Going native: long-running television serials in the UK

This article examines in detail the development of the long-running serial in the UK, from its beginnings on radio in the 1940s, through the move to television in the mid 1950s and then up to the present day. It pays particular attention to language use throughout this period, focusing on the move from Standard English to a wide range of regional dialects during the four decades when these serials were at the height of their popularity, routinely dominating the television ratings. It then examines the development of long-form serials in languages other than English, firstly Welsh from the mid 1970s on, and then Gaelic intermittently from the early 1990s to the present day, and finally Scots, a highly minoritised Germanic language spoken mostly in the Scottish Lowlands. It compares both the current health and the future prospects of Gaelic and Scots with a particular focus on the challenges faced by both. Additional insights into the particular case of Gaelic are provided via interviews with a number of stakeholders

Games-Based Learning as an Interdisciplinary Approach to Literacy across Curriculum for Excellence

Literacy remains an area of concern in early secondary education in Scotland (ages 12-14), with recent research suggesting a continued decline in attainment levels. As literacy underpins learning, interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to teaching literacy are now being emphasized through the new Curriculum for Excellence that aims to address this issue. It is not clear, however, what types of learning activity are most appropriate for implementing this new, more cooperative approach. One candidate is the use of educational games and reflective writing. So, to what extent do learners demonstrate transferable literacy skills through engaging with educational games? This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the multi-user simulation game, Mars Colony Challenger (MCC), which portrays a scientifically accurate Mars colonisation mission in a way that aims to facilitate both scientific and literary development. A class of secondary school pupils (n=28) used the game within the context of a science class on ‘The Three States of Matter’. They then produced written narratives that captured the experiential learning undertaken. Comparing these narratives with the remaining pupils in the cohort, who had not used MCC in their science class, revealed a statistically significant difference in literacy ability. Further qualitative analysis of the narratives themselves highlighted a high level of engagement and inspiration evoked through the experience. Consequently, these results highlight the efficacy of MCC as a means of literacy development, and they suggest a means to elicit greater frequency of opportunity for pupil engagement with, and subsequent assessment of, literacy competencies

Hugh O'Donnell: Paintings and Drawings 1992-2002: Selections from The Green Age Series and The Body Echo Project

This is the catalogue of the exhibition NAME at Boston University Art Gallery

Eugenio de Castro: A symbolic narrative of passion and pessimism (1889-1896)

This thesis offers a detailed, study of all the works of Eugenio de Castro written between 1889 and 1896. I have concentrated on the development of the themes of passion and pessimism during the period in question, and on the debt of these works to the Symbolist poetry and drama of France. Chapter One deals with Oaristos (1890), the first book which clearly reveals the mark of contemporary French literature on the poetry of Eugenio de Castro. In Chapter Two I examine Horas (1891) in terms of a sudden upsurge of interest in religious symbolism among certain writers in France at the time. Chapter Three is divided into two parts. The first of these deals with an event in Eugenio de Castro's life which would provide the starting-point for all the remaining poetry of the period under examinations the breaking, in 1892, of his engagement with Helena Bordalo Pinheiro. In the second part I discuss those poems from Silva (1894) written in 1891 and 1892. Chapter Four is likewise divided into two parts. The first of these looks at a series of poems written in all probability in 1893, though not published until their inclusion in Silva and Interluulnio (1894). In the second part of this chapter I examine the means whereby Eugenio de Castro widens the implications of his personal tragedy to assume the proportions of the universal tragedy proposed by Schopenhaiier. Chapter Five deals with a group of horror-poems to be found in Silva and above all in Interlunio. Chapter Six deals with the first of Eugenio de Castro's major dramatic poems, Belklss (1894). In Chapter Seven, I examine the three poems Tiresias (1895), "A Monja e o Rouxinol" (from Salome e outros poemas) and A Nerelde de Harlem (1896). Chapter Eight examines the second major dramatic poem, Sagramor (1895). I view its hero in the context of a tradition of quest-heroes, in nineteenth-century European literature. In Chapter Nine I deal with O Rei Galaor (1897), examining the influence of Maeterlinck's ideas on fatality as expressed in his article "Etoile", and certain similarities between the initial situation of the drama and the legend of Saint Barbara. I point out the disparity between the apparent tragedy of the ending of the poem, and its real message of hope. I examine the theme of fatality present in the poem as a literary structure employed to create an appearance of tragedy where none actually exists. I study the failure of tragedy in O Rei Galaor in connection with a new series of events in Eugenio de Castro's life, culminating in his marriage in 1898. In the conclusion I examine the philosophical structures employed in Eugenio de Castro's poetry in connection with the emotional situations on which they are based, and which they attempt to magnify. I also view his ideas on literature in the context of certain ideas current above all in France at the time

