Industrialisation, residential mobility and the changing social morphology of Edinburgh and Perth, c. 1850-1900

The aim of this research is to advance the understanding of the impacts of the industrial revolution on urban space during the period 1850-1900. This was a period of great dynamism with high levels of social and economic change, political radicalism and urban growth that had profound effects on the urban landscape. In contrast to much previous research on Victorian urban space, the case study settlements used are Edinburgh and Perth, Scottish burghs with diverse economies not dominated by a heavy industrial sector. The analysis uses data from a variety of sources including the census, valuation rolls and the Register of Sasines. It also draws insights from structuration theory by examining the spatial outcome of various processes in terms of the reflexive relationship between structural factors such as class and capitalism and the residential movements of individuals (agents). Three scales of analysis are used. Thus, meso-scale socio-spatial change is seen as affected by both macro-scale structures and micro-scale actions of agents. By constructing a series of maps and measures of the distribution of social groups at various times over the half century, the thesis demonstrates that socio-spatial differentiation increased markedly over the period. The processes driving this socio-spatial change are identified as the operations of the housing market, structured feeling and mobility. The detailed roles of each is examined. Together, it is argued these are the modalities which link structures and agents and are thus the proximate determinants of socio-spatial change

Gamification to Improve First Year Engagement

The purpose of this project was to examine the role of Gamification in increasing first year student engagement within the third level educational setting. A literature review was carried out in order to explore the teaching philosophy behind gamification in education and review the quantitative and qualitative evidence regarding its use. Gamification can be broadly described as the application of gaming methods and elements in non-gaming contexts in order to improve user engagement and user experience (Deterding et al., 2011). Qualitative analysis suggests these factors result in beneficial emotional and social impacts on students, particularly in the area of increasing student engagement. This advantage of the use of gamification in enhancing student engagement can be linked to better student retention, particularly in the first year of third level education (Mooney et al., 2010; Nelson & Clarke, 2011). Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between lecture attendance and outcomes of examinations (O\u27Dwyer, 2011; O\u27Dwyer, 2011). However, quantitative analysis within the literature on the cognitive impact of gamification is lacking (Dominguez et al., 2013). In order to enhance a deeper learning experience careful planning of gamification activities must be implemented. When used correctly, gamification provides a unique tool within third level education to promote creative, independent enquiring students who effectively participate in these \u27serious games\u27. The findings of this literature review are outlined within this report and are aimed to supplement the infographic artefact, video and website created as part of the group project

Twenty years of research into Chlamydia-like organisms: a revolution in our understanding of the biology and pathogenicity of members of the phylum Chlamydiae

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that share a unique but remarkably conserved biphasic developmental cycle that relies on a eukaryotic host cell for survival. Although the phylum was originally thought to only contain one family, the Chlamydiaceae, a total of nine families are now recognized. These so-called Chlamydia-like organisms (CLOs) are also referred to as ‘environmental chlamydiae', as many were initially isolated from environmental sources. However, these organisms are also emerging pathogens, as many, such as Parachlamydia sp., Simkania sp. and Waddlia sp., have been associated with human disease, and others, such as Piscichlamydia sp. and Parilichlamydia sp., have been documented in association with diseases in animals. Their strict intracellular nature and the requirement for cell culture have been a confounding factor in characterizing the biology and pathogenicity of CLOs. Nevertheless, the genomes of seven CLO species have now been sequenced, providing new information on their potential ability to adapt to a wide range of hosts. As new isolation and diagnostic methods advance, we are able to further explore the richness of this phylum with further research likely to help define the true pathogenic potential of the CLOs while also providing insight into the origins of the ‘traditional' chlamydia

Efficiency Crisis of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts with Shallow X-ray Afterglows: Prior Activity or Time-Dependent Microphysics?

Most X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Swift satellite have a shallow decay phase t^{-1/2} in the first few hours. This is not predicted by the standard afterglow model and needs an explanation. We discuss that the shallow decay requires an unreasonably high gamma-ray efficiency, >75-90%, within current models, which is difficult to produce by internal shocks. Such a crisis may be avoided if a weak relativistic explosion occurs ~10^3-10^6 s prior to the main burst or if the microphysical parameter of the electron energy increases during the shallow decay, \epsilon_e ~ t^{1/2}. The former explanation predicts a very long precursor, while both prefer dim optical flashes from the reverse shock, as was recently reported. We also calculate the multi-wavelength afterglows and compare them with observations. No optical break at the end of the shallow X-ray decay indicates a preference for the time-dependent microphysics model with additionally decaying magnetic fields, \epsilon_B ~ t^{-0.6}.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in A&

Redox interactions of Tc(VII), U(VI), and Np(V) with microbially reduced biotite and chlorite

Technetium, uranium, and neptunium are contaminants that cause concern at nuclear facilities due to their long half-life, environmental mobility, and radiotoxicity. Here we investigate the impact of microbial reduction of Fe(III) in biotite and chlorite and the role that this has in enhancing mineral reactivity toward soluble TcO4 -, UO2 2+, and NpO2 +. When reacted with unaltered biotite and chlorite, significant sorption of U(VI) occurred in low carbonate (0.2 mM) buffer, while U(VI), Tc(VII), and Np(V) showed low reactivity in high carbonate (30 mM) buffer. On reaction with the microbially reduced minerals, all radionuclides were removed from solution with U(VI) reactivity influenced by carbonate. Analysis by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirmed reductive precipitation to poorly soluble U(IV) in low carbonate conditions and both Tc(VII) and Np(V) in high carbonate buffer were also fully reduced to poorly soluble Tc(IV) and Np(IV) phases. U(VI) reduction was inhibited under high carbonate conditions. Furthermore, EXAFS analysis suggested that in the reaction products, Tc(IV) was associated with Fe, Np(IV) formed nanoparticulate NpO2, and U(IV) formed nanoparticulate UO2 in chlorite and was associated with silica in biotite. Overall, microbial reduction of the Fe(III) associated with biotite and chlorite primed the minerals for reductive scavenging of radionuclides: this has clear implications for the fate of radionuclides in the environment

Characterization of the structure and control of the blood-nerve barrier identifies avenues for therapeutic delivery

The blood barriers of the nervous system protect neural environments but can hinder therapeutic accessibility. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is well characterized, consisting of endothelial cells with specialized tight junctions and low levels of transcytosis, properties conferred by contacting pericytes and astrocytes. In contrast, the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) of the peripheral nervous system is poorly defined. Here, we characterize the structure of the mammalian BNB, identify the processes that confer barrier function, and demonstrate how the barrier can be opened in response to injury. The homeostatic BNB is leakier than the BBB, which we show is due to higher levels of transcytosis. However, the barrier is reinforced by macrophages that specifically engulf leaked materials, identifying a role for resident macrophages as an important component of the BNB. Finally, we demonstrate the exploitation of these processes to effectively deliver RNA-targeting therapeutics to peripheral nerves, indicating new treatment approaches for nervous system pathologies