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Rapid Tev Gamma-Ray Flaring Of Bl Lacertae
Get PDFWe report on the detection of a very rapid TeV gamma-ray flare from BL Lacertae on 2011 June 28 with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). The flaring activity was observed during a 34.6 minute exposure, when the integral flux above 200 GeV reached (3.4 ± 0.6) × 10–6 photons m–2 s–1, roughly 125% of the Crab Nebula flux measured by VERITAS. The light curve indicates that the observations missed the rising phase of the flare but covered a significant portion of the decaying phase. The exponential decay time was determined to be 13 ± 4 minutes, making it one of the most rapid gamma-ray flares seen from a TeV blazar. The gamma-ray spectrum of BL Lacertae during the flare was soft, with a photon index of 3.6 ± 0.4, which is in agreement with the measurement made previously by MAGIC in a lower flaring state. Contemporaneous radio observations of the source with the Very Long Baseline Array revealed the emergence of a new, superluminal component from the core around the time of the TeV gamma-ray flare, accompanied by changes in the optical polarization angle. Changes in flux also appear to have occurred at optical, UV, and GeV gamma-ray wavelengths at the time of the flare, although they are difficult to quantify precisely due to sparse coverage. A strong flare was seen at radio wavelengths roughly four months later, which might be related to the gamma-ray flaring activities. We discuss the implications of these multiwavelength results
Discovery Of A New Tev Gamma-Ray Source: Ver J0521+211
Get PDFWe report the detection of a new TeV gamma-ray source, VER J0521+211, based on observations made with the VERITAS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope Array. These observations were motivated by the discovery of a cluster of \u3e30 GeV photons in the first year of Fermi Large Area Telescope observations. VER J0521+211 is relatively bright at TeV energies, with a mean photon flux of (1.93 ± 0.13stat ± 0.78sys) × 10–11 cm–2 s–1 above 0.2 TeV during the period of the VERITAS observations. The source is strongly variable on a daily timescale across all wavebands, from optical to TeV, with a peak flux corresponding to ~0.3 times the steady Crab Nebula flux at TeV energies. Follow-up observations in the optical and X-ray bands classify the newly discovered TeV source as a BL Lac-type blazar with uncertain redshift, although recent measurements suggest z = 0.108. VER J0521+211 exhibits all the defining properties of blazars in radio, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths
Amateurism in an Age of Professionalism: An Empirical Examination of an Irish Sporting Culture: The GAA
Get PDFThe Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has been synonymous with the sporting tradition of Ireland since 1884, and the links it has developed with the parishes and communities of Ireland have been based on the organization’s ethos of volunteerism and amateurism in Gaelic games. Modern Ireland has brought with it many challenges for the GAA, especially in relation to internal and external issues. The dynamic of sport in Ireland has changed with the introduction of professionalism in soccer and rugby, and this has caused the validity of the amateur status of the Gaelic Athletic Association to be questioned. The development of professional sports brands, such as ‘Munster Rugby’, and ‘Leinster Rugby’, has been achieved through an aggressive marketing policy within the rugby fraternity.
This research is an examination of the Gaelic Athletic Association as an amateur sporting organization in an era of professionalism in Ireland. This study is particularly focused on analyzing the elements of the GAA that contribute to its success and investigating the competitive relationship between the GAA and the growth of professionalism in sport. The amateur ethos is defined in this research as a key metric for sustaining an amateur organization in an environment where the era of professional sports is becoming more prevalent in Ireland. The empirical research gathered for this study was based on a qualitative methodology consisting of 18 semi-structured, face to face interviews with individuals who had relevant but varied experience within the GAA, such as players, coaches, managers and administrators.
This research study recommends that the GAA adopt an innovative approach, through strategic decision-making, to allow the GAA to maintain its amateur ethos, and, yet, successfully compete in the professional sporting market. The strong links with the community must be both nurtured and enhanced. The GAA and Gaelic games must embrace the challenges that the branding success of foreign sports has brought. Player welfare issues for the elite players must be addressed while continuing to protect the club and its amateur structures. The study looks at the key metrics that are required to evolve the GAA. This entails not only focusing on the perceived importance of the amateur ethos to the GAA, but also developing the marketing, branding and profiling of Gaelic games to enhance the performance of an amateur sporting organization in an era of increased professionalism in sport
The Irish Dairy Industry: Globalisation, Competition, Recession, & Consumerism
Get PDFIn today’s global environment, the dairy farmer and his herd have lost major importance and influence as a consequence of a variety of factors, among them the Industrial revolution, continued and increasing consumerism, the technological explosion, and the ever-expanding concentration of people in urban areas. This research study examines the Irish dairy industry in its current format. The objective of this study is to look at what dairy farmers need to do to grow and expand their business efficiently and effectively. The major challenge for the industry is to attract a new generation of knowledgeable workers to the land. This needs to be balanced by ensuring that both the deep traditions and the experienced culture of farming generations remain at the heart of agricultural practice.
