The development, rationale, organisation and future management of public sector tourism in Scotland

Scotland is a small country, part of a small island on the edge of Western Europe, yet it has a very large tourist organisation (with about 750 staff) relative to other countries - how can this be? Scotland is different from the rest of the UK; it has its own education system, separate judicial and legal systems, and these, along with the Church, have helped to mould Scotland’s identity. Scotland is not an independent state so does not have direct membership of the United Nation nor its affiliated organisations. In 1999, the UK government devolved limited authority and power to the new Scottish Parliament, including judicial authority, education, health and industrial development – including tourism. Scotland, with a population of just over five million, has always looked outwards and innovation has long been part of Scottish culture. So can Scotland also take a lead in developing a new management structure for delivering tourism in Scotland in the 21st century

Reflecting on reflection: scale extension and a comparison of undergraduate business students in the United States and the United Kingdom

In the Peltier, Hay, and Drago (2005) article entitled “The Reflective Learning Continuum: Reflecting on Reflection,” a reflective learning continuum was conceptualized and tested. This is a follow-up article based on three extensions: (1) determine whether the continuum could be expanded, (2) further validating the continuum using additional schools, and (3) determining whether the continuum could also be applied to undergraduate business education. The findings from a study of U.S. and UK students show that the revised scale is valid and reliable and that U.S. students in the sample universities rated their educational experience higher and were more likely to use reflective thinking practices

The Drosophila DIAP1 protein is required to prevent accumulation of a continuously generated, processed form of the apical caspase DRONC

Although loss of the inhibitor of apoptosis (LAP) protein DIAP1 has been shown to result in caspase activation and spontaneous cell death in Drosophila cells and embryos, the point at which DIAP1 normally functions to inhibit caspase activation is unknown. Depletion of the DIAP1 protein in Drosophila S2 cells or the Sf-IAP protein in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf21 cells by RNA interference (RNAi) or cycloheximide treatment resulted in rapid and widespread caspase-dependent apoptosis. Co-silencing of dronc or dark largely suppressed this apoptosis, indicating that DIAP1 is normally required to inhibit an activity dependent on these proteins. Silencing of dronc also inhibited DRICE processing following stimulation of apoptosis, demonstrating that DRONC functions as an apical caspase in S2 cells. Silencing of diap1 or treatment with UV light induced DRONC processing, which occurred in two steps. The first step appeared to occur continuously even in the absence of an apoptotic signal and to be dependent on DARK because full-length DRONC accumulated when dark was silenced in non-apoptotic cells. In addition, treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 resulted in accumulation of this initially processed form of DRONC, but not full-length DRONC, in non-apoptotic cells. The second step in DRONC processing was observed only in apoptotic cells. These results indicate that the initial step in DRONC processing occurs continuously via a DARK-dependent mechanism in Drosophila cells and that DIAP1 is required to prevent excess accumulation of this first form of processed DRONC, presumably through its ability to act as a ubiquitin-protein ligase

Compensatory Proliferation Induced by Cell Death in the Drosophila Wing Disc Requires Activity of the Apical Cell Death Caspase Dronc in a Nonapoptotic Role

Achieving proper organ size requires a balance between proliferation and cell death. For example, at least 40%–60% of cells in the Drosophila wing disc can be lost, yet these discs go on to give rise to normal-looking adult wings as a result of compensatory proliferation 1, 2, 3. The signals that drive this proliferation are unknown. One intriguing possibility is that they derive, at least in part, from the dying cells. To explore this hypothesis, we activated cell death signaling in specific populations of cells in the developing wing but prevented these cells from dying through expression of the baculovirus p35 protein, which inhibits the activity of effector caspases that mediate apoptosis [4]. This allowed us to uncouple the activation steps of apoptosis from death itself. Here we report that stimulation of cell death signaling in the wing disc—in the absence of cell death—results in increased proliferation and ectopic expression of Wingless, a known mitogen in the wing. Activation of the apical cell death caspase Dronc is necessary and sufficient to drive both of these processes. Our results demonstrate an unanticipated function, the nonautonomous induction of proliferation, of an apical cell death caspase. This activity is likely to contribute to tissue homeostasis by promoting local compensatory proliferation in response to cell death. We speculate that dying cells may communicate cell fate or behavior instructions to their neighbors in other contexts as well

Expression of baculovirus P35 prevents cell death in Drosophila

The baculovirus P35 protein functions to prevent apoptotic death of infected cells. We have expressed P35 in the developing embryo and eye of the fly Drosophila melanogaster. P35 eliminates most, if not all, normally occurring cell death in these tissues, as well as X-irradiation-induced death. Excess pupal eye cells that are normally eliminated by apoptosis develop into pigment cells when their death is prevented by P35 expression. Our results suggest that one mechanism by which viruses prevent the death of the host cell is to block a cell death pathway that mediates normally occurring cell death. Identification of molecules that interact biochemically or genetically with P35 in Drosophila should provide important insights into how cell death is regulated

Community-based trial of screening for Chlamydia trachomatis to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease: the POPI (prevention of pelvic infection) trial.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is common and can lead to tubal factor infertility, ectopic pregnancy or chronic pelvic pain. Despite major UK government investment in the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, evidence of benefit remains controversial. The main aim of this trial was to investigate whether screening and treatment of chlamydial infection reduced the incidence of PID over 12 months. Secondary aims were to conduct exploratory studies of the role of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in the development of PID and of the natural history of chlamydial infection. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with follow up after 12 months. SETTING NON-HEALTHCARE: Common rooms and lecture theatres at 20 universities and further education colleges in Greater London. PARTICIPANTS: 2500 sexually active female students were asked to complete a questionnaire on sexual health and provide self-administered vaginal swabs and smears. INTERVENTION: Vaginal swabs from intervention women were tested for chlamydia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and those infected referred for treatment. Vaginal swabs from control women were stored and analysed after a year. Vaginal smears were Gram stained and analysed for BV. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of clinical PID over 12 months in intervention and control groups. Possible cases of PID will be identified from questionnaires and record searches. Confirmation of the diagnosis will be done by detailed review of medical records by three independent researchers blind to whether the woman is in intervention or control group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT 00115388

Coupled Pulsation And Translation Of A Gas Bubble And Rigid Particle

A nonlinear analytic model describing the interaction of a spherical gas bubble and spherical rigid particle is presented. Both the bubble and particle are free to translate. The model is accurate to fifth order in terms of a nondimensional expansion parameter R/d, where R is a characteristic radius and d is the distance separating the bubble and particle. Numerical simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effects of key particle parameters and an external acoustic source.Applied Research Laboratorie

Model For The Dynamics Of A Bubble Undergoing Small Shape Oscillations Between Elastic Layers

A model is presented for a pulsating and translating gas bubble in a channel formed by two soft elastic parallel layers. The bubble is free to undergo small shape deformations. Coupled nonlinear second-order differential equations are obtained for the shape and position of the bubble, and numerical integration of an expression for the liquid velocity at the layer interfaces yields an estimate of their displacement. Simulations reveal behavior consistent with laboratory observations.Applied Research Laboratorie