Use of library and information science journals by Master?s students in their dissertations: experiences at the University of Wales Aberystwyth

Tedd, L.A. (2006).Use of library and information science journals by Master?s students in their dissertations: experiences at the University of Wales Aberystwyth. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 58(6), 570-581.

What we have discovered about the Cold War is what we already knew : Julius Mader and the Western secret services during the Cold War

Maddrell, John, 'What we have discovered about the Cold War is what we already knew: Julius Mader and Western Espionage during the Cold War', Cold War History (2005) 5(2) pp.235-258 RAE2008

Secret Intelligence, Covert Action and Clandestine Diplomacy

Scott, L. (2004). Secret Intelligence, Covert Action and Clandestine Diplomacy. Intelligence and National Security. 19(2), pp.322-341 RAE2008

Selección de un aislado del nucleopoliedrovirus de Helicoverpa armigera (HearNPV) para su uso como base de un bioinsecticida

Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae), conocida como el taladro del tomate, es una especie polífaga y de amplia distribución, responsable de grandes pérdidas económicas en más de 60 cultivos a lo largo de las regiones tropicales y subtropicales del mundo. Estas plagas se controlan mayoritariamente con plaguicidas químicos, aunque existe un gran interés por desarrollar otros agentes de control biológico. Entre estos, se encuentra el nucleopoliedrovirus de Helicoverpa armigera (HearNPV, Baculoviridae), que por sus características de seguridad y eficacia, sería útil para impulsar los programas de gestión integrada de plagas que se fomentan desde la Directiva 2009/128/CEE. El objetivo de este trabajo fue realizar una caracterización bioquímica y biológica de varios aislados de HearNPV : un aislado silvestre español (Badajoz) HearNPV-SP1, un aislado chino HearSNPV-G4, tres aislados sudafricanos (HearNPV-Whl, HearNPV-Kzn, HearNPV-Alb) y la materia activa de un producto comercial en uso en Europa (HearNPV-Hx). El análisis con las enzimas de restricción determinó que la enzima BglII generaba perfiles similares pero con fragmentos característicos en todos los casos a excepción de los aislados HearNPV-Kzn y HearNPVAlb, que no pudieron ser diferenciados entre sí con ninguna de las enzimas probadas. El análisis filogenético, basado en las secuencias parciales de los genes poliedrina (polh), lef-8 y lef-9, donde se incluyeron las secuencias correspondientes a 18 genomas mostró que el aislado HearNPV-Whl es filogenéticamente próximo a las cepas de origen ibérico, mientras que los aislados HearNPV-Hx y HearNPV-Alb comparten la misma rama que los aislados asiáticos y australiano. La caracterización insecticida de los aislados HearNPV-SP1, HearNPV-Hx y HearNPV-G4 reveló que la virulencia (TMM) del aislado HearNPV-SP1 (104 h) fue significativamente menor que la de los aislados HearNPV-G4 (109 h) y HearNPV-Hx (111 h). En este trabajo, se determinó que el tiempo de acción del HearNPV-SP1 es menor al de otros bioinsecticidas en uso en Europa, por lo que se confirma la posibilidad de mejorar los productos activos en uno de los aspectos más sensibles de cara a su comercialización como es su tiempo de actuación.

Complicações microbiológicas na interface implante-pilar

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Medicina Dentária

Breaking ranks: the emergence of representative associations in the Irish armed forces 1989-1992

