Digital Commons Network^™

Icing Location Client, Seamus Rooney, Keith Gardiner, James Carswell

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The ICiNG (Innovative Cities for Next Generation) project is researching a multi-modal, multi-access model of e-Government. It develops the concept of a “thin-skinned City” that will be sensitive to both the citizen and the environment through the use of mobile devices, universal access gateways, social software and environmental sensors. Intelligent infrastructure will enable a Public Administration Services layer and a Communities layer. Communities will interact with the infrastructure to avail of ICiNG services created by the administration, and will also create their own information-based services.

Youth, Governance And The City: Towards A Critical Urban Sociology Of Youth Crime And Disorder Prevention, Matt Bowden

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This article considers the historical and spatial context for the emergence of youth crime and disorder prevention initiatives in Ireland. These initiatives have to be understood in the context of their relationship to the broader ‘urban question’ and in particular the relationship of the peripheral housing estate to the rest of society and the economic sphere. More recent changes in the nature of society and the emergence of a ‘liberal creed’ have resulted in greater use of surveillance technologies for offsetting the opportunities for crime to be committed. In this context, youth crime prevention initiatives must be seen as an …

Textual Case-Based Reasoning For Spam Filtering: A Comparison Of Feature-Based And Feature-Free Approaches, Sarah Jane Delany, Derek Bridge

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Spam filtering is a text classification task to which Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) has been successfully applied. We describe the ECUE system, which classifies emails using a feature-based form of textual CBR. Then, we describe an alternative way to compute the distances between cases in a feature-free fashion, using a distance measure based on text compression. This distance measure has the advantages of having no set-up costs and being resilient to concept drift. We report an empirical comparison, which shows the feature-free approach to be more accurate than the feature-based system. These results are fairly robust over different compression algorithms in …

Offshore Strategies In Global Political Economy: Small Islands And The Case Of The Eu And Oecd Harmful Tax Competition Initiatives, Richard Woodward

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This article investigates how recent attempts by the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to clamp down on harmful tax competition will affect small island economies with offshore financial centres (OFCs). It argues that although there are legitimate concerns about the initiatives, the likelihood that small island OFCs will disappear is remote. A confluence of factors have forced the EU and OECD to dilute their original proposals to the extent that while some marginal OFCs may be driven out of existence, more sophisticated OFCs will be unharmed and may even benefit from this supposed …

In Vivo Mature Immunological Synapses Forming Smacs Mediate Clearance Of Virally Infected Astrocytes From The Brain, Carlos Barcia, Clare Thomas, James Curtin, Gwendalyn King, Kolja Wawrowsky, Marianela Candolfi, Weidong Xiong, Chunyan Liu, Kurt Kroeger, Olivier Boyer, Jerzy Kupiec-Weglinski, David Klatzmann, Maria Castro, Pedro Lowenstein

Articles

The microanatomy of immune clearance of infected brain cells remains poorly understood. Immunological synapses are essential anatomical structures that channel information exchanges between T cell–antigen-presenting cells (APC) during the priming and effector phases of T cells' function, and during natural killer–target cell interactions. The hallmark of immunological synapses established by T cells is the formation of the supramolecular activation clusters (SMACs), in which adhesion molecules such as leukocyte function-associated antigen 1 segregate to the peripheral domain of the immunological synapse (p-SMAC), which surrounds the T cell receptor–rich or central SMAC (c-SMAC). The inability so far to detect SMAC formation in …

Remoulding The Critical Junctures Approach, John Hogan

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This paper improves our understanding of critical junctures, a concept employed in historical institutionalism for exploring change. However, the concept lacks rigour, weakening our ability to define critical junctures. Of late, academics have utilized other mechanisms to identify change in historical institutionalism. Thus, it is within this context that the critical junctures approach is remoulded through the specification of standards, hence reducing uncertainty as to what constitutes a critical juncture. The remoulded approach is employed here in examining change in the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ ~ICTU! influence over public policy in 1987.

Newly Identified Vitamin K-Producing Bacteria Isolated From The Neonatal Faecal Flora, Gordon Cooke, John Behan, Mary Costello

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Fat-soluble vitamin K is an essential component of the blood clotting process. Menaquinones are the naturally occurring form of vitamin K identified in bacteria. Lipid extracts were made from three bacteria originally isolated from the human neonatal gut and identified as Enterobacter agglomerans, Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus faecium. Following preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC), the lipid extracts were subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Peak analysis of the LC-MS data showed that the three bacteria produce various forms of menaquinone.

Implications Of Mass Education On Chemistry Higher Education, Christine O'Connor

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The following paper discusses the implications of government policy for widening access and participation in third level institutes. The increase in ‘non-traditional’ students has been widely recognised on an international scale; however, some issues of inequality still exist. The ‘struggles’ associated with widening participation and the creation of a ‘new’ student type are discussed, with particular reference to chemistry education. A change is needed with regard to the pedagogical approach taken by staff in order to cater for a diverse student body comprising a broad range of learner types, and this must be supported both at departmental and institutional levels. …

The Emergence Of Quality Assurance In Irish Higher Education: A Review Of European And National Policy And Description Of The Technological University Dubin Practice, Aidan Kenny

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This is the second in a series of three papers which explore and describe ‘quality’ as a tool in the Irish Higher Education sector. This paper reviews macro, mesco and micro issues relating to quality assurance within the context of European Union Education Ministers’ communiqués and in Irish national policy. A micro perspective is then undertaken pertaining to the Technological University Dubin describing how quality assurance systems and procedures emerged in the Institute. It also includes the Institute’s response to provisions made in the 1999 Qualifications (Education and Training) Act with reference to the necessity of carrying out quality reviews. …

The Quality Movement Discourse In The Higher Education Sector: A General Review, Aidan Kenny

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This paper – the first of a series of three – describes some of the macro milestones in the evolution of the Quality Movement in the industrial environment. The emphasis then shifts to reviewing the discourse relating to quality in the higher education sector in the UK. Attention is given to Quality Assessment, Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement models. The interface or tension lines between quality as a controlling mechanism or as a tool for development are outlined. Predominant concerns and issues as expressed by academics are clustered into macro questions, the answers to which will require further longitudinal research.

A Critical Exploration Of The Rhetoric Of Equity Belied By Practice In Postgraduate Teacher Education, Roisin Donnelly

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This paper presents the initial results of an investigation into the current awareness and perceptions of equity issues amongst academic staff working on a postgraduate learning and teaching course for teachers in tertiary education in the Republic of Ireland. The study is set in the contemporary landscape of discourses around equality, egalitarianism and equity in education generally. The Irish White Paper on Adult Education Learning for Life (2000) recommends that adult education should be underpinned by three core principles, one of which is to promote equality of access, participation and outcome for participants in adult education, with pro-active strategies to …

The Teaching-Research Relationship In Higher Education, Claire M. Mcdonnell

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This paper examines higher education policy regarding the relationship between research and teaching. The initial issue dealt with is whether current policy in Irish higher education recognises a relationship between research and teaching, and to examine the dual role of academics as teachers and as researchers. This is followed by an examination of any measures put in place to manage and balance the teaching–research relationship. The way in which the relationship between research and teaching is dealt with both in my own institution, the Technological University Dublin, and in higher education policy in a number of other countries is then …

What Light Do Professional Doctorates Throw On The Question Of What Counts As Knowledge In The Academy At The Start Of The Twenty-First Century?, Sandra Fisher

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In their article, ‘Professional Doctorates in England’, Bourner et al. (2001: 81) pose the question ‘What light do professional doctorates throw on the question of what counts as knowledge in the academy at the start of the twenty-first century?’ This article attempts to address this question. The article provides some background to the development of professional doctorates. It looks at forces, such as the rise of the knowledge society, economic drivers, and the demands of lifelong learning, that are shaping knowledge in the academy in the twenty-first century. I attempt to interpret these forces in the context of the development …

Effect Of Ozone And Calcium Lactate Treaments On Browning And Textured Properties Of Fresh-Cut Lettuce, Daniel Rico, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Gary Henehan, Jesus Maria Frias, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Articles

The effects of three treatments, 1 mg L⁻¹ ozone at 18–20 °C, 15 g L⁻¹ calcium lactate (CLac) at 50 °C and a combination thereof, were compared on fresh-cut lettuce over 10 days of refrigerated storage. Respiration rate, browning and texture were examined as main quality indicators. The use of ozone produced a significantly (P < 0.05) higher oxygen decline than the use of CLac (from day 3 to day 10). At the end of storage, CLac (alone or combined with ozone) samples had higher oxygen content (∼9%) than ozone samples (∼6%). Enzymatic activity decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in ozone samples. Polyphenol oxidase activity in fresh-cut lettuce treated with ozone (alone or combined with CLac) showed lower values on day 1 (−1) and at the end of storage (g⁻¹) than CLac samples (4000–4800 units g⁻¹). Ozone also reduced peroxidase activity to ∼300 units g⁻¹ after treatment. Finally, pectin methylesterase activity was also reduced with ozone, showing a negative effect on textural properties. Data suggested that …

