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Profiling of the molecular weight and structural isomer abundance of macroalgae-derived phlorotannins
Full text linkPhlorotannins are a group of complex polymers of phloroglucinol\ud
(1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene) unique to macroalgae. These phenolic compounds are integral\ud
structural components of the cell wall in brown algae, but also play many secondary\ud
ecological roles such as protection from UV radiation and defense against grazing. This\ud
study employed Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) with tandem mass\ud
spectrometry to investigate isomeric complexity and observed differences in phlorotannins\ud
derived from macroalgae harvested off the Irish coast (Fucus serratus, Fucus vesiculosus,\ud
Himanthalia elongata and Cystoseira nodicaulis). Antioxidant activity and total phenolic\ud
content assays were used as an index for producing phlorotannin fractions, enriched using\ud
molecular weight cut-off dialysis with subsequent flash chromatography to profile\ud
phlorotannin isomers in these macroalgae. These fractions were profiled using UPLC-MS\ud
with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and the level of isomerization for specific\ud
molecular weight phlorotannins between 3 and 16 monomers were determined. The\ud
majority of the low molecular weight (LMW) phlorotannins were found to have a\ud
molecular weight range equivalent to 4–12 monomers of phloroglucinol. The level of\ud
isomerization within the individual macroalgal species differed, resulting in substantially\ud
different numbers of phlorotannin isomers for particular molecular weights. F. vesiculosus\ud
OPEN ACCESS\ud
Mar. Drugs 2015, 13 510\ud
had the highest number of isomers of 61 at one specific molecular mass, corresponding to\ud
12 phloroglucinol units (PGUs). These results highlight the complex nature of\ud
these extracts and emphasize the challenges involved in structural elucidation of\ud
these compounds
Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in decision-making for end-of-life of products
Full text linkThe proposed EU Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive sets targets for the reuse and recycling of EEE reaching end-of-life (EOL). How a producer determines which is the best strategy for his/her products (reuse, part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling) is not addressed. The producer must meet targets in the WEEE Directive, consider other environmental regulations, and make sure he is economically efficient. Economic costs and values are expressed in money (Euro), environmental impacts in a multitude of units. It is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to express them all in a single unit. Therefore the decision as to choice of EOL strategy for WEEE is a difficult one, based as it is on a number of unlike criteria. A possible solution to this problem is AHP. It will not replace the decision-making process itself but it will generate information needed to make the decision and will present it in a structured way. The AHP is a method of solving problems that involve prioritisation of alternative solutions and is based on the evaluation of a set of criteria. Associated with the decision-making for WEEE, there are a number of criteria that a producer has to consider: damage to resources, damage to ecosystem, and economic efficiency. A hierarchical structure is formed by using the overall goal (choose strategy) as a root of the decision tree and making each major criterion a child. Each criterion in turn is detailed to provide additional descendants. At the lowest level of the tree are the end-of-life options (reuse, part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling) assigned to every leaf node in the tree. The decision-maker makes pairwise comparisons at each level between criteria which have the same parent node and gives them relative weights. He/she will also judge all the EOL options against each other with respect to each of the criteria situated in the leaf nodes, and will give them relative weights. All these comparisons lead to priority vectors which are propagated through the hierarchy to arrive at a final priority vector for the set of end-of-life options. The decision maker is thus enabled to base his/her decision on various criteria to which he himself has assigned weightings
Suitability of adaptive self-regulated e-learning to vocational training: a pilot study in heat pump system installation
Full text linkMany studies have been conducted, mainly in a university environment, and researchers have identified both advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. Very little is known about the applicability and suitability of\ud
e-learning to vocational and skills-based training. The research presented in this paper evaluates an adaptive\ud
e-learning model (INNOVRET) which combines skills-based learning by means of the Competence based\ud
Knowledge Space Theory (CbKST) with the principles of self-regulated learning (SRL) for a practicallyoriented\ud
vocational training area, namely highly skilled heat pump system installation, in Ireland. The research\ud
methodology employed to carry out this study consists of a participative study to develop the INNOVRET\ud
approach for e-learning for heat pump systems installation and an empirical study carried out to evaluate\ud
the INNOVRET system. The results show that it is the IT skills of the installers that determine the way they\ud
perceive the system and the whole learning experience, as well as the level of knowledge acquired
Traffic isolation techniques in securing multi-tenant virtual environments
No full textA fundamental function of almost any network is to ensure that certain types of traffic are kept isolated from other traffic in the network. With multi-tenant environments such as datacentres and the cloud providing isolation between traffic, and in particular, tenant traffic is even more crucial than ever before. Incorporating isolation also helps provide an additional level of security to traffic in the network. But with the rapid change of network architectures over the past decade from physical to virtual environments, providing isolation is not so straightforward.\ud
