Comparative Functional Analysis of Boundary Infrastructures, Library Classification, and Folksonomies

This paper outlines three information organization frameworks: library classification, social tagging, and boundary infrastructures. It then outlines functionality of these frameworks. The paper takes a neo-pragmatic approach. The paper finds that these frameworks are complementary, and by understanding the differences and similarities that obtain between them, researchers and developers can begin to craft a vocabulary of evaluation.

Function, Purpose, Predication, and Context of Information Organization Frameworks

This paper outlines the purposes, predications, functions, and contexts of information organization frameworks; including: bibliographic control, information retrieval, resource discovery, resource description, open access scholarly indexing, personal information management protocols, and social tagging in order to compare and contrast those purposes, predications, functions, and contexts. Information organization frameworks, for the purpose of this paper, consist of information organization systems (classification schemes, taxonomies, ontologies, bibliographic descriptions, etc.), methods of conceiving of and creating the systems, and the work processes involved in maintaining these systems. The paper first outlines the theoretical literature of these information organization frameworks. In conclusion, this paper establishes the first part of an evaluation rubric for a function, predication, purpose, and context analysis.

Film policy in practice: a case study of Scottish Screen’s funding schemes

This thesis examines cultural policy for film in Scotland, from 1997 to 2010. It explores the extent to which the industry is shaped by film policy strategies and through the agency of public funding bodies. It reflects on how Scottish Screen, Scotland’s former screen agency, articulated its role as a national institution concerned with both commercial and cultural remits, with the conflicting interests of different industry groups. The study examines how the agency developed funding schemes to fulfil policy directives during a tumultuous period in Scottish cultural policy history, following the establishment of the Scottish Parliament with the Scotland Act 1998 and preceding the Independence Referendum Act 2013. In order to investigate how policy has shaped the development of a national film industry, a further two case studies are explored. These are Tartan Shorts, Scotland’s former flagship short film scheme, and the Audience Development Fund, Scotland’s first project based film exhibition scheme. The first study explores the planning, implementation and evaluation of the scheme as part of the agency’s talent development strategy. The outcomes of this study show the potential impact of funding methods aimed at developing and retaining Scottish filmmaking talent. Thereafter, the Scottish exhibition sector is discussed; a formerly unexplored field within film policy discussions and academic debate. It outlines Scottish Screen’s legacy to current film exhibition funding practices and the practical mechanisms the agency utilised to foster Scottish audiences. By mapping the historical and political terrain, the research analyses the specificity of Scotland within the UK context and explores areas in which short-term, context-driven policies become problematic. The work concludes by presenting the advantages and issues caused by film funding practices, advocating what is needed for the film industry in Scotland today with suggestions for long-term and cohesive policy development.

Re-imagining the theology of human sexuality in the Methodist Church: the use of narrative in theological methodology