The Effect Of Physiological Cyclic Stretch On The Cell Morphology, Cell Orientation And Protein Expression Of Endothelial Cells, V. Barron, Claire Brougham, K. Coghlan, C. Stenson-Cox, D. O'Mahoney, P.E. Mchugh

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In vivo, endothelial cells are constantly exposed to pulsatile shear and tensile stresses. The main aim of this study was to design and build a physiological simulator, which reproduced homogenous strain profiles of the tensile strain experienced in vivo, and to investigate the effect of this cyclic tensile strain on the cell morphology, cell orientation and protein expression of endothelial cells. The biological response of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to a uniaxial cyclic stretch, in this newly developed simulator, was examined experimentally using immunohistostaining and confocal imaging and it was

found that the cells elongated and oriented at 58.9± …

Creating A Framework For A Single European Sky:The Opportunity Cost Of Reorganising European Airspace, Niall Neligan

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The object of this article is to critically evaluate the legal framework for a European Single Sky project in light of the recent European Court of Justice decision in International Air Transport Association v The Department of Transport. The article will examine in detail the framework regulations outlining the major provisions from the recommendations of the Commission's High Level Group in 2000, to the implementation at a micro-level by national authorities of the legislation adopted in 2004. Furthermore, this article will examine whether the savings to air service providers from the Single European Sky project in the long term will …

Osteria Di Passignano, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire

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This is a review of the Osteria di Passignano restaurant located in a remote part of Tuscanny, Italy, owned by Antonori Wines.

Preliminary Results For A Monocular Marker-Free Gait Measurement System, Jane Courtney, Annraoi Depaor

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This paper presents results from a novel monocular marker-free gait measurement system. The system was designed for physical and occupational therapists to monitor the progress of patients through therapy. It is based on a novel human motion capture method derived from model-based tracking. Testing is performed on two monocular, sagittal-view, sample gait videos – one with both the environment and the subject’s appearance and movement restricted and one in a natural environment with unrestricted clothing and motion. Results of the modelling, tracking and analysis stages are presented along with standard gait graphs and parameters.

Age Concern: The Future Of The Oecd, Richard Woodward

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‘Life’, so the adage has it, ‘begins at 40’. But, as American journalist Helen Rowland wryly observed, ‘so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times’. Such a sentiment should resonate within the Parisian corridors of the Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD) which celebrates its 45th anniversary on 30 September. Rival institutional developments, evolving geo-political realities, hostility from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the absence of a precisely defined mission statement have marred the OECD’s fifth decade and left the organisation struggling to justify its place in …

Designing Dining, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire

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Just like its clothing cousin 'haute couture', the culinary world of 'haute cuisne' is influence heavily by changing fashions. This article outlines the trends for dining in 2006.

Integrated Antenna For Multiband Multi-National Wireless Combined With Gsm1800/Pcs1900/Imt2000 + Extension, Matthias John, Max Ammann

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A printed triple-band monopole antenna appropriate for use as a terminal antenna in modern wireless multiband systems is proposed. The impedance bandwidth of each band has been optimised using a quasi-Newton technique and the bandwidth includes virtually all wireless bands. Various parameter sweeps are presented which improve our understanding of the antenna, in particular, the effect of groundplane-size and branch-off point on impedance bandwidth and radiation pattern.

Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Ligand Recruits Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells To The Brain, James Curtin, Gwendalyn King, Carlos Barcia, Chunyan Liu, Francois Hubert, Carole Guillonneau, Regis Josien, Ignacio Anegon, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

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The lack of professional afferent APCs in naive brain parenchyma contributes to the systemic immune ignorance to Ags localized exclusively within the brain. Dendritic cells (DCs) appear within the brain as a consequence of inflammation, but no molecular mechanisms accounting for this influx have been described. In this study we demonstrate that Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) recruits plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs; >50-fold; p < 0.001) to the brain parenchyma. These pDCs expressed IFN-alpha, the hallmark cytokine produced by pDCs, indicating recruitment and activation in situ of bona fide pDCs within the brain parenchyma. Flt3L did not increase the numbers of conventional DCs, macrophages, or B, T, NK, NKT, or microglial cells within the brain. Our data demonstrate that Flt3L reconstitutes a crucial afferent component of the immune response, namely, professional APCs within the brain parenchyma, and this could counteract the intrinsic systemic immune ignorance to Ags localized exclusively within the brain.

First Report Of Genotypic Resistance To Adefovir In Chronic Hbv In The Republic Of Ireland, B. Laoi, Celine Herra, S. Norris, B. Crowley

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No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Enzyme, Carbohydrate And Mineral Distribution In The Foot Of Abalone Shellfish., Leanne F. Harris, Nuala O'Byrne-Ring, Helen Lambkin

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No abstract provided.

Using Sketches And Knowledge Bases For Geo-Spatial Image Retrieval, Michela Bertolotto, James Carswell, E Mcloughlin, D O'Sullivan, C Wilson

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This paper presents research in the field of knowledge management for geo-spatial imagery including scanned aerial photos and satellite images. We have developed a web-based system that allows users to query a database of images not only using metadata, but also drawing sketches of configurations of objects they are interested in as well as inputting textual descriptions of their intended task. Our system integrates case-based reasoning techniques to form a knowledge base from previously issued queries that can be exploited to improve future query processing and to build organizational memory through experience capture. The effective design and implementation of a …

A Dose Threshold For A Medium Transfer Bystander Effect For A Human Skin Cell Line, Zhengfeng Liou, Carmel Mothersill, Fiona Mcneill, Fiona Lyng, Soo Hyun Byun, Colin Seymour, William Prestwich

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The existence of radiation-induced bystander effects mediated by diffusible factors is now accepted but the mechanisms and precise behavior at low doses remain unclear. We exposed cells to gamma doses in the range 0.04 mGy – 5 Gy, harvested the culture medium and transferred it to unirradiated reporter cells. Calcium fluxes and clonogenic survival were measured in the recipients. We show evidence for a dose threshold around 2 mGy for the human skin cell line used with a suggestion of increased survival below that dose. Similar experiments using direct gamma irradiation showed no reduction in survival until the dose exceeded …

Smart Growth: A Buffer Zone Between Decentrist And Centrist Theory?, Dorothy Stewart, Lorcan Sirr, Ruth Kelly

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The context for planning at the turn of the 19th century, in a newly industrialized world, was based on the need to find solutions to overcrowding and dire urban conditions. Planning decisions made in the post-World War II period were primarily motivated by the desire to reconstruct war torn cities. The forces of influence for planning and development in modern advanced capitalist societies are arguably set within the context of sustainable development. Many developed countries have witnessed a dramatic change in their territorial structures. Urban centres are extending into rural areas and surrounding hinterland, where large tracts of land are …

Characterization Of A Collection Of Enterobacter Sakazakii Isolates From Environmental And Food Sources., Denise Drudy, Michele O'Rourke, Mary Murphy, Niall Mullane, Rebecca O'Mahony, Lorainne Kelly, Matthias Fischer, Suhad Sanjag, Pauline Shannon, Patrick Wall, Micheál O'Mahony, Paul Whyte, Séamus Fanning

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No abstract provided.

Apoptosis Is Initiated In Human Keratinocytes Exposed To Signalling Factors From Microbeam Irradiated Cells, Fiona Lyng, Paula Maguire, A. Kilmurray, Carmel Mothersill, C. Shao, M. Folkard, K. Prise

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Purpose: There is now no doubt that bystander signalling from irradiated cells occurs and causes a variety of responses in cells not targeted by the ionising track. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes are unknown and the relevance to radiotherapy and risk assessment remains controversial. Previous research by our laboratory has shown bystander effects in a human keratinocyte cell line, HPV-G cells, exposed to medium from irradiated HPV-G cells. The aim of this work was to investigate if similar mechanisms to those identified in medium transfer experiments occurred in these HPV-G cells when they are in the vicinity of microbeam …

The Involvement Of Calcium And Map Kinase Signaling Pathways In The Production Of Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects, Fiona Lyng, Paula Maguire, B. Mcclean, C. Seymour, Carmel Mothersill

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Much evidence now exists regarding radiation-induced bystander effects, but the mechanisms involved in the transduction of the signal are still unclear. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways have been linked to growth factor-mediated regulation of cellular events such as proliferation, senescence, differentiation and apoptosis. Activation of multiple MAPK pathways such as the ERK, JNK and p38 pathways have been shown to occur after exposure of cells to radiation and a variety of other toxic stresses. Previous studies have shown oxidative stress and calcium signaling to be important in radiation-induced bystander effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate …