What Makes a Great [Mobile | Digital] Art Exhibition?

Passive reception and consumption of art is a given, in our times. Artists produce. Spectators consume. At the nexus stands the curator who chooses the product and the exhibitor who provides the space for consumers. This natural hierarchy also tends to colonize the digital space. But, in the digital world, much of the functioning of the hierarchy has become democratised. The meeting place of exhibited art moved from the physical to the virtual online. Not everyone can visit, say, Istanbul Modern museum. It ought to be possible in principle for everyone to be able to visit “Istanbul Modern Digital” museum. The next stage of digital democracy, already upon us since early 2010, is the mobile art lover, mobile in the sense of being free from being tied down in one place and being able to choose what to see, where to be, and when to do it: early morning, late at night; in the plane, on the train, in bed, in class. Learning is for everyone. It is what makes us human, to continue to learn. Learning takes place best when one is active. In the context of the Mobile Digital Art Exhibition, we have explored ways in which to enhance the experience of the curator as “everyman” and everyman has potentially the opportunity to construct a mobile digital art exhibition, even one such as the “Museum of Innocence” in the manner as described by Orhan Pamuk. Our hero in this story is the self-curator

Design study into a very high temporal resolution (<10 ps), 2D imaging, modular UV and X-ray diagnostic : the Orion Time Dilation Imager (TIDI)

Strathclyde theses - ask staff. Thesis no. : T13714This Thesis details a design study into a new diagnostic of X-ray emission of intense laser-plasma interaction, the Orion Time Dilation Imager (TIDI). The principles behind the novel technique of pulse-dilation (the acceleration of a photoelectron, based on time-dilating a pulse by a time-varying potential, which results in velocity dispersion of the pulse traversing a drift region and causes image temporal magnification), are reported and analysed to inform the design decisions. Research is also performed into the initial use of pulse-dilation on the Dilation X-ray Imager (DIXI) instrument, which has been fielded and characterized on NIF, and the design considerations for developing a device capable of very high temporal resolution (<10 ps), 2D imaging of laser-plasma experiments. The scope for utilising TIDI in previously unobtainable regimes in HED physics experiments is assessed. Experimental applications are identified and described, and their compatibility with a proposed design for TIDI is explored. Three key experimental applications are: Time resolved broadband x-ray diffraction, time resolved point-projection spectroscopy, and UV colour temperature measurements. The design constraints are explained and justified, including; the necessity of a modular design for UV and x-ray sensitivity, ensuring compatibility of the device with a Ten-Inch Manipulator (TIM) as used on the Orion target chamber at AWE, and the benefits and trade-offs of critical design parameters. Experimental work to characterise an optical arrangement similar to one which would be used for the UV colour temperature measurements is reported. The optical pyrometry set up was characterised for the Orion target chamber and found to perform as expected. The system provided very high optical resolution (~1μm), a wide unvignetted field of view of ~0.5mm at a magnification of 12.5x. The colour correction of the system showed no significant aberrations. Other sources of image degradation were tested and found to be not significant.This Thesis details a design study into a new diagnostic of X-ray emission of intense laser-plasma interaction, the Orion Time Dilation Imager (TIDI). The principles behind the novel technique of pulse-dilation (the acceleration of a photoelectron, based on time-dilating a pulse by a time-varying potential, which results in velocity dispersion of the pulse traversing a drift region and causes image temporal magnification), are reported and analysed to inform the design decisions. Research is also performed into the initial use of pulse-dilation on the Dilation X-ray Imager (DIXI) instrument, which has been fielded and characterized on NIF, and the design considerations for developing a device capable of very high temporal resolution (<10 ps), 2D imaging of laser-plasma experiments. The scope for utilising TIDI in previously unobtainable regimes in HED physics experiments is assessed. Experimental applications are identified and described, and their compatibility with a proposed design for TIDI is explored. Three key experimental applications are: Time resolved broadband x-ray diffraction, time resolved point-projection spectroscopy, and UV colour temperature measurements. The design constraints are explained and justified, including; the necessity of a modular design for UV and x-ray sensitivity, ensuring compatibility of the device with a Ten-Inch Manipulator (TIM) as used on the Orion target chamber at AWE, and the benefits and trade-offs of critical design parameters. Experimental work to characterise an optical arrangement similar to one which would be used for the UV colour temperature measurements is reported. The optical pyrometry set up was characterised for the Orion target chamber and found to perform as expected. The system provided very high optical resolution (~1μm), a wide unvignetted field of view of ~0.5mm at a magnification of 12.5x. The colour correction of the system showed no significant aberrations. Other sources of image degradation were tested and found to be not significant

