bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Bromide and Microspheres along Macropores in and between Drain Trenches
Authors: Nielsen Marie H. , Styczen Merete , Ernstsen Vibeke , Petersen Carsten T. , Hansen Søren
Published: February 2011

Transport and retention of colloids are important issues when addressing the risk of contamination of the aquatic environment. A field study tracer experiment was performed allowing a quantification of solutes and colloids along macropores in a sandy loam soil with a tile drain located at 1.2 m depth. Using a field sprayer, a 6‐m2 plot was irrigated with 50 mm of water containing a mixture of 1‐μm fluorescent microspheres (1.34 × 1010 melamine‐resin microspheres [MS] L−1), bromide (0.14 g Br L−1), and the dye Brilliant Blue (2.2 g BB L−1) during a 4‐h period. Before irrigation, the groundwater table was more than 0.7 m below drain depth. The tracer concentrations were measured in drain water and in soil collected along 15 stained preferential flow paths located in the drain trench and the adjacent till. It was found that the tracer concentration along biopores do not necessarily reflect the concentration of tracers transported through the biopore. Furthermore, it was recognized that at drain depth the proportion of soil samples from the drain trench with concentrations of Br and MS greater than two times the detection limit was significantly higher than in samples from the till. This implies that substances can accumulate along the drain pipe during heavy precipitation events. Finally, water transported through a few biopores well connected to the drain pipe resulted in drainage. Compared with the concentrations in the added tracer solution, the sampled drain water showed undiluted concentrations of BB and Br, whereas MS was reduced 150 times.
Lateral Subsurface Flow in a Soil Cover over Waste Rock in a Humid Temperate Environment
Authors: Hopp Luisa , McDonnell Jeffrey J. , Condon Pete
Published: February 2011

The performance of cover systems over waste rock piles in humid, temperate regions (i.e., where annual precipitation > annual potential evapotranspiration) is likely to be defined largely by their ability to shed water laterally within the cover. Lateral flow processes in this context are still poorly understood. Here we present a field and modeling study of the mechanisms that produce lateral subsurface flow and vertical percolation in a 7‐yr‐old cover system at a mining site in Southeast Alaska. The cover consists of a growth medium on top of a coarse drainage layer, underlain by a highly compacted barrier layer. A second coarse drainage layer separates the cover system from the underlying waste rock. We installed a trench to measure lateral subsurface flow in the cover and then successfully modeled this behavior, without calibration, using a two‐dimensional physics‐based model. Our results show that the cover responds rapidly to precipitation, converting approximately two‐thirds of the input to lateral subsurface flow. Lateral subsurface flow is preceded by the development of transient perched water tables at the interface of the coarse drainage layer and compacted barrier layer. Water balance simulations indicate that flow through the barrier layer is driven by a small but permanent vertical pressure head gradient that develops within the barrier layer and results in vertical net percolation of approximately 15% of the precipitation input. These model results correspond well with lysimeter measurements of vertical percolation into the waste rock.
On the estimation of transport timescales – case study: the Dez reservoir
Authors: Hasanloo Davood , Etemad-Shahidi Amir
Published: February 2011

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate an application of a hydroinformatics methodology for analysis of transport timescales in a large reservoir. Therefore, a laterally averaged two-dimensional numerical model was used to estimate the transit time, flushing times and combination of these two timescales by modeling about 230 scenarios in the Dez reservoir. The model was calibrated using temperature profiles and then executed for a period of two years (2002–2004). A possible characterization of the flushing time as e-folding time was investigated and the results revealed that the e-folding time, which is simpler to estimate, can be used in place of the flushing time in the Dez reservoir. The effects of the location of the outlet on each of these timescales were also investigated. Results indicated that the mean residence and flushing times have their smallest value when the outlet is set in the middle of the Dez dam. The mean flushing times were also less sensitive to thermal structures of the Dez reservoir than the transit times. Finally, the temporal patterns of these timescales were elucidated. It was found that no single transport timescale can be used for all conditions.
Pore-morphology-based simulations of drainage and wetting processes in porous media
Authors: Chan T. P. , Govindaraju Rao S.
Published: February 2011

