kind, Patchworks depends on the imaginations, experiences, design and manufacturing skills of homeless communities themselves. We are not telling people what we can do for them, we are asking what they need and working with them to create it. "DIY Bio innovation is a fast growing, exciting movement which puts technology in the hands of everyone. This project is about working with people to find out what they need and building it from the ground up as cheaply as possible. "It will be a learning curve, we don't know what we will create yet but whatever happens we will have helped with the technical up-skilling of homeless people, understood more about what homeless people need from technology and found out more about applying DIYBio skills and concepts to bring about social change." Sharon Calverley, Project Director at Signposts, said: "Patchworks is a really exciting initiative - there is amazing potential for the technical side of this project to make a real difference to homeless people. "What makes it really brilliant is the idea of two groups from very different backgrounds working together for the benefit of a marginalised section of the local community." More information can be found on the project website below. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336743275.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336743275.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 11 May May 05 2012

1399 1 News TheBigThink: Your Ticket to Campus Party Europe in Berlin thebigthink-your-ticket-to-campus-party-europe-in-berlin

Campus Party, Telefonica O2 and more than a hundred universities throughout the EU, under the patronage of the European Commission are developing "TheBigThink," a project that makes access to the event easier, and creates the foundation of the ideas we will work on to build a better Europe.

Campus Party, Telefonica O2 and more than a hundred universities throughout the EU, under the patronage of the European Commission are developing "TheBigThink," a project that makes access to the event easier, and creates the foundation of the ideas we will work on to build a better Europe. "We are looking to identify thousands of ideas for the European Digital Agenda and, for that, we're counting on you, the campuseros." The creators of the 5,000 best ideas submitted will be invited to attend the biggest technology festival in the world, completely free, including: transportation, entry ticket and accommodation. <iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nrwLUeJuJ1M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> How can you participate? <ol><li>Think about the best idea for the European Digital Agenda, can you fit it in a tweet? Great. Otherwise, write a short blog post explaining your idea or record a video and upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, etc.</li><li>Between May 15th and June 15th tweet your idea, with the geolocation option on, in which you must include:<ul><li>General hashtag #I4DA</li><li>Specific hashtag about the category of your idea:<ul><li>#YouthEmployment</li><li>#AgingWell</li><li>#Entrepreneurship</li><li>#Health</li><li>#InternetRights</li></ul><li>A short description of your idea</li></ul></ol> If your idea doesn't fit in 140 characters you can also provide a link to a blog post or a short video explaining your proposal. For more details please see the flyer below or watch the video. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336736627.gif 75 75 Friday Fri 11 May May 05 2012

1384 1 News MSc Scholarships for 2012 Applicants msc-scholarships-for-2012-applicants

Lancaster's Science and Technology Graduate School is very pleased to announce a substantial number of MSc scholarships available for 2012 applicants.

Lancaster's Science and Technology Graduate School is very pleased to announce a substantial number of MSc scholarships available for 2012 applicants. We are offering a total of 70 scholarships split between overseas and UK/EU applicants, and these are being awarded through our departments over a variety of MSc programmes. If you would be interested in being considered for a scholarship please contact the relevant department, or look at their web pages for further details on what is available. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1337347372.jpg 75 75 Friday Fri 04 May May 05 2012

1391 9 LU News £100,000 Eco Innovation opportunities for ambitious businesses in the North West eco-innovation-opportunities-for-ambitious-businesses-in-the-north-west

Businesses have until Monday 11 June to register for funded research and development from a new Centre for Global Eco Innovation in the North West.

Businesses have until Monday 11 June to register for funded research and development from a new Centre for Global Eco Innovation in the North West. The centre - designed to bolster the region's economy in key export markets and drive forward improvements in green technology and services - brings together the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool, together with international commercialisation consultancy Inventya Ltd. The centre is to receive £4.9m of funds from the European Regional Development Fund's North West operational programme. The centre will form collaborative research and development partnerships to enable and drive innovation in businesses. Businesses are matched with 50 of the UK's brightest graduates who will complete three-year research and development projects in partnership with the business to develop new products, processes and services for the global marketplace that have positive environmental benefits. The graduates will use these collaborations as the basis of a PhD programme of study. Businesses will also benefit from the time, resources, contacts and expertise from the two universities. This intensive research and development is worth more than £100K, with each business making a financial contribution of £4,000 per year. The new products and services developed will help each business increase profitability and deliver a significant number of new jobs to the region, making a measurable contribution to economic recovery in the North West. In addition to intensive three-year collaborations, the centre will also work via Inventya Ltd to deliver a programme of business support for companies exploring the export market and a range of other opportunities for collaborative working with both of the universities. Project Manager Dr Phil Leigh said: "A number of businesses have already been partnered up with experts at Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool, kick starting some genuinely exciting possibilities. "Our business and academic teams are already exploring new products and services with the potential to make a real difference to people's lives. These range from developing technology for a low-cost, power-free renal therapy device to techniques for future domestic energy control for low carbon buildings. We also have projects looking at new approaches to sustainable pest control using light and partners exploring technology for a novel transparent biopolymer that has the potential to revolutionise the design of contact lenses and corneal bandages." SMEs have until June 11th to register. Collaborative projects start in October 2012. Projects that have had expertise allocated are live online here. Register your interest online now or contact Project Manager, Dr Phil Leigh Tel: +44 (0)1524 510214 Email: p.leigh@lancaster.ac.uk LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336642359.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1337171847.jpg 300 300 Friday Fri 04 May May 05 2012

1388 9 LU News Nobel-winning Biologist to Give Public Lecture at Lancaster nobel-winning-biologist-to-give-public-lecture-at-lancaster

A Nobel Prize winner involved in the first ever mapping of the human genetic code is to give a public lecture in Lancaster.

A Nobel Prize winner involved in the first ever mapping of the human genetic code is to give a public lecture in Lancaster. Professor Sir John Sulston FRS is to give the third annual public lecture organised by the Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics (Cesagen) a collaboration between Cardiff and Lancaster Universities. A biologist, Sir John was awarded the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine in 2002 jointly with Sydney Brenner and Robert Horvitz for their work in understanding the development of a nematode worm. He traced its cell lineage: the ways in which cells divided, move and sometimes die as the animal grows. This knowledge opened the way to deciphering genetic instructions that are involved in cancers, as well as in the normal growth of an animal. In 1992, he was appointed the first Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire which made the UK's contribution to the international Human Genome Project which mapped the human genetic code for the first time in 2000. He received his knighthood for services to genome research in the 2001 New Year's Honours and now chairs the institute of Science Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester. The public lecture on Our biological heritage and our human future; living and flourishing sustainably is on Thursday May 24 at Lancaster Town Hall at 6pm. Sir John said he would look at the need to balance profitability with the demands of social justice. "Justice demands sharing of fundamental information, yet some would like to enclose it. Justice demands equality of treatment, yet discrimination on grounds of genetics or culture is frequent. Justice demands equitable healthcare, yet most research and development is resourced by investment aimed at maximising financial return, and is only now beginning to reach the disease burden of the majority of humankind. Justice demands equality of opportunity, yet is blocked by vast inequalities of wealth. "Meanwhile the impact of the growing human population, and the growing consumption of resources by the richer countries, is bringing us to the limits of what the earth can sustain. Here lies another demand for justice - justice between the generations. Our descendants ought to receive opportunities at least as great as those we ourselves enjoy, but if we continue in our current style they will not. "Choices made now - ethical, legal, social, and scientific - will determine the future of humanity. Shall we choose to flourish, or merely survive?" Attendance at the lecture is free but <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/832320/Cesagen-Public-Lecture">registration</a> is requested. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336147359.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336147359.jpg 300 250 Professor Sir John Sulston FRS Thursday Thu 03 May May 05 2012

1386 9 LU News Volunteers Wanted for Research Project on Everyday Life and Travel volunteers-wanted-for-research-project-on-everyday-life-and-travel

What do you do if your train breaks down or the road is blocked by snow or a fallen tree?

What do you do if your train breaks down or the road is blocked by snow or a fallen tree? That is what researchers at Lancaster University want to find out as part of a project examining the role of travel in daily life. This three year project examines how people carry out their daily life including going to school or work, shopping, sports activities, voluntary work and social events. Dr Mags Adams from the Lancaster Environment Centre said: "We are particularly interested in how people organise their activities when something unexpected happens that means they can't do things in the way they normally do - this could be a family member being ill or their normal transport breaking down or a larger-scale event such as severe weather or strike action. "The insights that these disruptions provide can help reveal the kinds of changes to transport and other policy sectors such as health, education and business that are needed to inspire and facilitate a shift to lower carbon travel". The research is important because transport is the only sector of the UK economy where emissions of greenhouse gases are continuing to grow steadily. Travel patterns are often assumed to be habitual but we know little about the complexity of those habits and the constraints that individuals and families are under when making transportation choices. It is also assumed that these habits are difficult and politically sensitive to change, yet change is needed if the UK is to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Dr Adams is looking for interested people to be involved in the project. She can provide them with equipment such as cameras, video recorders or diaries to help record their everyday travel practices. She can also visit local community groups or schools to talk about getting involved in the project. "People could make a video of a normal day in the city, or take photos, create a diary, blog or scrapbook as well as being interviewed or being accompanied by a researcher on a journey." The other project partners include the universities of Leeds, Aberdeen, Brighton, Glasgow, the West of England, and the Open University. There will be a £10 voucher for every participant taking part in each stage of the project. Anyone interested in taking part or inviting Dr Adams to talk to their community group or school should contact Dr Mags Adams, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University on m.adams@lancaster.ac.uk or phone 01524 510287. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336147534.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336147563.jpg 350 300 The project will examine the role of travel in people's daily life Thursday Thu 03 May May 05 2012

1382 9 LU News Lancaster Engineering Students Have a Hand in Supersonic Car Design lancaster-engineering-students-have-a-hand-in-supersonic-car-design

Student engineers at Lancaster University have played a part in an ambitious project to build the ultimate racing car.

Student engineers at Lancaster University have played a part in an ambitious project to build the ultimate racing car. The <a href="http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/">BLOODHOUND Supersonic Car Project</a> aims to create a 7.5 tonne jet and rocket powered car capable of travelling at over 1,000 mph - faster than the speed of sound. The British team behind BLOODHOUND hopes to make a new attempt on the land speed record in 2013 and 2014. Students from Lancaster's Engineering Department have been lucky enough to have been working on the project since 2011. Lancaster University's <a href="http://www.lpdu.lancs.ac.uk/">Product Development Unit</a>, the knowledge exchange team for the Engineering Department, put small student project teams together to tackle two different aspects of the car's design. Firstly, work was undertaken on the design of the steering wheel; the second piece of work concentrated on the air brake system, and aimed to calculate and model the forces acting upon the airbrake actuation system between 400 and 800mph. As part of the air brake system project the Lancaster students developed software and adjusted it to make it more accessible - this new tool is being used by the BLOODHOUND engineering team to inform their design process. Dan Johns, Head of the University Programme for BLOODHOUND, said: "The students responded very well to the challenge, not simply with the mechanics, but also they drove the set up of the project and made the arrangements with us for leveraging the information. 'BLOODHOUND @ University' is being developed with the University of the West of England and the University of Southampton to provide an Open Learning platform. Lancaster University has been instrumental to its implementation by piloting these student collaborations with BLOODHOUND Engineers. Our ambition is to enrich student learning by providing access to real-time data and real-time challenges through Open Collaboration." Chris Lambert of the Lancaster Product Development Unit said: "Linking students with real-world, industry-generated projects is crucial to helping students take the step from the classroom into the workplace, enabling them to demonstrate to future employers that they have the skills employers want. This project allowed them to apply their knowledge and gain experience of a project that is in the public domain. These are things that we can't necessarily teach in the lecture theatre." Lancaster student Engineer Tom Goodman said: "Taking part in the BLOODHOUND Project was an invaluable, fascinating and mentally challenging experience. The group got to examine and reflect on real design schematics for the air brake system, communicating directly with the engineers who produced them. This level of interaction with real project teams, combined with exposure to cutting edge technology, is often a rare experience in a degree scheme, but thanks to the LPDU and the BLOODHOUND Team, it was made possible. "We are proud to have been able to contribute to what will no doubt be an unprecedented achievement by BLOODHOUND SSC. We look forward to seeing BLOODHOUND SSC in action, and will gain great satisfaction in knowing that we have helped to develop aspects of the fastest land vehicle in the world." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336042721.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336051086.jpg 250 500 The 1,000 mph BLOODHOUND Project aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians (Image: Curventa/Siemens) Wednesday Wed 02 May May 05 2012

1389 9 LU News New ways to safeguard children new-ways-to-safeguard-children

Child protection experts will be sharing new and emerging research on best practice in safeguarding at a joint NSPCC and Lancaster University conference on 23-24 May in Manchester.

Child protection experts will be sharing new and emerging research on best practice in safeguarding at a joint NSPCC and Lancaster University conference on 23-24 May in Manchester. The conference, "New horizons in safeguarding children: Promoting children's safety and wellbeing through innovation and organisational change," is also being supported by the University of Manchester, and will be chaired by Dame Moira Gibbs CBE, Chair of the Social Work Reform Board. More than 40 child protection experts will be addressing the conference, with keynote speakers including the College of Social Work interim co-chair Professor Corinne May-Chahal of Lancaster University, Dave Hill of Essex County Council, and Professor Harry Ferguson of the University of Nottingham. In addition to hearing the keynote speeches, delegates will have the opportunity to take part in their choice of interactive workshops and briefing sessions. Themes covered in these will include: rejuvenating family support; professional judgement and effective assessment; the judiciary and the best interests of the child; inclusive practice - meeting diverse needs; and surviving austerity. The conference was stimulated by the work of Lancaster University's Child Welfare Research Unit which is led by Dr Karen Broadhurst. This builds on Karen's work with the NSPCC in relation to social work assessment in the context of safeguarding vulnerable children. The conference programme will include presentations from the Child Welfare Research Unit featuring work currently commissioned by local authorities and government bodies relating to concerns about the volume of care proceedings cases in England and Wales and the issue of delay in the family court. The conference will also feature a number of presentations from the NSPCC. Speakers from the charity include Tom Rahilly, NSPCC's head of strategy for looked after children, who will speak about care's role in child protection and family support systems, Jon Brown, head of the NSPCC's sexual abuse programme who will talk about both the NSPCC's sexual abuse strategy and the challenges posed by sexting, and Professor Julie Taylor, NSPCC head of strategy (abuse in high risk families) who will speak about the dangers of multiple adversities in families. John Grounds, director of the NSPCC Child Protection Consultancy, who will be speaking at the conference said: "We recognise that while statutory guidance, best practice and trends in child protection are constantly evolving, there is often little opportunity to debate the issues or share knowledge with colleagues. This conference will provide a forum to encourage innovative and forward thinking discussion based on the latest research into safeguarding children." Professor Corinne May-Chahal of Lancaster University said "Child protection has never been so complex and demanding and professionals are constantly presented with new challenges from the internet and social policy while under intense media scrutiny. This conference will be an opportunity to learn from new research and practice with the aim of providing a more secure future for the UK's most vulnerable children." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336459648.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336459648.jpg 480 480 Dr Karen Broadhurst Monday Mon 30 April Apr 04 2012

1365 1 News Deadline Extended For 2012 Summer Placement Applications deadline-extended-for-2012-summer-placement-applications

Applicants and companies are now being matched on the 2012 ICT Summer Placement Scheme.

Applicants and companies are now being matched on the 2012 ICT Summer Placement Scheme. A range of large and small companies are choosing applicants from the School of Computing and Communications for projects which include Mobile App Development, Middleware Solutions, Mobile Video Streaming, CSS + PHP and Database/CRM software development. In case any students missed the deadline due to the Easter break we are extending it to the end of the month (April 30th) so that you don't miss out on this great opportunity to boost your career prospects by gaining relevant industry experience and building relationships with possible future employers. Placements are for 8 weeks and students will earn £1,600 plus expenses. Please get in touch with Sarah Mills as soon as you can to find out more or express your interest in applying. Tel 01524 510421 or email <a href="mailto:sarah.mills@lancaster.ac.uk"> sarah.mills@lancaster.ac.uk</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335266741.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335266741.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 24 April Apr 04 2012

365 1 News Lancaster University signs MoU with University of Benin lancaster-university-signs-mou-with-university-of-benin

On the 29th and 30th of March, LEC hosted a visiting party from Nigeria, which included Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Director of the National Centre for Energy and Environment (NCEE) of the Energy Commission of Nigeria Under the Presidency, and Prof. Anthony B. Ebeigbe, Director of Exchange and Linkages, University of Benin, Nigeria, who also represented the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. O.G. Oshodin (a key driver of this initiative).

On the 29th and 30th of March, LEC hosted a visiting party from Nigeria, which included Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Director of the National Centre for Energy and Environment (NCEE) of the Energy Commission of Nigeria Under the Presidency, and Prof. Anthony B. Ebeigbe, Director of Exchange and Linkages, University of Benin, Nigeria, who also represented the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. O.G. Oshodin (a key driver of this initiative). The purpose of this visit was to explore potential opportunities for collaboration between LEC and other departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology and theses two reputable institutions in Nigeria. Dr Akan Odon, a former PhD student of LEC and winner of the British Council International Student of the Year award (2006), who now runs a small consultancy, Envirofly Consulting, in Nigeria and the UK, was instrumental in bringing everyone together for this meeting. Discussions were fruitful and it was agreed that both institutions would consider 1. collaborative PhD programmes within environment, waste management, remediation, water quality/ waste water/ sanitation and engineering themes; 2. the development and delivery of short executive courses for government officials, engineers and consultants in the areas of waste management, renewable energy, analytical QA/QC and forensics; 3. joint research projects in the areas of renewable energy, environment and health and pollution control and remediation 4. Increasing the Universities profile in Nigeria through the organisation of an expo in Nigeria to facilitate bringing academics and businesses together. 5. the organisation of a summer school of PG students in 2013 focussing on pollution, environment and health in Nigeria. Following these discussions a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the University of Benin and Lancaster University and it is anticipated that a small delegation from LEC will have a reciprocal meeting at the University of Benin in June. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335522688.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335437564.jpg 200 300 Tuesday Tue 24 April Apr 04 2012

1381 1 News Call for Businesses to Collaborate with Centre for Global Eco-innovation call-for-businesses-to-collaborate-with-centre-for-global-eco-innovation

Collaborate with two world-class universities and realise your ambitions for business growth through R&D.

Collaborate with two world-class universities and realise your ambitions for business growth through R&D. <ul> <li>Are you an ambitious business?</li> <li>Has a lack of time and resources prevented you from developing your ideas for innovative new products, processes and services?</li> <li>Could you realise your growth ambitions through intensive R&D collaboration with a world class university?</li> <li>Do you want to enter new international markets and benefit from our global reach?</li> </ul> If the answer to the above is yes and you want to benefit from over £100K of funded R&D support then you are the kind of business the new Centre for Global Eco-innovation wants to collaborate with. <h4>The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation</h4> The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation brings together the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool, together with international commercialisation consultancy Inventya Ltd. The aim of the centre is to form collaborative R&D partnerships to enable and drive innovation in businesses, supporting the development of new products, processes and services for the global marketplace that have positive environmental benefits. <h4>An intensive 3-year programme of funded R&D collaboration for 50 of the region's most ambitious businesses.</h4> To launch the centre, we are seeking 50 Northwest Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that have a clear and original concept to form the basis of a collaborative research and development project with either Lancaster University or the University of Liverpool. These will be substantive collaborative projects starting in October 2012 running over three years. Projects must underpin the development of a new product, process or services with positive environmental benefits for the global marketplace. Each project will be undertaken by an appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced graduate with a background in science, technology or engineering. We are particularly interested in working with businesses which have ambitious plans for growth and entry into major export markets. <h4>Why register a project?</h4> <ul> <li>Gain resources and time to develop innovative new products, processes and services. We provide the extra resources to help your business develop its R&D capability. We will review your business research project, innovative idea or problem and provide you with a highly qualified graduate to take this research forward on a full-time placement basis and explore it intensively for you.</li> <li>Benefit from significant funding R&D collaboration. The centre is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Funding support available to each of our collaborating SMEs will exceed £100K in value. You only pay £4,000 per year towards the costs of your appointed graduate researcher. Multi SME collaborations are welcomed.</li> <li>Tap into our global networks The centre brings together the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool, together with international commercialisation consultancy Inventya Ltd.</li> <li>Increase profitability through new the introduction of new innovative products, processes and/or services and make your business more competitive.</li> </ul> <h4>Timescales</h4> There is a rolling call for projects from Feb 23rd to May 31st 2012. Competition will be high and places are expected to be filled in March and April. Collaborative projects start in October 2012. Shorter-term collaborations of 3-6 months and business mentoring to 135 businesses are also available. Dr Ruth Alcock, Project Manager for the Centre, commented "Recruitment is going very well so far with over 1350 graduates registering interest and companies from all over the Northwest registering projects that have the potential to create products with huge environmental benefits and increase the economic performance of the region." Register your interest online now or for more information see <a href="http://www.cgeinnovation.org/business/">www.cgeinnovation.org/business</a> or email <a href="mailto:enquiries@cgeinnovation.org">enquiries@cgeinnovation.org</a> <div class="pdf"><a href="http://www.cgeinnovation.org/business/CGE_business_overview.pdf">Read an overview of the programme</a></div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335950807.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335950807.jpg 400 300 Saturday Sat 21 April Apr 04 2012

1377 1 News Courses for chemical-using industries: Postgraduate Certificate of Competence in REACH Registration courses-for-chemical-using-industries-postgraduate-certificate-of-competence-in-reach-registration

The Centre for Chemicals Management at Lancaster University has an excellent reputation for research and training. As an integral part of one of the largest research institutions in Europe the centre has established links with industry and provides a range of training workshops to aid companies in their regulatory compliance.

The Centre for Chemicals Management at Lancaster University has an excellent reputation for research and training. As an integral part of one of the largest research institutions in Europe the centre has established links with industry and provides a range of training workshops to aid companies in their regulatory compliance. Dr Andy Sweetman runs the Postgraduate Certificate in REACH course. REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), is a major piece of legislation concerned with the way chemicals are manufactured, used and managed. The new REACH regulations are highly complex and can be demanding, time consuming and expensive for companies to effectively interpret and implement. The Centre for Chemicals Management has developed a series of 1-day training workshops combating REACH and other relating regulatory issues. The programme has been developed for regulatory and HSE managers, Business Managers, Product Managers, Graduates, Company REACH Representatives and consultants with their needs in mind through collaboration between Lancaster University, senior industry experts and our affiliate companies - including The REACH Centre Ltd and Hammonds LLP. Our deliverers include leading chemical industry managers, REACH consultants, field specific experts, legal and regulatory specialists and highly esteemed academics. "The course has been running since 2009 and so far we've had 26 people from 19 businesses complete the course. The biggest benefit to businesses is that our experts make a what is a highly complex piece of legislation simple by offering clear practical and expert guidance on how implement strategies, procedures and practices to manage REACH in their business." Dr Andy Sweetman. With a focus on clear practical guidance we aim to give companies in the chemical using industries exactly what they need to guide them successfully through REACH. "I chose the course because I wanted to be able to competently handle REACH and IUCLID 5 issues for my company and the Post-Graduate Certificate course provided all the training I needed. I felt it was well delivered by experts in the field, with enough hands-on experience and practical examples to allow me to confidently manage all aspects of REACH registration." Paul Wiseman, Global REACH Coordinator, Weatherford UK Ltd. The Postgraduate Certificate in REACH course runs over three modules each lasting three days. This Lancaster University accredited course operates throughout the year on a rolling programme. If you have any queries or questions please contact <a href="mailto:a.sweetman@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Andy Sweetman</a> <div class="link"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/research/chemicals_management/downloads/REACH_PGC_2012.pdf">Download Course Information</a></div> <div class="link"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/research/chemicals_management/downloads/registration_form_2012.pdf">Download course registration form</a></div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335950061.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335950061.jpg 400 300 Dr Andy Sweetman Friday Fri 20 April Apr 04 2012

1378 1 News Gain Green-tech expertise from new LEC gain-greentech-expertise-from-new-lec-consultant-in-residence

Dr Ben Herbert is the Research and Environment Director at <a href="http://www.stopfordenergyandenv.co.uk/">Stopford Energy and Environment</a>, a leading multidisciplinary energy and environmental consultancy with engineering, design and project management expertise. The company specialises in delivering green technology, waste, energy generation and low carbon projects globally.

Dr Ben Herbert is the Research and Environment Director at <a href="http://www.stopfordenergyandenv.co.uk/">Stopford Energy and Environment</a>, a leading multidisciplinary energy and environmental consultancy with engineering, design and project management expertise. The company specialises in delivering green technology, waste, energy generation and low carbon projects globally. Ben has been seconded to LEC, as a "Consultant in Residence", to broaden the centre's existing capabilities in the areas of "sustainable resource use" and "renewable energy". The secondment will see Ben draw on existing commercial relationships to integrate LEC into industry led research projects spanning the development of anaerobic digestion technology for developing nations, to the commercialisation of novel water purification technologies. In addition to this, building on the success of LEC and Stopford's "<a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/effw">Energy from Fuels and Waste</a>" professional training course, Ben will seek to repackage this for delivery in China, UAE and West Africa, regions of specific interest to the university. In parallel, Ben will work with both businesses and academics to identify new research areas and the requisite funding opportunities, with a view to bolstering LEC's capabilities across the "Green-Tech sector." For more information Contact Ben via <a href="ben.herbert@stopford.co.uk">ben.herbert@stopford.co.uk</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335950314.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335950314.jpg 400 300 Dr Ben Herbert Friday Fri 20 April Apr 04 2012

1379 1 News Join the KARIM network to access R&D capabilities from across Europe join-the-karim-network-to-access-rd-capabilities-from-across-europe

KARIM is an international network of businesses and universities. By joining the network, SMEs can tap into high value transnational technology and innovation support and develop new environmental or socially beneficial products, processes and services.

KARIM is an international network of businesses and universities. By joining the network, SMEs can tap into high value transnational technology and innovation support and develop new environmental or socially beneficial products, processes and services. "A key thing for SMEs is their competitive edge. For Europe to be successful we need to invest in R&D capability for our SME community. That's what the KARIM project is about. It provide SMEs with access to R&D capabilities that sit right across Europe." Dr Mark Bacon KARIM can help your business at every stage of innovation, from training on innovation, commercial appraisal of new ideas, guidance on how businesses typically access market research information financial strategy, added value analysis, sustainability analysis, economic & technical feasibility or IP analysis and project planning, R&D from consultancy projects delivered by graduates from a broad range of environmental or engineering disciplines, to networking events to find you research, development and innovation partners in Europe, assistance with grant applications or further business coaching and opportunities to make transnational funding pitches via the Heidelberg Innovation Forum and Innoventure Europe. Members of the KARIM network explain why SMEs should join in this video taken at the last KARIM event in which showcased Smart Technology: <div class="link"><a href="http://youtu.be/_4H5-gY07Uk">For SMEs</a></div> <div class="link"><a href="http://youtu.be/X1zSdXxnpJ0">For innovation support agencies</a></div> If you have an idea for an R&D project or want to find out more about KARIM, contact the Lancaster representative, Dr Chris Holroyd, Business Partnerships Manager, LEC tel: 01524 510228, email: <a href="mailto:c.p.holroyd@lancaster.ac.uk">c.p.holroyd@lancaster.ac.uk</a> or register directly at <a href="http://www.karimnetwork.eu">www.karimnetwork.eu</a> <div class="pdf"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/business/newsletter/KARIM_advert_march_2012.pdf">Information about the KARIM network</a></div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335950485.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335950485.jpg 164 306 Friday Fri 20 April Apr 04 2012

1380 1 News LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme helps Ugandan farmers adapt to climate change lecs-graduate-consultancy-scheme-helps-ugandan-farmers-adapt-to-climate-change

LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme has been running for over 5 years and has placed in the region of 300 students in industrial settings. The scheme is designed to provide businesses with access to the skills and expertise of high calibre current university postgraduates and undergraduates.

LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme has been running for over 5 years and has placed in the region of 300 students in industrial settings. The scheme is designed to provide businesses with access to the skills and expertise of high calibre current university postgraduates and undergraduates. Michelle Clarke, BA in Geography, spent two weeks in Uganda with the company Nile Teas Ltd. She explains "They produce a hibiscus drink called "Simply Hibi" which they sell to the UK market and East African markets. It provides an extra income for subsistence farmers in Uganda. I was looking at how the farmers are adapting to climate change and potential solutions to the issue in the area. Working on a research project in Uganda is one of the most exciting opportunities I've ever had. The people I met and the fantastic experience I had that meant I didn't want to leave at the end of the two weeks! I am aiming to go back this summer to carry on with my research and see all the wonderful people I met on my last trip, and to see how the project unfolds." David Ainsworth, Student Placement Manager, commented: "Transnational projects such as this provide fantastic opportunities for students and business. Lancaster is well placed for Environmental Science and Geography students, being close to National Parks, upland areas, coastal environments, and large cities, but to extend placement opportunities beyond the local area can further enhance student experience, whilst providing benefits to international business. We are currently working to deliver more placements such as Michelle's, through our KARIM project, with companies in Northwest Europe, and have already placed a number of students in France and Ireland. Whether it's a Northwest business or an international organisation like Nile Teas Ltd., our high quality graduates use their skills and enthusiasm to form partnerships, make a difference and deliver real impact." To find out more about the LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme watch the latest film which includes an overview of the different types of projects from David Ainsworth, Student Placement Manager, comment from Dr. Andy Jarvis, Associate Director for Postgraduate study, and Zareena Longdale, of HR consultancy People:id, who facilitates half day training sessions to prepare the students for work with industry. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PMPVYdHy1uc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335950637.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335950637.jpg 250 300 Michelle Clarke in Uganda Friday Fri 20 April Apr 04 2012

1387 9 LU News Lancaster University provides evidence to new UK emissions report lancaster-university-provides-evidence-to-new-uk-emissions-report

The Government should be straightforward about the impact that UK consumption is having on the world's climate, according to a report from the Energy and Climate Change Committee.

