‘Public-spirited men’: economic unionist nationalism in inter-war Scotland

The prolonged economic slump which overshadowed much of the inter-war period encouraged a small number of Clydeside industrialists to intervene with bold plans to restructure and revive the Scottish economy. Key figures like Sir James Lithgow and Lord Weir exploited their business, banking and political connections, in Scotland and in London, to produce a uniquely Scottish response to the inter-war crisis. Championing the existing Union and imperial relationships, they nevertheless articulated a new sense of Scottish exceptionalism. Convinced that any revival in trade was dependent on rationalisation of the heavy industries and an ambitious programme of diversification, Lithgow, Weir and their associates promoted distinctive Scottish solutions. Building on the work of Graeme Morton, the article suggests that what emerged was an economic Unionist Nationalism which built alliances between business and civic Scotland to secure Scottish interests while acknowledging the primacy of Union. The mechanism used to achieve their aims was based upon the associational culture of Scottish business, ‘self-help’ voluntary bodies which carefully steered an independent path, avoiding, where possible, direct state involvement. Yet the depth and persistence of the global depression, and the urgency of the task at hand in Scotland itself, encouraged the business community to moderate its hostility to interventionism and economic planning and engage with new partners. The founding of the Scottish National Development Council in the early 1930s, bringing business and civil society together to help foster economic revival, was a crucial staging post on the journey towards corporatism. Motivated by a mix of public-spiritedness and self-interest, there was, however, a strong defensive element to their actions as the essentially conservative industrialists sought to ward off social, political and economic threats from within Scotland. Their willingness to step forward suggests a traditional sense of patrician responsibility, but there was also an acute awareness of the need to adapt; a progressive quality missing from other actors

Radioactive isotope analyses of skeletal materials in forensic science: a review of uses and potential uses

A review of information that can be provided from measurements made on natural and anthropogenic radionuclide activities in human skeletal remains has been undertaken to establish what reliable information of forensic anthropological use can be obtained regarding years of birth and death (and hence post-mortem interval (PMI)). Of the anthropogenic radionuclides that have entered the environment, radiocarbon (14C) can currently be used to generate the most useful and reliable information. Measurements on single bones can indicate whether or not the person died during the nuclear era, while recent research suggests that measurements on trabecular bone may, depending on the chronological age of the remains, provide estimates of year of death and hence PMI. Additionally, 14C measurements made on different components of single teeth or on teeth formed at different times can provide estimates of year of birth to within 1–2 years of the true year. Of the other anthropogenic radionuclides, 90Sr shows some promise but there are problems of (1) variations in activities between individuals, (2) relatively large analytical uncertainties and (3) diagenetic contamination. With respect to natural series radionuclides, it is concluded that there is no convincing evidence that 210Pb dating can be used in a rigorous, quantitative fashion to establish a PMI. Similarly, for daughter/parent pairs such as 210Po/210Pb (from the 238U decay series) and 228Th/228Ra (from the 232Th decay series), the combination of analytical uncertainty and uncertainty in activity ratios at the point of death inevitably results in major uncertainty in any estimate of PMI. However, observation of the disequilibrium between these two daughter/parent pairs could potentially be used in a qualitative way to support other forensic evidence