This study contexualises the relationship between the armed forces and the civil authority in Ireland using and revising the theoretical framework advanced by Huntington. It tracks the evolution of the idea of a representive body for soldiers in the late 1980s, to the setting up of statutory associations under the Defence Amendment Act 1990. The study considers Irish soldiers political agitation and their use of peaceful democratic activities to achieve their aims. It highlights the fundamental policy arguments that were made against the idea of representation for the army and positions those arguments in the study of civil-military relations. Utilising unique access to secret Department of Defence files, it reveals in-depth ideological arguments advanced by the military authories in Ireland against independent representation. This thesis provides an academic study of the establishment of PDFORRA. It answers key questions regarding the change in the position of Irish government who were categorically opposed to the idea of representation in the army. It illustrates the involvement of other agencies such as the European Organisation of Military Associations (Euromil) reveals reciprocal support by the Irish associations to other emerging groups in Spain. Accessing as yet unpublished Department of Defence files, study analyses tension between the military authorities and the government. It highlights for the first time the role of enlisted personnel in the shaping of new state structures and successfully dismmisses Huntingtons theoretical contention that enlisted personnel are of no consequence in the study of civil-military relations. It fills a gap in our understanding, identified by Finer, as to how politicisation of soldiers takes place. This thesis brings a new dimension to the discipline of civil-military relations and creates new knowledge that will enhance our understanding of an area not covered previously.

Secure architectures for pairing based public key cryptography

Along with the growing demand for cryptosystems in systems ranging from large servers to mobile devices, suitable cryptogrophic protocols for use under certain constraints are becoming more and more important. Constraints such as calculation time, area, efficiency and security, must be considered by the designer. Elliptic curves, since their introduction to public key cryptography in 1985 have challenged established public key and signature generation schemes such as RSA, offering more security per bit. Amongst Elliptic curve based systems, pairing based cryptographies are thoroughly researched and can be used in many public key protocols such as identity based schemes. For hardware implementions of pairing based protocols, all components which calculate operations over Elliptic curves can be considered. Designers of the pairing algorithms must choose calculation blocks and arrange the basic operations carefully so that the implementation can meet the constraints of time and hardware resource area. This thesis deals with different hardware architectures to accelerate the pairing based cryptosystems in the field of characteristic two. Using different top-level architectures the hardware efficiency of operations that run at different times is first considered in this thesis. Security is another important aspect of pairing based cryptography to be considered in practically Side Channel Analysis (SCA) attacks. The naively implemented hardware accelerators for pairing based cryptographies can be vulnerable when taking the physical analysis attacks into consideration. This thesis considered the weaknesses in pairing based public key cryptography and addresses the particular calculations in the systems that are insecure. In this case, countermeasures should be applied to protect the weak link of the implementation to improve and perfect the pairing based algorithms. Some important rules that the designers must obey to improve the security of the cryptosystems are proposed. According to these rules, three countermeasures that protect the pairing based cryptosystems against SCA attacks are applied. The implementations of the countermeasures are presented and their performances are investigated.

A policy analysis of key employability interventions for the educationally disadvantaged in further education: Comparative insights for Irish education

The aim of this study is to garner comparative insights so as to aid the development of the discourse on further education (FE) conceptualisation and the relationship of FE with educational disadvantage and employability. This aim is particularly relevant in Irish education parlance amidst the historical ambiguity surrounding the functioning of FE. The study sets out to critically engage with the education/employability/economy link (eee link). This involves a critique of issues relevant to participation (which extends beyond student activity alone to social relations generally and the dialogic participation of the disadvantaged), accountability (which extends beyond performance measures alone to encompass equality of condition towards a socially just end) and human capital (which extends to both collective and individual aspects within an educational culture). As a comparative study, there is a strong focus on providing a way of conceptualising and comparatively analysing FE policy internationally. The study strikes a balance between conceptual and practical concerns. A critical comparative policy analysis is the methodology that structures the study which is informed and progressed by a genealogical method to establish the context of each of the jurisdictions of England, the United States and the European Union. Genealogy allows the use of history to diagnose the present rather than explaining how the past has caused the present. The discussion accentuates the power struggles within education policy practice using what Fairclough calls a strategic critique as well as an ideological critique. The comparative nature of the study means that there is a need to be cognizant of the diverse cultural influences on policy deliberation. The study uses the theoretical concept of paradigmatic change to critically analyse the jurisdictions. To aid with the critical analysis, a conceptual framework for legislative functions is developed so as to provide a metalanguage for educational legislation. The specific contribution of the study, while providing a manner for understanding and progressing FE policy development in a globalized Ireland, is to clear the ground for a more well-defined and critically reflexive FE sector to operate and suggests a number of issues for further deliberation.