Soil hydraulic properties relating saturation, water pressure, and hydraulic conductivity are known to exhibit hysteresis. In this paper, we focus on the determination of the water retention curve for a porous medium through a novel pore-scale simulation technique that is based on mathematical morphology. We develop an algorithm that allows for the representation of three-dimensional randomly packed porous media of any geometry (i.e. not restricted to idealized geometries such as spherical or ellipsoidal particles/pore space) so that the connectivity-, tortuosity-, and hysteresis-causing mechanisms are represented in both drainage and wetting processes, and their role in determining macroscopic fluid behavior is made explicit. Using this method, we present simulation results that demonstrate hysteretic behavior of wetting and non-wetting phases during both drainage and wetting cycles. A new method for computing interfacial surface areas is developed. The pore-morphology-based method is critically evaluated for accuracy, sample size effects, and resolution effects. It is found that the method computes interfacial areas more accurately than existing methods and allows for (i) examination of relationships between water pressure, saturation and interfacial area for hysteretic soils, and (ii) comparisons with previously developed theoretical models of soil hydraulic properties. The pore-morphology-based method shows promise for applications in vadose zone hydrology.
Real-time optimisation of the Hoa Binh reservoir, Vietnam
Authors: Richaud Bertrand , Madsen Henrik , Rosbjerg Dan , Pedersen Claus B. , Ngo Long L.
Published: February 2011

Multi-purpose reservoirs often have to be managed according to conflicting objectives, which requires efficient tools for trading-off the objectives. This paper proposes a multi-objective simulation-optimisation approach that couples off-line rule curve optimisation with on-line real-time optimisation. First, the simulation-optimisation framework is applied for optimising reservoir operating rules. Secondly, real-time and forecast information is used for on-line optimisation that focuses on short-term goals, such as flood control or hydropower generation, without compromising the deviation of the long-term objectives from the optimised rule curves. The method is illustrated for optimisation of the Hoa Binh reservoir in Vietnam. The approach is proven efficient to trade-off conflicting objectives. Selected by a Pareto optimisation method, the preferred optimum is able to mitigate the floods in the downstream part of the Red River, and at the same time to increase hydropower generation and to save water for the dry season. The real-time optimisation procedure further improves the efficiency of the reservoir operation and enhances the flexibility for the decision-making. Finally, the quality of the forecast is addressed. The results illustrate the importance of a sufficient forecast lead time to start pre-releasing water in flood situations.
Coping with model structural uncertainty in medium-term hydro-climatic forecasting
Authors: Sharma Ashish , Chowdhury Shahadat
Published: February 2011

This paper reviews two alternatives for reducing structural uncertainty in medium-term hydro-climatic forecasting. The first is a static ensemble average, illustrated here using the Multiple Reservoir Inflow Forecasting System, a nonparametric probabilistic forecasting model that relates streamflow to climate predictors, and generates monthly sequences of multi-site flow from the present for the coming 12 months. Instead of forming a single predictive relationship, multiple constituent models, each having their own unique predictor variable sets, are formed. A weighted probabilistic combination of these constituent models completes the static ensemble average. The second alternative is a dynamic ensemble average that allows constituent models to change importance with time, model weights evolving as a function of these weights at preceding time steps. Dynamic model combination is demonstrated here for first combining multiple sea surface temperature anomaly forecasts to produce a global sea surface temperature anomaly field, and then using the dynamically combined sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) field to concurrently ascertain inflows at multiple locations in a semi-arid Australian catchment. The paper concludes by identifying scenarios under which one would expect to see improvements as a result of static or dynamic model combination, and provides suggestions for further research in this area.
Finding a Place for Environmental Studies: Tertiary Institutions as a Locus of Practice for Education for Sustainability
Authors: Buchan John , Griffin Janette
Published: February 2011

Finding a Place for Environmental Studies: Tertiary Institutions as a Locus of Practice for Education for Sustainability

Education for sustainability (EfS) involves not only curriculum, but also demands responses in terms of management of resources and of grounds. It is asserted here that inclusion of education for sustainability in the curriculum, whether in a school or university context, is hollow and insincere in the absence of practical and social action on site and perhaps beyond. The present study focuses on students' views of opportunities and barriers with regard to issues, such as maintenance of grounds and management of resources in a tertiary institution context. A cohort of approximately 140 third year primary teacher education students were surveyed to ascertain their views on the value of, barriers to and opportunities for practical sustainability projects conducted by students in their tertiary context. Such projects are a precursor to similar endeavours that could be undertaken in the students' school contexts.
Students' Independent Professional Activity in Pedagogical Practice
Authors: Strode Aina
Published: February 2011

Students' Independent Professional Activity in Pedagogical Practice

The topicality of the research is determined by the need for changes in higher education concerned with implementing the principles of sustainable education. The article focuses on teacher training, highlighting the teacher's profession as an attractive choice of one's career that permits to ensure the development of general and professional skills and an opportunity for new specialists to align with the labour market. The empirical study of students' understanding of their professional activity and of the conditions for its formation is conducted by applying structured interviews (of practice supervisors, students, academic staff); students and experts' questionnaire. Comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and triangulation were used in case studies. As a result, a framework of pedagogical practice organisation has been created in order to form students' independent professional activity. The criteria and indicators of independent professional activity have been formulated and suggestions for designers of study programmes and organisers of the study process have been provided.
The Factors of Well-Being in Schools as a Living Environment According to Students' Evaluation
Authors: Kuurme Tiiu , Carlsson Anu
Published: February 2011

The Factors of Well-Being in Schools as a Living Environment According to Students' Evaluation

How do students describe their quality of school life, based on their views about what is pleasant and unpleasant about the school? How is student welfare related to education for sustainability? Theories of the quality of school life and authentic identity constitute the theoretical background of this study. The school experiences of 185 Estonian and 161 Finnish students of different school types were studied by a semi-structured open questionnaire. The answers were analysed by the qualitative phenomenological method. The quality of school life of the students is diminished by the routine hierarchical working system and bad relations. It is supported by a cooperation-orientated atmosphere and meaningful learning experiences. The meaningfulness of school is sensed to be the most important factor in the students' evaluation of their school experiences.
Obtained General Competence of Students in Language Immersion Classes
Authors: Talts Leida , Kukk Airi , Muldma Maia
Published: February 2011

Obtained General Competence of Students in Language Immersion Classes

One of the key ideas of the language immersion methodology is to guarantee sustainable development for children from non-Estonian families in respect to their linguistic and social development. The most important conditions are creating flexible possibilities to participate in language immersion groups and classes and applying the language immersion methodology in everyday teaching process systematically. The present research seeks to highlight teachers' views on the sustainability of general competences of children who have completed the language immersion group in the kindergarten. The domain of general competences includes 32 sub-skills related to learning to learn and social skills, which were assessed by the teachers on a 5-point scale. For the sake of clear data analysis, the general competences have been divided into general competences fostering learning and learner-centred general competences. The present study showed that language immersion methodology favours applying child-centred pedagogy in the actual teaching process and supports the sustainability of children's linguistic and social development.
Washback Effects of Handouts on the Teaching and Learning Process in Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia: Adama University in Focus
Authors: Egne Robsan
Published: February 2011

Washback Effects of Handouts on the Teaching and Learning Process in Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia: Adama University in Focus

The present study investigates the washback effects of handouts on the teaching and learning process in the higher education institutions of Ethiopia, particularly in Adama University. A descriptive survey and analytical research methods were employed in the present study. The subjects of the study included instructors and some selected students of the university. A questionnaire, an interview, a document and content analysis were employed to collect data. The data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data collected through close-ended items of the questionnaire were analysed quantitatively using a chi-square. Whereas the data collected via some interview guides and some items of the questionnaire were analysed using percentage. Besides, the qualitative data gathered via open-ended items of the questionnaire, some items of the interview, content and document analysis were analysed qualitatively. The research results revealed that the way handouts are being prepared and used in higher education institutions of Ethiopia does not encourage active and independent learning. Some recommendations which are deemed crucial for alleviating the problem are suggested.
Catholic realities and pastoral strategies: another look at the historiography of Scottish Catholicism, 1878–1920
Authors: Aspinwall Bernard
Published: February 2011

Catholics in Scotland and their historians have recounted their past in several ways. We have many celebrations of the faithful Irish immigrant steadfastness while their Scottish-born brethren have had at best negligible recognition.2 At the other extreme the Banffshire-born conservative priest Rev. Aeneas Dawson airbrushed the Irish from his massive nineteenth-century history: even Daniel O'Connell did not merit a mention. On the other side, the pioneering lay activist James Walsh virtually ignored native-born Scots in his monumental study.3 In more recent times several historians have begun to capture something of the complexity of the Catholic experience.4 The independent-minded Catholic laity, restless Irish-born clergy and working class leaders have received consideration. Highlanders, Italians, Lithuanians, Belgians, Poles, English, converts and religious orders of men and women have received some long overdue attention.5 Some leading clerical and lay figures who tried to create and sustain a sense of community now have their biographers.6
‘New light on Whatley’s numbers': The German Market for Scots Salt in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: ROESSNER PHILIPP R.
Published: February 2011

The eighteenth century was a watershed period for the Scottish salt industry in terms of its competitiveness. Whatley has shown a protracted and definite decline in export figures in the period c. 1700–70, and ultimately Scotland ceased to export salt. This was a considerable change from Scotland's former position as a large salt exporter. Whatley's sources, however, do not permit a break-down of exports by destination. The present article aims to solve this problem by drawing on a variety of new sources. The main results are: first, in the eighteenth century, ‘Germany’ (The Holy Roman Empire of German Nations) became the largest and then last foreign market for what at that time had become a virtually non-exportable item. Secondly, North Sea ports – mainly Bremen, Emden, and Hamburg – became the main importers of Scots salt at the expense of Baltic ports. Within a framework of declining living standards after c.1740, a cheap and competitively-priced essential such as Scots salt represented an attractive alternative to more expensive salts. Due to the short distance and modest transport costs, the northwest German market was one of the most obvious foreign outlets for Scottish salt. On top of this, various external, internal and transit tolls and customs on cross-border traffic, a product of the political fragmentation of the German empire, artificially increased the price charged by the main producer in Northern Germany (Lüneburg) and thus kept Atlantic or North Sea salt attractive on this market.
From Enquiry to Improvement: David Ure (1749–1798)
Authors: BURNS JAMES H.
Published: February 2011

David Ure (1749–98) contributed, in his History of Rutherglen and East-Kilbride (1793) not only to local history but, especially, to the development in Scotland of natural history, in some aspects of which he played a pioneering part. His studies at Glasgow University (with John Anderson as one of his teachers) were followed by ordination to the ministry of the Church of Scotland. A ‘stickit minister’ for most of his life, he played a significant part in Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland and contributed also to the surveys prepared for Sinclair's Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement. Had he lived, he would have been Anderson's choice as professor of natural history in what became the Andersonian Institute. His writings reflect a lifelong commitment to the pursuit of knowledge with a view to improvement: he is thus a notable example of what the Enlightenment in late 18th-century Scotland was meant to exemplify and uphold.
Possible Mesolithic activity in the west of Arran: evidence from peat deposits
Authors: Robinson D
Published: February 2011

Summary

Pollen and charcoal analyses of peat cores from Machrie Moor in the west of Arran are presented. These reveal evidence for disturbance and burning of the vegetation during the Mesolithic period at a level radiocarbon dated to 8665±155bp (GU–1427). The nature of the fires and their possible sources, either natural or anthropogenic, are discussed in the light of data from other Scottish sites of this period. The conclusion drawn is that the fires were most probably of human origin and that Arran supported a Mesolithic population for which the archaeological evidence remains to be discovered.
Archaeological Investigations at Mavis Grind, Shetland
Authors: Cracknell Stephen , Smith Beverley
Published: February 2011

Summary

The excavations revealed a stone house and showed that it was oval, 13 m × 10 m, with an interior about 7 m in diameter. In the first occupation phase the entrance was on the SE side. During the second phase this entrance was replaced with one to the NE and the interior was partitioned. The roof was supported on wooden posts. After the building was abandoned it was covered with peat-ash which was subsequently ploughed. There were numerous finds of steatite-tempered pottery and stone implements, which dated the site to late Bronze/early Iron Age.

The second settlement, Site B, lay by the shore of the voe and consisted of two possible stone-built houses and a field system. Two trenches were dug across the structures and the results are reported in Appendix I. Although damaged in recent years it was in no further danger.
A Survey of Two Deserted Settlements at Braleckan and Brenchoillie, Argyll
Authors: Grant Shan , Macdonald J , Swanson Carol , Wood J S
Published: February 2011

Summary

The detailed survey of two deserted townships in mid Argyll is described, and the available historical evidence for their date and function recounted. The communities seem to have existed during the 16th, 17th and part of the 18th centuries. The excavation of a corn-drying kiln is also described.
Excavation at Rings Plantation, Yetholm, Roxburghshire, 1983
Authors: Rideout J S
Published: February 2011

Summary

Part of the outer ditch of the hillfort was located at its S end where the defences have been levelled.
The Excavation of a Settlement of the Later Bronze Age and Iron Age at Myrehead, Falkirk District
Authors: Barclay G J
Published: February 2011

SUMMARY

Myrehead has revealed the eroded remnants of activity from the Beaker period (Period A) onwards, with actual settlement evinced only from about the early first millennium be. The three houses and the cooking pits of Period B may have been constructed and used sequentially. This open settlement was probably replaced during the mid first millennium bc, possibly without a break, by a palisaded enclosure (Period C), which may have contained a ring-groove house and a four-post structure. Continued domestic activity (Period D) was suggested by a single pit outside the enclosure, dated to the late first millennium bc/early first millennium ad. The limited evidence of the economy of the settlements suggests a mixed farming system.
The Stone Circles at Temple Wood, Kilmartin, Argyll
Authors: Scott J G
Published: February 2011

Summary

Excavations at Temple Wood between 1974 and 1980 disclosed a long and complex history. A slightly older and smaller site was confirmed close by to the north of the stone circle: originally a setting of posts, early in the 4th millennium BC it was in process of conversion to a stone circle when dismantled before completion. In its primary phase the main site was a freestanding stone circle, probably built later in the 4th millennium: one of the uprights was carved with spiral and another with ring ornament. An apparent modification was the insertion of dry walling between the stones, with an entrance to the east. Two short cist burials, one containing a Beaker, and each with its own reveled cairn, were placed outside the circle to the north and west. The cist in the centre and possibly a nearby cremation seem to mark the change from ritual to burial use. The drystone wall was thrown down and upright interval slabs were inserted between the standing stones and across the entrance. The addition of an outer bank of stones completed the process. Cremation burials under kerb cairns within the circle, with an increase in size to the surrounding bank to conceal both cairns and interval slabs, ended prehistoric use of the site early in the 1st millennium BC. Attempts are made to reconstruct the geometry of the main circle as well as the astronomical and calendrical potential of the whole site.
Excavation of a Vitrified Dun at Langwell, Strath Oykel, Sutherland
Authors: Nisbet Helen C.
Published: February 2011