An Integrated Approach to the Toxicity Evaluation of Irish Marine Sediment - Chemical Assessment

This project was a collaborative project between the Marine Institute (MI) in Galway and Radiation and Environmental Science Centre (RESC) in the Technological University Dublin (DIT). In Ireland, at present, sediment quality assessments are generally reliant on chemical analysis alone with limited bioassay techniques available to further characterise the sediment. Some causative agents of toxicity to biological organisms are below analytical detection limits. Integration of bioassay data with chemical analysis is essential in order to complete a full ecotoxicological assessment of the quality of the marine environment. This project describes the chemical analysis of marine sediment for persistent pollutants from selected locations around the coast of Ireland. A novel analytical technique is developed for extraction and quantification of organotins (OTCs) from sediment and for subsequent exposure onto fish cell lines. Fish cell cultures are additionally exposed to a range of reference OTC chemicals. The method for organotin extraction is additionally utilised in a Toxicity Identification Evaluation study whereby a crude solvent extract is assayed on two biological organisms namely the Microtox (employing the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri) and the marine copepod Tisbe battagliai and chemically analysed. A further fractionation of the extract is then performed and further testing conducted on the organisms, therefore potentially pinpointing the source of toxicity. An in-situ study using caged Nucell lapillus and Crassostrea gigas to monitor TBT induced bioeffects in Irish harbours was also developed which was correlated with stable isotope ratios, condition indices and measurement of OTCs in the various biota tissues and sediment samples. This short term exposure methods showed a rapid development of imposex in gastropod species and shell abnormalities in oysters at a TBT polluted location

Acute growth inhibition & toxicity analysis of nano-polystyrene spheres on Raphidocelis subcapitata

Micro/nano-plastics (MNPs) have been found within many environments and organisms including humans, making them a significant and growing concern. Initial research into the potential detrimental effects these MNPs both from acute and chronic exposure has been ongoing but still requires substantially more data to clarify. This research presents the response of nano-polystyrene (NPS) on Raphidocelis subcapitata, a freshwater alga, under an existing acute toxicity test along with additional analytical techniques to try identifying possible sources of toxicity. R. subcapitata cells were exposed for 72 h to a concentration range of 0–100 mg/l NPS. Growth Inhibition (GI) testing showed the R. subcapitata demonstrated statistically distinct reductions in growth over 72 h at all NPS exposure concentrations while not suffering culture collapse. By the 100 mg/l NPS exposure the R. subcapitata has suffered almost a 33.7% reduction in cell concentration after 72 h compared to control samples. Confocal imaging showed the NPS wasn\u27t permeating into the algal plasma membrane or individual organelles but agglomerated onto the algal cell wall. The agglomeration was irregular but increased in total surface area covered as NPS concentration increases. UV–Vis fluorimetry testing produced a linear response of emission intensities to algae exposed to the 0–100 mg/l range of NPS. However, comparisons of emission intensity values of algae exposed to NPS to emission intensities of pure NPS at identical concentrations showed consistent intensity reduction. This response further indicated NPS agglomerating within the media and onto the alga cells seen from confocal imaging. Finally, Raman spectroscopy on R. subcapitata attempted to distinguish the key 1001 cm−1 peak or other crucial identifier peaks of polystyrene from overall Raman spectra. This was not successful as emissions from algal component (e.g. phenylaniline) completely suppressed the signal region

Soil Organic Matter Carbon Chemistry Signatures, Hydrophobicity and Humification Index Following Land Use Change in Temperate Peat Soils

Peatlands play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, storing large amounts of carbon because of a net imbalance between primary production and the microbial decomposition of the organic matter. Nevertheless, peatlands have historically been drained for energy sources (e.g. peat briquettes), forestry, or agriculture - practices that could affect the quality of the soil organic matter (SOM) composition, hydrophobicity and humification index. This study compared the effect of land use change on the quality and composition of peatland organic material in Co-Offaly, Ireland. Specifically, drained and grazing peat (grassland), drained and forest plantation peat (forest plantation), drained and industrial cutaway peat (cutaway bog) and an undrained actively accumulating bog (as a reference for natural peatland) were studied. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to examine the organic matter quality, specifically the degree of decomposition (DDI), carbon chemistry signatures, hydrophobicity and humification index. The ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic group intensities was calculated as the SOM hydrophobicity. In general, there is greater variance in the carbon chemistry signature, such as aliphatic methyl and methylene, C=O stretching of amide groups, aromatic C=C, strong H-bond C=O of conjugated ketones and O–H deformation and C– O stretching of phenolics and secondary alcohols of the peat samples from industrial cutaway bog samples than in the grassland and forest plantation samples. The hydrophobicity and the aromaticity of the soil organic matter (SOM) are significantly impacted by land use changes, with a trend of order active bog \u3e forest plantation \u3e industrial cutaway bog \u3e grassland. A comparison of the degree of decomposition index of the peat from active bog showed a more advanced state of peat degradation in grassland and industrial cutaway bog and, to a lesser extent, in forest plantation

