The tourist experience of heritage urban spaces : Valletta as a case study

This article provides an understanding of how tourists experience heritage urban spaces by investigating features that influence tourist experiences most. It is framed within urban design literature which refers to three elements of urban space namely physical setting (or form), activity, and meaning. These elements are used to explore how urban spaces are experienced by tourists. Its findings are derived from an in-depth qualitative analysis of interviews with tourists to Valletta, Malta. The research suggests that the intrinsic qualities of the space are relevant to the tourist experience but what is even more relevant are the interactions of the tourist with different elements within that space, namely interactions with surroundings, interactions with others, and interactions with self/meaning. Within this broad conceptual model, the research identifies important sub-themes. Some of these reinforce the findings of existing work on tourist experiences, but others are often under-estimated or neglected.peer-reviewe

Excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and neuroprotection in cerebellar granule neurones

Neuronal death due to excitotoxicity and oxidative stress is a critical part of several major disease processes, including ischaemic brain damage and Alzheimer’s disease. This study used cultures of cerebellar granule neurones as a model for investigation of these processes, considering both their pharmacological and molecular aspects. Another important part of the study was the development and investigation of a mode of neuroprotection which was effective in protecting against these factors. Additionally, the optimal culturing conditions for neurone survival were determined and the efficacy of two cell viability assays established. Examination of excitotoxicity and oxidative stress considered the effects of glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, 3-nitropropionic acid and oxygen-glucose deprivation. Additionally, extensive study was carried out of the actions of increased glucose concentration and a range of metabolites of the essential amino acid tryptophan. It was demonstrated that several tryptophan metabolites induced neurotoxic effects, including 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid, which caused neuronal death via oxidative damage mediated by generation of reactive oxygen species and prevented by catalase but not superoxide dismutase. 5-Hydroxyanthranilic acid treatment also led to activation of the p38 signalling pathway, although the cell death caused was independent of caspase-3 activation. Investigation of neuroprotection was concerned with establishing an effective method of protection, with a range of stimuli used to precondition neurones, such as N-methyl-D-aspartate, 3-nitropropionic acid, hydrogen peroxide, bicuculline and 4-aminopyridine. Preconditioning with 100µM N-methyl-D-aspartate at 8 DIV was effective in protecting against the neurotoxic effects of glutamate or 3-nitropropionic acid applied 24 hours after the commencement of preconditioning, but was not effective against oxygen-glucose deprivation of 4 hours duration. Preconditioning with 2.5mM 4-aminopyridine was effective in providing protection against a range of insults (glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, 3-nitropropionic acid). This protection was independent of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation, reduced by blockade of depolarisation and was effective in protecting against caspase-3-independent cell death

Codeword Stabilized Quantum Codes

We present a unifying approach to quantum error correcting code design that encompasses additive (stabilizer) codes, as well as all known examples of nonadditive codes with good parameters. We use this framework to generate new codes with superior parameters to any previously known. In particular, we find ((10,18,3)) and ((10,20,3)) codes. We also show how to construct encoding circuits for all codes within our framework.Comment: 5 pages, 1 eps figure, ((11,48,3)) code removed, encoding circuits added, typos corrected in codewords and elsewher

The process of change in a public-private partnership: Work and culture. A case study of Durham national savings and investments.

Investments, a Civil Service department. Initially a Conservative policy, the PPP was reformulated by 'New' Labour whereby a 'partnership' between the public and private sectors is the favoured method of modernising public services. The study seeks to investigate the compatibility of a 'partnership' between two sectors which are fundamentally different, whereby a private sector 'partner' is attempting to make a profit out of a non-profit public sector financial institution. The process of organisational culture change is explored, as prior to the PPP a plethora of government directives were introduced at National Savings involving commercialisation and peripheral privatisation. The thesis attempts to understand the impact such initiatives have had on the lives of workers on the shop floor. Organised resistance from the trade unions and their members to these governmental directives are further examined. The research strategy involves semi-structured interviews with trade union officials and oral history interviews with workers - although management refused to participate in the research - together with various documentary sources. The thesis argues that the culmination of these changes has created a more pressurised and uncertain working environment, and those on shop intensification. The PPP marked the most profound changes with the end of the long-accepted 'job for life', as the creation of a multi-tier workforce, together with the insourcing, outsourcing and offshoring of work have left workers in precarious positions of employment. Yet there has been both formal and informal resistance to many of these directives, as organisational culture change is a complex and continually negotiated process, rather than smooth and unproblematic

Online Learning and Experimentation via Interactive Learning Resources

Recent trends in online learning like Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OERs) are changing the landscape in the education sector by allowing learners to self-regulate their learning and providing them with an abundant amount of free learning materials. This paper presents FORGE, a new European initiative for online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources. FORGE provides learners and educators with access to world- class facilities and high quality learning materials, thus enabling them to carry out experiments on e.g. new Internet protocols. In turn, this supports constructivist and self-regulated learning approaches, through the use of interactive learning resources, such as eBooks

Modelling the Fluid Mechanics of Cilia and Flagella in Reproduction and Development

Cilia and flagella are actively bending slender organelles, performing functions such as motility, feeding and embryonic symmetry breaking. We review the mechanics of viscous-dominated microscale flow, including time-reversal symmetry, drag anisotropy of slender bodies, and wall effects. We focus on the fundamental force singularity, higher order multipoles, and the method of images, providing physical insight and forming a basis for computational approaches. Two biological problems are then considered in more detail: (1) left-right symmetry breaking flow in the node, a microscopic structure in developing vertebrate embryos, and (2) motility of microswimmers through non-Newtonian fluids. Our model of the embryonic node reveals how particle transport associated with morphogenesis is modulated by the gradual emergence of cilium posterior tilt. Our model of swimming makes use of force distributions within a body-conforming finite element framework, allowing the solution of nonlinear inertialess Carreau flow. We find that a three-sphere model swimmer and a model sperm are similarly affected by shear-thinning; in both cases swimming due to a prescribed beat is enhanced by shear-thinning, with optimal Deborah number around 0.8. The sperm exhibits an almost perfect linear relationship between velocity and the logarithm of the ratio of zero to infinite shear viscosity, with shear-thickening hindering cell progress.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figure