This thesis proposes the development of a narrative methodology in the British Methodist Church. Such a methodology embraces and communicates both felt experience and critical theological thinking, thus producing and presenting a theology that might have a constructive transformative impact on wider society. In chapter one I explore the ways in which the Church speaks in public, identify some of the challenges it faces, and consider four models of engagement. If the Church is to engage in public discourses then I argue that its words need to be relevant and connect with people’s experiences. To ground the thinking I focus on the context of the British Methodist Church and explore how the Church engages in theological reflection through the lens of its thinking on issues of human sexuality. Chapter two reviews how theological reflection is undertaken in the British Methodist Church. I describe how the Methodist Quadrilateral of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience remains a foundational framework for theological reflection within the Methodist Church and consider the impact of institutional processes and the ways in which the Methodist people actually engage with theological thinking. The third and fourth chapters focus on how the British Methodist Church has produced its theology of human sexuality, giving particular attention to the use of personal and sexual stories in this process. I find that whilst there has been a desire to listen to the stories of the Methodist people, there has not been a corresponding interrogation or analysis of their stories so as to enable robust and constructive theological reflection on these experiences. Using resources from Foucauldian approaches to discourse analysis, I critique key statements and the processes involved in their production, offering an analysis of this body of theological thinking and indicating where possibilities for alternative ways of thinking and acting arise. The proposed methodology draws upon resources from social science methodologies, and in chapter five I look at the use of personal experience and relevant strategies of inquiry that prompt reflection on the hermeneutical process and employ narrative approaches in undertaking, analysing and presenting research. The exploration shows that qualitative research methodologies offer resources and methods of inquiry that could help the Church to engage with personal stories in its theological thinking in a robust, interrogative and imaginative way. In chapter six an examination of story and narrative is undertaken, to show how they have been understood as ways of knowing and how they relate to theological inquiry. Whilst acknowledging some of the limitations of narrative, I indicate how it offers constructive possibilities for theological reflection and could be a means for the British Methodist Church to engage in public discourse. This is explored further in chapter seven, which looks in more detail at how the British Methodist Church has used narrative in its theological thinking, and outlines areas requiring further attention in order for a narrative theological methodology to be developed, namely: attention to the question ‘whose experience?’; investigation of issues of power and the dynamics involved in the process of the production of theological thought; how personal stories and experiences are interrogated and how narrative is constructed; and how narrative might be employed within the Methodist Quadrilateral. The final chapter considers the advantages and limitations of such an approach, whether the development of such a method is possible in the Methodist Church today and its potential for helping the Church to engage in public discourse more effectively. I argue that this methodology can provoke new theological insights and enable new ways of being in the world

Controlled surface nanotopography and oxygen plasma treatment of PEEK to improve cellular response

Poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) is a semi crystalline polymer which exhibits properties that make it an attractive choice for use as an implant material. It displays natural radiolucency, and MRI compatibility, as well as good chemical and sterilization resistance, both of which make it of particular interest in orthopaedic implants. However, PEEK has demonstrated poor cellular adhesion both in vitro and in vivo. This is problematic as implant surfaces that do not develop a layer of adhesive cells are at risk of undergoing fibrous encapsulation, which in turn leads to lack of a strong interface between the implant device and the patient tissue, which can in turn lead to failure of the implant and revision surgery . As incorporating nanotopography into a polymer surface has been demonstrated to be able to direct the differentiation behaviour of stem cells, a possible solution to PEEKs underlying issues with poor cellular response would be to incorporate specific nanoscale topography into the material surface through injection moulding, and then analysing if this is a viable method for addressing PEEKs issues with cellular response. In addition to nanoscale topography, the experimental PEEK surfaces were treated with oxygen plasma to address the underlying cytophobicity of the material. As this type of treatment has been documented to be capable of etching the PEEK surface, experiments were carried out to quantify the effect of this treatment, both on the ability of cells to adhere to the PEEK surface, as well as the effect it has upon the nanotopography present at the PEEK surface. The results demonstrated that there were a range of plasma treatments which would significantly improve the ability of cells to adhere to the PEEK surface without causing unacceptable damage to the nanotopography. Three different types of cells with osteogenic capacity were tested with the PEEK surfaces to gauge the ability of the topography to alter their behaviour: SAOS-2, osteoprogenitors and 271+ MSCs. Due to PEEKs material properties (it is non transparent, exhibits birefringence and is strongly autofluorescent) a number of histological techniques were used to investigate a number of different stages that take place in osteogenesis. The different cell types did display slightly different responses to the topographies. The SAOS-2 cells cultured on surfaces that had been plasma treated for 2 minutes at 200W had statistically significantly higher levels of von Kossa staining on the NSQ surface compared to the planar surface, and the same experiment employing alizarin red staining, showed a statistically significantly lower level of staining on the SQ surface compared to the planar surface. Using primary osteoprogenitor cells designed to look into if whether or not the presence of nanotopography effected the osteogenic response of these cells, we saw a lack of statistically significant difference produced by the surfaces investigated. By utilising HRP based immunostaining, we were able to investigate, in a quantitative fashion, the production of the two osteogenic markers osteopontin and osteocalcin by cells. When stained for osteocalcin, the SQ nanotopography had total percentage of the surface with stained material, average area and average perimeter all statistically significantly lower than the planar surface. For the cells that were stained for osteopontin, the SQ nanotopgraphy had a total percentage of the surface with stained material, average area and average perimeter all highly statistically significantly lower than those of the planar surface. Additionally, for this marker the NSQ nanotopography had average areas and average perimeters that were highly significantly higher than those of the planar surface. There were no significant differences for any of the values investigated for the 271+ MSC’s When plasma treatment was varied, the SAOS-2 cells demonstrated an overall trend i.e. increasing the energy of plasma treatment in turn leads to an increase in the overall percentage of staining. A similar experiment employing stem cells isolated from human bone marrow instead of SAOS-2 cells showed that for polycarbonate surfaces , used as a control, mineralization is statistically significantly higher on the NSQ nanopattern compared to the planar surface, whereas on the PEEK surfaces we observe the opposite trend i.e. the NSQ nanotopography having a statistically significantly lower amount of mineralization compared to the planar surface at the 200W 2min and 30W 1min plasma treatments. The standout trend from the PEEK results in this experiment was that the statistically significant differences on the PEEK substrates were clustered around the lower energy plasma treatments, which could suggest that the plasma treatment disrupted a function of the nanotopograhy which is why, as the energy increases, there are less statistically significant differences between the NSQ nanotopography and the Planar surface This thesis documents the response of a number of different types of cells to specific nanoscale topographies incorporated into the PEEK surface which had been treated with oxygen plasma. It outlines the development of a number of histological methods which measure different aspects of osteogenesis, and were selected to both work with PEEK, and produce quantitative results through the use of Cell Profiler. The methods that have been employed in this body of work would be of interest to other researchers working with this material, as well as those working with similarly autofluorescent materials.