The Government should be straightforward about the impact that UK consumption is having on the world's climate, according to a report from the Energy and Climate Change Committee. The Parliamentary Energy and Climate Change Committee published its report on "Consumption-Based Emissions Reporting" on 18 April. In the report, MPs warn that: <ul> <li>The UK's record on cutting greenhouse gases is not as good as Department of Energy and Climate Change figures suggest</li> <li>Carbon dioxide emissions from imported goods consumed in the UK are going up faster than Government is cutting CO2 at home</li> <li>Government figures on consumption-based emissionsfrom imported goods show that carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 were 20 per cent higher than in 1990</li> </ul> Mike Berners-Lee, director of Small World Consulting, a Lancaster University-affiliated company, provided both written and oral evidence to the Committee. Professor Nick Hewitt of the Lancaster Environment Centre also provided written evidence. The Committee suggests that the Department of Energy and Climate Change should explore the options for incorporating consumption-based emissions data into their policy making process, alongside data on territorial emissions. Considering both sets of data together will give a more complete picture of the UK's impact on climate, and can be used to inform people of the impacts of their own behaviour on global emissions. Tim Yeo MP, Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, said: "Successive governments have claimed to be cutting climate-changing emissions, but in fact a lot of pollution has simply been outsourced overseas. "The Department for Energy and Climate Change likes to argue that the UK is only responsible for 2 per cent of the world's CO2 emissions, but the Government's own research shows this not to be the case. "We get through more consumer goods than ever before in the UK and this is pushing up emissions in manufacturing countries like China." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1336147671.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1336147671.jpg 350 300 Wednesday Wed 18 April Apr 04 2012

1340 9 LU News Lancaster University Awarded Cyber Security Centre of Excellence Status lancaster-university-awarded-cyber-security-centre-of-excellence-status

Lancaster University researchers who have been tackling online crime from hacking to child grooming on the net have been recognised by Government as one of an elite group of eight new academic centres of excellence in cyber security research in the UK.

Lancaster University researchers who have been tackling online crime from hacking to child grooming on the net have been recognised by Government as one of an elite group of eight new academic centres of excellence in cyber security research in the UK. The only one in the north of England and Scotland, the new Lancaster University Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research brings together internationally-recognised researchers from diverse disciplines to address key issues threatening our security online. From threats to national security to internet hacking, cyber security affects almost every one of us. Lancaster University has been working in this field for nearly a decade, forging a global reputation for its research which combines traditional network security expertise and data analysis with new approaches to linguistic analysis and knowledge of human behaviour patterns informed by psychological research. Funded by the Research Councils' Global Uncertainties Programme (RCUK), GCHQ and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research at Lancaster will develop research to tackle emerging cyber security threats while providing a platform for government and business to interact more effectively with leading-edge university cyber security research. The Centres of Excellence will benefit the UK by: enhancing the UK's cyber knowledge base through original research; providing top quality graduates in the field of cyber security; supporting GCHQ's cyber defence mission; driving up the level of innovation. The Centres of Excellence will help make the UK government, business and consumers more resilient to cyber attack by extending knowledge and enhancing skills in cyber security. Spanning the school of Computing and Communications, the Department of Psychology and the University Centre for Computer Corpus Research on Language, Lancaster's cyber security researchers are undertaking work which includes: <ul> <li>Developing sophisticated language analysis tools to detect the techniques used by paedophiles in internet chat rooms to groom children</li> <li>An analysis of a database of literature endorsing violent extremism in order to better understand the kinds of persuasive techniques recruiters use to influence vulnerable communities</li> <li>An influential study about emerging threats to the future internet</li> <li>Developing a network of wireless sensors to protect high security buildings from attack</li> <li>Developing mechanisms to protect the internet from cyber threats and tools which enable the network to repair itself and adapt to challenges</li> </ul> Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: "Britain has one of the largest online economies in the world and a growing cyber security sector. Supporting universities to carry out more research and training skilled graduates to work in the cyber-security industry will help build further confidence in doing business online. "There was strong competition among universities to be selected as a Centre of Excellence in cyber security research and I congratulate those who have been successful." Minister for Cyber Security Francis Maude said: "We want to make the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business, by investing in the best expertise to keep pace with technological change. That is why promoting academic excellence is at the heart of the Government's Cyber Security Strategy. These first eight Centres will play a vital role in boosting research, expanding our cyber skills base and fostering innovation in the field." Professor Awais Rashid who will lead the Lancaster centre said: "Cyber Security is one of the biggest challenges facing modern society. The costs of cyber attacks against businesses can run into billions and the emotional impact on individuals targeted by such attacks is immeasurable. Our cyber security research has always been driven by the pressing need to tackle these issues by harnessing advances in technology and sharing expertise across subject areas. "Our research on protecting networking infrastructures and detecting attacks against businesses is critical to the health of the UK economy, while our work on detecting criminal vocabulary and tactics in online social networks helps protect individuals - especially vulnerable user groups such as children and young people. "Being recognised as a centre of excellence will enable us to further enhance this research capacity and develop new techniques that tackle the constantly changing threats in cyber space, ultimately making the modern digital world a safer place." Lancaster University's Vice Chancellor Professor Mark E. Smith said: "Lancaster University has a strong history of multi-disciplinary research in cyber security that has already delivered results which have the potential to make a difference in our day to day lives. We are delighted that the truly innovative work that has come out of Lancaster University has been recognised in this way confirming that it is internationally excellent through this nationwide process." The eight Universities chosen as Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research are: University of Bristol; Imperial College London; Lancaster University; University of Oxford; Queen's University Belfast; Royal Holloway, University of London; University of Southampton; University College London. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1333371350.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1333371350.jpg 250 250 Professor Awais Rashid who will lead the Lancaster University Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research Monday Mon 02 April Apr 04 2012

1338 1 News Eliahou Dangoor Scholarship Scheme eliahou-dangoor-scholarship-scheme

Lancaster University is pleased to announce its participation in the Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships scheme, which has been launched thanks to a generous donation from Dr Naim Dangoor CBE.

Lancaster University is pleased to announce its participation in the Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships scheme, which has been launched thanks to a generous donation from Dr Naim Dangoor CBE. The Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships have been created to provide talented British students with the opportunity to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at leading research universities like Lancaster. Lancaster University will offer around 30 Dangoor Scholarships for the 2012/13 academic year worth £1,000 each and each award will be tenable for one year. More information is available from Lancaster university's <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/dangoor-scholarships/">undergraduate fees and funding</a> pages. Friday Fri 30 March Mar 03 2012

1360 9 LU News Lancaster scientists to develop drought resistant crops lancaster-scientists-to-develop-drought-resistant-crops

Lancaster University researchers working at the forefront of agricultural science have been awarded nearly half a million pounds to help keep food crops growing in times of drought.

Lancaster University researchers working at the forefront of agricultural science have been awarded nearly half a million pounds to help keep food crops growing in times of drought. Drought is becoming an increasing threat to world food security and scientists have been working for a number of years to find ways to maintain good harvests in poor conditions. During times of water shortage - such as those being experienced by the UK this spring - plants suffer stress which affects the crop yield. Researchers at Lancaster have been exploring the role signals sent from plant roots play in this process and have made a series of breakthrough discoveries over the years which have led to improvements in food production from vineyards to vegetable and top fruit farms, to fields of cereal crops. The European Commission has now funded two new major international projects in which Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) scientists will play key roles. Dr Ian Dodd will lead the Lancaster contribution to one of the EU projects 'ROOTOPOWER', worth 3m, investigating how roots from different varieties of tomato perform under salt, drought and low nutrient stresses and how this effects crop yields. The research will use the tomato plant as a model species since it can be very easily grafted. Grafting is a surgical technique that joins genetically different shoot and root systems together, and is commonly used in commercial tomato production. Researchers will use the same variety of tomato for the shoots but will graft roots from a range of other tomato varieties onto this one shoot variety - this way they hope to discover which roots perform best in challenging conditions. The work will be supported by a PhD studentship available from October 2012. Meanwhile, Dr Sally Wilkinson will lead the Lancaster contribution to a second project, "EURoots", also worth 3m, which aims to optimize water and nutrient acquisition by roots from the soil, in crops such as maize, rice and wheat. Dr Wilkinson said: "This project will help farmers to face climate change, and to meet society's growing demand for sustainable food production. We fully expect that it will be possible to cut down on the amount of water and fertilizers that farmers need to apply to their fields without reducing yields. "Results will help crop breeders develop and choose varieties of our staple food crops which have the best root systems for coping with our increasingly stressful environment." Distinguished Professor Bill Davies CBE, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture at Lancaster University, said: "We are delighted that the European Commission has recognized the importance of root signalling biology in influencing crop yields, and that Lancaster's scientists have responded by co-ordinating two successful bids." For more info about applying for PhD studentships referred to in this article click <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/LECPG/Root_Biology_PhDs.pdf">here.</a> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1334333228.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1334333378.jpg 250 500 Friday Fri 30 March Mar 03 2012

1336 1 News Lancaster University at the Big Bang 2012 lancaster-university-at-the-big-bang-2012

Science and Technology at Lancaster University engaged school pupils from all over the UK at the Big Bang Science Fair in Birmingham this month, with hands-on science and technology exhibits designed and run by Lancaster staff and students.

Science and Technology at Lancaster University engaged school pupils from all over the UK at the Big Bang Science Fair in Birmingham this month, with hands-on science and technology exhibits designed and run by Lancaster staff and students. <div class="link"><a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/galleries/popups/big_bang_2012.php" rel="facebox">Big Bang 2012 image gallery</a></div> A record number of visitors attended the event, and the Lancaster stand was abuzz with interested students keen to try Lancaster's augmented reality computer game that allowed them to race virtual cars on a physical table top, and design and change the terrain of the race course as they played using wooden blocks. The game, based on Microsoft's Xbox Kinect technology, was developed by Highwire student John Hardy from the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk">School of Computing and Communications</a>, who was on hand to talk to pupils about his work. Our <a href="http://www.engineering.lancs.ac.uk">Engineering Department</a> gave visitors to Lancaster's stall the chance to compete to generate enough energy on a static bicycle to win a prize. The bike was linked to a modified leaf blower that blew a ball up a tube - the faster the children pedalled the higher up the tube the ball travelled. Another bikes was used to power various household electrical items, and pupils soon found out that powering a wii console or boiling a kettle was no easy task relying on pedal power. <a href="www.maths.lancs.ac.uk">Mathematics and Statistics</a> provided the "Impossible" Hoopla, where visitors could try firsthand the seaside attraction from Blackpool Promenade and see if they could beat the odds of 1 in 2600, <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/news/index.php?article_id=955">as calculated by Dr David Lucy</a>, to win a Lancaster University teddy bear. This attraction proved hugely popular, and two lucky visitors walked away with a prize from an estimated 10,000 throws over our three days at the fair. The Big Bang 2012 showcased activities from over 120 different organisations in the field of Science and Technology, and saw attendance increase dramatically on previous years. The final numbers for the event were a record breaking 56,287 visitirs over the three days - almost double that of The Big Bang Fair 2011! http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1333103470.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1333370942.jpg 240 400 Pupils were amazed by Lancaster University's augmented reality racing game Friday Fri 23 March Mar 03 2012

1335 1 News Schools come to Lancaster University for National Science and Engineering Week schools-come-to-lancaster-university-for-national-science-and-engineering-week

Science and Technology researchers alongside 50 student volunteers engaged with pupils from five local schools in a series of events for National Science and Engineering Week 2012.

Science and Technology researchers alongside 50 student volunteers engaged with pupils from five local schools in a series of events for National Science and Engineering Week 2012. Central Lancaster High School, Park High School, Torrisholme Primary School, Ellel St John's Primary School and Thurnham Glasson Dock Primary School were all involved in science experiments and demonstrations on and off campus. Tuesday saw children at Ellel St John's Primary launching rockets hundreds of metres in the air and measuring the friction of jelly while Wednesday witnessed pupils from Park High School freezing balloons in liquid nitrogen and defying gravity with balls that roll uphill not down! Deborah Padfield, teacher at Ellel St John's commented: "The children really loved it and it has really fired their interest in Science!" The events were delivered by student volunteers from <a href="http://involve.lusu.co.uk/">LUSU involve</a> at Lancaster University, in partnership with lecturers Nick Chappell of the Lancaster Environment Centre, Paul Coulton from the School of Computing and Communications and Phil Furneaux in Physics. LUSU involve has so far this year involved 620 students in volunteering with 8900 pupils from 59 schools. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1333101252.gif 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1333101252.jpg 267 300 School pupils in the lab in the Lancaster Environment Centre (photo: Joshua Gibson Photography) Friday Fri 23 March Mar 03 2012

1323 9 LU News International research and innovation centre planned with Chinese Academy of Sciences international-research-and-innovation-centre-planned-with-chinese-academy-of-sciences

CAS signing image Lancaster University's partnership with the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been strengthened with plans to develop an International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment. A letter of intent was signed during Professor Mark E. Smith's first visit to China as Vice-Chancellor in March.

CAS signing image Lancaster University's partnership with the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been strengthened with plans to develop an International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment. A letter of intent was signed during Professor Mark E. Smith's first visit to China as Vice-Chancellor in March. The Centre will focus on innovations in the areas of the environmental sciences, environment and health and environmental technologies. It will also work to promote joint research and to engage with businesses and industrial partners to develop world class research on environmental issues of global concern. Professor Smith said: "This is a very important development in Lancaster's collaboration with CAS. Our partnership is already seeing benefits to science both in the UK and China." Lancaster and <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">CAS</a> already work on crucial global issues from food security to pollution and this latest development follows a memorandum of understanding, signed in 2010, which pledged to bring Lancaster University's work in environmental science into closer partnership with parallel work taking place in China. CAS has over 100 institutes as well as a university and graduate school and Lancaster enjoys a special partnership with CAS in Environmental Science and Technology. The partnership was designed to create opportunities for collaboration between Lancaster and China including postgraduate and staff training, summer schools, exchange programmes, business and enterprise, and joint research tackling global issues ranging from sustainable agriculture and land use to energy, waste and pollution. A new two-year International Masters Programme in Environmental Science and Technology has been set up enabling students to split their study time between Lancaster University and CAS. The collaboration has also attracted interest from Unilever who are sponsoring three PhDs to Chinese students registered at Lancaster studying environmental science. CAS and Lancaster have set up a regular programme of joint research workshops both in China and the UK addressing issues such as chemicals management, water treatment and environmental health. The CAS <a href="http://english.gyig.cas.cn/">Institute for Geochemistry</a> in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and the CAS <a href="http://english.iue.cas.cn/">Institute for the Urban Environment</a> in Xiamen, Fujian province, have been chosen as initial institutes for collaboration with Lancaster, since they already take the lead role for CAS in Lancaster's UK-China Bridge Project. The China Bridge project is funded by Research Councils UK to improve UK innovation links with China to help tackle environmental issues such as global food security and water quality. Professor Bill Davies of the Lancaster Environment Centre is leading the three year research programme which will tackle some of these problems. It is intended to formally agree the creation of the International Research and Innovation Centre for the Environment by 1 August 2012. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1331907303.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1331906538.jpg 350 300 Friday Fri 16 March Mar 03 2012

1324 9 LU News Researchers test for cattle disease link in Crohn's patients researchers-test-for-cattle-disease-link-in-crohns-patients

Researchers at Lancaster University and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) are investigating the cause of a debilitating, painful condition which is on the increase, particularly among children in the UK.

Researchers at Lancaster University and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) are investigating the cause of a debilitating, painful condition which is on the increase, particularly among children in the UK. Professor Roger Pickup, Chair of Biomedical and Life Sciences, is leading research at Lancaster University in collaboration with Dr Glenn Rhodes at <a href="http://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/lancaster.html">CEH</a> and Dr Andrew Higham at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The project is examining the link between the inflammatory bowel condition Crohn's Disease and a harmful bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), which causes Johne's disease in a wide range of animals. Johne's disease is particularly prevalent in sheep and cattle and has many similarities with Crohn's Disease. Crohn's disease is an incurable condition which causes suffering in increasing numbers of the UK population. Sufferers experience mild to severe inflammation and damage to the digestive tract. Recent research has shown that most people with chronic inflammation of the intestine of the Crohn's disease type are infected with MAP. In some studies 96 per cent of Crohn's disease patients were found to carry MAP. Like Johne's disease, the incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing. MAP is significantly associated with Crohn's Disease but is not accepted as causal. University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust is leading on the research for the NHS, and there are plans to invite other trusts in the North Lancashire and Cumbria network to take part in the study. In an NHS-funded project, researchers, working with hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire, will analyse samples taken from patients attending routine gastroenterology clinics who are suffering from inflammatory bowel disease - including Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers will examine these samples to establish whether the patients test positive for MAP. These tests will be compared with control samples taken from other patients to see if a higher proportion of the Crohn's Disease sufferers are carriers of the bacterium. The bacterium will also be isolated from patients and compared to animal sources in the region to examine further the link between environment and human health. They will also examine environmental factors that may influence infection. In parallel, patients will fill in a questionnaire that will help determine the environmental risk factors associated with this disease. Professor Pickup said: "Many patients with Crohn's Disease endure years of suffering, some find treatment which helps keep them in remission, but not all. It is particularly worrying that increasing numbers of children are being diagnosed with the condition, which as yet has no cure. It is a public health tragedy which urgently needs to be addressed. "It is vitally important that we investigate all the possible contamination routes - from the moisture in the air we breathe to the milk we drink - to fully test the hypothesis that MAP may constitute a significant and incremental threat to human health." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1331923516.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1331923516.jpg 300 225 The project is examining the link between Crohn's Disease and harmful bacterium MAP which is found in cattle and other animals Wednesday Wed 14 March Mar 03 2012

1317 9 LU News Lancaster researchers reach SET for Britain finals lancaster-researchers-reach-set-for-britain-finals

Early-career Lancaster University researchers who are making their mark in developments from the wonder material graphene to unsolved problems in classical physics are set to present their work in the House of Commons this month.

Early-career Lancaster University researchers who are making their mark in developments from the wonder material graphene to unsolved problems in classical physics are set to present their work in the House of Commons this month. Researchers Riccardo Mazzocco, Deepak Garg, Tom Hansard (all from Physics) and Beth Colling (Engineering) have been selected to present their work to a panel of judges on March 12 as part of <a href="http://www.setforbritain.org.uk/">SET for Britain</a> - an annual event showcasing the work of Britain's top early-stage research scientists, engineers and technologists. The competition is open to early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers and technologists. Prizes will be awarded for the scientific posters presented in each of three disciplines (Biological and Biomedical Science, Physical Sciences and Engineering) which best communicate high level science to a lay audience. Physicist Riccardo Mazzocco, who is researching the not yet well explored behaviour of graphene in 'real-life' materials used in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells, said: "I am deeply grateful to the Parliamentary and Scientific committee for this opportunity. I am thrilled by the idea of being able to show the state of the art of my project in such a distinguished and historic location to the Members of Parliament. "It is vital that early stage researchers are given access to opportunities like SET for BRITAIN and that we can take our passion for science to a wide and diverse audience. We need these chances not only as a source of inspiration and motivation in our research but also as a means of helping to shape the future of UK science and technology." Deepak Garg is carrying out research at ultra low temperatures which could help our understanding of turbulence, a well-known phenomenon seen in the form of hurricanes, in aviation and in the simplest case of water running out of tap, which still one of the unsolved problems of classical physics. Tom Hansard is analysing brain recordings (i.e. EEG signals) from awake and anaesthetized patients and incorporating the observed differences into a novel computational model of the mind. This research has the potential to improve our understanding of how anaesthetic drugs induce unconsciousness which in turn may lead to improved safety in surgery. Beth Colling's research focuses on fusion power and the capability of fuel breeding using a lithium based material, this includes considering whether the breeding material should be liquid or solid. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1331046590.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1331046590.jpg 275 275 Researchers Tom Hansard, Riccardo Mazzocco, Deepak Garg (all from Physics) Tuesday Tue 06 March Mar 03 2012

1318 9 LU News Student inventors seek funds to manufacture new products in China student-inventors-seek-funds-to-manufacture-new-products-in-china

Student entrepreneurs with bright ideas are being encouraged at Lancaster University, where two new products are being developed for the mass market by undergraduates.

Student entrepreneurs with bright ideas are being encouraged at Lancaster University, where two new products are being developed for the mass market by undergraduates. One of the products is a water bottle which refills with juice invented by Zac Garton, who is studying for a BA in Entrepreneurship at Lancaster University Management School. Zac said: "I was a joiner's apprentice when I left school - it was then that I realised I would never be happy working for someone else so I left and enrolled in college. The attraction to me was finally doing something I truly wanted to do and having the opportunity to achieve what so few people do in creating a successful business. " His invention works as a removable filter that contains a changeable capsule. The unique feature of this design is that it uses tap water and the capsules will flavour multiple bottles of water making the product cheaper and environmentally friendly. The other product which will hit the high street of the future is a redesigned asthma inhaler container developed by Kitson Broadhurst who is studying for an MEng in Engineering. "I'm an engineer so I like to tinker and improve things and I wanted to remove some of the stigma of having an inhaler. I've had asthma all my life but for someone my age, I thought it would be better smaller and without a protruding corner so the inhaler fits in your pocket better." He has also personalised the inhaler, developing designs based on TV characters for children and with plans for branded inhalers for teenagers, which they aim to sell on the high street and online. The two inventors are now seeking funds to manufacture in China, with the help and advice of LUSU Involve and Allan Rennie of the University's <a href="http://www.lpdu.lancs.ac.uk/">Product Development Unit</a> who made the prototypes of a new asthma inhaler and bottle top. Joe Buglass of <a href="http://involve.lusu.co.uk/">LUSU Involve</a>, who provides contacts and advice to budding student entrepreneurs, said the pair had a great future. "Both of them have the tenacity, the ideas and the drive to make things happen and we already have companies in the UK who are interested in helping them. " Kitson said: "It's so easy to be an entrepreneur at university , even without money, because there is so much help on offer. I want to make my own job rather than end up in a job I don't like and now is the time to do it when you have the opportunity." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1331047036.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1331047036.jpg 300 300 Zac Garton and Kitson Broadhurst Friday Fri 02 March Mar 03 2012

1305 9 LU News Lancaster and Liverpool scientists to lead £9.8M eco-innovation centre lancaster-and-liverpool-scientists-to-lead-9.8m-eco-innovation-centre

Scientists and knowledge exchange experts at Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool are set to lead a new global eco-innovation centre which will bolster the region's economy in key export markets and drive forward improvements in green technology and services.

Scientists and knowledge exchange experts at Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool are set to lead a new global eco-innovation centre which will bolster the region's economy in key export markets and drive forward improvements in green technology and services. The £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-innovation (CGE), led by Lancaster University in partnership with the University of Liverpool, is to receive £4.9m of funds from the European Regional Development Fund's North West operational programme to provide research and development expertise to hundreds of the region's companies which are working to find solutions to environmental problems. The virtual centre, which was also developed in partnership with Inventya Ltd at the Daresbury Science and Innovation campus, will provide more than 285 regional companies with expert help to develop new, greener products and services resulting in significant savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste and energy. Working with businesses across a range of sectors including chemicals, environmental technologies, digital and high value manufacturing, the centre aims to deliver a significant number of new jobs to the region making a measurable contribution to the region's economic recovery. More than 50 graduates will be recruited between the two universities, who will work on a range of research and development projects in partnership with business. The graduates will use these collaborations as the basis of a PhD programme of study. The centre will be formally launched in spring 2012 and the first cohort of 50 graduates will join the centre in October 2012 for three years. It will take a strong focus on international markets and a number of the graduates are anticipated to be recruited from overseas. The centre will recruit an initial cohort of 50 companies to work with these graduates by October 2012, with each company also making a financial contribution. In addition to intensive three-year long collaborations, the centre will also work via Inventya Ltd to deliver a programme of business support for companies exploring the export market and a range of other opportunities for collaborative working with both of the universities. <a href="http://www.cgeinnovation.org/graduates/apply.php">Graduates</a> and <a href="http://www.cgeinnovation.org/business/apply.php">businesses</a> can register interest now. At Lancaster, the project will be directed by Dr Mark Bacon, Faculty Director for Business Partnerships and Enterprise in Science and Technology and Dion Williams, Head of Knowledge Exchange Support, and managed by Dr Ruth Alcock of Lancaster University's Environment Centre (LEC). The Lancaster-based graduates will be supervised by academics across LEC and other science and technology departments at Lancaster. Dr Bacon welcomed this new development and said: "This is a very exciting development which is set to make a positive impact on our region's economic recovery. We are now recruiting 50 science, technology and engineering graduates and 50 high-growth Small and Medium Enterprises to work to work with us on intensive three-year projects which will form the basis of a funded PhD programme of study and create new products, processes and services for the global marketplace that have positive environmental benefits." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1330086805.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1330086805.jpg 300 300 Friday Fri 24 February Feb 02 2012

1316 1 News Eco-toxicity: emerging pollutants and related regulation eco-toxicity-emerging-pollutants-and-related-regulation

LEC scientists will present to an audience of SMEs and academics at an international meeting organised by the <a href="http://www.karimnetwork.eu">KARIM network</a> to help match academic skills with SME projects and propose funding across North West Europe in the field of Responsible Innovation.

LEC scientists will present to an audience of SMEs and academics at an international meeting organised by the <a href="http://www.karimnetwork.eu">KARIM network</a> to help match academic skills with SME projects and propose funding across North West Europe in the field of Responsible Innovation. Participants will be invited to make a pitch in English or French (an interpreter is provided). It will be streamed live and recorded on the <a href="http://www.karimnetwork.eu">project website</a> to increase its impact. Interested parties not able to attend may still present by recording their pitches in advance. <a href="http://fr.amiando.com/BCGYZTC.html?page=671469"><img src="http://www.innovation-idf.org/evenement/open_forum/invitation_open_forum_en.gif" width="650" style="border-style: none"></a> Visit the <a href="http://fr.amiando.com/BCGYZTC.html?page=682371">event website</a> for further information and to register. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1330972713.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1330972713.jpg 73 300 Thursday Thu 23 February Feb 02 2012

1306 9 LU News Scientists from China visit Lancaster

A team of distinguished scientists from China Agricultural University in Beijing has visited the Lancaster Environment Centre as part of an RCUK-funded three-year collaboration between the UK and China.

A team of distinguished scientists from China Agricultural University in Beijing has visited the Lancaster Environment Centre as part of an RCUK-funded three-year collaboration between the UK and China. Lancaster University was awarded a £1.33m grant by Research Councils UK, to work with researchers in China to address food and water. This funding has since been augmented by support from several funding agencies in China. The project team led by Distinguished Professor Bill Davies of LEC has been working in partnership with the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, <a href="http://www.cau.edu.cn/cie/en/">China Agricultural University</a> and a growing number of UK businesses to provide new knowledge, products and services. These include maximising crop yields under drought, new agronomic technologies to enhance water use efficiency, the detection of heavy metals in the environment and food, and managing organic chemicals and agricultural waste disposal. The visitors from the China Agricultural University included the Director of the Centre for Agricultural Water Research (CAWR) Professor Kang Shaozhong, Professor Wang Fujun, Dean of the College of Water Conservancy & Civil Engineering (CWCC), Professor Yang Peiling Chair of CWCC, and Dr Du Taisheng, Dr Mao Xiaomin and Dr Tong Ling. The visit was organised to discuss future collaborative research on agriculture in North West China, one of the driest regions in the country. LEC will continue to research in this region and hopes to offer Lancaster PG and UG students the opportunity to be involved in this work via summer schools and other overseas placements. Professor Kang was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Lancaster in 2010 and is a regular visitor to Lancaster. Professor Davies said: "It was a real pleasure to host a visit from Professor Kang and his team. Late in 2011, Kang was elected as a member of China's Engineering Academy. This is a great honour for him and for CAU. We feel great pride in our association with his research which is impacting positively on the lives of millions of people who live in one of the most environmentally challenging regions in Asia." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1330339916.jpg 300 300 LEC staff and chinese visitors Thursday Thu 23 February Feb 02 2012

1302 1 News Digital Learning Prize for Lancaster Student

Richard Mills, a postgraduate student in the Mathematics and Statistics Department, has won a prize of $20,000 from the US <a href="http://www.macfound.org">Macarthur Foundation</a> in the <a href="http://www.dmlcompetition.net/">Digital Media and Learning Research Doctoral Student competition</a>.

Richard Mills, a postgraduate student in the Mathematics and Statistics Department, has won a prize of $20,000 from the US <a href="http://www.macfound.org">Macarthur Foundation</a> in the <a href="http://www.dmlcompetition.net/">Digital Media and Learning Research Doctoral Student competition</a>. The prize, one of two awarded, was for the most novel and effective work by a doctoral student on exploring and facilitating learning in online communities. The money will be used to extend Richard's doctoral research into the use of badges and trophies in online learning communities and the behaviour of users in such systems. You can read Richard's winning proposal, "Exploring the motivational effects of badges - who do badges appeal to and why?", on the <a href="http://www.dmlcompetition.net/Competition/4/research-proposals.php?show=dmlc-4dsg&id=3061">DML Competition website</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1329823750.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1329823750.png 150 180 The Digital Media and Learning Competition is designed to find and inspire the most innovative uses of new media in support of connected learning Tuesday Tue 21 February Feb 02 2012

1303 9 LU News Festival brings the tropics to town

Researchers from Lancaster University are bringing a flavour of the tropics to town this month.

Researchers from Lancaster University are bringing a flavour of the tropics to town this month. A two-week long festival of lectures, exhibitions, film, music and dance will be held at <a href="http://gregson.co.uk/">The Gregson Centre</a>, Lancaster. Launching 7.30pm on Friday 24 February with a concert featuring tropical tunes from Brazilian drumming to a Bossa Nova band, the event is designed to demystify the tropical rainforest and give Lancaster University's 15 researchers working in the tropics a chance to discuss their field work in places from Africa to the Amazon. Current research examines a range of topics, from looking into the effects of wildfires and logging on biodiversity and carbon emissions, to finding the balance between agricultural development and environmental protection. Lancaster researchers are keen to give people a taste of their work with free talks at The Gregson on 26 February and 4 March from 4pm. Events over the two weeks also include a photography exhibition and free workshops including African Drumming on 25 February, Yoga on 3 March and Zumba on 4 March. PhD student Erika Berenguer, who was born in Rio and now divides her time between field study work in Brazilian forests and life at Lancaster University, said: "Between us we have years of experience of working in the tropics and we have a good understanding of the place and its people. "Yes, there are exotic animals and huge trees, but there are also farmers and land owners and important environmental changes happening in this region. It isn't just a case of good guys and bad guys. "We really hope people in Lancaster come along, try something new and have some fun." For further information please go to the festival's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/360106237342572/">facebook page</a> or contact <a href="mailto:e.berenguer@lancaster.ac.uk">Erika Berenguer</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1329829843.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1329829843.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 21 February Feb 02 2012

1308 9 LU News Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships for Lancaster University Science and Technology students

Over sixty Lancaster University students have received extra financial support for their studies in science, technology, engineering and maths thanks to a donation from a leading businessman.

