Imagining early Melbourne

A broad stroke examination of the surveying of early Melbourne and the anxiety surrounding the development of slums in the city

The Silence, Exile, and Cunning of “I”: An Analysis of Bildungsroman as the Place Model in the Work of Charlotte Brontë and James Joyce

Education, be that on a moral, social or intellectual level, in a formal setting or via lived experience is Bildungsroman’s raison d’être. ‘Moments of crisis’ and the resultant demonstration of the journey towards awareness of personal autonomy, agency, identity and place are discussed via geographical imagination. This article examines ‘fictional’ teachers, the impact of the ‘professional’ on formative development and how the fictional characters of Jane Eyre and Stephen Dedalus fit within and extend the Place Model

The Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Origin of a Late Precambrian Alteration Profile in NW Scotland: Agalmatolite and its Links With Cambrian Shales

This thesis investigates the origin of an alteration profile developed beneath the Lewisian-Cambrian unconformity in Sutherland, NW Scotland and considers its postulated link with the genesis of shales of the overlying Cambrian succession. Field investigation was carried out to determine the areal and vertical extent of the alteration. Samples were collected throughout the length of the unconformity and suites, containing samples from various depths in the alteration profile, were taken from different places along strike. Detailed investigation of the mineralogical changes with progressive alteration was carried out using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy, electron probe analysis and cathodoluminescence techniques. Geochemical behaviour was considered in light of results determined from X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, CO2/H2O and FeO determination and the ICP method of analysis was used for determination of boron concentration in samples. Stable isotope analyses and fluid inclusion investigation provided information on fluids and processes affecting the rocks. The K/Ar and dating techniques allowed the timing of formation of certain minerals to be ascertained. Field evidence indicated that the alteration profile was developed in most places exposed beneath the unconformity throughout its length of outcrop. Its geometry suggests that the profile is a palaeosaprolite. The order of alteration of primary phases is consistent with that for stability of minerals during weathering, and the major secondary phases, pinite (very fine-grained muscovite) and pyrophyllite, are also found in other Precambrian palaeosaprolites. Geochemical behaviour was similar to that found in other Precambrian palaeosols with most elements being lost relative to AI2O3 (including all major element oxides apart from Ti02 (and possibly ZrO2)). Most of the criteria of Grandstaff et al. (1986, Precamb. Res. 32, 97-131) for identification of palaeosols are satisfied. It is concluded that the alteration profile beneath the Lewisian/Cambrian unconformity in NW Scotland is a palaeosaprolite. The soil horizon was extensively developed throughout the area and formed during late Precambrian times prior to the deposition of overlying strata. It developed under humid, tropical, oxidising conditions at moderate pH and was similar to a modem day pedalfer. However, only the lowermost C horizon was preserved after the Cambrian marine transgression. The dominant clay weathering product, which was preserved beneath the Cambrian sediments, was illite, with kaolinite also preserved in places at the top of the profile. This indicates that the rocks retained had been weathered up to intermediate and advanced stages respectively. Clays eroded from the soil formed the shales of the overlying succession and chemical weathering of the gneisses provided the cations for the formation of authigenic K- feldspar in the Cambrian succession. Boron was absorbed by illites from the seawater, which allowed the later development of tourmaline and which explains the regional geochemical boron anomaly over the Cambrian sedimentary rocks. The present mineralogy of the palaeosaprolite developed after temperatures in the rocks reached ~24

Identifying Key Factors of Engineering Innovativeness

Identifying key factors of engineering innovativenessSignificant resources are spent nationally and locally to foster innovation, yet limited research exists onthe personal characteristics of innovators, especially those found in engineering. This three-yearcollaborative research project, currently in its second year, has led to the identification of specificattributes associated with engineering innovators, with the potential to inform a broad range of people,from engineering students to engineering educators to practicing engineers and their managers. Throughthis project, we have developed a socially constructed set of key engineering innovativenesscharacteristics based on the views of a diverse group of engineering innovation experts. We have alsodetermined which characteristics are more important in specific stages of the innovation process, andexamined the innovativeness factors that are innate/fixed (e.g., cognitive style) versus those that can bechanged/enhanced (e.g., knowledge, skills).Through a series of interviews and a Delphi study with engineering innovators from academia andindustry, we found the innovation process to have at least three distinct stages: (1) the front-end ordiscovery stage, (2) the middle or development stage, and (3) the back-end or implementation andadoption stage. For example, some of the key characteristics of engineering innovativeness that wereidentified with the discovery stage of the innovation process included: experimenter, alternatives seeker,curious, risk taker, and visionary. Future research steps will focus on testing and widely disseminating avalidated instrument that assesses the key engineering innovativeness characteristics, and using ourresearch results to inform the education of innovative engineers and the professional development ofengineering practitioners

