Multilayered core-shell structure of the dispersed phase in high-impact polypropylene

The multiphase morphology of high impact polypropylene (hiPP), which is a reactor blend of polypropylene (PP) with ethylene-propylene copolymer, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy techniques in conjunction with an analysis of the hiPP composition and chain structure based on solvent fractionation, C-13-NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements.

Analysis of the effect of copper on the virulence of a pathogenic Edwardsiella tarda strain

Aim: To investigate the effect of copper on the virulence of Edwardsiella tarda. Methods and Results: The pathogenic Edw. tarda strain TX5 was cultured under copper-stressed conditions and examined for any potential alteration in capacities that are associated with pathogenicity. The results showed that compared to untreated TX5, Cu-treated TX5 exhibits reduced planktonic and biofilm growth, an impaired ability to adhere to host mucus, modulation of host immune response, and dissemination in host blood and liver. Consistent with these observations, the overall bacterial virulence of Cu-treated TX5 is significantly attenuated. SDS-PAGE analyses of whole cell protein production showed that Cu-treated TX5 differs from the untreated TX5 in its production of at least one protein. Quantitative real time reverse transcriptase PCR analyses showed that copper treatment decreased the expression of virulence-associated genes encoding components of the type III and type VI secretion systems, the Eth haemolysin system, and the LuxS/AI-2 quorum-sensing system. Conclusions: Prolonged exposure to copper has multiple effects on TX5 and results in significant attenuation of bacterial virulence. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results of this study demonstrate that copper treatment has a broad and profound effect on the virulence-associated capacities of TX5, which is exerted at least in part at the transcription level. These findings provide new insights to the antimicrobial mechanism of copper.

Experimental study on the impact of dinoflagellate Alexandrium species on populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

To investigate harmful effects of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium species on microzooplankton, the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis was chosen as an assay species, and tested with 10 strains of Alexandrium including one known non-PSP-producer (Alexandrium tamarense, AT-6). HPLC analysis confirmed the PSP-content of the various strains: Alexandrium lusitanicum, Alexandrium minutum and Alexandrium tamarense (ATHK, AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102, ATC103) used in the experiment were PSP-producers. No PSP toxins were detected in the strains Alexandrium sp1, Alexandrium sp2. Exposing rotifer populations to the densities of 2000 cells ml(-1) of each of these 10 Alexandrium strains revealed that the (non-PSP) A. tarnarense (AT-6) and two other PSP-producing algae: A. lusitanicum, A. minutum, did not appear to adversely impact rotifer populations. Rotifers exposed to these three strains were able to maintain their population numbers, and in some cases, increase them. Although some increases in rotifer population growth following exposures to these three algal species were noted, the rate was less than for the non-exposed control rotifer groups. In contrast, the remaining seven algal strains (A. tamarense ATHK, AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102, ATC103; also Alexandrium sp1 and Alexandrium sp2) all have adverse effects on the rotifers. Dosing rotifers with respective algal cell densities of 2000 cells ml-1 each, for Alexandrium spl, Alexandrium sp2, and A. tamarense strains ATHK and ATC103 showed mean lethal time (LT50) on rotifer populations of 21, 28, 29, and 36h, respectively. The remaining three species (A. tamarense strains AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102) caused respective mean rotifer LT50S of 56, 56, and 71 h, compared to 160 h for the unexposed "starved control" rotifers. Experiments to determine ingestion rates for the rotifers, based on changes in their Chlorophyll a content, showed that the rotifers could feed on A. lusitanicum, A. minutum and A. tamarense strain AT-6, but could graze to little or no extent upon algal cells of the other seven strains. The effects on rotifers exposed to different cell densities, fractions, and growth phases of A. tamarense algal culture were respectively compared. It was found that only the whole algal cells had lethal effects, with strongest impact being shown by the early exponential growth phase of A. tamarense. The results indicate that some toxic mechanism(s), other than PSP and present in whole algal cells, might be responsible for the adverse effects on the exposed rotifers. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grey relational analysis on the relation between marine environmental factors and oxidation-reduction potential

The effects of marine environmental factors-temperature (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity (S) and pH-on the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of natural seawater were studied in laboratory. The results show an indistinct relationship between these four factors and the ORP, but they did impact the ORP Common mathematical methods were not applicable for describing the relationship. Therefore, a grey relational analysis (GRA) method was developed. The degrees of correlation were calculated according to GRA and the values of T, pH, DO and S were 0.744, 0.710, 0.692 and 0.690, respectively. From these values, the relations of these factors to the ORP could be described and evaluated, and those of T and pH were relatively major. In general, ORP is influenced by the synergic effect of T, DO, pH and S, with no single factor having an outstanding role.