Summary

Excavation showed that the Dun was near-circular in plan, with an internal diameter ofapproximately 15m and a wall averaging 5m in thickness. It had a wide entrance with a timber gateway, and a single guard chamber to the left ofthe entrance passage. A ring of posts 4m distant from the wall face had supported a roof remains of which were found as a destruction deposit resultingfrom burning. The wall, which was sectioned, showed abundant evidence in the form of extensive vitrification for the incorporation of timber in its build. The construction of the Dun is dated by radiocarbon to about the middle of the 3rd century BC or a little later.
The legend of John Phillips's "lost fossil collection"
Authors: EDMONDS J. M.
Published: February 2011

SUMMARY

In the two parts of his work on the Geology of Yorkshire John Phillips figured and briefly described a large number of Jurassic and Carboniferous Limestone fossils, many of which were new species of considerable importance.

It has been widely assumed that most of these type and figured specimens were stolen and irretrievably lost when Phillips took them on one of his visits to London. The various accounts which have been given of the loss have been accompanied by much, often conflicting, circumstantial detail.

The true story of the episode, based on contemporary documents, is now recounted and an assessment is made of the extent of the scientific loss actually incurred.
Josiah Hale, M.D., Louisiana botanist, Rafinesque's pupil
Authors: EWAN JOSEPH
Published: February 2011

"They pass", writes Professor Samuel Wood Geiser, "these naturalists of the frontier, across the stage of history — some of them men of brain and heart and honor, others men of whom we cannot speak with admiration. They are not all to be gauged by the same standards: their environments, diverse and not always favorable, helped to make them all. But they were one in their devotion to the advancement of our common knowledge."
A re-examination of the work of W. E. Collinge on woodlice (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscoidea) from the British Isles
Authors: HARDING PAUL T.
Published: February 2011

The work of W. E. Collinge on the woodlice of the British Isles is examined with reference to his collection of specimens and published work. A catalogue, with corrected indentifications, of his reference collection is given, cross referenced to a complete bibliography. Records published by Collinge for many species are considered to be unreliable. The presence of type material of varieties described by Collinge is indicated in the catalogue. A short biographical note on the career of W. E. Collinge and a list of the contents of the Collinge collections and archives at the Yorkshire Museum are included.
The Foundation of St Andrews Cathedral Priory, 1140.
Authors: Duncan A. A. M.
Published: February 2011

The hitherto accepted date of the priory's foundation, 1144, was copied on the bishop's diploma from the bull of Lucius II, and is impossible; Bower's 1140 is to be preferred. The foundation narrative (FN) probably by Robert, the first prior, ascribes to a Pictish king the grant to St Andrew of the Boar's Raik, but that was ignored by Wyntoun and Bower and is probably wrong. It seems that Alexander I made this gift, renegued on it, and restored it towards the end of his life. Though intended to found an Augustinian priory, the Raik was kept by the bishop until in 1138-9 David I obtained from Nostell a prior, Robert; Robert was unable to advance the foundation through his reluctance to recruit canons from elsewhere, perhaps resisting Scone and/or Holyrood. He and clerics of his resided in a ‘parsonage’, the vacant house of one of the seven ‘parsons’ who represented the earliest clerics of St Andrews, and are uniquely described in FN; they developed the hospital. In 1140 David I and Earl Henry at St Andrews compelled the bishop to disgorge the Raik and thereby establish the priory. The date was probably St Andrew's day, 1140, a month after the foundation of the abbey of St Mary at Newbattle. Both foundations should be seen as thanksgiving for Henry's recovery from serious illness. A narrower dating is suggested for some St Andrews charters, the endowments showing a closer relationship with those of Holyrood abbey than with those of Scone priory. Prior Robert probably wished from the beginning to recruit the céli Dé (Culdees) as canons and to obtain their endowments, succeeding at Lochleven but, despite papal and royal approval, failing at St Andrews. A final section asks why David I was so generous to the regular orders, suggesting that he was much influenced by the development of Marian devotion in his lifetime, when the Virgin had become head and most powerful of the hierarchy of saints.
Scotland's Newspapers, the French Revolution and Domestic Radicalism (c.1789–1794)
Authors: Harris Bob
Published: February 2011