Improving Extraction Processes of Crustacean Chitin Using Solid State Analytical Techniques

Solid state analytical techniques are becoming more widely used for the analysis of a range of organic products which demonstrate very poor solubility in both common organic and polar solvents and as such cannot be accurately characterised using solution based techniques. Primarily used as a secondary technique for qualitative analysis of insoluble intermediates and products in organic synthesis, 13C CP-MAS NMR can be utilised in tandem with a targeted extraction and clean up procedure for accurate quantitative analysis of insoluble bio-molecules of interest. Here solid state 13C CP-MAS NMR is utilised as the primary analytical technique in the characterisation of crustacean sourced chitin whereby Cancer pagurus crab shell chitin and Pandalus borealis shrimp shell chitin are shown to have a degree of acetylation greater than 90%. FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and DSC provide secondary structural, molecular and thermal analysis of the raw materials and extracted chitin

Mapping the Restoration of Degraded Peatland as a Field of Research Area: A Scientometric Review

Degraded peatland reduced many ecosystem services such as water quality and quantity, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate regulations and other cultural benefits. Therefore, several initiatives for the restoration of degraded peatland (RDP) have been attempted to restore the ecosystem processes, productivity and services of the degraded peatland to its original natural condition. Notwithstanding the popularity of RDP research among researchers and industry practitioners, a quantitative technique to map a comprehensive survey of the intellectual core and the general body landscape of knowledge on RDP research does not exist. In this study, a scientometric analysis was employed to analyze 522 documents using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The Web of Science database was used to retrieve bibliographic records using the advanced search “TS (topic) =(‘drained peatland restoration’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR degraded peatland restoration’ OR ‘degraded bog restoration’ OR ‘drained peatland reclamation’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘degraded peatland reclamation’ OR ‘degraded bog reclamation’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR ‘degraded mire reclamation’ OR ‘degraded fen restoration’ OR ‘drained fen reclamation’). The outcome sought to provide relevant information in RDP research such as (i) publication trends (ii) research outlets (iii) most influential keywords (iv) most influential institutions and authors (v) top influential countries active in RDP research. In addition, four clusters were identified for ascertaining the central theme of RDP research in which cluster one is linked to the central research theme-“impact of drainage on peatland ecosystem services; cluster two focused on the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions; cluster three is associated with peatland restoration and biogeochemical properties and cluster four is related to peatland restoration and species richness. A new research hotspot such as soil respiration was identified via the keywords with the strongest citation bursts. This study will provide the various stakeholders such as industry, journal editors, policymakers and the researchers instinctive understanding of the research status and the development frontier of RDP research

Comparison of Culturable Microbial Groups Present in Selected Peatlands in Midlands of the Republic of Ireland: Effect of ‘Peatland Use’ Type on Microbial Consortia; A Pilot Study

Soil microbial ecology in the Irish wetlands is still poorly understood, although it is crucial in introducing effective rewetting schemes to restore and conserve the Irish peatlands. As an initiative, peatlands with distinct land-use types (cutaway, raised semi-degraded, unimproved grassland and grassland) were collected from farms in the midlands to analyse various microbial populations. Peat was homogenized and serially diluted to culture on a range of specific and non-specific culture media. Culture isolation and microbial enumeration were performed. Gram staining and other microscopic observations of morphologically distinct microorganisms were performed, followed by isolation procedures. The numbers of total viable bacteria of cutaway bog and unimproved grassland were 4.23 × 103 CFU g−1 and 9.81 × 107 CFU g−1, respectively, with a significant statistical difference (p ≤ 0.05). Raised semi-degraded bogs comprised low values of both aerobes and fungal populations. Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. were common in many vegetation types. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria were present in the majority of the study sites. This indicated that the soluble form of phosphorus was being assimilated by plants. Cutaway peat contained the bacteria with the highest phosphate-solubilizing index (3.167). Overall, the number of culturable microbial groups in cutaway and raised semi-degraded peatlands exhibited significant differences, while the rest did not show drastic changes according to land-use type. This study provides baseline data to continue studies on bog microbiology, which provides a new outlook for restoration. Future work should consider microbial interaction with environmental variables in different land-use types