Over sixty Lancaster University students have received extra financial support for their studies in science, technology, engineering and maths thanks to a donation from a leading businessman. Dr Naim Dangoor CBE, the head of a successful property company, donated £3 million to set up the <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/dangoor-scholarships/">Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships</a> - in honour of his late father - at Russell Group and 1994 Group universities. This year, thirty students at Lancaster University won the £1,000 awards following on from thirty last year. Daniel Meloy is a first year engineering undergraduate who said the award had made all the difference. "I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard because it's made everything a lot easier. I can now focus on my studies instead focussing on finance and budgeting. I can buy the books that the lecturers say I should read to support the course so it has made a big difference." And Emma Gray, studying for a BSc in Geography, agreed. "I will use the money to pay for a field trip to Iceland which I couldn't really afford to go on so the money will definitely help my studies." Many of the beneficiaries are the first in their family to go to university, some have excelled at schools where high achievers were rare, or overcome obstacles of illness and disability, or are the children of recent migrants. The Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University Professor Mark E. Smith said:"We are grateful for the generosity of Dr Dangoor which will benefit students in key areas vital to the future prosperity of the UK." Dr Dangoor's donation, which was boosted by Government matched funding, has been hailed by ministers. David Willetts MP, the universities and science ministers, said: "Government matched funding has allowed the Dangoor Scholarships to help even more students. The HEFCE-led review into philanthropy in higher education that I announced last week will explore ways to encourage other philanthropists to follow Dr Dangoor's example. "It is vital to the future prospects of young people, and the success of UK business, that we encourage greater numbers to study science, technology, engineering and maths at school and university. "Dr Dangoor had the life changing experience of studying STEM at a UK university. Now he is making that even more attractive for a new generation of students." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1330340614.jpg 250 250 Eliahou Dangoor Monday Mon 13 February Feb 02 2012

1292 9 LU News LEC research reveals true cost of a burger lec-research-reveals-true-cost-of-a-burger

The UK could considerably reduce its carbon footprint if more of us switched to a vegetarian diet, according to new research by Lancaster University.

The UK could considerably reduce its carbon footprint if more of us switched to a vegetarian diet, according to new research by Lancaster University. The report: '<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421511010603">Relative greenhouse gas impacts of realistic dietary choices</a>', published in the journal Energy Policy, says that if everyone in the UK swapped their current eating habits for a vegetarian or vegan diet, our greenhouse gas emissions savings would be the equivalent of a 50 per cent reduction in exhaust pipe emissions from the entire UK passenger car fleet or 40m tonnes. From biscuits and bananas to beer and wine, everything in our shopping basket comes at a cost to the environment and each stage of food production - from farming and transport to storage and packaging - results in greenhouse gas emissions. By working out the typical greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of 61 different categories of food, using supermarket data supplied by <a href="http://www.booths.co.uk/">Booths</a>, the authors of the report, Professor Nick Hewitt of Lancaster University and Mike Berners-Lee of <a href="http://www.sw-consulting.co.uk/">Small World Consulting</a>, were able to work out the typical emissions associated with a number of different diets. They worked out that the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the foods we eat in the UK are the equivalent of 167 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and switching to vegetarian or vegan diets could cut this by between 22 and 26 per cent. Fresh meat had the highest emissions of all, but meat and cheese had generally high green house gas costs. These emissions were largely caused by methane from rumination, slurry and farm yard manure and nitrous oxide from fertilizer. Meat has a carbon footprint at the checkout of 17kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram. Cheese has 15kg. Cooked meats are also high at 11kg per kilogram, with bacon at 9kg. Exotic vegetables and mushrooms are high (9kg), largely because of freight and glasshouse heating costs. In contrast, fruit and vegetables grown without artificial heating and/ or were shipped to the UK by sea, have low emissions. Wine has a carbon footprint of 2kg per kilogram, and potatoes, apples, milk, bread and cereals are under 2kg. Professor Nick Hewitt said: "Greenhouse gases resulting from man's activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, ultimately, with effects on global climate. It is clear that in order to meet the ambitious emissions reductions targets agreed in the UK and elsewhere, emissions from every possible source category have to be addressed and driven down. Food production, particularly by industrialised agricultural practices, causes significant green house gas emissions. Realistic choices about diet can make substantial differences to embodied GHG emissions." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1328694986.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1328694986.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 07 February Feb 02 2012

1291 9 LU News Lancaster University announces Anuj Bidve Memorial Scholarship

Lancaster University has announced the annual Anuj Bidve Memorial Scholarship in honour of its postgraduate student who was killed in Salford on Boxing Day 2011.

Lancaster University has announced the annual Anuj Bidve Memorial Scholarship in honour of its postgraduate student who was killed in Salford on Boxing Day 2011. The scholarship will fund a student graduating from the University of Pune (as Anuj did) to come to Lancaster University to study an MSc in the Engineering Department. It is hoped that the first student to receive the award could come to Lancaster in October 2012. Lancaster's Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E. Smith said that the scholarship, which is for fees and accommodation, has been agreed in line with the wishes of Anuj's family. He said: "The scholarship is a fitting and lasting way of remembering Anuj, who was an outstanding student." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1328609899.jpg 250 250 Anuj Bidve Monday Mon 06 February Feb 02 2012

1309 9 LU News Lancaster University signs research agreement with Myerscough College lancaster-university-signs-research-agreement-with-myerscough-college

Lancaster University and Myerscough College have signed a formal agreement to develop research on environmental and agricultural issues.

Lancaster University and Myerscough College have signed a formal agreement to develop research on environmental and agricultural issues. The Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University has a valuable long-standing research link with <a href="http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/">Myerscough College</a> with current joint research projects funded by the Horticultural Development Company, DEFRA, the EU and local companies. Distinguished Professor Bill Davies of the Lancaster Environment Centre said: "Our immediate plan is to extend our collaborations through the development of some specialist field-based research facilities. These and other planned developments ensure that our research links effectively to UK and international farming practices and communities." The Sustainable Intensification research project will be based at Myerscough College's Preston Centre, in Bilsborrow, and will initially look at ways to maintain and increase food production levels whilst reducing the input of increasingly scarce resources such as energy, water and land - an increasingly important issue in agriculture and crop production. The first major new facility to be established on the site will include devices for collecting water from the pore spaces of soils and for determining the soluble constituents removed in the drainage. Initial experiments will look at wheat with different root architecture with the aim of trying to establish which make the most efficient use of water and nutrients in the field situation. Once this experiment is completed, the facility will then be available for other investigations with other food crops, fodder crops or plants. David Elphinstone, Head of Research at Myerscough College, said: "This is a fantastic new research partnership giving our College the chance to work alongside a huge educational institution in Lancaster University. 'Sustainable Intensification' is something that is important to everyone and, as a land based College with a huge interest in sustainability, Myerscough is happy to be at the forefront of the research. " LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1330341195.jpg 300 300 Professor Kevin Jones the Director of Lancaster Environment Centre and Ann Turner, Myerscough College Principal Friday Fri 03 February Feb 02 2012

1288 9 LU News Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change

The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage - a key factor in climate change - and new research published in Nature Climate Change this week shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others.

The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage - a key factor in climate change - and new research published in Nature Climate Change this week shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others. <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1368.html">Research led by Dr Franciska de Vries of Lancaster University</a>, showed that in drought conditions soil under agricultural grasslands was able to continue doing its job of containing carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. Soil under intensively managed wheat fields, however was not so efficient. The grasslands in the study also retained their nutrients better under drought conditions, when compared with wheat fields. The grassland soils did their job better because the soil biota in them consisted mainly of fungi, and the small animals which eat fungi, whereas in the wheat field they were mainly bacteria and bacterial-eating animals. Less fungi died because of the drought, so they could continue performing their functions. The study, which set out to compare the stability under drought of soil biota of two common land use systems, was conducted in labs at Lancaster University and field studies in the south of England, near Reading. Extensively managed grasslands are agricultural grasslands with low grazing densities. No fertiliser is added to the fields and they are not tilled. Wheat, however, is tilled every year, and receives a lot of fertiliser. Dr Franciska de Vries of Lancaster University's Environment Centre said: "These results show land use strongly affects the resistance of soil food webs to drought. "As drought is widely predicted to increase as a result of climate change, it would be worth wile to promote these fungal-based soil food webs that are found under grasslands, because they can continue to perform their functions better under climate change, and prevent carbon and nitrogen losses, which can cause problems. "In that sense fungal-based soil food webs are almost like an insurance against the effects of climate change." The research was funded by the European Union as part of the SOILSERVICE project, which involves several partners across Europe and is investigating conflicting demands of land use, soil biodiversity and the sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services. Professor Richard Bardgett of Lancaster University's Environment Centre was also part of the research team and principal investigator for Lancaster's component of this project. Lancaster University's research partners were the University of Helsinki in Finland Biologisk Institut, Terrestrisk Økologi in Denmark, and Southwest Biological Science Center, US Geological Survey, in Arizona, US. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1328224213.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1328224213.jpg 400 275 In drought conditions, soil under agricultural grasslands was found to be better at retaining carbon and nutrients than soil under intensively managed wheat fields Monday Mon 30 January Jan 01 2012

1281 9 LU News Touch Screen Democracy For The Twitter Generation touch-screen-democracy-for-the-twitter-generation

Researchers at Lancaster University have been using touch screen technology to help give teenagers more of a say in community life.

Researchers at Lancaster University have been using touch screen technology to help give teenagers more of a say in community life. Paper surveys and formal consultations can be seen as a bit of a turn off to young people but students at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria have been giving their views about their local area in a different way. A specially-designed interactive display has been installed in their school library by computing researchers from Lancaster's ICT centre of excellence InfoLab21, in collaboration with the University of Oulu, Finland. The screen enables young people to upload photos of themselves and express their views about their town, in an intuitive, user-friendly way. So far, around 200 responses have been gathered ranging from pleas for more access to fishing on the Lune to teen-friendly cafes and more affordable leisure activities. The results will be fed back to the town council as part of a broader community consultation. Professor Awais Rashid of Lancaster University is leading the project. He said: "Over the last ten years networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, Twitter and Flicker have changed the shape of our social world. Yet there is still a lack of understanding of how to effectively leverage social media to engage citizens on an ultra-large-scale, especially when it comes to addressing sensitive issues. "Young people familiar with the instant flow of information and ideas are less likely to fill in a questionnaire or survey. We wanted to design something that felt comfortable for young people to use so their voices could be heard. This project goes beyond crowd sourcing. It looks at how we can leverage the potential of online social media to bring communities closer and help them work together in dealing with key local issues that affect them." The material will be recorded and displayed in public online forums, such as FaceBook or Twitter. Subsequent users can comment and update the photos and comments. Year ten QES student Michael Harkness said the screen had been popular with his peers. "It's appealing because it's not just a piece of paper, the screens are a lot more fun which makes you want to use them. It's a more interesting way of giving our opinions and less pressured. It's interesting reading about what other people think of the town." Deputy Head Teacher Lisa Longley said the project gelled with their school's values of community engagement: "One of our ten school values is getting involved in community activity whether that is within the school community or the wider community where we live. "The students love the interactivity of the screens, it is a way they can express their views or opinions and have their say in a less formal, more interesting and fun way. The information is coming from a wider selection of students who have not yet expressed their views on this topic in any other way. "As an offshoot to this, it has increased footfall in our library where the screen lives, a winner all round." The work in Kirkby Lonsdale is part of an 18-month, EPSRC-funded project called 'YouDesignIt' which is revisiting the web to find fresh ways of enabling communities to report and solve problems. The project, which brings together computing experts, sociologists and psychologists, will ultimately produce blueprints for next-generation online social networking mechanisms with community responsibility and empowerment at their core. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1327591388.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1327591388.jpg 250 250 Professor Awais Rashid Thursday Thu 26 January Jan 01 2012

1286 9 LU News Lancaster University shares in £1.8m for research into food security

Lancaster University and four other institutions have been awarded approximately £1.8m for research into food security as part of a new <a href="http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/studentships/doctoral-training-partnerships.aspx">Doctoral Training Partnership</a> (DTP) scheme.

Lancaster University and four other institutions have been awarded approximately £1.8m for research into food security as part of a new <a href="http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/studentships/doctoral-training-partnerships.aspx">Doctoral Training Partnership</a> (DTP) scheme. The DTP is one of 14 across the UK announced by the Universities and Science Minister David Willetts as part of a £67m package of investment funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Mr Willetts said: "This £67 million investment in postgraduate training is excellent news for students, research organisations, industry and the UK as a whole. The brightest and best students will be finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing us all, from food security through to renewable energy." Lancaster is a member of a consortium led by the University of Reading and including the Universities of Southampton, Surrey and Britain's largest (and oldest) agricultural research institute, Rothamsted Research. The £1.8m will fund 18 PhD students who will address the challenges of feeding the world's population in a healthy and sustainable way. The DTP funding allows institutions to recruit the best students and secure additional funding from other sources, such as industry or charities to increase the impact of public investment. Lancaster University and partners are matching the BBSRC investment from their own budgets to increase the number of PhD students that will be trained under the programme. Bill Davies CBE, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology at the Lancaster Environment Centre said : "We are delighted that Lancaster's Food Security programme has been supported by the award of a BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. "Our DTP offers training and research in a range of disciplines which are key to an increase in the availability of safe and nutritious food. We hope that students joining the programme can go on to contribute effectively in areas which can positively impact the health and well-being of large numbers of people. "We have had good support from industry collaborators in this programme and this will enable us to increase the number of studentships on offer." Professor Davies is a world leader in his field and in 2009, work by his laboratory won Lancaster University a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The prize was for the development of water saving techniques for agriculture which have helped farmers in some of the driest regions of the world. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1328222561.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1328222561.jpg 90 275 The DTP is one of 14 across the UK funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Wednesday Wed 25 January Jan 01 2012

1287 9 LU News New forum to forge innovation between universities and industry

The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has launched an Industry innovation Forum (IIF) to promote competitive advantage and economic growth.

The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has launched an Industry innovation Forum (IIF) to promote competitive advantage and economic growth. <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/working-with-business/">The Forum</a> aims to maximise linkages and market pull between private sector research and development, industrial and consumer needs and the world class research base in the UK. The initiative brings together global companies involved in research and development, government bodies and world leading experts from the North of England's eight most research-intensive universities, known as the N8. The Forum is led by the <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/">N8 Research Partnership</a>, a collaboration between the universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York. David Willetts said: "The Industry Innovation Forum is an excellent example of the benefits of collaboration across the higher education sector. This initiative will give companies of all sizes access to the resources and expertise of eight research-intensive universities, driving innovation and providing them with informed solutions to the challenges they face." The Industry Innovation Forum was launched in partnership with the <a href="http://www.innovateuk.org/">Technology Strategy Board</a> and the <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/">Higher Education Funding Council for England</a> (HEFCE). Professor Keith Burnett, current Chair of the N8 Research Partnership added: "The N8 Industry Innovation Forum is focussed on providing large and small companies with easy and quick access to the critical mass of the N8 universities knowledge base. "We have listened to our industry partners and have designed the Forum so that businesses can talk to us about their key needs and challenges in a particular area. We can match these with science solutions and possibilities from the research base, across a range of disciplines from eight leading universities. "The first meeting in Advanced Materials Technologies presents huge opportunities for ideas and applications across a range of sectors in the UK including chemicals, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and aerospace, and we are committed to using the 'power of eight' universities working together to stimulate innovation and jobs in the UK." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1328223244.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1328223406.jpg 185 300 The forum is led by N8, in partnership with the Technology Strategy Board and HEFCE Wednesday Wed 25 January Jan 01 2012

1279 1 News LEC in China lec-in-china

Lancaster Environment Centre contributed to a high profile International Environmental Forum and co-organised the First International Workshop on Environment and Health in China with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Lancaster Environment Centre contributed to a high profile International Environmental Forum and co-organised the First International Workshop on Environment and Health in China with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. An International Forum on Environmental Science and Sustainable Development organised by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was held in Yinxing, China in late November 2011. This forum gathered 200 scientists from around the world to discuss one of the most important topics of our planet: the environmental science and sustainability. LEC scientists presented work the forum. LEC director, Professor Kevin Jones, gave a keynote speech at the forum on LEC's work on the global cycling and transport of persistent organic pollutants. China's national China Daily newspaper subsequently ran an article on the topic. LEC and the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences then jointly organised the Chinese 1st Workshop on Environment and Health in Xiamen, China in December. About 70 scientists from China, Europe and the United States attended this workshop. Keynote addresses from LEC Scientists Professors Kevin Jones and Frank Martin were presented at the workshop. LEC will continue working with CAS to organise international workshops and summer schools, as part of a broad collaborative agreement addressing 'Environment' with Chinese scientists. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1327352983.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1327352983.jpg 300 400 Monday Mon 23 January Jan 01 2012

1278 9 LU News LEC student spends study abroad year working for NASA lec-student-spends-study-abroad-year-working-for-nasa

Daniel Sayle's love affair with the United States began as an A-level student in the Isle of Man when he won a summer scholarship to study at NASA's United Space School in Houston, Texas.

Daniel Sayle's love affair with the United States began as an A-level student in the Isle of Man when he won a summer scholarship to study at NASA's United Space School in Houston, Texas. While studying Geography at Lancaster Environment Centre, he had no doubt where he wanted to go for his study abroad year. "I knew I wanted to go back to the USA. I admired the people with their positive attitude to life. I loved the American culture and the whole way of life." He chose Colorado University at Boulder where he got involved in space research through the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, which is funded by NASA with the aim of providing students with hands-on experience of satellite payload projects. His experience culminated in his being present at the launch of the NASA Glory Mission in California - a space grant satellite called HERMES was aboard as a secondary payload. "The launch was a failure but it was an incredible opportunity to have been at the heart of the American space programme because I was part of the team. I was also involved in working for the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics research institute, which put the first ever spacecraft into orbit around Mercury and I had the chance to operate the Kepler space telescope which recently found a potentially habitable planet. "Getting such opportunities to work for NASA is only achievable in the US. Only in America! "I also went down to New Orleans as a volunteer helping to rebuilt homes after Hurricane Katrina and I went to Washington to lobby Congress on environmental policy as part of the Campus to Congress Campaign." Daniel also made the most of the chance to travel, visiting New York, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and San Francisco. He is now an ambassador for the US Fulbright Commission, giving talks on his experiences in the US. "I want to work here for a few years and then do a PhD in the United States back at Boulder. Study Abroad has changed my life. The US is a great country and anyone with a passion and belief can create their own American Dream." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1327352457.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1327352501.jpg 300 400 Monday Mon 23 January Jan 01 2012

1268 9 LU News Inaugural UK-US Nuclear Facilities Workshop inaugural-uk-us-nuclear-facilities-workshop

A nuclear expert from Lancaster University has attended the first ever UK-US Nuclear Facilities Workshop.

A nuclear expert from Lancaster University has attended the first ever UK-US Nuclear Facilities Workshop. The joint workshop at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee explored opportunities for collaboration and discussions on the challenges in both countries. The two-and-a-half day meeting was organised by the UK Government's <a href="http://www.bis.gov.uk/sin">Science and Innovation Network</a> and <a href="http://www.ornl.gov/">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a>. Colin Boxall, The Lloyds' Register Educational Trust Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Decommissioning and Director of Energy Lancaster at Lancaster University, led the workshop session on improved science and technology for spent nuclear fuel recycle. He said the event had been well worthwhile. "This is the beginning of a relationship between the major actors in nuclear energy in the US and UK, with possible joint research programmes as well as exchanges of personnel. EPSRC will be using the outputs of the workshop to leverage investment in links between the UK and US from the US Department of Energy with long term opportunities for collaboration. "I'm pleased that Lancaster University's involvement in nuclear energy research has been recognised at a national and international level. This workshop will lead to immediate opportunities to send graduate students from Lancaster to the US to use the world leading nuclear research facilities in the American national labs, so further improving the post graduate student experience in this area." Apart from Lancaster University, UK representation at the workshop included delegates from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Imperial College London, Birmingham and the Open University as well as the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. US delegates represented the Oak Ridge, Savannah River and Idaho National Laboratories. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326896431.jpg 250 300 Tuesday Tue 17 January Jan 01 2012

1267 9 LU News Radical changes in home heating needed to meet carbon targets radical-changes-in-home-heating-needed-to-meet-carbon-targets

There is no possibility that the UK can meet its 2050 target for CO2 emissions without a fundamental change to the way our homes are heated, according to a report written for the Royal Academy of Engineering by a Lancaster University Professor.

There is no possibility that the UK can meet its 2050 target for CO2 emissions without a fundamental change to the way our homes are heated, according to a report written for the Royal Academy of Engineering by a Lancaster University Professor. Even with the most modern gas boilers and state-of-the art insulation, we cannot continue to heat so many homes by natural gas and still achieve an 80 per cent cut in emissions as laid down in the Climate Change Act 2008. The Academy's report, <a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/heat">Heat: degrees of comfort</a>, was written by Professor Roger Kemp of Lancaster University's Engineering Department. It looks at the challenges of matching our demand for domestic heating, lighting and cooking with the binding commitment to reduce our overall carbon emissions. It calls for a review of the regulations, taxes and subsidies governing the introduction of diverse new technologies like district heating, combined heat and power (CHP) and heat pumps. It argues these must be flexible and directed at the end objective of reducing carbon emissions, but should otherwise be technology-neutral. At present, the complexity of the regulations and financial incentives is in danger of being counterproductive. To switch a large part of the domestic heating load to electric heating would greatly increase the demand on the grid and increase the challenge of meeting peaks in demand. To attempt to meet the whole of such a load by 'flow renewables' - sources of renewable energy which are available only when the wind blows or when the sun shines - would require a level of installed capacity that would be almost impossible to build. It would also be standing idle for most of the summer months, thus making energy very expensive. Storage, whether of natural gas, biomass, large scale thermal storage, or an intermediate vector such as hydrogen, electricity or heat, will be essential. Most of the houses that will exist in 2050 have already been built. New houses should be built to the highest standard of energy efficiency but that, by itself, will not be enough. If we are to meet the 2050 targets, says the report, major improvements will have to be made to the existing housing stock. This will be disruptive to householders and expensive. Other than basic insulation and draft-proofing, households are likely to need a financial incentive (such as substantially increased carbon taxes and/or subsidies of energy saving technology) to persuade them to act. Professor Kemp, who chairs the Academy's Heat working group said: "Managing the UK's energy systems in a way that reduces CO2, avoids unaffordable imports, ensures energy security, does not exacerbate fuel poverty, supports job creation and works with, rather than against, the competitive market will be hugely difficult. "Government is only just coming to terms with the complexity of these multiple demands on policy but if they are really serious about meeting these targets they will have to adopt a far more revolutionary and proactive approach than we have seen to date." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1326887732.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326887732.jpg 350 248 Professor Kemp's report looks at the challenges of matching our demand for domestic heating, lighting and cooking with commitment to reduce carbon emissions Thursday Thu 12 January Jan 01 2012

1269 9 LU News New Years Honours for Science and Technology Staff new-years-honours-for-science-and-technology-staff

Two former members of Science and Technology staff have received New Years Honours which recognise outstanding achievement.

Two former members of Science and Technology staff have received New Years Honours which recognise outstanding achievement. June Coulson, who worked in the Department of Psychology for 18 years where she was the departmental secretary, was awarded the MBE for services to Higher Education. "It's a great honour and I'm so thrilled I couldn't believe it. I've been fortunate to have a job I enjoyed doing and I've met some wonderful people, students and staff." June was also a senior tutor at Fylde College in a pastoral and welfare role. "One of my best skills is that I'm a people person. I listen to people and don't judge them, especially not the first time you meet them. I've dealt with problems like bereavement and I've learnt a lot about people." She said she had been overwhelmed by the messages of congratulation she had already received from staff and students. June is now enjoying her retirement, visiting her son in Australia and still keeping in touch with Fylde College. But she is continuing her caring role through looking after her mother and uncle, who are both 89. Also receiving an MBE is retired technician Ian Miller for services to Ultralow Temperature Physics at Lancaster University. He was one of the world's leading low temperature technicians, working in the Microkelvin Group in the Physics Department. He helped other low temperature groups around the world by providing Lancaster experience and technology which can now be found productively operating across Europe, North America and the Middle East. Ian said: "I'm pleased because it's a recognition that technicians are an important part of research. We're in the background setting everything up and a lot of academics wouldn't be where they are without technicians." Professor George Pickett said it was clear from the start that Ian was brilliant at his job. "He could do everything from building brick walls with his bare hands to machining to instrument-making quality. He soon learned all the tricks of low temperature physics." Ian has already received a prestigious Hauksbee Award from the Royal Society in London in recognition of his valuable role in supporting scientific research. The ten new Hauksbee Awards - named after Isaac Newton's assistant Francis Hauksbee - were created to recognise the "unsung heroes" who work behind the scenes to support the UK science base. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Tuesday Tue 03 January Jan 01 2012

1273 9 LU News New Particle at the Large Hadron Collider Discovered by ATLAS Experiment new-particle-at-the-large-hadron-collider-discovered-by-atlas-experiment

Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Lancaster University, analysing data taken by the ATLAS experiment, have been at the centre of what is believed to be the first clear observation of a new particle at the Large Hadron Collider.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Lancaster University, analysing data taken by the ATLAS experiment, have been at the centre of what is believed to be the first clear observation of a new particle at the Large Hadron Collider. <a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.5154">The research was published on 22 December on the online repository arXiv</a>. The particle, the chi b(3P), is a new way of combining a beauty quark and its antiquark so that they bind together. Like the more famous Higgs particle, the chi b(3P) is a boson. However, whereas the Higgs is not made up of smaller particles, the chi b(3P) combines two very heavy objects via the same 'strong force' which holds the atomic nucleus together. Andy Chisholm, a PhD student from the University of Birmingham who worked on the analysis said: "Analysing the billions of particle collisions at the LHC is fascinating. There are potentially all kinds of interesting things buried in the data, and we were lucky to look in the right place at the right time." "The chi b(3P) is a particle that was predicted by many theorists, but was not observed at previous experiments, such as in my previous work on the D-Zero experiment in Chicago," continued Dr James Walder, a Lancaster research associate who worked on the analysis. Dr Miriam Watson, a research fellow working in the Birmingham group observed: "The lighter partners of the chi b(3P) were observed around twenty five years ago. Our new measurements are a great way to test theoretical calculations of the forces that act on fundamental particles, and will move us a step closer to understanding how the universe is held together." Professor Roger Jones, Head of the Lancaster ATLAS group said: "While people are rightly interested in the Higgs boson, which we believe gives particles their mass and may have started to reveal itself, a lot of the mass of everyday objects comes from the strong interaction we are investigating using the chi b." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1326904286.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326904286.jpg 300 225 Professor Roger Jones Thursday Thu 22 December Dec 12 2011

1270 9 LU News UK-China Bridge project comes to Lake Windermere uk-china-bridge-project-comes-to-lake-windermere

The problem of algal bloom contamination in lakes was the topic of a one day meeting in the Lake District between scientists from the UK and China together with members of the local community.

The problem of algal bloom contamination in lakes was the topic of a one day meeting in the Lake District between scientists from the UK and China together with members of the local community. <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/international/china/agricultural_waste.php">The initiative</a> is part of the UK-China Bridge project to share expertise between the two countries. Professor Gang Pan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing is an expert in lake contamination and has devised equipment to clean up Lake Taihu in Jiangsu Province. The lake is the size of the entire Lake District and had turned green because of the algae, which is harmful to fish. He joined Professors Phil Haygarth, Roger Pickup and Dr Maria Fernanda Aller from Lancaster University, Professor Stephen Maberly from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and local representatives including the Mayor of Windermere Joan Stocker, Nigel Wilkinson from Windermere Lake Cruises and Bob Cartwright, Director of Park Services at the Lake District National Park Authority. They met in Ambleside to discuss common solutions to lake bloom algae before taking a cruise on Lake Windermere. Professor Haygarth said: "Algal blooms are a potential health hazard and can be toxic - they have even been known to kill animals. Last year the Great North Swim was called off because of algae in the water. "Human activity is making the problem worse because the bloom is caused by phosphorus and nitrogen from run-off from agricultural land and sewage discharge seeping into the lake." The Mayor of Windermere Joan Stocker said the meeting had been useful. "What we've learned from China is the work that they've done very quickly to solve their problems and we need to share more of that information." This was a reciprocal visit following a trip by Lancaster researchers to meet Professor Gang Pan and the Mayor of Wuxi at Lake Taihu last year. Professor Haygarth said: "We are working together to find a solution by managing phosphorus reserves better so they don't leak into rivers and lakes, but Professor Gang's approach is different - he is cleaning up Lake Taihu - so we can both learn from each other." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1326898798.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326898798.jpg 300 300 Professor Gang Pan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing with the Mayor of Windermere Joan Stocker Thursday Thu 22 December Dec 12 2011

1263 9 LU News Lancaster Student is UK Winner of Global Digital Forensics Challenge lancaster-student-is-uk-winner-of-global-digital-forensics-challenge

A computer science student from Lancaster University has become the UK winner of a global digital forensics competition.

A computer science student from Lancaster University has become the UK winner of a global digital forensics competition. The DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge is designed and hosted by the US Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) as part of the Cyber Security Challenge UK. The UK winner was Christopher Richardson who is studying for a PhD in intrusion detection systems at the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21. He was also ranked ninth internationally among over seventeen hundred competitors from fifty two countries. The Challenge was designed to test the ability of competitors to extract and scrutinise data to solve a simulated cyber crime. He said: "It was difficult in parts but really enjoyable. I have always had an interest in a wide range of security areas both inside and outside of my academic speciality and this competition gave me a platform to test my skills on practical problems with real world relevance. After getting stuck a couple of times, I didn't think I had done that well, but to win the UK stream and do so well across the whole competition feels great." Christopher will receive £2,000 of security training from 7Safe as a reward for his efforts, which have also earned him a place in the UK Cyber Security Challenge UK's face-to-face play-offs next year. Dr Daniel Prince, Course Director for the MSC in Cyber Security at Lancaster University, said he was delighted with Christopher's success. "Lancaster is a strong supporter of the Cyber Security Challenge and we are looking at ways that we can support the important work they are doing to inspire more talented people to choose cyber security as a profession." The Cyber Security Challenge UK is designed to unearth fresh sources of cyber security talent from people not already working in the industry. The initiative is supported by the UK government, universities and high tech firms. Jim Christy, Director of Futures Exploration at the US Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, said: "The success of the DC3 Digital Forensic Challenge over the past six years has demonstrated that the talent is out there, and the success of Christopher and his fellow countrymen suggests the UK has a similarly untapped community of highly competent individuals who can fill these critical, low density, high demand jobs." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324391246.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324391246.jpg 250 250 Christopher Richardson Tuesday Tue 20 December Dec 12 2011

1262 1 News Lancaster Students' Computer Game in World's Top 100 lancaster-students-computer-game-in-worlds-top-100

A computer game being independently developed by students from the School of Computing and Communications has been ranked in the top 100 independent games worldwide.

A computer game being independently developed by students from the School of Computing and Communications has been ranked in the top 100 independent games worldwide. The awards are hosted by IndieDB (the biggest game modification related website on the Internet) and aim to set the industry standard in awarding inventive and high-quality independent game development projects. Read more about the game being created at: <a href="http://stexcalibur.com/">stexcalibur.com</a> You can <a href="http://www.indiedb.com/games/star-trek-excalibur">vote for ST Excalibur</a> before the 21st Dec 2011 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324389598.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324389598.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 20 December Dec 12 2011

1257 1 News Graduate Consultancy Scheme sees 160% increase in business engagement graduate-consultancy-scheme-sees-160-increase-in-business-engagement

LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme has had the most successful to date with a 160% increase in the number of business benefiting from student projects.

LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme has had the most successful to date with a 160% increase in the number of business benefiting from student projects. LEC's Graduate Consultancy Scheme is designed to provide businesses with access to the skills and expertise of high calibre current university postgraduates. This year has been our most successful to date with a 160% increase in the number of business benefiting from student projects. Compared to our usual average of 15, we have placed 39 Masters students in businesses to undertake short pieces of work including the development of new products and services, assessment of environmental impacts, improved resource use efficiency and market research analysis. 'Our Graduate Consultancy scheme has gone from strength to strength. In difficult financial times, we have experienced a high volume of interest from businesses located throughout the UK, and also in Europe, who are looking to add value to their businesses through outside engagement. We now place more students than ever before and we are looking at new initiatives in this area to continue this trend and enhance the employability of even more of our graduates.' David Ainsworth, Student Projects Manager. Master students projects are 5 weeks long and will come to fruition by December 19th. Each company will be presented with a bespoke report on a specific environmental challenge. Mike Matthews, Managing Director of Peak Associates Environmental Companies Ltd describes his experience: 'We deal with hard edged environmental problems ....with people like the Environment Agency...We had a client starting a pump and treat scheme who to be honest was a bit edgy about cost. So we said we could do this for free if you allowed Clare, the Masters student, to write it up and it just fitted so wonderfully into their need and our need and it was a fantastic project to run and since then money has become a little bit free-er for them and we've had 2 pieces of work out of that client so it's worked for Clare and it's worked for us.' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVCzDDQvfsk">Watch the full interview Mike and Clare</a> For many businesses, taking on a student for a project has the additional benefit of trying them out to see how well the fit within the company. Many of our students go into work for their client businesses after they finish their studies. 'I undertook two projects with Apollo Energy, a local utility management consultancy. After developing a relationship with the business over a period of months I was fortunate enough to be offered a role in their new sister company Apollo Enviro - an environmental consultancy.' Thomas Ridgley, (MA Environmental Management and Consultancy) For more examples of student projects see our <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/business/graduate/case_studies.php">online case studies</a>. Next year we hope to place around 100 students with companies, including 50+ students to undertake long pieces of work with businesses. These will form their dissertation projects and will take place from Easter-September (PG)/Easter-December (UG) next year. If you have a particular challenge you want to discuss with us, please get in touch. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324297704.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324297722.jpg 499 300 David Ainsworth, Student Placement Manager for LEC Monday Mon 19 December Dec 12 2011

1258 1 News LEC hosts first international Smart Technology Showcase lec-hosts-first-international-smart-technology-showcase

LEC hosts international event on Smart Energy to make North West European businesses more competitive.

LEC hosts international event on Smart Energy to make North West European businesses more competitive. This November over nearly 100 people attended the first Smart Energy Technology Showcase held in the Lancaster Environment Centre, as part of a new transnational project, the Knowledge , Acceleration, Responsible Innovation Network, KARIM, which aims to improve SME access to high value innovation support and technology and make North West Europe more competitive. The aim of the showcase, part-sponsored by UK Green Building Council and CIWEM, was to stimulate interest from international organisations businesses and research providers to initiate transnational collaborative projects, student consultancy and B2B alliances. Delegates learnt about the state-of-the-art research in smart energy knowledge and emerging low carbon technologies being developed by University College Dublin, Lancaster University and organisations from across North West Europe. Delegates were shown how they could get more involved and benefit from smart energy and were also able to get instant expert feedback on their potential research project ideas. One delegate explained why he attended the event-"to gain an insight into the Energy activities of academia and the SME community." He found it "Very useful. I picked up some great opportunities though SME community and also learnt what UCD and Lancaster can do for us." Keynote speakers outlined their views on North West Europe Energy policy and included LEC resident company Stopford Energy & Environment Limited, who presented on conducting research with academia, Serge Gadbois, CFI, who gave an introduction to KARIM, Dr David Timoney, University College Dublin, who explained the benefits of Student Placement Programmes, David McAuley, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland gave an update on Energy Policy, complimented by Sarah Collins, Business Support Kent on Energy Foresighting and Professor Colin Boxall, Lancaster University who gave an overview of Energy Lancaster. KARIM brings together eight European partners to improve private sector access to high value innovation and technology support. LEC is leading the partnership for Lancaster University and hosted the event. The new INTERREG-funded initiative, KARIM, is seeking to link researchers and small-medium businesses in the area of low-carbon technologies. "It is a new project that intends to bring researchers and SMEs closer and in turn make these businesses more competitive by accessing cutting edge innovations" explains Dr. Patrick Fournet, one of the project's business development managers working in University College Dublin. The three-year project, which started in April, aims to create 300 new transnational collaborative projects between SMEs, universities and innovation support agencies across the North West Europe region. The hope is to help businesses collaborating on KARIM projects spot market and technology opportunities and in turn increase their turnover by an average of five per cent and raise more than 3 million in finance, says Dr. Fournet: "It is quite a big ask in this economic downturn, but the aim is to make them more competitive and create new jobs and products." The event was streamed live on line and watched by delegates in Paris and Dublin. SMEs across North West Europe can access the event's content which is available via the KARIM website. The Smart Energy Technology Showcase is one of a series of networking events coordinated by KARIM to enable universities to present emerging technologies for new products and services to SMEs, and also for SME organisations to outline their market needs for new technologies. One of the next events will take place in Dublin in the area of environmental technologies in May 2012, alongside the IWA World Congress on Water, Climate & Energy 2012, Dublin Convention Centre, 13 - 18 May 2012, http://iwa-wcedublin.org/. Contact Dr. Patrick Fournet, patrick.fournet@ucd.ie. <h4>More information</h4> Lancaster University: Martin Gilmore, <a href="mailto:m.gilmore@lancaster.ac.uk">m.gilmore@lancaster.ac.uk</a>, +44.1524.510229 University College Dublin: Patrick Fournet, <a href="mailto:patrick.fournet@ucd.ie">patrick.fournet@ucd.ie</a>, +353.87.9052548 <div class="pdf"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/download/UCD_and_LU_Expertise.pdf">University College Dublin & Lancaster University Expertise</a></div> <h4>Event Sponsors</h4> <div class="image_box_left"> <img class="noborder" src="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/images/ebp/newsletter/smart_sponsors.png" /> </div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324297995.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324297995.jpg 409 300 Monday Mon 19 December Dec 12 2011

1259 1 News LEC Resident Company Makes Finals of High Growth Business 2011 lec-resident-company-makes-finals-of-high-growth-business-2011

LEC Resident Company The REACH Centre were one of only three finalists in the Special Category Award of High Growth Business of the Year in The North of England Excellence Awards 2011.

LEC Resident Company The REACH Centre were one of only three finalists in the Special Category Award of High Growth Business of the Year in The North of England Excellence Awards 2011. The North of England Excellence Awards are widely regarded as the North's most prestigious awards. The Awards are supported and endorsed by the British Quality Foundation and the Chartered Quality Institute and have been held annually since 1994. Around 400 business people attended the awards ceremony at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club, where the guest speakers were James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, and Adrian Van Klaveren, controller of BBC Radio 5 Live. David Teale, chief executive of North of England Excellence, said: "Our finalists demonstrate the strength of business practice across the North. These awards quite rightly highlight and celebrate the success of businesses committed to continual improvement and innovation, with management and staff at all levels working together to deliver outstanding results." The REACH Centre, based in LEC, is a leading global supplier of chemical and regulatory services to industry. Their internationally renowned team of scientific and regulatory experts impart their knowledge to enable clients to make intelligent and informed decisions to effectively manage and comply with current and future chemical legislation. The REACH Centre is active in various market sectors and one of the leading global providers of REACH services to industry, with offices in the UK (Lancaster) and Italy (Venice) and in Japan (Tokyo) through an affiliate organization, JEMAI. Clients include chemical manufacturers, formulators, importers, distributors, and retailers. Their consultants are among Europe's most renowned REACH experts and their in-depth regulatory knowledge is reinforced by excellent technical and legal expertise. The business has gone from strength to strength and has benefited from support from 3 University Centres, as well as support from Lancaster City Council and the North West Regional Development Agency. CEO Jonathan Lutwyche attended the Awards Ceremony in with LEC's Business Development Manager Martin Gilmore, pictured above "We were very pleased to make this year's final of the High Growth Business of the Year in The North of England Excellence Awards. 2011 has been an amazing year for us...and we continue to thrive in the supportive environment LEC offers." Jonathan Lutwyche, CEO of The REACH Centre Ltd. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324298056.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324298056.jpg 265 350 Monday Mon 19 December Dec 12 2011

1255 1 News Inaugural Ogden Trust Physics Residential inaugural-ogden-trust-physics-residential

The Ogden Trust is funding its first ever Physics Residential at Lancaster University for 25 A-level students from schools in Cumbria from December 18 to 20.

The Ogden Trust is funding its first ever Physics Residential at Lancaster University for 25 A-level students from schools in Cumbria from December 18 to 20. The enrichment programme for promising sixth-formers will give them the opportunity to go on a lab tour for the Quantum Dot project, conduct experiments in the teaching laboratories, meet graphene researchers and hear about the latest news from CERN. They will also attend the SciTech Conference lecture "What's the Use of Space Science?: Space Science in a Modern Society" by Professor David Southwood, formerly of the European Space Agency. The Residential is being organised by Phil Furneaux, the School Outreach Officer in the Department of Physics and is designed to give students a taste of the campus experience, improve their understanding of physics concepts beyond their own studies and inspire the next generation of physicists. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324039532.jpg 75 75 Friday Fri 16 December Dec 12 2011

1272 9 LU News Northern universities launch industry innovation forum northern-universities-launch-industry-innovation-forum

The N8 Research Partnership of eight northern English universities, including Lancaster, has launched an Industry Innovation Forum to promote collaboration between industry and academia.

The N8 Research Partnership of eight northern English universities, including Lancaster, has launched an Industry Innovation Forum to promote collaboration between industry and academia. The main objective of the Industry Innovation Forum will be to create new collaborations between industry and the research base to drive innovation, competitive advantage and growth. It will maximise linkages and market pull between private sector R&D, industrial and consumer needs and the world class research base in the UK. Led by the <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/">N8 Research Partnership</a>, the initial partners of the Industry Innovation Forum will be the Northern research intensive universities and global firms involved with research and development, including AstraZeneca, Croda, National Nuclear Laboratory, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Siemens, Smith & Nephew and Unilever. Professor Trevor McMillan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at Lancaster University and Chair of the N8 Pro Vice Chancellors Group, said: "The Industry Innovation Forum is a new way of working to stimulate new ideas and insights through academic and industry partners working together, on a cross sector basis. We have listened to our industry partners, and we are designing the Forum so that their innovation needs can be matched with possibilities from the science base." The N8 are working on the delivery plans for the Forum with the Technology Strategy Board. Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said: "This new initiative, which the Technology Strategy Board is piloting and supporting jointly with N8, aims to create new and innovative approaches through which businesses large and small can work together with Universities, leading to the co-creation of ideas and opportunities and the translation of new research and technology into products and services that can be brought to market. Essentially this is open innovation in action, and if successful, we see considerable scope and potential to roll it out further in the future." The N8 Innovation Forum will officially launch in February 2012. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1326903520.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326903520.jpg 237 300 Friday Fri 16 December Dec 12 2011

1254 1 News Lancaster student has been named the UK winner of the DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge lancaster-student-has-been-named-the-uk-winner-of-the-dc3-digital-forensics-challenge

A student from Lancaster University has been named the UK winner of the DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge, a global competition designed and hosted by the US Department of Defense that forms part of the Cyber Security Challenge UK.

A student from Lancaster University has been named the UK winner of the DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge, a global competition designed and hosted by the US Department of Defense that forms part of the Cyber Security Challenge UK. Christopher Richardson, currently studying for a PhD in intrusion detection systems, took the top prize and booked his place in the UK Challenge's face-to-face play-offs amongst winners from other competitions, at the start of next year. He registered the highest score achieved in the UK stream of the competition so far and beat 185 fellow countrymen to claim top spot. Christopher's performance, under the pseudonym 'Ikarus', saw him ranked 9th globally amongst 1,791 competitors from 52 countries. The DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge is a global challenge designed and hosted by the US Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center. Players from all over the world compete in what is considered one of the toughest forensic challenges in the world. It takes the form of several individual scenario-based challenges representing the complexity that digital forensics examiners face extracting and scrutinising data to solve cyber crime. Areas covered include file signatures, hashing metadata, data hiding, communication recovery, and information concealment. There are even a few problems that have not yet been fully resolved. "It was difficult in parts but really enjoyable," says Chris. "I have always had an interest in a wide range of security areas both inside and outside of my academic speciality and this competition gave me a platform to test my skills on practical problems with real world relevance. After getting stuck a couple of times, I didn't think I had done that well, but to win the UK stream and do so well across the whole competition feels great." <div class="link"><a href="https://cybersecuritychallenge.org.uk/story/150/cyber-security-challenge-announces-the-uk-winner-of-the-us-department-of-defense-digital-forensics-challenge.php">Read the full story on the Cyber Security Challenge website</a></div> Thursday Thu 15 December Dec 12 2011

1250 1 News Lancaster Science and Technology at The Big Bang 2012 lancaster-science-and-technology-at-the-big-bang-2012

Staff and students will be heading down to the NEC, Birmingham in March 2012 to take part in the Big Bang Science Fair.

Staff and students will be heading down to the NEC, Birmingham in March 2012 to take part in the Big Bang Science Fair. The Science and Technology at Lancaster University stand will include activities themed around Maths, Engineering and Computing plus a chance to speak to current Higher Education staff and students. The stand is designed to enthuse students and show them how research carried out at University is transferred into real life. The "impossible hoopla game" shows students all about the concept of statistics and how a real life problem can be solved using maths. The research will be conducted live on the stand as we will be measuring the number of throws taken over the three days. The Engineering activity "What is a watt?" will encourage pupils to think about how much energy is used every day by watching TV or playing on a games console. This activity will engage visitors at various levels from the fun competitive nature of who can generate the most power through to education learning about the difference in AC/DC power systems, transmission losses and understanding the concept of load factor. The Computing activity focuses on new technology letting visitors build a "transient display" that can appear, disappear, move and change shape at the touch of a virtual button. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324043321.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324043321.jpg 238 270 The Big Bang comes to Birmingham's NEC in March 2012 Wednesday Wed 14 December Dec 12 2011

1271 9 LU News Sailor turns psychologist with the help of Lancaster University sailor-turns-psychologist-with-the-help-of-lancaster-university

A former sailor who left school at sixteen has achieved a PhD in psychology at Lancaster University.

A former sailor who left school at sixteen has achieved a PhD in psychology at Lancaster University. James Stack, 39 and from St Helens, said: "It's changed my life because I was very unsure when I came here but everyone has been so supportive. My abiding memory of my time at Lancaster is how friendly people are and that has given me confidence." After leaving school, he joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Arm, working all over the UK, but he never felt satisfied. "It wasn't really me so I left and ever since then I've done various jobs, working on building sites and labouring. But I felt unfulfilled and I wanted to test myself and see how far I could go." With no formal qualifications, he enrolled on an Access course at St Helen's College, studying social science. "That was daunting because I'd been out of education for so long. I wasn't interested in studying when I was at school but when you're older, you have a different set of priorities." This was followed by a first class psychology degree at Edge Hill University, then an MA and PhD in psychology at Lancaster University. James lived at home in St Helens and concentrated on his studies. "I didn't know what I was capable of doing but I thought if I pushed myself, I'd get further. So I decided to work harder than everyone else because I had this desire to test myself." His ambition paid off when he achieved a PhD and is now applying for postdoctoral researcher roles at Lancaster University. His supervisor Professor Charlie Lewis said: "James has conducted a fascinating series of studies on how babies develop an understanding of other people. His success at Lancaster shows that students do not have to come straight from school. Indeed PhD candidates with experience of other fields often bring new ideas to their research and James has certainly done that." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1326902976.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1326902976.jpg 350 275 Dr James Stack Wednesday Wed 14 December Dec 12 2011

1252 9 LU News 'Tantalising, but not yet conclusive': physicists may have glimpsed mystery particle -tantalising--but-not-yet-conclusive---physicists-may-have-glimpsed-mystery-particle

Physicists working on a landmark experiment to understand the building blocks of the universe have announced fresh results in their quest to discover whether the elusive Higgs boson truly exists or not.

Physicists working on a landmark experiment to understand the building blocks of the universe have announced fresh results in their quest to discover whether the elusive Higgs boson truly exists or not. Lancaster physicists working on the <a hef="http://atlas.ch/">ATLAS experiment</a> at the Large Hadron Collider at <a href="http://public.web.cern.ch/public/">CERN</a>, Geneva, have been sharing results with another team from the sister experiment, <a href="http://cms.web.cern.ch/">CMS</a>, which may indicate they have both found traces of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is key to the astonishing success of the current model in particle physics, because, according to existing theory, it is the mechanism by which particles acquire mass. But the particle has not yet been observed in experiments. Two separate LHC experiments - Atlas and CMS - have been conducting independent searches for the Higgs and today both groups announced they have made interesting parallel discoveries. At a seminar at CERN, the heads of Atlas and CMS said they had observed signals in their data at roughly the same mass: 124-125 gigaelectronvolts (GeV). These signals could perhaps be the first evidence of the Higgs. Dr Harald Fox at Lancaster University is looking for the decay of the Higgs into so-called tau leptons. He said: "If we are really seeing the Higgs, more work and data will be needed to confirm the signal is genuine. Beyond that, it must also show the correct Higgs behaviour, in particular that it decays into the expected particle types at the expected rates. - for instance, into the tau." Professor Roger Jones, Head of the ATLAS group at Lancaster University, said: "We cannot say for sure whether the Higgs exists at this point in time. However, the issue will be settled next year, probably by the summer. In some ways, not finding it would be more exciting, as it means so much of what we believe to be true will need to be revised." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1323794378.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1323793761.jpg 300 400 An event with four identified muons from a proton-proton collision in ATLAS. This event is consistent with coming from two Z particles decaying: both Z particles decay to two muons each. Such events are produced by Standard Model processes without Higgs particles. They are also a possible signature for Higgs particle production, but many events must be analysed together in order to tell if there is a Higgs signal. This view is a zoom into the central part of the detector. The four muons are picked out as red tracks. Other tracks and deposits of energy in the calorimeters are shown in yellow. Image copyright: CERN Tuesday Tue 13 December Dec 12 2011

1251 9 LU News Computing Researchers Make Digital Scarecrow Documentary computing-researchers-make-digital-scarecrow-documentary

The story of Lancaster University's Wray Broadband Project is to be made into a documentary film featuring a digitally enhanced scarecrow at the annual village festival.

The story of Lancaster University's Wray Broadband Project is to be made into a documentary film featuring a digitally enhanced scarecrow at the annual village festival. The initiative from the School of Computing and Communications is being funded by a "Telling Tales of Engagement" competition run by Research Councils UK. The aim is to explain the background to the University's transformation of village life when Wray became the first UK village to get wifi broadband in 2003 and the first to get hi-speed broadband in 2010. The "broadband scarecrow" will take part in the annual Wray scarecrow festival and both the design and construction, along with the festival and village parade, will be included in a documentary film. Dr Nicholas Race said: "Whilst we have some ideas for the scarecrow itself - such as draping the scarecrow in intelligent lighting - other possible digital enhancements will emerge in the course of competitions that we'll be organising involving the village and Lancaster University students. "Possibilities include using bluetooth to enable the scarecrow to respond to people's mobile phones, embedding RFID or QR tags that trigger other images, or inserting a camera functionality in the scarecrow so that the scarecrow can provide images to its own blog - these designs will also form part of the eventual documentary. "After the festival we anticipate the scarecrow going on tour at museums and galleries and, in this fashion, together with other artefacts and applications, telling the tale of the Wray Broadband project." The new technology has empowered villagers to become content creators, a feature highlighted when a cricket match in Wray was broadcast live online and reported by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/apr/25/twicket-wray-lancashire-boadband">The Guardian</a> and tweeted by Stephen Fry. Wray is one of very few rural locations in the UK with the upload capabilities to send user generated content like this to the internet. The broadband project has also had a profound impact in the village, including the Hermes project which placed a <a href="http://wraydisplay.lancs.ac.uk/photos.php?cat=24&sort=desc">digital noticeboard</a> in the post office for community photos an iPhone project for posting and displaying self-generated travel information for the villagers, and a <a href="http://www.locoblog.com/view.php?uid=62&jid=231">project that enables people to use mobile phones to publish photos to google maps</a>. This was used to take photos of Wray's annual scarecrow festival. Most recently the European Union P2P-Next project is building a platform to support the future delivery of TV over the internet. Lancaster University researchers are working in collaboration with partners across Europe, including the BBC and Pioneer, to develop and trial a peer-to-peer system that can deliver a wide range of TV programmes over the internet to a TV using a set top box. The villagers in Wray have also helped the neighbouring village of Wennington get online as the project is rolled out across the UK. <a href="http://wraycomcom.org.uk/">wraycomcom.org.uk/</a> As a social enterprise and a regeneration tool, the Wray Broadband project provides a model to be replicated in rural communities across the UK as local people take control of their own digital future. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1323446386.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1323446386.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 09 December Dec 12 2011

1256 1 News Windows Phone Camp comes to Lancaster windows-phone-camp-comes-to-lancaster

42 Lancaster students attended the first Windows Phone Camp to be held at Lancaster University on Friday 9 December.

42 Lancaster students attended the first Windows Phone Camp to be held at Lancaster University on Friday 9 December. The event was run by Microsoft in collaboration with Lancaster University Science and Technology Association (LUSTA). Staff from Microsoft provided guidance and resources to Science and Technology students to help them build mobile apps on the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/">Windows Phone 7</a> platform. The event featured presentations on Windows Phone 7, Visual studio, App templates and the Windows Phone Marketplace. Microsoft also gave away 10 Samsung Focus Flash smartphones to students who agreed to build Windows Phone 7 apps before 25th December. LUSTA and Microsoft are now in the process of forging a new partnership to organize more technical and career events in 2012. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1324040839.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1324040375.jpg 250 250 Students learnt about Windows Phone 7 apps from Microsoft staff Friday Fri 09 December Dec 12 2011

1249 9 LU News Awards for outstanding engineering students awards-for-outstanding-engineering-students

Four first class engineering students from Lancaster University have won awards for outstanding projects and academic achievement relating to Renewable Energy, Marine Energy, Hydro Power and the Formula Student Racing Car.

Four first class engineering students from Lancaster University have won awards for outstanding projects and academic achievement relating to Renewable Energy, Marine Energy, Hydro Power and the Formula Student Racing Car. They were presented with their awards from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers at the headquarters in London by Dr Martin Yates, Acting Chairman of the Institution's Fluid Machinery Group. Dr Yates said: "The students' projects were all of a very high standard, and show the depth and breadth of the engineering capability at Lancaster University. I am sure they will all have exciting careers ahead of them in whatever branch of engineering they choose to pursue. Hopefully some of them will remain active in the challenging field of fluid machinery design." Audrius Zidonis won the IMechE Best Project Award (Certificate and Medal) for his project "Computational Modelling Automation and Process acceleration for Hydro Turbine performance model curves development". Daniel Richardson won The Frederic Barnes Waldron Best Student Award (Certificate and Medal) for his project on "Delayed Stall in Symmetrical Profiles". Shaun Benzon won The Institution Best Project Certificate for his project on the "Operational optimisation of a tidal barrage across the Mersey estuary using computational modelling". Paul Edwards won The Institution Best Student Certificate and his team project was the "Lancaster Formula Student Racing Car". Paul is currently working for Airbus Industries, while Audrius and Daniel continue as PhD students and Shaun as a Year 4 MEng student, all under the supervision of Dr George Aggidis. Dr Aggidis is the Director of <a href="http://www.engineering.lancs.ac.uk/lureg/">Lancaster University Renewable Energy Group</a> (LUREG), which carries out research into conversion of energy from renewable sources and mainly water sources, including waves, tides and land-based hydro power. He is also a Board Member of the IMechE Fluid Machinery Group. Dr Aggidis said he was pleased with the students' success. "The project-based focus of the engineering teaching at Lancaster offers a significant benefit to our students because it gives them the experience of real world problems which they have to devise solutions for." Engineering at Lancaster is well-respected, ranked 5th in the UK for Mechanical Engineering by The Guardian in 2011. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1322843537.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1322843537.jpg 250 275 Dr George Aggidis (left), with Lancaster University's four winning engineering students Friday Fri 02 December Dec 12 2011

1245 9 LU News Software To Help People With Dementia Wins £10,000 Award software-to-help-people-with-dementia-wins--10-000-award

A computing researcher at Lancaster University has been awarded £10,000 to promote software she developed to help improve the care of people with dementia.

A computing researcher at Lancaster University has been awarded £10,000 to promote software she developed to help improve the care of people with dementia. Dr Gemma Webster spent three years working on the 'Portrait' project, which saw her develop software to act as a communications bridge between carers and people with dementia. She was one of three winners of the Research Councils UK 'Telling Tales of Engagement' competition which rewarded academics from across the country able to demonstrate the significant impact of their digital economy research. The £10,000 prize will help her publicise and promote Portrait with the aim of significantly increasing the number of care homes using the software to improve the relationship between carer and patient. Portrait consists of interactive multimedia presentations that contain brief biographical and personal information relevant to a particular person with dementia. This helps busy care staff working with that individual to learn about his or her past in a relatively short time, and enables them to improve the quality of care they deliver. The multimedia biography is immediately accessible to staff through a touchscreen terminal, and Portrait consists of different topics of information about the person with dementia: Timeline - my life events; Family Tree - my family; and Things to Know. Dr Webster said that it can be very difficult for staff to get to know the individuals with dementia because they often have communication difficulties. She said: "Yet, without exception all of these individuals have had lives full of incident and relationships, jobs, hobbies, awards, and interesting experiences. Establishing some form of communication between carers and people with dementia can have vital implications for their health and well-being. "Learning about a person's past may help the care giver by providing interesting and important information from which to stimulate discussion and communication. This information can be difficult to obtain through patient records or discussions with family especially when the health or medical situation often takes priority, and that's where Portrait comes in." The digital economy has been highlighted as a key area of RCUK investment that can demonstrate impact across society and the economy, and defines impact as embracing the diverse ways that research-related skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations. The 'Telling Tales of Engagement' competition aimed to capture the wider, non-academic impact of the research and to help researchers to tell their story in interesting and engaging ways to a wider audience. Dr Webster, who completed her PhD at Dundee University before taking up a postdoctoral position in the <a href="http://www.scc.lancs.ac.uk">School of Computing and Communications</a> at Lancaster University, said the funding would hopefully lead to more care and nursing homes using Portrait. "The most important thing now is to raise awareness and get more care homes and families involved in the project. We will look at how best to go about this, but we know the key is to get as many people involved as possible. "It's really good to have won this award and to have the chance to promote and publicise the project more widely. I think it's very important to encourage care givers to get to know the person they are working with rather than just seeing them through the label of dementia or in terms of the physical needs they have. This prize will help us to get that message across." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1322838406.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1322838406.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 02 December Dec 12 2011

1240 9 LU News £1.9M to Develop Technology for Social Change -1-9m-to-develop-technology-for-social-change

Lancaster University is leading a £1.9m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project to build the next Twitter or Facebook with the potential to change the world.

Lancaster University is leading a £1.9m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project to build the next Twitter or Facebook with the potential to change the world. The social media boom has transformed our lives, shaping everything from the way we shop and socialise to how we do business. Change-hungry citizens have also turned to mobile digital communications during key world events from the London riots and the subsequent 'clean up the streets' campaign to the so called 'twitter revolutions' in Tunisia and Egypt. Although existing social technologies coupled with mobile computing have been extremely effective in promoting citizen-led activism, they were not designed specifically for it. Designed From Scratch In an ambitious project launched this month, researchers will set about developing completely new technology, designed from scratch to support people who want to do more with their iPhone than click on a Facebook 'like' button. The three year project (called Catalyst) will look at how different communities use technology to tackle major problems in order to understand the limitations of existing tools. Then, in a series of six short-term 'research sprints' running back to back, they will design and build six prototypes of next generation tools more suited to the job. Catalyst brings together a team of academics from a range of disciplines including social science, computing, design, environmental and management science. A range of community groups will also be recruited to form an integral part of the research team The project - which was one of four out of 140 to secure funding nationally - will also seek to understand what stimulates people to participate in active citizenship in the first place. Citizen-led Innovation Project leader Professor Jon Whittle of Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications said: "Recent events mean that now is both an opportune and critically necessary time for citizen-led innovation. On the one hand, society has experienced a massive global economic crisis. We are all being asked to do more for less and one consequence is that citizens are now expected to become more active participants in solving local problems. "On the other hand, governments in both the UK and US are opening up public data in a drive for transparency that puts information into the hands of citizens in a way never before envisaged. "We have become highly skilled at using the web to influence people in order to market products and make money but what if we could use it to make the world a better place? "We hope that by tackling a series of quick research projects throughout the life of the project we can begin to build on the collective field of knowledge in this rapidly changing area of communications." Catalyst will work with partners in Lancaster, Manchester and Northern Ireland to develop next generation systems that empower citizens to create bottom-up, innovative solutions to societal problems. Catalyst will also focus on widening the research to communities across the UK. This will be facilitated by two organisations - the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and Community Matters. The project will bring together a group of social scientists (sociology; anthropology), computer scientists (mobile computing; web2.0; distributed systems), management scientists (consumer behaviour) and designers (innovation). Catalyst was launched on November 22 2011. The Catalyst project is holding an Ideas Lab on 14 December which will bring together community organisations and academics to form project ideas. More information can be found on the <a href="http://www.catalystproject.org.uk/">project website</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1322490070.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1322490070.jpg 250 250 Monday Mon 28 November Nov 11 2011

1239 9 LU News National award for Lancaster Physics Student national-award-for-lancaster-physics-student

A Physics PhD student at Lancaster University has achieved national recognition with an award for women in the workplace from Red magazine.

A Physics PhD student at Lancaster University has achieved national recognition with an award for women in the workplace from Red magazine. Cherry Canovan won in the Returner category at the annual <a href="http://www.redonline.co.uk/red-women/red-s-hot-women-awards">Red Hot Women Awards</a>, and collected her award at a champagne reception in London hosted by Lauren Laverne. After a career as science correspondent on the Times Educational Supplement, Cherry decided to use her maternity leave as an opportunity to retrain, embarking on a physics degree at Lancaster University when her daughter was 12 weeks old. In 2009, she founded the Lancaster University <a href="http://www.physics.lancs.ac.uk/women-in-physics/">Women in Physics Group</a>, and earlier this year she was awarded the title of Early Career Woman Physicist Of The Year by The Institute Of Physics. She said: "Physics will benefit from having the best and the brightest - men and women - working in the field, and we should encourage this. At the moment, there may be vast reserves of female talent going into other areas because of perceptions of physics as a "male" career choice." One of the judges, Karen Mattison, said: "Cherry's story epitomises the idea that you can have children, you can feel you've taken a wrong turn in your career, but it's not too late and you can do something completely different. She saw motherhood as an opportunity to take time to do something she wished she'd done before, but that wasn't too late to do." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1322484372.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1322484372.jpg 300 250 Cherry Canovan Thursday Thu 24 November Nov 11 2011

1236 9 LU News Lancaster Announces New Department of Chemistry lancaster-announces-new-department-of-chemistry

Lancaster University has announced the establishment of a new Department of Chemistry, which will see students admitted to a new undergraduate degree in chemistry in October 2013.

