Evolution in cluster cores since z~1

A large fraction of the stellar mass in galaxy clusters is thought to be contained in the diffuse low surface brightness intracluster light (ICL). Being bound to the gravitational potential of the cluster rather than any individual galaxy, the ICL contains much information about the evolution of its host cluster and the interactions between the galaxies within. However due its low surface brightness it is notoriously difficult to study. We present the first detection and measurement of the flux contained in the ICL at z~1. We find that the fraction of the total cluster light contained in the ICL may have increased by factors of 2-4 since z~1, in contrast to recent findings for the lack of mass and scale size evolution found for brightest cluster galaxies. Our results suggest that late time buildup in cluster cores may occur more through stripping than merging and we discuss the implications of our results for hierarchical simulations.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symposium 295 - The intriguing life of massive galaxie

Undergraduate students' reflections on engaging in a student-staff collaborative study

This article provides insights into undergraduate students’ reflections on their learning from taking part in a student-staff collaborative study in their first year at a UK university. The study comprised a series of small-scale research and evaluation activities. In the individual narratives and jointly developed model presented in the article, the student authors identify a range of learning from their participation in this study and from co-authoring this article.Final Published versio

Synthesis of optically-labelled vanadyl complexes and their evaluation as protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors and intracellular probes

Cysteine based phosphatases (CBPs) are a diverse family of enzymes that act to remove the phosphate group from proteins, phosphatidylinositols and other biomolecules, thereby counteracting the effects of kinases. Due to the wide range of roles they play in the cell, the CBPs are implicated in many diseases such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders, and therefore it is of interest to develop compounds to study these enzymes. Within our group, vanadium compounds have been shown to inhibit the CBPs with a potency and selectivity that can be tuned by varying the ligand and the oxidation state of the vanadium centre. One subset of interest is the vanadium complexes of 3-hydroxypicolinic acid which have an inhibition range against phosphatases of low nanomolar to high micromolar depending on the oxidation state of vanadium and the enzyme studied. A small selection of novel fluorescent vanadyl complexes based on the hydroxypicolinic acid motif have been synthesised as novel phosphatase inhibitors. Incorporation of an amine-functionalised spacer between the picolinate ligands provided a handle for incorporation of a fluorescent group away from the picolinate-vanadyl core. These compounds were then tested against a range of phosphatases to determine their potency and selectivity as inhibitors of CBPs. The complexes showed good inhibition properties against the CBPs investigated in a range similar to that of free vanadyl. The fluorophore was used to study the interaction of the vanadyl complexes with the enzymes, and to investigate cell uptake. Fluorescence quenching and anisotropy assays were carried out to look at the stability of complexes in assay conditions. From the data obtained it appears that the vanadyl complexes are stable in the presence of the enzymes and under assay conditions. Preliminary data also indicate that the complexes are taken up into cells and therefore can be investigated as intracellular probes.Open Acces

Amphora Graffiti from the Byzantine Shipwreck at Novy Svet, Crimea

The thesis presents the results of a study of 1005 graffiti on 13th century Byzantine amphorae from a shipwreck in the Bay of Sudak near Novy Svet, Crimea, Ukraine. The primary goals of this thesis are 1) to provide an overview of the excavation and shipwreck, 2) to examine the importance of the Novy Svet wreck in terms of Black Sea maritime trade in the Late Byzantine period, 3) to present the data collected at the Center for Underwater Archaeology at the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kiev, Ukraine (CUA) about the graffiti inscribed on the Günsenin IV amphorae raised from the Novy Svet wreck and 4) to discuss the meaning and importance of the graffiti, both aboard the ship itself and in a more general context. The thesis introduces the results of the 2002-2008 underwater excavation seasons at Novy Svet. Excavators have identified a 13th century shipwreck filled with glazed ceramics and amphorae as a Pisan vessel sunk on August 14, 1277. The majority of the amphorae are Günsenin IV jars and have graffiti inscribed on them. Analysis of the graffiti focuses on the division of the marks into morphological categories, and identifying parallels for the specific forms at other archaeological sites. The graffiti are divided into 5 types; Greek/Cyrillic letters, Turkic runes, geometric or pictorial symbols, numerical designations, and Arabic letters. Their parallels speak to a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic trade network in the Black Sea that included Byzantine Greeks, Hellenized Bulgarians, and Arabs

Promoting Self-Management and Patient Empowerment in Primary Care

The complexity of health care is increasing, associated with several factors including aging populations and expanding comorbidities, growth in options for health interventions and patients’ access to information from electronic and other media. Management of chronic conditions with high morbidity such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic pulmonary disease and depression constitutes a major burden of clinical care worldwide and an increasing problem for primary care because responsibility for chronic care shifts from hospitals to health professionals in primary care. Recently, there has been increasing attention focussed on another player/stakeholder in this quest to improve patient outcomes–the patient

Trainee Counselling Psychologists Experiences And understanding of Reflective Practice and its Impact Upon Personal and Professional Development

Various definitions describe reflective practice (RP) as encapsulating thought in action, self-involvement and awareness, ethics and values, retrospective thinking and reconsideration of perspectives. These all indicate a purposeful intention, a conscious process. It has been suggested that developing student reflective capacities may be the most significant aspect for preparation of counsellors in order to deal with the complexities of mental health practice. However, while the critical nature of this educational objective is apparent in the literature, there remains a dearth of research on the experiences, processes, practices and prevalence of RP in counsellor education. The aim of this qualitative study was to address this gap in the literature and explore the subjective experience of RP from the perspective of six trainee counselling psychologists nearing the end of their training. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to analyse the data, where three master themes were identified; The challenge of RP, Doing RP and The impact of RP. Overall the findings draw together the participants‘ phenomenological experiences of RP illustrating that RP is a complex and challenging process, which evokes considerable emotion. Participants revealed an arduous journey of coming to know RP, which is mediated by ‘doing’ RP which leads to positive growth and development both on a personal and professional level. The emergent themes are reviewed and discussed in relation to the literature and future directions are proposed

Exploring executive coaching : its role in leadership development

This thesis concerns an exploration of Executive Coaching in the leadership development context. The topic is selected for study given the recent rapid increase in uptake and spend on the intervention in the organizational and individual development settings (CIPD, 2011) and that, being a relatively recent intervention, research in this area is required. The context of the coaching process is set in the literature of adult learning and is critically evaluated alongside other dyadic intervention paradigms. The study examines the coaching relationship as a tenet of central importance in the effectiveness of the intervention (Kampa- Kokesch and Anderson, 2001; Kilburg, 2001) and explores two areas: whether the coaching relationship exhibits phases of development, and whether individual coaching relationships fit distinct patterns or types. These areas are explored through an empirical qualitative study from the viewpoint of the participants within the relationship using a range of established and novel research methods (Eastwick and Finkel, 2008) in an overall case study based setting. The findings indicate a number of distinctions between the Executive Coaching relationship and that experienced in other dyadic development activities. The research makes a number of contributions to the existing body of theory on Executive Coaching and, in particular, its role as a leadership development activity. Two frameworks are offered to build up the understanding of the coaching relationship. The first model describes the phases of the coaching relationship, the practical and psychological process that takes place, how each phase evolves to the next and how these phases compare with other dyadic processes. Secondly, a typology of coaching relationships is offered which demonstrates clear attributes distinguishing one relationship from another through two main dimensions-pace and partnership. Both of these models offer clear contributions to the practice of Executive Coaching, generating greater performance through establishment of more effective coaching relationships

Using simulated practice in pre-registration education to explore mental health issues

UK policy advocates that all nurses should have the skills to work with individuals experiencing mental health problems. However, barriers exist in that mental health placements for child student nurses are brief or difficult to arrange. This hinders opportunities to develop a therapeutic working relationship with young people, consolidate skills and ultimately develop confidence in working with young people presenting with mental health problems. A 3-day simulated practice strategy with child nursing students was designed to give students the knowledge, skills and confidence to work with young people who present to services with mental health problems. Students were approached 6 months after their simulated practice training to evaluate their opportunities to put their skills into practice while on placement. Once back in practice, 100% of students said they had improved confidence in working with young people who present with mental health problem

Response styles, bipolar risk, and mood in students:the Behaviours Checklist

Objectives An Integrative Cognitive Model of mood swings and bipolar disorder proposes that extreme positive and negative appraisals about internal states trigger ascent and descent behaviours, contributing to the onset and maintenance of mood swings. This study investigated the reliability and validity of a new inventory, the Behaviours Checklist (BC), by measuring associations with appraisals, response styles to positive and negative affect, bipolar risk, mania, and depression. Design Correlational analogue study. Methods Students (N = 134) completed the BC alongside measures of appraisals, response styles to positive and negative mood, mania, depression, and hypomanic personality (bipolar risk). Results The BC was of adequate reliability and showed good validity. Ascent behaviours and appraisals predicted bipolar risk, whereas descent behaviours and appraisals were associated with depression. Conclusions Appraisals, ascent, and descent behaviours may play an important role in the development and maintenance of mood swings. Limitations and research recommendations are outlined. Practitioner points Extreme positive and negative appraisals of internal states, and subsequent behavioural responses (ascent and descent behaviours), are associated with bipolar risk and bipolar mood symptoms in a student sample. These processes are involved with mood dysregulation in clinical populations as well as bipolar risk in students, with implications for mood management

The Road to LEED Certification: Human Sciences South

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings a set number of voluntary standards. LEED EB focuses on the performance of a building rather than it’s design