Creative Practices Around the Production of Cork

Cork, as a natural product provided by the bark of the cork oak tree, is an important staple of the Portuguese economy and important to Portuguese culture. It is a sustainable product with a positive ecological footprint, from harvesting to industrial production, with the advantage of creating a local economic model through regional labour activity and distribution. Within the balance between nature-human-economy to create a sustainable system, cork production in Portugal represents a human and social dimension. By focusing on that dimension and by creating an awareness of the cultural and social impact of the activity and by re-appraising the meaning of the material within the culture, the study reframes a consideration of the actual place of labour and production. The human, geophysical, historical, social, economic, ecological and cultural aspects of the place are observed as regards their relation to work or labour in that physical space. A pilot study is being developed in the village of Azaruja in the district of Évora, Portugal. In this small locality, cork is very important in terms of the relationships between the physical subsistence of their residents and the local natural resources, because it structures the place in its cultural, social and economical dimensions. This paper outlines the theoretical foundations, the process and the outcomes of the participatory ecodesign project titled Creative Practices Around the Production of Cork which was initiated by a Portuguese artist/design researcher and developed further through the collaboration with the other two authors, one a Portuguese visual artist/researcher and the other a Turkish fashion designer/theorist. The investigation focuses on questions that expand the notion of place for artists and designers, filtered through the lenses of manual labourers in order to understand their physical, social, cultural and economic relationship with the environment. To create the process of interaction with the place and the people, a creative collaborative dynamic is developed between the authors with their range of artistic sensibilities and the local population. To adopt a holistic notion of sustainability and cultural identity a process of investigation is designated to: (1) analyse, test and interpret - through the dissemination of life stories, visual representation of the place and the creation of cork objects - the importance of culture related to the labour activity of a local natural resource that determines and structures the region; (2) to give public recognition to those involved, taking into account their sense of belonging to the place and in order to show the value of their sustainable labour activities related to local natural resources; (3) to contribute to the knowledge of the place and to its dynamism through an aesthetic approach to labour activities. With reference to fields of knowledge such as anthropology, the social arts and sustainable design, a practice-based research is conducted with collaborative and participatory design methods to create an open model of interaction which involves local people in the realization of the project. Outcomes of this research will be presented in the paper as a survey analysis with theoretical conclusions.

Innovative Al Alloys for High Performance Automotive Pistons: Enhancement of Specific Strength at High Temperature and Resistance to Knock Damage

The increasingly strict regulations on greenhouse gas emissions make the fuel economy a pressing factor for automotive manufacturers. Lightweighting and engine downsizing are two strategies pursued to achieve the target. In this context, materials play a key role since these limit the engine efficiency and components weight, due to their acceptable thermo-mechanical loads. Piston is one of the most stressed engine components and it is traditionally made of Al alloys, whose weakness is to maintain adequate mechanical properties at high temperature due to overaging and softening. The enhancement in strength-to-weight ratio at high temperature of Al alloys had been investigated through two approaches: increase of strength at high temperature or reduction of the alloy density. Several conventional and high performance Al-Si and Al-Cu alloys have been characterized from a microstructural and mechanical point of view, investigating the effects of chemical composition, addition of transition elements and heat treatment optimization, in the specific temperature range for pistons operations. Among the Al-Cu alloys, the research outlines the potentialities of two innovative Al-Cu-Li(-Ag) alloys, typically adopted for structural aerospace components. Moreover, due to the increased probability of abnormal combustions in high performance spark-ignition engines, the second part of the dissertation deals with the study of knocking damages on Al pistons. Thanks to the cooperation with Ferrari S.p.A. and Fluid Machinery Research Group - Unibo, several bench tests have been carried out under controlled knocking conditions. Knocking damage mechanisms were investigated through failure analyses techniques, starting from visual analysis up to detailed SEM investigations. These activities allowed to relate piston knocking damage to engine parameters, with the final aim to develop an on-board knocking controller able to increase engine efficiency, without compromising engine functionality. Finally, attempts have been made to quantify the knock-induced damages, to provide a numerical relation with engine working conditions.

The role of networked learning in academics’ writing

This article explores academics’ writing practices, focusing on the ways in which they use digital platforms in their processes of collaborative learning. It draws on interview data from a research project that has involved working closely with academics across different disciplines and institutions to explore their writing practices, understanding academic literacies as situated social practices. The article outlines the characteristics of academics’ ongoing professional learning, demonstrating the importance of collaborations on specific projects in generating learning in relation to using digital platforms and for sharing and collaborating on scholarly writing. A very wide range of digital platforms have been identified by these academics, enabling new kinds of collaboration across time and space on writing and research; but challenges around online learning are also identified, particularly the dangers of engaging in learning in public, the pressures of ‘always-on’-ness and the different values systems around publishing in different forums.

Seeing emotions in others: Improving cognitive and neuronal mechanisms of facial expression processing

In the conceptual framework of affective neuroscience, this thesis intends to advance the understanding of the plasticity mechanisms of other’s emotional facial expression representations. Chapter 1 outlines a description of the neurophysiological bases of Hebbian plasticity, reviews influential studies that adopted paired associative stimulation procedures, and introduces new lines of research where the impact of cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation protocols on higher order cognitive functions is investigated. The experiments in Chapter 2 aimed to test the modulatory influence of a perceptual-motor training, based on the execution of emotional expressions, on the subsequent emotion intensity judgements of others’ high (i.e., full visible) and low-intensity (i.e., masked) emotional expressions. As a result of the training-induced learning, participants showed a significant congruence effect, as indicated by relatively higher expression intensity ratings for the same emotion as the one that was previously trained. Interestingly, although judged as overall less emotionally intense, surgical facemasks did not prevent the emotion-specific effects of the training to occur, suggesting that covering the lower part of other’s face do not interact with the training-induced congruence effect. In Chapter 3 it was implemented a transcranial magnetic stimulation study targeting neural pathways involving re-entrant input from higher order brain regions into lower levels of the visual processing hierarchy. We focused on cortical visual networks within the temporo-occipital stream underpinning the processing of emotional faces and susceptible to plastic adaptations. Importantly, we tested the plasticity-induced effects in a state dependent manner, by administering ccPAS while presenting different facial expressions yet afferent to a specific emotion. Results indicated that the discrimination accuracy of emotion-specific expressions is enhanced following the ccPAS treatment, suggesting that a multi-coil TMS intervention might represent a suitable tool to drive brain remodeling at a neural network level, and consequently influence a specific behavior.