With the creation of virtualization and virtual networks an investigation into whether isolation can be incorporated into virtual environments as effectively as they can be into physical environments provides the basis for this research. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive investigation into incorporating different isolation techniques into various types of virtual environments. This work will explore and evaluate these isolation techniques and describe how effective each of the isolation techniques incorporated are when integrated into multi-tenant virtual networking environments. In an attempt to determine the effectiveness of each of the isolation methods three experiments were carried out which incorporates three different isolation techniques into different virtual environments to determine the effectiveness of each method.\ud
The results demonstrates that isolation techniques can be incorporated into virtual environments just as effectively as they can be into traditional networks. However, as virtualization is still a relatively new paradigm the results do raise the question as to whether enough is known about the different types of virtual environments such as SDN’s and the attack vectors associated with these environments. Due to these reservations it is evident that further investigation and exploration is required
On the crest of a wave: Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Full text linkThe research explores what is the current service provision in a specific area on the “Wild Atlantic Way” (WAW) in County Donegal. The paper identifies those service providers that currently participate in the “visitor experience” on a section of the route Rossnowlagh to Slieve League Cliffs; one of the 3 iconic designated signature experiences in Donegal. This allows the researcher to obtain insight in relation to the status quo in the tourism product offering, whether registered or not with an affiliated body. These facts and feedback that relate to the small to medium business sector in tourism provide rich data for recommendations for a collaborative approach for a future sustainable development plan. In relation to the research both qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out. Statistical analysis was also carried out using frequencies and percentages in order to examine trends among the participant’s responses. The launch of WAW by Tourism Ireland/Failte Ireland, offers a unique opportunity to Donegal. It may open the “flood gates”; allowing access to mainstream tourism, previously concentrated on the lower counties. The impact of the recession in Ireland and particularly the Northwest from 2008, has resulted in closure of many facilities; hotels, B&Bs and businesses in general. Regeneration in the tourism sector is imperative for Donegal to reach its potential, in terms of provision of services, employment and income. The introduction of the WAW is an inspiration for surrounding communities; a vision for a sustainable future. A review of the literature indicates that developing rural tourism and marketing through its stakeholders, Donegal will need to meet the emerging needs of independent travellers in terms of accommodation, activities, access natural resources, countryside and local culture. With the development of the Roadmap initiative “The WAW”, it is anticipated that the number of visitors will increase in Donegal. This will require additional accommodation and facilities. The overall aim of this study is to ascertain the current service provision for visitors, to identify gaps in the provision, and to make recommendations for further developments to support tourism providers, thereby enhancing “the visitor experience”
Maximising the potential of mass participatory sporting events for tourism destination development
Full text linkOver the last decade sports tourism has seen rapid changes, one such growth area has been in the area of mass participatory sporting events (MPSE). MPSE attract participants who travel to participate in events such as marathons and triathlons. MPSE now play a role in promoting a destination, however their potential in terms of destination development in Ireland is generally unrealised.\ud
The research project will identify the benefits of MPSE for tourism destination development by analysing the participant’s demographics and their direct economic expenditure, it will evaluate the destination and event attributes which are considered most important by the participant and it will explore the current levels of collaboration that currently exists between MPSE organisers and destination marketing organisations. The research design will use a mixed method approach of quantitative and qualitative methods, it will include surveys and interviews. Five purposive handpicked MPSE have been chosen for the research project. A pilot study has been conducted on the 2015 Tralee International Marathon. The next stage of the research project is to develop the qualitative research methodology with quantitative data collection to commence in May with the Killarney Marathon.\ud
Due to the lack of in depth research in Ireland the potential economic and tourism benefits of mass participatory sporting events to destinations may not be fully understood by tourism planners/providers and event organisers. This research project will assist in filling this research gap. The research project will assist all stakeholders in identifying the factors necessary to maximise the potential of MPSE for tourism destination development and assist in the best use of state funding. The research project will allow tourism planners and event organisers develop a coherent marketing strategy and help them identify future trends
Tracking student progress through hospitality management education: a linguistic analysis.