Covariance analysis of the Coulomb explosion of ammonia induced by intense nanosecond laser at 532 nm

The Coulomb explosion of ammonia clusters induced by nanosecond laser at 532 not with an intensity of similar to 10(12) Wcm(-2) has been studied by time of flight mass spectrometry. The dominant multiply charged ions are N3+ and N2+ with kinetic energies of 110 and 50 eV respectively. The electrons generated from the multiphoton ionization are heated through inverse bremsstrahlung by the laser field when colliding with neutral or ionic particles. When their energies surpass the corresponding ionization potentials of the molecules or ions, the subsequent electron impact ionization may take place thus resulting in multi-charged nitrogen ions. Covariance analysis is made to study the possible pathways of the Coulomb explosion.

From epistemic origins to journal impact factors: what do citations tell us?

Urquhart, C. (2006). From epistemic origins to journal impact factors: what do citations tell us? International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43(1), 1-2.

Impact of Islamic values on HRM practices: an empirical study of Jordanian universities

Purpose This study aims to present an in-depth theoretical and practical analysis of HRM practice in the light of Islamic values and principles. It looks at the four main HRM functions of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewards, from the Islamic perspective. Besides establishing a theoretical base for the influence of Islam on HRM, it analyses the key characteristics of HRM practice as applied in Jordanian universities and analyses the extent to which Islamic values are embedded in that practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a structured questionnaire distributed to 500 respondents working in four Jordanian universities which sought to elicit the respondents views on the influence of Islamic values within specific HR functions. Findings The findings indicate that there is a diffusion of Islamic values into HRM practice in the participating organisations. The extent of the diffusion varies between the organisations; there is a clear indication that explicitly Islamic values are being practiced, albeit to a limited extent. Originality/value The role of spirituality and/or religion in shaping the working of contemporary organisations is not sufficiently recognised in the literature. This paper is a response to the limited number of research studies assessing the extent of the absorption of religious values into the management of human resources. The study undertaken examines the current status of HRM practice in Jordanian universities and contributes to deepening the contemporary understanding of interactions between Islamic values and the core HR functions.

Azimuthal Impact Directions from Oblique Impact Crater Morphology

Cook, Anthony; Wallis, D.; Burchell, M.J.; Solomon, C.J., (2005) 'Azimuthal Impact Directions from Oblique Impact Crater Morphology', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 359(3) pp.1137-1149 RAE2008

On the Impact of Low-Rate Attacks

Recent research have exposed new breeds of attacks that are capable of denying service or inflicting significant damage to TCP flows, without sustaining the attack traffic. Such attacks are often referred to as "low-rate" attacks and they stand in sharp contrast against traditional Denial of Service (DoS) attacks that can completely shut off TCP flows by flooding an Internet link. In this paper, we study the impact of these new breeds of attacks and the extent to which defense mechanisms are capable of mitigating the attack's impact. Through adopting a simple discrete-time model with a single TCP flow and a nonoblivious adversary, we were able to expose new variants of these low-rate attacks that could potentially have high attack potency per attack burst. Our analysis is focused towards worst-case scenarios, thus our results should be regarded as upper bounds on the impact of low-rate attacks rather than a real assessment under a specific attack scenario.

Impact of non-optimal grounding of the CC2420 RFIC on a 802.15.4 Tyndall sensor wireless mote

The performance of an RF output matching network is dependent on integrity of the ground connection. If this connection is compromised in anyway, additional parasitic elements may occur that can degrade performance and yield unreliable results. Traditionally, designers measure Constant Wave (CW) power to determine that the RF chain is performing optimally, the device is properly matched and by implication grounded. It is shown that there are situations where modulation quality can be compromised due to poor grounding that is not apparent using CW power measurements alone. The consequence of this is reduced throughput, range and reliability. Measurements are presented on a Tyndall Mote using a CC2420 RFIC todemonstrate how poor solder contact between the ground contacts and the ground layer of the PCB can lead tothe degradation of modulated performance. Detailed evaluation that required the development of a new measurement definition for 802.15.4 and analysis is presented to show how waveform quality is affected while the modulated output power remains within acceptable limits.