Novel processes, test structures and characterisation for future germanium technologies

In order to widely use Ge and III-V materials instead of Si in advanced CMOS technology, the process and integration of these materials has to be well established so that their high mobility benefit is not swamped by imperfect manufacturing procedures. In this dissertation number of key bottlenecks in realization of Ge devices are investigated; We address the challenge of the formation of low resistivity contacts on n-type Ge, comparing conventional and advanced rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and laser thermal annealing (LTA) techniques respectively. LTA appears to be a feasible approach for realization of low resistivity contacts with an incredibly sharp germanide-substrate interface and contact resistivity in the order of 10 -7 Ω.cm2. Furthermore the influence of RTA and LTA on dopant activation and leakage current suppression in n+/p Ge junction were compared. Providing very high active carrier concentration > 1020 cm-3, LTA resulted in higher leakage current compared to RTA which provided lower carrier concentration ~1019 cm-3. This is an indication of a trade-off between high activation level and junction leakage current. High ION/IOFF ratio ~ 107 was obtained, which to the best of our knowledge is the best reported value for n-type Ge so far. Simulations were carried out to investigate how target sputtering, dose retention, and damage formation is generated in thin-body semiconductors by means of energetic ion impacts and how they are dependent on the target physical material properties. Solid phase epitaxy studies in wide and thin Ge fins confirmed the formation of twin boundary defects and random nucleation growth, like in Si, but here 600 °C annealing temperature was found to be effective to reduce these defects. Finally, a non-destructive doping technique was successfully implemented to dope Ge nanowires, where nanowire resistivity was reduced by 5 orders of magnitude using PH3 based in-diffusion process.

Potential impacts of leakage from deep CO2 geosequestration on overlying freshwater aquifers.

Carbon Capture and Storage may use deep saline aquifers for CO(2) sequestration, but small CO(2) leakage could pose a risk to overlying fresh groundwater. We performed laboratory incubations of CO(2) infiltration under oxidizing conditions for >300 days on samples from four freshwater aquifers to 1) understand how CO(2) leakage affects freshwater quality; 2) develop selection criteria for deep sequestration sites based on inorganic metal contamination caused by CO(2) leaks to shallow aquifers; and 3) identify geochemical signatures for early detection criteria. After exposure to CO(2), water pH declines of 1-2 units were apparent in all aquifer samples. CO(2) caused concentrations of the alkali and alkaline earths and manganese, cobalt, nickel, and iron to increase by more than 2 orders of magnitude. Potentially dangerous uranium and barium increased throughout the entire experiment in some samples. Solid-phase metal mobility, carbonate buffering capacity, and redox state in the shallow overlying aquifers influence the impact of CO(2) leakage and should be considered when selecting deep geosequestration sites. Manganese, iron, calcium, and pH could be used as geochemical markers of a CO(2) leak, as their concentrations increase within 2 weeks of exposure to CO(2).