Lactobacillus ruminis strains cluster according to their mammalian gut source

peer-reviewedBackground Lactobacillus ruminis is a motile Lactobacillus that is autochthonous to the human gut, and which may also be isolated from other mammals. Detailed characterization of L. ruminis has previously been restricted to strains of human and bovine origin. We therefore sought to expand our bio-bank of strains to identify and characterise isolates of porcine and equine origin by comparative genomics. Results We isolated five strains from the faeces of horses and two strains from pigs, and compared their motility, biochemistry and genetic relatedness to six human isolates and three bovine isolates including the type strain 27780T. Multilocus sequence typing analysis based on concatenated sequence data for six individual loci separated the 16 L. ruminis strains into three clades concordant with human, bovine or porcine, and equine sources. Sequencing the genomes of four additional strains of human, bovine, equine and porcine origin revealed a high level of genome synteny, independent of the source animal. Analysis of carbohydrate utilization, stress survival and technological robustness in a combined panel of sixteen L. ruminis isolates identified strains with optimal survival characteristics suitable for future investigation as candidate probiotics. Under laboratory conditions, six human isolates of L. ruminis tested were aflagellate and non-motile, whereas all 10 strains of bovine, equine and porcine origin were motile. Interestingly the equine and porcine strains were hyper-flagellated compared to bovine isolates, and this hyper-flagellate phenotype correlated with the ability to swarm on solid medium containing up to 1.8% agar. Analysis by RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR identified genes for the biosynthesis of flagella, genes for carbohydrate metabolism and genes of unknown function that were differentially expressed in swarming cells of an equine isolate of L. ruminis. Conclusions We suggest that Lactobacillus ruminis isolates have potential to be used in the functional food industry. We have also identified a MLST scheme able to distinguish between strains of L. ruminis of different origin. Genes for non-digestible oligosaccharide metabolism were identified with a putative role in swarming behaviour.This work was supported by a Principal Investigator Award (07/IN.1/B1780) from Science Foundation Ireland to P.W. O’Toole

Quality of service monitoring: Performance metrics across proprietary content domains

We propose a quality of service (QoS) monitoring program for broadband access to measure the impact of proprietary network spaces. Our paper surveys other QoS policy initiatives, including those in the airline, and wireless and wireline telephone industries, to situate broadband in the context of other markets undergoing regulatory devolution. We illustrate how network architecture can create impediments to open communications, and how QoS monitoring can detect such effects. We present data from a field test of QoS-monitoring software now in development. We suggest QoS metrics to gauge whether information "walled gardens" represent a real threat for dividing the Internet into proprietary spaces. To demonstrate our proposal, we are placing our software on the computers of a sample of broadband subscribers. The software periodically conducts a battery of tests that assess the quality of connections from the subscriber's computer to various content sites. Any systematic differences in connection quality between affiliated and non-affiliated content sites would warrant research into the behavioral implications of those differences. QoS monitoring is timely because the potential for the Internet to break into a loose network of proprietary content domains appears stronger than ever. Recent court rulings and policy statements suggest a growing trend towards relaxed scrutiny of mergers and the easing or elimination of content ownership rules. This policy environment could lead to a market with a small number of large, vertically integrated network operators, each pushing its proprietary content on subscribers.Comment: 29th TPRC Conference, 200

Developing evidence for football (soccer) reminiscence interventions with long-term care: a cooperative approach applied in Scotland and Spain

Loneliness is a common experience within long-term care and, to promote wellbeing and quality of life among people with dementia, it is important to draw upon a repertoire of strategies that provide social stimulation, companionship and enjoyment. This paper describes and reflects on a program of co-operative social participatory research which sought to introduce football-focused (i.e. soccer-based) reminiscence based in four community settings within Spain and Scotland. Findings are reported and inform an original conceptual model that supports the introduction of sustainable approaches to the development of football-focused reminiscence with and for people with dementia