Compilation and analysis of integrated regional input-output tables for NUTS 2 regions in Ireland

In 1966, Roy Geary, Director of the ESRI, noted “the absence of any kind of import and export statistics for regions is a grave lacuna” and further noted that if regional analyses were to be developed then regional Input-Output Tables must be put on the “regular statistical assembly line”. Forty-five years later, the lacuna lamented by Geary still exists and remains the most significant challenge to the construction of regional Input-Output Tables in Ireland. The continued paucity of sufficient regional data to compile effective regional Supply and Use and Input-Output Tables has retarded the capacity to construct sound regional economic models and provide a robust evidence base with which to formulate and assess regional policy. This study makes a first step towards addressing this gap by presenting the first set of fully integrated, symmetric, Supply and Use and domestic Input-Output Tables compiled for the NUTS 2 regions in Ireland: The Border, Midland and Western region and the Southern & Eastern region. These tables are general purpose in nature and are consistent fully with the official national Supply & Use and Input-Output Tables, and the regional accounts. The tables are constructed using a survey-based or bottom-up approach rather than employing modelling techniques, yielding more robust and credible tables. These tables are used to present a descriptive statistical analysis of the two administrative NUTS 2 regions in Ireland, drawing particular attention to the underlying structural differences of regional trade balances and composition of Gross Value Added in those regions. By deriving regional employment multipliers, Domestic Demand Employment matrices are constructed to quantify and illustrate the supply chain impact on employment. In the final part of the study, the predictive capability of the Input-Output framework is tested over two time periods. For both periods, the static Leontief production function assumptions are relaxed to allow for labour productivity. Comparative results from this experiment are presented.

An investigation of the utilisation of health impact assessments (HIAs) in Irish public policy making

It is the aim of this thesis to investigate Health Impact Assessment (HIA) use in public policy formulation in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. The influences affecting the use of HIAs will be examined in this study. Four case studies, where HIA has been conducted, will be used for research analysis. This includes HIAs conducted on traffic and transport in Dublin, Traveller accommodation in Donegal, a draft air quality action plan in Belfast and on a social housing regeneration project in Derry. HIA aims to identify possible intended and unintended consequences that a project, policy or programme will have on the affected population’s health. Although it has been acknowledged as a worthwhile tool to inform decision-makers, the extent to which it is used in policy in Ireland is subject to scrutiny. A theoretical framework, drawing from institutionalist, impact assessment and knowledge utilisation theories and schools of literature, underpin this study. The investigation involves an examination of the unit of analysis which consists of the HIA steering groups. These are made up of local authority decision makers, statutory health practitioners and community representatives. The overarching structure and underlying values which are hypothesized as present in each HIA case are investigated in this research. Chapters 2 and 3 outline the main literature in the area which includes theories from the public health and health promotion paradigm, the policy sciences and impact assessment techniques. Chapter 4 describes the methodology in this research which is a multiple case study design. This is followed by an analysis of the cases and then concludes with practical recommendations for HIA in Ireland and theoretical conclusions of the research.

The impact of learning context on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns in non-native speaker teachers of English

The study is a cross-linguistic, cross-sectional investigation of the impact of learning contexts on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns and the subsequent enactment of compound identities. The informants are 20 non-native speaker teachers of English from a range of 10 European countries. They are all primarily mono-contextual foreign language learners/users of English: however, they differ with respect to the length of time accumulated in a target language environment. This allows for three groups to be established – those who have accumulated 60 days or less; those with between 90 days and one year and the final group, all of whom have accumulated in excess of one year. In order to foster the dismantling of the monolith of learning context, both learning contexts under consideration – i.e. the foreign language context and submersion context are broken down into micro-contexts which I refer to as loci of learning. For the purpose of this study, two loci are considered: the institutional and the conversational locus. In order to make a correlation between the impact of learning contexts and loci of learning on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns, a two-fold study is conducted. The first stage is the completion of a highly detailed language contact profile (LCP) questionnaire. This provides extensive biographical information regarding language learning history and is a powerful tool in illuminating the intensity of contact with the L2 that learners experience in both contexts as well as shedding light on the loci of learning to which learners are exposed in both contexts. Following the completion of the LCP, the informants take part in two role plays which require the enactment of differential identities when engaged in a speech event of asking for advice. The enactment of identities then undergoes a strategic and linguistic analysis in order to investigate if and how differences in the enactment of compound identities are indexed in language. Results indicate that learning context has a considerable impact not only on how identity is indexed in language, but also on the nature of identities enacted. Informants with very low levels of crosscontextuality index identity through strategic means – i.e. levels of directness and conventionality; however greater degrees of cross-contextuality give rise to the indexing of differential identities linguistically by means of speaker/hearer orientation and (non-) solidary moves. When it comes to the nature of identity enacted, it seems that more time spent in intense contact with native speakers in a range of loci of learning allows learners to enact their core identity; whereas low levels of contact with over-exposure to the institutional locus of learning fosters the enactment of generic identities.

An exploratory study on the impact of an early years' preschool intervention programme in the Republic of Ireland

Early years’ education has increasingly been identified as a mechanism to alleviate educational disadvantage in areas of social exclusion. Early years’ intervention programmes are now a common government social policy for addressing social problems (Reynolds, Mann, Miedel, and Smokowski, 1997). In particular, state provided early years’ programmes such as Head Start in the United States and Early Start in Ireland have been established to combat educational disadvantage for children experiencing poverty and socio-economic inequality. The focus of this research is on the long-term outcomes of an early years’ intervention programme in Ireland. It aims to assess whether participation in the programme enhances the life course of children at-risk of educational disadvantage. It involves an in-depth analysis of one Early Start project which was included in the original eight projects established by the Department of Education and Science in 1994. The study utilises a multi-group design to provide a detailed analysis of both the academic and social progress of programme participants. It examines programme outcomes from a number of perspectives by collecting the views of the three main stakeholders involved in the education process; students who participated in Early Start in 1994/5, their parents and their teachers. To contribute to understanding the impact of the programme from a community perspective interviews were also conducted with local community educators and other local early years’ services. In general, Early Start was perceived by all participants in this study as making a positive contribution to parent involvement in education and to strengthening educational capital in the local area. The study found that parents and primary school teachers identified aspects of school readiness as the main benefit of participation in Early Start and parents and teachers were very positive about the role of Early Start in preparing children for the transition to formal school. In addition to this, participation in Early Start appears to have made a positive contribution to academic attainment in Maths and Science at Junior Certificate level. Students who had participated in Early Start were also rated more highly by their second level teachers in terms of goal-setting and future orientation which are important factors in educational attainment. Early Start then can be viewed as providing a positive contribution to the long-term social and academic outcomes for its participants.

The impact of new public management on the roles of elected councillors, management and the community sector in Irish local government: a case study of Cork County Council

The fundamental aim of this thesis is to examine the effect of New Public Management (NPM) on the traditional roles of elected representatives, management and community activists in Irish local government. This will be achieved through a case study analysis of one local authority, Cork County Council. NPM promises greater democracy in decision-making. Therefore, one can hypothesise that the roles of the three key groupings identified will become more influenced by principles of participatory decision-making. Thus, a number of related questions will be addressed by this work, such as, have the local elected representatives been empowered by NPM? Has a managerial revolution taken place? Has local democracy been enhanced by more effective community participation? It will be seen in chapter 2 that these questions have not been adequately addressed to date in NPM literature. The three groups identified can be regarded as stakeholders although the researcher is cautious in using this term because of its value-laden nature. Essentially, in terms of Cork County Council, stakeholders can be defined as decision-makers and people within the organization and its environment who are interested in or could be affected directly or indirectly by organizational performance. This is an all-embracing definition and includes all citizens, residents, community groups and client organizations. It is in this context that the term 'stakeholder' should be understood when it is occasionally used in this thesis. In this case, the perceptions of elected councilors, management and community representatives with regard to their changing roles are as significant as the changes themselves. The chapter begins with a brief account of the background to this research. This is followed by an explanation of the methodology which is used and then concludes with short statements about the remaining chapters in the thesis.