Full text linkLanguage is one of the primary methods of human communication and nowhere is this more\ud
relevant than in the hospitality and tourism industries. Successful interpersonal and communication\ud
skills are essential to the effective operation of such enterprises. The Cambridge, Limerick and\ud
Shannon (CLAS) corpus provides an extensive resource from which to examine the reality of\ud
hospitality discourse as it pertains to hospitality management education.\ud
The CLAS corpus is a compilation of approximately one million words of spoken discourse recorded\ud
in 2008 in a third-level Irish educational setting, a Community of Practice (Wenger, 1998) with its\ud
own distinctive footprint. This corpus is the result of a collaborative project between Shannon\ud
College of Hotel Management (SCHM), Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick (MIC) and\ud
Cambridge University Press (CUP) and it captures the discourse of both the academics (experts) and\ud
students (novices) across the full range of modules. The corpus will provide data on hospitality\ud
discourse which can inform pedagogical methodologies and applications.\ud
Using Wenger’s theoretical framework of Community of Practice (ibid.) and Classroom Discourse\ud
Analysis (Walsh, 2006, 2011), through the lens of corpus linguistics, we offer two interpretations of\ud
how this unique empirical data can be exploited. This paper aims to demonstrate how the discourse\ud
establishes, develops and supports the SCHM community of practice and, in addition, by specifically\ud
examining student oral presentations across various modules and years, a heretofore underexamined\ud
method of academic assessment, we discover how students actually use the discourse.\ud
We investigate the discourse for particular linguistic features and patterns, for example, the use of\ud
deixis which is the language used to orient one speaker vis-à-vis the listener(s), in particular\ud
pronoun usage. This data can be compared with corpus data from both the academic community\ud
(MICASE) and the corporate community (CANBEC). We also analyse a sub-corpus of student oral\ud
presentations in terms of cohesion, information packaging and the different grammatical patterns\ud
used by native and non-native speakers.\ud
This paper aims to provide a snapshot of the discourse located in the Irish hospitality education\ud
sector, demonstrating some of its unique linguistic features and offering suggestions as to how to\ud
interpret the data in terms of real and effective communication. This paper also aims to inform the\ud
industry about these results so as to disseminate the knowledge gained from this project and to\ud
assist the industry practitioners in understanding some effective communication strategies for\ud
dealing with clients, to ensure a true, heartfelt “céad mile fáilte”
Is social capital formation and maintenance under threat in County Sligo? : A critical review and exploration 1993-2013
Full text linkThis thesis seeks to assess the extent to which social capital formation and the commensurate maintenance of this substance, imputed to ‘bind society’, has been under threat in County Sligo over the period 1993-2013. Relatedly, issues around individualism, community and social self-encapsulation, as a consequence of the recent era of significant economic recession and austerity, are unpacked by providing a within case and non-generalizable case study of County Sligo.\ud
Adopting a mixed method approach, this research was operationalized by undertaking an extensive literature review of social capital. From this review a list of issues and themes emerged. These initially informed a topic guide for a focus group session consisting of community activists from all walks of life in County Sligo. The views of the focus group participants laid the foundations for a quantitative survey which in turn paved the way for a number of one-to-one interviews with leading members of County Sligo society representing a range of organisations.\ud
The findings from this research indicate that there is significant and widespread anger at the way leading institutions of the State behaved over the preceding decades including concern at the manner in which consecutive County Development Plans did not adequately facilitate, encourage or support the development of the social capitalisation of Sligo. Low levels of trust in society emerge as a major issue. However, people in County Sligo distinguish between interpersonal trust and institutional trust and indicate that they are prepared to reach out and engage in collective re-social capitalisation activities transcending social, economic, ethnic cleavages.\ud
That human nature will find the strength to heal the wounds and face the future with hope and some confidence was the principle finding of this research and that Sligo people have a pride in their county
The effect of irrigation with wastewaters on the abundance of bio-indicators in established short rotation coppice willow plantations
Full text linkThis study investigated the effect of irrigation with wastewaters on the abundance of earthworms, mites and springtails in established short rotation coppice willow plantations. The study examined two different sites in Northern Ireland over two consecutive irrigation periods in 2012 and 2013. Site one (8,100m2) was located at Culmore, Co. Derry and was irrigated with primary treated effluent from a nearby wastewater treatment plant at a rate of 30m3/ha/d. Site two (23,700m2) was located at Hillsborough, Co. Down and was irrigated at variable rates (18, 34 and 44 m3/ha/d) with dairy parlour washings from an on-site farm. Earthworms were extracted by a combination of chemical extraction (mustard solution) and hand-sorting. Mites and springtails were extracted using Berlese-Tullgren funnels.\ud
Earthworms proved to be useful bio-indicators to monitor the impact of irrigation with dairy wastewater at site two since their abundance significantly decreased at the highest irrigation rates used at this site (i.e. 34 and 44 m3/ha/day). The abundance of earthworms was not significantly affected by irrigation with municipal wastewater at site one. A variety of earthworm species were recovered in sites one and two (n=8 and n=11, respectively) but the majority of these were present in low numbers. Acid-tolerant earthworm species occurred in greatest numbers at both sites. The abundance of mites and springtails was not affected by irrigation with wastewater in sites one or two, regardless of application rate.\ud
Previous land-use significantly affected the abundance of earthworms and mites at site one. A greater abundance of earthworms was observed in plots that had been previously planted with grassland prior to SRC willow conversion in 2010, while a greater abundance of mites was observed in plots that had been previously planted with poplar. No interaction factor was evident between previous cropping history and irrigation
The classification and characterisation of archaeological glass using multi-elemental analysis
Full text linkThe main aim of this thesis was to use non-destructive multi-elemental analysis to determine the major and trace elements contained in archaeological glass. There has been very little work done on elemental analysis of glass in Ireland, not least because destructive techniques are usually necessary in order to obtain a quantitative result which is representative of the entire glass object. For the purpose of this study, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was chosen as the analytical method as it is capable of carrying out completely non-destructive multi-elemental analysis, something which is highly desirable for archaeological material.\ud
A total of 328 beads, artefacts and fragments were analysed by XRF. The objects came from a range of sites from various locations across Ireland and included glass from the Iron Age through to modern times. Using elemental analysis, it was possible to identify the raw materials, including the type of modifiers that were used as well as the colourants and opacifiers used. It was also possible to examine levels of corrosion that the surface layers had undergone, based on the amount of elements such as aluminium that they contained.\ud
The results from the analysis highlighted some interesting trends such as increased levels of aluminium over time in glass due to corrosion. Further analysis of larger groups of samples would make it easier to identify trends and changes in glass objects and could potentially highlight further indicators of chronology or geographical origin based on elemental composition