The Norse Landscape of Skye and the Western Isles

Denne avhandlingen forsøker å svare på følgende spørsmål: Hvorfor valgte nordmenn å bosette seg på Hebridene? Hva var så tiltrekkende med disse områdene at det skulle tiltrekke seg generasjoner av norrøne bosetninger over en periode på fire-fem århundrer? For å besvare disse spørsmålene har det norrøne arkeologiske landskapet på Skye og De Vestlige Øyene blitt undersøkt. Spesielt forsøkte denne avhandlingen å forstå bosetningsmønstre, makt og etnisitet innenfor regionen. I tillegg ble en senter-periferimodell brukt på grunnlag av den publiserte utgravningen av en flerperiodisk norrøn eliteplass, Bornais, for å forstå bosetning og makt i regionen. På grunn av mangel på arkeologiske funn i området, bruker avhandlingen en landskapsmetode for dataene. Alle tilgjengelige norrøne (vikingtid: 800-1087 e.Kr., og sen norrøn tid: 1087-1250 e.Kr.) funnsteder ble samlet i en database. Denne databasen inkluderer utgravd materiale, funn gjennom undersøkelser, tilfeldige funn og resultater fra antikvariske undersøkelser. Stedsnavndata ble også brukt. All tilgjengelig data ble sortert etter opprinnelsesstatus. Funnsteder uten opprinnelse eller uten nøyaktige funnpunkter ble utelatt fra analysene. Funnsteder med opprinnelse ble videre delt inn i bosetning, gravplass, tilfeldige funn, eller annet. Ved hjelp av metodikk for romlig analyse forsøkte avhandlingen å forstå plasseringen av norrøne boplass ved flere forskjellige metoder. Avhandlingen undersøker landskapet omkring hvert funnsted: om det er et forhold til et tidligere boplasser (datert til før-norrøn jernalder); for å plassere en boplass i sitt naturlige miljø, inkludert jordbruksland, høyde og tilgang til ferskvann; og plassere bosetterne i deres maritime landskap. Denne avhandlingen viser en høy og betydelig grad av gjenbruk av områder, og at nordmenn bevisst valgte å bosette seg på steder som allerede var etablert som gårder i før-norrøn jernalder. Den mest sannsynlige grunnen var at disse områdene ofte okkuperte strategiske punkter både på land og til havs, der nordmenn kunne ha utnyttet både jordbruk og fiske. Det ser ikke ut til at nordmennene valgte boplass som en måte å fortsette de tidligere bosetningsmønstrene til før-norrøne folk, siden boplasser som ikke passet inn i et norrønt bosetningsmønster ikke ser ut til å ha blitt bebodd i norrøn tid. Både norrøn bosetning og gravmønster viser at nordmenn hadde et hierarkisk bosetningssystem med sentre og periferier. De største og viktigste sentrene okkuperte de mest strategiske punktene i det maritime landskapet, samtidig som de hadde tilgang til dyrkbar jord. Denne avhandlingen vil ikke kunne bidra til debatten om etnisitet i religionen fordi de arkeologiske undersøkelsene er for vanskelige å tolke. Imidlertid kan det sies at nordmenn ikke tok hensyn til de som bodde der fra før da de bosatte seg, og de ser ut til å ha etablert et samfunn basert på egne behov og kultur.This thesis sought to answer the questions: why did the Norse choose to settle in Skye and the Western Isles? What was so attractive about the Skye and the Western Isles that it would attract generations of Norse settlement over the span of four-five centuries? In order to answer these questions, the Norse archaeological landscape in Skye and the Western Isles was examined. In particular, this thesis attempted to understand settlement patterns, power, and ethnicity within the region. In addition, a centre-periphery model was used on the basis of an excavation and fully published multi-period Norse elite site, Bornais, in order to understand settlement and power within the region. Due to the paucity of the archaeological record in the area, this thesis utilizes a landscape approach to the data. All available Norse-period (Viking Age – 800-1087 AD, and Late Norse, 1087-1250 AD) sites were compiled into a database. This database includes excavated material, finds through survey, chance or stray finds, and evidence from antiquarian investigations. Placename data was also utilized. All available data were sorted by state of provenance. Sites without provenance or without accurate findspots were left out of the analyses. Sites with provenance were further divided into settlement, burial, stray find, or other. Using a methodology of spatial analysis, this thesis attempted to understand siting for Norse-period sites by several different methods. This thesis examined the landscape surrounding each site: if a site is in relation to a pre-Norse site (such as a site dating to the pre-Norse Iron Age); to place a site in its natural environment including agricultural land, elevation, and access to freshwater; and placing sites in their maritime landscape. This thesis shows a high and significant level of the re-use of sites, and that the Norse deliberately chose to settle in locations already established as farmsteads in the pre-Norse Iron Age. The likely reason was that these sites often occupied strategic points of both the landscape and seascape, where the Norse could have utilized both farming and fishing at these locations. It does not appear that the Norse chose sites as a way of continuing the previous settlement patterns of the pre-Norse peoples, since sites that did not fit into a Norse settlement pattern do not seem to have been occupied in the Norse-period. Both the Norse settlement and burial pattern shows that the Norse settlers had a hierarchal settlement system with centres and peripheries. The largest and most important centres occupied the most strategic points of the seascape while still having access to arable land. This thesis was unable to add to the debate on ethnicity in the region, finding the archaeological record too difficult to interpret anything substantial or new. However, it can be said that the Norse did not take into consideration non-Norse peoples when siting settlements and appear to have established communities based on their own needs and culture.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Administrators’ Perceptions of Medication Management in Assisted Living Facilities: Results from focus groups

Objective: Assisted living (AL) residents are vulnerable to adverse events as a result of using numerous medications and frequently need assistance in administering medications. Very little is known, however, about the ways in which medications are managed within this level of care. Design: AL administrators from the metropolitan Baltimore, Maryland area were invited to participate in focus groups to explore issues involved in medication management. Setting and Participants: Four administrators from smaller (15 beds or fewer) and six larger (more than 15 beds) certified AL facilities serving primarily older residents participated. Administrators must have served in their position at least six months. Results: Administrators described interactions with residents, physicians, and pharmacists as well as the issues of state regulations and their enforcement. We uncovered themes concerning the challenges faced in negotiating competing needs of residents, providers, and regulatory bodies. Conclusions: Administrators often feel torn between competing requirements of their position, and they experience some degree of conflict in allowing residents to retain autonomy in the face of demands of family, providers, and regulators. Small-facility administrators especially report being in a position to allow them to monitor residents\u27 medication reactions and needs. Large-facility administrators sometimes find their actions hampered by decisions made at higher (ownership) levels. Administrators want AL facilities to remain at an intermediate level of care, with less stringent regulations than for those for nursing facilities, but would also like more consistency in enforcement of regulations. Qualitative assessment of medication-related issues in AL can help to guide policy in this area

An Imaging Fabry-Perot System for the Robert Stobie Spectrograph on the Southern African Large Telescope

We present the design of the Fabry-Perot system of the Robert Stobie Spectrograph on the 10-meter class Southern African Large Telescope and its characterization as measured in the laboratory. This system provides spectroscopic imaging at any desired wavelength spanning a bandpass 430 - 860 nm, at four different spectral resolving powers ranging from 300 to 9000. Our laboratory tests revealed a wavelength dependence of the etalon gap and parallelism with a maximum variation between 600 - 720 nm that arises because of the complex structure of the broadband multi-layer dielectric coatings. We also report an unanticipated optical effect of this multi-layer coating structure that produces a significant, and wavelength dependent, change in the apparent shape of the etalon plates. This change is caused by two effects: the physical non-uniformities or thickness variations in the coating layers, and the wavelength dependence of the phase change upon refection that can amplify these non-uniformities. We discuss the impact of these coating effects on the resolving power, finesse, and throughput of the system. This Fabry-Perot system will provide a powerful tool for imaging spectroscopy on one of the world's largest telescopes.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Treatment of Porphyromonas gulae infection and downstream pathology in the aged dog by lysine-gingipain inhibitor COR388.

COR388, a small-molecule lysine-gingipain inhibitor, is currently being investigated in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease (AD) with exploratory endpoints in periodontal disease. Gingipains are produced by two species of bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Porphyromonas gulae, typically associated with periodontal disease and systemic infections in humans and dogs, respectively. P. gulae infection in dogs is associated with periodontal disease, which provides a physiologically relevant model to investigate the pharmacology of COR388. In the current study, aged dogs with a natural oral infection of P. gulae and periodontal disease were treated with COR388 by oral administration for up to 90 days to assess lysine-gingipain target engagement and reduction of bacterial load and downstream pathology. In a 28-day dose-response study, COR388 inhibited the lysine-gingipain target and reduced P. gulae load in saliva, buccal cells, and gingival crevicular fluid. The lowest effective dose was continued for 90 days and was efficacious in continuous reduction of bacterial load and downstream periodontal disease pathology. In a separate histology study, dog brain tissue showed evidence of P. gulae DNA and neuronal lysine-gingipain, demonstrating that P. gulae infection is systemic and spreads beyond its oral reservoir, similar to recent observations of P. gingivalis in humans. Together, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of COR388 lysine-gingipain inhibition, along with reduction of bacterial load and periodontal disease in naturally occurring P. gulae infection in the dog, support the use of COR388 in targeting lysine-gingipain and eliminating P. gingivalis infection in humans

Gettysburg College Sustainability Proposal

In the fall of 2011, the Environmental Studies capstone class led by Professor Rutherford Platt was asked to write Gettysburg College’s first Sustainability Plan. The goal of the plan was to develop specific sustainable practices for the campus that were related to the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental, and how integrating diligent sustainable practices into each of these respected pillars will result in a more conscious campus, community, and future. In 2010, Gettysburg College turned to the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) to quantify the institution’s sustainability efforts, providing a self-check mechanism to encourage sustainability applications to all aspects of the College. The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment was signed in 2007 by former Gettysburg College President Katherine Haley Will, declaring that Gettysburg College would become carbon neutral by 2032. Gettysburg College has made large strides in the search for sustainability, and aims to continue its dedication to furthering sustainable practice. The following plan outlines the six priority areas identified by the Capstone class: progress of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, Dining Services, campus green space, community outreach, integration of sustainability into the Gettysburg College Curriculum, and the Sustainability Advisory Committee. The first priority area identified was monitoring and upholding the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Though creating new sustainability initiatives on campus is the driving force towards an increasingly sustainable college and community, it is imperative that these goals be carried out in full to maximize beneficial returns. In order to reach carbon neutrality, Gettysburg College hopes to increase energy efficiency in buildings, incorporate renewable energy sources on campus, and mitigate remaining emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets. To further the College’s progress, it is proposed that Gettysburg College continue its energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy, as well as create a policy to offset all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel for students study abroad. As stated by the ACUPCC, a Sustainability Committee should take responsibility for the updates and progress reports required to meet the goal of carbon neutrality. The second priority area identified was sustainability in Dining Services. Gettysburg College is home to 2,600 students, all of whom require three full meals a day. Dining Services accounts for a large fraction of Gettysburg College’s sustainability efforts, already implementing sustainability through composting, buying local produce, and using biodegradable products. The proposed on-campus sales cuts of non-reusable to-go items, a change in campus mentality on food waste, and improved composting practices will translate to an increasingly sustainable campus, as well as a well-fed campus body. The third priority was maintaining green space on campus. Ranked as the 23rd most beautiful campus in the United States by The Best Colleges, Gettysburg College utilizes campus green space to create an atmosphere that is conducive to activity as well as tranquility. The plan proposes that Gettysburg College and its grounds facilities continue their exceptional efforts, focusing on increasing the use of the student garden, creating a new rain garden or social area on campus, and converting unnecessary parking lots into green space. As these additions are completed, they must be introduced to the student body and faculty alike to assure these areas are known and utilized. The fourth priority was utilizing community outreach to spread awareness of sustainability initiatives on and off campus. To connect the sustainability-geared changes proposed in this plan, community outreach at Gettysburg College is assessed to estimate how well these initiatives are communicated and promoted to both potential and enrolled students, faculty, and other concerned parties. To evaluate the efficiency of communication at Gettysburg College, a quantitative assessment is presented to measure the ease of finding the sustainability webpage, the quality of sustainability-related topics available on the webpage, and quality of webpage design. The webpage is in need of improved text to image ratios, locations of sustainability topics, and data displays. Despite not having a link to the sustainability webpage on the Gettysburg College homepage, sustainability events should be covered and presented on the rotational news feed found on the homepage to maximize outreach to interested parties or simply to add to the definition of Gettysburg College. The fifth priority was integrating sustainability into the Curriculum to build a culture on campus that values academic rigor, supports students as they cultivate intellectual and civic passions, and promotes the development of healthy social relationships and behaviors. The proposed Sustainability Committee on Sustainability in the Curriculum (SCC) will hold sustainability workshops for faculty with the aim to instill sustainability into all academic disciplines, providing all Gettysburg graduates with a means to approach their professional careers in a fashion that is conscious of sustainability. The sixth and last priority was the Sustainability Advisory Committee. Established in 2007, the Sustainability Advisory Committee is currently under review, but it is recommended that the committee restructure itself in accordance with the new Sustainability Committee Bylaws. These bylaws aim to define the purposes, membership, governance, and involvement with the college. With a clearly defined set of goals and methodology, the Sustainability Advisory Committee will be able to improve the solidarity of the sustainability movement on campus as a whole. By following the propositions laid out in the Gettysburg College Sustainability Plan, the student body, faculty, and community alike will become a part of a multi-faceted progression toward a more sustainable future

Exploring the limits of saving a subspecies: The ethics and social dynamics of restoring northern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)

Abstract The northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is functionally extinct with only two females left alive. However, cryopreserved material from a number of individuals represents the potential to produce additional individuals using advanced reproductive and genetic rescue technologies and perhaps eventually a population to return to their native range. If this could and were done, how should it be done responsibly and thoughtfully. What issues and questions of a technical, bioethical, and societal nature will it raise that need to be anticipated and addressed? Such issues are explored in this article by an interdisciplinary team assembled to provide context to the northern white rhino project of the San Diego Zoo Global

Adsorption, structural alteration and elution of peptides at pendant PEO layers

An experimentally based, quantitative understanding of the entrapment and function of small peptides within PEO brush layers does not currently exist. Earlier work provided a rationale for expecting that an ordered, compact peptide will enter the PEO phase more readily than a peptide of similar size that adopts a less ordered, less compact form, and that amphiphilicity will promote peptide retention within the hydrophobic region of the PEO brush. Here we more deliberately describe criteria for peptide integration and structural change within the PEO brush, and discuss the reversibility of peptide entrapment with changing solvent conditions. For this purpose, circular dichroism (CD) was used to record the adsorption and conformational changes of (amphiphilic) WLBU2 and (non-amphiphilic) polyarginine peptides at uncoated (hydrophobic) and PEO-coated silica nanoparticles. Peptide conformation was controlled between disordered and α-helical forms by varying the concentration of perchlorate ion. We show an initially more ordered (α-helical) structure promotes peptide adsorption into the PEO layer. Further, a partially helical peptide undergoes an increase in helicity after entry, likely due to concomitant loss of capacity for peptide-solvent hydrogen bonding. Peptide interaction with the PEO chains resulted in entrapment and conformational change that was irreversible to elution with changing solution conditions in the case of the amphiphilic peptide. In contrast, the adsorption and conformational change of the non-amphiphilic peptide was reversible. These results indicate that responsive drug delivery systems based on peptide-loaded PEO layers can be controlled by modulation of solution conditions and peptide amphiphilicity.Keywords: circular dichroism (CD), cationic amphiphilic peptides (CAPs), polyarginine, PEO brush, peptide integration, WLBU

Concentration effects on peptide elution from pendant PEO layers

In earlier work, we have provided direction for development of responsive drug delivery systems based on modulation of structure and amphiphilicity of bioactive peptides entrapped within pendant polyethylene oxide (PEO) brush layers. Amphiphilicity promotes retention of the peptides within the hydrophobic inner region of the PEO brush layer. In this work, we describe the effects of peptide surface density on the conformational changes caused by peptide-peptide interactions, and show that this phenomenon substantially affects the rate and extent of peptide elution from PEO brush layers. Three cationic peptides were used in this study: the arginine-rich amphiphilic peptide WLBU2, the chemically identical but scrambled peptide S-WLBU2, and the non-amphiphilic homopolymer poly-L-arginine (PLR). Circular dichroism (CD) was used to evaluate surface density effects on the structure of these peptides at uncoated (hydrophobic) and PEO-coated silica nanoparticles. UV spectroscopy and a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) were used to quantify changes in the extent of peptide elution caused by those conformational changes. For amphiphilic peptides at sufficiently high surface density, peptide-peptide interactions result in conformational changes which compromise their resistance to elution. In contrast, elution of a non-amphiphilic peptide is substantially independent of its surface density, presumably due to the absence of peptide-peptide interactions. The results presented here provide a strategy to control the rate and extent of release of bioactive peptides from PEO layers, based on modulation of their amphiphilicity and surface density.Keywords: α-Helix, PEO brush, Cationic amphiphilic peptides, Polyarginine, WLBU2, Coiled-coils, Circular dichroism (CD), Peptide elutio