A Radionuclide Study of the Clyde Sea Area

This thesis presents the sampling and analytical procedures developed and the results obtained in a survey of the concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs, 226Ra and 228Ra in the waters and sediments of the northern section of the Clyde Sea Area. The suitability of these nuclides as tracers of coastal marine processes is discussed and the results are applied to the estimation of water residence times and mixing rates and to the patterns of sedimentation in the area. 226Ra concentrations are determined both by preconcentration from 60 l samples and by direct analyses of 20 l samples, emanation and a counting of 222 Rn being used in both cases. 228Ra assay is performed by non-quantitative extraction of radium from more than 1000 l of sea water onto manganese dioxide impregnated acrylic fibre. The 228 Ra/ Ra activity ratio of the extracted radium is determined and the Ra concentration derived by comparison with the previously 226 determined Ra concentration. 134 Cs and 137 Cs concentrations are measured by extraction of caesium from 101 samples of sea water onto the inorganic ion exchanger potassium hexocyanocobalt (11) ferrate (11) (KCFC). Radiocaesium determination is achieved by direct gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of the ion exchange column. The dominant input of radiocaesium to the Clyde Sea Area is demonstrated to be the effluent from the Windscale nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in Cumbria. Matching of maxima in 137Cs concentrations with the Windscale output and with reported values for the North Channel indicates a water transit time of about 3 months for movement from the North Channel to the northern parts of the Clyde Sea Area. Caesium mass budget calculations indicate a mean water residence time of about 3.9 months for the area and homogeneous vertical profiles imply rapid vertical mixing. About 23% of the 137Cs discharged from Windscale is estimated to pass through the the Clyde Sea Area with 0.08% to 0.4% being retained in the sediments. Loch Goil is the only part of the region to exhibit a long residence time and radiocaesium data indicate that deep water renewal occurs by exchange with Loch Long water at a depth of about 20m. The transient development of a strong pycnocline below 20m leads to entrainment of the deep water and consequently increased residence times. Typical 226Ra concentrations are demonstrated to be in the range 100 - 160 dpm/1000 l while 226Ra/226Ra ratios are normally about 1.5. This enrichment relative to Atlantic concentrations is attributed to diffusion from sediments since river input is shown to supply only 226 about 1% of the Ra in the area. Despite the fact that diffusion of radium from sediments is the major input, the biological silicate cycle is demonstrated to exert a controlling influence on the Ra concentrations in Loch Goil. The complex behaviour of radium thus demonstrated means that evaluation of water mixing processes is virtually impassible on the basis of radium measurements alone. Both radium and radiocaesiurn are shown to exhibit conservative behaviour over the salinity range 0 to 32%. encountered in the estuary. Re226 and 134Cs/137Cs analyses of sediment cores reveal that neither radium nor radiocaesium can be used to establish a sediment chronology in this environment but that both can be used to indicate patterns of sediment accumulation with mixing depths of 4cm and more than 10cm being defined for Loch Goil and Gareloch respectively. The 134Cs/137Cs ratio is also shown to be very useful in assessing the efficiency of recovery of surface sediment. The enrichment of 137Cs in Gareloch sediment relative to ambient water concentrations is found to be about 3 times greater than that for Loch Goil. A difference in particulate flux is postulated as a possible reason for this variation. Anomalously high Ra concentrations are reported for the top 10cm of Loch Goil, with no obvious cause being apparent from the available information

West of Scotland industrial and commercial elites and their social, political and economic influence in the inter-war years

Scotland struggled to come to terms with the collapse in the heavy industries in the early 1920s and the prolonged period of economic dislocation which followed. The pervasive sense that this was a nation in decline sapped self-confidence. This thesis examines the response of the leading West of Scotland industrialists to the extended inter-war trade depression. Focusing on their championing of a series of self-help initiatives firmly rooted in Scotland itself, the thesis reimagines Graeme Morton’s work on Unionist Nationalism for the more challenging conditions of 1930s Scotland, introducing a much stronger economic dimension to Morton’s original argument. Echoing Morton, the rationalisation of the staple industries and the creation of new institutions to aid recovery owed much to the associational culture of West of Scotland business. The Scottish National Development Council and the Scottish Economic Committee - two significant stepping-stones in the rise of corporatist planning - represented a confident assertion of a distinctly Scottish voice and provided a link between business and the increasingly autonomous Scottish Office. The explicit articulation of a Scottish national interest within the parameters of the existing union and imperial relationships sat easily with the progressive, pro-statist views of many inter-war Unionists, helping to consolidate the consensus within ‘middle opinion’. The thesis focuses on the actions of a trio of West of Scotland industrialists: Lord Weir of Eastwood, Sir James Lithgow and Sir Steven Bilsland. It will be suggested that their advocacy of Scottish solutions for Scottish problems represents a more muscular and far-reaching economic Unionist Nationalism which transcends the narrow vision of Morton’s nineteenth century urban Scotland, but also questions Colin Kidd’s dismissal of early twentieth century unionism as ‘banal’

Temporal trend in the transfer of Sellafield-derived 14C into different size fractions of the carbonate component of NE Irish Sea sediment

From 1994 onwards, 14C discharges from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant have been made largely to the Northeast Irish Sea. They represent the largest contributor to UK and European populations of the collective dose commitment derived from the entire nuclear industry discharges. Consequently, it is important to understand the long-term fate of 14C in the marine environment. Research undertaken in 2000 suggested that the carbonate component of Northeast Irish Sea sediments would increase in 14C activity as mollusc shells, which have become enriched in Sellafield-derived 14C, are broken down by physical processes including wave action and incorporated into intertidal and sub-tidal sediments. The current study, undertaken in 2011, tested this hypothesis. The results demonstrate significant increases in 14C enrichments found in whole mussel shells compared to those measured in 2000. Additionally, in 2000, there was an enrichment above ambient background within only the largest size fraction (>500 μm) of the intertidal inorganic sediment at Nethertown and Flimby (north of Sellafield). In comparison, the present study has demonstrated 14C enrichments above ambient background in most size fractions at sites up to 40 km north of Sellafield, confirming the hypothesis set out more than a decade ago

Are chlorophyll concentrations and nitrogen across the vertical canopy profile affected by elevated CO2 in mature Quercus trees?

Key message: In mature Q. robur, chlorophyll varied with season and canopy height, whilst eCO2-driven changes were consistent with Marea, highlighting key factors for consideration when scaling photosynthetic processes and canopy N-use. Nitrogen-rich chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments are important in photosynthetic functioning. Photosynthetic pigments have been found to decrease with elevated CO2 (eCO2), but few such studies have been done in aged forest trees. This study aimed to assess the effects of eCO2 (150 μmol mol−1 above ambient) and canopy position on chlorophyll content in mature Quercus robur (Q. robur). Over 5000 in situ chlorophyll absorbance measurements, alongside laboratory chlorophyll extractions, were collected on canopy-dominant Q. robur in the 3rd and 4th season of CO2 fumigation of a free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) study in central England. Mass-based chlorophyll concentration (Chlmass, mg g−1) was significantly higher in the lower canopy compared to upper canopy foliage (P < 0.05). In contrast, significantly higher chlorophyll content (Chlarea, mg m−2) was observed in the upper canopy. ECO2 did not affect Chlmass but Chlarea significantly increased, attributable to increased leaf mass per unit area (Marea, g m−2). We found no effect of eCO2 on mass-based or area-based nitrogen (Nmass, mg g−1 or Narea g m−2); however, Narea significantly increased with canopy height, again attributable to Marea. The parallel relationships between Marea, Narea and Chlarea suggest the allocation of N to light harvesting is maintained with eCO2 exposure as well as in the upper canopy, and that increased photosynthetic mass may help regulate the eCO2 variation. An understanding of changes in the light-harvesting machinery with eCO2 will be useful to assess canopy processes and, at larger scales, changes in biogeochemical cycles in future climate scenarios

Seasonal and diurnal trends in concentrations and fluxes of volatile organic compounds in central London

Concentrations and fluxes of seven volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured between August and December 2012 at a rooftop site in central London as part of the ClearfLo project (Clean Air for London). VOC concentrations were quantified using a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) and fluxes were calculated using a virtual disjunct eddy covariance technique. The median VOC fluxes, including aromatics, oxygenated compounds and isoprene, ranged from 0.07 to 0.33 mgm&#x100000;^-2 h^-&#x100000;1. Median mixing ratios were 7.3 ppb for methanol and < 1 ppb for the other compounds. Strong relationships were observed between the fluxes and concentrations of some VOCs with traffic density and between the fluxes and concentrations ofisoprene and oxygenated compounds with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and temperature. An estimated 50–90% of the fluxes of aromatic VOCs were attributable to traffic activity, which showed little seasonal variation, suggesting that boundary layer effects or possibly advected pollutionmay be the primary causes of increased concentrations of aromatics in winter. Isoprene, methanol and acetaldehyde fluxes and concentrations in August and September showed high correlations with PAR and temperature, when fluxes andconcentrations were largest suggesting that biogenic sources contributed to their fluxes. Modelled biogenic isoprene fluxes from urban vegetation using the Guenther et al. (1995) algorithm agreed well with measured fluxes in August andSeptember. Comparisons of estimated annual benzene emissions from both the London and the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventories agreed well with measured benzene fluxes. Flux footprint analysis indicated emission sourceswere localised and that boundary layer dynamics and source strengths were responsible for temporal and spatial VOC flux and concentration variability during the measurement period

Mixed-method exploratory study of general practitioner and nurse perceptions of a new community based nurse-led heart failure service

Introduction: The treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains sub-optimal. Specialist CHF nurses are proven to improve care and reduce admission but developing such services, especially in remote areas, can be difficult. This study aimed: first, to assess the perceived acceptability and effectiveness of a new community based nurse-led heart failure service by general practitioners (GPs) in an area with a dispersed population; second, to assess the knowledge and learning needs of GPs; and third, to assess perceptions of the use of national guidelines and telehealth on heart failure management. Methods: The study was conducted in the Scottish Highlands, a large geographical area in the north of the UK which includes both rural and urban populations. The area has a total population of 240 000, approximately 60% of whom are within 1 hour travel time of the largest urban centre. A postal survey of all GPs (n = 260) and structured email survey of all CHF specialist nurses (n = 3) was performed. All responses were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, summarised and subjected to thematic analysis. Differences between GPs in &lsquo;rural&rsquo;, &lsquo;urban&rsquo; or both &lsquo;urban &amp; rural&rsquo; was investigated using an F-test for continuous variables and a three-sample test for equality of proportions for nominal data. Results: Questionnaires were returned from 83 GPs (32%) and all three CHF specialist nurses. In this sample there were only a few differences between GPs from &lsquo;rural&rsquo;, &lsquo;urban&rsquo; and &lsquo;urban &amp; rural&rsquo;. There also appeared to be little difference in responses between those who had the experience of the CHF nurse service and those who had not. Overall, 32 GPs (39%) wished better, local access to echocardiography, while 63 (76%) wished access to testing for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Only 27 GPs (33%) referred all patients with CHF to hospital. A number of GPs stated that this was dependant on individual circumstances and the patient&rsquo;s ability to travel. The GPs were confident to initiate standard heart failure drugs although only 54 (65%) were confident in the initiation of beta-blockers. Most GPs (69%) had had experience of the CHF specialist nurse service and the responses were mixed. The GPs who had experienced the service appeared less confident that it would lead to reduced admission of patients to hospital (51% vs 77%, p = 0.046). Three main themes emerged from the nurse responses: service planning, communication and attitudinal changes after service embedment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a community based heart failure nurse service was not universally valued. Differences between urban and rural localities (communication) suggest that models of care derived from evidence based practice in urban areas may not be directly transferable to remote areas. Clearly, good communication among staff groups at all stages of implementation is important; however, despite best efforts and clinical trial evidence, specialist nurse services will not be welcomed by all doctors. Service providers and commissioners should be cognisant of the different roles of urban and rural GPs when designing such services. Among GPs there was a high degree of confidence with initiation and titration of drugs for heart failure with the exception of beta-blockers so clearly this is an area of ongoing educational need and support. Education and support should focus on ensuring that all doctors who care for patients with CHF have the skills and confidence to use medical therapies and specialist services as appropriate

‘Public-spirited men’: Economic Unionist Nationalism in Inter-War Scotland

The prolonged economic slump which overshadowed much of the inter-war period encouraged a small number of Clydeside industrialists to intervene with bold plans to restructure and revive the Scottish economy. Key figures like Sir James Lithgow and Lord Weir exploited their business, banking and political connections, in Scotland and in London, to produce a uniquely Scottish response to the inter-war crisis. Championing the existing Union and imperial relationships, they nevertheless articulated a new sense of Scottish exceptionalism. Convinced that any revival in trade was dependent on rationalisation of the heavy industries and an ambitious programme of diversification, Lithgow, Weir and their associates promoted distinctive Scottish solutions. Building on the work of Graeme Morton, the article suggests that what emerged was an economic Unionist Nationalism which built alliances between business and civic Scotland to secure Scottish interests while acknowledging the primacy of Union. The mechanism used to achieve their aims was based upon the associational culture of Scottish business, ‘self-help’ voluntary bodies which carefully steered an independent path, avoiding, where possible, direct state involvement. Yet the depth and persistence of the global depression, and the urgency of the task at hand in Scotland itself, encouraged the business community to moderate its hostility to interventionism and economic planning and engage with new partners. The founding of the Scottish National Development Council in the early 1930s, bringing business and civil society together to help foster economic revival, was a crucial staging post on the journey towards corporatism. Motivated by a mix of public-spiritedness and self-interest, there was, however, a strong defensive element to their actions as the essentially conservative industrialists sought to ward off social, political and economic threats from within Scotland. Their willingness to step forward suggests a traditional sense of patrician responsibility, but there was also an acute awareness of the need to adapt; a progressive quality missing from other actors