This paper examines responses in the Scottish newspaper press to the French Revolution and the associated rise of domestic radicalism. The development of the press in Scotland still awaits its modern historian, and this paper furnishes a picture of it in a crucial phase in its growth. However, the main emphasis is on how Scotland's newspapers ‘represented’ the French Revolution as its character changed between 1789 and the advent of the Terror. In 1793–4, the Scottish press provided powerful support to the anti-reformcause, but this could not have been easily anticipated as late as the middle of 1792. A further aim of the paper is to establish the distinctive importance of the newspaper as a site of idealogical and political struggle in Scotland in the 1970s.
Oceanspan: Deindustrialisation and Devolution in Scotland, c. 1960–1974
Authors: Phillips Jim
Published: February 2011

Oceanspan was a grand design for Scotland's economic, industrial and social regeneration. It attempted to position Scotland as a land bridge between the Atlantic Ocean and Continental Europe: raw materials would flow in from the west, utilising the deep water of the Firth of Clyde, and be converted into finished goods for export across the North Sea.

The chief architect of the plan was William Lithgow, the Port Glasgow shipbuilder, and it was publicised by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, an organisation that encompassed representatives of local authorities and trade unions but was dominated by business interests. The plans were geared to assisting new industries notably electronics, but implied special privileges for the older heavy industries with which Lithgow and Lord Clydesmuir, chairman of the Scottish Council, were associated. Substantial public investment was required, which was resisted by both Labour and Conservative governments. Only the political sympathies of the Scottishcouncil leaders, nurtured further by the various social and industrial difficulties facing the Conservative government in 1971 and 1972, notably the miners' strike and the work-in at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, averted a substantial public row. Oceanspan nevertheless represents an important episode in the longer history of the emergence of devolutionary or nationalist impulses in modern Scotland, for the plkans linked Scotland's apparent economic and industrial stagnation with the alleged problem of remote administrationof policy in Scotland from Whitehall, and incorporated demands for enhanced policy powers for the Scottish Office.
The Impact of the Military Profession on Highland Gentry Families, c. 1730 – 1830
Authors: Nenadic Stana
Published: February 2011

The expansion of the British military establishment from c. 1730 to 1830 is well known, as is the large numbers Scots and particularly highlanders who formed the British officer class. There is a common assumption—in some respects well founded—that the army had a beneficial impact on the political and economic experience of Scotland. This article offers an alternative interpretation through a focus on the social and cultural implications for highland gentry families of having so many male kin engaged in one particular career. The first two sections examine the scale and increasing attractions of military employment relative to other career destinations, notably farming, the legal profession and trade via urban business apprenticeship. Two generations with different motivations are compared, and the importance of the loss of practical farming and commercial expertise is noted. The next section explores the impact of military employment on relationships within families, particularly between officers and their father or elder brother, but also on relationships with female kin and on the broader processes of family formation through marriage. Of particular significance was the tendency towards teenage recruitment among the highland officer class, which removed boys from the influence of family and gave rise to reckless behaviour, extreme individualism and conspicuous consumption, posing major problems for gentry families and estates. The article concludes that although the military profession was a valuable short-term route for disposing of sons in a gentlemanly manner, the impact on their families and on the highlands could be highly disruptive. Yes, there was success and material benefits for a lucky few, but also tragedy, failure and family discord for many.
The Earl of Portland and Scotland (1689–1699): a re-evaluation of Williamite policy
Authors: Onnekink David
Published: February 2011

The 1690s have often been seen as a period of troubles in Scotland, dominated by disasters such as the Glencoe massacre and the Darien debacle. Neither has King William III enjoyed a good reputation; he is rather regarded as an uninterested monarch at best or a tyrant at worst. Still, there are two problems with such an interpretation. Firstly, it is doubtful whether a narrative solely based on political incidents can do justice to this decade which, secondly, is often studied in isolation. This article therefore aims to study the structure of politics rather than survey the sequence of disasters. Moreover, it will try to move away from an introspective interpretation by studying the role of the Earl of Portland, the King's favourite, who de facto governed Scotland from London, although he was primarily interested in the Nine Years War on the Continent. The article will argue that Scottish politics in the 1690s cannot be understood without referring to the dominant role played by Portland and without placing Scottish affairs in a wider international context. It will do so by first analysing the position of the favourite and the manner in which he delegated responsibilities to his Scottish associates. According to one pamphleteer, he ‘Assumed the whole Superintendency of the Kingdom of Scotland & Governs it intirely by his Creatures’. Secondly, his involvement in Scottish politics will be analysed against the background of international events. On a higher level, this article serves as a call for a reinterpretation of the 1690s in Scotland as a transformative period of political experimentation rather than a sequence of political disasters.
Dén Nechtain, Fortriu and the Geography of the Picts
Authors: Woolf Alex
Published: February 2011