Integration of by-products and waste from agri-food supply chains into the «water-energy-food» nexus (RECOW-ER): the role of fungi

The agricultural sector is undoubtedly one of the sectors that has the greatest impact on the use of water and energy to produce food. The circular economy allows to reduce waste, obtaining maximum value from products and materials, through the extraction of all possible by-products from resources. Circular economy principles for agriculture include recycling, processing, and reusing agricultural waste in order to produce bioenergy, nutrients, and biofertilizers. Since agro-industrial wastes are principally composed of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose they can represent a suitable substrate for mushroom growth and cultivation. Mushrooms are also considered healthy foods with several medicinal properties. The thesis is structured in seven chapters. In the first chapter an introduction on the water, energy, food nexus, on agro-industrial wastes and on how they can be used for mushroom cultivation is given. Chapter 2 details the aims of this dissertation thesis. In chapters three and four, corn digestate and hazelnut shells were successfully used for mushroom cultivation and their lignocellulosic degradation capacity were assessed by using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. In chapter five, through the use of the Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was possible to set-up a new method for studying mushroom composition and for identifying different mushroom species based on their spectrum. In chapter six, the isolation of different strains of fungi from plastic residues collected in the fields and the ability of these strains to growth and colonizing the Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) were explored. The structural modifications of the LDPE, by the most efficient fungal strain, Cladosporium cladosporioides Clc/1 strain were monitored by using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Finally, chapter seven outlines the conclusions and some hints for future works and applications are provided.

Pipkiiα Is Widely Expressed In Hematopoietic-derived Cells And May Play A Role In The Expression Of Alpha- And Gamma-globins In K562 Cells.

Characterized for the first time in erythrocytes, phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIP kinases) belong to a family of enzymes that generate various lipid messengers and participate in several cellular processes, including gene expression regulation. Recently, the PIPKIIα gene was found to be differentially expressed in reticulocytes from two siblings with hemoglobin H disease, suggesting a possible relationship between PIPKIIα and the production of globins. Here, we investigated PIPKIIα gene and protein expression and protein localization in hematopoietic-derived cells during their differentiation, and the effects of PIPKIIα silencing on K562 cells. PIPKIIα silencing resulted in an increase in α and γ globins and a decrease in the proliferation of K562 cells without affecting cell cycle progression and apoptosis. In conclusion, using a cell line model, we showed that PIPKIIα is widely expressed in hematopoietic-derived cells, is localized in their cytoplasm and nucleus, and is upregulated during erythroid differentiation. We also showed that PIPKIIα silencing can induce α and γ globin expression and decrease cell proliferation in K562 cells.

The Clinical Impact Of Cerebellar Grey Matter Pathology In Multiple Sclerosis.

The cerebellum is an important site for cortical demyelination in multiple sclerosis, but the functional significance of this finding is not fully understood. To evaluate the clinical and cognitive impact of cerebellar grey-matter pathology in multiple sclerosis patients. Forty-two relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and 30 controls underwent clinical assessment including the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and cerebellar functional system (FS) score, and cognitive evaluation, including the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed with a 3T scanner and variables of interest were: brain white-matter and cortical lesion load, cerebellar intracortical and leukocortical lesion volumes, and brain cortical and cerebellar white-matter and grey-matter volumes. After multivariate analysis high burden of cerebellar intracortical lesions was the only predictor for the EDSS (p<0.001), cerebellar FS (p = 0.002), arm function (p = 0.049), and for leg function (p<0.001). Patients with high burden of cerebellar leukocortical lesions had lower PASAT scores (p = 0.013), while patients with greater volumes of cerebellar intracortical lesions had worse SDMT scores (p = 0.015). Cerebellar grey-matter pathology is widely present and contributes to clinical dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, independently of brain grey-matter damage.