Lancaster University has announced the establishment of a new Department of Chemistry, which will see students admitted to a new undergraduate degree in chemistry in October 2013. A Head of Department will be appointed as soon as possible to drive the development forward and it is expected that up to 25 new members of staff will be hired in the first major phase of development. The new department will establish a challenging research-led MChem degree programme, which will build on Lancaster research and take advantage of industry relationships and placements. The programme will seek full accreditation by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Moving to a chemistry department and to a full chemistry degree will enable Lancaster to recruit additional strong science students, both from the UK and abroad, in a market where the numbers of applications to study chemistry in research-led universities are increasing. Lancaster already has strong chemistry-led research activity in important areas targeting major societal issues. These include environmental chemistry, nuclear chemistry, physical chemistry for nanoscience, and biological chemistry within biophotonics, and the University is also currently developing a chemical engineering programme. The new department will build on the strengths in analytical chemistry which exist in these areas and on strong computational work in partnership with our top rated Physics Department. Lancaster University has a strong tradition of working across disciplines and the new chemistry department will from its inception be linked closely to Lancaster Environment Centre, Engineering , Physics, and to the Faculty of Health and Medicine, so that it can deepen the interdisciplinary work of scientists, engineers and social scientists across the university. Professor Mary Smyth, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology said: "In Science and Technology at Lancaster we carry out excellent research, our teaching is research led and attractive to home and international students, and we search actively for business partnerships to extend the impact of our work and to help us develop it. Chemistry, in selected areas, will enhance our ability to address major scientific problems, to respond to calls for cross disciplinary projects from research councils and others, to bring in industry research funds, to attract strong science students in a range of areas, and to offer new and exciting international relationships, both for teaching and research. " Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, welcomed the news: "This news from Lancaster University will be greeted enthusiastically by everybody at the RSC and in the wider chemistry community around the country. "The resurgence of chemistry at Lancaster, with its excellent reputation for innovation, provides yet more evidence of the dramatic return of chemistry's popularity nationally. "We believe that school-leavers and those advising them now recognise the opportunities in chemistry, which can provide a lucrative career as well as a fascinating university experience. "A chemistry department at Lancaster will help address challenges around agricultural productivity, water quality, conservation of scarce natural resources, energy conversion and storage, nuclear energy and waste, solar energy, sustainable product design, diagnostics, and drug therapies. This is all to be welcomed." The Chemistry Department at Lancaster was closed in 1999 at a time when chemistry departments were being closed across the UK. However, the numbers of young people taking chemistry at A-level has increased significantly in the last eight years and the numbers of applications to study chemistry at university are also increasing. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1322844055.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1322844055.jpg 200 500 Friday Fri 18 November Nov 11 2011

717 1 News Prof Nick Hewitt (LEC) visits Buckingham Palace

Professor Nick Hewitt (Lancaster Environment Centre) has been invited to a Reception at Buckingham Palace on 8th December. The Reception is being given by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the centenary of Captain Robert Scott's final expedition to the South Pole. The Reception is to recognise the accomplishments of those involved in exploration and adventure in pursuit of achievement, research or education.

Professor Nick Hewitt (Lancaster Environment Centre) has been invited to a Reception at Buckingham Palace on 8th December. The Reception is being given by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the centenary of Captain Robert Scott's final expedition to the South Pole. The Reception is to recognise the accomplishments of those involved in exploration and adventure in pursuit of achievement, research or education. Friday Fri 18 November Nov 11 2011

1230 9 LU News Lancaster University Ornithologist Honoured

A Lancaster University scientist has been awarded one of the British Trust for Ornithology's top awards at the Mall Galleries, London.

A Lancaster University scientist has been awarded one of the British Trust for Ornithology's top awards at the Mall Galleries, London. At <a href="http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/bto-awards-excellence">a ceremony</a> hosted by the Society for Wildlife Artists (SWLA), Dr Ian Hartley was presented with the <a href="http://www.marshchristiantrust.org/default.asp?V_ITEM_ID=791">Marsh Award for Ornithology</a> by the Chair of the BTO, Professor Ian Newton, for the significant contribution Ian has made to British ornithology. With over forty scientific papers to his name, Ian's work has focussed on understanding the interactions between individuals within bird families. This has involved studies of sexual conflict, offspring begging behaviour, and parent-offspring conflict in a range of species, including Corn Buntings, Alpine Accentors, Blue Tits and Swallows. In addition, Ian serves on several national committees including the councils of the BTO and the British Ornithologists' Union, and is involved with the running or editing of several academic journals. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University, where he carries out his research and teaches animal behaviour and evolution to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Presenting the award, Professor Ian Newton, said: "Ian has made not only an outstanding scientific contribution, but has been a strong supporter and collaborator of the BTO. He has done much to help and train young researchers, and has contributed in many other ways to the greater good of ornithology, he is a very fitting recipient of this award and I am delighted to present Ian with it." Dr Ian Hartley said: "This is a big honour for me. By enabling me to contribute to national surveys, such as atlas work and bird ringing, the BTO gave a purpose to my early birdwatching and helped to start my career in ornithology. Thank you for the award and for giving me that start." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1321353739.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1321353739.jpg 250 350 Dr Ian Hartley (centre) accepts his Marsh Award for Ornithology from Brian Marsh (left) and Professor Ian Newton (right). Image courtesy of BTO Wednesday Wed 02 November Nov 11 2011

1229 1 News LEC leads food security and sustainable water debate

The third in our series of 'N8 Debates' during 2011 <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=718">"Food Security and Sustainable Water Supplies"</a> focused on the national and international challenges associated with managing water resources in tandem with food and energy supplies.

The third in our series of 'N8 Debates' during 2011 <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=718">"Food Security and Sustainable Water Supplies"</a> focused on the national and international challenges associated with managing water resources in tandem with food and energy supplies. <a href="http://www.stc-nyorks.co.uk/">Stockbridge Technology Centre</a> kindly hosted our event which was streamed live and featured interactive questioning and input from a range of remote participants via our Adobe Connect link. Professor Tim Burt (Durham University) chaired the Debate. Our panel members represented a range of stakeholder views and included Ian Bernard (British Water), Askok Chapagain (WWF), Bill Davies (Lancaster University) and Graham Ward (Stockbridge Technology Centre). Discussions covered the pressures and impacts of increasing water demand, decreasing and highly variable water availability, rising water costs and more stringent environmental water quality standards on sustainable water management across food supply chains in an interconnected world. A collective output from the event will take the form of a policy guidance document that will chart a pathway for future UK policy and action. <a href="http://lancasteruni.adobeconnect.com/p9jvby4og0j/">Watch the recording of the event via AdobeConnect.</a> Details and recordings of our previous N8 Debates are available via the <a href="http://www.catchmentchange.net/about/n8-watergroup">NERC Catchment Change Network.</a> Associated Links <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk/">N8 Research Partnership</a> - a collaboration of the eight most research intensive universities in the North of England: Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1320232584.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1320232584.jpg 274 400 Wednesday Wed 02 November Nov 11 2011

1232 9 LU News Digital Humanities project awarded 1.5m grant digital-humanities-project-awarded-1.5m-grant

Lancaster University has been awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant of 1.5 million for a five-year project which will act as a flagship programme for Digital Humanities research.

Lancaster University has been awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant of 1.5 million for a five-year project which will act as a flagship programme for Digital Humanities research. Building upon Lancaster's international expertise in Corpus Linguistics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the project will develop methodologies for the automatic extraction of place names from large bodies of text, a process which will facilitate spatial interpretations of both historical events and imaginative representations of space and place. The interdisciplinary project 'Bringing Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to the Digital Humanities: Defining Spatial Humanities' is led by Dr Ian Gregory (History) along with Dr Paul Rayson ( School of Computing and Communications), Dr David Cooper ( English & Creative Writing) and Dr Andrew Hardie (Linguistics and English Language). They will investigate the ways in which digital mapping technologies can help geographical analyses in overlapping fields of research. These techniques will then be applied to two major case studies. The first will explore the literary geographies of the Lake District from the middle of the eighteenth-century to the early twentieth-century. This strand of the project will focus primarily on mapping an extensive range of literary texts; but it will also explore how the spatial patterns embedded within these writings relate to contemporary web 2.0 representations (such as photographs on Flickr) of the Lakes. The second strand will concentrate on nineteenth-century social and demographic history and will examine how textual sources can be integrated with statistical information - from sources such as the census - to shed new lights on a range of topics including mortality decline. The project will also include a significant training component to widen the skills base in the use of digital technologies within a range of humanities disciplines. It will also involve extensive collaboration with a range of cultural heritage partners in the north west and beyond. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1321354212.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1321354212.jpg 300 300 The project is funded by the European Research Council Friday Fri 28 October Oct 10 2011

1226 9 LU News University expertise helps technology firm

A technology firm has transformed its business after working with experts at InfoLab21 on a new type of travel information system to be launched next year.

A technology firm has transformed its business after working with experts at InfoLab21 on a new type of travel information system to be launched next year. <a href="http://www.intouch-ltd.com">In Touch</a>, a radio and communications systems company from Morecambe, now employs eight more people after it joined forces with Lancaster University and highways maintenance company Carillion. The resulting £1.6m product, <a href="http://highwire-dtc.com/ourtravel/">Our Travel</a>, aims to reduce congestion by using social networking and information from transport workers to provide information about journeys. It will be available as an app on mobile devices early in 2012. In Touch's Managing Director John Walden said: "We knew that we needed academic input and that linking to a university would be absolutely critical. With help from Lancaster University we were able to take a long term strategic look at the data and communications industry and predict the likely advances and innovation path we needed to take." Our Travel was developed with the help of Professor Nigel Davies from the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21. He said: "The University aims to help boost economic growth and we have done this with In Touch by exposing them to a wide range of new techniques and offering access to our world-class expertise in mobile computing. Our Travel is based on social networking but uses it to solve a particular problem of how to get from A to B without any problems. Turning ideas like this into a marketable product is growing in importance as the UK moves to a digital economy dependent on innovation." Our Travel is part funded by the government backed Technology Strategy Board, and developed and trialled by Lancaster University in collaboration with In Touch Ltd and Carillion plc. Mr Walden said: "The backing we have received - not just financially but also in terms of mentoring and helping us to make new business connections- has been invaluable. It has given us significant credibility and opened the door for us to enter new markets and reach customer groups that might not otherwise have been possible." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1319801308.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1319800927.jpg 400 300 John Walden of In Touch and Professor Nigel Davies Thursday Thu 27 October Oct 10 2011

1192 1 News Developing strategies for living with uncertainty in animal disease management

The <a href="http://www.relulostintranslation.co.uk/">Lost in Translation</a> project - a cross-council RELU funded collaboration between Lancaster and Liverpool University - held a successful International Conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London on September 21st.

The <a href="http://www.relulostintranslation.co.uk/">Lost in Translation</a> project - a cross-council RELU funded collaboration between Lancaster and Liverpool University - held a successful International Conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London on September 21st. The event, <a href="http://www.relulostintranslation.co.uk/home/conference-2011">'Living with uncertainty in animal disease management'</a>, showcased research project findings and recommendations to a wide international audience across policy and practice. 'Lost in Translation' brings together expertise across the natural and social sciences to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of the social, technological and natural dynamics of animal disease management across a range of policy scales. Central to this project is the question of how we can understand better issues of complexity and uncertainty in animal disease outbreaks and their containment in order to help develop more integrated and ultimately more effective strategies of management for animal disease. Presentations from the team were given by Louise Heathwaite, Sophia Latham, Zoe Austin, Brian Wynne and Jonathan Wastling. A series of excellent keynote contributions by Professor Martyn Jeggo (Australian Animal Health Laboratory), Dr Katinka de Balogh (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) and Professor Andrew Stirling (University of Sussex) added valuable multidimensional and international input to the day. Individual conference presentations and video recordings from this event can be found on the Lost in Translation <a href="http://www.relulostintranslation.co.uk/home/conference-2011">website</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1319541997.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1319466885.jpg 248 400 Monday Mon 24 October Oct 10 2011

1224 9 LU News Rich underground life discovered at the poles

Life above-ground is scarce beyond the Arctic Circle, but a new study has shown that underground that isn't the case.

Life above-ground is scarce beyond the Arctic Circle, but a new study has shown that underground that isn't the case. It is generally accepted that above-ground biodiversity is more diverse at the equator than at the poles. But new research by a team of scientists from Lancaster, Colorado and Florida Universities has discovered that the same cannot be said of the microscopic animals that live belowground such as nematodes, mites, and springtails. In fact, the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, showed the diversity of soil animals in tundra of Sweden and Alaska to be very similar to that of grasslands in Kenya in Africa and Kansas in the US. Their findings, which were based on soil samples taken from 11 sites around the world, including tropical forest in Costa Rica, arid grassland in Kenya, warm temperate forest in New Zealand, shrub steppe of Argentina, and tundra and boreal forest of Alaska and Sweden, also turned another popular assumption on its head. The study discovered on average, 96 per cent of identified soil animals were found at only a single location, suggesting most soil animals have restricted distributions, or in other words, they are endemic. This challenges the long held view that these smaller animals are widely distributed. Professor Richard Bardgett of Lancaster Environment Centre, who led Lancaster University's work on the study, said: " This study was a highly ambitious project, being the first to explore the global distribution of microscopic soil animals across most major biomes of the world. We were not only astonished by the shear diversity of organisms that we found across our study sites, but also by the fact that this level of diversity was similar under the harsh conditions of tundra and boreal forest to that of tropical forests. These results are important because they begin to inform on the patterns of diversity of largely unexplored, but highly diverse group of out-of-site organisms that are known to play a major role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems." This is the first study to do a comprehensive molecular analysis at nearly a species resolution of the global distribution of soil animals across a broad range of ecosystems from the tropics to the poles. The study also examined how the global distribution of soil animals relates to factors such as climate, soil nutrient levels, and aboveground biodiversity. Results showed sites with greater aboveground biodiversity appeared to have lower diversity beneath them in soil. The main factors explaining this low soil animal diversity at sites with high aboveground diversity were high levels of soil inorganic nitrogen availability and lower pH compared to other sites. Some sites with high animal biodiversity, like the Kenyan grassland site, are those sites considered more at risk due to land use and population increase. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1319205833.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1319205833.jpg 400 300 A forest site in Sweden Tuesday Tue 18 October Oct 10 2011

1220 9 LU News Lancaster takes part in Antarctic lake mission

Lancaster Environment Centre is contributing to a pioneering British expedition seeking life in a lake 3km under the Antarctic ice.

Lancaster Environment Centre is contributing to a pioneering British expedition seeking life in a lake 3km under the Antarctic ice. Professor Barbara Maher of Lancaster University's Environment Centre will analyse sediment samples taken from Lake Ellsworth, which has been sealed beneath the ice for at least 125,000 years. The <a href="http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1074">£7m Natural Environment Research Council-funded</a> project brings together 33 scientists from eight universities, the British Antarctic Survey and the National Oceanography Centre in a team which hopes to be the first to sample a sub-glacial Antarctic lake. The project will test the limits of UK engineering and scientific knowledge as researchers race against the clock to drive an ice-melting drill through kilometres of ice to reach the pitch black lake below. Their task is doubly difficult as they have to ensure the equipment is completely sterile and does not contaminate the pristine environment. An engineering team, along with 70 tonnes of equipment, will leave the UK for the Antarctic this week. Once on site the Edinburgh University-led team hopes to drill through the ice to obtain previously unseen samples of the lake water itself and examples of sediment from the lake bed in search of signs of life and clues to changes in the environment over the past million years. Once these sediment cores are collected, one of Professor Maher's key roles will be to try to identify the age of the sediments, and where they came from, from their magnetic properties. She said: "Reading the sediment taken from a lake bed is rather like leafing back through the pages of a book. Each layer takes us further back in time and holds important clues as to what was happening at that point in time. These samples are incredibly special as they date back tens of thousands if not millions of years and hold secrets about the ancient history of oceans and ice sheets as well as clues to the future of our planet. "These lake-floor sediments hold information about the past environment and glacial history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Our magnetic analysis can determine the date of the last decay of the ice sheet - critical for assessing its present-day stability and the likely consequences for future sea-level rise as our climate continues to warm." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1318585389.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318585306.jpg 400 300 British camp at Lake Ellsworth photo courtesy of British Antarctic Survey Tuesday Tue 11 October Oct 10 2011

1216 9 LU News Lancaster University Working Across Europe to Tackle Child Abuse

A team led by Lancaster University is developing tools to help EU law enforcement identify criminals who make and share child abuse media across the Internet.

A team led by Lancaster University is developing tools to help EU law enforcement identify criminals who make and share child abuse media across the Internet. The two year project, funded by European Commission Safer Internet Programme, brings together researchers, police and child protection experts across the EU to develop new software capable of identifying new material or previously unknown child abuse files on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. People who share new videos or photographs of child abuse are more likely to be hands-on abusers or close to the abuser. Identifying these individuals is important if the police are to successfully identify active abusers or witnesses to abuse in order to identify and protect the victim. Forensics Software Toolkit The iCOP project aims to develop a forensics software toolkit which will scan and identify new or previously unknown images and videos, giving law enforcement the best possible chance of tracking the originator of the material, protecting children from further harm and securing conviction. Because the software tool aims to identify new material as quickly as possible it could help take more images out of circulation of P2P networks before they have had chance to spread. The project has been welcomed by senior figures in INTERPOL, the world's largest international police organization, who said anything that anything that makes the work of identifying victims and criminals easier will result in less children being abused and the capture of those perpetrating the abuse. P2P networks which enable quick and easy online file sharing have become a major hub of paedophile activity. Many thousands of new files appear on P2P networks every day - many of them innocent - and EU law enforcement agencies do not have the resources to tackle them all. Law enforcement agencies actively scan the internet for known child abuse media but the only way to identify new material is through time consuming manual analysis. The new forensic software developed by the iCOP team will help investigators in a number of ways including: Intelligent network traffic and automatic image and video analysis to identify unknown and new child abuse media on a P2P network. Integrating these solutions with existing P2P monitoring tools used by law enforcement agencies so that targeted media can be efficiently assessed for child abuse content. Building behavioural user profiles that can help provide clues to a distributor's identity. International Experts iCOP brings together international experts on online child safety technologies from Lancaster University (UK), Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium), University College Cork (Ireland) and The German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (Germany). The research team will work alongside law enforcement from across the EU including: German Police, Belgian Police, Lancashire Constabulary in the UK and Interpol. The project's advisory body will also include experts on child welfare. Project lead, Professor Awais Rashid of Lancaster University, said: "Often a priority for law enforcement is to identify where child abuse is still occurring and an indicator for this can be when previously unknown child abuse media starts being distributed. "However, current systems are not able to automatically identify unknown media and single it out for special attention. "This new project brings together a unique combination of police and academic experts from across Europe to develop a new generation of technical solutions to support law enforcement in the 21 Century. It brings a truly European dimension to tackling the originators of child abuse media on peer-to-peer networks." A spokesman from INTERPOL said: "The internet facilitated resurgence of criminal offending surrounding the possession and distribution of child abuse material (child pornography) poses great difficulties for society in general but for law enforcement in particular. Offenders, facilitated by the internet, swap, trade and sell this material online, across borders and with apparent impunity. Global efforts are in place but are a huge drain on resources and this is further complicated by weak law and the lack of International instruments and procedures. "This increase in online trade most likely encourages the actual abuse of children, with new victims being found online every day. Each of these victims, most often from within the family circle of the abuser, is a victim of child sexual abuse and the appearance of the photos and movies online represents an opportunity to disclose on behalf of the child. The work being done within law enforcement and some NGOs to identify these children is in place but we need all the help we can get. The sheer volume of work involved easily overwhelms the resources allocated. "INTERPOL welcomes a project such as this one, not least because it represents the application of academic rigor and enquiry to the area but also because it consists of the development of tools to assist in the identification of victims and criminals. Anything that makes the work easier will result in less children being abused and the capture of those carrying out that abuse both directly and indirectly." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1317913595.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1317913595.jpg 250 250 Project lead Professor Awais Rashid from the School of Computing and Communications Thursday Thu 06 October Oct 10 2011

1214 1 News Event Reveals New Insights Into Businesses' Cyber Security Concerns

Around 70 delegates attended the Cyber Security Conference 2011 this month.

Around 70 delegates attended the Cyber Security Conference 2011 this month. Delegates were from a range of industries from across the UK, some technology focused and some that utilise technology for everyday business. The conference included a range of expert speakers from industry such as Get Safe Online, the UK's national internet security awareness initiative, in addition to academic specialists from Psychology, Law, Politics and the School of Computing and Communications who are all involved with the University's multi-disciplinary Masters Degree in Cyber Security. The conference provided delegates with the latest information on cyber security from across these different approaches and gave them an opportunity to voice their concerns and seek expert advice. Key Concerns The skills and education gap in cyber security was highlighted as a key concern. Dr Daniel Prince, Course Director for the MSc in Cyber Security, and one of the conferences organisers said "It is vital that we take a fresh, multi-disciplinary approach to information security. We must work closely with industry in order to educate the next generation of security professionals with the skills that are required by the sector." While awareness of the issues and threats around spam email and accessing the internet was felt to be getting better, a key concern was the increase in directed 'spear phishing' attacks that utilise social engineering techniques, making them much harder for an individual to detect and often resulting in a much more significant loss of personal or corporate data. Another key problem facing the sector highlighted by the conference is the increasing cost of compliance to regulations designed to protect consumer information such as PCI-DSS. The sophistication and complexity of attacks on digital technologies are set to increase; however, it is becoming increasingly complicated for small businesses to understand the rules and regulations that are being put in place by standards bodies and governments to protect consumer data. A growing challenge for SMEs Cyber Security is a growing challenge facing businesses across the country, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which have limited budgets to tackle information security. According to the 2010 report by PWC on information security breaches, commissioned by Infosecurity Europe, small organisations (under 50 staff) have faced a disproportionate increase in security incidents when compared to large companies. The report shows the percentage of small organisations reporting security incidents and the average number of incidents per company has nearly doubled over the last two years with this trend set to increase. More worryingly, the maximum cost of a small organisation's worst security incident of the year has nearly tripled, from between £10k-£20k to £27.5-£55k. To respond to this threat and raise awareness of cyber security issues, the School of Computing and Communications, based in InfoLab21, partnered with the ICT Knowledge Transfer Network to organise the Cyber Security Conference 2011 for SMEs, the first such KTN event of its kind in the Northwest. Tony Dyhouse from the ICT KTN explained, "As a large proportion of UK wealth is derived from the a vast range of SMEs, it is essential that the ICT KTN reaches this sector and assists them to make informed decisions in the ICT field, including Cyber Security. One of the best routes to address SMEs is through academia. InfoLab21 at Lancaster University provides an excellent route to technology-based SMEs. We were therefore delighted to partner with them to deliver The Cyber Security Conference 2011. This event was an outstanding success and we look forward to repeating it next year." Follow up Much of the event has been recorded and the presentations are available online at <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/ictfocus/csc/">www.lancaster.ac.uk/ictfocus/csc/</a>. If you would like to get involved in collaborating in research in the area of Cyber Security, or are interested in contributing to or enrolling on, the MSc in Cyber Security, please contact <a href="mailto:d.prince@lancaster.ac.uk">Dr Daniel Prince</a>. (Tel: +44(0) 1524 510432), or join the <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Cyber-Security-Focus-4074398?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr">Cyber Security Focus</a> group on LinkedIn. Or you can leave a comment below. To find out about other events and services for business available from <a href="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/business">InfoLab21</a>, or contact <a href="mailto:c.i.mclaughlin@lancaster.ac.uk">Colin McLaughlin</a>, Technology Transfer Manager, (Tel: +44 (0)1524 510443), or follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoLab21">twitter</a> for updates. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1317311497.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1317311497.jpg 250 250 Dr Daniel Prince, Course Director for the MSc in Cyber Security at the School of Computing and Communications Thursday Thu 29 September Sep 09 2011

1222 1 News Lancaster Engineering hosts nuclear conference

The Department of Engineering hosted the Control and Instrumentation in Nuclear Installations conference - CANDI2011 - this week, on behalf of the Nuclear Institute and the Institute of Measurement and Control.

The Department of Engineering hosted the Control and Instrumentation in Nuclear Installations conference - CANDI2011 - this week, on behalf of the Nuclear Institute and the Institute of Measurement and Control. The conference attracted 90 delegates from 50 commercial organisations, including keynote papers from Tony Lavietes of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna, Austria) and Nguyen Thuy of EDF Research and Development (Chatou, Paris). http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318594451.jpg 225 400 The conference attracted 50 organisations from the nuclear industry Wednesday Wed 28 September Sep 09 2011

1221 9 LU News New water quality science paves the way for improving river health in the UK

A new river monitoring system to assist local communities to improve water quality of the River Eden and its tributaries is now online.

A new river monitoring system to assist local communities to improve water quality of the River Eden and its tributaries is now online. Researchers from Lancaster University, Newcastle University, Durham University, the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology, Askham Bryan College (Newton Rigg) and the Eden Rivers Trust have installed ten river monitoring stations to collect valuable data on river water quality that is available to farmers, local communities and anyone interested. The research is part of the Defra-funded <a href="http://www.edendtc.org.uk/">Eden Demonstration Test Catchment</a> (EdenDTC), one of three national projects to understand how land management affects the water environment and to test measures for reducing agricultural pollution. The live, real-time data, made available via the web, can be used by councils, rivers trusts and the public to help in understanding how to improve river water quality where they live. EdenDTC is one of the first projects of its kind to provide live data on river water quality to the public, setting a national standard for managing diffuse pollution in rivers throughout the UK. Water pollution from agriculture can arise from artificial fertilisers, livestock manures or soil erosion and is strongly affected by the way the soil is managed. By monitoring water quality in the River Eden, communities will be able to stay better informed about the issues affecting their local river, so they can make decisions about how to tackle them. Professor Phil Haygarth, co-Director of the Centre for Sustainable Water Management at Lancaster University, who is leading the project, said: 'Along with installing state-of-the art, up-to-the-minute, high frequency monitoring equipment, EdenDTC is providing a platform for scientists, farmers and the wider community to come together and learn about this place -- the River Eden. This project is among the first of a new type of integrated river monitoring and social science being done in the UK'. Farmers will find the river water monitoring system useful as it provides them with a way to see how much of an effect the use of fertilisers have on river water quality, helping them develop a strategy to minimise the impacts of agriculture on rivers in the Eden catchment. Using data from the Eden DTC water monitoring stations and the knowledge that is built up through the project can help farmers find the strategies that work best for their specific circumstances. Stephen Carruthers from Towcett Farm in Penrith, Cumbria who participates in the Eden DTC project said: 'As a farmer if I can find ways to raise cattle and grow crops very efficiently with no detriment to the water quality or the local habitat, this is the way forward. All farmers have problems on the farm with a slight bit of pollution and if you can find ways to help eliminate it, it's always a good thing. We've been trying hard to monitor the Eden and clean it up because it's one of the most special rivers in the UK and Europe for wildlife'. Dr Sim Reaney, a researcher in Durham University's Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, who also leads the project, said: `The key thing about the EdenDTC is the openness and transparency of the science, the fact that the data is up there on the web, freely open to anyone who wants it. That's a big change from the past, where the data was locked up and not fully utilised'. While the water of rivers may often look clean, there are a range of nutrients from agricultural runoff that simply cannot be detected by the human eye. The amount of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, in rivers and groundwater often changes rapidly and goes undetected. The Eden DTC water stations, however, will analyse nutrients in the river catchment every 15 minutes to help researchers and communities understand when rivers are at risk. The project will allow communities to be better informed, therefore more self-governing in dealing with environmental decisions that can affect river water quality. Professor Bob Harris, co-ordinator of the three national Demonstration Test Catchments Projects said: 'We will be able to use the scientific evidence gathered in the Eden catchment and elsewhere to show how small changes in farming activities adopted throughout the country can lead to quite an improvement in our water quality without negatively affecting food productivity. We want to develop win/win situations whereby farmers manage their land to produce food profitably, but become better at preserving topsoil and reducing their nutrient losses. This will benefit the water environment because not as much pollution is entering rivers and groundwater, but also saves the farmer money'. Richard Benyon, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries said 'Communities, farmers and land managers all want improved water quality and this project on the River Eden will make it much easier to identify the problems and how to deal with them'. The Eden DTC is aligned with a recent framework developed by the European Commission (EC) to improve river water quality in the European Union through citizen action. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1318585744.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318585744.jpg 400 300 The river Eden: courtesy of the Eden Rivers Trust Monday Mon 26 September Sep 09 2011

1219 9 LU News Plant 'body clock' observed in tropical forest research

Predictions of the ground-level pollutant ozone will be more accurate in future following research led by Lancaster University, published in Nature Geoscience.

Predictions of the ground-level pollutant ozone will be more accurate in future following research led by Lancaster University, published in Nature Geoscience. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when volatile organic compounds like isoprene - which is emitted by some plants - react with nitrogen oxides from car engines or industry. Ozone at ground level is very harmful to human health, may decrease crop yields, and is a greenhouse gas. Researchers, led by Professor Nick Hewitt of the Lancaster Environment Centre, have found that the rate at which plants emit isoprene is influenced by their body clock or circadian rhythm. This 24-hour circadian rhythm, which also controls leaf movement and respiration in plants, has never before been observed operating in concert in a stand of trees. The discovery alters current estimates of plant-derived isoprene emissions. Ground-level ozone concentrations, calculated using the new isoprene emissions, are then closer to observed concentrations, going some way to resolve a long-standing deficiency in computer simulation of ground-level ozone. Professor Hewitt said: "We spend billions of pounds trying to control ozone - for example, by putting catalytic convertors in new cars in order to prevent emissions of oxides of nitrogen. This discovery of the circadian rhythm operating on the forest canopy scale is another step in better understanding ozone and improving our models of the atmosphere." The researchers examined measurements of isoprene made above tropical rainforest and oil palm plantations in Sabah in Malaysia, carried out as part of a £2.5m UK/Malaysian scientific research project. Dr Eiko Nemitz of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said: "Our flux measurements show that emissions of isoprene are under circadian control, strongly in the oil palm plantation and less strongly in the rainforest. These ecosystems therefore emit less isoprene than current emissions models predict." Professor Rob MacKenzie of the University of Birmingham, who led the initial ozone modelling studies, added "Using various models of atmospheric chemistry, we show that this more complete understanding of the processes controlling isoprene emissions yields a better predictive capability for ground-level ozone, especially in isoprene-sensitive regions of the world." These regions include the south eastern US, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, parts of South East Asia and Japan. Using computer simulations from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, the team then compared their simulated ground-level ozone with real-life ozone measurements at 290 atmospheric monitoring sites in the US. They found that their model accuracy significantly improved when it included circadian control of isoprene emissions. The work was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the paper <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v4/n10/full/ngeo1271.html">Ground-level ozone influenced by circadian control of isoprene emissions</a> is published as part of the Royal Society's South East Asian Rainforest Research Programme. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1318582835.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318582835.jpg 300 300 Professor Nick Hewitt in Malaysia: courtesy of Ben Langford Monday Mon 26 September Sep 09 2011

1210 9 LU News Record number attend Physics Masterclass

Lancaster Girls' Grammar School pupils Zoe Harding and Jess Goodfellow, both 16, were among a record total of 230 students to attend Lancaster University's annual Masterclass in Particle Physics.

