Punishment of mainstream national parties, not Euroscepticism, is behind Irish results

The outcome of the European elections in Ireland reflected those across much of Europe — losses for the traditional establishment parties, gains for populist, Eurosceptic and anti-austerity candidates. However, in addition to the resentment of austerity measures and democratic deficit felt across many EU states, internal historical and political circumstances have also contributed to these results

Investigation of a Magnetically Enhanced Inductively Coupled Negative Ion Plasma Source

Experiments and numerical models were used to investigate an inductively coupled plasma source (ICPS) operating with a magnetic filter field. The work shows that applying magnetic filters transversely to the plasma offers several new control parameters to help enhance the properties of a plasma source. The application of these new results using magnetic enhancement is discussed with respect to both industrial plasma fabrication processes and neutral beam injection for fusion power. Experimental measurements of the power transfer efficiency of the ICPS were undertaken comparing the effect of the magnetic field for both hydrogen and argon plasmas. The location and strength of the magnetic field was varied while measurements of the plasma resistance and power transfer efficiency were performed. The changes in forward power transfer were correlated with plasma density measurements and a numerical model of the electrical plasma circuit was used to guide the optimal choice for the power system components. The results demonstrate that the magnetic field increases the total efficiency of the plasma source and that the gains are strongly dependant on the choice of location for the magnetic field. Plasma properties were then investigated across the plasma source 1 cm intervals. Experimental measurements comparing the effect of the magnetic filter on the plasma properties include: electron densities using a hairpin probe, electron energy probability functions using a compensated Langmuir probe, negative ion densities by laser photo detachment and rotational gas temperatures by optical emission spectroscopy. These measurements revealed interesting new properties of the plasma when a magnetic filter is applied including: the formation of a high density cold particle trap, changes in particle transport and drift motions, increased gas temperatures, and a peak in negative ion density under the magnetic filter center. Pulsing the plasma can greatly affect the plasma dynamics, leading to electron cooling in the afterglow and increased negative ion production. A combination of a pulsed plasma with a magnetic filter was then investigated. Measurements of the negative ion and electron populations were performed in the plasma afterglow with the magnetic filter applied. The results reveal a complex and dynamic afterglow process including strong spatial dependencies measured for diffusive transport, ambipolar breakdown and ion-ion plasma formation. The applications for this work include offering new avenues for control over processing plasma chemistry as well as initial results toward the future viability of a caesium-free pulsed negative ion neutral beam source

Students with Learning Differences from College STAR: A Case Study

This case study focused on the perceptions from students, family members, and faculty of students utilizing programs funded by the College STAR grant. The College STAR grant provides funds to welcome and support students with unique learning needs. As a newer initiative, minimal data exist on college students’ utilization of the resources provided by College STAR. The success of these students was the focus of this research. An analysis of feedback from one of the three participating universities including faculty members, family perspectives, and student qualities was conducted. This qualitative research approach consisted of a six-part design to collect and analyze data. Through the interviews conducted, College STAR was determined to have an overall positive effect on students. This grant offered assistance such as guidance with time management, mentors, and a specific tutoring center that accommodated participating students with a smaller, less invasive space for studying. Parents expressed how these services introduced their students to others with similar needs and gave them additional support needed, while in college. Two of the three professors interviewed were less knowledgeable about College STAR; however, all three professors were actively engaged with the participating students and were able to detail the positive impact College STAR had on teaching their students to reach out, advocate, and sustain themselves. The foundation built by the College STAR grant is tremendous, and it is only just beginning

The Impact of Fast ForWord on Phonological Awareness and Literacy Skills

This study investigated the impact of Fast ForWord on individual children\u27s phonological awareness and reading skills as well as general language and auditory processing skills. Five children, ages six through eight years, served as experimental subjects. The duration of participation in the Fast ForWord (FFW) training program was approximately 2 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 6 to 8 weeks. Fast ForWord training was completed when the subject reached at least 90 percent completion on five of the seven training exercises or when it was determined by the Fast ForWord professional that the child had received maximum benefit from the program. Three children, within the same age range, served as control subjects and did not receive any type of speech or language training. Results indicated that significant group mean gains (a minimal increase of one standard deviation) were not evidenced by the experimental subjects on any of the five assessment measures. The largest mean standard score increases were noted on the Language Processing Test-Revised (8 points) and the Test of Language Development-Primary:2 (4 points). Individually, two subjects increased standard scores by a minimum of one standard deviation. None of the five children reached the FFW completion rate of 90% completion on five of the seven games. Post test data for the control subjects revealed a similar, slightly larger increase in standard scores as for the experimental subjects