Multiple phenotypic changes in mice after knockout of the B3gnt5 gene, encoding Lc3 synthase--a key enzyme in lacto-neolacto ganglioside synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Ganglioside biosynthesis occurs through a multi-enzymatic pathway which at the lactosylceramide step is branched into several biosynthetic series. Lc3 synthase utilizes a variety of galactose-terminated glycolipids as acceptors by establishing a glycosidic bond in the beta-1,3-linkage to GlcNaAc to extend the lacto- and neolacto-series gangliosides. In order to examine the lacto-series ganglioside functions in mice, we used gene knockout technology to generate Lc3 synthase gene B3gnt5-deficient mice by two different strategies and compared the phenotypes of the two null mouse groups with each other and with their wild-type counterparts. RESULTS: B3gnt5 gene knockout mutant mice appeared normal in the embryonic stage and, if they survived delivery, remained normal during early life. However, about 9% developed early-stage growth retardation, 11% died postnatally in less than 2 months, and adults tended to die in 5-15 months, demonstrating splenomegaly and notably enlarged lymph nodes. Without lacto-neolacto series gangliosides, both homozygous and heterozygous mice gradually displayed fur loss or obesity, and breeding mice demonstrated reproductive defects. Furthermore, B3gnt5 gene knockout disrupted the functional integrity of B cells, as manifested by a decrease in B-cell numbers in the spleen, germinal center disappearance, and less efficiency to proliferate in hybridoma fusion. CONCLUSIONS: These novel results demonstrate unequivocally that lacto-neolacto series gangliosides are essential to multiple physiological functions, especially the control of reproductive output, and spleen B-cell abnormality. We also report the generation of anti-IgG response against the lacto-series gangliosides 3'-isoLM1 and 3',6'-isoLD1.

When the library is located in prime real estate: a case study on the loss of space from the Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives.

The Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives is located in the heart of the Duke Medicine campus, surrounded by Duke Hospital, ambulatory clinics, and numerous research facilities. Its location is considered prime real estate, given its adjacency to patient care, research, and educational activities. In 2005, the Duke University Library Space Planning Committee had recommended creating a learning center in the library that would support a variety of educational activities. However, the health system needed to convert the library's top floor into office space to make way for expansion of the hospital and cancer center. The library had only five months to plan the storage and consolidation of its journal and book collections, while working with the facilities design office and architect on the replacement of key user spaces on the top floor. Library staff worked together to develop plans for storing, weeding, and consolidating the collections and provided input into renovation plans for users spaces on its mezzanine level. The library lost 15,238 square feet (29%) of its net assignable square footage and a total of 16,897 (30%) gross square feet. This included 50% of the total space allotted to collections and over 15% of user spaces. The top-floor space now houses offices for Duke Medicine oncology faculty and staff. By storing a large portion of its collection off-site, the library was able to remove more stacks on the remaining stack level and convert them to user spaces, a long-term goal for the library. Additional space on the mezzanine level had to be converted to replace lost study and conference room spaces. While this project did not match the recommended space plans for the library, it underscored the need for the library to think creatively about the future of its facility and to work toward a more cohesive master plan.

Involuntary Memories and Dissociative Amnesia: Assessing Key Assumptions in PTSD Research.

Autobiographical memories of trauma victims are often described as disturbed in two ways. First, the trauma is frequently re-experienced in the form of involuntary, intrusive recollections. Second, the trauma is difficult to recall voluntarily (strategically); important parts may be totally or partially inaccessible-a feature known as dissociative amnesia. These characteristics are often mentioned by PTSD researchers and are included as PTSD symptoms in the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In contrast, we show that both involuntary and voluntary recall are enhanced by emotional stress during encoding. We also show that the PTSD symptom in the diagnosis addressing dissociative amnesia, trouble remembering important aspects of the trauma is less well correlated with the remaining PTSD symptoms than the conceptual reversal of having trouble forgetting important aspects of the trauma. Our findings contradict key assumptions that have shaped PTSD research over the last 40 years.

When a trauma becomes a key to identity: Enhanced integration of trauma memories predicts posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

The Centrality of Event Scale (CES) measures the extent to which a traumatic memory forms a central component of personnal identity, a turning point in the life story and a reference point for everyday inferences. In two studies, we show that the CES is positively correlated with severity of PTSD symptoms, even when controlling for measures of anxiety, depression, dissociation and self-consciousness. The findings contradict the widespread view that poor integration of the traumatic memory into one's life story is a main cause of PTSD symptoms. Instead, enhanced integration appears to be a key issue. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.