The future of the Irish Dairy industry will be scrutinised over the next few years as reforms take place and economies adjust, amid the expectation that world markets will stabilise. The proposed abolition of milk quotas in 2015 will be one of the most significant landmarks in farming history since Ireland’s entry into the European Union in 1973, and the introduction of milk quotas in 1984. This study also examines whether Ireland will remain on its current trend of a steady decline of individuals holding farms, and if the industry will become a gathering of “multi-nationals”, similar to other commodity markets. Can the Irish dairy farming community formalise a strategy together to ensure that all members make a substantial contribution and have an input in its future success?
After an extensive review of the relevant pertinent literature, a qualitative methodology was applied for this current research. Face to face interviews were conducted with relevant and appropriate people, including the current Irish Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Simon Coveney T.D. Nine interviews were completed for the purpose of this study, and contributors were purposely chosen because of their expertise in the area.
The study reveals that the outlook for the Irish dairy industry is a positive one, but it will be important for the industry to closely examine comparative situations, in particular to give attention to the New Zealand model. Findings suggest that dairying post 2015 can do the same for rural Ireland as it did for the South Island of New Zealand 20 years ago. Caution must also be exercised that Ireland does not experience the same social implications as the New Zealanders did. This study has found that grass-based milk production is an area where Ireland has a real, sustainable, competitive, and international advantage. The focus and ambition of the future should be for the dairy industry to turn the land of green hills and mountains into the land of the green ‘notes’, preferably euro notes. This study will benefit the dairy industry, farming organisations, entrepreneurs, legislators and political leaders in analysing the industry and determining its future
Female Career Progression & Maternity Leave: An Irish Exploration
Get PDFThe persistent existence of the \u27gender pay gap\u27 in organisations, and the lack of females at executive level position in Ireland due to motherhood is the context for this paper. In particular, this study seeks to investigate why women\u27s careers are impacted by childbearing. The study investigates if there is a correlation between taking maternity leave, and women\u27s career progression in the work place. The increasing length of maternity leave benefits and flexible work arrangements results in elongated absence of females from the workplace. This leads to stereotypical role emergence by both men and women. Women take on the main responsibilities of home and child rearing, while men maintain and expand their careers. As a result, a marked absence of women exists at senior executives levels in organisations both in Ireland and internationally. Many studies have drawn attention to the challenges faced by women in reaching executive level positions in organisations. There is, however, very limited empirical research conducted with females, their co-workers, and managers, on the behaviour of women returning to the work place post maternity leave. In particular, there is a lack of research on the issues faced by individuals in Irish organisations.
A significant finding of this study is that women\u27s careers are impacted by having children, but, more significantly, by their prevailing roles as primary care givers to their families and home responsibilities. Enhancing the relevance of this study, key trends that emerged suggest that women\u27s motivation concerning their current work remains constant, and they become more productive when they return to the workplace after maternity leave. This research found however, that the majority of women, post maternity leave, consciously decide to reduce their career ambitions and progressions, as family now becomes their highest priority. The primary findings of this study will contribute to the limited research in an Irish context of female career progression, and Irish maternity leave. Significantly, the study will contribute to the body of literature on gender \u27pay gap\u27, and gender equality, in the workplace and society. This study will be of particular relevance to managers and HR policy makers
Long Term Observations of B2 1215+30 with Veritas
Get PDFWe report on VERITAS observations of the BL Lac object B2 1215+30 between 2008 and 2012. During this period, the source was detected at very high energies (VHEs; E \u3e 100 GeV) by VERITAS with a significance of 8.9σ and showed clear variability on timescales larger than months. In 2011, the source was found to be in a relatively bright state and a power-law fit to the differential photon spectrum yields a spectral index of 3.6 ± 0.4stat ± 0.3syst with an integral flux above 200 GeV of (8.0 ± 0.9stat ± 3.2syst) × 10−12 cm−2 s−1. No short term variability could be detected during the bright state in 2011. Multi-wavelength data were obtained contemporaneously with the VERITAS observations in 2011 and cover optical (Super-LOTIS, MDM, Swift/UVOT), X-ray (Swift/XRT), and gamma-ray (Fermi-LAT) frequencies. These were used to construct the spectral energy distribution (SED) of B2 1215+30. A one-zone leptonic model is used to model the blazar emission and the results are compared to those of MAGIC from early 2011 and other VERITAS-detected blazars. The SED can be reproduced well with model parameters typical for VHE-detected BL Lac objects. Key words: BL Lacertae objects: general – BL Lacertae objects: individual (B2 1215+30, VER J1217+301