Dna Extraction From Filter-paper Spots Of Vaginal Samples Collected After Sexual Violence.

To detect the presence of male DNA in vaginal samples collected from survivors of sexual violence and stored on filter paper. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate 10 vaginal samples spotted on sterile filter paper: 6 collected at random in April 2009 and 4 in October 2010. Time between sexual assault and sample collection was 4-48hours. After drying at room temperature, the samples were placed in a sterile envelope and stored for 2-3years until processing. DNA extraction was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for human β-globin, and the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was quantified. The presence of the Y chromosome was detected using primers for sequences in the TSPY (Y7/Y8 and DYS14) and SRY genes. β-Globin was detected in all 10 samples, while 2 samples were positive for PSA. Half of the samples amplified the Y7/Y8 and DYS14 sequences of the TSPY gene and 30% amplified the SRY gene sequence of the Y chromosome. Four male samples and 1 female sample served as controls. Filter-paper spots stored for periods of up to 3years proved adequate for preserving genetic material from vaginal samples collected following sexual violence.

Analysis Of The Dna Fourier Transform-infrared Microspectroscopic Signature Using An All-reflecting Objective.

The Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) signature of dry samples of DNA and DNA-polypeptide complexes, as studied by IR microspectroscopy using a diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) objective, has revealed important discriminatory characteristics relative to the PO2(-) vibrational stretchings. However, DNA IR marks that provide information on the sample's richness in hydrogen bonds have not been resolved in the spectral profiles obtained with this objective. Here we investigated the performance of an all reflecting objective (ARO) for analysis of the FT-IR signal of hydrogen bonds in DNA samples differing in base richness types (salmon testis vs calf thymus). The results obtained using the ARO indicate prominent band peaks at the spectral region representative of the vibration of nitrogenous base hydrogen bonds and of NH and NH2 groups. The band areas at this spectral region differ in agreement with the DNA base richness type when using the ARO. A peak assigned to adenine was more evident in the AT-rich salmon DNA using either the ARO or the ATR objective. It is concluded that, for the discrimination of DNA IR hydrogen bond vibrations associated with varying base type proportions, the use of an ARO is recommended.

Antiangiogenic And Finasteride Therapies: Responses Of The Prostate Microenvironment In Elderly Mice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural and molecular effects of antiangiogenic therapies and finasteride on the ventral prostate of senile mice. 90 male FVB mice were divided into: Young (18 weeks old) and senile (52 weeks old) groups; finasteride group: finasteride (20mg/kg); SU5416 group: SU5416 (6 mg/kg); TNP-470 group: TNP-470 (15 mg/kg,) and SU5416+TNP-470 group: similar to the SU5416 and TNP-470 groups. After 21 days, prostate ventral lobes were collected for morphological, immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. The results demonstrated atrophy, occasional proliferative lesions and inflammatory cells in the prostate during senescence, which were interrupted and/or blocked by treatment with antiangiogenic drugs and finasteride. Decreased AR and endostatin reactivities, and an increase for ER-α, ER-β and VEGF, were seen in the senile group. Decreased VEGF and ER-α reactivities and increased ER-β reactivity were verified in the finasteride, SU5416 groups and especially in SU5416+TNP-470 group. The TNP-470 group showed reduced AR and ER-β protein levels. The senescence favored the occurrence of structural and/or molecular alterations suggesting the onset of malignant lesions, due to the imbalance in the signaling between the epithelium and stroma. The SU5416+TNP-470 treatment was more effective in maintaining the structural, hormonal and angiogenic factor balance in the prostate during senescence, highlighting the signaling of antiproliferation via ER-β.