Structural basis for inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor by cetuximab

SummaryRecent structural studies of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family extracellular regions have identified an unexpected mechanism for ligand-induced receptor dimerization that has important implications for activation and inhibition of these receptors. Here we describe the 2.8 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of the antigen binding (Fab) fragment from cetuximab (Erbitux), an inhibitory anti-EGFR antibody, in complex with the soluble extracellular region of EGFR (sEGFR). The sEGFR is in the characteristic “autoinhibited” or “tethered” inactive configuration. Cetuximab interacts exclusively with domain III of sEGFR, partially occluding the ligand binding region on this domain and sterically preventing the receptor from adopting the extended conformation required for dimerization. We suggest that both these effects contribute to potent inhibition of EGFR activation

A ROLE FOR RESEARCH IN INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION ADMISSIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM ONE CANADIAN UNIVERSITY

This article argues for the importance of broad and on-going research to support initial or pre-service teacher education program admissions. Examples from a large initial teacher education program at one Canadian university illustrate the contributions of research to the evaluation and refinement of admission processes. These examples include anonymous surveys and confidential interviews of current pre-service teachers about their experiences of answering application questions about their social identity, how they decided to apply to and attend the program, and their expectations of teacher education and teaching. Research studies about the perspectives of and agreement among the application raters are also discussed. Finally, how the operational needs of the admission processes shape the research agenda and the emerging research findings in turn shape the admission processes is explored

Structural Evaluation of EGFR Inhibition Mechanisms for Nanobodies/VHH Domains

SummaryThe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is implicated in human cancers and is the target of several classes of therapeutic agents, including antibody-based drugs. Here, we describe X-ray crystal structures of the extracellular region of EGFR in complex with three inhibitory nanobodies, the variable domains of heavy chain only antibodies (VHH). VHH domains, the smallest natural antigen-binding modules, are readily engineered for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. All three VHH domains prevent ligand-induced EGFR activation, but use two distinct mechanisms. 7D12 sterically blocks ligand binding to EGFR in a manner similar to that of cetuximab. EgA1 and 9G8 bind an epitope near the EGFR domain II/III junction, preventing receptor conformational changes required for high-affinity ligand binding and dimerization. This epitope is accessible to the convex VHH paratope but inaccessible to the flatter paratope of monoclonal antibodies. Appreciating the modes of binding and inhibition of these VHH domains will aid in developing them for tumor imaging and/or cancer therapy

Vector species-specific association between natural Wolbachia infections and avian malaria in black fly populations

Thanks to the Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (University of Glasgow) for funding vector traps.Artificial infection of mosquitoes with the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia can interfere with malaria parasite development. Therefore, the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes has been proposed as a malaria control strategy. However, Wolbachia effects on vector competence are only partly understood, as indicated by inconsistent effects on malaria infection reported under laboratory conditions. Studies of naturally-occurring Wolbachia infections in wild vector populations could be useful to identify the ecological and evolutionary conditions under which these endosymbionts can block malaria transmission. Here we demonstrate the occurrence of natural Wolbachia infections in three species of black fly (genus Simulium), which is a main vector of the avian malaria parasite Leucocytozoon. Prevalence of Leucocytozoon was high (25%), but the nature and magnitude of its association with Wolbachia differed between black fly species. Wolbachia infection was positively associated with avian malaria infection in S. cryophilum, negatively associated in S. aureum, and unrelated in S. vernum. These differences suggest that Wolbachia interacts with the parasite in a vector host species-specific manner. This provides a useful model system for further study of how Wolbachia influences vector competence. Such knowledge, including the possibility of undesirable positive association, is required to guide endosymbiont based control methods.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe