European Union and international students in Scottish Higher Education Institutions

In Scotland the share of students attending Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) who come from countries outside of the UK is higher than for the UK as a whole. Over the last decade, the number of students at Scottish HEIs from other member states of the European Union (EU students) and from countries outside of the European Union (international students) has grown considerably. The tuition fees paid by such students have become a significant source of income for most Scottish HEIs. Therefore, any change to UK immigration rules, regardless of the outcome of the current debate on constitutional change, would likely have more of an impact on Scottish HEIs compared to HEIs in other parts of the UK

Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Human NODAL

Nodal and related ligands are highly conserved members of the TGF-beta superfamily with well-established and essential roles in the early embryonic development of vertebrates, and in cell fate decisions in human embryonic stem (hES) cells. Aberrant NODAL signaling also generally promotes pro-tumourigenic phenotypes and the progression of a wide array of human cancers. Despite being pursued as a potential therapeutic target, many aspects of NODAL’s molecular biology remain poorly understood. This thesis provides a comprehensive characterization of gene expression from the human NODAL locus at multiple levels. First, an intronic NODAL SNP known as rs2231947 was found to be functional in its modulation of a novel alternatively spliced exon. This exon contributed to a full-length processed NODAL variant transcript. The existence of this genetically regulated NODAL isoform suggests that NODAL biology is more complex than currently appreciated. At the protein level, the alternatively spliced NODAL variant differs in the C-terminal half of the NODAL mature peptide. The NODAL variant was preferentially secreted relative to constitutive NODAL, but displayed similar extracellular stability and processing. Differential N-glycosylation was partially responsible for this increased secretion, and for NODAL secretion in general. The NODAL variant protein is unlikely to adopt a constitutive NODAL-like structure, and did not induce expression of targets of canonical NODAL signaling in the zebrafish embryo. However, the NODAL variant did efficiently complex via inter-chain disulfide bonds, and induced pro-tumourigenic phenotypes to a limited extent relative to constitutive NODAL. In summary, this work demonstrates previously unknown complexity governing human NODAL gene expression and function. These molecular details will help broaden our understanding of NODAL function as well as aid in the continued development of potential targeted therapies to inhibit NODAL signaling in cancer

Pre-Disturbance Characterization of a Forested Mountain Drainage Basin in the Belt Series of Western Montana

A knowledge of natural erosion rates of the Belt Series of western Montana is a prerequisite to the prescription of best management practices by the forest industry of the region. Suspended sediment yield, as an index of erosion, was determined for a single drainage basin on quartzitic and argillaceous members of the Missoula Group, using discharge and sediment concentration measurements from two stations. Physical and biotic features relevant to erosion were quantified for the undisturbed basin. Sediment yields of 0.18 tons/km2yr were estimated for the year July 1982 till June 1983. Comparison with other measurements on this geology, and with predictions from two models, show this yield to be very low. Low yields are explained by the minimal surface run-off and overland delivery of eroded material, the stability of the soils and the extensive ground cover. Channel erosion is indicated as the principal source of measured sediment. The representativeness of the study basin in terms of its morphology was tested against a sample of 107 basins in western Montana. Above normal drainage density, relief and elongation are not reflected in the sediment yields. Use of multivariate techniques on the pool of morphometric variables showed little tendency towards uniformity of basin structure within geographic locations or third level land system classification units

The influence of serial carbohydrate mouth rinsing on power output during a cycle sprint

The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of serial administration of a carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinse on performance, metabolic and perceptual responses during a cycle sprint. Twelve physically active males (mean (± SD) age: 23.1 (3.0) years, height: 1.83 (0.07) m, body mass (BM): 86.3 (13.5) kg) completed the following mouth rinse trials in a randomized, counterbalanced, double-blind fashion; 1. 8 x 5 second rinses with a 25 ml CHO (6% w/v maltodextrin) solution, 2. 8 x 5 second rinses with a 25 ml placebo (PLA) solution. Following mouth rinse administration, participants completed a 30 second sprint on a cycle ergometer against a 0.075 g·kg-1 BM resistance. Eight participants achieved a greater peak power output (PPO) in the CHO trial, resulting in a significantly greater PPO compared with PLA (13.51 ± 2.19 vs. 13.20 ± 2. 14 W·kg-1, p < 0.05). Magnitude inference analysis reported a likely benefit (81% likelihood) of the CHO mouth rinse on PPO. In the CHO trial, mean power output (MPO) showed a trend for being greater in the first 5 seconds of the sprint and lower for the remainder of the sprint compared with the PLA trial (p > 0.05). No significant between-trials difference was reported for fatigue index, perceived exertion, arousal and nausea levels, or blood lactate and glucose concentrations. Serial administration of a CHO mouth rinse may significantly improve PPO during a cycle sprint. This improvement appears confined to the first 5 seconds of the sprint, and may come at a greater relative cost for the remainder of the sprint

