Hardware architectures for the Tate pairing over GF(2)

In this paper two different approaches to the design of a reconfigurable Tate pairing hardware accelerator are presented. The first uses macro components based on a large, fixed number of underlying Galois Field arithmetic units in parallel to minimise the computation time. The second is an area efficient approach based on a small, variable number of underlying components. Both architectures are prototyped on an FPGA. Timing results for each architecture with various different design parameters are presented.     

Re-purposing existing generic games and simulations for e-learning

There is a growing interest among teachers in using games as a part of their lesson plans. A standardised, interoperable approach to the sharing of such game-based lesson plans would allow teachers and educational technologists to compare and contrast Digital Game Based Learning scenarios, allowing best practices and lessons learned to emerge. Although games can be used as ‘add-ons’ in educational contexts, greater benefits can be attained by integrating games more fully into the educational process, i.e. by repurposing existing games to target the specific learning objectives. In this article we analyse this problem. We developed two possible solutions based on the integration and the interaction of games and learning scenarios. The first solution is based on ‘pedagogical wrappers’, where games are linked to e-learning flows but without interaction and communication. The second solution sees a tighter integration which supports ongoing interaction and communication between game and e-learning flow. We applied both solutions to a generic game. This game was firstly programmed in Action Script and later re-used for learning purposes and represented in IMS Learning Design. We analysed the pros and cons of each solution and identify research topics for further research.     

Finance, Policy and Industrial Dynamics—The Rise of Co-productions in the Film Industry

This paper explores the growing phenomenon of international co-productions in the film industry. We argue that the rise of co-productions is part of a wider narrative of financial and institutional innovation shaping industrial organization in the film industry. This narrative centres on film finance as a central risk distribution mechanism, and discusses how changes in film support policy, increased tax competition, the search for finance and an abundance of inflowing capital are increasingly driving industrial dynamics in the film industry.     

A Compact Model for Valence-Band Electron Tunneling Current in Partially Depleted SOI MOSFETs

The valence-band electron (EVB) tunneling current in partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs increases as the gate oxide gets thinner and affects the dynamic behavior of devices and circuits. We present an engineering model of EVB tunneling current based on the surface-potential formulation. The new model is implemented in a SOI MOSFET compact model and is used to study the impact of EVB tunneling on circuit performance. Simulations of stacked logic gates show that the EVB tunneling current not only boosts circuit switching speed but also mitigates the history dependence of propagation delays     

Automated verification of code automatically generated from Simulink®

The CLawZ toolset independently and automatically proves the correctness of code automatically generated by a commercial auto-code generator for the Simulink^® modelling language. The use of formal methods is invisible to the user and it has been shown to lead to faster development of correct code. The CLawZ toolset has been continually developed and used for over a decade to prove the correctness of embedded real time safety critical software for Eurofighter Typhoon. The only requirement on the commercial auto-coder is that it provides traceability information between the signal wires in a Simulink^® model and the program variables that implement them.     

Mlcrolasers based on silica microspheres

Light can be confined efficiently in the high-Q, small-volume whispering-gallery-modes observed in silica microspheres. By coupling these microspheres to eroded optical fibers and fiber tips, direct mapping of the whispering-gallery modes has been achieved and the mode numbers have been assessed. The properties of these modes have allowed us to obtain laser action with very low thresholds in Nd-doped silica microspheres. Further projects in the field of non-linear optics and cavity quantum electrodynamics are described.     

A review of the sponge iron process for the storage and transmission of remotely generated marine energy

The UK's vast marine energy resource is mostly located in remote areas west and north of Scotland, and transmission of this energy to the mainland will be required. This may be achieved by using this ‘stranded’ power to generate hydrogen electrolytically, which may in turn be stored or transported using sponge iron technology. This paper reviews the technology and research needed to bring such a process on stream. We propose utilising techniques that have been developed for the oxygen carriers used in chemical looping, and also those used in early processes for hydrogen generation in the chemical industry. We briefly outline the design requirements for an energy efficient sponge iron plant. It is shown that the iron sponge system presents better energy efficiencies than alternative forms of bulk storage such as liquid hydrogen, magnesium hydride slurry, some at least of the metal hydrides, or methylcyclohexane–toluene–hydrogen, provided that requirements can be met for particle durability and reactivity.     

Project to develop school education services in Delhi, India

There are many ways in which quantitative decision models can be applied in project management. The introduction of a project evaluation review technique network model to the development of a school education service in the city of Delhi, India, is described. The reasons for choosing this method, its advantages and limitations are discussed. Examples of the information obtained from the model are presented and explained.     

Developing habitat associations for fishes in Lake Winnipeg by linking large scale bathymetric and substrate data with fish telemetry detections

Understanding relationships between freshwater fishes and habitat is critical for effective fisheries and habitat management. Habitat suitability indices (HSI) are commonly used to describe fish–habitat associations in rivers and other freshwater ecosystems. When applied to large lakes however, standard sampling procedures are inadequate because of larger sampling areas and an increased risk of fish collection bias through one-time observations. Here, we use lake bathymetry, substrate, and multiple fish telemetry detections collected from a systematically deployed receiver grid to develop HSI for four fish species (lake sturgeon, freshwater drum, common carp, and walleye) in Lake Winnipeg. Seasonal variations in habitat use based on water depth and substrate were observed in three of four species. Lake sturgeon remained in shallow locations with predominantly gravel substrate near the mouth of the Winnipeg River regardless of season. Freshwater drum persisted over fine substrate in both summer and winter but had a broader depth range in the summer compared to winter. Common carp shifted from mid-range depths and silt substrate in the summer to shallow depths and gravel substrate in the winter. Walleye showed an unchanging association to fine substrate but expanded from primarily mid-range depths in the summer to include shallower depths in the winter. These findings show how multiple telemetry detections per fish can be combined with hydroacoustic data to provide informative habitat associations for fishes in a large lacustrine ecosystem.