‘Teachers’ to ‘academics’: the implementation of a modernisation project at one UK post-92 university

Among the many external forces that have impacted upon institutions, league tables have been the dynamic to which universities across the world are now responding. Following the appointment of a new vice-chancellor at one post-92 UK university, a modernisation project was introduced aimed at maximising the institutions’ research standing. For the institutional actors, the university’s lecturers, this modernisation project demanded a change in their working practices from one which had focused on teaching related activities to a situation where an emphasis was to be placed upon research. This study examines how university teachers at this institution understood and responded to the modernisation project to acquire research skills and provides an insight into a path-breaking strategic plan that was enacted within an historically dependent setting. It muses on the dialectics of institutional path dependency and the path breaking effect of a modernisation project that was stimulated by new managerialism

Artificial Curing of Texas Onions.

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Kerr effect of two-medium layered systems

Detailed and practical expressions are given for the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) for various configurations of two media. One is a magneto-optic (MO) one, and the other is a nonmagnetic (NM) medium. For a system of two thick media with a single interface, with a first-order approximation in MOKE term Q, the Kerr function is determined by the product of a MOKE term Q and an optical term η. A second type of system includes a thin MO (or NM) layer deposited on a thick NM (or MO) substrate. For a MO/(NM-substrate) configuration, the Kerr function is related to the Kerr effects from the air/MO and MO/NM interfaces, and to the Faraday effects of the MO layer, as well as to interference effects. The enhancement factor can be expected to be large by proper choice of materials. For a NM/(MO-substrate) configuration, the total Kerr function is related to the Kerr effect from the NM/MO interface and can be enhanced by interference. The enhancement factor is expected to be less than one if the NM layer is strongly absorbing. Calculations of Kerr effects for examples of the PtMnSb/AuAl2 and Fe/Cu configurations are given. These indicate that the peaks shown in the onset region of the interband transitions of Cu can be attributed to a dramatic change of the refractive index in that region. The merits of a MO/(NM-metallic) structure have been evaluated, and indicate that a better Kerr enhancement effect can be achieved if the refractive index of the MO layer is larger than one and is much larger than that of the metallic material. A drawback to this configuration comes from the fact that a MO material with a large refractive index value usually is not expected to have a large intrinsic Kerr effect. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics

Morphometric assessment of gastric antral atrophy: comparison with visual evaluation

AIMS: As part of a multinational effort to reach a consensus in the definition and evaluation of atrophic gastritis, we applied morphometric techniques to 22 antral biopsy specimens examined visually by 12 experienced gastrointestinal pathologists. METHODS AND RESULTS: Atrophy was defined as loss of glands. Each pathologist graded atrophy with both non-standardized and standardized approaches. Discriminant function analyses of morphometric measurements were conducted to validate and grade atrophy. Kappa statistics were used to compare the performance of each pathologist against the group mode and against the discriminant functions' grading of atrophy. Three morphometric indexes showed significant differences among categories of atrophy utilizing non-standardized as well as standardized visual atrophy grades: (i) the ratio of glandular length to total mucosal thickness; (ii) the proportion of the secretory compartment area occupied by glands; and (iii) the number of glandular cross sections per 40x microscopic field. The discriminant function analyses verified all cases classified visually as either non-atrophic, or moderately/severely atrophic; it verified as mildly atrophic 40% of the cases classified visually as mildly atrophic; and classified the remaining 60% as moderately or severely atrophic. The kappa statistics were good or excellent for the majority of pathologists. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of antral atrophy, simply defined as loss of glands, can be reliable and reproducible. The visual grading of atrophy as absent, moderate and severe is entirely consistent with objective morphometric observations

Veneers, rinds, and fracture fills: Relatively late alteration of sedimentary rocks at Meridiani Planum, Mars

Veneers and thicker rinds that coat outcrop surfaces and partially cemented fracture fills formed perpendicular to bedding document relatively late stage alteration of ancient sedimentary rocks at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The chemistry of submillimeter thick, buff-colored veneers reflects multiple processes at work since the establishment of the current plains surface. Veneer composition is dominated by the mixing of silicate-rich dust and sulfate-rich outcrop surface, but it has also been influenced by mineral precipitation, including NaCl, and possibly by limited physical or chemical weathering of sulfate minerals. Competing processes of chemical alteration (perhaps mediated by thin films of water or water vapor beneath blanketing soils) and sandblasting of exposed outcrop surfaces determine the current distribution of veneers. Dark-toned rinds several millimeters thick reflect more extensive surface alteration but also indicate combined dust admixture, halite precipitation, and possible minor sulfate removal. Cemented fracture fills that are differentially resistant to erosion occur along the margins of linear fracture systems possibly related to impact. These appear to reflect limited groundwater activity along the margins of fractures, cementing mechanically introduced fill derived principally from outcrop rocks. The limited thickness and spatial distribution of these three features suggest that aqueous activity has been rare and transient or has operated at exceedingly low rates during the protracted interval since outcropping Meridiani strata were exposed on the plains surface. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union

Recovery of Extra-Radical Fungal Peptides Amenable for Shotgun Protein Profiling in Arbuscular Mycorrhizae

International audienceIn arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, the belowground mycelium that develops into the soil, not only provides extensive pathways for nutrient fluxes, the occupation of different niches, and dispersal of propagules, but also has strong influences upon biogeochemical cycling. By providing a valuable overview of expression changes of most proteins, shotgun proteomics can help decipher key metabolic pathways involved in the functioning of fungal mycelia. In this protocol, we describe the combination of extra-radical mycelium growth systems with gel-based extraction of fungal peptides amenable for shotgun protein profiling, which allows gaining information about the extra-radical proteom