Lancaster Girls' Grammar School pupils Zoe Harding and Jess Goodfellow, both 16, were among a record total of 230 students to attend Lancaster University's annual Masterclass in Particle Physics. Other schools included Ripley St Thomas CE High School, Lancaster Royal Grammar School, and Holy Cross College in Bury. The Masterclass, organised by the Department of Physics, included a discussion on the experiments at the international laboratory CERN where research is taking place into the building blocks of the universe. There was also a quiz with book prizes. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1316782112.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1316782267.jpg 300 275 Zoe Harding and Jess Goodfellow with a cloud chamber at the Physics Masterclass Friday Fri 23 September Sep 09 2011

1218 9 LU News Lancaster receives European recognition for its plans to support researchers' career development

Lancaster has achieved the prestigious 'HR Excellence in Research', a badge of excellence awarded by the European Commission to institutions which meet the principles of the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/europeanCharter">European Charter for Researchers</a> and the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/codeOfConduct">Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers</a>.

Lancaster has achieved the prestigious 'HR Excellence in Research', a badge of excellence awarded by the European Commission to institutions which meet the principles of the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/europeanCharter">European Charter for Researchers</a> and the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/codeOfConduct">Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers</a>. The University was one of 15 successful research institutions named this week by Stefaan Hermans, of the European Commission's Research and Innovation directorate, at the Vitae Researcher Development International Conference. The benefit to Lancaster of achieving the HR Excellence badge is that it will show potential and current research staff that they can expect to be treated in accordance with best practice and that their ongoing professional development will be supported. It will also provide the University with a means of regularly checking our practices against a respected external benchmark and identifying improvements in our provision for research staff. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1318582121.png 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318582121.png 213 300 HR Excellence in Research status is awarded by the European Commission to institutions which meet the principles of the European Charter for Researchers Tuesday Tue 20 September Sep 09 2011

1211 9 LU News Tropical biodiversity study finds no substitute for primary forests

Undisturbed primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity, according to a study <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10425.html">published in Nature</a>.

Undisturbed primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity, according to a study <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10425.html">published in Nature</a>. Primary tropical forests with little or no human disturbance are diminishing due to conversion and degradation by human activities and in many locations they have been replaced by agriculture, plantations and secondary forests. But an international team of researchers, including Dr Jos Barlow of Lancaster University, has concluded that most forms of forest degradation have an overwhelmingly detrimental effect on tropical biodiversity, and secondary forests are poor substitutes for primary forests. The team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), University of California, San Diego (UCSD), ETH Zurich, University of Adelaide, University of Cambridge, Lancaster University, University of East Anglia, James Cook University and the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment conducted a global assessment to estimate the impact of disturbance and land conversion on biodiversity in tropical forests. Drawing on information from 138 scientific studies spanning 28 tropical countries, they compared biodiversity values between primary forests and a range of degraded and converted forest types including secondary forests, selectively logged forests and forests converted to agriculture. Overall, biodiversity values were substantially lower in degraded forest types, highlighting the strong impact human land-use changes are exacting on tropical biodiversity. "There's no substitute for primary forests," said Luke Gibson, the lead author who is a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) at NUS. "Our comprehensive assessment shows that all major forms of disturbance - with one possible exception - invariably reduce biodiversity in tropical forests." That exception is selective logging, which had a relatively small - but still negative - impact on biodiversity. "Ecological restoration of selectively logged forests might represent an effective strategy to alleviate threats to tropical biodiversity, particularly when they are also rapidly growing in extent," said Lian Pin Koh, an adjunct professor at NUS DBS and an assistant professor of Applied Ecology and Conservation at ETH Zurich. Comparing human impacts across the key tropical forested regions, the authors found that Asia suffered the greatest loss in biodiversity but said there was an the urgent need for more research in understudied regions, particularly in Africa, which sustains the second largest contiguous tropical forest in the world. To protect the world's remaining primary tropical forests, the study suggests a number of strategies, including the expansion and enhanced enforcement of protected areas. Curbing international demand for commodities obtained at the expense of primary forests is another strategy to protect tropical biodiversity. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1316782569.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1316782569.jpg 400 275 Species typical of undisturbed tropical forests (such as the White-Plumed Antbird Pithys albifrons) are among the most vulnerable species to land-use change. Photo: Jos Barlow Monday Mon 19 September Sep 09 2011

1204 9 LU News Aeroflex endows 1m wireless broadband laboratory in InfoLab21

Aeroflex Limited and Lancaster University announced today the inauguration of the Aeroflex Wireless Broadband Laboratory in the University's School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21.

Aeroflex Limited and Lancaster University announced today the inauguration of the Aeroflex Wireless Broadband Laboratory in the University's School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21. The new laboratory is equipped with just over 1 million worth of test equipment donated by Aeroflex, a leading US-headquartered technology company with a large R&D and manufacturing facility in Stevenage, UK. The Aeroflex laboratory will enable Lancaster University to play a leading role in the development of the next generation of wireless broadband networks and user equipment, such as smartphones, tablet PCs and future mobile devices. The 4th Generation (4G) cellular networks that are being developed will offer the user dramatically higher download speeds than those currently available from either residential wired or 3G wireless broadband services. Aeroflex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aeroflex Holding Corp, already has a longstanding relationship with Lancaster University. The company has provided financial support and work placements for postgraduate students taking MSc course in Wireless Communications, who have subsequently been employed by Aeroflex at its Stevenage facility. Members of Aeroflex staff regularly contribute to the lecture programme, and the company continues to offer placements to the students on an ongoing basis. Professor Garik Markarian, an internationally renowned expert on communications technology, is leading the research in the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21, along with his team members Dr Phil Benachour, Dr Hassan Ahmed and Dr Ioannis Chatzigeorgiou. "We are very grateful to Aeroflex for their generous donation. The new Wireless Broadband Laboratory provides Lancaster University with a state-of-the-art suite of test equipment to design, test and verify different protocols and algorithms for LTE-Advanced 4G wireless devices and systems, giving us total flexibility to develop the best system," said Professor Garik Markarian, who holds the Chair of Communications Systems at Lancaster University. "Our strong links with industry, including those with Aeroflex, have contributed to the University's worldwide reputation in this field, and the skills that they learn here mean that our graduates are very much in demand in their future careers." "Aeroflex has a firm commitment to supporting academic research. This is the latest step in our ongoing programme of assisting universities who are at the forefront of wireless technology to help nurture the talented engineers that the industry will need to be competitive in the future," added Dr. Hayk Manukyan, technical product manager and head of collaborations with Universities at Aeroflex. "We are delighted to be able to assist Lancaster University, both by donating the equipment to the new laboratory and by sponsoring postgraduate students there, and we look forward to reaping the mutual benefits of this partnership in the future." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1316183300.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1317303139.jpg 250 250 Dr Hayk Manukyan of Aeroflex UK opens the new laboratory Thursday Thu 15 September Sep 09 2011

1202 9 LU News Facial Expressions Develop Before Birth

Babies in the womb develop a range of facial movements in such a way that it is possible to identify facial expressions such as laughter and crying.

Babies in the womb develop a range of facial movements in such a way that it is possible to identify facial expressions such as laughter and crying. For the first time a group of researchers were able to show that recognisable facial expressions develop before birth and that, as the pregnancy progresses from 24 to 36 weeks gestation, fetal facial movements become more complex. The group of researchers include Dr Nadja Reissland, a psychologist and Professor James Mason Director of Research in Medicine and Health of Durham University, Professor Brian Francis, Professor of social statistics at Lancaster University and Dr Karen Lincoln, consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where the fetal scans are collected. The group examined video-taped fetal facial movements obtained by 4D ultrasound machines in the later stages of pregnancy. They recorded the same fetuses after they had been found to be healthy at their 20 week scan, several times between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation. They found that the movements of the fetal face become more complex over time. Fetuses at the first stage of observation (24 weeks) were able to move one muscle in their face at a time. They would for example stretch their lips or open their mouth. By 35 weeks gestational age, fetuses combined a number of facial muscle movements, combining for example lip stretch, lowering of the eyebrows and deepening the nasolabial furrow, thereby turning isolated movements into recognisable and increasingly complex expressions. Professor Brian Francis from the Department of Maths and Statistics at Lancaster University said: "This is a new and fascinating insight into the remarkable process of fetal development. This research has for the first time demonstrated that in healthy fetuses there is a developmental progression from simple to complex facial movements, preparing the fetus for life post birth." Although the fetus cannot make any sounds, the development of facial expressions means that at birth, the baby has already developed the facial movements to accompany crying and laughing. Dr Nadja Reissland from Durham University said: "We have found so much more than we expected. We knew that the baby blinks before birth and that some research has identified scowling before birth. However in this study for the first time we have developed a method of coding and analysis which allows us to objectively trace the increasing complexity of movements over time which results in recognisable facial expressions." In their article, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024081">Do Facial Expressions Develop before Birth?</a>, the researchers argue that these patterns of the motor movements are developed before the baby feels the emotion, just as the baby practises breathing movements in the uterus even before it has drawn a breath. The discovery could help potentially identify health problems in utero, since there is a link between fetal behavioural patterns and the development of the fetal brain. Looking at differences between normal and abnormal fetal facial developments may indicate problems with brain development. The researchers now plan to look at whether fetal facial movement might help differentiate between fetuses of mothers who smoke during pregnancy and non-smokers. They will also examine the development of facial expressions relating to anger, smiling and sadness. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1318586311.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1318586311.jpg 400 300 Researchers examined fetal facial movements in ultrasound videos taken in the later stages of pregnancy Thursday Thu 15 September Sep 09 2011

1205 9 LU News Universities and Science Minister to Launch Research Collaboration

The Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, has officially launched a new phase in an innovative partnership between the North of England's eight research intensive universities.

The Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, has officially launched a new phase in an innovative partnership between the North of England's eight research intensive universities. The <a href="http://www.n8research.org.uk">N8 Research Partnership</a> is a collaboration between the Universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York, which focuses on combining the capabilities of these eight research intensive universities. As part of the N8, centres have already been established which focus on areas of future growth in the economy, such as regenerative medicine and molecular engineering, each working to create collaborations and new innovations between industry and academia. The launch marks a new phase in the partnership, with £1 million being invested in a three-year programme of activities to support collaborative working. Over the next three years, the partnership will lead to increased commercialisation and job creation in the North through the N8's regenerative medicine and molecular engineering centres, increase world-class research through collaborations on capital assets and is developing plans to form N8+: a cluster of global R&D businesses and SMEs in the North, encouraging innovation in industrial and research activity. As part of a new social sciences programme, researchers from N8 will also work together with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Local Authorities in the North to help them to generate economic growth and respond to changes in populations in the key cities, based on the findings of an N8 research report into Northern demographics. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: "The N8 partnership is an excellent example of how universities are collaborating together to work more effectively with large R&D companies, local businesses and the public sector to stimulate growth. Through their research partnerships they are helping to bring new ideas and innovations to market, and creating new businesses and new jobs. By pooling some of their funding from Government, the N8 research intensive universities in the North of England - part of our world class research base - are maximising the impact and commercialisation potential of their research." The N8 Universities have been working together to support innovation and new job creation in the Northern economy since the programme started with investment from the Northern Way in 2008. As well as this, partnerships with LEPs and Local Authorities have been strengthened in order to support policy development and service delivery through cutting edge social sciences research. The centres that N8 created (<a href="http://www.regener8.ac.uk">regeNer8</a> and <a href="http://www.molecularengineering.co.uk/">METRC</a>) focus on bringing new technology and therapies to market in order to create jobs, businesses and to benefit society as a whole. This is achieved through collaboration between universities, SMEs, larger R&D companies and also the NHS. Together the centres have so far worked with over 200 businesses, many of which are SMEs, and created 60 jobs since they were formed in 2008. RegeNer8 and METRC plan to ambitiously build on this over the next three years with the creation of over 50 new jobs in the North of England by 2014, 120 collaborative projects between universities and industry, and leveraging a further £20 million investment in collaborative research and innovation. Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield and Chair of the N8 Research Partnership, said: "By pooling resources, the N8 universities have signalled their commitment to collaboration and working in new ways to support the translation of research. We have a strong track record in commercialising science and technology research, and this new demographics research project demonstrates the N8 strengths in social sciences and the ability to work in partnership with Local Authorities and Local Economic Partnerships to provide evidence to support new policies. The N8 is an important route for us to ensure the impact and commercialisation of our research and the universities involved are committed to working in new and different ways to support innovation and economic growth." Professor Trevor McMillan, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research at Lancaster University and Chair of the N8 Pro Vice-Chancellors Group, commented: "The N8 Universities are all ranked within the Top 200 Universities worldwide and consistently produce world-leading research. Our regenerative medicine and molecular engineering centres have demonstrated a novel way of combining capabilities to work with SMEs and large business. These centres provide access to a wealth of research expertise and we are keen to build on these successes by creating new collaborations with industry and with local and national public sector partners." The findings of the N8's new research report into the demographic changes in the North, and the opportunities for local growth plans arising from this, will also be presented at the event to an audience of people from business, local government, health bodies, LEPs, think-tanks and voluntary organisations. The main findings of this report are based around how the populations of key cities of the North of England will grow, age and become more ethnically diverse over the next 30 years, and includes recommendations to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and their partners on areas they should focus on in order to maximise the economic benefits of population dynamics, as well as key challenges that need to be addressed. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1316428093.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1316437524.jpg 237 300 N8 is a collaboration between the Universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York Thursday Thu 15 September Sep 09 2011

1203 9 LU News Three year cycling and walking study finds image is an obstacle

Our desire to fit in could be hampering Britain's chances of shifting to more sustainable forms of travel.

Our desire to fit in could be hampering Britain's chances of shifting to more sustainable forms of travel. A three year Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - funded study has found that as well as the usual concerns of squeezing walking or cycling into complex household routines, negotiating traffic and the British weather, a significant proportion of people are put off from ditching the car because it is not seen as 'normal'. Research by the Universities of Lancaster, Leeds and Oxford Brookes also concluded that if we want to tempt more people out of their cars we need to listen to the majority who don't already choose greener modes of transport rather than the minority who do. The study based on 1,417 questionnaires, 80 semi-structured interviews and 20 household ethnographies collected in Leeds, Leicester, Worcester and Lancaster from a cross section of society found that whilst attitudes to walking and cycling are mostly positive or neutral, many people who would like to engage in more active travel fail to do so due to a combination of factors. The three most common obstacles to walking and cycling over a short journey were: <ul> <li>Safety when walking or cycling</li> <li>The difficulty of fitting walking and cycling into complex household routines (especially with young children)</li> <li>The perception that walking and cycling are in some ways abnormal things to do</li> </ul> A number of people interviewed as part of the study said they felt walking or cycling as a form of transport was seen as 'unusual' or even 'weird' and cited image problems such as arriving hot and sweaty for meetings , squashed cycle helmet hair and even 'feeling like a second class citizen' as reasons they preferred to drive. Britain lags behind its European counterparts when it comes to hopping on the bike for short routine journeys. For instance in Sweden and Finland 9% of all trips are by bicycle, in Germany 10%, in Denmark 18% and in the Netherlands 26%. In UK cycling only accounts for 1.5% of all journeys. Efforts to encourage more of us to get on our bikes have had limited success. Despite investment of £150m in promoting cycling in British towns and cities since 2005 the overall levels of utility cycling have scarcely changed and remain well below levels in comparable continental European countries. Most of the investment in cycling has been focused on physical infrastructure and training schemes, but until now there has been little understanding of how people make decisions about everyday travel or why they respond poorly to initiatives that have been undertaken. Lancaster University's Professor Colin Pooley, who led the study, said: "Our study set out to discover not only the reasons why people were persuaded to walk or cycle but perhaps more importantly the reasons why people do not do these things. Many people interviewed as part of our study expressed a desire to walk or cycle but were not doing so, clearly something was stopping them from making that choice. "Most people prefer not to stand out as different, but tend to adopt norms of behaviour that fit in and reflect the majority experience. In Britain, travelling by car is the default position for most people - over 60% of all trips are by car- and car ownership and use is seen as normal. "The significance of such issues in influencing people's everyday travel decisions should not be underestimated. "Our message for policy makers is, do not base policies about walking and cycling only on the views and experiences of existing committed cyclists and pedestrians. These are a minority who have, against all the odds, successfully negotiated a hostile urban environment to incorporate walking and cycling into their everyday routines. It is necessary to talk - as we have done - to non-walkers and non-cyclists, potential cyclist and walkers, former cyclists and walkers, recreational cyclists and occasional walkers to determine what would encourage them to make more use of these transport modes "There is clearly a need to move towards a virtuous circle where the physical environment is made as welcoming as possible, and walking and cycling are made as easy as possible so that more people engage in sustainable travel, thus making walking and cycling seem normal. "It should not be assumed that it is sufficient to change attitudes and make people more environmentally aware. It is necessary also to make the changes that enable people to translate these values into actions." The Understanding Walking and Cycling (UWAC) project, funded by the EPSRC, has examined the factors influencing everyday travel decisions and proposes a series of policy measures to increase levels of walking and cycling for short trips in urban areas. The project is a collaboration between the Universities of Lancaster, Leeds and Oxford Brookes and was funded from October 2008 to September 2011 as part of an EPSRC initiative to research walking and cycling as means of sustainable urban transport LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Thursday Thu 08 September Sep 09 2011

1199 1 News Unique InfoLab21 Project ISIS transforms over 100 businesses

A North West company has boosted turnover by 42% and almost doubled the number of staff thanks to an InfoLab21 project which is the only one of its kind in the UK.

A North West company has boosted turnover by 42% and almost doubled the number of staff thanks to an InfoLab21 project which is the only one of its kind in the UK. The Paper Cup Company in Clitheroe is among 100 North West businesses whose fortunes have been transformed through the InfoLab21 Strategic Innovation Support Programme (ISIS). ISIS provides objective advice, guidance and appropriate ICT solutions to Northwest SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) that do not have the resources to invest in bespoke solutions or need to raise their confidence in the benefits of adopting/developing advanced ICT. All support is undertaken with a view to increasing engagement with the Northwest's Digital Industries supply chain and raising levels of research and development in the region. The aim is to help companies use technology to develop new products and services. Three of the companies assisted have been interviewed on a new film, which also demonstrates new technology developed through ISIS, such as the 3D model of a paper cup which customers can design online at www.designacup.com. Mark Woodward, the Paper Cup Company's Sales Director, said: "When we started the project, we employed 4 people and today we employ 7. Our turnover is up 42% year on year and we're the only company in the world to allow you to design a paper cup online." The project is delivered by teams of technology consultants at the InfoLab21 Graduate Academy and InfoLab21 Student Academy. Many of them have since gone on to work for multinationals such as Hewlett Packard and IBM. Dr Paul Okanda, Head of the Student Academy at InfoLab21, said: "The Student Academy has benefited businesses round the Northwest through the access that they have had to the extensive knowledge base that we offer them here. We give businesses around the North West the opportunity to tap into the broad range of experience that we've got here, to get some cost savings and to be able to introduce new products into the market." Other businesses to benefit from the programme include: The Good Taste cafe and cookery school in Keswick is owned by Peter Sidwell who has also presented a Channel 4 show called Lakes on a Plate. http://www.simplygoodtaste.co.uk/whats-cooking/ Experts from InfoLab21 helped him to create an iphone and ipad app for customers with 20 recipes and video content which is available to buy online and is updated quarterly. He said: "The ISIS programme has changed the way I do business. It's freed me up to create more employment so I can spend more time in the studio delivering my message and my content to a global market. It's also introduced a new type of business to an area that is historically tourism driven. We're trying to embrace ICT technology and bring it to the North West." Another company to benefit is Safety Management UK in Burton-in-Kendal which offers fire risk assessment and training nationwide. Creating a new web-based application allowed their fire risk assessors to complete assessments online. Ben Yates, Design and Marketing Manager, said: "We're really pleased with the outcome of the project. Our assessors are now able to complete reports in real time, thus saving admin time and passing on cost savings to the customer. The system has also improved best practice across the company by sharing feedback and expertise. We are very happy with the system and would recommend other SMEs work with InfoLab21." ISIS is a Solutions for Business product, part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Expertise on offer includes Prototype Development, Mobile & Wireless Technologies, Software Development, ICT Strategies, Audits & Infrastructure Development, Research Into New Technologies, Web Applications. Most business sectors are eligible but particularly include financial and professional services, digital and creative industries, food and drink, biochemicals, technology and engineering. The three projects described above have been captured on film and are available from the InfoLab21 website <a href="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/business/case_studies/">www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/business/case_studies/</a>. The films were produced by InfoLab21 Associate Company Quay Creative. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1315213439.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1315213439.jpg 250 250 Mark Woodward, Sales Director, the Paper Cup Company with InfoLab21 Graduate Academy Member Ricardo de Sousa Monday Mon 05 September Sep 09 2011

1194 9 LU News Lancaster to lead £4m consortium for the creative economy

Lancaster University in partnership with Newcastle University and the Royal College of Art has been awarded £4m to lead a regional consortium aimed at boosting the UK economy through the growth of the digital and creative industries.

Lancaster University in partnership with Newcastle University and the Royal College of Art has been awarded £4m to lead a regional consortium aimed at boosting the UK economy through the growth of the digital and creative industries. Lancaster is one of four universities in the UK chosen by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to lead a Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy for the next four years. Each will lead consortia that will include other universities, creative businesses, arts and culture organisations and other agencies. This Lancaster led hub called 'The Creative Exchange' will include collaboration with the BBC, Microsoft, MediaCityUK, FutureEverything, Tate Liverpool, Opera North, Storey Creative Industries Centre, The Sharp Project, Lancaster City Council, NESTA, National Media Museum, Manchester Digital, Arts Council England and over 30 small and medium sized companies working in the sector, such as Stardotstar and Mudlark. Leader of The Creative Exchange and the Chair of the Hub Council is Professor Rachel Cooper, Chair of the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts. She said: "This hub is a unique opportunity to bring three of the UKs top design research labs and academics from across the arts and humanities together with organisations and business to address the changing digital landscape. This will result in the development of new products and services centred around citizen led content, driving regional and national economies." The UK's Creative Economy - which includes everything from design and gaming to digital media, broadcasting, theatres and libraries - is, relative to GDP, probably the largest creative sector in the world. The Hub will respond to the ability of everyone to access the digital space and create their own content online by linking up businesses , organisations and researchers with members of the public in order to test out new ideas and develop new services and products. The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said: "Interaction between businesses and universities is crucial for driving growth. It enables businesses and organisations to benefit from our world-class research base, gaining new knowledge and ideas. This major investment will not only enrich the creative industries but is also a vote of confidence in the excellent arts and humanities research at our higher education institutions." The other lead institutions are: University of Dundee, Queen Mary, University of London and the University of the West of England. CEO of the AHRC Professor Rick Rylance, said: "The UK is outstanding at many things and leads the world in some. Of these the quality and innovation of our research and the dynamism of our creative economy are two that stand out. These AHRC Creative Economy Hubs offer the opportunity to unite these sectors to the benefit of both sides and the country as a whole. The successful consortia emerged from an exceptionally strong field. We congratulate them; look forward to working closely with them over the next four years; and to welcoming the results of their work." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1314797125.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1314797125.jpg 250 250 Tuesday Tue 16 August Aug 08 2011

1195 9 LU News Mummy's boys exist in bird families too

Mummy's boys may not be solely confined to human families. Instead, a new study suggests birds have the same prejudices.

Mummy's boys may not be solely confined to human families. Instead, a new study suggests birds have the same prejudices. Scientists have discovered that zebra finch mothers favour their sons over their daughters, so male chicks end up getting fed more than their sisters. But fathers don't appear to be as biased. The end result is that male chicks get more food than females. "If a female has paired up with a particularly sexy male, it's in her interests to make sure her sons are well cared for, because the odds are that they'll grow up to be just as successful as their dad. So her genes are more likely to be passed to the next generation," said Dr Ian Hartley from Lancaster University, co-author of the study. But the findings suggest that zebra finches know which chicks are male and which are female. This is surprising because, until now, researchers thought parents couldn't tell the difference between males and females until they got their adult plumage. "We don't know how they know, but it could be that because they can see ultraviolet light, they can see things in their chicks that we can't. Or maybe male and female chicks make different calls when they beg for food," said Dr Hartley. While it might seem surprising that zebra finch mothers should favour their sons, Dr Hartley and his colleagues say that what's more surprising is that the evidence for this has, until now, eluded researchers. The whole area of conflict over how much care each parent puts into raising its young is a hot topic in evolutionary biology right now, with the theory predicting that each parent will invest differently. "Females put a lot of energy into producing and incubating eggs; the males don't. But males put their energies into attracting or defending females. These different costs of reproduction - and the need to save some energy for future breeding attempts - have knock-on effects to how the mother and father invest in their offspring," said Dr Hartley. There's also tension between parents and their offspring. When parents arrive at a nest with food, chicks use loud and elaborate begging displays to try to manipulate their parents' decisions as to who gets fed. But parents are wise to this. It's hard work bringing food back for chicks, so parents have to apply rules for who gets fed to prevent particularly greedy individuals from monopolising their efforts. Bias towards gender "Instead of a nice image of happy families, it's more realistic to think of a nest as a battleground," said Dr Hartley. "There's conflict between parents, between parents and offspring, and on top of this, there's competition for food between siblings." Previous research has found that parents generally prefer to feed larger chicks, and those that beg hardest. And although researchers have demonstrated that male and female parents prefer to feed different types of chicks, teasing out any kind of bias towards gender isn't straightforward. Scientists have focussed on birds, 'because it's much easier to measure and analyse parental care in birds than it is in, say, mammals,' explains Hartley. To find out if the evidence backs up the theory, he and other colleagues from Lancaster designed an experiment that let them compare parents' feeding patterns with begging behaviour in broods with chicks of different sizes and ages. This meant they could discount any effects of size or age. In total, they analysed in detail video images of around 9000 'feeding events' at 28 zebra finch nests. Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that the more chicks beg, the more likely they are to be fed more by their parents. But as begging gets louder and more intense, they found that the sex of both chicks and parents determines who gets fed the most: female zebra finches provide more food for sons as their begging intensifies, but fathers feed both sons and daughters equal amounts of food. Dr Hartley said there are plenty of questions that are still unanswered, like: how do parents work out the sex of their offspring, and do these rules apply to other birds? "It would also be interesting to find out the long-term consequences of parentally biased favouritism in these birds," he said. The study is published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology and this article is published in NERC's <a href="http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1041">Planet Earth Online</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Tuesday Tue 16 August Aug 08 2011

1196 9 LU News Climate change forecasts flawed says new research

Climate change forecasts used to set policy and billions of pounds in investment are flawed, according to new research from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).

Climate change forecasts used to set policy and billions of pounds in investment are flawed, according to new research from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). Complex climate models have been used by scientists to reach a consensus (through the International Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC) of global warming of 0.2 °C per decade. But this fundamental finding for governments and the global population continues to be fiercely contested by sceptics of the role of human activity in climate change. The competing interest groups involved have led to a decline in confidence generally in the wake of claims of manipulated data from the University of East Anglia, and incorrect projections - such as Himalayan glaciers disappearing by 2035 . The new study by Robert Fildes and Nikolaos Kourentzes at the Lancaster Centre for Forecasting applies the latest thinking on forecasting to the work of climate change scientists, in a bid to make 10 and 20 year ahead climate predictions more accurate and trustworthy for policy-makers, and help address growing doubts over the realities of climate change. Such decadal forecasts have the most relevance to current thinking and policy plans and if they are to be credible and useful, they need to demonstrate their accuracy. But the forecasts produced by the current models do not achieve this. The authors set out a new basis for 'decadal' forecasting which is to be a major component of the next IPCC assessment report. Using a combination of models, with statistical benchmarking as checks, current forecasts prove almost certainly less accurate than they could be. Inaccurate climate forecasts costs the world considerable money. The implication is that the climate modelling community needs to open up its research agenda. As yet it has not demonstrated that it can produce better forecasts than simpler statistical methods. A consequence of this, explored by Fildes and Kourentzes, is that the overwhelming focus on limiting green house gases alone may well be mis-guided. The hydrologist Keith Beven's work on modelling carried out in the Lancaster Environment Centre leads to the same conclusion. In short, eclectic forecasting methods and a wide range of policy responses are what is needed if we are to overcome the problems of emerging warming. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk Wednesday Wed 03 August Aug 08 2011

1185 9 LU News Experts Complacent About Network Attacks

Industry experts and researchers may be underestimating the threat to Internet security posed by physical attacks to telecommunications infrastructure, according to new research.

Industry experts and researchers may be underestimating the threat to Internet security posed by physical attacks to telecommunications infrastructure, according to new research. Only nine percent of industry experts and researchers who responded to an international survey considered physical attacks to the infrastructure to be a likely threat to future Internet security. Top of their worry list was data misuse followed by more network-oriented issues such as malicious traffic attacks or data integrity on the network itself. The results, pulled together by an international partnership led by Lancaster University, showed that 33 per cent of industry leaders and researchers put breaches of trust within companies and misuse of personal information - for example through Facebook or e-banking - as their number one internet security concern. The threat of malicious network traffic attacks came second (27 per cent), while vulnerabilities in emerging Cloud environments due to reduced ownership of resources and data came third (18 per cent). <h3>Network Experts Divided</h3> Researchers also found a significant discrepancy between the priorities of research and industry. Whereas industry experts classify social engineering attacks as one of the most important future risk, researchers put malicious traffic attacks first. Where this discrepancy comes from is currently being investigated. One reason might be the increased usage and growing commercial importance of user-centric online services. The findings are part of an ongoing study exploring emerging and future threats to fixed and wireless telecommunication network operations, which has so far included 160 senior experts, mainly in the UK and India. Participants in the study included lawmakers and senior industry figures such Head of Security of one of Europe's largest network operators. Heads of relevant government departments also participated in the study. <h3>Strategic India-UK collaboration and technology exchange</h3> The work was carried out in line with recent strategic studies developed by the UK Government to ensure the leading role of the UK in the global digital economy. The new data will help improve the understanding of potential vulnerabilities of the critical infrastructure underpinning the Future Internet and Cloud Computing environments. It will also help government and industry to develop intelligent solutions to minimise the impact and frequency of any such threats. Dr. Andreas Mauthe of Lancaster University's School of Computing and Communications said: "The threat landscape on computer networks and Internet security has been changing rapidly in the past few years. It is becoming increasingly important that we are prepared for new types of digital threats in the near future. "Such threats will be far ranging, from social and human factors (such as social networking and interpersonal trust for data handling, storage and processing on the Cloud over the Internet) to new access devices, applications and end-systems such as iPads, smartphones, Facebook, laptops, in-car communications, iPlayer and online gaming. "Some threats may have been underestimated. Only 9 per cent of research and industry experts have indicated physical attacks to the infrastructure as a likely threat in the future. This contrasts with our increasing reliance on the digital economy, including online services provided by governments and businesses. Targeted attacks on the underlying communication infrastructure may have the potential to light the fuse for the next global crisis." The research team includes Lancaster University (led by Dr. Andreas Mauthe), University of Ulster (led by Professor Gerard Parr) and IIT Madras India (led by Professor Hema Murthy). The work falls under The India-UK Advanced Technology Centre (IU-ATC) in Next Generation Networks Systems and Services which is funded by the UK Government through the Research Councils UK Digital Economy Programme and by the Indian Government's Department of Science and Technology (DST). The collaboration specifically deals with the development and exchange of knowledge and technology between India and UK but also with a collaboration between academia and industry in an increasingly more important market. Currently, the IU-ATCV represents the largest India-UK collaboration of its kind between both countries. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311935042.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311935042.jpg 250 250 Friday Fri 29 July Jul 07 2011

1181 1 News STOR-i DTC welcomes summer interns

On Monday 18th July, STOR-i welcomed the second intake of interns with a Welcome Day including an introduction to life as a STOR-i intern and a variety of ice breaker and team building activities.

On Monday 18th July, STOR-i welcomed the second intake of interns with a Welcome Day including an introduction to life as a STOR-i intern and a variety of ice breaker and team building activities. As part of its mission STOR-i offers an opportunity for UK undergraduates to undertake 8-week research internships. The internships have been developed to give motivated students an opportunity to gain an experience of research alongside like-minded peers. The internships also allow students to develop their team working and problem solving skills through a variety of activities including collaborative group work and a problem solving day. This year interns have joined STOR-i from Universities across the UK including Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lancaster, St Andrews and Warwick, as well as Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Imperial College London. They will be completing research projects with the support and supervision of academic staff and research students from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Management Science Department. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311676845.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311676845.jpg 350 500 STOR-i's undergraduate interns will spend eight weeks at Lancaster working on research projects Monday Mon 25 July Jul 07 2011

1179 1 News LEC research shows effects of World War Two bombing raids on weather

Collaborative research into the effects of aviation on climate during World War Two bombing raids by researchers at the Lancaster Environment Centre has been featured widely in international media.

Collaborative research into the effects of aviation on climate during World War Two bombing raids by researchers at the Lancaster Environment Centre has been featured widely in international media. The paper entitled "World War Two Bombing Raids Offer New Insight into the Effects of Aviation on Climate" published in International Journal of Climatology, used wartime weather records to reveal the impact of contrails caused by USAAF raids and daily temperature records. Full citation: A. C. Ryan, A. R. MacKenzie, S. Watkins, R. Timmis, "World War II contrails: a case study of aviation-induced cloudiness", International Journal of Climatology, Wiley-Blackwell, July 2011 DOI: 10.1002/joc.2392 URL Upon publication: <a href="http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/joc.2392">http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/joc.2392</a> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128214.700-second-world-war-bombers-changed-the-weather.html">New Scientist</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/07/08/did-colossal-wwii-bombing-raids-alter-weather/ ">Fox News</a></li> </ul> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311760532.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311760532.jpg 200 500 US B-17 bombers with contrails during World War 2 Monday Mon 18 July Jul 07 2011

1182 9 LU News Aurora Explorers

Physicists from Lancaster University showcased their research before thousands of visitors at the flagship <a href="http://royalsociety.org/summer-science/2011/">Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition</a>.

Physicists from Lancaster University showcased their research before thousands of visitors at the flagship <a href="http://royalsociety.org/summer-science/2011/">Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition</a>. The Exhibition showcases the best in UK research before the public and VIP guests including senior policymakers. Last year there were 9,000 visitors from all over the world. Dr Jim Wild, Dr Andrew Kavanagh, Dr Emma Woodfield and PhD student Nathan Case, all from the Department of Physics, have joined colleagues from University College London, Imperial College, the University of Leicester and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory to staff their exhibit. Dr Wild said: "It's an excellent opportunity to display research in a high profile setting before everyone from schoolchildren to MPs. We'll be answering questions on the stand and showing people how fascinating science can be." The exhibit called <a href="http://royalsociety.org/summer-science/2011/aurora-explorer/">Aurora Explorer</a> is one of only 22 chosen from over a hundred applications. It is based on the scientists' research into the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, a dazzling display of coloured lights produced at high latitudes where a magnetic field called the magnetosphere meets the atmosphere. The Aurora Explorer exhibition will show beautiful movies of the Northern Lights seen from the ground, and will feature a spherical projection screen, representing the Earth, onto which scientists will show real images of the aurora taken from space. Visitors will also be able to see a practical demonstration of how electrons which are accelerated into very thin air can produce auroral light. Cluster is a major European Space Agency mission that carries several UK‐led instruments which have been exploring how the enigmatic Northern lights are created. The exhibition will also give people the opportunity to get up close to real sensors that are identical to those onboard the Cluster satellites, and chat to the scientists and engineers who made them and who operate them. The visit by the Lancaster physicists to the Exhibition has been funded with £3,000 from the University's <a href="http://www.alumni.lancs.ac.uk/page.aspx?pid=363">Friends Programme</a>. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311761577.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311762085.jpg 250 400 The northern lights Thursday Thu 07 July Jul 07 2011

1177 9 LU News £1.6m project to create social networking tool for travellers

Road and rail users will be able to share information about their journey and update each other about delays thanks to a £1.6m research project at InfoLab21.

Road and rail users will be able to share information about their journey and update each other about delays thanks to a £1.6m research project at InfoLab21. Our Travel is a new type of travel information system based on social networking and direct information from transport workers. The aim is to reduce congestion and improve the transport system as users find more efficient ways to travel. It will be available as an app for mobile devices like iPhones, providing up-to-the-minute information so people can decide how and when they will travel. Professor Nigel Davies from the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21 said: "The key is that this is information from other travellers or workers repairing the roads. There is no third party involvement so it's very direct and from a trusted source. "Our Travel enables people to create a community of people who share the same journey and who can update each other about, say, a tree on the route or roadworks. You can check your mobile and find out that someone else who has just done your trip into work is reporting flooding under the bridge, or the wrong leaves on the track." Disruption caused by accidents and emergencies could also become a thing of the past as information is provided to travellers immediately, allowing them to avoid incidents and cut down on delays. Our Travel can also be used to inform people of roadworks, winter gritting, and crews carrying out road markings. Once the work is scheduled on the Our Travel system, it informs relevant users of the potential impact on their journeys and enables users to give feedback to companies on how the work has affected them. Professor Davies said: "At the moment, local news updates or radio travel news will only give you a general overview and will not be specific about your route. Even motorway signs warning of delays can be out-of-date by the time you drive past." Our Travel is part funded by the Technology Strategy Board, and developed and trialled by Lancaster University in collaboration with the Morecambe company In Touch Ltd and Carillion plc. Research at the School of Computing and Communications is recognized for its exceptional quality and international reputation. The UK Research Assessment Exercise 2008 found that 100% of its research was of international standing, and 80% was rated as world leading or internationally excellent. An International Review of UK Computer Science cited the School as one of only a handful of centres undertaking "leading edge systems research". LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1310483262.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1310483262.jpg 250 250 OurTravel Thursday Thu 07 July Jul 07 2011

1183 9 LU News Lancaster expert welcomes new strategy on electric vehicle infrastructure

Last year The Royal Academy of Engineering carried out <a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/releases/shownews.htm?NewsID=566">a major study</a> into the implications of large-scale rollout of electric vehicles. This identified important infrastructure challenges that will have to be overcome before a widespread market for plug-in cars can develop.

Last year The Royal Academy of Engineering carried out <a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/releases/shownews.htm?NewsID=566">a major study</a> into the implications of large-scale rollout of electric vehicles. This identified important infrastructure challenges that will have to be overcome before a widespread market for plug-in cars can develop. Both the Academy and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) are pleased that the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has taken action to address these issues in the release of their plug-in vehicles infrastructure strategy. A Fellow of both the Academy and IET, Professor Roger Kemp of Lancaster University's Engineering Department, said: "The side of electric vehicle development most often in the public eye is the launch of new hi-tech vehicles at motor shows, but ensuring a hassle-free adoption of thousands and eventually millions of plug-in cars will require concerted effort on much less spectacular developments. These will include creating UK standard plug and sockets, smartcards and billing arrangements and reducing the bureaucracy needed to install charging points in car parks. The strategy document by OLEV addresses these mundane but essential issues. "The strategy to encourage charging at home during the night is entirely consistent with the campaign to reduce carbon emissions and, by providing additional night time load on the grid, will make it more attractive to invest in renewable energy technologies. "The commitment to ensure that the smart metering systems soon to be rolled out include the functionality to support smart charging of plug-in vehicles is good news as it will be an important enabler for the widespread adoption of electric cars." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311763537.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311763537.jpg 300 212 the Royal Academy of Engineering's report identified important infrastructure challenges facing the widespread adoption of plug-in cars Friday Fri 01 July Jul 07 2011

1184 9 LU News Science and Technology Taster Day 2011

More than 250 pupils from across Lancashire and Cumbria came to Lancaster University on July 1 to find out more about studying Science and Technology subjects at a top ten UK university.

More than 250 pupils from across Lancashire and Cumbria came to Lancaster University on July 1 to find out more about studying Science and Technology subjects at a top ten UK university. The pupils from schools and colleges across the region were given taster sessions in Lancaster University's highly-rated faculty of Science and Technology where they met researchers and teaching staff working in fields from mobile phone development to particle physics. They also met current Lancaster students and found out about the day-to-day reality of student life covering everything from student finance to where to do your washing. Highlights included: <ul> <li>A modern day 'who done it' in Biological Sciences introduced pupils to the basics of DNA analysis taken from a crime scene.</li> <li>An insight into the future of mobile phone applications in the School of Computing and Communications.</li> <li>A hands-on exploration of volcanic rock in Environmental Science.</li> <li>Lectures looking at the Maths behind Computer games and the statistical probability of getting rich quick.</li> <li>An introduction to the real-world applications of the science of Psychology. Students played the role of psychologist in a criminal case, experienced how the mind is tricked by illusions of vision, audition, and attention, and learned about social behaviour.</li> <li>An interactive Engineering session looking at how much energy you use from getting up in the morning, and drying your hair through to relaxing and watching TV. </li> <li>Lectures and demonstrations in Lancaster's Physics department - rated number one for research in the UK.</li> </ul> This was the seventh Science and Technology taster day at Lancaster, which are intended to encourage pupils to consider studying STEM and related subjects. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Dr Jane Taylor said: "Our annual taster day aims to give year-twelve students a real feel of what it's like to study science and technology subjects at university. As well as the departmental workshops, there's the opportunity to talk to our lecturers first-hand and to talk to students about university life. "Our departments have done really well in the recently published Times and Guardian 2012 league tables with many listed as being in the top 10 in the country for student experience. "We hope this event will support and inform the important decisions these students will be making about going to university in 2012." Schools taking part were: Oldham Sixth Form; Tarporley High School; Appleby Grammar; Holy Cross College; Blackpool Sixth Form; Runshaw College; Parrswood College; Ripley St Thomas; King George V College; Lytham St Annes; Morecambe High School; Cardinal Newman College. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1311765325.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1311765325.jpg 300 500 Over 250 pupils were given a taste of studying science and technology at Lancaster University Monday Mon 27 June Jun 06 2011

1164 9 LU News Flavour changing ghost particles could give clue to the origin of matter

An international experiment designed to probe one of the biggest mysteries in fundamental physics has yielded some intriguing results.

An international experiment designed to probe one of the biggest mysteries in fundamental physics has yielded some intriguing results. Researchers at the T2K project in Japan have seen the first piece of evidence that it is possible for neutrinos to change into any one of three different states or "flavours". The intriguing results indicate a new property of the enigmatic particle. If confirmed, they represent a significant leap forward in understanding. Lancaster University is one of the UK partners on the T2K neutrino experiment in Japan which is looking closely at neutrinos for answers to the question - where did all the matter in the universe come from? Neutrinos are among the fundamental building blocks of matter. Known as ghost particles because they are so difficult to observe and interact so weakly with other matter, they are nevertheless all around us and passing through our body all the time. There are three types of neutrinos (called flavours) - the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino and the tau neutrino. Previous experiments around the world have shown that some of these different flavours of neutrinos can spontaneously change into each other, a phenomenon called "neutrino oscillation". Physicists believe these flavour changes could possibly account for the mysterious dominance of matter over anti-matter in the universe. T2K, which is led by Japan and partly funded by the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is probing the enigmatic neutrino to unprecedented precision by firing the most intense neutrino beam ever designed from the east coast of Japan (Tokai), all the way under the country, to a detector SuperKamiokande, situated in the Kamioka mountains near Japan's west coast. Two types of oscillations have already been observed but in its first full period of operation, the T2K experiment has already seen evidence for a new type of oscillation - the appearance of electron neutrinos in a muon neutrino beam. The experiment ran from January 2010 until 11 March this year, when it was dramatically interrupted by the Japanese earthquake. Fortunately, the multinational T2K team were unharmed and their highly sensitive detectors were largely undamaged. Six clean electron neutrino events are observed in the data from before the earthquake, while in the absence of oscillations there should only have been 1.5. Even though such an excess could only happen by chance about one time in a hundred, that is not good enough to confirm a new physics discovery, so this is called an "indication". Dr Laura Kormos, of Lancaster University's Physics Department, who is part of the T2K team and oversaw the building of a six ton particle detector at Lancaster University said today's announcement was an important milestone but more work was needed. She said: "Neutrinos are the most capricious and elusive of fundamental particles to measure and understand, yet may have been instrumental soon after the Big Bang in providing a preference for the production of matter over anti-matter without which our universe would not exist. T2K's tantalising but not-quite-conclusive result comes despite the interruption caused by the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history and demonstrates not only the determination of the T2K collaboration, but also the strength of the design decisions that were made very early on which give T2K an edge at making this measurement. This measurement significantly increases the probability that, with more data, physicists will be able to determine the role of neutrinos in the early universe." Lancaster's work on T2K <div class="image_box" style="width:302px;"> <img src="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/article_1164_1.jpg" alt="Lancaster's T2K team in the workshop"/> The construction team gathered around the almost-complete detector module built at Lancaster, during a visit by the Vice Chancellor </div> Lancaster Physicists built a six ton particle detector which is now at T2K. It was the first of 13 electromagnetic calorimeter modules all of which were built in the UK and which now form part of the near detector in Tokai Japan. The module, which consists of layers of plastic scintillator bars interspersed with layers of lead alloy enclosed in a carbon-fibre skin, was built and partially calibrated at Lancaster by a large team of staff, technicians, PhD students and researchers managed by Dr Laura Kormos. Its main purpose is to identify and measure the energy of electrons and gamma rays produced by neutrino interactions in target material upstream of the module. The construction of this first module was used as a blueprint for the construction of the rest of the calorimeter modules, for which the Lancaster group provided training and support. The Lancaster group is now working to measure neutrino interactions in the near detector as well as to understand better the behaviour of the electromagnetic calorimeter in situ. In related work, a Lancaster researcher, Dr Nick Grant, has evaluated the number of events that would be expected in Super Kamiokande in the absence of this type of neutrino flavour-change, which contributes to this result. Another Lancaster researcher, Dr Alex Finch, has provided the T2K software which produces a graphical image of neutrino events in the near detector. The group was established in 2004 by Professor Peter Ratoff and its work is managed and coordinated by Dr Laura Kormos. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308319672.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308319672.jpg 299 500 A neutrino interaction in the Near Detector. The neutrino beam is entering from the left. Neutrinos leave no signal in the detector, so nothing is seen until the neutrino interacts, producing a spray of charged particles. Long bars of colour indicate scintillator bars that have registered the passage of a charged particle. The path of the particle is identified as the intersection of two such planes of bars. Friday Fri 17 June Jun 06 2011

1166 9 LU News Village life transformed with online network

Wray in Lancashire is the first village in the UK to benefit from wifi broadband in 2003 and was the first village to get high-speed broadband in 2010 - thanks to Lancaster University.

Wray in Lancashire is the first village in the UK to benefit from wifi broadband in 2003 and was the first village to get high-speed broadband in 2010 - thanks to Lancaster University. The Wray Broadband project has benefited a village of 500 people including around 100 businesses, ranging from a nuclear energy consultant to an occupational health company, interior designer, a writer for a New York magazine, and several artists. Jennie Buckland is a homeworker, writing reports online for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She said: "This connection makes all the difference because I wouldn't be able to work away from home with small children and the speed of the connection makes it easy." Her husband, a deputy headteacher, can also connect to the school website in the evening and do work online. Among other villagers to benefit is a geologist in the oil extraction business holding desktop conferences; the village postmistress who can have Sundays off because by ordering online she no longer has to go to the cash-and-carry; and university students who would not stay in the village during vacations because they could not study online. In an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UsLv3NsGr0">NWDA film</a>, sculptors Maggie and Boris Haworth describe how they are able to send designs to clients in the US, schoolchildren do their homework online and connect with family abroad and the village has begun an online project to support an orphanage in Thailand. The wifi connection has also prevented retired villagers from feeing isolated, as former farmer Barry Lindsay <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YB3BVwzjFE">describes</a>. The project manager is Chris Conder whose family has farmed in Wray for four generations: "I got involved with the Wray project as a means of getting a broadband connection for myself, my husbands' farm business and my kids. The digital divide grows ever wider, with the rural population now severely disadvantaged by lack of access to modern methods of communication." The project has enabled her to runs her own IT business from home but she says it has also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leb1l04-rgg">enabled her family to stay in touch</a>. It was the first project to be developed by the <a href="http://www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk/livinglab/">RuralConnect Living Lab</a>, an initiative co-ordinated by Dr Nicholas Race, Dr Keith Mitchell and Dr Johnathan Ishmael from the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21. Other village projects using the wifi mesh include the Hermes project, a <a href="http://wraydisplay.lancs.ac.uk/photos.php?cat=24&sort=desc">digital noticeboard</a> in the post office for community photos and a project called Locoblog which enables people to use mobile phones to publish photos to google maps. Locoblog shows you exactly where you were stood in the village when you took the shot. <a href="http://www.locoblog.com/view.php?uid=62&jid=231 ">This was used to take photos of Wray's annual scarecrow festival</a>. The high-speed network is now being used by researchers to investigate how it is used as residents experience both live and on-demand television delivered using peer-to-peer. As a result of this project, other organisations, including the BBC, have become involved with the people of Wray as they look at the social implications and potentially life-changing impact that broadband has on individuals and small businesses. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308323621.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308323621.jpg 150 200 The village of Wray in Lancashire Friday Fri 17 June Jun 06 2011

1161 9 LU News Computing projects named as UK Research Councils' 'big ideas for the future'

The School of Computing and Communication's groundbreaking work on keeping children safe online and protecting the internet from attack, have been chosen as two of the most important research projects taking place in universities today.

The School of Computing and Communication's groundbreaking work on keeping children safe online and protecting the internet from attack, have been chosen as two of the most important research projects taking place in universities today. <a href="http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/bigideas/">The Big Ideas for the Future</a> report, jointly published by <a href="http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/Pages/Home.aspx">Research Councils UK</a> (RCUK) and <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx">Universities UK</a>, pulls together the leading research projects currently taking place across UK universities. Research from all fields, including science, social sciences, engineering, the arts and the humanities, were eligible to be included and Lancaster University's projects were selected for inclusion from hundreds of submissions. The report is narrated and backed by high-profile figures such as Professor Lord Robert Winston, Dr Alice Roberts and Professor Iain Stewart. The two projects are: <ul> <li>Work led by Professor Awais Rashid at Lancaster University to develop new language analysis technologies to identify active paedophiles across online communities. Researchers working on project <a href="http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/isis/">Isis</a> have been developing a tool which can work out a person's age and gender using language analysis techniques. They hope it will eventually be used to help police and law enforcement agencies spot when an adult in a chartroom is masquerading as a child as part of the victim "grooming" process.</li> <li>Research led by Professor David Hutchison to develop <a href="http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/resilience/project/resilinets">ResiliNets</a>, a new set of algorithms, mechanisms, and protocols that will help the Internet defend itself. It will allow the Internet to detect when defences have been penetrated, correct any faults and continue to deliver services to users, and recover back to normal operation.</li> </ul> Professor Rick Rylance, Chair Elect of RCUK said: "Research has an impact on all our lives. Whether it is a breakthrough in experimental science, or an invention that makes new things possible, or a project that leads us to understand better the strengths and weaknesses of our society, research is the key to the UK's growth, prosperity and wellbeing. "Big Ideas for the Future showcases just some of the excellent research being carried out in UK universities that achieves these aims. It is vital we continue to support the talented individuals whose work makes a real difference." The publication of the report forms part of the second annual <a href="http://www.universitiesweek.org.uk">Universities Week</a>, which takes place from 13-19 June 2011, and aims to increase public awareness of the wide and varied role of the UK's universities. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308241041.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308240696.jpg 253 175 Big Ideas for the Future explores the excellent research taking place in UK higher education and what it will mean for us in 20 years time Thursday Thu 16 June Jun 06 2011

1172 1 News Cross-campus Team Wins University Prize

A team of researchers which includes Nigel Watson (LEC) Claire Waterton and Judith Tsouvalis (Sociology and CSEC), and Lisa Norton (CEH), Stephen Maberly (CEH) and Ian Winfield (CEH) has been awarded a Lancaster University Staff Prize in the 'Above and Beyond' category for their project <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/loweswater/">Understanding and Acting in Loweswater</a>.

A team of researchers which includes Nigel Watson (LEC) Claire Waterton and Judith Tsouvalis (Sociology and CSEC), and Lisa Norton (CEH), Stephen Maberly (CEH) and Ian Winfield (CEH) has been awarded a Lancaster University Staff Prize in the 'Above and Beyond' category for their project <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/loweswater/">Understanding and Acting in Loweswater</a>. The project was funded by the <a href="http://www.relu.ac.uk/">Rural Economy and Land Use</a> (RELU) research programme, and involved working with members of a rural community to investigate water quality problems and other environmental changes related to land use in the Loweswater catchment in North West Cumbria. The prize of £1000 has been donated to the Loweswater Care Project</a> (LCP) , the community-based knowledge collective created by the project which is now being run by a local farmer and a resident of Lowsewater. Other Prizes in Science and Technology Engineering's Steve Quayle received a prize for increasing student recruitment in his role as Admissions Tutor and Part One Director of Studies. Lancaster Environment Centre's Saskia Vermeylen received a prize for her work as an international legal scholar, investigating land rights of people in Africa and leading projects directed towards improving their livelihood. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308929743.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308929743.jpg 450 300 The project centred around Loweswater in Cumbria Thursday Thu 16 June Jun 06 2011

1162 9 LU News CBE for Professor Bill Davies

A pioneering Lancaster University environmental biologist has been awarded a CBE for services to Science.

A pioneering Lancaster University environmental biologist has been awarded a CBE for services to Science. Professor Bill Davies, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Lancaster University, and founding Director of the Lancaster Environment Centre was included in the Queen's birthday honours list on Saturday June 11. Recognised as a world leader in his field, Professor Davies has spent his career contributing to one of the biggest challenges facing humankind - feeding seven billion people against a background of climate change. In 2009, work led by Professor Davies won Lancaster University a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The prize was for the development of water saving techniques for agriculture which have helped farmers in some of the driest regions of the world. Professor Davies has helped develop new understanding of how plants react to stress which has now been exploited by the agriculture industry. Water saving approaches to irrigation and to the management of crop production have resulted in significant water saving and better crop production in regions of the world which suffer water scarcity. This means increased food production and profitability for farmers and better conditions for people living in challenging environments which are becoming even more challenging as the climate changes. Science led by Professor Davies' group has been used to increase the sustainability of food production in the UK and in many other parts of the world. The effectiveness of the Lancaster 'science into business' approach has also been recognised in the award of the coveted Times Higher Research Project of the Year 2009. Professor Davies said: "I am honoured and thrilled by the award. I hope that this will help raise the profile of Lancaster's cross-disciplinary work to address the issues underpinning global food insecurity." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308060433.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308060414.jpg 400 258 Professor Bill Davies CBE Monday Mon 13 June Jun 06 2011

1165 9 LU News £1.45M grassland study to increase soil carbon and reduce greenhouse gases

Lancaster University is leading a £1.45 million project funded by BBSRC, NERC and DEFRA to find ways to help grassland farmers increase carbon storage in soil and cut greenhouse gases, while producing enough food to feed a growing world population.

Lancaster University is leading a £1.45 million project funded by BBSRC, NERC and DEFRA to find ways to help grassland farmers increase carbon storage in soil and cut greenhouse gases, while producing enough food to feed a growing world population. Farming and land use is responsible for about 7.4 per cent of total UK greenhouse gases. And with the UK's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there is mounting pressure to find ways of increasing food production without driving up emissions, whilst also protecting biodiversity. Researchers believe that a combination of increasing grassland plant diversity and sowing certain plants, such as legumes, could play an important part in this difficult challenge by 'locking' carbon dioxide and retaining nutrients, such as nitrogen, in the soil. The research will take forward a study completed earlier this year in the Yorkshire Dales which showed that increasing plant diversity can yield significant benefits for soil carbon and nitrogen storage when combined with increased abundance of certain legume species, such as red clover. Covering large areas of the globe, grasslands are a key system for climate change mitigation. UK grasslands cover 36 per cent of the land surface and already hold 32 per cent of the UK soil carbon stock. If managed correctly they could potentially store even more. The five-year study will provide the first information on the potential for plant diversity to be used to manipulate soil nutrient cycling, increasing carbon and nitrogen storage, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The study will be based on a field experiment in the Cumbria that will test different plants and plant combinations for their impact on grassland ecosystem services including emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, nutrient cycling, and carbon storage in soil. Professor Richard Bardgett of the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is leading the study that brings together researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Lancaster and Aberdeen University. He said: "We are presented with a conflict between the need to increase food production for a growing population, while reducing agricultural emissions and adapting to climate change, and also protecting biodiversity. "However, we believe that, if managed appropriately, grasslands have the potential to help drive down our carbon emissions by locking up carbon in the soil, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. "This research will explore ways that certain combinations of plant species, combined with increased diversity, might help in this process by changing the amount of carbon entering and staying in soil, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions." LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308322144.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308322144.jpg 400 300 species rich grasslands offer potential store carbon and mitigate climate change (Image: <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/2562">Andrew Smith</a>) Tuesday Tue 07 June Jun 06 2011

1168 9 LU News Space scientist in First Women Awards 2011

Professor Farideh Honary from the Department of Physics is on the shortlist of the 2011 <a href="http://fwa.realbusiness.co.uk/">First Women Awards</a>, which highlight women who are breaking new ground across a range of industries.

Professor Farideh Honary from the Department of Physics is on the shortlist of the 2011 <a href="http://fwa.realbusiness.co.uk/">First Women Awards</a>, which highlight women who are breaking new ground across a range of industries. Currently Professor of Space Plasma Environment and Radio Science and Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society, she is cited in the award category of Science and Technology for her "exceptional career". Born in Iran, she came to the UK with a young family to study for her Phd in 1978, just before the Iranian revolution. She took up a lectureship in the Engineering department at Lancaster University in 1994, the first female academic appointed to that department, and established the Space Plasma Environment And Radio Science (SPEARS) research group. Her international leadership in this field has resulted in several research awards from the UK Research Councils, the EU, the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, and the Polar Research Institute of China. She leads the Global Riometer Array (GLORIA) consortium which involves space scientists from 13 countries. Being passionate about space physics, Professor Honary would like to see greater opportunities for members of the public to become interested in science, and she and her research group are engaged in many outreach activities. One such initiative is the hugely-popular <a href="http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/">AuroraWatch</a>, a direct spinoff of her research which now has over 40,000 subscribers. This is a free public outreach service which alerts subscribers by e-mail or SMS when the likelihood of aurorae appearing over the UK is high. She is also very keen to encourage women's involvement in science and is the chair and coordinator of the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science at Lancaster University. Over the past six years First Women awards have been presented to Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins DBE, fashion designer Nicole Farhi CBE, and Baroness Hogg, the then only female chairman of a FTSE 100 business. The awards ceremony will take place on June 30 in London. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308325778.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308325778.jpg 175 180 Profesor Farideh Honary Monday Mon 06 June Jun 06 2011

1160 1 News Major Expansion Underway for Engineering at Lancaster

Lancaster University has announced a significant investment to build on its strengths in Engineering with the creation of twelve 'new blood' full-time appointments.

Lancaster University has announced a significant investment to build on its strengths in Engineering with the creation of twelve 'new blood' full-time appointments. In addition to strengthening current areas of international standing in mechanical, electrical and electronic, manufacturing, mechatronic, materials and control engineering, strategic growth is planned in chemical engineering, with four of the new appointments to concentrate on this area. Lancaster's Engineering Department, <a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/news/?article_id=1145">recently ranked fifth in the UK for Mechanical Engineering</a> in the Guardian University Guide, leads the Faculty's strategic focus <a href="http://www.engineering.lancs.ac.uk/energy/">Energy Lancaster</a>, and also hosts a number of strategic research activities in clean combustion, marine renewable energy, microelectronics and nanotechnology, nuclear engineering and particle accelerator engineering. Head of Engineering, Professor Malcolm Joyce, said: "These are truly exciting times for Engineering and especially at Lancaster University. This investment provides a fantastic opportunity for Engineering at Lancaster, and will almost double the department's scale." More details of these new vacancies are available online: <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/jobs_jobdetails.asp?ac=85806">Eight Lecturers</a>, <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/jobs_jobdetails.asp?ac=85804">Two Senior Lecturers</a>, <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/jobs_jobdetails.asp?ac=85805">Two Professors</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1307111800.jpg 350 225 Friday Fri 03 June Jun 06 2011

1376 1 News A new approach for industrial collaboration a-new-approach-for-industrial-collaboration

LEC is currently working with resident company Stopford Energy & Environment Ltd to enhance agricultural sustainability.

LEC is currently working with resident company Stopford Energy & Environment Ltd to enhance agricultural sustainability. More specifically, the project aims to enhance the soil conditioning properties of an industrial waste product - biomass ash - through inoculation with naturally occurring soil bacteria. The project's outcomes will be determined by measuring the yield of plants exposed to the enhanced-ash product. The BBSRC industry interchange programme supports the flow of researchers, in either direction, between the science base and industry. The scheme aims to support short-term exchanges that provide strategic advantage to the UK science base and industry arising from mutual access to facilities, expertise/knowledge and an increased understanding of scientific issues of common concern. BBSRC interchange awards are typically up to £50,000 and may be full time / part time or take the form of 'block' exhcanges. LEC has won an interchange award which sees Dr Sean Hayward from Stopford seconded into the department for 12 months. Sean has a research background in Environmental and Atomspheric Sciences from Lancaster University plus recent experience in the renewable energy sector. He will be working with Dr Ian Dodd from LEC who has considerable experience in rhizosphere engineering. Sean said; "LEC and Stopford aim to bring together their own existing research and IP to develop a commercially exploitable product. We're hoping that two ideas that already work in isolation will come together to form something of significantly greater value than the sum of its parts". The interchange begins in June 2011 and lasts for 12 months. For information about other opportunities please contact Chris Holroyd via c.p.holroyd@lancaster.ac.uk or 01524 510 205. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335949853.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335949853.jpg 400 236 Dr Sean Hayward Thursday Thu 02 June Jun 06 2011

1375 1 News A trans-national partnership with north west Europe a-trans-national-partnership-with-north-west-europe

Lancaster University is set to play a leading role in a new European network of centres collaborating on knowledge transfer.

Lancaster University is set to play a leading role in a new European network of centres collaborating on knowledge transfer. The 8.5 million European part-funded project brings together a partnership of universities, innovation support agencies and regional governments, including University College Dublin, University of Applied Sciences in Chur, Swizerland, the Paris Innovation Centre, Delft University of Technology, MFG Baden Würtemberg, Business Support Kent and the Eco-Design Centre in Wales. Over the next three years, the partnership aims to grow membership of the network to over 500 organisations. The partners will collaborate on the provision of innovation and technology support to SMEs across North West Europe to underpin the competitiveness of the region in global markets for low carbon and environmental goods and services. The network will focus on a range of technology areas including nanobiology, agriculture, ICT, environmental technologies, and medical devices. Lancaster Environment Centre and Lancaster University Management School will lead the workpackage overseeing the development of 300 transnational collaborative projects between universities, innovation support agencies and SMEs. Pilot projects will provide a significant number of UK and European students with an opportunity to work on business-focused projects in other countries as part of their studies. There will also be a range of capacity building programmes for SMEs to more readily access technology and knowledge and support transnationally. There will be opportunities for staff and students to undertake training in enterprise and the commercialisation of intellectual property. Lancaster University will also provide a lead for the communication activities of the project, which has been selected by the Interreg IVB programme as a strategic initiative. The EU funded Interreg IVB programme for North West Europe aims to bring together this region of Europe to address common challenges and opportunities through the development of large transnational partnerships between public organisations. Dr Mark Bacon from Science and Technology at Lancaster, co-authored the proposal with colleagues from the Paris Innovation Centre. He explains "This new project provides Lancaster with an exciting opportunity to develop a new, stronger European dimension to our established programmes of knowledge exchange. It offers a significant opportunity to develop new partnerships to exploit future opportunities around the framework programme and its increasingly important focus on innovation, the green economy and effective collaboration between the European knowledge base and SME sector". http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1335949650.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1335949650.jpg 259 400 Project group meeting Thursday Thu 02 June Jun 06 2011

1156 1 News N8 debate tackles ecosystem valuation with an online audience

The second N8 Debate on <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=698">Valuing the Environment: Looking beyond the Economics</a> took place on the 26th May 2011 at the Lancaster Environment Centre and was a resounding success.

The second N8 Debate on <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=698">Valuing the Environment: Looking beyond the Economics</a> took place on the 26th May 2011 at the Lancaster Environment Centre and was a resounding success. Chaired by Professor Louise Heathwaite, the event featured interactive questioning and input from a range of remote participants engaging online. Panel members included Ian Bateman (UEA), Allan Provins (eftec), Topsy Rudd (Cascade Consulting) and Graham Harris (Lancaster University). Supported by over 75 delegates the debate began with an overview of the concept of ecosystem services, its role within decision making and current methods used for valuation. <div class="link"><a href="http://lancasteruni.adobeconnect.com/p6l69hymtjc/">Watch the debate</a>.</div> Discussion topics supported the need to improve or develop new means of valuing ecosystem services that recognise both the complexity and the connectivity across different ecosystem services. Given that knowledge of our environment is imperfect, a particular challenge discussed during the debate focussed on developing methods that are not based on monetary values (recognising that value is not the same as price!) and can incorporate complexity and uncertainty. The panel highlighted the need to distinguish clearly between benefits and values, because different groups place assorted values on benefits. Values assigned are subjective and vary widely across time and space; therefore, the social sciences have a key role to play at the interface with natural sciences to develop appropriate means of 'looking beyond the economics'. One particular point raised during the debate was the need for policy to focus on a longer-term view of 'value' to capture the full range of services and benefits that landscape stocks and flows can provide, rather than short-term localised impacts. Longer term planning will provide more thought towards broader public benefits across habitats and throughout catchments, such as flood alleviation and improved water quality. A collective output from the event will take the form of a policy guidance document that will chart a pathway for future UK policy and action. Feedback from attendees at the debate and the online audience on the format and use of the technology was extremely positive and has encouraged us to embed interactive web-based technology across our meetings and events portfolio more widely. Our next N8 Debate <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/?event_id=718">Food Security and Sustainable Water Supplies</a> is scheduled for Thursday September 22nd. <div class="link"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/n8foodsecurity-stockbridge">Register to join us at Stockbridge Technology Centre</a></div> <div class="link"><a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/n8foodsecurity-online">Register to watch and take part online.</a></div> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1306938280.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1306938280.jpg 300 400 L-R: Graham Harris, Topsy Rudd, Ian Bateman, Louise Heathwaite, Alan Provins Wednesday Wed 01 June Jun 06 2011

1167 9 LU News Groups prevent street violence

When it comes to thinking about violence and anti-social behaviour, groups of drinkers out at night tend to get a bad press. A combination of excess alcohol and the negative influence of the group is believed to lead to anti-social behaviour.

When it comes to thinking about violence and anti-social behaviour, groups of drinkers out at night tend to get a bad press. A combination of excess alcohol and the negative influence of the group is believed to lead to anti-social behaviour. However, a new study by researchers at Lancaster University suggests that, in potentially violent situations, group members spend most of their time trying to stop perpetrators from acting violently. Violence is most likely to be prevented if a number of group members intervene and each supports the other's intervention. Psychologists Mark Levine, Paul Taylor and Rachel Best carried out an analysis of CCTV footage of drinkers in a city centre. In each of the 42 incidents they analysed, the perpetrator, the victim and the bystanders were identified. They then recorded the behaviours of each person in turn, and whether they were trying to escalate or de-escalate the violence. Their results showed that: <ul> <li>Contrary to popular belief, group members are trying to bring aggressive behaviour under control rather than encourage violence.</li> <li>Contrary to conventional psychological wisdom, larger groups did not result in more aggressive (or anti-social) behaviour. In fact, as group size increased, the group members attempted significantly more de-escalating (or prosocial) behaviours than anti-social behaviours.</li> </ul> If only one person tries to intervene (even though other people are present) then incidents tend to end in violence. When multiple group members intervene in a mutually supportive way, then violence tends to be prevented. Taken together, the evidence shows that groups are trying to bring aggressive behaviour under control; that increasing group size leads to a greater expression of this norm against the use of violence, and that successful violence prevention requires the co-ordinated action of the group rather than the action of a single powerful individual. Dr Mark Levine explained: "For most people, violence is hard, not easy. Groups try to prevent violence from happening or stop it getting out of control. Despite the likelihood of having consumed alcohol, and despite the threat of being victims of violence themselves - the people in our study were still trying to behave in a socially responsible way. Moreover, they were more likely to do so as the size of the group increased." He added: "When it comes to practical strategies for tackling public violence, we should think about groups as part of the solution and not part of the problem. We should harness the power of the group to produce pro-social behaviour. There is plenty of evidence that group members already try to take responsibility for the behaviour of people in the group. We need to support groups to discourage those in their midst who are thinking about behaving in a violent or anti-social way." This research was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) awarded to Mark Levine. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1308324391.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1308324654.jpg 161 200 Psychologists analysed CCTV footage of city centre drinkers to discover how groups behaved Friday Fri 27 May May 05 2011

1145 1 News League table success for Science and Technology

Science and Technology subjects at Lancaster University have scored highly in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide">Guardian University Guide</a> 2012. The Guide ranks UK universities according to teaching excellence, and is designed to help students choose their courses for 2012.

Science and Technology subjects at Lancaster University have scored highly in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide">Guardian University Guide</a> 2012. The Guide ranks UK universities according to teaching excellence, and is designed to help students choose their courses for 2012. The Guardian University Guide's rankings are compiled using students' feedback on various aspects of their time at university. Factors taken into account include the ratio of staff to students, career prospects for graduates, course entry requirements and the results of the annual <a href="http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/">National Student Survey</a>. Outstanding subjects at Lancaster included <a href="http://www.physics.lancs.ac.uk/undergraduate">Physics</a> and <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/undergraduate">Geography & Environmental Science</a>, both ranked fourth overall. Physics scored 100% for course satisfaction and 96% for teaching. Geography and Environmental Science also scored above 90% for both categories. <a href="http://www.engineering.lancs.ac.uk/undergraduate/">Mechanical Engineering</a> was ranked fifth, scoring 94 out of a possible 100. Mathematics was ranked sixth with 92% of students satisfied with the course. <a href="http://scc.lancs.ac.uk/undergraduate/">Computer Science and IT</a> were ranked 11th and had 70% of students in a career within six months of graduating. For <a href="http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk/ug/">Psychology</a>, 62% of graduates were in a graduate career within six months of graduating, which reflects the ninth best performance out of 104 UK Psychology departments. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Teaching Dr Jane Taylor said "We have worked hard to improve the quality of our teaching and we really care about our students and their career prospects once they graduate. I am extremely proud to see that this has been reflected in the results of this survey". http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1306515977.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1306516395.jpg 300 300 Geography and Environmental Science at Lancaster has risen to fourth in the UK Friday Fri 27 May May 05 2011

1137 1 News Success for Online Soil Carbon Debate

The first N8 Debate on <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=709">Encouraging Multifunctionality by Soil Carbon Sequestration</a> held in London last week at British Water and The Work Foundation proved to be a great success.

The first N8 Debate on <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/news_and_events/events/events_archive.php?event_id=709">Encouraging Multifunctionality by Soil Carbon Sequestration</a> held in London last week at British Water and The Work Foundation proved to be a great success. The event chaired by Professor Joe Holden was streamed live and featured interactive questioning and input from a range of remote participants via our Adobe Connect link. Panel members represented a range of stakeholder views across the issue and included Miles Foulger (Yorkshire Water), Phil Haygarth (LEC), Patrick Thompson (RSPB) and Peter Melchett (Soil Association). <a href="http://lancasteruni.adobeconnect.com/p66799329/">Watch the recording of the event via AdobeConnect</a>. Supported by over 60 delegates - the majority participating online - the debate began with an overview of the scale and complexity of landscape multifunctionality in relation to soil carbon sequestration. Discussion topics ranged from identifying areas where we need to focus efforts to get maximum benefits, ideas about how we should be pricing and valuing carbon in landscape management, how we should fund and incentivise soil carbon-enhancing activities and how (if that's possible) we should aim to measure their success. There was a consensus across the panel that policy had to be looking towards long-term planning and evidence gathering and that the concept of landscape multifunctionality and ecosystem services needed a higher profile and a wider audience to encourage a broad basis of input for future decision making. A collective output from the event will take the form of a policy guidance document that will chart a pathway for future UK policy and action. Feedback on the format and use of the technology was positive and has encouraged us to explore uptake and use of interactive web-based meetings and events more widely. Our next N8 Debate Valuing the Environment: Looking beyond the Economics is scheduled for Thursday May 26th at 4.30pm. Register to join us at Lancaster or to watch and take part online at <a href="http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/n8environment">www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/n8environment</a> http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1305536933.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1305882384.jpg 300 375 L-R: Peter Melchett, Miles Foulger, Phil Haygarth, Patrick Thompson, Joe Holden Monday Mon 16 May May 05 2011

1136 1 News Early career prize for Lancaster physicist

Cherry Canovan, who is studying mathematical physics at Lancaster University and the Cockcroft Institute, was named the <a href="http://www.iop.org/about/awards/additional/early_career/page_38706.html">Very Early Career Woman Physicist of the Year</a> at a ceremony in London in May 2011.

Cherry Canovan, who is studying mathematical physics at Lancaster University and the Cockcroft Institute, was named the <a href="http://www.iop.org/about/awards/additional/early_career/page_38706.html">Very Early Career Woman Physicist of the Year</a> at a ceremony in London in May 2011. The prestigious award, organised by the Institute of Physics and sponsored by Shell, celebrates the work of female physicists who have completed their first physics degree in the last five years. Successful candidates must show that they have made a substantial academic contribution as well as supporting and encouraging others in the field. Cherry was awarded the £1,000 prize for her published work on problems in classical electrodynamics, as well as her interest in helping other women get involved in physics. She founded the department's Women in Physics group two years ago, since when it has held many meetings and encouraged women from all career stages and research groups to get to know one another. The 39-year-old took an unusual route into science, having had a successful career in journalism before embarking on an undergraduate physics degree just after the birth of her first child. She said: "I started to study physics with some trepidation, but I need not have been worried: the advice and support given to me by the department was of the first order. This experience has encouraged me to try to offer others the help and support that was so generously given to me. "I am delighted and honoured to have been awarded this prize, which I hope will encourage other women - and who knows, maybe even some other young mums! - to believe that they too can have a successful career in physics." Cherry's PhD supervisor, Professor Robin Tucker, said: "I am very pleased to learn of this award for Cherry. I hope it will encourage other women to realise that studying mathematical physics can be rewarding in many different ways!" Ann Marks, founder of the Very Early Career Woman Award, said, "Cherry's is an outstanding success story. It's wonderful to meet a young physicist with such a bright future ahead of her who has overcome the combined challenges of career change and new motherhood. Amazingly, she has also found time to encourage others. I congratulate her on her ability and drive." http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1305286491.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1305286424.jpg 350 400 Cherry Canovan with Professor Amanda Cooper-Sarkar of Oxford University who presented her with the prize Friday Fri 13 May May 05 2011

1134 1 News Understanding peat's ability to trap methane bubbles

A paper by Nick Kettridge (McMaster University) and <a href=" http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/people/Andy_Binley">Andy Binley (LEC)</a> has been identified as one of eight papers in the current <a href="http://www.sciencenewsline.com/nature/2011042813000002.html">AGU Journal Highlights</a>.

A paper by Nick Kettridge (McMaster University) and <a href=" http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/people/Andy_Binley">Andy Binley (LEC)</a> has been identified as one of eight papers in the current <a href="http://www.sciencenewsline.com/nature/2011042813000002.html">AGU Journal Highlights</a>. Peat soils make up one third of the global soil carbon pool, and provide one of the largest natural sources of atmospheric methane. Bubbles of methane, an important greenhouse gas, are produced by the decomposition of peat underwater. The bubbles increase in size until their buoyancy exceeds the forces keeping them in place, at which point the methane bubbles move upward through the soil and are released at the surface in what is known as an ebullition event. Ebullition events may account for a large proportion of methane lost from peatlands. To learn more about the factors contributing to the ability of peat to trap gas bubbles, Kettridge and Binley used X-ray computed tomography to produce detailed high resolution 3D images of a wide range of peat samples composed of different plant species at varying levels of decomposition. They used simulations to predict the pathways that different bubbles could take through the imaged samples and identify the potential of the peat to trap bubbles. The research shows that the ability of peat to trap gas depends on both the constituents of the peat and how these constituents are spatially arranged. Peat samples with longer structural components trapped gas more readily than those with shorter components, demonstrating the need to incorporate some representation of peat structure into models of gas bubble transport. <a href=" http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2011/2010JG001478.shtml">"Characterization of peat structure using X-ray computed tomography and its control on the ebullition of biogenic gas bubbles"</a> VOL. 116, G01024, 11 PP., 2011 doi:10.1029/2010JG001478 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1304938489.jpg 253 338 Monday Mon 09 May May 05 2011

1132 9 LU News Lancaster Professor on UK delegation to the World Summit on Micro and Nano Technology

Professor Andrew Richardson from the Department of Engineering has been selected as one of five UK delegates for the annual <a href="http://www.mms2011.org/">World Micromachine Summit</a> held on the 26th and 27th April 2011. The other delegates were from Imperial College London, Southampton University and Birmingham University.

Professor Andrew Richardson from the Department of Engineering has been selected as one of five UK delegates for the annual <a href="http://www.mms2011.org/">World Micromachine Summit</a> held on the 26th and 27th April 2011. The other delegates were from Imperial College London, Southampton University and Birmingham University. This year's event was hosted by His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi, ruler of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and focused on applications in renewable energy. 22 countries sent delegations this year with Germany, Italy, China, Switzerland and South America in particular reporting major investments and growth. Of specific interest was a proposal to extract electrochemical energy from the mixing of sea and fresh water (so-called "blue energy") through the use of electro-chemical films based on nanotechnology. Professor Buismann from Wageningen University reported on the potential to extract 2.4KJoules of energy from 1litre of fresh water when mixed with sea water. It was suggested that in Europe alone up to 90GW could be generated from 767 rivers. Professor Buismann demonstrated that electrochemical electrodes based on nanomaterials including activated carbon and polyvinylidene fluoride could have great potential in increasing the efficiency of the conversion process. Other areas of specific interest were micro energy harvesting for low power applications, photovoltaics, fuel cells and micro combustion. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1304696594.jpg 290 250 Professor Richardson with His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi Thursday Thu 05 May May 05 2011

1128 9 LU News US Multinational Licenses InfoLab21 Software

Patented software developed by Lancaster University for use in industry has been licensed by the US multinational Ford.

Patented software developed by Lancaster University for use in industry has been licensed by the US multinational Ford. The software - called EST or Evolving Systems Toolbox - is capable of self-learning and so requires minimal human intervention. It is being used to monitor the "health" of vehicles and machines that produce vehicles and to monitor reactions such as how drivers press pedals. The technique is based on the latest academic research and has applications in everything from transport and logistics to defence and the internet. It was developed by Dr Plamen Angelov, Reader in Computational Intelligence at the School of Computing and Communications at InfoLab21 - who is an expert on evolving intelligence systems - and his team of students and researchers. Other applications based on the research include self-learning virtual or "smart" sensors in industry which are able to self-calibrate and so reduce maintenance costs. An oil refinery in Tenerife owned by the Spanish industrial group CEPSA, is using these self-learning "smart" sensors to estimate the yield and quality of different oil products in real-time. Dr Jose Juan Macias Hernandez, the Process Engineering Department Manager of CEPSA, said the application of this technology in just one area - such as atmospheric distillation - could mean savings of tens of thousands of Euros a year. "It is of vital importance for the CEPSA refinery to know in advance the yield and quality of products that will be obtained from certain input streams. The application and development of this technology opens a whole new exciting horizon in the petrochemical industry." Dr Angelov has also worked with one of the world's largest chemical companies, the Dow Chemical Company in Texas, to develop self-learning "smart" sensors which are used to reduce shutdown and improve product quality. Dr Arthur Kordon, Data Mining and Modelling leader at the Advanced Analytics Group of the Dow Chemical Company said that the total impact of "smart" sensors had saved his company an estimated $30m a year. Further applications which are at the testing stage include: helping medical doctors in dosing Warfarin drugs to patients with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and classification of spectroscopy data for biomarker identification (jointly with Dr Frank Martin of the Lancaster Environment Centre and funded by Unilever). The Lancaster University spinout company Entelsensys Ltd is developing sensor systems based on applications of this technology in other industrial sectors. In recognition of the growing importance of this research area, the IEEE - the world leading organisation in this area - has established a Technical Committee on Evolving Intelligent Systems and organises annual conferences chaired by Dr Angelov, who is also editor-in-chief of the journal "Evolving Systems" published by Springer. LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1304601540.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1304601540.jpg 250 250 Dr Plamen Angelov on a visit to the Henry Ford Museum in the US Thursday Thu 05 May May 05 2011

1126 1 News International Workshop on Chemical Risk Assessment and Environmental Management Successfully Convene

LEC joined forces with the Chinese organizations responsible for developing new chemicals regulations and environmental management standards to convene The First International Workshop on Chemical Risk Assessment and Environmental Management in Beijing in April 2011.

LEC joined forces with the Chinese organizations responsible for developing new chemicals regulations and environmental management standards to convene The First International Workshop on Chemical Risk Assessment and Environmental Management in Beijing in April 2011. The workshop was sponsored by the State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Ecological Effect and Risk Assessment of Chemicals of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (LEERAC-CRAES) and Lancaster University's Lancaster Environment Centre of U.K., and undertaken by the Special Committee of Environmental and Ecological Toxicology of Chinese Society of Toxicology （CST），CST's Special Committee of Regulatory Toxicology and Chemical Registration Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). Zang Wenchao, Director of Chemical Administration of MEP's Pollution Control Department, Shu Jianmin, Vice President of CRAES, Fu Lijie, Vice Director of CST and Gao Yingxin, Director of MEP's Chemical Registration Center attended to celebrate the workshop and made welcome speeches. The workshop was co-presided by Director Liu Zhengtao from LEERAC-CRAES and Research Director Professor Kevin Jones from LEC. Experts from LEC, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), the UK Health Protection Agency, Stockholm University, and LEC's China Bridge industrial partners attended, presenting reviews and updates on European chemical risk assessment and chemical management. Chinese officials and experts including, Director Zang Wenchao from Chemical Administration of MEP's Pollution Control Department, Vice Director Shen Yingwa from MEP's Chemical Registration Center, Associate Research Fellows Wang Hong and Yan Zhenguang from LEERAC-CRAES introduced the current situation on China's research on environmental management of new chemicals, risk assessment of chemicals and water quality criteria etc. More than 200 experts and representatives from environmental protection, public health, agriculture, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, education and scientific research institutions around the country and foreign and domestic chemical-related enterprises attended the meeting. Lancaster will be working closely with its partners to follow up with training, capacity building and advisory support on chemicals management with its Chinese partners. Our Chinese readers can find further details of the meeting on the <a href="http://www.craes.cn/c/cn/news/2011-04/15/news_2303.html">CRAES web site</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1304425057.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1304425057.jpg 200 400 Tuesday Tue 03 May May 05 2011

1131 9 LU News Physicists to develop 'roadmap' for Graphene

Lancaster University is to play a role in a major European Commission funded <a href="http://www.graphene-flagship.eu">Flagship Programme called GRAPHENE-CA</a> to develop plans for a 10-year, 1Bn investment for technological innovation and economic exploitation based on graphene and related two-dimensional materials.

Lancaster University is to play a role in a major European Commission funded <a href="http://www.graphene-flagship.eu">Flagship Programme called GRAPHENE-CA</a> to develop plans for a 10-year, 1Bn investment for technological innovation and economic exploitation based on graphene and related two-dimensional materials. Lancaster's role, led by Professor Vladimir Falko, is to develop the science and technology roadmap for the future investment. These will be the structured plans for what new research on graphene and other two-dimensional materials is needed and the routes for the implementation of graphene in industrially viable technologies. The Lancaster team will determine what new facilities should be built in Europe for that. The action plan for the Flagship will be submitted, in 2012, to the European Commission, aiming for GRAPHENE to be launched as one of the two active Flagships, in 2013. Professor Falko said: "Our hopes are high for the proposed Flagship Programme to raise the exploration of atomically thin materials in Europe to a qualitatively new level and to deliver their immediate implementation in various products, for the benefit of a wide range of consumers." Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, may be the most amazing and versatile substance available to mankind. Stronger than diamond, yet lightweight and flexible, graphene enables electrons to flow much faster than silicon. The groundbreaking experiments on graphene in 2004 by European scientists Geim and Novoselov were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. Graphene is also a transparent conductor, combining electrical and optical functionalities in an exceptional way. Graphene can trigger a smart and sustainable carbon revolution in information and communication technology (ICT), and in everyday life. Its unique properties will spawn innovation for high speed, transparent and flexible consumer electronics; novel information processing devices; biosensors; supercapacitors as alternatives to batteries; lightweight composites for mechanical components in cars and planes. GRAPHENE Flagship aims to bring together a large interdisciplinary European research community to form a sustainable incubator of new branches of ICT applications, ensuring that European industries will have a major role in this radical technology shift over the next 10 years. An effective transfer of knowledge and technology to the private sector will enable product development and production. The Coordination Action GRAPHENE-CA, which starts on 1 May, 2011, aims to pave the way for the full, 10 year, 100M per year, Flagship GRAPHENE, both in terms of the organizational framework and a scientific and technological roadmap for research and innovation. It includes nine partners deeply involved in graphene research and networking activities: the Universities of Manchester, Lancaster and Cambridge in the UK, the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology, AMO GmbH in Germany, the European Science Foundation, the Italian National Research Council, the Nokia Corporation, and coordinating Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. The CA advisory council includes Nobel Laureates Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov, Albert Fert, and Klaus von Klitzing. Graphene model image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/core-materials/5057399792/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/core-materials/5057399792/</a> LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1304936374.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1304936083.jpg 400 250 'The Lancaster team, lead by Professor Vladimir Falko, is funded by the European Commission to develop plans for a 10-year, 1Bn Euro investment in future ICT technologies Tuesday Tue 03 May May 05 2011

1122 1 News LEC Researcher develops pain-free uterine disease detection

A potential non-invasive method to detect endometriosis by acquiring a spectral signature of the uterus has been developed by Francis Martin and colleagues from Lancaster University.

A potential non-invasive method to detect endometriosis by acquiring a spectral signature of the uterus has been developed by Francis Martin and colleagues from Lancaster University. They used infrared spectroscopy together with computational analysis to analyse the difference between uterine tissue affected by endometriosis and normal tissue in the uterus. To read the full article in Chemistry World please follow the link below. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1302705830.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1302705830.jpg 200 300 An image showing endometriosis of the ovary Wednesday Wed 13 April Apr 04 2011

1121 9 LU News Village Cricket Match To Broadcast Live Over The Internet

InfoLab21 researchers have helped a village community achieve what could be a world first for cricket fans.

InfoLab21 researchers have helped a village community achieve what could be a world first for cricket fans. The thwack of leather on willow from a village cricket match will be broadcast live over the Internet on Easter Monday thanks to superfast broadband provided by Lancaster University as part of a long term research project looking at providing broadband and wireless networks to remote places. University researchers and engineers have provided a 100Mbps fibre connection into the Village Institute at Wray, Lancashire, and supplied special boxes to homes across the village to create a 'mesh 'network providing Internet access to hundreds of homes. The community has campaigned hard for internet access to support their village and the University was happy to help as computing researchers are using the network for research purposes. Video footage from the village cricket match can be uploaded thanks to the fact the new network can upload and download content equally quickly and the idea has caught the imagination of media, bloggers and tweeters including Stephen Fry. InfoLab21's Dr Nicholas Race, who leads the Wray research at Lancaster University, said: "We first began working in Wray in 2003. At that time the community had no access to broadband, and so the idea was that in building a wireless mesh network around Wray we could offer the community Internet access but at the same time use that infrastructure for research at Lancaster. "Since then the activities in Wray have really gathered momentum, and the University is working with the community on a whole range of research projects.We've also recently deployed a next generation broadband network in the village, which provides the community with access to one of the fastest Internet connections in the region. The symmetrical nature of this connection - enabling people to download and upload at equal speeds - is really important in allowing users to become producers of content." The work in Wray has been partially funded by the European Union project P2P-Next which is building a platform to support the future delivery of television over the Internet. Lancaster's role within P2P-Next is in evaluating this technology with real users as part of a large-scale technical trial, known as a Living Lab. The infrastructure in Wray forms part of this Living Lab, enabling villagers to watch and broadcast TV quality content - such as the cricket match - from their armchair or even the village green. (You can follow the #twicket thread on twitter) LU Press Office http://news.lancs.ac.uk http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1302688389.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1302688389.jpg 250 250 Dr Nick Race in Wray Wednesday Wed 13 April Apr 04 2011

1125 1 News Dr Guennadi Borissov Receives IOP Division Prize

Dr Guennadi Borissov received his Institute of Physics Division Prize at the Nuclear and Particle Physics conference in Glasgow on 7th April 2011.

Dr Guennadi Borissov received his Institute of Physics Division Prize at the Nuclear and Particle Physics conference in Glasgow on 7th April 2011. The IOP's <a href="http://www.iop.org/activity/groups/division/npp/prize/page_40886.html">Nuclear and Particle Physics Division Prize</a> is awarded annually for important recent advances in research, on a specific topic relevant to physics supported by the division. Guennadi gave a well received 45 minute lecture about his groundbreaking research into the properties of B mesons produced at Fermilab's Tevatron collider. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1303144176.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1303144176.jpg 400 400 Thursday Thu 07 April Apr 04 2011

1106 1 News Journalist Leads Workshop on Stats in the Media

Michael Blastland, notable for devising and running <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/more_or_less/">More or Less</a> on Radio 4 with Andrew Dilnot, and co-author of <a href="http://www.profilebooks.com/title.php?titleissue_id=453">The Tiger That Isn't</a>, visited the STOR-i Doctoral Training Centre last week to lead a communication skills workshop for PhD students.

Michael Blastland, notable for devising and running <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/more_or_less/">More or Less</a> on Radio 4 with Andrew Dilnot, and co-author of <a href="http://www.profilebooks.com/title.php?titleissue_id=453">The Tiger That Isn't</a>, visited the STOR-i Doctoral Training Centre last week to lead a communication skills workshop for PhD students. Michael provided an informative, humorous, and sometimes shocking insight into the use and abuse of numbers in the media plus some useful tricks of the trade for communicating quantitative evidence to people from non-quantitative backgrounds. The day was a resounding success and we look forward to welcoming Michael to future training events at STOR-i. If you are interested in attending future workshops run by Michael Blastland please register your interest by emailing <a href="mailto:stor-i@lancs.ac.uk">stor-i@lancs.ac.uk</a>. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/thumbnail_1301410070.jpg 75 75 http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/images/image_1301409848.jpg 250 500 Michael demonstrates approaches to explain random clustering of health cases Tuesday Tue 29 March Mar 03 2011

1103 1 News Pupils get hands-on in National Science and Engineering Week

160 students from seven local schools visited Lancaster University last week to get hands-on with Science and Engineering.

160 students from seven local schools visited Lancaster University last week to get hands-on with Science and Engineering. Science and Technology departments organised a range of informative workshops and challenges across the week to help stimulate pupils' interest in science and technology as part of the national event. A team of girls from Carnforth High school triumphed in the Engineering and Physics Bottle Rocket Challe