Gong and fa in Chinese martial arts

The distinction between gong (skill) and fa (technique) is ubiquitous in Chinese martial arts. Utilizing Maurice Merleau- Ponty’s notion of ‘embodied intentionality’, I examine this distinction. I draw specific examples of the kinds of skills under discussion from a particular style of taijiquan – Hong Chuan Chen Shi taijiquan (Master Hong Junsheng’s transmission of Chen taiji boxing) – and I argue that understanding taijiquan in terms of embodied intentionality allows us to understand important taijiquan concepts such as chansijin, yin, and yang. Although in this article I focus on one specific style of martial art, I argue that the general analysis of the gong-fa distinction based on embodied intentionality is widely applicable

The Seymour Decision: An Appraisal of the Olustee Campaign

Just before seven A.M. on February 20, 1864, Colonel Guy V. Henry’s mounted brigade, the advance guard of the Union forces commanded by Brigadier General Truman Seymour, departed Barber’s Ford, Florida, heading west on the Lake City and Jacksonville Road. Composed of the Fortieth Massachusetts Mounted Infantry with the First Massachusetts Independent Cavalry attached and Captain Samuel S. Elder’s Horse Battery with four pieces of artillery, the mounted men soon outdistanced those marching in brigade columns. The sky was clear and gold sunlight was just starting to filter down through the pines. In a report written two days later, Seymour stated that his objectives were to make contact with a Confederate force (he estimated it between 4,000 and 5,000) at or near Lake City, and then to push his mounted force on to the Suwannee River and destroy the railroad bridge crossing that stream. General Seymour’s force included, in addition to the mounted force, eight infantry regiments and two artillery batteries, a total of 5,115 men and sixteen pieces of artillery. By dawn the following day, 1,355 men, a little over twenty-six per cent of the Union force involved, would be killed or wounded, and 506 would be missing or captured. The battle that took place that day was proportionately the third bloodiest battle of the entire Civil War for the Union Army and the bloodiest of any of the Federal defeats

Mitogenic Signalling by the Endothelin Receptor in Rat-1 Fibroblasts

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was found to be a complete mitogen in Rat-1 fibroblasts and therefore the signalling pathways which might mediate its action were investigated. ET-1 stimulated both sustained phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) hydrolysis. The rank order of potency for both pathways stimulated by a range of ET isopeptides was the same for both responses (ET-1 ~ ET-2 > ET-3) suggesting that the same receptor controls both signalling pathways. PtdCho hydrolysis occurred kinetically downstream of Ptdlns(4,5)p2 hydrolysis by a phospholipase D-catalysed mechanism apparently involving both protein kinase C-dependent and -independent means of activation

A study of solid-propellant vaporization and diffusion processes Final technical report

Vaporization rate and diffusion coefficient determined for organic additives to polyurethane solid propellants - dioctyl adipate and ferrocen

The experiences and needs of HIV/AIDS counsellors at a South African hospital

To increase the availability of HIV/AIDS counselling in South Africa, nurses have been trained to serve as counsellors within hospital services. The aim of the study was to document the experiences and needs of nurse HIV/AIDS counsellors at a small South African hospital (with 279 beds and 10 medical doctors on the staff). The design was a qualitative, multiple-case study. The sample consisted of four nurse counsellors and the co-ordinator of HIV/AIDS services at the hospital. Three semi-structured interviews with the counsellors were used as the basis for case narratives of their experiences. These narratives were in turn subjected to content analysis to determine the range and nature of the concerns identified by the counsellors. The counsellors found their HIV/AIDS counselling work to be emotionally demanding and identified several significant problems. These were related to confidentiality, stigmatisation, motional responses to informing clients of their HIV-positive status, cultural and contextual factors and situational stressors related to the organisation of the work environment. They did not feel sufficiently supported by their work infrastructure. It is recommended that in setting up counselling services of this sort, managers need to be aware of the need for ongoing support in the form of facilitated groups, professional supervision, managerial attention to problems in the working environment, and regular in-service training