Higher and Further Education Students' Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2007-08

This report presents findings from the second study of the income, expenditure and debt of students studying higher education (HE) and further education (FE) in Scotland in 2007-08. The study was commissioned by the Scottish Government and conducted by the Scottish Centre for Employment Research at the University of Strathclyde Business School in conjunction with colleagues from the Business School and Department of Economics of the University of Glasgow. The aim of the study is to examine Scottish-domiciled higher and further education students' finances, particularly their income, expenditure, debt and savings, and their attitudes to the financing of study in Scotland. Where appropriate this data is then compared to the findings of the previous 2004-05 Scottish survey as well as a control group of young Scots who are not students

The political economy of immigration policy : the example of Scotland

The inward mobility of labour can serve as a driver of economic growth and the immigration policies of many countries are orientated towards this end. However immigration is also a contentious issue, with the general public often displaying hostility towards liberal immigration policies. The compromises between economic and political considerations that states make when developing immigration policy are poorly theorised in academic literature. The study contributes to conceptual understandings of the voices of ‘elites’ in the political-economy of immigration policy through a critical interrogation of the narratives and preferences of employers in the context of the ongoing Scottish constitutional change debate.PostprintPeer reviewe

Structure retrieval at atomic resolution in the presence of multiple scattering of the electron probe

The projected electrostatic potential of a thick crystal is reconstructed at atomic-resolution from experimental scanning transmission electron microscopy data recorded using a new generation fast- readout electron camera. This practical and deterministic inversion of the equations encapsulating multiple scattering that were written down by Bethe in 1928 removes the restriction of established methods to ultrathin ($\lesssim 50$ {\AA}) samples. Instruments already coming on-line can overcome the remaining resolution-limiting effects in this method due to finite probe-forming aperture size, spatial incoherence and residual lens aberrations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Don Pedro Ronquillo and Spanish-British Relations (1674-91)

This thesis provides an examination of Spanish-British relations from 1674-1691 through the lens of the correspondence of Don Pedro Ronquillo, Spanish ambassador to the courts of Charles II, James II, and William III

The hydrological effects of fire in South African catchments.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1994.Stream-flow and storm-flow in four small catchments were analysed by the paired catchment method for a response to fire. Two of the catchments were vegetated with over-mature fynbos (the indigenous scrub vegetation of the south-western Cape Province, South Africa), one was afforested to Pinus radiata and the fourth to Eucalyptus fastigata. One of the fynbos catchments was burned in a prescribed fire in the late dry season. The other catchments burned in wildfires. Neither of the fynbos catchments showed a change in storm-flows. Annual total flow increases of around 16% were in line with predictions, being related to the reductions in transpiration and interception. The manner of stream-flow and storm-flow generation appeared to have remained unaltered despite the fire. The two timber plantation catchments experienced large and significant increases in stormflow and sediment yields, while total flow increased by 12% in the pine catchment and decreased marginally in the eucalypt catchment. After fire, storm hydrographs were higher and steeper though their duration was little changed. These fire effects are considered to be due to changes in storm-flow generation consistent with an increased delivery of overland flow to the stream channel. This was caused, in part, by reduced infiltration resulting from water repellency in the soils of the burned catchments. The inherent wettability of a wide range of soil types and textures from beneath timber plantations and other vegetation types over a broad geographic distribution in South Africa was measured by four methods. Soils with high repellency ratings, unrelated to fire, are common and are most likely to occur beneath plantations of Eucalyptus and Acacia spp. and indigenous forest. Water repellent soils played a role, at two of the three locations, in the generation of overland flow from small plots exposed to simulated rainfall. However, the inherent repellency of the dry soils was extreme, such that fire-induced water repellency was not a factor in the response of the plots. The important role of fire in this experiment was in burning-off of repellency in the surface layer of the soil and in removing ground cover

In what sense ‘distinctive’? The search for distinction amongst cross-border student migrants in the UK

This paper offers a geographical analysis of the concept of ‘distinction’ in relation to student mobility within the UK. The analysis in this paper is based primarily on interviews with Scottish students who have chosen to study in England, and English students who have done likewise in Scotland. The paper problematises the concept of ‘distinction’ in the stratified higher education system of the UK. The paper’s originality lies in showing how global forces affect these intra-state student flows and how ‘distinction’ as a driver of mobility is signified. The research offers a starting point in understanding the glocalisation of student mobility.PostprintPeer reviewe