Antibacterial and Herbicidal Activity of Ring-Substituted 2-Hydroxynaphthalene-1-carboxanilides
Get PDFIn this study, a series of twenty-two ring-substituted 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1-carboxanilides were prepared and characterized. Primary in vitro screening of the synthesized compounds was performed against Staphylococcus aureus, three methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains, Mycobacterium marinum, M. kasasii, M. smegmatis. and M. avium paratuberculosis. The compounds were also tested for their activity related to inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. 2-Hydroxy-N-phenylnaphthalene-1-carboxanilide and 2-hydroxy-N-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide (IC50 = 29 µmol/L) were the most active PET inhibitors. Some of tested compounds showed the antibacterial and antimycobacterial activity against the tested strains comparable or higher than the standards ampicillin or isoniazid. Thus, for example, 2-hydroxy-N-(3-nitrophenyl)naphthalene-1-carboxamide showed MIC = 26.0 µmol/L against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and MIC = 51.9 µmol/L against M. marinum, or 2-hydroxy-N-phenylnaphthalene-1-carboxamide demonstrated MIC = 15.2 µmol/L against M. kansasii. The structure-activity relationships for all compounds are discussed
A single point mutation in the listerial betL sigma(A)-dependent promoter leads to improved osmo- and chill-tolerance and a morphological shift at elevated osmolarity
No full textBetaine uptake in Listeria monocytogenes is mediated by three independent transport systems, the simplest of which in genetic terms is the secondary transporter BetL. Using a random mutagenesis approach, based on the E. coli XL1 Red mutator strain, we identified a single point mutation in a putative promoter region upstream of the BetL coding region which leads to a significant increase in betL transcript levels under osmo- and chill-stress conditions and a concomitant increase in stress tolerance. Furthermore, the mutation appears to counter the heretofore unreported “twisted” cell morphology observed for L. monocytogenes grown at elevated osmolarities in tryptone soy broth
The Use of Fear Appeals to Communicate Public Health Messages
Get PDFThis paper provides an insight into the use of fear appeals to communicate a public health message. A fear appeal is a means of persuasion that threatens the audience with a negative, physical, psychological, and/or social consequence that is likely to occur if they engage in a particular behaviour. This paper explores: the effectiveness of fear appeals; the impact gender and age have on the effectiveness of a fear appeals; and ethical concerns relating to fear appeal advertising. This study comprises a two stage data collection process: focus groups and depth interviews. Firstly, two focus groups were conducted. The participants were higher education students. The focus groups explored attitudes and opinions regarding the effectiveness of different styles of fear appeal advertisements. Secondly, four in-depth interviews were conducted with road safety experts to assess the effectiveness of fear appeal advertisements and to assess the feedback from the focus groups. The findings from this research indicate that fear appeal advertising is effective at creating awareness about road safety. However, fear appeals alone do not change the driving behaviours and attitudes of viewers. Fear appeal campaigns must be supported by enforcement if attitudes and behaviours are to change. The findings of this research indicate that gender does not have a significant effect on the impact of fear appeal messages. Both genders recognise that all individuals are subject to the consequences displayed in fear appeal advertisements. However, participants in this study report that they and their peers continue to drive whilst tired, distracted, and using a mobile phone
Genomic Investigation into Strain Heterogeneity and Pathogenic Potential of the Emerging Gastrointestinal Pathogen Campylobacter ureolyticus
Get PDFThe recent detection and isolation of C. ureolyticus from patients with diarrhoeal illness and inflammatory bowel diseases warrants further investigation into its role as an emerging pathogen of the human gastrointestinal tract. Regarding the pathogenic mechanisms employed by this species we provide the first whole genome analysis of two C. ureolyticus isolates including the type strain. Comparative analysis, subtractive hybridisation and gene ontology searches against other Campylobacter species identifies the high degree of heterogenicity between C. ureolyticus isolates, in addition to the identification of 106 putative virulence associated factors, 52 of which are predicted to be secreted. Such factors encompass each of the known virulence tactics of pathogenic Campylobacter spp. including adhesion and colonisation (CadF, PEB1, IcmF and FlpA), invasion (ciaB and 16 virB-virD4 genes) and toxin production (S-layer RTX and ZOT). Herein, we provide the first virulence catalogue for C. ureolyticus, the components of which theoretically provide this emerging species with sufficient arsenal to establish pathology