In the nineteenth century the Pictish kingdom of Fortriu and the site of the Battle of Nechtansmere were located by scholars in Menteith and Strathearn and at Dunnichen in Forfarshire respectively. These identifications have largely gone unchallenged. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence for these locations and to suggest that there is in fact unambiguous evidence that Fortriu lay north of the Mounth on the shores of the Moray Firth and that a case can be made that Nechtansmere was fought in Badenoch. Fortriu has long been recognised as the core territory of Pictavia and its re-location in the North has profound implications for our understanding of the course of early Scottish History.
Cancer Stem Cells and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)-Phenotypic Cells: Are They Cousins or Twins?
Authors: Kong Dejuan , Li Yiwei , Wang Zhiwei , Sarkar Fazlul  H.
Published: February 2011

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cells within a tumor that possess the capacity to self-renew and maintain tumor-initiating capacity through differentiation into the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the whole tumor. These tumor-initiating cells could provide a resource for cells that cause tumor recurrence after therapy. Although the cell origin of CSCs remains to be fully elucidated, mounting evidence has demonstrated that Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), induced by different factors, is associated with tumor aggressiveness and metastasis and these cells share molecular characteristics with CSCs, and thus are often called cancer stem-like cells or tumor-initiating cells. The acquisition of an EMT phenotype is a critical process for switching early stage carcinomas into invasive malignancies, which is often associated with the loss of epithelial differentiation and gain of mesenchymal phenotype. Recent studies have demonstrated that EMT plays a critical role not only in tumor metastasis but also in tumor recurrence and that it is tightly linked with the biology of cancer stem-like cells or cancer-initiating cells. Here we will succinctly summarize the state-of-our-knowledge regarding the molecular similarities between cancer stem-like cells or CSCs and EMT-phenotypic cells that are associated with tumor aggressiveness focusing on solid tumors.
Recently Identified Biomarkers That Promote Lymph Node Metastasis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Walk Elyse  L. , Weed Scott  A.
Published: February 2011

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous cancer that arises in the upper aerodigestive tract. Despite advances in knowledge and treatment of this disease, the five-year survival rate after diagnosis of advanced (stage 3 and 4) HNSCC remains approximately 50%. One reason for the large degree of mortality associated with late stage HNSCC is the intrinsic ability of tumor cells to undergo locoregional invasion. Lymph nodes in the cervical region are the primary sites of metastasis for HNSCC, occurring before the formation of distant metastases. The presence of lymph node metastases is strongly associated with poor patient outcome, resulting in increased consideration being given to the development and implementation of anti-invasive strategies. In this review, we focus on select proteins that have been recently identified as promoters of lymph node metastasis in HNSCC. The discussed proteins are involved in a wide range of critical cellular functions, and offer a more comprehensive understanding of the factors involved in HNSCC metastasis while additionally providing increased options for consideration in the design of future therapeutic intervention strategies.
Hes1 Oscillations Contribute to Heterogeneous Differentiation Responses in Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Kobayashi Taeko , Kageyama Ryoichiro
Published: February 2011

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into multiple types of cells belonging to all three germ layers. Although ES cells are clonally established, they display heterogeneous responses upon the induction of differentiation, resulting in a mixture of various types of differentiated cells. Our recent reports have shown that Hes1 regulates the fate choice of ES cells by repressing Notch signaling, and that the oscillatory expression of Hes1 contributes to various differentiation responses in ES cells. Here we discuss the mechanism regulating the intracellular dynamics in ES cells and how to trigger the lineage choice from pluripotent ES cells.
A Classification Study of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Inhibitors by Variable Selection with Random Forest
Authors: Hao Ming , Li Yan , Wang Yonghua , Zhang Shuwei
Published: February 2011

Experimental pEC50s for 216 selective respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) inhibitors are used to develop classification models as a potential screening tool for a large library of target compounds. Variable selection algorithm coupled with random forests (VS-RF) is used to extract the physicochemical features most relevant to the RSV inhibition. Based on the selected small set of descriptors, four other widely used approaches, i.e., support vector machine (SVM), Gaussian process (GP), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and k nearest neighbors (kNN) routines are also employed and compared with the VS-RF method in terms of several of rigorous evaluation criteria. The obtained results indicate that the VS-RF model is a powerful tool for classification of RSV inhibitors, producing the highest overall accuracy of 94.34% for the external prediction set, which significantly outperforms the other four methods with the average accuracy of 80.66%. The proposed model with excellent prediction capacity from internal to external quality should be important for screening and optimization of potential RSV inhibitors prior to chemical synthesis in drug development.
Application of Molecular Topology for the Prediction of Reaction Yields and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Heterocyclic Amidine Derivatives
Authors: Pla-Franco Jordi , Gálvez-Llompart María , Gálvez Jorge , García-Domenech Ramón
Published: February 2011

Topological-mathematical models based on multiple linear regression analyses have been built to predict the reaction yields and the anti-inflammatory activity of a set of heterocylic amidine derivatives, synthesized under environmental friendly conditions, using microwave irradiation. Two models with three variables each were selected. The models were validated by cross-validation and randomization tests. The final outcome demonstrates a good agreement between the predicted and experimental results, confirming the robustness of the method. These models also enabled the screening of virtual libraries for new amidine derivatives predicted to show higher values of reaction yields and anti-inflammatory activity.
The Effects of G-CSF on Proliferation of Mouse Myocardial Microvascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Li Jiming , Zou Yunzeng , Ge Junbo , Zhang Daifu , Guan Aili , Wu Jian , Li Lei
Published: February 2011

This paper explores the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on mouse myocardial microvascular endothelial cell (CMECs) proliferation. CMECs were harvested from C57/BL6 mice. CMECs were cultured in medium containing G-CSF (0 ng/mL, 20 ng/mL, 40 ng/mL, 60 ng/mL) for five days. Proliferative activity of CMECs was examined by CCK-8 method. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and p53 expression levels was determined from the mRNA obtained by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results showed that the purity quotient of the CMECs, which were cultured by the method of modified myocardial tissue explant culture, was higher than 95%. Compared with control untreated cells, the proliferative activity of CMECs and the expression level of HIF-1 mRNA in these cells were enhanced by G-CSF treatment, whereas the expression level of p53 mRNA was markedly reduced. It may be concluded that G-CSF could promote the proliferative activity of CMECs, which might be mediated by upregulation of HIF-1 and downregulation of p53.
Accounting for Large Amplitude Protein Deformation during in Silico Macromolecular Docking
Authors: Bastard Karine , Saladin Adrien , Prévost Chantal
Published: February 2011

Rapid progress of theoretical methods and computer calculation resources has turned in silico methods into a conceivable tool to predict the 3D structure of macromolecular assemblages, starting from the structure of their separate elements. Still, some classes of complexes represent a real challenge for macromolecular docking methods. In these complexes, protein parts like loops or domains undergo large amplitude deformations upon association, thus remodeling the surface accessible to the partner protein or DNA.We discuss the problems linked with managing such rearrangements in docking methods and we review strategies that are presently being explored, as well as their limitations and success.
The Ups and Downs of Tannins as Inhibitors of Poly(ADP-Ribose)glycohydrolase
Authors: Blenn Christian , Wyrsch Philippe , Althaus Felix R.
Published: February 2011

DNA damage to cells activates nuclear poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases (PARPs) and the poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) synthesized is rapidly cleaved into ADP-ribose (ADPR) by PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) action. Naturally appearing tannin-like molecules have been implicated in specific inhibition of the PARG enzyme. This review deals with the in vitro and in vivo effects of tannins on PAR metabolism and their downstream actions in DNA damage signaling.
Tin (IV) Chloride-Promoted One-Pot Synthesis of Novel Tacrine Analogues
Authors: Hu Huanan , Song Liangfu , Fang Qianqian , Zheng Junjun , Meng Zhiwei , Luo Yiting
Published: February 2011

A facile synthesis of potential acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, the tacrine analogues 3a-p, has been accomplished by direct cyclocondensation of 1-aryl-4-cyano-5-aminopyrazole with β-ketoesters using tin(IV) chloride as catalyst. The structures of all the compounds have been confirmed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR.
Field Spectroscopy for Assisting Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in Water Treatment Reservoirs Using Atmospheric Corrected Satellite Remotely Sensed Imagery
Authors: Hadjimitsis Diofantos  G. , Clayton Chris
Published: February 2011

The overall objective of this study was to use field spectro-radiometers for finding possible spectral regions in which chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and particulate organic carbon (POC) could be identified so as to assist the assessment and monitoring of water quality using satellite remote sensing technology. This paper presents the methodology adopted in this study which is based on the application of linear regression analysis between the mean reflectance values (measured with the GER1500 field spectro-radiometer) across the spectrum and the concentrations of chlorophyll-a (µg/L) and POC (µg/L) acquired simultaneously on the same day and time in the Lower Thames Valley in West London (U.K.) from old campaigns. Each regression model (512 in total) corresponded to a measured wavelength of the GER1500 field spectro-radiometer. The achieved correlations presented as r2 against wavelength, indicate the regions with high correlation values for both water quality variables. Based on the results from this study and by matching the spectral bands of the field spectro-radiometer with those of the Landsat TM satellite sensor (or any other sensor), it has been found that suitable spectral regions for monitoring water quality in water treatment reservoirs are the following: for chlorophyll-a, the spectral region of 0.45–0.52 μm (TM band 1), and for POC, the region 0.52–0.60 μm (TM bands 1 and 2). Then 12 atmospheric corrected Landsat TM/ETM+ band 1 images acquired from 2001 to 2010 were used for validation purposes to retrieve the Chl-a concentrations.